Crashing The Gate

Crashing the Gate is the latest book on US politics by two young authors who represent a new generation of political activists. Crashing the Gate details how the Bush Administration is stuffing up America and exposes the real tensions in the coalition of "corporate conservative" – the "neocons", the "theocons" of the religious right, the "paleocons" or old school libertarians, that make up the Republicans' activist support base.

Nor are the Democrats let off the hook! They're depicted as out of touch – a complacent elite caught napping by the new activists for party reform. In what they call a civil war for the soul of their party, authors Armstrong and Zuniga champion the new generation of reformers like themselves who are made up of grass roots members, candidates and the new media activists. There are parallels with the present state of Australian politics and especially with the Australian Labor Party.

The authors have witnessed first hand the power of the new technologies in everything from network building among activists, donation and volunteer drives, candidate and issues communication, undermining opponents, holding party and government officials to account and getting out the vote.