Why We're Liberals

March 3, 2008
The answer to this "why" appears to be because conservatives are awfully mean, arrogant, manipulative and hypocritical. For a book that is supposed to give pride and justification for liberals, it focuses a great deal of its text on conservatives. Even in discussing liberalism's history, positions and overall ideology, the book's thesis appears to be "why you shouldn't be a conservative," certainly not an overwhelming argument to become a liberal. However, Alterman's assessment of the contradictions, misinformation and foul play by conservatives in order to taint the word "liberal" in the cultural context is particularly interesting when held up against extensive research revealing that the majority of Americans are "liberal" when it comes to most social issues. For most of the performance, Malcolm Hillgartner reads in a straightforward voice with good pace and tone. His intensity increases to coincide with the more outrageous acts or events in what Alterman considers to be a war on liberal identity. Simultaneous release with the Viking hardcover.