The Goldwater Standard
In 1960, Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater published what would go on to become the defining document for political conservatives in America. The Conscience of a Conservative outlined three core principles of the exciting new movement: small government, free enterprise and a strong national defense. Goldwater was a popular figure on the right, and ran for president on the Republican ticket in 1964. Despite a devastating loss to Democrat Lyndon Johnson, conservative columnist George Will observed after Regan's victory in 1980 that Goldwater had actually won, "it just took 16 years to count the votes."
In 1960, Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater published what would go on to become the defining document for political conservatives in America. The Conscience of a Conservative outlined three core principles of the exciting new movement: small government, free enterprise and a strong national defense. Goldwater was a popular figure on the right, and ran for president on the Republican ticket in 1964. Despite a devastating loss to Democrat Lyndon Johnson, conservative columnist George Will observed after Regan's victory in 1980 that Goldwater had actually won, "it just took 16 years to count the votes."
A Tea Party Revival
By 2009, Goldwater's crusade had been overtaken by social conservatives and the rise of the religious right. Wedge issues like abortion and gay marriage dominated the "new" conservative agenda, and the core principles of the original movement were cast aside.
For a group of individuals calling themselves the "Tea Party," however, Goldwater's ideas still had merit. Over the course of a year, the Tea Party became a full-fledged grassroots movement, and by 2010, it had emerged into a powerful new force in American politics.
Dr. B. Leland Baker, a Colorado resident who has attended Tax Day protests for years, said he traveled across several states in 2009, interviewing the men and women he met at Tea Party rallies and copiously jotting down their ideas. Now, 50 years after Goldwater penned his famous manifesto, Baker has published what can only be seen as the 21st century's new political handbook for Goldwater conservatives: Tea Party Revival: The Conscience of a Conservative Reborn.
"I have found that Tea Partiers were [as] uniformly against the Bush excesses as they are Obama's excesses," Baker said recently. "I have met people from Republican, Democrat, Libertarian and Constitution parties that are Tea Partiers ... "
In each case, Baker found that Tea Partiers wanted their leaders to commit to five basic principles: a smaller federal government, Constitutional compliance, deference to states’ rights, lower spending and taxes and the restoration of individual rights, responsibility, and integrity.
For a group of individuals calling themselves the "Tea Party," however, Goldwater's ideas still had merit. Over the course of a year, the Tea Party became a full-fledged grassroots movement, and by 2010, it had emerged into a powerful new force in American politics.
Dr. B. Leland Baker, a Colorado resident who has attended Tax Day protests for years, said he traveled across several states in 2009, interviewing the men and women he met at Tea Party rallies and copiously jotting down their ideas. Now, 50 years after Goldwater penned his famous manifesto, Baker has published what can only be seen as the 21st century's new political handbook for Goldwater conservatives: Tea Party Revival: The Conscience of a Conservative Reborn.
"I have found that Tea Partiers were [as] uniformly against the Bush excesses as they are Obama's excesses," Baker said recently. "I have met people from Republican, Democrat, Libertarian and Constitution parties that are Tea Partiers ... "
In each case, Baker found that Tea Partiers wanted their leaders to commit to five basic principles: a smaller federal government, Constitutional compliance, deference to states’ rights, lower spending and taxes and the restoration of individual rights, responsibility, and integrity.
Baker's Take
"I am not a 'spokesperson' for the Tea Party," Baker says, "nor do we need a single leader. We can have 50 leaders across 50 states .... and the only position where one would need consensus is the president. All other federal positions can decentralize to [the] state level."
Beginning with a list of demands and an analysis of what it means to be a conservative in America in the 21st century, Baker then takes the reader through each of the core principles of the Tea Party's agenda, offering along the way a consensus opinion of what he has apparently gleaned from the members of the movement he has met. Although he does not attribute those opinions to any specific person or persons, Baker's analysis is focused and clearly reflective of the movement's general ideology.
Baker's insights are refreshingly free of the dogged wedge issues that have divided the conservative movement for so long. Rather than focusing on issues best decided by the judicial branch of government, Baker concentrates on ways in which the executive and legislative branches can best serve the American people. These focus mostly on the economics of government and Constitutional compliance.
"... [E]very law should have a tie to the powers granted to the federal government in the U.S. Constitution," Baker writes in Chapter 7 (Eschew Obfuscation). "Politicians rely upon confusion and obfuscation—the more complicated they make a concept sound, the harder it is for taxpayers to challenge. During the Bush and Obama administrations, the federal government has consistently obfuscated the facts."
Beginning with a list of demands and an analysis of what it means to be a conservative in America in the 21st century, Baker then takes the reader through each of the core principles of the Tea Party's agenda, offering along the way a consensus opinion of what he has apparently gleaned from the members of the movement he has met. Although he does not attribute those opinions to any specific person or persons, Baker's analysis is focused and clearly reflective of the movement's general ideology.
Baker's insights are refreshingly free of the dogged wedge issues that have divided the conservative movement for so long. Rather than focusing on issues best decided by the judicial branch of government, Baker concentrates on ways in which the executive and legislative branches can best serve the American people. These focus mostly on the economics of government and Constitutional compliance.
"... [E]very law should have a tie to the powers granted to the federal government in the U.S. Constitution," Baker writes in Chapter 7 (Eschew Obfuscation). "Politicians rely upon confusion and obfuscation—the more complicated they make a concept sound, the harder it is for taxpayers to challenge. During the Bush and Obama administrations, the federal government has consistently obfuscated the facts."
Assessment
Published by Outskirts Press in Denver, Colo., Tea Party Revival isn't a history of the movement, nor is it a catalog of personal and political attacks. Highly readable and easy-to-understand, Baker's book cuts against the grain of typical modern-day political non-fiction in every way. It doesn't contain much fluff, but Baker's goal isn't to entertain or even inform. His objective is to relate the agenda of an entire movement. To that end, it is worded almost like a handbook or a manual on how to fix government.
Which is not to say the book lacks excitement. Baker's insights are frequently enjoyable, and his analysis is so no-nonsense at times, it's difficult to understand why the federal government continues to behave as it does. Although his ideas may seem radical (abolishing the IRS, eliminating the departments of agriculture, education, environment, labor, transportation, health and human services and housing and urban development, etc.), he provides clear and concise justifications for each of them. Baker's approach -- and, according to him, that of the Tea Party -- is to return the bulk of government to individual states, thereby reducing the size and scope of government and promoting the American ideals of self-reliance and personal integrity in the bargain.
For those looking for a broader understanding of the Tea Party movement and its underlying principles, Tea Party Revival is the place to start ... and finish.
Which is not to say the book lacks excitement. Baker's insights are frequently enjoyable, and his analysis is so no-nonsense at times, it's difficult to understand why the federal government continues to behave as it does. Although his ideas may seem radical (abolishing the IRS, eliminating the departments of agriculture, education, environment, labor, transportation, health and human services and housing and urban development, etc.), he provides clear and concise justifications for each of them. Baker's approach -- and, according to him, that of the Tea Party -- is to return the bulk of government to individual states, thereby reducing the size and scope of government and promoting the American ideals of self-reliance and personal integrity in the bargain.
For those looking for a broader understanding of the Tea Party movement and its underlying principles, Tea Party Revival is the place to start ... and finish.
Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the author. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.