The New Prince: Machiavelli Updated for the Twenty-First Century Book + PRICE WATCH * Amazon pricing is not included in price watch

The New Prince: Machiavelli Updated for the Twenty-First Century Book

It is beyond irony for Dick Morris, the man who has done as much as anyone in the 1990s to increase cynicism in the political process and encourage politicians to play to our worst fears and instincts, to turn around and say that politicians should be more idealistic because that's what people want. Yet that's the premise of The New Prince. Morris--who rose to national prominence by telling Bill Clinton what to say to appease Democratic liberals as he shifted party policy to the right--argues that the new pragmatism in politics is "to stay positive; to focus on the issues; to rise above party; and to lead through ideas.... Our candidates and office holders need to change their tactics, their focus, and their strategies--not in the interest of better government, but in order to succeed in their chosen line of work." Fewer people are voting, he says, but the ones who do are better informed, so message is more important than money now. Although he argued for early negative ads in the 1996 presidential campaign, Morris has seen the light, saying that "voters have moved beyond" negative ads. He also thinks Americans are sick of scandal, which is why the Republicans couldn't impeach Bill Clinton over his affair with Monica Lewinsky. Arguing that politicians have to constantly take the public temperature to govern effectively--"Each day is election day in modern America"--Morris justifies the constant polling that he has used as a political tactic throughout his career. So what is leadership? Morris defines it as maintaining "sufficient forward momentum to control events and steer public policy without losing public support." Essentially, The New Prince is a handbook for politicians who want to get themselves elected, whether it be to the school board or the presidency, and on that level it works. But as a sage commentary on the state of politics at the end of the 20th century... heaven help us. --Linda Killian Read More

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  • Product Description

    Niccolo Machiavell's The Prince has been the most widely read and quoted book about politics for the past five centuries. But in the democracies of the information age, new ideas are needed to make governments prosper through the next century. Who better to write The New Prince than current political dark prince Dick Morris?

    Morris contributed significantly to President Clinton's reelection in 1996 and, during the previous two decades, helped many political officials (democrats and republicans alike) gain office. Now Morris takes a hard look at our times and writes a how-to book for office-seekers, special interest groups, and anyone who cares about politics. The New Prince is the essential rule book and program guide for the next election and the new millennium.

    In fifty insightful, witty, honest chapters, Morris advises candidates to adopt idealism as a strategy---not because of misguided altruism, but because it works. He tells politicians, advocacy groups, business leaders, and citizens how to promote their causes and get their jobs done effectively. His pragmatic idealism would bring about a system in which value is place on:
    -message over money
    -issue over image
    -positives over negatives
    -substance over scandal
    -strategy over spin

    In discussing current issues, Morris draws on the political experience of both major parties over the past three decades. He offers insights into the character and development of the most remarkable political figures of our times. He also lays out what he believes will be the political agenda for the twenty-first century: the environment, the elderly, education, economic growth, and genetic engineering.

    Machiavelli wrote The Prince for the powerful prince of Florence. The New Prince is equally practical. It takes up such vital contemporary issues as:
    -how to raise money and keep your virtue
    -how to survive a scandal
    -how to stop your staff from controlling you
    -how to use paid advertising

  • 1580630790
  • 9781580630795
  • Richard B. Morris
  • 1 July 1999
  • Renaissance Books,U.S.
  • Hardcover (Book)
  • 252
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