2024 Election Postmortem

In 'Hillbilly Elegy,' J.D. Vance recounts his life growing up in a dysfunctional family in Middletown, Ohio, with roots in Kentucky's Appalachia. The book details his experiences with poverty, addiction, and family violence, as well as his journey to joining the marines and eventually graduating from Yale Law School. Vance provides a personal and insightful look into the decline of the white working class in America, exploring themes of family, culture, and the loss of the American dream. The memoir also touches on the political swing of the region, particularly in relation to the 2016 presidential election and the appeal of Donald Trump to this demographic.

This book is a compilation of Charles Krauthammer's essays written over thirty years, divided into four sections: Personal, Political, Historical, and Global. It includes his reflections on various subjects such as bioethics, Jewish destiny, America's role as a superpower, and personal interests like baseball, chess, and space exploration. The essays showcase Krauthammer's insightful analysis, humane values, and his ability to challenge conventional wisdom on numerous topics, making it a valuable record of his intellectual contributions to American political discourse.