Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
The Red and the Blue
The Red and the Blue: The 1990s and the Birth of Political Tribalism | Steve Kornacki
11 posts | 11 read | 12 to read
From MSNBC correspondent Steve Kornacki, a lively and sweeping history of the 1990sone that brings critical new understanding to our current political landscape In The Red and the Blue, cable news star and acclaimed journalist Steve Kornacki follows the twin paths of Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich, two larger-than-life politicians who exploited the weakened structure of their respective parties to attain the highest offices. For Clinton, that meant contorting himself around the various factions of the Democratic party to win the presidency. Gingrich employed a scorched-earth strategy to upend the permanent Republican minority in the House, making him Speaker. The Clinton/Gingrich battles were bare-knuckled brawls that brought about massive policy shifts and high-stakes showdownstheir collisions had far-reaching political consequences. But the 90s were not just about them. Kornacki writes about Mario Cuomos stubborn presence around Clintons 1992 campaign; Hillary Clintons star turn during the 1998 midterms, seeding the idea for her own candidacy; Ross Perots wild run in 1992 that inspired him to launch the Reform Party, giving Donald Trump his first taste of electoral politics in 1999; and many others. With novelistic prose and a clear sense of history, Steve Kornacki masterfully weaves together the various elements of this rambunctious and hugely impactful era in American history, whose effects set the stage for our current political landscape.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
review
JenReadsAlot
post image
Pickpick

I love watching Steve and also enjoyed this book. It felt a bit long at times, but if you enjoy politics I think it's worth it.

Megabooks I liked this too. 👍🏻 13mo
marleed His election stats, tie, and khakis are the only thing that have me tuning into cable media during elections! 13mo
JenReadsAlot @marleed Oh his khakis lol! 13mo
40 likes1 stack add3 comments
review
Megabooks
post image
Pickpick

The roots of how we got to the modern US partisan divide lead back to the 90s and two men: Newt Gingrich and Bill Clinton. Their political trajectories and the policies and tactics they started have resounded throughout Boomer dominance at the national level. A really fantastic look at the 90s national political landscape as a whole, too. I‘ll drop a link to this bargain #audiobook on Chirp ⬇️. I definitely recommend it!

Megabooks Chirp doesn‘t require a membership and has great audiobook sales! This one is $4.99 through 10/31/21 https://www.chirpbooks.com/audiobooks/the-red-and-the-blue-by-steve-kornacki/ (edited) 2y
sprainedbrain Gosh I love Steve Kornacki. I‘m going to check this out. 2y
Megabooks @sprainedbrain he‘s fantastic! this is a great book to nerd out to. 🤓 2y
74 likes1 stack add3 comments
blurb
Megabooks
post image

Ridiculously excited to sit down with this one! NBC favorite Kornacki discusses the era that made me an American-concentration poli sci major: the 90s. (Also when I happened to be an undergrad! 😉) serious #NerdVibes tonight! 🤓

BookmarkTavern Oh I bet this will be fascinating! I look forward to seeing your thoughts on it! 2y
mrsmarch This book was so good!!! 2y
Megabooks @ozma.of.oz so far it is! will tag you in my review if you like. 👍🏻 2y
Megabooks @mrsmarch I‘m really enjoying it! 2y
BookmarkTavern Yes please! Thank you! 2y
68 likes5 comments
review
keithlafo
post image
Mehso-so

This is well written, and Kornacki does a good job of giving an in-depth overview of the political chaos that ensued during the 90s. At the same time, the book doesn‘t really address “political tribalism” until its closing pages. I don‘t mind the blow-by-blow, but that‘s not what I bought the book for.

blurb
mrsmarch
post image

Finally finished. ✅

Dear my #jolabokaflod swap match, my Goodreads TBR is the most up to date, including a shelf of books that I know I own already. Just thought you should know. ❤️ 🎄

25 likes1 stack add
blurb
mrsmarch
post image

#jolabokaflod shopping chin scratchies! What a happy Bunny! Time to mine my match‘s TBR for a fantastic book, and there are a lot there to pick from. I have my work cut out for me!

blurb
mrsmarch
post image

Reading at my parents‘ house, please lord let it be quiet for a little while. #readingwithtoddlers

ValerieAndBooks How‘s the book? I‘m interested 👀. Hope you get good reading time in! 3y
mrsmarch @ValerieAndBooks It‘s really good. I was not as politically aware in the 90s as I am now, but I do remember a lot of the 1992 election stuff. Seeing how Newt manœuvered the GOP in the 1980s really shows me how deep the rot goes. 3y
mrsmarch @ValerieAndBooks It‘s my mom‘s book so I keep it for reading at their house. Now I don‘t need to lug a book back and forth. I‘m a little over halfway. I‘m not familiar with this author on MSNBC but my mom recommended him. And she knows my political taste. 3y
See All 6 Comments
ValerieAndBooks Okay, I‘ll stack this! 90s politics were kind of a blur for me — for one I was a new mom (my oldest born in 1995) so it should be a good perspective and refresher. 3y
mrsmarch @ValerieAndBooks I vividly remember the ‘92 Dem convention — I had a chicken nuggets Kids Cuisine the night Bill accepted the nomination — and the government shutdown that came later. But I was 8-17 years old during the Clinton years so my awareness of nuance and plot was nonexistent. NOW it‘s a perfect reminder of how we got where we are. 3y
ValerieAndBooks I feel old now 😂 I remember watching Nixon resignation speech on TV and asking my dad what was going on (I was 8). 3y
34 likes1 stack add6 comments
blurb
mrsmarch
post image

Spent four hours in midday sun cleaning a headstone yesterday. D2 is a biocidal cleaner suitable for masonry, especially gravestones. This one is about 109.5 years old. #preservationadventures #ilikedeadpeople

AkashaVampie Love the hashtag... haha 4y
SW-T Wow, what a difference! Applaud your hard work. 😊 4y
32 likes2 comments
review
DocBrown
post image
Pickpick

So it turns out you can connect Donald J Trump directly to Pat Buchanan and H Ross Perot. Trump, who in 2000 flirted with running for president, had the billionaire persona but not the populist message. It was only when he adopted the Buchanan platform in 2015 that he had the winning combo. He may have run sooner had it not been for the success of The Apprentice. An important and interesting read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blaire I love Steve kornacki. I got this book as a gift. Need to move it up the tbr. #politicsnerd 5y
Susanita Ross Perot. Bleh. 5y
DocBrown @blaire and @susanita I agree. Good book with interesting characters. 5y
69 likes3 comments
blurb
booklover76
post image

Funny. All the years he has been in the public eye and I have never heard his full name until now.

quote
booklover76
post image

😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮
Wow!!!! Pat Buchanan in 1992 . Sounds just like Trump