Just How Stupid Are We?: Facing the Truth About the American Voter

257 Pages·2008·0.67 MB·English

by  Rick Shenkman

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Praise for Rick Shenkman’s
Just How Stupid Are We?
◆
“What Shenkman does not do is chortle, Mencken-like,
about stupidity. He offers plausible suggestions for how the
knowledge level of the American electorate might be raised
to a respectable threshold.”
—Newsweek.com
“Shenkman combines his talents as a reporter and a historian
to assess why the American voter can be rational and yet so
capable of “being played like a fiddle” by politicians . . .
highly recommended.”
—Library Journal
“In lucid, playful prose . . . Shenkman initiates an important
conversation in this book and makes welcome suggestions
to reinvigorate civic responsibility and provide people
with the knowledge and tools necessary to efficaciously
participate in the political process.”
—Publishers Weekly
“With wit, passion and devastating evidence, Shenkman
compels us, the praised and petted ‘American people,’ to
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look in the mirror for an explanation of why our elections
are travesties of informed, intelligent debate. Lively and
crucial, the book reminds us, however we vote, that there’s
no such animal as ‘democracy for dummies.’”
—Bernard A. Weisberger, author ofAmerica Afire
“The bad news is that Americans are ignorant, short-
sighted, and swayed by meaningless phrases; the good
news is that things could get better—if we start speaking
honestly about the problem. Rick Shenkman’s book is a
crucial starting point in that process.”
—Jon Wiener, Professor of History
at University of California at Irvine
and author of Historians in Trouble
“Are manipulative politicians and an intimidated media the
only reasons we’ve had to suffer through the Bush years?
What about the American people? Why don’t they stop, pay
attention, and think for themselves? In his candid and hard-
hitting history of American political culture, Shenkman
offers a compelling and disturbing analysis of the American
people and why we get the government we deserve.”
—Ruth Rosen, Professor Emerita of History,
University of California, Davis
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Just How Stupid Are We?
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Just How Stupid
Are We?
◆
Facing the Truth About
the American Voter
RICK SHENKMAN
A Member of the Perseus Books Group
New York
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Copyright © 2008 by Rick Shenkman
Hardcover edition first published in 2008 by Basic Books,
A Member of the Perseus Books Group
Paperback edition first published in 2009 by Basic Books
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part
of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without
written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in
critical articles and reviews. For information, address Basic Books,
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016–8810.
Books published by Basic Books are available at special discounts for
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other organizations. For more information, please contact the Special
Markets Department at Perseus Books Group, 2300 Chestnut Street,
Suite 200, Philadelphia, PA 19103, or call [phone] ext. 5000,
or e-mail [email protected].
The Library of Congress has catalogued the hardcover edition as
follows:
Shenkman, Richard.
Just how stupid are we? : facing the truth about the American
voter / Rick Shenkman.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-465-07771-7 (alk. paper)
1. Political participation—United States—History—21st century.
2. Political culture—United States—History—21st century. 3.
United States—Politics and government—2001- 4. United States—
Civilization—21st century. I. Title.
JK1764.S534 2008
320.973—dc22
2007052601
Paperback ISBN: 978-0-465-01493-4
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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For John Stucky
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maggie: Truth! Truth! Everybody keeps hollerin’ about
the truth. Well, the truth is as dirty as lies.
brick: Can you face the truth ... ?
big daddy: Try me!
brick: You or somebody else’s truth?
big daddy: Bull. You’re runnin’ again.
brick: Yeah, I am runnin’. Runnin’ from lies, lies like
birthday congratulations and many happy returns of the
day when there won’t be any.
—Cat on a Hot Tin Roof