To the Ramparts: How Bush and Obama Paved the Way for the Trump Presidency, and Why It Isn't Too Late to Reverse Course

by Ralph Nader, Jim Feast (Editor)

Overview

America’s number one citizen Ralph Nader’s latest book shows us how unchecked corporate power has led to the wrecking ball that is the Trump presidency. Nader brings together the outrages of the Trump administration with the key flaws and failures of the previous administrations—both Republican and Democratic—that have led our nation to its current precipice. It’s all in the details and Ralph
Nader knows them all. Trump didn’t come out of nowhere. Bush and
Obama led the way. Writing as a Washington, DC, activist and people’s advocate for over fifty years―someone who has saved more lives and caused more impactful legislation to be enacted than almost any sitting president or legislator—Nader shows how Trump’s crimes and misdemeanors followed the path of no resistance of the Obama, Bush and
Clinton regimes, which ushered in the extreme rise of corporate power and the abandonment of the poor and middle classes.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781609808471
Publisher:	Seven Stories Press
Publication date:	08/28/2018
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Born in Connecticut in 1934, RALPH NADER has spent his lifetime challenging corporations and government agencies to be more accountable to the public. His 1965 book Unsafe at Any Speed permanently altered the course of a reckless U.S. automobile industry and made Nader a household name. His lobbying and writing on the food industry helped to ensure that the food we buy is required to pass strict guidelines before reaching the consumer. One of Nader's greatest achievements was his successful lobbying for a 1974 amendment to the Freedom of Information Act, which gave increased public access to government documents. Over the years he has co-founded the public interest groups Public Citizen, Critical Mass, Commercial Alert, and the Center for the Study of Responsive Law. His 2000 presidential campaign on the Green Party ticket served to broaden the scope of debate on the nation's priorities. Named by the Atlantic as one of the hundred most influential figures in American history, Nader continues to be a relentless advocate for grassroots activism and democratic change. He lives in Washington, D.C.

Table of Contents

Opening Orientation 7

Part I The Democrats Squander Their Obama Victory 13

1 Upgrading Minimum Wage of Minimal Interest to the Democratic Party 19

2 When the People Were in the Streets, the Dems Were Behind Their Desks 32

3 Trump Not the Only One to Roll Back Regulations 48

4 Obama's Unconstitutional Handling of the "War on Terror" 51

5 An Interlude: Fund-raising 94

6 The Democrats Will Be Repeatedly Corporatized Unless They Battle for a People's Agenda 97

7 When Will Democrats Stand by Their Convictions? 102

8 Romney Lost, Yes, but Obama Should Have Been Cleaning His Clock 107

9 Thoughts on the Inauguration 131

10 Shutting Down Keystone XL: A Positive Step 135

11 What the Democrats Have to Get Right 138

12 Obama's and Democrats' Weak Appointments and Policies Pander to Wall Street 154

13 Obama's Bad Ideas on Free Trade 163

Part II The Presidential Primaries 173

14 Hillary on Her Record 175

15 The Attempt to Sideline Sanders 186

16 The Trump Rampage 193

17 Trump and Sanders 196

18 The Media Was Letting Us Down in Covering the Election and the Debates 200

19 The Primaries, Structurally Warped: The Democrats 214

20 The Primaries, Glitter Trumps Substance: The Republicans 232

Part III The Campaign for President Under Way 243

21 Duking It Out 245

22 The Lessons of Trump's Ascent 253

Part IV Trump in the Drivers Seat 257

23 Electoral Shenanigans 259

24 Trump's Big Reveal 264

25 Trump in Power, Night Falls in America 274

26 His Appointments Were Bad, His Governing Worse 277

27 Resist on the Barricades 293

Editorial Reviews

08/27/2018
Longtime activist Nader links the rise of President Trump and decline of the Democratic Party to the latter’s turn away from being champions of a “people’s agenda” in this uneven recent history of and jeremiad against corporatist American politics. While Nader is at pains to be clear that he finds the Democrats preferable to Republicans in some policy areas, he argues that their litany of failures in the economic realm is the main reason the party has lost power. He also identifies structural problems with American democracy and calls for top-down “necessary reforms,” offering an eight-point platform—which includes a minimum wage hike, military cuts to fund public works, and conversion to renewable energy—that Democratic candidates could adopt in order to win the support of wide swaths of the electorate. The presentation can at times distract from his ideas: fictional passages are full of oddly dramatic flourishes (in one, Barack Obama consents to chat with the ghost of Osama bin Laden “as long as you remain hovering and do not attempt to defile this solemn room”) and the reproduction of numerous, sometimes pages-long chiding letters to major political figures may grate on even avowed Nader fans (especially given the 2015 book compiling his letters to Presidents Bush and Obama). But readers who don’t mind those elements will find well-argued ideas here. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

"For a half century Ralph Nader has said what he thinks, written what he believes, and told it like it is—even to presidents." —Robert B. Reich, chancellor's professor of public policy, University of California at Berkeley

"Ralph Nader is without a doubt the most dedicated, fearless, and intelligent citizen crusader America has ever been fortunate enough to have in our midst." —Nomi Prins, author of All the Presidents' Bankers

From the Publisher