Political Ideologies Audiobooks | Politics

Heroic Conservatism: Why Republicans Need to Embrace America's Ideals (And Why They Deserve to Fail

Michael Gerson, who worked with George W. Bush on his most inspiring speeches, is considered by many Democrats and Republicans to be the most influential White House speechwriter since the Kennedy administration. He was also more than a speechwriter, he was a trusted insider who helped shape policy. In Heroic Conservatism Gerson uses his own experiences in the upper tier of the Bush White House to show why America needs a conservatism that is heroic in its aspirations, including "compassionate conservative" proposals to confront global AIDS, combat poverty in America, and promote human rights and dignity abroad, initiatives that Gerson fought for during his time in government. Gerson has a unique ability to frame complex issues in a way that both challenges and inspires, and in Heroic Conservatism he delivers a new manifesto for the Republican Party and a fascinating memoir of a history-shaping Presidency.

Michael J. Gerson (Author), Alan Nebelthau (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Conscience of a Liberal

America emerged from Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal with strong democratic values and broadly shared prosperity. But for the past thirty years American politics has been dominated by a conservative movement determined to undermine the New Deal’s achievements. Now, the tide may be turning–and in The Conscience of a Liberal Paul Krugman, the world’s most widely read economist and one of its most influential political commentators, charts the way to reform. Krugman ranges over a century of history and shows that neither the American middle-class nor the baby boomers grew up in the increasingly oligarchic nation we have become over the past generation evolved naturally: both were created, to a large extent, by government policies guided by organized political movements. The Conscience of a Liberal promises to reshape public debate about American social policy and become a touchstone work for an entire generation.

Paul Krugman (Author), Jason Culp (Narrator)

Audiobook

Bill of Wrongs

Throughout her long career of "afflicting the comfortable and comforting the afflicted," the cause closest to Molly Ivins's heart was working to protect the freedoms we all value. Sadly, today we're living in a time when dissent is equated with giving aid to terrorists, when any of us can be held in prison without even knowing the charges against us, and when our constitutional rights are being interpreted by a president who calls himself "The Decider." Ivins got the idea for Bill of Wrongs while touring America to honor her promise to speak out, gratis, at least once a month in defense of free speech. In her travels Ivins met ordinary people going to extraordinary measures to safeguard our most precious liberties, and when she first started writing this book, she intended it to be a joyous celebration of those heroes. But during the Bush years, the project's focus changed. Ivins became concerned about threats to our cherished freedoms–among them the Patriot Act and the weakening of habeas corpus–and she observed with anger how dissent in the defense of liberties was being characterized as treason by the Bush administration and its enablers. From illegal wiretaps, the unlawful imprisonment of American citizens, and the undermining of freedom of the press to the creeping influence of religious extremism on our national agenda and the erosion of the checks and balances that prevent a president from seizing unitary powers, Ivins and her longtime collaborator, Lou Dubose, co-author of Shrub and Bushwacked, describe the attack on America's vital constitutional guarantees. With devastating humor and keen eyes for deceit and hypocrisy, they show how severe these incursions have become, and they ask us all to take an active role in protecting the Bill of Rights. In life and on the printed page, Molly Ivins was too cool to offer a posthumous valedictory (or even to take a victory lap for her many triumphs over inane, vainglorious, and addlepated politicos). But in Bill of Wrongs, her final and perhaps greatest book, the irrepressible Molly Ivins really does have the last word.

Lou Dubose, Molly Ivins (Author), Liz Smith (Narrator)

Audiobook

Thomas Paine's Rights of Man

In The Rights of Man, first published in 1791, Thomas Paine argued against monarchy and outlined the elements of a successful republic, including public education, pensions, and relief of the poor and unemployed, all financed by income tax. Here, Christopher Hitchens marvels at the book's forethought and revels in its contentiousness. Above all, he shows how The Rights of Man forms the philosophical cornerstone of the world's most powerful republic: the United States of America.

Christopher Hitchens (Author), Simon Vance (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of the United States

The two most treasured documents of American freedom together on one audiobook. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal... Drafted by Thomas Jefferson in 1776 as an act of rebellion, The Declaration of Independence powerfully expresses the political principles of an emerging nation. As justification for severing ties with England, The Declaration presented a list of grievances against the King and declared the colonies to be sovereign states. We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. Ratified in 1788, The Constitution remains a shining example of patriotism and compromise. In outlining the power of the three branches of government and establishing the rights of all Americans, The Constitution united the 13 independent states and set forth the official viewpoint of a newly unified nation. Its most significant and insightful feature is that it can always be amended.

Various, Various Artists (Author), Boyd Gaines, Frank Langella (Narrator)

Audiobook

The People and the Ballot: A History of American Party Politics

The study of political parties gets straight to the heart of American politics. The story of political parties is about how we get along with one another. Political parties grew outside the Constitution and the more formal framework of government. No one planned or even wanted them. Parties developed as a response to the dream of a unified government. While parties have taken the country to the brink of violence, and beyond, they have also been vehicles for avoiding violent conflict, and for channeling disagreements. This course provides an understanding of how American politics work and can help make sense of election results and political trends. By understanding political parties, we can better understand what is going on in American politics today and in which direction American politics may be going.

