cover image Foxes in the Henhouse: How the Republicans Stole the South and the Heartland and What the Democrats Must Do to Run 'em Out

Foxes in the Henhouse: How the Republicans Stole the South and the Heartland and What the Democrats Must Do to Run 'em Out

David Lewis-Williams, Steve Jarding. Touchstone Books, $24 (307pp) ISBN 978-0-7432-8651-0

Those who stayed up late to watch with worry or woke in dismay after the November 2004 presidential elections will welcome this answer to ""How in the Hell did this happen?"" as the first chapter, aptly titled, promises to explain. In this humorous discussion of what went wrong and how to change it, Harvard professor Jarding and Virginia politico Saunders present a method to secure a Democratic victory by gaining the lead in the South and the Midwest. The book encourages Democrats to open their minds to the rural culture of ""Bubbas,"" or blue collar, religious folks who despise government intrusion, have been voting Republican and would respond to political ""NASCAR marketing."" Jarding and Saunders keep it lively, interspersing low-blow jabs at Republicans with statistics, political history and strategies for Democrats to connect with Bubbas over contentious issues like gun control, environmental protection, gay marriage and abortion.