Introduction
Suburban Warriors by Lisa McGirr offers a valuable insight into the people and political events that have had a profound impact on the formation of the modern United States of America. In the context of this work, particular importance should be given to the event of Orange County’s New Right moving from the “extremist” fringe closer to the political mainstream during the second half of the 1960s and throughout the 1970s. This aspect receives considerable attention in the book, where McGirr provides a thorough and understandable description of the process and all the nuances that influenced it.
Book Summary
During this period, the country was represented by numerous leaders of various political movements. Hence, some individuals believed that “the ‘Radical Right’ was an annoying endemic feature…of American political life, motivated by a variety of personality disorders and the inability to adjust to the modern world” (McGirr 147). The conservative movement in Orange County had a critical role in the transition, which is the central topic of this work. McGirr writes that by the 70s of the twentieth century, many men and women decided to drop out of political activism, which also significantly transformed the political picture in the state. The reasons for this departure from this kind of activity were multiple life circumstances and growing up, which significantly influenced the decline of the “extremist” component of the movement.
Of particular importance when considering the transition of Orange County’s New Right to the political mainstream during the second half of the twentieth century may be the Republican Party. Therefore, McGirr notes that despite the lifestyle changes, many individuals continued to adhere to their political worldviews and supported this party. Further, she writes, “one tendency of the activists was to move into more institutional channels, not only campaigning but also becoming candidates for local or state political office” (McGirr 265).
Additionally, the Republican Party’s shift to the right played a crucial role. This circumstance was caused by the success of conservatives in shifting to the right, which attracted a large number of individuals. Henceforth, McGirr points out several examples of women who have become such followers due to their support of concepts such as the pro-life movement. It is also worth noting that the protest against the urbanization of suburbia was of great value, which also led to unrest and rebellion against the government and corporations in the state during the 1960s.
The integration of Orange County’s New Right into the political mainstream was further aided by external factors, notably the growing influence of the Republican Party. This process occurred because “Ronald Reagan, an unabashed conservative ideologue, had won a resounding victory in his run for governor” (McGirr 217). Moreover, it is noted that Richard Nixon won the election by promoting middle-class conservatism. These events attracted increasing attention to this political party, thereby affecting the mood and views in the region.
In addition, McGirr emphasizes that during this period of transformation, the old conservative organizations that opposed mobilizations at the time were also affected. New single-issue campaigns and conservative religious awakening gave the Orange County region a new start. The aggravation of this process was caused by the region’s ever-growing population, which was constantly replenished with new activists who had moved there in the late 1960s or later.
The importance of religion in the process under discussion is particularly highlighted. McGirr points out that people were influenced by “the new prominence of evangelical churches” and “their calling on Christians to make their voices heard in politics no doubt drew people to conservative causes” (262). This shift was because religious confession became an advance towards moral absolutes and conservative religiosity. Therefore, increasing numbers of residents and followers were attracted to a more mainstream political ideology and moved away from the “extremist” fringe, previously characteristic of them. This circumstance also contributed to increasing the class appeal of the right.
Conclusion
The author concludes that Orange County had a valuable role in forming the conservative movement of the second half of the twentieth century. This was due to factors such as “the particular trajectory of Orange County’s economic development, its decentralized spatial organization, its in-migrants, and its powerful entrepreneurs” (McGirr 271). Consequently, the shift of the movement from the “extremist” periphery toward the political mainstream was shaped by both the evolving life situations of its supporters and external global events. One of these was promoting the Republican Party to the right and the urban rebellions of the 1960s. The study of the book by McGirr provided a more complete understanding of the vital contribution of society to the political picture of the 60 and 70s in America.