Almost President: The Men Who Lost The Race But Changed The Nation by Scott Farr

The Nile on eBay Almost President by Scott Farris As the 2012 presidential campaign begins: Profiles of twelve men who have run for the presidency and lost, but who, even in defeat, have had a greater impact on American history than many of those who have served as president—from Henry Clay to Stephen Douglas, William Jennings Bryan to Al Gore—Plus, mini-profiles on 22 “honorable mentions.” FORMAT Hardcover LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description As the 2012 presidential campaign begins, Almost President profiles a dozen men who have run for the American presidency and lost—but who, even in defeat, have had a greater impact on American history than many of those who have served as president. Scott Farris tells us the stories of legendary figures from Henry Clay to Stephen Douglas, William Jennings Bryan to Thomas Dewey. He also includes mini-profiles on every major candidate nominated for president who never reached the White House but who helped ensure the success of American democracy. Farris explains how Barry Goldwater achieved the party realignment that had eluded FDR, how George McGovern paved the way for Barack Obama, and how Ross Perot changed the way all presidential candidates campaign. There is Al Smith, the first Catholic nominee for president; and Adlai Stevenson, the candidate of the “eggheads” who remains the beau ideal of a liberal statesman. Others covered by this book include Al Gore, John Kerry, and John McCain. The mini profiles also include evocative portraits of such men as John C. Fremont, the first Republican Party presidential candidate; and General Winfield Scott, whose loss helped guarantee the Union victory in the Civil War. Back Cover Stirring portraits of the men who fell just short of theWhite House, but transformed America Henry Clay (Whig) 1824, 1832, 1844 * Stephen Douglas (Dem.) 1860 William Jennings Bryan (Dem.) 1896, 1900, 1908 * Al Smith (Dem.) 1928 Thomas E. Dewey (Rep.) 1944, 1948 * Adlai Stevenson (Dem.) 1952, 1956 Barry Goldwater (Rep.) 1964 * George McGovern (Dem.) 1972Ross Perot (Ind., Reform Party) 1992, 1996 * Al Gore (Dem.) 2000 John Kerry (Dem.) 2004 * John McCain (Rep.) 2008 And concise profiles of the Federalists through Bob Dole “Scott Farris shines a welcome spotlight on the neglected subject of presidential also-rans. In this impressive new book, Farris shows that the losers and theirideas have sometimes transformed their political parties and moved the nation ahead. Meticulously researched, Almost President is rich in detail and anecdotes, and a pleasure to read.” Flap “I would rather be right than be president.”–Henry Clay, 1824, 1832, 1844 presidential runner-up Henry Clay is one of a dozen men profiled in the chapters of Almost President, men who have run for the American presidency and lost but who–even in defeat–have had a greater impact on our history than many of those who have served in the Oval Office. Veteran political journalist Scott Farris tells the stories of these legendary figures, from Clay to Stephen Douglas, from William Jennings Bryan to Thomas Dewey, and from Adlai Stevenson to Al Gore. He also includes concise profiles of every major candidate nominated for president who never reached the White House but who helped promote the success of American democracy. Farris explains how Barry Goldwater achieved the party realignment that had eluded FDR, how George McGovern paved the way for Barack Obama, and how Ross Perot changed the way all presidential candidates campaign. There is Al Smith, the first Catholic nominee for president; and Adlai Stevenson, the candidate of the “eggheads” who remains the beau ideal of a liberal statesman. And Farris explores the potential legacies of recent runners-up John Kerry and John McCain. The book also includes compact and evocative portraits of such men as John C. Fremont, the first Republican Party presidential candidate; and General Winfield Scott, whose loss helped guarantee the Union victory in the Civil War. Almost President reveals that losers often show more foresight than winners, that being ahead of their time is one cause of their defeat, and that losing, like the demolition of a house, can be an opportunity for reconstruction of a political party and the nation. Losing presidential campaigns have created new political alignments and broken down barriers to participation for a wide variety of groups, from Catholics to women. And losing presidential candidates, by conceding victory graciously–an uncommon occurrence in many other nations–ensure that our American democracy works. Author Biography Scott Farris is an experienced political journalist, speechwriter, adviser, and political candidate. A former bureau chief for United Press International and a political columnist, Farris has interviewed most of the men and women who have sought the presidency over the past thirty years. He managed several political campaigns, and was the Democratic Party’s 1998 congressional nominee for Wyoming’s at-large district, the seat once held by former Vice President Dick Cheney. Farris worked as a senior policy and communications adviser to a U.S. senator, the governors of Wyoming and