Dispatches from the Culture Wars: How the Left Lost Teen Spirit [Hardcover]

That being said, I was hopeful to gain some insight from Mr. Goldberg's book, but I am afraid I was disappointed. My biggest concern with this novel is that the vast majority of his arguments are anecdotal in nature. He offers extremely little background to back up some of his claims and no real research or footnotes. Now, as a collection of personal experience and stories, this is a fine book. Mr. Goldberg has an engaging writing style and did drawn me in, however I did find much of the book, and its arguments, to be superficial. The admitted lack of introspection on his political views made it difficult for me give much credibility to the author's analysis.

Probably, the biggest problem I have is the ultimate contradiction in the book. While Mr. Goldberg spends considerable time lauding the effect of music and media on the political discourse in the 60s and 70s, he does a complete 180 degree turn when he later argues that gangster rap cannot have an impact on the the coarsening of our culture and inner city violence. It seems to me that it is difficult to have it both ways. Of course, perhaps the fact that he is making a considerable amount of money in the music industry contributes to his new enlightened attitude.

Personally, I do not think that rap music makes the huge impact on people that the Leibermans and Gores of the world would have us believe, but Mr. Goldberg presents little in the way of a cohesive argument.

Perhaps that brings me to my underlying problem with the book. For all his complaints about the Democratic Party, Mr. Goldberg does not seem to realize that he is part of the problem. He complains of the money that influences politics, but drops names of all the people he has gotten to contribute time and money to political causes. He take jibes at the special interest businesses that he alleges influence the Republican party, while completely missing the fact that he is part of several special interest groups. And for a person in a business which exploits struggling artists for massive profits to not realize he is in a special interest group is a particularly myopic view.

Mr. Goldberg was in a position to make a truly impactful novel. I feel that he has missed his mark. More's the shame because the topic is one that really deserves serious attention.

Danny Goldberg says that lots of progressive and Democratic leaders are like those old Catholic priests speaking in an elite language that regular people just don't understand. They're snobby. And that elitism turns off the people that should be natural progressive voters: those too young to run for federal office (everyone under 25).

Some big points he makes: Democrats should not shy away from ideology or the difference between the two major parties. The new crop of young voters need to be taught there's a difference and inspired by the justice and equality that Democrats advocate for. Candidates who try to obscure the difference (or even worse, who don't really differ with the Republicans) will depress young voter turnout. Clinton beat Bush by 19 percentage points among young voters. Bush tied Gore among young people, because lots of them couldn't see any real difference between the two candidates and because Gore and Lieberman actively disdained popular culture. Since the entire purpose of the Democratic Party is to make the case for all of us acting together to do the right thing (the story of the 1960s), we should tap into that feel-good success story, not run away from it. No progressive improvements have ever happened anywhere in the world without young people - and East Coast snobbishness turns us off. Passion and candor turn us on - especially a vision for government that makes lives better. I want something to believe in, not just something to vote against.

Danny Goldberg is part of a protestant movement in the Democratic Party and among progressives. So is any candidate or elected who talks on television the same way you talk to your friend. His book teaches that we build majorities when we speak plainly, with respect for the other person's education level and with conviction in the ultimate justice of making this country better, one step at a time. It's a compelling read.