Description
Book SynopsisFrom Reconstruction to the twenty-first century, a former executive director of the Republican Party of Texas presents a comprehensive history of his party and its meandering path from limited local appeal to political dominance.
Trade ReviewStudents of American politics will find Thorburn’s history valuable. * Kirkus *
[A] granular blow-by-blow account...Political historians will appreciate the fine-grained details. * Publishers Weekly *
In presenting a long timeline with pivotal turning points, [Thorburn] offers a panoramic view of Lone Star politics...Thorburn aims for a deeply-researched take on how Republicans were for a long time the underdogs, striving for a definitive 'two-party' state until they gained dominance. * Sightlines *
Thorburn’s book is most useful as a tightly organized, semi-official record of the party’s growth in Texas, written with apparent evenhandedness by a major participant in the state GOP. More significantly for non-Texans, it’s useful as a stimulus to reflection on the nature of partisan dominance and its potential decay or reversal. * Law & Liberty *
Thorburn provides a well-written, well-organized portrait of the origins, evolution, and political dominance of the GOP in Texas...Although not ignoring the major figures well known by the public, Thorburn’s work reminds readers of the importance of those who worked at the city and county level to ensure both voter turnout and the day-to-day operations needed to secure state-wide electoral victories. Thorburn’s history provides a model for those who wish to understand Texas politics and why the phrase 'Sold South' now best describes the Republican Party's dominance of the region...Highly recommended. * CHOICE *
This is an enthusiast’s history...But it is also a soberly conducted and extensively researched scholarly work that should interest students of Texas political history and also of southern Republicanism...Thorburn’s history is largely one of party officials, activists, candidates, and officeholders...This approach makes the book a wonderful resource for who did what when. * Journal of Southern History *
Table of ContentsPreface
1. Nineteenth-Century Republicanism
2. The Early-Twentieth-Century Republicans
3. Creager and Wurzbach: The Patronage Wars
4. From Roosevelt to Truman
5. The Eisenhower Years
6. The 1960s Breakthrough
7. After Goldwater
8. The Highs and Lows of the 1970s
9. Breaking the Glass Ceiling
10. The Reagan-Bush Years
11. George W. Bush and the Republican Majority
12. The Year That Changed Texas Politics
13. Bush 43 and Governor Perry
14. The Bush Era Transitions
15. Donald Trump and the Republican Future
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index
