Jesse Helms modern conservatism and the politics of opposition / William A. Link.

Contents Jesse Helms and the American right -- Finding a message -- The emergence of a conservative -- TV journalist -- Backlash -- Movement conservative -- The Reagan revolution -- The revolution continues -- Culture wars -- The AIDS crisis -- The election of 1990 -- Into the gray twilight -- Jesse Helms's ghost.
Abstract "Jesse Helms (1921-2008) dominated the political landscape of North Carolina during the last half of the twentieth century. Though Helms's thirty years in the US Senate are most remembered for what he opposed rather than what he achieved, he was a central figure in modern conservativism. In this concise interpretive biography, William A. Link centers Helms in the political realignment of the late twentieth-century South and the national ascendance of modern conservatism. He helped to lead a coalition known for advocating staunch anti-communism, opposing civil rights legislation, and denouncing liberalism. Helms innovated strategies for consolidating political power by using broadcast media to generate grassroots outrage. In addition, Helms's National Congressional Club successfully raised a powerful war chest that could be used in television attack ads. Helms's career-long penchant for race-baiting and homophobic rhetoric created many opponents, but even they acknowledged his uncanny ability to piece together slender electoral majorities in a rapidly changing nation"-- Provided by publisher.
Bibliography noteIncludes bibliographical references and index.
Access restrictionAvailable only to authorized users.
Technical detailsMode of access: World Wide Web
Genre/formElectronic books.
LCCN 2026003513
ISBN9781469694481 cloth alk. paper
ISBN9781469694498 paperback alk. paper
ISBNepub
ISBNpdf