We Should Have Seen It Coming

From Reagan to Trump - A Front-Row Seat to a Political Revolution

By: Gerald F. Seib

Narrated by: Jason Culp

The executive Washington editor of The Wall Street Journal chronicles the astonishing rise, climax, and decline of the conservative movement, from the election of Ronald Reagan to the Republican Party's takeover by Donald Trump - with a new introduction covering the 2020 election and the future of the GOP

“Ably captures the most consequential American political developments in half a century.” (Peggy Noonan)

In 1980, President-Elect Ronald Reagan ushered in conservatism as the most powerful political force in America. For four decades, New Deal liberalism had been the country’s dominant motif, creating such popular programs as Social Security and Medicare, but it had become creaky in the face of soaring inflation, high unemployment, and a growing sense that the United States was no longer the dominant force on the world stage. Reagan's efforts to reshape the government with tax cuts, deregulation, increased military spending, and a more conservative social policy faltered at first. But the economy roared back, and the Reagan revolution was on.

In We Should Have Seen It Coming, veteran journalist Gerald F. Seib shows how this conservative movement came to dominate national politics, then began to evolve into the populist movement that Donald Trump rode to power. Conservative institutions including the Heritage Foundation, the National Rifle Association, Americans for Tax Reform, Rush Limbaugh, and Fox News gave the conservative movement a support system, paving the way for Newt Gingrich's Contract with America and George W. Bush's compassionate conservatism. But we also see multiple warning signs, many overlooked or misread, that a populist revolution was brewing. Pat Buchanan, Ross Perot, Sarah Palin, and the Tea Party - all were precursors of the Trump takeover.

With behind-the-scenes anecdotes, Seib explains how Trump capitalized on that populist movement to victory in 2016, then began breaking from conservative orthodoxy once in office. He shows how Trump altered Republican relations with the business world, shattered conservative precepts on trade and immigration, and challenged America’s long-standing alliances. This scintillating work of journalism brings new insight to the most important political story of our time.

©2020 Gerald F. Seib (P)2020 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“The great Jerry Seib, as fair and trusted a political reporter and observer as there is, has written a serious, textured, and broad-gauged history of the Republican Party of the past 50 years, its highs and lows, triumphs and catastrophes. In doing so he ably captures the most consequential American political developments in half a century.” (Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal columnist)

"Followers of contemporary political history will appreciate how Seib gathers together the many strands of people and events culminating in present realities.” (Booklist, starred review)

“Generously conceived, thoroughly researched, and guaranteed to please no one at the political extremes.” (Kirkus Reviews)

Objective, Comprehensive Post-Morten of Trump’s Rise in the Republican Party

Gerald F. Seib is one of America’s great, objective reporters. Unsurprisingly, this book is the best post-mortem I’ve seen on the ascendancy of Donald Trump and his brand of populism in the Republican Party. With precision and dispassionate analysis, Mr. Seib tracks the trends that led to Donald Trump’s rise from Regan to the Tea Party. An absolutely essential and fantastic read for anyone looking to understand how the Republican Party has ended up the way it is today.

An interesting account and 40 year overview of the conservative movement

An interesting account and overview of the conservative movement over the past 40 years. I’ve enjoyed Gerald Seib’s reporting for the Wall Street Journal and he didn’t disappoint here either.
If you grew up as a Reagan Republican and want to know how we got here today with President Trump, this is worth a listen.

Brilliant!!!

This book spells it out. It stands by its title. If one wants to comprehend how we got to where we are today, there is no better book. Gerald F. Seib is masterful in his writing and the narrator is terrific.

shallow

except for a very brief effort at the end, this does not match the title. it is an ok summary of the highlights of the highlights of national level GOP history from Reagan to Trump, but lacks depth or insight.

Fact based, sober and entertaining

Great book about the last four decades of conservatism and the Republican party. Written dispassionately and accurately. Focuses more on the major players, more than factors of the American electorate,

This books shows it really is not all about Trump

This was an excellent summary of a series of events that have ushered in the change that has occurred in the Republican party over the past 40 years. This summary helps to shape the idea that Trump is more of a symptom rather than a cause of movement that began years prior to his election in 2016. The book could have even gone further into detail about a number of events but took more of an overview approach, which I think works well. I would highly recommend this book.