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Best regards, Andrew Stewart Begin forwarded message: > From: H-Net Staff <[email protected]> > Date: November 1, 2018 at 10:15:51 AM EDT > To: [email protected] > Subject: H-Net Review [H-1960s]: Bruno on Olsen, 'The Working-Class > Republican: Ronald Reagan and the Return of Blue-Collar Conservatism' > Reply-To: H-Net Staff <[email protected]> > > Henry Olsen. The Working-Class Republican: Ronald Reagan and the > Return of Blue-Collar Conservatism. New York Broadside Books, 2017. > 368 pp. $27.99 (cloth), ISBN 978-0-06-247526-8. > > Reviewed by Adam Bruno (Miami University of Ohio) > Published on H-1960s (November, 2018) > Commissioned by Zachary J. Lechner > > Reagan: New Dealer 'Til the End? > > Nearly thirty years after departing the nation's highest office, > Ronald Reagan remains an immensely popular and polarizing figure. In > The Working-Class Republican: Ronald Reagan and the Return of > Blue-Collar Conservatism, Henry Olsen engages long-held assumptions > of Reagan's undying devotion to conservatism. Throughout his work, > Olsen posits that it is Reagan's unique, New Deal-based philosophy > that makes him iconic. This book, then, argues that it was Reagan's > "distinct and original philosophy, not his charisma or pragmatism, > that allowed him to change his party, his country, and his world," a > philosophy that transcends "both left and right" (p. x). Written in a > moment of intense partisan and national identity crises, the book > makes the case that Republicans would be wise to emulate Reagan's > blue-collar philosophies. Olsen postulates that Reagan was a man who > cared deeply for the nation's people, remained an ardent New Dealer > his entire life, and practiced a brand of conservatism that upheld > the common man above all else. > > In _The Working-Class Republican_, Olsen joins scores of other > writers with his praise for the nation's fortieth president. Olsen's > work is unique in its focus on Reagan's New Deal roots and emphasis > on his distrust of bureaucracy, not government itself. Each of the > work's eight chapters portrays Reagan's actions as more Franklin > Delano Roosevelt-inspired than many on either side of the political > aisle care to acknowledge. Many on the left can take heart that the > most legendary of conservatives built his career on the foundation of > a great American liberal, while Olsen encourages those on the right > to love the ordinary man in the same way that FDR and Reagan did. > Each successive chapter of this book builds on the previous one to > support the broader argument of Reagan as a "working-class > Republican." > > In chapter 1, "Reagan Enters, Stage Left," Reagan comes of age in > support of FDR's ideals of compassion for the common man and the > dignity of the individual. This initial chapter describes not only > Reagan's early life but also the New Deal environment of his early > adult life. These formative years prove integral in the development > of the future President Reagan. Indeed, America's great > twentieth-century conservative icon seemingly drew much of his early > policy from a giant of liberalism, FDR. > > Chapter 2, "Ronald Reagan: All American," refutes the ideas that > Reagan drastically changed in the 1950s. Conversely, Reagan stayed > true to his New Deal roots, opposing ballooning government > bureaucracy, not the government programs themselves. Throughout his > drift toward the Republican Party in the 1950s and early 1960s, > Reagan was a consistent proponent of a supportive government, not a > planned one. Thus, Reagan remained committed to everyday people but > resisted big government. > > In chapter 3, "'A Time for Choosing': A Star Is Born," the > distinction between Reagan's New Deal-based conservatism and Barry > Goldwater's individualistic ideology is most evident. In the 1960s > Reagan began vocally appealing to anti-big government former > Democrats like himself, yet simultaneously--and quietly--distancing > himself from ultras like Goldwater. Reagan's speeches from the > sixties and beyond demonstrate his commitment to the dignity of > ordinary people. These views shaped a set of plans based in New Deal > ideology and Reagan's ever-present love for the common man. > > Chapter 4, "The Creative Society, Starring Ronald Reagan," shows that > Reagan clarified his ideas and principles as he ran for governor of > California. In these years, Reagan pointed his criticisms not at the > aims of the Great Society but at the excessive governmental overreach > that accompanied it. These years demonstrated Reagan's commitment to > a unique New Deal-based conservatism and policies that were > "inherently grounded in an interpretation of the principles of the > public New Deal and [that] focused its [Reagan's conservatism's] > criticism on those who opposed the New Deal from the left" (p. 75). > As Reagan furthered his political aims, he remained committed to > those who could not help themselves through "no fault of their own" > (p. 74). > > In chapter 5, "California Political Theater: Ronald Reagan Presents," > Olsen describes when Reagan's ideas first became policy. These > California gubernatorial days demonstrated the future president's > commitment to his distinct and sensible New Deal interpretation. This > version of his New Deal valued protecting everyday people with such > programs as K-12 education and practical welfare. All the while, > Governor Reagan kept taxes and public spending at appropriate levels > that included balanced budgets, raising and lowering taxes when it > was necessary. The expansion of aid to those who needed and deserved > it and self-government endeared him to an ever-growing state > population. > > Chapter 6, "Reagan's 'Death Valley Days,'" reveals some of the highs > and lows of Reagan's national political years. From his GOP primary > defeat in 1976 to his victory in 1980, Reagan was consistent in his > New Deal conservatism. What defined the conservatism of Reagan's > election was a broad appeal aimed at the "disaffected New Dealer" (p. > 174). Reagan's political success came from his commitment to the > people, not pure party ideology. > > The long-admired presidency of Reagan is explored in chapter 7, > "President Reagan." Olsen argues that ardent supply-side economics > that could benefit the rich at the expense of the poor was not > integral to Reagan's governing philosophy as president. Conversely, > Olsen maintains that Reagan's desire for lower taxes came from a > desire to allow America's workers to thrive, a philosophy close to > that of FDR. This was an economic principle designed for the benefit > of the average worker, not just the nation's elites. > > In chapter 8, "The Time Is Now: Reagan," Olsen criticizes post-Reagan > Republicans for claiming his mantle without living up to his real > legacy. The preceding chapters build to this final chapter that > focuses on the GOP's need to appeal to blue-collar voters. This claim > rests on Olsen's assertion that the contemporary GOP "does not suffer > from a gender gap, a racial gap, or a marriage gap. It suffers from > an empathy gap" (p. 229). In the final chapter, Olsen implores the > GOP to uphold Reagan's real legacy and return to their concern for > the common man. Olsen posits that a lack of policies that could > benefit candidates in the "cares about people like me" poll question > continually inhibited pre-Trump GOP candidates. Conversely, it was > his upholding this aspect of Reagan's life that made Donald Trump a > successful candidate, despite his un-Reaganesque xenophobic > tendencies. > > While Olsen portrays a unique and accurate picture of a pro-common > man Reagan, the book has flaws. It is undeniable that while Reagan > was a principled and caring man, some of his policies did not aid all > people equally. The continuation of the War on Drugs and > tough-on-crime laws, among other policies, damaged poor inner-city > minority communities. By including the legacy of these policies, > Olsen would have shown a complete picture of the "working-class > Republican," but without implying that Reagan personally possessed > racial animus. The inclusion of these ideas in chapters on Reagan as > president and governor would have elevated this work further. > > Olsen's ideas are clearly tracked throughout the book as he > effectively makes a case for Reagan's unique, blue-collar brand of > conservatism. While the biographical aspects of the book echo those > of other Reagan biographies, the engagement with Reagan's New Deal > background makes Olsen's work original and engaging. Contemporary > conservatives would be well advised to emulate Reagan's steadfast > love of working-class people, as Olsen strongly suggests. While Olsen > is a self-identified Reaganite, this does not detract from a > generally cogent and fascinating argument. The unique contentions of > this work make it an essential read for both political historians and > those involved in twenty-first-century conservative politics. > > Citation: Adam Bruno. Review of Olsen, Henry, _The Working-Class > Republican: Ronald Reagan and the Return of Blue-Collar > Conservatism_. H-1960s, H-Net Reviews. November, 2018. > URL: https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=50781 > > This work is licensed under a Creative Commons > Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States > License. > > -- _________________________________________________________ Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm Set your options at: http://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
