FOREWORD BY FORMER PRESIDENT CLINTON AND AL FROM
From befriending George W. Bush and Hillary Clinton at Yale to defending Bill Clinton and earning a reputation as "the da Vinci of spin," a legendary political adviser takes readers behind the curtain of three decades of US history, the decline of civility in the Trump era, and how both parties can regain their faith in America by restoring it.
Beginning with his early days on the Yale campus with two future presidents, three future senators, and three future governors, few politicos have found themselves closer to the people who matter most in both American political parties in the past three decades than Lanny Davis.
Shortly after graduating from Yale Law School in the early 1970s, Davis first met Hillary Rodham--a promising law student he thought would be the first president of the baby boomer generation . . . until she introduced him to an up-and-coming political star named Bill Clinton.
It was in their first conversations about the deep divisions brought on by the Vietnam War that Clinton said, "Back in Arkansas, to solve a problem, we learned you can't just attack and label people. It's not about 'right' versus 'left'--it's about finding a third way that solves a problem, with each side giving in a little." At that moment, Davis began to reconsider whether Hillary would make it to the White House first.
The "Third Way" that Clinton described was not a mushy center where there were no principles, just compromise. It was a new brand of politics that started with principled liberalism and conservatism and ended on common ground such as wariness of government overreach and protection of individual liberty.
As both an FDR liberal Democrat and a friend of future Republican President George W. Bush, Davis found this Third Way philosophy to be a natural fit. After learning the ways of Washington from the likes of Edward Bennett Williams and Tommy Boggs while a partner at the landmark law firm Patton Boggs, he became the go-to crisis manager for the Clinton White House and a respected figure on all sides of the spectrum as the Third Way became the dominant political force of the 1990s and 2000s.
Finding the Third Way is a refreshingly candid insider journey through the highest levels of government, applying the lessons of the Clinton years to offer a fresh perspective on how liberals can reconnect with "Trump Democrats" and how both parties can regain their faith in the American political system.
About the Author :
Lanny Davis has been active in national, state, and local politics for more than fifty years and was a cofounder of the Civility Project, urging all 535 members of Congress and 50 governors to sign a pledge to act civilly (only three signed).
Throughout the 1990s he served as special counsel to President Bill Clinton and was a spokesperson for the president and the White House on matters concerning campaign finance investigations and other legal issues. In 2005, President George W. Bush appointed Davis as the only Democrat to serve on the five-member Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board created by the US Congress as part of the 2005 Intelligence Reform Act.
As a lawyer in private practice, he counsels individuals, corporations, and others on crisis management and legal issues.
He graduated from Yale University and Yale Law School, where he won the prestigious Thurman Arnold Prize for moot court and served on the Yale Law Journal. He is the author of six other books, including Crisis Tales: Five Rules for Coping with Crises in Business, Politics, and Life and Scandal: How "Gotcha" Politics Is Destroying America, and writes a regular column, Purple Nation, for RealClearPolitics, which has received bipartisan praise.
Review :
"An impassioned, informed rejection of ideological division told through the lens of a political memoir."
--Kirkus Reviews
"Finding the Third Way is a fascinating political memoir with a much-needed message of cooperation. . . . He doesn't just talk about bipartisanship; he walks the walk."
--BlueInk Review
"Finding the Third Way is an engaging memoir-cum-political manifesto that preaches the importance of civic duty, seeing the humanity in others, and learning from one's mistakes."
--Foreword Clarion Reviews
"With a refreshingly candid insider's reflection on a time when a sense of higher purpose and shared respect shaped the hard work of politics and governing, Lanny Davis offers hope that we can restore integrity and civility to our nation's public life."
--John R. Kasich, former two-term governor, Ohio, and United States congressman (R-OH)
"It's hard to argue with Lanny Davis's thoughtful call for decency, pragmatism, and--most importantly--listening to people instead of reflexively and defensively demeaning each other. Making a point against your perceived enemies may feel good, but making a difference is the better way."
--Gavin Newsom, governor, California
"From his days at Yale, Lanny Davis developed relationships--and lifelong friendships--with future American political titans. Lanny's good cheer, solution-oriented pragmatism, and ability to gain the trust of so many put him in the room with many influential people who determined the future course of this great nation. American political discourse would be infinitely better if more of us conducted ourselves like Lanny."
--Charlie Dent, former United States congressman (R-PA)
"When it comes to the past fifty years of national politics in America, Lanny Davis has seen--and been right in the middle of--it all. Rooted in history, fueled by conviction, and deeply personal, Finding the Third Way is more than a political memoir. It's the blueprint we need to heal our fractured democracy."
--Eric Swalwell, United States congressman (D-CA)
"Lanny Davis's book on the 'Third Way' approach--to focus on results, not rules--is what we need in this country--now more than ever."
--Hon. Rahm Emanuel, former United States congressman (D-IL), mayor of Chicago, and White House chief of staff
"When I think of Lanny Davis, the word 'Democrat' is about fifth or sixth on the list, after more important descriptors like patriot, pragmatist, problem-solver . . . and friend. He's the guy I'd want in a foxhole and a person I've called when I was in a jam. In Finding the Third Way, Lanny has an answer to the crisis of the current polarized politics of our country--to encourage Trump supporters and non-Trump supporters, Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, to look for and find common ground or at least to be able to disagree agreeably."
--Michael Smerconish, SiriusXM and CNN host
"Lanny Davis invites us to take a walk with him as he shares his appreciation for the value of connection, the importance of solutions, and the requirement that we be 'uniters, not dividers.' Finding the Third Way offers unique insight into a lifelong journey to create civility and an appreciation for common ground. And no one has been a better example of that than Lanny Davis!"
--Michael Steele, former lieutenant governor, Maryland
"Lanny Davis is the consummate political professional who understands D.C. politics inside and out. His insights are always invaluable."
--Jim Acosta, national news correspondent
