The Courage of Our Convictions: A Manifesto for Democrats

A fantastic read for anyone interested in philosophy, politics and history. Senator Hart offers an eloquent and compelling narrative of where the modern Democratic Party has been and where it should go.

The first half of this book is a study of the Democrat presidents over the past fifty years and their actions. He traces the triumphant actions of Roosevelt, Truman, and Kennedy as well as offering his critiques on the decline of Democrat power. The second half offers suggestions as to how we can pull together as a nation and revive the party by presenting a unified front as well as win back the majority. Democrats have already won back the majority. Now all we can do is wait and see what they will do with it. While everything in this book might not be feasible, as a couple of the other reviewers have pointed out, at least it contains ideas. Too many people are running around complaining that things have to be changed, however they have no workable plan. We need more Democrats like Hart, who have ideas and who aren't afraid to voice them.

The Democrats have lost the last two presidential elections and have also been the minority in Congress: while they're calling for changes, they haven't the power to lead them in. THE COURAGE OF OUR CONVICTIONS: A MANIFESTO FOR DEMOCRATS calls for the party to redefine itself, to clarify its principles and stand behind them, ridding itself of the division and controversy which have contributed to its demise. Any interested in building Democratic strengths and re-learning principles that differentiate it from Republican ideals must have this. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch

This is a short sensible book, a fast read, with some deep thoughts easily understood: 1) Democratic Party today is timid and out of ideas. It failed America by allowing lies and the suppression of dissent to lead us to an elective war in Iraq that has now cost more dead than were murdered on 9/11, and in addition given us over 65,000 amputees and permanently disabled veterans. 2) The Democratic Party has forgotten its roots in Teddy Roosevelt's sense of national unity, Trumans's sense of internationalism; and John F. Kennedy's sense of civic duty. I would add that the Democratic Party has lost its ties to labor and to religion (see my review of "The Left Hand of God.") 3) The program for the future demands that America lead the world to COLLECTIVE solutions. The author points out that in his obsession with Iraq, Bush Junior has neglected all other global matters as well as domestic security. 4) The author calls for a restoration of government as the source of safety nets for society--not necessarily a larger government, but at least a government not owned by corporations and attentive to the needs of the commonwealth and the public. 5) He concludes the book with a redefinition of security, to include livelihood, community, environment (see my review of Max Manwaring's "Environmental Security and Global Stability"), energy, and borders. To this list I would add family. 6) He stresses the importance of the rule of law, which puts him at one with Senators Warner and McCain, and at odds with the infantile boy president who would sanction torture and rendition and all sorts of imperial atrocities. 7) He notes that no single party can save America, and this may be the acme of wisdom. Now that we know that the Democratic Party is ineffective at a base on base challenge to the Republicans (Karl Rove knows how to steal close elections, having masterminded the criminal thefts of Florida in 2000 and Ohio in 2004), it is clear that only a coalition campaign, one that unites moderate Republicans like myself with fiscally responsible Democrats, and Independents, Libertarians, Reforms, Greens, and the dis-engaged, can get America on track. Bill Bradley and Gary Hart are two of my heros. This book confirms the author's continued value and relevance to the future of the nation.