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
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.
A REVIEW BY LINKED CLERIHEWSAugust 2, 2008 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. He's as much like Machiavelli, As is Tony of the Soprani.
Thought written some 10 years ago, it still feels freshJuly 20, 2008 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 the ideas first expressed in Niccolo Machiavelli's THE PRINCE some five centuries ago and updates them for the 21st century.
Though written nearly 10 years ago, it still feels so fresh that it seems like both of the candidates currently running for President are applying the ideas . . . or at least they should be.
For instance, among the many tidbits that I gained from listening were the following:
* Issue messages are more effective than image ads in getting votes. They're also more effective in explaining the true character of the candidate.
* Campaigns can't win if they are based solely on a negative message.
* Voters pay little attention to allegations of scandal. After Clinton's impeachment, his popularity rose 5%.
* Voters are a lot less concerned about the abstract qualities a candidate may have than they are about what he will do to help them in their own personal lives.
* People are more inclined to vote for, not against.
* The art of leadership is to maintain sufficient forward motion to control events and steer public policy without losing public support.
And this one that every politician must remember:
* After you lose, nurture your donors. Act like you didn't lose. And smile, even though it hurts.
THE NEW PRINCE is just about essential reading for any candidate, regardless of whether running for a national, state or even local School Board office.
Do as I say, not as I do.March 26, 2004 3 out of 4 found this review helpful
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 book is chock full of good advice. I can repeat them here: have a message, focus that message to the voters, forget about the undecided-they don't vote anyway, stay positive, when the election turns dirty, focus on your opponents misrepresentations, etc. I don't think Morris actually followed this advice, but hey, what do you expect from a politician. I think this is sage advice. The messenger was bad. Americans don't like dirty campaigns. They want the message of what a person stands for. This is a book about how a good campaign should be run. For those considering running for an elective office, this is a very good read. It is Politics 101. I just wish the author was different.
Good observations...less than desirable messengerDecember 6, 2001 3 out of 13 found this review helpful
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 during the Reagan-Bush years and insulated Clinton from appearing too soft--charges that had plauged both George McGovern and Walter Mondale during their respective candidacies. On the other hand, it appropriated some of the very same imagery and concepts that people such as myself found repugnant such as overly simplistic notions of faith and family.
Morris's observations come from a man who was in the trenches of what many people said was impossible past the 1960's--a two term Democratic adminstration that managed to retain the support of more solidly left groups on civil rights, reproductive issues and idenity politics while reaching out and embracing fiscal conservatives and moderates who would other wise believe that every democrat is uniformally of the "Tax and Spend" and "godless" variety.
Indeed, there is a certain irony that a man who encouraged the Democratic party to downplay some of it's most distingushing principles on social policy wound up himself subject to some virtrolic character examinations following public disclosure of a political affair of his own. Although the resulting fallout did not profoundly impact his boss's success, it did damage Morris's own ability to effect political change and realignment.
What had seemed creepy and moralizing before now appeared to be laughably hypocritical and ironically self-serving.
A Piece of GeniusOctober 28, 2001 4 out of 5 found this review helpful
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). This book can be applied in all stations and situations of life, for all of these are relative. I believe that this is, truly, a guide to people--not just politics. It is a worthwhile read.
