Author Description

"In Richard Nixon and the Quest for a New Majority, Robert Mason analyzes Nixon's response to the developing conservative climate and challenges revisionist claims about the activist nature of the Nixon administration. Mason argues that Nixon's efforts to mobilize voters in support of conservative politics and initiate a Republican era of electoral hegemony were thoughtful but flawed." "As president, Nixon was uniquely placed to craft a response to liberal malaise at the end of the 1960s and exploit this potential opportunity for a realignment of American politics. His "silent majority" speech of 1969 not only undermined the growth of the antiwar movement, Mason shows, but also identified a constituency for Nixon to cultivate in order to secure reelection. However, the implementation of this new-majority project was hindered by the resort to dirty tricks against political opponents and the ineffectual pursuit of its policy agenda. Although some Nixon initiatives were enacted, says Mason, they were not substantial enough to rival the Democratic bread-and-butter issues. Mason contends that Nixon was an activist in intent but not in deed. While he built Republican strength at the presidential level, Mason argues, Nixon did not succeed in mobilizing popular support for political conservatism in general."--BOOK JACKET.