Confessions of a Former Dittohead by Jim Derych
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(Paperback)
- Pub. Date: April 2006
- 200pp
- Sales Rank: 752,356
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Product Details
- Pub. Date: April 2006
- Publisher: Ig Publishing, Incorporated
- Format: Paperback, 200pp
- Sales Rank: 752,356
- ISBN-13: 9780975251782
- ISBN: 0975251783
Synopsis
Everyone knows a dittohead. In addition to being devoted listeners of Rush Limbaugh, they're also loud, judgmental, and sure they're always right. One of the most common phrases you'll hear them use is "if you only understood politics you'd be a Republican." And from abortion to gay marriage to national defense to fiscal policy, Rush details for them how it only works the Republican way.
Confessions of a Former Dittohead is the true story of how one average American turned away from the lies and distortions of Rush Limbaugh and the Republican Party to become a Liberal Democrat. Originally a diary on the popular website Daily Kos, this amazing book follows red-stater Jim Derych on a personal journey from the heart of conservative darkness to the light of liberalism, as he shares his observations and techniques with a progressive audience in the hopes of winning the battle over what George Lakoff describes as "framing."
In addition to showing how the accumulated experiences of his life-a friend who had an abortion, a gay college roommate, his time spent in the Young Republicans-turned him away from the Republican Party, Confessions also discusses the major political and social issues of our day-abortion, gay marriage, social security, evolution-in order to show how "dittoheads" think, and what liberals and progressives can do to change that thinking.
An incredible personal and political story, Confessions of a Former Dittohead is the most important political book of the year.
Jim Derych lives and works in Tennessee.
Library Journal
With the fervency of a convert, Derych, a blogger, takes the reader through his transformation from a knee-jerk conservative and avid follower of Rush Limbaugh (a.k.a. Dittohead) to a liberal Democrat highly critical of President Bush and the Republican Party. Sometime after 9/11, his faith in Limbaugh began to falter. He began to question the claims made by conservative commentators on issues like abortion, racism, affirmative action, gay rights, and the war in Iraq, as he personally witnessed real people suffering hardships that didn't neatly match Rush's characterizations. Much of the book originally appeared on the liberal blog Daily Kos, and Derych's critical rhetoric hasn't been reduced. Apparently, he hopes his book will be a wake-up call to other Dittoheads so that they too might see the world clearly if only they came out from under Rush's spell. Unfortunately, there isn't enough here for a wide audience, so it is not recommended for general collections in public libraries. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
More Reviews and RecommendationsBiography
Jim Derych's first book, Confessions of a Former Dittohead, the story of a Rush Limbaugh-listening "dittohead" who becomes a liberal democrat, was called "one of the most important books of the year" by Markos Moulitsas of Daily Kos.
Customer Reviews
Confessions of a Former Dittoheadby Anonymous
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May 21, 2006: As might be expected from the title, Confessions of a Former Dittohead sheds light on the Rush Limbaugh phenomena for those who already think he?s an idiot. But the pleasant surprise is that it also presents some incisive arguments that could be used in a sincere attempt to convert those who think he?s a hero. Should Rush fans actually read this friendly little book, its light and informal style might just make them think again. Derych is neither preachy nor condescending mostly he?s rather modest about his transformation. This isn?t so much a tell-all confessional self-expos? as much as an honest mea culpa. As Derych slowly became disillusioned by a series of events that continued to offer an alternative reality--facts that he couldn?t easily dismiss--he started to listen more carefully and question some of the premises. As he did so, he discovered the duplicity of the arguments. One by one, his core beliefs went by the wayside. Derych describes this transformation in a easy-to-read style, allowing the reader a glimpse of what it takes to undergo such radical change about controversial issues: abortion, gay rights, religion, and fiscal policy, to name a few. Derych?s candor allows you to enter the mindset and follow the logic (or illogic). For those who are already on the left, it?s an interesting read with some practical advise on how to talk to a Rush fan and score points in the process. For those on the right, if you can get them to read the book, they may be able to empathize and identify with Derych enough to start to chisel away at the fa?ade of what Derych tags ?the right-wing reasoning chip.? Derych takes each issue, pulls apart the Rush logic and explains how to crack open the door. As a professional financial planner, Derych is particularly strong on making his case in fiscal matters, including taxes, government spending and Social Security. It seems like arguing with facts would be self-evident, but to the `dittiot? (Derych?s term for those who have lost all sense of reason and follow blindly), it is not. Derych argues that dittoheads must be force-fed with truth and he cautions that it is not an easy task mostly because dittoheads have been brainwashed to believe that the ?facts? fed by Rush are true - no proof required. There is no critical thinking going on in the brain of a dittohead. There used to be Republicans who could defend their tenets without resorting to falsifying and distorting information they may have had a different perspective, but they weren?t dishonest and they didn?t depend on bogus claims. One could disagree, but both sides were arguing from the same reality. In the last couple of decades that has changed. Derych has made a big contribution to showing how that divide may be narrowed. Like the early days of the Gingrich movement, one small step at a time on a personal level where each cut bleeds a little and needs fresh air to heal. Derych supplies some fresh air.
Confessions of a Former Dittoheadby Anonymous
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April 17, 2006: This book was well-written. I literally devoured it in one weekend. Good luck to 'Advisorjim' and hope to see more of his work very soon
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