Political Rewind: The Rise Of Toxic Partisanship And The Georgia Congressman At Its Roots

Credit: Courtesy of Julian Zelizer; Penguin Randomhouse

Monday on Political Rewind, a conversation with best-selling author Julian Zelizer about the roots of toxic partisanship in the United States. In his latest book, Burning Down The House: Newt Gingrich, the Fall of a Speaker, and the Rise of the New Republican Party, Zelizer explores the fame and fortunes of Newt Gingrich.

President Donald Trump’s four years in the White House were marked by hyper-partisanship heightened by his demonization of those who oppose him. But long before the presidency of Trump, an obscure West Georgia college professor employed similar tactics on his way to becoming one of the most powerful Republican leaders in Washington. 

In Zelizer's new book on Newt Gingrich, the Princeton professor follows Gingrich through his first win in Congress and later climb of the leadership ladder of the GOP. Gingrich brought a unique ruthlessness which would change the tone of political discourse for years to come.

Panel:

Julian Zelizer — Professor at Princeton University and Author, Burning Down The House: Newt Gingrich, the Fall of a Speaker, and the Rise of the New Republican Party