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

Colmes, Alan

ISBN 10: 0060572221 ISBN 13: 9780060572228

Publisher: HarperAudio, 2003

Synopsis

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 about the war in Iraq and the situation in Afghanistan; the right's misguided use of religion to justify hatred and prejudice; and the successful conservative smear campaign against the left that has turned "liberal" into a four-letter word.

Colmes calls America back to its liberal roots. He reminds us that our forefathers spoke out against the status quo and that they believed the ability to express dissent was crucial to keeping a democracy healthy. With thoughtful, provocative arguments, hard facts and searing humor, Colmes urges us to extend our hands across party lines to find real solutions, protect our shores, and preserve our freedoms.

About this title

Review

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

About the Author

Alan Colmes brings hope and anger to millions each week as the cohost of Hannity & Colmes, the number one debate program on television. He also hosts the wildly popular radio show Fox News Live with Alan Colmes. His previous venues include WABC, WNBC, and WEVD in New York and WZLX in Boston. In 1990, Colmes hosted the Radio Hall of Fame Awards. He lives in New York City.

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0060572221
• ISBN 13: 9780060572228
• Binding: Audio Cassette