Conscience of a Conservative
A Rejection of Destructive Politics and a Return to Principle
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4.2 • 59 Ratings
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- $4.99
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A thoughtful defense of traditional conservatism and a thorough assault on the way Donald Trump is betraying it.”—David Brooks, in his New York Times column
In a bold act of conscience, Republican Senator Jeff Flake takes his party to task for embracing nationalism, populism, xenophobia, and the anomalous Trump presidency. The book is an urgent call for a return to bedrock conservative principle and a cry to once again put country before party.
Dear Reader,
I am a conservative.
I believe that there are limits to what government can and should do, that there are some problems that government cannot solve, and that human initiative is best when left unfettered, free from government interference or coercion. I believe that these ideas, tested by time, offer the most freedom and best outcomes in the lives of the most people.
But today, the American conservative movement has lost its way. Given the state of our politics, it is no exaggeration to say that this is an urgent matter.
The Republican party used to play to a broader audience, one that demanded that we accomplish something. But in this era of dysfunction, our primary accomplishment has been constructing the argument that we’re not to blame. We have decided that it is better to build and maintain a majority by using the levers of power rather than the art of persuasion and the battle of ideas. We’ve decided that putting party over country is okay. There are many on both sides of the aisle who think this a good model on which to build a political career—destroying, not building.
And all the while, our country burns, our institutions are undermined, and our values are compromised. We have become so estranged from our principles that we no longer know what principle is.
America is not just a collection of transactions. America is also a collection of ideas and values. And these are our values. These are our principles. They are not subject to change, owing to political fashion or cult of personality. I believe that we desperately need to get back to the rigorous, fact-based arguments that made us conservatives in the first place. We need to realize that the stakes are simply too high to remain silent and fall in line.
That is why I have written this book and am taking this stand.
—Jeff Flake
Customer Reviews
Even the preview is enticing
I won’t buy the whole book — I’ll probably check it out at the library if they have it — but from the preview, this is what I’ve been looking for as a conservative. I’ve had this sort of thought in my mind about how modern day conservatives, and the Republican Party as a whole nowadays, should start focusing on policy and broadening their reach rather than this partisan populism that has encapsulated the conservative movement.
When someone calls so-and-so a “RINO” for not liking Trump or whomever, saying that is contradictory to the whole point of this book and only further entices the notion of hyper partisanship. I’m fairly conservative, and registered Republican, and I abhor Trump, that doesn’t make me not conservative. I will vote for Republicans who I feel will forward the movement and our ideals, but someone like Trump, who uses fear-mongering and udder falsehoods to gain votes and popularity, is the epitome of what the Republican Party should not be.
The consensus of this book is the reason I like conservatives like Jeff Flake and the late John McCain, because they have competence.
A very important read, no matter where you come down on political questions
This book is written to conservatives, and to anyone interested in how conservatives wish to see themselves be defined--rather than as the straw man, stereotyped conservative so often referred to in the press. But it should be a beacon of light to everyone, and I would love to see a sister book written by and for those on the left.
Mr. Flake's focus on principles of good political behavior and interaction should be appreciated and aspired to by everyone across the political spectrum. We've got pull ourselves back from the boorish and uncompromising brink, and not let the name calling, ridicule, bigotry and even thuggery on both sides take us over. And this book would be a good place to start that conversation. This is important for everyone, especially for the younger generation, who need to see it in action from the grown ups. With this book, Mr. Flake helps show the way.
Junk
He’s not a conservative. Waste of money.