Dont Blame Us
Politics and Society in Twentieth-Century America
William Chafe, Gary Gerstle, Linda Gordon, and Julian Zelizer, editors
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Dont Blame Us
Suburban Liberals and the Transformation of the Democratic Party
Lily Geismer
Princeton University Press
Princeton and Oxford
Copyright 2015 by Princeton University Press
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Geismer, Lily.
Dont blame us : suburban liberals and the transformation of the Democratic party / Lily Geismer.
pages cm. (Politics and society in twentieth-century America)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-691-15723-8 (hardback)
1. Democratic Party (U.S.)History20th century. 2. LiberalismUnited StatesHistory20th century. 3. SuburbsPolitical aspectsUnited States. I. Title.
JK2316.G34 2014
324.273609'04dc23 | 2014021096 |
British Library Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available
This book has been composed in Sabon Next LT Pro and Helvetica Neue LT Std
Printed on acid-free paper.
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
to Mom, Dad, and Sarah
Contents
Illustrations and Maps
Acknowledgments
Perhaps the greatest joy of finishing this book is being able to thank all the institutions that supported and shaped me, and the people who helped with everything from the foundational ideas and arguments to the missing commas. I am first and foremost grateful to the staff at a number of archives and special collections departments, including the Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library, the Healey Library at the University of Massachusetts Boston, the Massachusetts State Archives, the State Library of Massachusetts, the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library at Princeton University, the Concord Free Public Library, and countless local libraries around Boston. I owe particular gratitude to Northeastern Universitys Archives and Special Collections department and, especially, Michelle Romero for maintaining a terrific and accessible collection, and all their help as I finished this project remotely. I am also extremely appreciative of cartographer David Dies, who masterfully contributed maps that went far beyond my expectations of what was possible. I thank Will Frank and Caitlin Parker for their assistance as well. This project received generous financial support from a number of different institutions, including the Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library, the Institute for Research on Women and Gender at the University of Michigan, the Rackham Graduate School at the University of Michigan, the Miller Center for Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the American Council of Learned Societies, and the Dean of Facultys Office at Claremont McKenna College.
Claremont McKenna College has been a wonderful place to transition this project into a book. I am appreciative of deans Gregory Hess and Nicholas Warner for their commitment to my scholarly development, and Cindi Guimond and Bridgette Stokes as well. All my colleagues in the Claremont McKenna College history department have provided substantial support and encouragement. I am especially thankful to Diana Selig for her various forms of mentorship and humanity. Heather Ferguson, Niklas Frykman, Seth Lobis, Ellen Rentz, Raquel Vega-Duran, and Tamara Venit-Shelton have offered a great deal of camaraderie and advice. I am also grateful to the students at the Claremont Colleges whose curiosity and enthusiasm has stimulated me.
I am deeply indebted to my series editor, Julian Zelizer, who saw the potential in the project at an early stage, and has provided invaluable and immediate advice despite his own busy schedule. At Princeton University Press, Chuck Myers, Eric Crahan, Eric Henney, Leslie Grundfest, and Cindy Milstein all patiently and skillfully guided the book through various stages of its evolution. I owe particular thanks to the press for assigning terrific reviewers. Joe Crespino and David Freund both took the time and care to offer feedback that helped me sharpen my analysis, strengthen the narrative, and see the project in new and important ways.
One of the most exciting and rewarding parts of this process has been the opportunity to meet and receive feedback from several scholars who I greatly admire. I am especially thankful to Jennifer Burns, Brent Cebul, Lizabeth Cohen, Deborah Dash Moore, Matthew Delmont, Kevin Kruse, David Levitus, Eileen Luhr, Margaret OMara, Suleiman Osman, Tom Sugrue, Bryant Simon, Peter Siskind, and Leah Wright-Rigueur for providing important chapter readings, sharing ideas, and offering suggestions and counsel. I was fortunate to serve as a fellow at the Miller Center of Public Affairs, which has given me a vibrant network, and connected me with Brian Balogh and my dream mentor, Nancy MacLean. Meg Jacobs has offered essential advice, perspective, and reassurance at the most critical stages. When I moved to Boston to do research, Bruce Schulman generously embraced me as one of his own, and even after I left the city, has remained a crucial source of guidance. I also thank Bruce for introducing me to my de facto graduate school cohort, including David Atkinson and Kate Jewell, and especially Anne Blaschke and Kathryn Cramer Brownell. In Los Angeles, Becky Nicolaides has gone above and beyond to help me. The questions and suggestions from the members of the Boston University American Political History Seminar, Miller Center fellows, Princeton University American Political History Seminar, and Los Angeles History & Metro Studies Group as well as the audience at several conference presentations have undoubtedly strengthened this project. I owe a particular debt to the members of the Metropolitan History Workshop at the University of Michigan who participated in a reading of the entire manuscript, and collectively offered careful and incisive comments, which helped to sharpen the project substantially.
