06/01/2014
The future of the Republican Party in a diversifying country "looks bleak," conclude Hughey (sociology, Univ. of Connecticut) and Parks (law, Wake Forest Univ., NC), if the right does not end its dependence on a sometimes coded and sometimes explicit antiblack rhetoric. The authors provide many examples, from Donald Trump and other "Birthers" who dispute the country of President Barack Obama's birth to Fox News commentary and remarks by former presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Hughey and Parks attempt to demonstrate that in a supposedly "post-racial" society, our politics are permeated in both conscious and unconscious ways by the message that only whiteness equates to authentic Americanism. While it is hard to argue with most of what the authors have to say, it's also difficult to read their book, which is filled with awkward phrases, repetition, and social science jargon. VERDICT Readers will be happier with any of the better books making similar arguments, such as Tali Mendelberg's The Race Card, Donald R. Kinder's The End of Race?, Adia Harvey-Wingfield and Joe R. Feagin's Yes We Can?, and Ian Haney López's Dog Whistle Politics.—Robert Nardini, Niagara Falls, NY
"A valuable contribution in understanding the implications and interplay of race and politics in contemporary America. The presidency of Americas first African-American president is historic, with deep implications, and has taken some turns which reflect, not always well, on America dealing with its enduring issues of race. . . . Powerful and well done."
"This exhaustive assessment of the political Rights exploitation of entrenched racial bias in the U.S. is essential reading for students and scholars of the presidency. The Wrongs of the Right blends convincing data with real world examples, and is suitable for both undergraduate and graduate courses."
"The book provides a succinct summary of the historic ebb and flow of racism in US politics. The authors reveal the use of race as a political incendiary by the two primary parties and clearly illustrate the use of the four premises, previously mentioned, as they relate to the discourse surrounding President Obamas campaign, election, and tenure.Summing Up: Highly Recommended."
"Covers very timely and important issues regarding racial and electoral politics in America. . . . Commentators and pundits whose job it is to make sense of contemporary politics and interested citizens will all want a book like this. It is scholarly and rigorous but very readable for a lay audience. In my mind, all books should try to attain this balance."
The book provides a succinct summary of the historic ebb and flow of racism in US politics. The authors reveal the use of race as a political incendiary by the two primary parties and clearly illustrate the use of the four premises, previously mentioned, as they relate to the discourse surrounding President Obama’s campaign, election, and tenure. Summing Up: Highly Recommended.”-Choice
"A valuable contribution in understanding the implications and interplay of race and politics in contemporary America. The presidency of America’s first African-American president is historic, with deep implications, and has taken some turns which reflect, not always well, on America dealing with its enduring issues of race. . . . Powerful and well done."-John Dombrink,University of California, Irvine
2014-04-22
A dissection of the language of the far right, showing the continued, although masked, biases inherent in their message.After a quick history of civil rights and racist attitudes, Hughey (Sociology/Univ. of Conn.; The White Savior Film: Content, Critics, and Consumption, 2014, etc.) and Parks (Law/Wake Forest Univ.; co-editor: Alpha Phi Alpha: A Legacy of Greatness, the Demands of Transcendence, 2011, etc.) show the process that continues the message while avoiding political incorrectness. There are four dimensions at play: black dysfunction, white patriotism, white paternalism and white victimhood. The authors show how these dimensions have grown sociologically and legally over the years, especially since the election of the first black president, Barack Obama. The "Southern strategy" was a child of the ultraconservative Dixiecrats in response to Harry Truman's civil rights program. They laid the groundwork for the advent of the tea party, birthers and the radical right. All of these groups exhibit elements of racism and are anti-immigrant, pro-gun, anti-deficit, anti-Semitic and pro-religion in government. Hughey and Parks demonstrate the different ways in which outright hostility can be masked by implicit racial biases and coded words and phrases—e.g., welfare queen, inner city, states' rights, entitlement society, welfare state and liberal bias. Decrying Obama as the affirmative action president, the disrespect of journalists and talking heads like Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh, as well as the use of dehumanizing symbols are all methods of this so-called principled conservatism, a term the authors reject outright—"the banner of ‘post-racialism' is devoid of ethical currency."Many of the groups the authors investigate will find further fodder for their tirades, and liberals will doubtless get angry, but all should learn that there's a limit to the insults American intelligence will tolerate.
