For criticism of the original academic idea that a conspiracist "radical right" is somehow far outside the electoral system (called centrist/extremist theory or the pluralist school), see Michael Rogin, The Intellectuals and McCarthy: The Radical Specter, (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1967), pp. 261-282; Curry and Brown, eds., "Introduction," Conspiracy, pp. vii-xi; Ribuffo, The Old Christian Right, pp. 237-257; Margaret Canovan, Populism (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1981), pp. 46-51 179-190; Jerome L. Himmelstein, To The Right: The Transformation of American Conservatism, (Berkeley: Univ. of California Press, 1990), pp. 1-5, 72-76, 152-164. Diamond, Roads to Dominion, pp. 5-6, 40-41; Michael Kazin, The Populist Persuasion: An American History. (New York: Basic Books, 1995). pp. 190-193; William B. Hixson, Jr., Search for the American Right Wing: An Analysis of the Social Science Record, 1955-1987, (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1992), pp. 10-48, 77-123, 273-292.
For statistical data that refutes claims made by centrist/extremist theory about the social base of the "radical right," see Rogin, The Intellectuals and McCarthy; Fred W. Grupp, Jr., "The Political Perspectives of Birch Society Members;" and James McEvoy, III, "Conservatism or Extremism: Goldwater Supporters in the 1964 Presidential Election;" both in Robert A. Schoenberger, ed., The American Right Wing: Readings in Political Behavior, (New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1969); and Charles Jeffrey Kraft, A Preliminary Socio-Economic & State Demographic Profile of the John Birch Society, (Cambridge, MA: Political Research Associates, 1992). See also: Diamond: "How `Radical' Is the Christian Right?" The Humanist, (Watch on the Right column), March/April 1994.
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From: lbo-talk-bounces at lbo-talk.org on behalf of Jesse Lemisch Sent: Tue 10/10/2006 3:32 PM To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] Why Richard Hofstadter Is Still Worth Reading butNotfor the Reasons the Critics Have in Mind
Has anyone on this thread cited Michael Rogin's McCarthy and the Intellectuals, a rigorous study by an unfortunately prematurely dead Berkeley political scientist. This takes apart Hofstadter et al and shows that McCarthyism commenced in elites rather than from the grass roots. And James Weinstein and a collaborator had a classic article on how slow McCarthy was to pick up anti-Communism, becoming alerted to the issue in part by Norman Thomas.
Jesse Lemisch -----
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