The Wilderness
Deep Inside the Republican Party's Combative, Contentious, Chaotic Quest to Take Back the White House
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4.4 • 7 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
The explosive story of the Republican Party's intensely dramatic and fractious efforts to find its way back to unity and national dominance.
After the 2012 election, the GOP was in the wilderness. Lost and in disarray. And doggedly determined to do whatever it took to get back to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. McKay Coppins has had unparalleled access to Republican presidential candidates, power brokers, lawmakers, and Tea Party leaders.
Based on more than 300 interviews, The Wilderness is the book that opens up the party like never before: the deep passions, larger-than-life personalities, and dagger-sharp power plays behind the scenes. In wildly colorful scenes, this exclusive look into the Republican Party at a pivotal moment in its history follows a cast of its rising stars, establishment figures, and loudmouthed insurgents -- Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, Carly Fiorina, Bobby Jindal, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, Paul Ryan, Donald Trump, Scott Walker, and dozens of others -- as they battle over the future of the party and its path to the presidency.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Following their defeat in the 2012 presidential election, the Republican Party began wandering a political wilderness, looking for a prophet who could lead them into the promised land in 2016. Drawing on over 300 interviews with the current GOP candidates, Coppin, senior political writer at BuzzFeed News, provides a dizzying, brilliant guide to the behind-the-scenes chaos, along with fully drawn portraits of the men and women who would be president. Jeb Bush, for example, shows a lifelong tendency to ignore the rules and use blunt force to get what he wants. Bobby Jindal transforms from a wonkish technocrat into a "Christian culture warrior and small-government absolutist." Carly Fiorina might have swapped places with Sarah Palin as the party's female candidate of choice, but must strive to avoid being seen by the party establishment as "playing the gender card." Rand Paul clashes with his father, Ron, over ideology. Donald Trump emerges as a showman, willing to speak his mind on any issue. As this book trenchantly shows, the Republican Party is still searching for a way out of the wilderness. Coppin is a superb guide for voters seeking clarity about the ideas and styles of the current Republican candidates.
