Too Dumb to Fail

In 1963 Richard Hofstadter published his landmark book Anti-Intellectualism in American Life. Today Matt Lewis argues America's inclination toward simplicity and stupidity is stronger than ever and its greatest victim is the Republican Party. Lewis a respected Republican columnist and frequent MSNBC contributor eviscerates the phenomenon of candidates with a "no experience required" mentality and tea party "patriots" who possess bluster but few core beliefs.

Lewis traces the conservative movement's roots from Edmund Burke to William F. Buckley and from Goldwater's loss to Reagan's landslide victory. He highlights visionary thinkers who embraced nuance and deep ideology and changed history.