Dead Center - by Jason Altmire (Paperback)

About the Book

Fast-paced and easily-readable, Dead Center moves beyond the tired rhetoric that so often dominates our political discourse. Altmire draws upon his first-hand experience in the corridors of power to evaluate the root causes of polarization and offer novel solutions to break the gridlock and restore to Washington a spirit of cooperation.

Book Synopsis

Rarely has America been so bitterly divided. Partisans now view those with differing opinions as the enemy. Cable news programs inflame passions rather than inform viewers. Social media provides the most irrational partisans a venue to spew their hatred and bias. Town hall meetings, once the staple of representative democracy, have degenerated into choreographed shouting matches. Money flows into campaigns at unprecedented rates. Centrists are nearly extinct in Congress, where compromise has become a dirty word. All the while, ordinary Americans feel disenfranchised, watching in disgust as our political process has been hijacked by ideological extremists.

A former three-term member of Congress, Jason Altmire is uniquely qualified to offer solutions to the polarization that has paralyzed Washington. A respected political moderate known for working with both sides of the aisle, Altmire during his time in office was recognized as having the most centrist voting record in the entire House of Representatives.

Fast-paced and easily-readable, Dead Center moves beyond the tired rhetoric that so often dominates our political discourse. Featuring a cast of characters including Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Hillary and Bill Clinton, Mike Pence and Nancy Pelosi, Dead Center contains riveting anecdotes from Altmire's time in office, giving readers an inside view of what it is like to be a centrist in a divided Congress. Altmire draws upon his first-hand experience in the corridors of power to evaluate the root causes of polarization and offer novel solutions to break the gridlock and restore to Washington a spirit of cooperation nonexistent today.

Review Quotes

"Jason Altmire is a throwback to our better angels -- to a time when a brave few in each party dared to talk to the other party. Thing is, this former Pennsylvania Democratic Congressman was doing this, or trying to, just a few years ago. This isn't ancient history. The cooperation ingrained in doing the people's work "is" our history, and how we as a country made history. Whatever your thoughts on how we got so divisive, hear from a guy who was working the front lines, simply imploring his colleagues to just get something done."
--Neil Cavuto
Sr. Vice President and Anchor,
Fox News Channel, and Fox Business Network

"Jason Altmire has written an insightful book on how Washington has become more polarized and dysfunctional over the last decade. He highlights the reasons why centrists in both parties have disappeared and why compromise is regarded as a four-letter word by factions on both the left and the right. Whether you're a political junkie or someone who just wants to know how and why our political system has changed in recent years, you should read this book."

--Bob Cusack, Editor in Chief at The Hill newspaper

"Congressman Jason Altmire was one of the most thoughtful, pragmatic voices in the House when he served so it's not surprising that he's tackling the subject of rampant polarization with refreshing candor and independent insights in his first book. Most importantly, he offers solutions to help break the excessive partisanship that has poisoned our country's politics. This book couldn't have come at a better time."

--Josh Kraushaar, Politics Editor at National Journal