Poles Apart: The Effect of George W. Bush on the American Electorate--Review of A Divider, Not a Uniter: George W. Bush and the American People: The 2006 Election and Beyond

Abstract

Gary Jacobson's A Divider, Not a Uniter: George W. Bush and the American People: The 2006 Election and Beyond provides a clear and concise analysis of extensive polling data about the Bush presidency over the last six years, which shows the existence of a deep partisan divide among the electorate. This division is the culmination of three decades of changes in the political parties, but the presidency of George W. Bush deepened and widened that ideological distance between the parties to an unprecedented degree. Based on public opinion polling, Bush is the most polarizing president in the fifty years in which such data has been available. Contributing factors to this polarization include historical trends, uncontrollable events, Bush's leadership style and choice of policies and governing strategies, but, mostly, his decision to go to war in Iraq has become the issue that most strikingly illustrates the diametrically opposing political coalitions of Democrats and most independents, on one side, against a base of core Republican supporters, owing much to the steadfast loyalty of religious conservatives, on the other. These divisions are solidly entrenched, with no sign of diminishing in the near future.

Recommended Citation

Kassop, Nancy (2007) "Poles Apart: The Effect of George W. Bush on the American Electorate--Review of A Divider, Not a Uniter: George W. Bush and the American People: The 2006 Election and Beyond," The Forum: Vol. 5 : Iss. 3, Article 12.
Available at: http://www.bepress.com/forum/vol5/iss3/art12