Joshua Kaplan (Author), Joshua Kaplan (Narrator)

Audiobook

Crazies to the Left of Me Wimps to the Right: How One Side Lost Its Mind and the Other Lost Its Nerv

In Crazies to the Left of Me, Wimps to the Right, Goldberg speaks for the millions of Americans who are saying: Enough! Enough of lunatics like Rosie O'Donnell who think "Radical Christianity" is "as big a threat to America as Radical Islam." Enough of the hyperbolic liberal rhetoric comparing Bush to Hitler and Abu Ghraib to a Saddam Hussein torture chamber. And please, enough of the military-hating crazies who run San Francisco! But Goldberg has also had it with hypocritical Republicans who say they're for small government but then spend our hard-earned tax money like Imelda Marcos in a shoe store. He's also had it with weak and timid Republicans who won't stand up and fight against racial preferences, too afraid that the Al Sharptons and Jesse Jacksons of the world will call them bigots. In plain English, he's had it with Republicans who are afraid to be conservative! The 2006 election was a wake-up call, he warns, and if the wimps on the Right fail to regain their courage, recover their principles, and reclaim their sense of fiscal responsibility, the crazies on the Left just might win the White House in 2008.

Bernard Goldberg (Author), Bernard Goldberg (Narrator)

Audiobook

No Retreat, No Surrender: One American's Fight

Very few people are on the fence about Tom DeLay, who was nicknamed "the Hammer" for his hard-charging, take-no-prisoners style of leadership. Liberals despise him, but for conservatives, he's a hero: one of the architects of the 1994 Republican revolution. For 12 years afterward, he was the driving force of the Republican majority in the House of Representatives. In this eagerly awaited memoir, DeLay shares fascinating stories from his entire career, starting with his early, raucous days in Texas; his personal conversion to Christ, and how that changed his personal and political life; his work with other rebels to sow the seeds of the shocking 1994 takeover; and his ascension to the top leadership in the House. He offers a behind-the-scenes view of the most talked-about news events of the past decade, involving George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Newt Gingrich, and many others. DeLay also discusses his victories against the odds, with the slimmest of margins; his passionate dedication to abused and neglected children; and his battle to fend off a 10-year barrage of malicious and frivolous allegations of wrongdoing, which ultimately led to his decision to resign from Congress. Perhaps most importantly, DeLay unveils a blueprint agenda for the country's next group of elected leaders, and tells conservatives how to make it a reality.

Stephen Mansfield, Tom DeLay, Tom DeLay, Tom Delay (Author), Tom DeLay, Tom DeLay (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Extreme Makeover of Hillary (Rodham) Clinton

Positioning for her 2008 presidential run, Hillary has put away the liberal trappings and wrapped herself in a cloak of moderation. But Bay Buchanan rips the mask off Hillary and reveals that not only can Hillary not be trusted but her "makeover" is exactly what one would expect from an unprincipled left-wing politician. "Buchanan...takes Hillary Clinton to task in this unapologetically partisan biography....Buchanan outlines how Clinton's personality and character changed after she was elected to the Senate....Subsequent chapters criticize the senator's positions on hot-button issues, including healthcare, same-sex partnerships and the war in Iraq...."-Publishers Weekly

Bay Buchanan (Author), Pam Ward (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Rehnquist Choice: The Untold Story of the Nixon Appointment that Redefined the Supreme Court

In the fall of 1971, when William Rehnquist was nominated to fill an Associate Justice seat on the Supreme Court, the Senate raised no major objections, and a little-known Assistant Attorney General found himself at the pinnacle of the judiciary. It seemed a straightforward choice of a relatively young, academically outstanding and politically seasoned lawyer who shared Richard Nixon's philosophy of "strict constructionism." As Nixon's White House Counsel John Dean reveals for the first time that the choice was anything but straightforward. The truth is that Nixon's nomination was the result of a dramatic, Nixonian rollercoaster. Rehnquist was a last-minute longshot who had once been dismissed by Nixon as a "clown." Only John Dean -- Rehnquist's champion at the time -- knows the full, improbable story. Dean's gripping tale is loaded with revelations such as Nixon's plan to pack the court by forcing resignations, before his inauguration. Using newly released White House tapes, and thousands of previously unseen documents, Dean puts listeners directly in the Oval Office with Nixon, Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Mitchell, Rehnquist, and the candidates they considered. The Rehnquist Choice fills in a long-missing explanation of the making of the man who wrote the majority opinion in Bush v. Gore and presided over the impeachment trial of William Jefferson Clinton.

John W. Dean (Author), Boyd Gaines, John W. Dean (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream

In July 2004, Barack Obama electrified the Democratic National Convention with an address that spoke to Americans across the political spectrum. Now, in The Audacity of Hope, Senator Obama calls for a different brand of politics -a politics for those weary of bitter partisanship and alienated by the endless clash of armies we see in Congress and on the campaign trail; a politics rooted in the faith, inclusiveness, and nobility of spirit at the heart of our improbable experiment in democracy. He also writes, with surprising intimacy and self-deprecating humor, about settling in as a senator, seeking to balance the demands of public service and family life, and his own deepening religious commitment. At the heart of this audiobook is Senator Obamas vision of how we can move beyond our divisions to tackle concrete problems. Underlying his stories about family, friends, members of the Senate, and even the president is a vigorous search for connection: the foundation for a radically hopeful political consensus. A senator and a lawyer, a professor and a father, a Christian and a skeptic, and above all a student of history and human nature, Senator Obama has written a book of transforming power.

Barack Obama (Author), Barack Obama (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Way to Win: Clinton, Bush, Rove and How to Take the White House in 2008

Mark Halperin (Author), John F. Harris (Narrator)

Audiobook

Political Ideologies Audiobooks in Politics