The Great Revolt

Inside the Populist Coalition Reshaping American Politics

By: Salena Zito, Brad Todd

Narrated by: Bob Hess

Standout syndicated columnist and CNN contributor Salena Zito, with veteran Republican strategist Brad Todd, reports across five swing states and over 27,000 miles to answer the pressing question: Was Donald Trump's election a fluke or did it represent a fundamental shift in the electorate that will have repercussions--for Republicans and Democrats--for years to come.

The history of the American electorate is not a litany of flukes; instead it is a pattern of tectonic plate-grinding, punctuated by a landscape-altering earthquake every generation or so. Donald Trump's electoral coalition is smashing both American political parties and its previously impenetrable political news media. The political experts called the 2016 election wrong and in the wake of the 2016 election surprise, the experts have continued to blow it -- looking to predict the coming demise of the President without pausing to consider the durability of the trends and winds that swept him into office.

The Great Revolt delves deep into the minds and hearts of the voters the make up this coalition. What emerges is a group of citizens who cannot be described by terms like "angry," "male," "rural," or the often-used "racist." They span job descriptions, income brackets, education levels, and party allegiances. What unites them is their desire to be part of a movement larger than themselves that puts pragmatism before ideology, localism before globalism, and demands the respect it deserve from Washington.

Zito and Todd have traveled on over 27,000 miles of country roads to interview more than 300 Trump voters in 10 swing counties. What they have discovered is that these voters were hiding in plain sight -- ignored by both parties, the media, and the political experts all at once, ready to unite into the movement that spawned the greatest upset in recent electoral history. Deeply rooted in the culture of these Midwestern swing states, Zito and Brad Todd reframe the discussion of the "Trump voter" to answer the question: What next?


Includes a bonus PDF of the Appendix

Very revealing to any

If you are a Trump voter, great fun to listen for which group you are in (if you are not a Trump voter this book may help you wake up) .
Still has a slight left till that must come from the classic journalist training of today. But more than made up for by some very intelligent insights.

Insight into 2016

The authors interviewed individuals and painted pictures of the small towns of America. The images and the descriptions of the characters reminded me of where I grew up. Very interesting to hear the results of exit polls. I highly recommend this book!

The Sound Bite that makes sense of ‘16, and since.

Fantastic book and audio experience. Well paced for the spoken word.
The book is based in statistics, surveys of Trump voters after the election and dissection of pre-election polls and studies, both right and wrong. But, it’s the individual stories and voices that make the numbers real. The 1-2% shifts in swing states were real people and not aberrations. I don’t think you can fully understand the news of the day in our Trump Era without reading (listening to) this book.

A truthful book on "What really happened"

I cant thank the authors enough for a true portrayal of how Trump became POTUS 45. During the 2016 elections, most of my friends, the kind Salena describes in the book always scratched our heads at the poll numbers but knew deep inside that he was going to win. This book clearly explains why and what really happened.
Its a shame that I dont see this book get more traction on the main stream media coverage because it speaks the truth.

Whats really great about this book, is not just the reason in 2016 but the entire background into the person and how long term democrats pulled the lever for Trump. Truly amazing.

I would titled this book ... "The Great Revolt (what really happened)"

Thanks Salena and Brad and excellent narration by Bob.

Exceptional

I highly recommend this thoughtful, comprehensive book. The varied stories of Trump supporters are fascinating whether the reader necessarily agrees with the authors’ labels and analysis. At the risk of being glib, the book’s title may easily have been ‘What Happened.’