Just the first chapter? You appear to be saying you have read 16 pages of a 292 page book (besides the 40+ pages of notes). You did read the entire book, didn't you? Or are Cliffs Notes out already?
"Political discourse"? You really think the liberal left wants to engage in "political discourse"? Who are you speaking of? Bill? Hillary? Daschle? Carville? Begalla? Colmes? I'm from Texas. We have Democrats here that think "political discourse" is either getting their way or it's the highway, to Oklahoma. The left does not want "consensus". They want to win.