The Right Moment: Ronald Reagan's First Victory and the Decisive Turning Point in American Politics

Returning to the roots of Ronald Reagan's political career, the author retraces the former president's first big victory in California, where he came from nowhere in 1966 to win the governorship.

The so-called Reagan revolution, according to Dallek, did not begin in 1980 when Reagan won the presidency, but in 1966 when the conservative Hollywood actor, a former FBI informant with no political experience, won a landslide victory in the California gubernatorial race against two-term Democratic incumbent Pat Brown. In this briskly readable, insightful but unsurprising study, Dallek (who has been a columnist for Slate and a contributor to the Atlantic Monthly, Salon and other publications) argues with some justification that the California election was a watershed event. Reagan, positioning himself as a champion of law and order, and as a bold-thinking conservative with fresh ideas and programs, distanced himself from the Republican Party's extremist right wing. Tapping into widespread frustration over high taxes, crime and bloated budgets, genial, telegenic ReaganAand the conservative movementAlearned how to push the right buttons on key issues, turning welfare, urban riots and student protest into cudgels that could be used to bash liberals. Meanwhile, Brown greatly underestimated Reagan's appeal, and though Brown had a strong record on education and civil rights, his faith in the ability of big government to solve social ills was being challenged by entrenched poverty, the Watts riots and campus sit-ins. In Dallek's analysis, Reagan benefited immensely from a liberalism that had moved too far in a direction most voters were unwilling to go; Reagan's rhetorical commitment to smaller government and his support for a strong military budget would resonate for decades. Dallek's evenhanded, incisive critique will compel both liberals and conservatives to rethink their strategies. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ronald Reagan's 1966 victory over incumbent California governor Pat Brown, not his capture of the White House in 1980, was the true start of the "Reagan Revolution" and the ascendancy of the Right. The race also marked Reagan's first try at electoral politics, and although he has been portrayed as a lightweight creation of his handlers, he proved himself an intelligent and highly skillful campaigner. Indeed, Reagan was able to distance himself from the far-right John Birch Society while taking full advantage of the openings presented by Brown's failed fair-housing proposal, the Watts riots, and campus unrest at Berkeley. This first book by journalist Dallek (e.g., Slate, the Atlantic Monthly), who based his work on dozens of interviews and substantial archival research, is a good political story written in a clear style. Recommended for all public and academic libraries.DRobert F. Nardini, Chichester, NH
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Reagan's defeat of incumbent California governor Pat Brown in 1966 marked a turning point in American politics as well as Reagan's own career. The turbulence of the 1960s and the venue of California, often a bellwether for the nation, signaled a turn to conservatism that continues to impact American politics. Dallek focuses on this first political victory for Reagan, until then considered a marginal player more renowned for his career as a B-grade actor. Dallek examines the similarities between Reagan and Brown: troubled family backgrounds, political party conversion, and strong convictions in their political beliefs. Dallek details Brown's second term as governor and the defeat of his fair housing initiative, which set the stage for the political upheaval that resulted in Reagan's election. The cultural and social changes in California--the rise of black militancy and antiwar demonstrations--certainly helped enhance the appeal of a conservative message, delivered with Reagan's smooth charm. Inevitably, Dallek brings things together with a discussion of the impact of Reagan's victory in California on the shape of national politics. Vanessa Bush
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