They Only Look Dead: Why Progressives Will Dominate the Next Political Era

Despite the title, this book is less a contrarian projection of the future than a savvy if incomplete analysis of our current political landscape. Washington Post columnist Dionne (Why Americans Hate Politics) suggests that our current political chaos derives from multiple crises-of economics, politics, morality and our national purpose-with interesting parallels to upheavals the country faced in the late 19th century, culminating in the first Progressive era. And the ``Anxious Middle''-the swing group in elections-is pandered to, says the author, by both parties. He goes on to suggest that President Clinton, even without his gaffes, would have faced intractable divisions within his party, that Newt Gingrich represents a new breed of technology-oriented conservatism and that journalism must adapt to promote a more serious level of debate. Dionne argues quite plausibly that the new conservatism will fail because it ``seeks to define away'' the problems we face, yet his vision of a new Progressivism ignores some practical steps, such as a move away from identity politics, that must presage such change. Author tour. (Feb.)