Fang, L: The Machine

Before Barack Obama had even taken the oath of office after his historic victory in 2008, cadres of lobbyists, oil tycoons, and right-wing politicians met to plan his political demise. The massive conservative infrastructure created by business groups beginning in the 1970s would not be sufficient, they concluded: in the age of Obama, something new--and bold--had to be done. Four years later, the blogger who exposed the nefarious Koch brothers and who first reported on the lobbyists who brought us the Tea Parties gives us a brilliant, withering expose of the plans to make America conservative again. Informed by years of deep research and firsthand reporting, Lee Fang "knows it better than anyone writing today" (Jennifer Granholm). He dissects the dynamics of the conservative message machine, traces the money trail, and explicates how the right-wing machine has cleverly adapted to crush Obama and progressive reform. Fang also takes stock of the 2012 election results, warning us that, with Obama's reelection, the right is only going to dig deeper ideological trenches. One of the star investigative journalists of his generation, Fang has been hailed as a "fearless American muckraker" (Jane Mayer, The New Yorker). In this indispensable handbook, he sheds light on the darkest corners of the new conservative movement, telling the story of the people, the money, and the strategies that makes it tick. The Machine is essential reading for anyone concerned about the future of our democracy.