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Between 1944 and 1953, a power struggle emerged between New York governor Thomas Dewey and U.S. senator Robert Taft of Ohio that threatened to split the Republican Party. In The Roots of Modern Conservatism, Michael Bowen reveals how this two-man battle for control of the GOP--and the Republican presidential nomination--escalated into a divide of ideology that ultimately determined the party's political identity.
Initially, Bowen argues, the separate Dewey and Taft factions endorsed fairly traditional Republican policies. However, as their conflict deepened, the normally mundane issues of political factions, such as patronage and fund-raising, were overshadowed by the question of what "true" Republicanism meant. Taft emerged as the more conservative of the two leaders, while Dewey viewed Taft's policies as outdated. Eventually, conservatives within the GOP organized against Dewey's leadership and, emboldened by the election of Dwight Eisenhower, transformed the party into a vehicle for the Right. Bowen reveals how this decade-long battle led to an outpouring of conservative sentiment that had been building since World War II, setting the stage for the ascendancy of Barry Goldwater and the modern conservative movement in the 1960s.
About the author
Born in 1962, Michael J. Bowen grew up in Washington Park, North Carolina, water-skiing on the glassy water of the Tar River and playing competitive sports. On November 19, 1985, during his senior year of college, he made the fateful decision to play an extra in an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. That decision ultimately led to a car accident, paralysis, and a spiritual intervention that taught him lessons about faith, empathy, and overcoming adversity. Today, he is a "walking" quadriplegic, a retired phys ed teacher, a high school tennis coach, and a motivational speaker. He's also a self-proclaimed beach bum and an amateur drummer who lives in Wilmington, North Carolina, with the love of his life-his wife Laura-and their dog, Tessa. The Viewfinder: Michael's Story is his first book.
Summary
Roots of Modern Conservatism: Dewey, Taft, and the Battle for the Soul of the Republican Party
