In this new book, veteran journalists Fred Barnes and Morton Kondracke make a strong case that the late Jack Kemp (1935–2009) was “the most important politician of the 20th century who was not president.” They are probably correct in their assessment; partisans of, say, Sam Rayburn might differ, but then, let them write their own book. And even Rayburnians would have to agree that Kemp was hugely consequential in his time. The unresolved question, then, is how he should be regarded today.
In their book, clearly a labor of love, Barnes and Kondracke declare that Kemp “embodied a spirit sorely missing in today’s politics — in both parties. Kemp was positive, optimistic, idealistic, energetic, growth- and opportunity-oriented.” As the co-authors tell it, Kemp deserves credit “for not only pulling America out of the deep malaise of the 1970s but also for helping to win the Cold War and convert much of the world to democratic capitalism.”
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