California, the mayor of Portland, Oregon, two university presidents, and the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cheyenne. He worked closely with three presidential administrations and as a volunteer on multiple presidential campaigns. The first American journalist selected to participate in the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service’s prestigious International Leadership Seminar, Farris has a master’s degree in history from the University of Wyoming, where his thesis focused on President Kennedy’s battle with the radical right. He is currently the Director of Government Relations in the western United States for TransCanada, a Canadian-based energy infrastructure company. He lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife and two children. Review “[An] engaging study of men who came up short in the presidential arena but still had a significant effect on the life of the nation….” —Wall Street Journal “Scott Farris shines a welcome spotlight on the neglected subject of presidential also-rans. In this impressive new book, Farris shows that the losers and their ideas have sometimes transformed their political parties, and moved the nation ahead. Meticulously researched, Almost President is rich in detail and anecdotes, and a pleasure to read.” —Joseph Wheelan, author of Mr. Adams’s Last Crusade: John Quincy Adams’s Extraordinary Post-Presidential Life in Congress and Libby Prison Breakout “Scott Farris has penned a series of fascinating portraits of candidates who triggered sea changes in our political process. Informative to readers at all levels.” —David Pietrusza, author of 1948: Harry Truman’s Improbable Victory and the Year that Transformed America “To those demoralized by today’s fiercely partisan political arena, take heart! Scott Farris’s superb history of losing Presidential candidates reassures us all that even out of bitter campaigns and defeats, losers do come back and contribute profoundly to major realignments, decency, and equality in American politics.” —The Honorable David Abshire, former Ambassador to NATO, and current President, Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress “Farris writes with a lively flair, skillfully illustrating his solid historical research with revelatory anecdotes and facts.” –Publishers Weekly “A lively, opinionated examination of the instructive role of the loser in presidential races…. [R]iveting, sympathetic treatments…. A most useful aide-mémoire for situating the upcoming presidential slugfest.” —Kirkus Reviews Prizes Commended for Oregon Book Awards (Nonfiction) 2013 Long Description As the 2012 presidential campaign begins, Almost President profiles a dozen men who have run for the American presidency and lost–but who, even in defeat, have had a greater impact on American history than many of those who have served as president. Scott Farris tells us the stories of legendary figures from Henry Clay to Stephen Douglas, William Jennings Bryan to Thomas Dewey. He also includes mini-profiles on every major candidate nominated for president who never reached the White House but who helped ensure the success of American democracy. Farris explains how Barry Goldwater achieved the party realignment that had eluded FDR, how George McGovern paved the way for Barack Obama, and how Ross Perot changed the way all presidential candidates campaign. There is Al Smith, the first Catholic nominee for president; and Adlai Stevenson, the candidate of the “eggheads” who remains the beau ideal of a liberal statesman. Others covered by this book include Al Gore, John Kerry, and John McCain. The mini profiles also include evocative portraits of such men as John C. Fremont, the first Republican Party presidential candidate; and General Winfield Scott, whose loss helped guarantee the Union victory in the Civil War. Review Quote “Scott Farris shines a welcome spotlight on the neglected subject of presidential also-rans. In this impressive new book, Farris shows that the losers and their ideas have sometimes transformed their political parties, and moved the nation ahead. Meticulously researched, Almost President is rich in detail and anecdotes, and a pleasure to read.” -Joseph Wheelan, author of Mr. Adams’s Last Crusade: John Quincy Adams’s Extraordinary Post-Presidential Life in Congress and Libby Prison Breakout Feature Stirring portraits of the transformational figures who fell just short of the White House, but made the history books Details ISBN 0762763787 Author Scott Farris Short Title ALMOST PRESIDENT Language English ISBN-10 0762763787 ISBN-13 9780762763788 Media Book Format Hardcover Illustrations Yes Year 2011 Country of Publication United States Subtitle The Men Who Lost The Race But Changed The Nation Series Globe Pequot UK Release Date 2011-12-06 Publication Date 2011-12-06 NZ Release Date 2011-12-06 US Release Date 2011-12-06 Pages 352 Publisher Rowman & Littlefield DEWEY 324.973 Audience General AU Release Date 2011-12-05 Imprint The Lyons Press Place of Publication Guilford Alternative 9780762780969 We’ve got this At The Nile, if you’re looking for it, we’ve got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items – you’re bound to find what you want, at a price you’ll love! TheNile_Item_ID:137143157;