geeky
The book is all about transition. It describes how the Democratic Party went from running a series of weak left-leaning candidates (Carter, Mondale and Dukakis) trounced in the three consistent elections, and how it changed lanes to choose a centrist southern Governor who was able to separate himself from the herd of "more of the same" opponents and grab the middle of the political road. That candidate was able to secure an unlikely victory by abandoning traditional Democratic Party positions (on such things as welfare reform, capital punishment and gun control), taking many issues away from conservative Republicans in order to win two successive elections. It is about Clinton's personal transition as a political Lazarus, going from someone known only as a political Lothario to becoming the self-proclaimed "Comeback Kid". A major theme running throughout the book (dissected in detail in the book's final chapter) is the transition in presidential politics, the "birth of a new era of government" referred to in the book's title. Nelson considers the various combinations and permutation when the same or different political parties control the White House and Congress, and how this has led to a transition from a climate of political compromise and horse-trading to one of intense polarization, politics as we know it today.
Professor Nelson looks at a number of other remarkable political transitions: how George H. W. Bush went from being a President with record approval ratings to losing the White House, how Bob Dole fell from his lofty perch as a revered leader by aligning himself with Newt Gingrich's guerilla politics, and how the Republicans' "Contract With America" ended up making their opponent more electable even as the seeds of impeachment were being sown. Finally, Nelson explains how all of this transition has led to where we are today, and how Bill Clinton bears significant responsibility for creating the modern world of Washington politics.
The strong point of this book is Nelson's analysis and his big picture thinking, though to be fair, he also does a good job of describing many of the details, stopping to tap a few trees while taking in the forest. What is disappointing however is that the author was given authority to look at two elections in one book, when both were fascinating contests, each capable of greater analysis and recounting. The 1996 election was given an especially condensed review in this book. But even the 1992 contest, perhaps the most masterful campaign victory every engineered, was not given the full measure of its due in this volume.
High marks to Professor Nelson for his intelligent post mortem, especially in giving the reader an understanding of how elections have consequences long after the ballots have been counted. Low marks to University Press of Kansas for condensing two interesting political battles into one volume.