Identity Crisis: The 2016 Presidential Campaign and the Battle for the Meaning of America

Written by John Sides, Michael Tesler and Lynn Vavreck

Narrated by Paul Heitsch

Identity Crisis takes readers from the bruising primaries to an election night whose outcome defied the predictions of the pollsters and pundits. The book shows how fundamental characteristics of the nation and its politics?the state of the economy, the Obama presidency, and the demographics of the political parties?combined with the candidates' personalities and rhetoric to produce one of the most unexpected presidencies in history. Early on, the fundamental characteristics predicted an extremely close election. And even though Trump's many controversies helped Clinton maintain a comfortable lead for most of the campaign, the prediction of a close election became reality when Americans cast their votes.

Identity Crisis reveals how Trump's victory was foreshadowed by changes in the Democratic and Republican coalitions that were driven by people's racial and ethnic identities. The campaign then reinforced and exacerbated those cleavages as it focused on issues related to race, immigration, and religion. The result was an epic battle not just for the White House but about what America is and should be.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Highbridge Company
• Release date: Oct 23, 2018
• ISBN: 9781684411238

Reviews for Identity Crisis

[Cindy Bachynski · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I really don't think racism was a huge problem here. Trump won the Republican primary so, racist or not, of course Republicans voted for him, they hated Hillary Clinton. The people that voted twice for Obama and then voted for Trump did it because Obama's policies did nothing to make their lives better in 8 years. They decided that rather than vote for a Party that did nothing for them they would vote for the guy that wasn't a politician but had run a huge business for decades, apparently successfully.
His policy during speeches promoted ending the wars, healthcare for everyone (Obama care left 30,000,000 people without coverage, while prices skyrocketed for everyone else) and bringing good paying jobs back to the States. Plus he wasn't Hillary Clinton who has been in politics for decades and people have come to distrust due to her own actions.