cover image Reviving the Left: The Need to Restore Liberal Values in America

Reviving the Left: The Need to Restore Liberal Values in America

Dwight Furrow, . . Prometheus, $24.98 (253pp) ISBN 978-1-59102-703-4

During the 2004 presidential campaign, John Kerry, decorated for his service in Vietnam, was besieged by a campaign discrediting his tour of duty, while Bush, a National Guard “deserter” and the sitting president, successfully cultivated an image of soldierly strength (and went on to win his second term). Political philosopher Farrow attempts to explain the public’s choice to exalt Bush and distrust Kerry by highlighting what he sees as the conservative movement’s unique ability to articulate a moral philosophy that is capable of trumping proven facts. “Liberalism’s longterm prospects depend on convincing voters that moral corruption lies at the heart of conservative doctrine and that liberal ideas are the remedy,” he writes. While Furrow’s criticisms of the Right are familiar and his tone slightly crabby, his proposals are fresh—he urges liberals to develop “a more substantial moral identity” and win a few battles in the values war by building upon their “inherent culture of caring,” repackaging the conservative movement’s successful tactics for the Left. (Mar.)