Foxes in the Henhouse : How the Republicans Stole the South ...

[zaj]

Anyone else watching these guys on CNBC? It's great TV, and it sounds like a great book.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743286510/104-6726349-1187115?v=glance&n=283155

http://foxesinthehenhouse.com/

Review

"I am not sure the Democrats are the solution, but I do know that the Republicans are a problem. This is one hell of a book. I like angry, especially when it knows its target. And this one is dead-on. No one is spared. It's an eye-opener. Both sides should read it and weep."
-- Lewis Black

"If Democrats are brain-dead, the surgeons are here. Steve and Mudcat show how their party could again be something Andy Jackson would recognize -- a party of the people. If Democrats don't start listening to these guys, they should move to Canada."
-- Craig Crawford, Congressional Quarterly and author of Attack the Messenger: How Politicians Turn You Against the Media

"Steve and Mudcat know the South and rural America and they show they know how to connect to it. Their interest and their commitment to rural communities is smart and good politics. It is also personal -- they both come from rural America."

-- Virginia governor Mark Warner

"Foxes in the Henhouse is a kick-ass and take-names primer on how to clean up the Republican corruption in Washington and get back to old-fashioned Democratic values. Does the Democratic Party want to get back to winning in rural America? Well, here's the playbook. Steve and 'Mud' are good ol' boys who have won big in what the 'experts' said was Republican territory for keeps. This is a must-read for Democratic candidates and strategists, but especially for anyone who is interested in replacing the special-interest politics of the GOP with the public-interest priorities of the Democrats."

-- Ben "Cooter" Jones, former Georgia congressman and Dukes of Hazzard star

"There has been plenty of ink spilled about the problems Democrats have at winning elections, but if step 1 on the road to recovery was identifying 'what's the matter,' step 2 is identifying a solution. Jarding and Saunders outline a very persuasive blueprint that's already proven successful."

-- Chuck Todd, National Journal

Book Description

Like a newly discovered treasure map offering a path to buried riches, Foxes in the Henhouse is a hard-hitting political blueprint for how the Democrats can win again in the South and rural America. The authors document the Republicans' rise in the South and Midwest, expose the hypocrisy that marked their ascent, and offer a take-no-prisoners plan to kick them out.


The authors know of what they speak. "Rural strategists" Steve Jarding and Dave "Mudcat" Saunders are famous for securing Democratic victories in places they shouldn't have -- most notably in Mark Warner's successful run for governor of Virginia, a campaign that wasn't afraid to use bluegrass concerts and NASCAR to get the message out.


When George W. Bush swept the South clean in 2004, it was the final insult to Jarding and Saunders, two self-proclaimed "bubbas" on a mission to convince their fellow southerners and rural Americans that the GOP's claim of representing "values," patriotism, the sportsmen, and fiscal conservatism is a disastrous farce. In addition to exposing the lies behind the gradual Republican invasion of the hinterland that began in the 1960s, they offer some surprisingly simple strategies for Democrats to capture each of these issues. Among other things, Jarding and Saunders urge Democrats to

• Quit turning their noses up at the culture of rural America and talk to people where they live
• Learn how to count when going after votes
• Show some passion and retaliate when Republicans assassinate their characters

Packed with meticulous and shocking research findings; blunt, laugh-out-loud language; and merciless assaults on George W. Bush, Tom DeLay, Bill O'Reilly, and plenty of other right-wing charlatans, Foxes in the Henhouse is a must-read and will be one of the most talked-about books of the year and for election cycles to come.

[ClusterFreak]

1. Sounds like a must-read....

...nice to hear from Cooter, too. I think I could do without the cheap shot at Canada from Craig Crawford, though!!

[Berry Cool]

3. Maybe it's not a cheap shot.

Maybe he's saying "If Democrats don't listen to what these guys have to say and start using it to win elections, Canada is going to be the only nearby place fit to live."

[ClusterFreak]

4. Yeah...I'm not sure who he means by "they"...Dems or the authors...

Anyway...you could be right.:)

[doc03]

2. They are on CNBC with Tim Russart now Blue staters "listen"!

[napi21]

5. Listen to Russert's show if you can! These 2 authors are very good!

I flipped to Russert during the first commercial on the show I was watching, just to see who he had on. I didn't recognize the guys so I listened for a minute or so to find out what was going on. realliked what thye had to say, and I believe all Dem candidates would do well to pay attention to their advice!

Russert's show repeats here on the east coast at 1AM. I think it's really worth watching. I'd areally like to read their book "Foxes in the Hen House" too!!!!

[Me.]

6. Excellent Discussion

I was a little leery at the beginning but they had good construction points of view and gave very practical advice. Loved what they had to say about how Kerry should have handled the swiftboats and about the dems being afraid. I think they'd be an asset to any election campaign.