Description
Book SynopsisFrom a scholar who played a small role in the 1988 US presidential election,
After Reagan provides an eye-opening look at a presidential campaign that few suspected marked the end of an era - or the rise of forces roiling our political landscape today.
Trade ReviewJohn J. Pitney, Jr.’s
After Reagan transports the reader back in time to the hard-fought presidential race between George H. W. Bush and Michael Dukakis. Pitney’s retelling highlights the candidates, issues, and media environment of that time and juxtaposes them with our current political world. This engaging, well-written book is much more than an expert analysis of one memorable election from thirty years ago—it’s a thoughtful exploration of how much, for better and for worse, our politics has changed since then." - Jeffrey Crouch, author of
The Presidential Pardon Power"This fine book might well be subTitled
Present at the Creation. Pitney’s argument-that in the Bush-Dukakis race of 1988 we find the seeds of present-day presidential politics in both parties-is both timely and well supported. Judiciously argued and gracefully written,
After Reagan makes a worthy contribution to the literature." - John Robert Greene, author of
The Presidency of George H. W. Bush, Second Edition, RevisedTable of ContentsEditors' Foreword
Preface
Introduction
1. Retrospect: 1950-1980
2. Reagan, Bush, and the Republicans
3. The Democrats in the 1980s
4. The Republican Nomination Contest
5. The Democratic Nomination Contest
6. The General Election: The Triumph of the Fundamentals
7. Campaigns Have Consequences
Appendix A: 1988 Democratic Primary Results
Appendix B: 1988 Republican Primary Results
Appendix C: 1988 Presidential General Election Results
Appendix D: How States Voted in 1988 and 2016
Notes
Bibliographic Essay
Index
