Shameless
Republicans' Deliberate Dysfunction and the Battle to Preserve Democracy
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4.9 • 7 Ratings
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
From the first content creator to interview President Biden, leading progressive voice Brian Tyler Cohen takes a step back from the day-to-day news cycle to explain how American politics has turned into such a dumpster fire—and what Democrats need to do to get us out of it.
In Shameless, Brian Tyler Cohen lays bare the long con of the modern Republican Party. While the radical right continues hiding behind gaslighting maneuvers, artificial slogans, and hollow catchphrases, Cohen’s unflinching narrative illuminates the realities and dangers of the ever-widening gulf between the vaunted Republican brand and their actual behavior.
With a foreword by Congressman Jamie Raskin, drawing on interviews and insights from Pete Buttigieg, Mehdi Hasan, Jen Psaki, and other luminaries of the Left, Cohen reveals:
How Republicans have leaned on their historical branding to give themselves a permission structure to behave antithetically to everything they say;Why the mainstream media has proved itself a willing participant in this ongoing farce— particularly since the rise of toxic, sensationalist MAGA mania; andWhat lessons Democrats can glean from a clear-eyed view of the landscape we’re operating in—and the steps we must take to rebalance our political landscape.
During this all-hands-on-deck moment in our history, Shameless is essential reading for those seeking to understand our dire situation, and a rallying cry for those fighting to preserve democracy.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
YouTuber and MSNBC contributor Cohen debuts with a snarky if slightly hackneyed critique of the GOP. Making worn-out arguments about Republican hypocrisy (i.e., they pushed through Amy Coney Barrett's nomination to the Supreme Court after denying Merrick Garland a hearing), Cohen mostly preaches to the choir. He touts himself as being "at the forefront of a burgeoning and crucial independent media ecosystem" but states that he needs expert guidance to get "to the heart of this Republican Party's dysfunction." The micro-targeted cross-section of party luminaries he sought out for their expertise—Pete Buttigieg, Marc Elias, Al Franken, Mehdi Hasan, Dan Pfeiffer, Jen Psaki, Jamie Raskin, and Heather Cox Richardson—seem tailored to appeal to Democratic Party superfans ("No one, however, does it more effectively than Pete Buttigieg," Cohen gushes in a chapter praising Democrats who make Fox News appearances). Those fans will undoubtedly find a lot to like—Cohen's dive into GOP history goes surprisingly deep (topics include the Republican embrace of the racist Southern Strategy and Newt Gingrich's tenure as speaker of the House) and his humor occasionally has some bite (the word fact is defined in a footnote as "an antiquated notion that once mattered"). Only Democratic diehards need apply.
Customer Reviews
No Lies Here
Just like Brian’s podcasts, this book’s target audience is not the right wing or non-voter. It is ammunition for those of us who see what’s going on but are searching for the ammunition to use a tribunes.
Read it, then go poke a hole in a potato.
Excellent
A concise exploration of the GOP’s sharp and shameless turn away from democracy and towards authoritarianism.
A good summary of what is happening today
Well written and well thought out as to where things are today. And it does lead to further questions, especially about the history of that led us here.