Product Description: Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince has been one of the most widely read and quoted book about politics during the past five centuries. But in the democracies of the information age, new ideas are needed to make government prosper through the next century. Now, Dick Morris, who contributed significantly to President Clinton's reelection in 1996 and, during the previous two decades, helped many public officials (Democrats and Republicans alike) gain office, takes a hard look at our times and writes a how-to book for office-seekers, special-interest groups, and students of politics.
In The New Prince, 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. And he offers insights into the character of the most remarkable political figures of our time and outlines what he believes will be the political agenda for the next century.
Amazon.com Review: 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
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - A REVIEW BY LINKED CLERIHEWS
Dick Morris
Tries mightily to bore us---
Often on TV,
Where he's an intellectual peewee.
And Dick Morris
Went with a whorris.
His book
Is politics with a meathook. ... Read More
Rating: - Thought written some 10 years ago, it still feels fresh
I enjoyed THE NEW PRINCE, written and read by noted political
strategist Dick Morris.
He's the guy who helped secure President Clinton's comeback victory
in 1996 . . . here, he takes ... Read More
Rating: - Do as I say, not as I do.
This is an interesting read. Morris describes how the new political system works. Since he and his best bud Bill Clinton upset the political formula in the nineties, this was something to behold. This ... Read More
Rating: - Good observations...less than desirable messenger
For many liberal Democrats like myself, Mr. Morris's plan to take the Democratic party rightward was a mixed blessing.
On one hand, it cracked the Republican stranglehold on suburbia that hardened ... Read More
Rating: - A Piece of Genius
Mr. Morris' book is inspiring. I read the original Prince by Machiavelli, but it was inconclusive and difficult to apply to today's democratic standards (although there are some things that will never change). ... Read More
- A REVIEW BY LINKED CLERIHEWS
- Thought written some 10 years ago, it still feels fresh
- Do as I say, not as I do.