Red, White & Liberal : How Left Is Right & Right Is Wrong

Amazon.com
If ever there was book destined to get negative customer reviews, it's Red, White & Liberal: How Left Is Right & Right Is Wrong by Fox News host Alan Colmes. That's not to say this broad defense of liberal beliefs is a bad book, but conservatives who watch Colmes on TV will get upset about his opinions and liberals won't be available to rush to his defense because, not really being a target demographic of Fox News, they probably haven't heard of him. But Red, White, & Liberal has its merits. Whereas many liberal books of its era take on Fox News, the community of conservative pundits, and the Bush administration for being liars or worse, Colmes leaves the mudslinging out. The result is a bit toothless, but the idea of a book that's mostly a case for what's good about liberalism instead of what's terrible about the right is a bit refreshing. There are some problems. Many of Colmes' assertions--Bill Clinton was the best President ever, O.J. Simpson was innocent--seem more planted to provoke Republican ire than part of a constructive argument. Colmes' extensive use of passages from his own show, "Hannity & Colmes," is edited to make him sound as pithy as possible, and quoting one's self as an expert is kind of lazy, really. Key passages from listener e-mails are also included, and while they're often hilarious, Colmes is still cherry picking; the complaints are from violent nutballs and the compliments are from charming folks who use complete sentences. It's also curious how little mention there is here of Sean Hannity, Colmes conservative co-host, who so dominates their shared talk show that a Colmes book feels a bit like a John Oates solo album. In the liberal pantheon, Alan Colmes is no Howard Zinn (heck, he’s no Michael Moore or Al Franken either), but he makes a simple and entertaining defense of the liberal perspective. Now go read those customer reviews. --John Moe


From Publishers Weekly
The liberal half of Hannity & Colmes breaks free of his cohost to deliver a blandly pious "can't we all just get along?" homily without interruption. Racism is bad, conservatives should stop being such bullies and antiwar protestors are Americans, too. Oh, and Fox News isn't really that conservative. But who'll buy it? As numerous excerpts from viewer e-mails reveal, Colmes's TV audience is largely hostile to him, while potential liberal readers are probably still chuckling over Al Franken's portrayal of him in Lies as a milquetoast. That he's nowhere near as funny (or energetic) as Franken or Michael Moore doesn't help. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Book Description

As one of the foremost liberal voices in television and talk radio today, Alan Colmes has long been braving the wilds of controversial issues and conservative slander. Already a talk radio star and the only liberal to be heard nationally, Colmes has also taken the television world by storm on Fox News Channel's Hannity & Colmes, and he is famous for his hard-hitting stance on the challenges that Americans face today.

In Red, White & Liberal, Alan Colmes addresses a fundamental question: In this time of uncertainty, how can we protect our freedom without diminishing our liberties, while burnishing our rightful place as the world's beacon of democracy? Colmes urges Americans to see past the tactics of the vocal right and to combat the problems that threaten our liberties, including the government's manipulation of the War on Terror to silence critics and expand its powers to frightening proportions; the lies we've been force-fed about the war in Iraq and the unsettled situation in Afghanistan; the misguided use of religion by the right to justify hatred and prejudice; and the successful conservative smear campaign against the left that has turned liberal into a four-letter word.

In order to preserve our freedoms, Colmes calls America back to its liberal roots. He reminds us that our forefathers spoke out against the status quo and fought for the individual's right to opportunity, privacy, and personal choice; that they prized progress and open-mindedness over divisive party politics; and that they believed the ability to express dissent was crucial to keeping a democracy healthy. Colmes suggests that it is our patriotic duty to voice our concern when we feel that wrongs are being done. From debunking the myth of the liberal media to exposing conservative hypocrisy to showing how Jesus was a liberal and the War on Terror is a failure, Colmes presents the issues with thoughtful, provocative arguments, hard facts and logic, and searing humor. He urges us to extend our hands across party lines to find real solutions, protect our shores, and preserve our freedoms.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

As one of the foremost liberal voices in television and talk radio today, Alan Colmes has long been braving the wilds of controversial issues and conservative slander. Already a talk radio star and the only liberal to be heard nationally, Colmes has also taken the television world by storm on Fox News Channel's Hannity & Colmes, and he is famous for his hard-hitting stance on the challenges that Americans face today. In Red, White & Liberal, Alan Colmes addresses a fundamental question: In this time of uncertainty, how can we protect our freedom without diminishing our liberties, while burnishing our rightful place as the world's beacon of democracy? Colmes urges Americans to see past the tactics of the vocal right and to combat the problems that threaten our liberties, including the government's manipulation of the War on Terror to silence critics and expand its powers to frightening proportions; the lies we've been force-fed about the war in Iraq and the unsettled situation in Afghanistan; the misguided use of religion by the right to justify hatred and prejudice; and the successful conservative smear campaign against the left that has turned liberal into a four-letter word.

In order to preserve our freedoms, Colmes calls America back to its liberal roots. He reminds us that our forefathers spoke out against the status quo and fought for the individual's right to opportunity, privacy, and personal choice; that they prized progress and open-mindedness over divisive party politics; and that they believed the ability to express dissent was crucial to keeping a democracy healthy. Colmes suggests that it is our patriotic duty to voice our concern when we feel that wrongs are being done. From debunking the myth of the liberal media to exposing conservative hypocrisy to showing how Jesus was a liberal and the War on Terror is a failure, Colmes presents the issues with thoughtful, provocative arguments, hard facts and logic, and searing humor. He urges us to extend our hands across party lines to find real solutions, protect our shores, and preserve our freedoms. Certain to spark debate and cause readers to both reevaluate and reaffirm their beliefs, Red, White & Liberal is a witty, passionate testament to the liberal ideals that have made America great, and that will continue to ensure liberty and justice for all.

SYNOPSIS

Most famous as the mild-mannered foil to conservative Sean Hannity on Fox's Hannity and Colmes, Alan Colmes here offers his defense of mild-mannered liberalism. He offers a number of criticisms of the "War on Terror" and how it is being conducted by the Bush administration before turning his attention to what he views the conservatives' war on liberals as unpatriotic. He also argues against the surprisingly belief in the "liberal media" and makes the case that the conservative media is often guilty of using hypocritical double standards in their arguments. Colmes frequently intersperses his musings with email exchanges he's conducted with detractors and a few fans. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly