The Impostors

How Republicans Quit Governing and Seized American Politics

By: Steve Benen

Narrated by: Ron Butler

Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

National Best Seller

“This is the definitive account of what has gone wrong in our two-party system, and how our democracy has to adapt to survive it. I can't say it in strong enough terms: Read. This. Book.” (Rachel Maddow)

The award-winning producer of The Rachel Maddow Show exposes the Republican Party as a gang of impostors, meticulously documenting how they have abandoned their duty to govern and are gravely endangering America

For decades, American voters innocently assumed the two major political parties were equally mature and responsible governing entities, ideological differences aside. That belief is due for an overhaul: in recent years, the Republican Party has undergone an astonishing metamorphosis, one so baffling and complete that few have fully reckoned with the reality and its consequences.

Republicans, simply put, have quit governing. As MSNBC's Steve Benen charts in his groundbreaking new book, the contemporary GOP has become a "post-policy party." Republicans are effectively impostors, presenting themselves as officials who are ready to take seriously the substance of problem solving, but whose sole focus is the pursuit and maintenance of power. Astonishingly, they are winning - at the cost of pushing the political system to the breaking point.

Despite having billed itself as the "party of ideas", the Republican Party has walked away from the hard but necessary work of policymaking. It is disdainful of expertise and hostile toward evidence and arithmetic. It is tethered to few, if any, meaningful policy preferences. It does not know, and does not care, about how competing proposals should be crafted, scrutinized, or implemented. This policy nihilism dominated the party's posture throughout Barack Obama's presidency, which in turn opened the door to Donald Trump - who would cement the GOP's post-policy status in ways that were difficult to even imagine a few years earlier.

The implications of this approach to governance are all-encompassing. Voters routinely elect Republicans such as Mitch McConnell and Ted Cruz to powerful offices, expecting GOP policymakers to have the technocratic wherewithal to identify problems, weigh alternative solutions, forge coalitions, accept compromises, and apply some level of governmental competence, if not expertise. The party has consistently proven those hopes misguided.

The result is an untenable political model that's undermining the American policymaking process and failing to serve the public's interests. The vital challenge facing the civil polity is coming to terms with the party's collapse as a governing entity and considering what the party can do to find its policymaking footing anew.

The Impostors serves as a devastating indictment of the GOP's breakdown, identifying the culprits, the crisis, and its effects, while challenging Republicans with an imperative question: Are they ready to change direction? As Benen writes, "A great deal is riding on their answer."

©2020 Steve Benen (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers

Three Card Monte Politics

The Impostors, How Republicans Quit Governing and Seized American Politics, written by Steve Benen, and narrated by Ron Butler. This is a brilliant work; whose presentation is very readable (listenable.) Its subject matter is a comparison between today’s American political marketplace positions from the right and the left. It covers the topics of economics, health care, environment, immigration, fiscal, monetary, and foreign policy and compares the positions of the two factions of American government Republicans/Democrats. It is not kind to the Republicans or Trump. Its technique in the presentation is to compare the policy of the Republicans and the Trump Administration versus the Democrats and the Obama Administration. What does it all come down to? The Republicans or Trumpsters, according to Mr. Benen, are not political theorists as one would expect from our Representatives and their Parties. They, Republicans and Trump, are shenaniganist. (I just made up that word.)

If Trump and the Republicans are not intellectually driven, then one might ask for what purpose is their goings-on. Mr. Benen’s Answer: To hold power for their titillation of having that power and the opportunity of using that influence to attract to themselves emoluments. Mr. Benen though explains further, to get to that reward, they must seduce their constituents into believing they are working for the common good while the common good is only a pitch to the constituents.

Here is a simple rule to help decide whether to purchase and read this book. If you are going to be a national representative in the Congress or an aide, you must read and master the policy history and breakdown of today’s political issues discussed in the volume. It very well presented but complex and to enjoy you must be a policy wonk. If you are lightheaded this is far too sophisticated of a publication.

I had been looking at our national division as a struggle between the conservative point of view versus the liberal point of view. Mr. Benen has proven to me; there no longer is a conservative philosophy. There is only a con job, by the right, being perpetrated on their adherents.

Sadly true

You just don’t want to believe that things have gotten so bad. This explains so much about the lack of governance coming from the Republican Party. I found myself laughing at some of the ridiculous remarks made by GOP leaders that so showcases their stupidity and laziness. They’re only in it for the paycheck, the primo benefits, and the “retirement” plan.

Finally!

The author puts forward many examples of gop flip flopping, going against their own own stated ideas. just to not look like they were working with Dems. Almost all of it is verifiable!!! Before u start whining about bias, research it first.

So true and well written!

The Impostors
How Republicans Quit Governing and Seized American Politics
By: Steve Benen
Narrated by: Ron Butler
This book goes back decades and describes the changes the Republican party went through up to today. It is obvious the Republican party has changed over the years but other being more callous, it is really hard to really but a finger on it until someone like Mr Benen comes along and points it out with facts and dates. Then it is like, snap, "That's it!"
Easy to understand and follow. Takes the trip down memory lane from before even my time and points out the deterioration of the party to DO any constructive work. Then it gets to tRump's time in office and it changes to just insanity! There is nothing like this in the past! Still no policies or constructive work but plenty of trying to break the norms and the laws. Chaos!
This should be read not just by democrats but by republicans too so they can see how their party has been hijacked by extreme laziness and manipulators.
Great book! Wonderful narration!

Insightful

Ron Butler does a superb job of narrating Steve Benen's knowledgable and insightful book about how Republicans don't want to do any of the hard work of actually governing. Instead, they are using media consultants and social media as well as TV and manipulation of the news cycle to grab and hold onto political power.

He offers many examples. For example, he relates the Republican's failure to develop a cohesive health plan while working through the courts and legislatively (i.e. cutting the individual mandate to zero). Benen also points out how the Republican minority in the House opposes any legislation developed by the Democrats, and how, in the Senate, Mitch McConnell and his cronies simply refuse to allow any bills developed by the House Democrats onto the floor for debate. (He is sitting on more than 400 policy bills developed by House Democrats.)

Thus they make their political living by opposing anything Democrats work to develop while not doing any of the work of governing themselves. Republicans are not offering any bills themselves. That's too much work. It's all about power. Who can grab the most political power and hold onto it? Republicans believe this is the way to do that. Voting them out is the only way to change that dynamic.

This book is well researched and well written. If you're interested in current-day politics and how it's playing out in today's political climate, you will enjoy this book. If you're a die-hard Republican... not so much.

Hard truths

Easy read since I keep up with both politics and history. Doubtful Republicans read it.

This explains everything...

A must-read. The narrator isn't great but he's not bad. The substance of this book is gold.

Excellent summation of post-policy governance.

This was an excellent summation of how the Republicans have not come to govern but how they execute their so-called policies. The post-policy theory is laid out in succinct and concise terms. Benen's style of writing is completely readable and actually engrossing. I managed to read this in just 2 or 3 days. This is saying something, as it usually takes me a week or two to tackle a book. All in all I highly recommend it!

Riveting

Kind of a surprising nailbiter considering it's nonfiction. A perspective on governance I have never thought about. And kind of horrifying. I may have nightmares.

Excellent Explanation of Republican Legislation.

Benen's book gives a very plausible and low research explanation for the inexplicable lack of leadership Republican show when they have power. The book really is a must read book not so much for liberals who are curious about Republicans failures, but rather for Republicans who would like to see a party that accomplishes meaningful goals.