A Field Guide to the Right: Charting the New Conservative Machine in the Age of Obama Book

Before Barack Obama had even taken the oath of office after his historic victory, cadres of lobbyists, political hacks, oil tycoons, and right-wing politicians met to plan his political demise. The massive conservative infrastructure created by business groups beginning in the 1970s would not be sufficient, they concluded: in the age of Obama, something new—and bold—had to be done.

Written by the blogger who first exposed the Koch brothers in the mainstream media and who first reported on the lobbyists who brought us the Tea Parties, The Machine is a withering exposé of the plans to make America conservative again. Informed by years of muckraking research and firsthand reporting, Fang dissects the rise of "patriot" hate groups, explains the dynamics of the conservative message machine, reveals where the money comes from and how it is spent, and explicates how the different gears in the right-wing machine have been cleverly adapted to crush Obama and progressive reform, taking ordinary Americans hostage on the way.

The Machine sheds light on all the dark corners of the resurgent right, laying out its modus operandi in short, accessible chapters. Edgy and irreverent, this is the indispensable handbook for anyone interested in comprehending the conservative machine and the people, the money, and the strategies that make it tick.