The Long Game

A Memoir

De: Mitch McConnell

Narrado por: Mitch McConnell

The candid, behind-the-scenes memoir of the of the Senate Majority Leader and GOP veteran.

In October 1984, a hard-charging Kentucky politician waited excitedly for President Ronald Reagan to arrive at a presidential rally in Louisville. In the midst of a tough Senate campaign against an incumbent Democrat, the young Republican hoped Reagan’s endorsement would give a much-needed boost to his insurgent campaign. He even had a camera crew ready to capture the president’s words for a TV commercial he planned to air during the campaign’s final stretch. Alas, when Reagan finally stepped to the microphone, he smiled for the crowd and declared: “I’m happy to be here with my good friend, Mitch O’Donnell.”

That was hardly Mitch McConnell’s first setback, and far from his last. He swallowed hard, put his head down, and kept going. Four weeks later, in the biggest upset of the year, his dream of being a US senator came true—by a margin of about one vote per precinct. By persevering, he’d be the only Republican in the country to beat an incumbent Democratic US senator.

McConnell learned patience and fortitude during his post–World War II youth in Alabama. His mother helped him beat polio by leading him through long, aching exer­cises every day for two years. His father taught him the importance of standing up to bullies, even if it meant tak­ing the occasional punch. It turned out to be the perfect childhood for a future Senate majority leader. “In the line of work I would choose, compromise is key, but I’d come to find that certain times required me to invoke the fight­ing spirit both of my parents instilled in me.”

For more than three decades, McConnell has worked steadily to advance conservative values, including limited government, indi­vidual liberty, fiscal prudence, and a strong national defense. But he has always cared much more about moving the ball forward than about who gets the credit.

Now McConnell reveals what he really thinks about the rivalry between the Senate and the House; the players and the stakes involved when a group of political oppor­tunists tried to hijack the Tea Party movement; and key figures such as Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Harry Reid. He explains the real causes of the chronic gridlock that has so many vot­ers enraged, his ongoing efforts to restore the US Senate’s indispensable dual role as a brake on excess and a tool for national consensus, and what ordinary citizens have a right to expect from Washington.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"From Alabama country boy bedridden for two years with polio to Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate is a remarkable journey. Mitch McConnell tells this quintessentially American story with lucid prose and refreshing candor. A most valuable historical contribution to the politics of our time."
—Charles Krauthammer, author of Things That Matter

"Mitch McConnell’s The Long Game is a warm, candid, and captivating story of a young boy who conquered polio, loved the Brooklyn Dodgers, and set his sights on becoming a ballplayer before finding his life’s calling in politics. The steady upward climb from high school president to office boy in the Senate mailroom, from county judge to majority leader, is told with insight, humor, and telling detail."
—Doris Kearns Goodwin, presidential historian

"With candor and a sure sense of history--both of the nation's and of the Senate--Mitch McConnell has written an engaging and compelling memoir of a life spent in the arena. Readers seeking to understand where we are, how we got here, and what might come next will find this book at once entertaining and essential."
—Jon Meacham, author of Destiny and Power

"Mitch McConnell's absorbing memoir arrives at a moment when the nation needs and deserves what his book provides--a mature defense of the political profession by one of its best practitioners. His career in one of America's most complex institutions demonstrates that politics is both an individual craft and a team sport. His readers will acquire deepened respect for him, for the Senate and for the patience that politics requires and rewards."
—George F. Will, author of A Nice Little Place on the North Side

"Sen. McConnell has been a tough foe of President Obama and the Democrats, but in this revealing memoir he also takes on the tea party and other purists for engaging in futile gestures and preferring to make a point rather than a difference. Even if you don't agree with his politics, you'll find a wealth of valuable lessons to learn from his journey."
—Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs and president and CEO of the Aspen Institute

"Mitch McConnell’s impressive career in the U.S. Senate demonstrates the power of strong leadership coupled with patience and perseverance. The Long Game is a fascinating and enjoyable read that vividly depicts the origins of McConnell’s tenacity and commitment to public service, and shares how-to secrets from an American statesman."
—Arthur Brooks, president of the American Enterprise Institute

The McConnell we don't know.

Most people accept the media caricature of Mitch McConnell. Some are lucky to know him in some small sense by working with him on policy issues of the day. But this is a very accessible, interesting and timely memoir of the Leader and what the Senate should be as an institution. A great read.

Story about Mitch

Learning about Mitch make me more apprecate what make him tick and the way he keep doing and completing.

Great Read!

If you want to learn more about the Senate Majority Leader, and politics in general, this is the book for you! It’s such a great story that many people do not know. I implore anyone interested in politics to read this book.

Interesting read

I learned a lot about Senator McConnell through his book including his upbringing and life’s work. I found it very informative. However, I could sense the deep anger through his words and voice when discussing the interactions with former President Obama. Truthfully it may have looked better in a sense to scale that back into a more neutral tone but maybe that personal preference.

Pity It Doesn't Carry Through to 2019

Remarkably to me, this is a compelling & informative autobiography.
I have been as skeptical as anybody about politicians in general, &, perhaps, Senate Majority Leader McConnell, in particular.
Read this - it may not change your views or your votes, but there are valuable things to learn here, about American government, & about the principles & history of decent government, if there is any to be found, elsewhere.
Put it this way: not just how government works, but why - & what makes decent government fail.
Highly recommended.

I’m a Liberal and Against Mitch

I have disagreed with Mitch McConnell on many points on policy. I disagree with his arguments on Campaign Finance along with several other stances Mitch holds.

I do however, have the upmost respect for him. I am thankful that a man with his character and discipline is in the position that he’s in today.

Mitch, I wrote you a letter titled Obamacare. Thank you again for your service and I wish you, Eliane, and your family with the upmost happiness.

Jason Dutton

Interesting perspective from the other side

I try to get as many perspectives into political events as possible. Mitch provides a very interesting perspective, but I still see some inconsistencies in how he applies his own principles (e.g. arguing in one place that govt must always operate deliberately because we have to be sure we're not making the wrong call, but then later arguing that the decision to invade Iraq was correct based on 'what we knew at the time'). I would also love to read his thoughts on everything that happened between 2014-2024.

The best Senatorial book of the cycle

The book is an even handed, readable and enjoyable romp through the last thirty, but particularly the last few, years of Senate history, accompanied by a large dose of all American personal story. I'd particularly recommend this book to students as it provides an excellent framework from which to judge future political claims.

The Long Game

Great book. Thanks for writing it. You have been well prepared to help our nation. Mary God Bless you. The

book was very informative. I'm glad I read it.

Not the devil

This book made me understand who Mitch McConnell is and why he isn’t literally the devil incarnate as most populist republicans would have you believe. I emerged from this with a greater understanding of politics in the senate and a greater respect for our great minority leader( for now just wait till 2022) Mitch McConnell.