WE SHOULD HAVE SEEN IT COMING

The executive Washington editor for the Wall Street Journal offers a recent history of the GOP and of Donald Trump.

Seib, who has an earlier work on the D.C. establishment, Pennsylvania Avenue: Profiles in Backroom Power (2008), looks favorably on Ronald Reagan and describes the forces that helped him achieve the presidency, which include the formation of the Heritage Foundation and the influences of Grover Norquist and Ayn Rand. The author praises Reagan for numerous accomplishments before moving on to the administration of his successor, George H.W. Bush. Seib sees both of these presidents as admirable men who did good deeds but had a few problems, not always of their own making. Next, the author charts the rise of Newt Gingrich, crediting his astute use and manipulation of media. Likewise, we see the emerging power of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and other conservative media commentators and outlets. The author also has numerous kind things to say about George W. Bush (“an instantly likable man with a quick mind and an air of self-assurance”), words that will no doubt surprise some readers. Seib calls the Iraq War a “misadventure” and argues that the primary problem for Bush regarding Hurricane Katrina was that “the optics were bad.” The author writes about the Barack Obama victories, charting the subsequent rise of the tea party, a force that made the GOP increasingly angry and populist. Although the author mentions race as a factor a few times, he does not pursue it thoroughly. The final chapters deal with the rise of Trump and the accommodations many in the GOP made. Seib also discusses those who abandoned him (George Will among them). The author chronicles Trump’s political and personal failures but recognizes that he has radically altered American politics.

Generously conceived, thoroughly researched, and guaranteed to please no one at the political extremes.