Conservatize Me : a Lifelong Lefty's Attempt to Love God, Guns, Reagan, and Toby Keith

It has been said that everyone in America is firmly planted in red or blue—permanently conservative or irreversibly liberal. But are we all really that locked in to the left or the right? A lifelong liberal, John Moe was determined to find out. So he reset his radio dials from NPR to Rush Limbaugh, joined some of today's most influential conservative thinkers for a series of "conversion sessions," made pilgrimages to the Ronald Reagan and Richard M. Nixon museums, and spent the Fourth of July in the most Bush-friendly county in the country, in an attempt to discover if there was actually a conservative trapped inside him yearning to be set free. Conservatize Me is a fresh, humorous, and highly entertaining look at our country's political landscape, one that will strike a powerful chord with millions of disgruntled Americans while stimulating the mind and tickling the funny bone. We always hear how everyone in America is firmly planted in red or blue. They're permanently conservative or irreversibly liberal. But are we all really that locked in to the left or the right? Is America still a place where it's possible to change someone's mind and get them to cross over to the other side of the ideological fence? Is it possible to do that to yourself?For John Moe, it simply wasn't enough to just read the Wall Street Journal editorial page a little more often or buy a framed picture of Barry Goldwater. He went in all the way, drinking deep from all aspects of the conservative universe to see if he could become that which he encountered.Raised in a family of proud left-wingers (except for his late father, whose fondness for Nixon he is forced to confront) and living in deeply liberal Seattle most of his life, Moe set out to determine if what we believe is based on environment or actual conviction. Was there actually a conservative trapped inside him all along, just yearning to be set free? Moe puts himself on a strict conservative regimen: He resets his radio dials from NPR to Rush Limbaugh, goes head-to-head with some of today's most influential conservative thinkers for a series of "conversion sessions," makes pilgrimages to the Ronald Reagan and Richard M. Nixon museums, spends the Fourth of July in the most Bush-friendly county in the country, attempts to set his inner Charlton Heston loose at a gun range, flies cross-country to be nearer to Toby Keith, and test-drives the type of massive gas-guzzling SUV so feared and loathed by liberals (and becomes uncomfortably fond of it). Through it all he tries to maintain positive standing with his lefty wife and young but already liberal kids, including their four-year-old son, who joins the Sierra Club. These are but a few of the adventures chronicled in Moe's hilarious and timely first book.Conservatize Me will strike a powerful chord with millions of disgruntled Americans ready for a fresh, humorous, and highly entertaining look at our country's political landscape. Moe's sharply observed prose will have enormous appeal for anyone interested in a new perspective on debates that have, for years, preoccupied our country and dominated our bestseller lists. Will Moe end up getting a Dick Cheney tattoo and swearing loyalty to the Christian Coalition? Will he get a Dennis Kucinich tattoo and dedicate his life to cooking vegan food at protest rallies? Read Conservatize Me and find out. We always hear how everyone in America is firmly planted in red or blue. They're permanently conservative or irreversibly liberal. But are we all really that locked in to the left or the right? Is America still a place where it's possible to change someone's mind and get them to cross over to the other side of the ideological fence? Is it possible to do that to yourself? For John Moe, it simply wasn't enough to just read the Wall Street Journal editorial page a little more often or buy a framed picture of Barry Goldwater. He went in all the way, drinking deep from all aspects of the conservative universe to see if he could become that which he encountered. Raised in a family of proud left-wingers (except for his late father, whose fondness for Nixon he is forced to confront) and living in deeply liberal Seattle most of his life, Moe set out to determine if what we believe is based on environment or actual conviction. Was there actually a conservative trapped inside him all along, just yearning to be set free? Moe puts himself on a strict conservative He resets his radio dials from NPR to Rush Limbaugh, goes head-to-head with some of today's most influential conservative thinkers for a series of "conversion sessions," makes pilgrimages to the Ronald Reagan and Richard M. Nixon museums, spends the Fourth of July in the most Bush-friendly county in the country, attempts to set his inner Charlton Heston loose at a gun range, flies cross-country to be nearer to Toby Keith, and test-drives the type of massive gas-guzzling SUV so feared and loathed by liberals (and becomes uncomfortably fond of it). Through it all he tries to maintain positive standing with his lefty wife and young but already liberal kids, including their four-year-old son, who joins the Sierra Club. These are but a few of the adventures chronicled in Moe's hilarious and timely first book. Conservatize Me will strike a powerful chord with millions of disgruntled Americans ready for a fresh, humorous, and highly entertaining look at our country's political landscape. Moe's sharply observed prose will have enormous appeal for anyone interested in a new perspective on debates that have, for years, preoccupied our country and dominated our bestseller lists. Will Moe end up getting a Dick Cheney tattoo and swearing loyalty to the Christian Coalition? Will he get a Dennis Kucinich tattoo and dedicate his life to cooking vegan food at protest rallies? Read Conservatize Me and find out. What Would Happen To A Liberal's Mind If He Subsisted Entirely On Conservative Media And Rhetoric? Political Humorist Moe, Raised In A Family Of Proud Left-wingers And Living In Deeply Liberal Seattle Most Of His Life, Sets Out To Determine If What We Believe Is Based On Environment Or Actual Conviction. Moe Puts Himself On A Strict Conservative Regimen: He Resets His Radio Dials From Npr To Rush Limbaugh, Goes Head-to-head With Some Of Today's Most Influential Conservative Thinkers For A Series Of Conversion Sessions, And Through It All Tries To Maintain Positive Standing With His Lefty Wife And Young But Already Liberal Kids. A Fresh, Humorous, And Entertaining Look At Our Country's Political Landscape.--from Publisher Description. My Mission, Should I Choose To Accept It -- The Persuasive Powers Of Shopping And Allowing Lee Greenwood Into My Life -- Why Must The Media Always Discriminate Against The Make-believe? -- Enter The Stool -- Neoconservatism Becomes Kristol Klear -- Ideologically Ambiguous Mermaids, Family Research, And The Nba Finals -- We Get The Party Started! -- These Crazy College Kids Today With Their Nutty, Fun-loving, Ethically Shady Backroom Maneuvering -- Alphonso Jackson Lives In Fear -- Don't Have Gun, Will Travel Short Distances -- It Must Be Safe If It Towers Above Everything Else On The Planet -- I Put The Id In Idaho -- Independence Day -- Rexburg Is From Venus, Talk Radio Is From Mars -- Moral Turpitude As It Is Realized Through A Pastime Not Unlike Chutes & Ladders -- Climbing Inside The Radio -- Think Globally, Conservatize Locally -- The Gay, The Kangaroo, And The Proselytizing Of Sammy Sosa -- Twinkle, Or Man, That Ronald Reagan Sure Loved Popcorn -- Dicky Really Is Tricky -- Courtesy Of The Red, White, And Blue (state) -- Keepin' It Real With Ford, Coors, And Chaw -- What Ended Up Happening. John Moe. Title from eBook title screen (viewed Nov. 15, 2006).