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The Coors Connection: How Coors Family Philanthopy Undermines Democratic Pluralism
Through their philanthropic donations, Joseph Coors and other family mebers have bamkroled a right-wing agenda of union-busting, homophobia, sexism, racism, and covert operations. The Coors family has served as the cornerstone of the right-wing movement known as the New Right. The Coors Connection details the individuals, organizations, and causes supported by Coors philanthopy. A picture emerges of a family's frighteningly narrow vision of the American dream, and its willingness to support extremists who would undermine American democracy.
149 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 7, 2019
I read this and another book by the same author this week because I found that he was offering them for free on his website and they dealt with some people mentioned in another book that I was reading, The Marcos Dynasty by Sterling Seagrave. I had mixed feelings about the accuracy and pertinence of the claims in the other book, which mostly dealt with major Republican donors' connections with European former Nazis, neo-Nazis and other dubious types. My main gripe was that, while the connections are questionable, the book did little to detail actual results from these connections that were damaging to the US.
This book deals with the domestic situation, with a focus on the activities of the Coors family, of beer manufacturing fame. The family leveraged its fortune to get involved with many right-wing groups and activities, from helping to set up the Moral Majority to donating money for the Iran-Contra conspiracy, basically making them a Koch or Mercer clan of the 70s and 80s. For the most part, it has problems similar to the other book, which is that there were few specifics about what results they were getting. The biggest concrete outcomes were getting Coors-related conservatives from Colorado (including Anne Gorsuch) appointed to many positions in the EPA. There were also a few swipes at some of the people covered, such as bringing up the fact that Pat Robertson has been caught lying about the date of his marriage to obscure the fact that his firstborn child was born only 10 weeks after the marriage. Funny, but pointless.
At the same time, so many of the issues and arguments in the book sound exactly like they could be dropped into the current conversation and they wouldn't sound out of place. The author links Coors with racist and anti-Semitic activists (including a Canadian professor who argued that African-Americans are biologically inferior to whites), repealing environmental restrictions, pushing for abolishing public schools (schools' "monopoly" calling for a return to "educational freedom"), supporting changing laws to support a Christian morality (anti-LGBTQ+; pro-Creationism in schools; even anti-divorce), and supporting low-intensity warfare in less developed countries to push a pro-America agenda; some associates being Apocalyptic Christians who thought the world was ending soon. Some of the names are even familiar--Gorsuch, mentioned above; but also DeVos, in this case Betsy's dad, Richard; Tim LaHaye, author of the Left Behind series; and Roger Ailes, who Coors had brought in to set up a news network that would "counter the 'liberal left' network news." The Coors family also helped set up the Heritage Foundation, which is still a major conservative think tank in DC.
More than anything, this book really clarifies how little has changed in the culture wars. Many of the same issues are in play, the same stakes, even the same characters. I found out that "The US is a Republic not a Democracy" can be traced at least as far back as to a New American article likely from the 60s! The date isn't clear, but it's connected with the *John Birch Society*, which peaked in 1964. There are a few other choice quotes from conservative activists, but I've written enough about this book. Overall, it's interesting, but biased and a bit shallow and lacks the So What to make the narrative seem important.
This book deals with the domestic situation, with a focus on the activities of the Coors family, of beer manufacturing fame. The family leveraged its fortune to get involved with many right-wing groups and activities, from helping to set up the Moral Majority to donating money for the Iran-Contra conspiracy, basically making them a Koch or Mercer clan of the 70s and 80s. For the most part, it has problems similar to the other book, which is that there were few specifics about what results they were getting. The biggest concrete outcomes were getting Coors-related conservatives from Colorado (including Anne Gorsuch) appointed to many positions in the EPA. There were also a few swipes at some of the people covered, such as bringing up the fact that Pat Robertson has been caught lying about the date of his marriage to obscure the fact that his firstborn child was born only 10 weeks after the marriage. Funny, but pointless.
At the same time, so many of the issues and arguments in the book sound exactly like they could be dropped into the current conversation and they wouldn't sound out of place. The author links Coors with racist and anti-Semitic activists (including a Canadian professor who argued that African-Americans are biologically inferior to whites), repealing environmental restrictions, pushing for abolishing public schools (schools' "monopoly" calling for a return to "educational freedom"), supporting changing laws to support a Christian morality (anti-LGBTQ+; pro-Creationism in schools; even anti-divorce), and supporting low-intensity warfare in less developed countries to push a pro-America agenda; some associates being Apocalyptic Christians who thought the world was ending soon. Some of the names are even familiar--Gorsuch, mentioned above; but also DeVos, in this case Betsy's dad, Richard; Tim LaHaye, author of the Left Behind series; and Roger Ailes, who Coors had brought in to set up a news network that would "counter the 'liberal left' network news." The Coors family also helped set up the Heritage Foundation, which is still a major conservative think tank in DC.
More than anything, this book really clarifies how little has changed in the culture wars. Many of the same issues are in play, the same stakes, even the same characters. I found out that "The US is a Republic not a Democracy" can be traced at least as far back as to a New American article likely from the 60s! The date isn't clear, but it's connected with the *John Birch Society*, which peaked in 1964. There are a few other choice quotes from conservative activists, but I've written enough about this book. Overall, it's interesting, but biased and a bit shallow and lacks the So What to make the narrative seem important.
October 22, 2019
I walked out of this feeling a little underwhelmed. Admittedly, I probably would’ve done well to read Bellant’s first book as I had a bit of trouble with his terminology: with my own historical background where the Nazis, “New Right,” “Old Right” and “mainstream conservativism” all begin and end is a bit fuzzy. Bellant definitely has a bit of a problem with taking his subjects at face value that make this seem a bit dated. He rarely discusses the economic or political motivations behind the reactionary social positions they support, leaving the explanations that he does give a little flimsy. Does he really believe that the US from the ‘70s through the ‘90s was a legitimately democratic society? Thankfully he doesn’t seem to write this with much conviction, so it doesn’t distract from what works. Ultimately this is a good list of names involved with the Heritage Foundation at its ground stages, particularly the Roger Pearson connections, where it could’ve been instead a more complete biography of a fascist ruling class family.
July 22, 2025
Definitely worth the read, disturbing but important information
September 1, 2014
This book functions less as a primer on the Coors family than a walk-through of how "power bases" work here in America: any notions of X-Files/Oliver Stone/ranting zinester's bullshit will widely be dispelled (i.e., there's no "Star Chamber" of 12, who decide who's going to win the Super Bowl this year, say), leaving you with something more wide-ranging and, ultimately, unsettling. (Ever keep track of your entire high school graduating class, year in year out, to see what they're "up" to? Such is the task ahead of us, if we're going to ensure participatory democracy doesn't end at the admittedly-often-gerryrigged poll results.)
You'll start reading about Coors; by the time you finish, you'll see how the family is both an ostensible and literal "McGuffin" for driving New Right (yes, they're called that!) forces together here in America, since before Rush Limbaugh made John Birchers mainstream and thus acceptable, and Thomas Frank failed to figure out What's the Matter with Judicial Fiat, the Spiteful Ignorance of TV-Fed Provincials, and Shenanigans in the State of Florida, Itself?. Do you're homework, kids! Don't just be interested in "beer" they way they, apparently, are at UVa (c.f., the aforementioned's helpful quote in the otherwise-exemplary documentary film, Casino Jack and the United States of Money).
Bottoms up!
You'll start reading about Coors; by the time you finish, you'll see how the family is both an ostensible and literal "McGuffin" for driving New Right (yes, they're called that!) forces together here in America, since before Rush Limbaugh made John Birchers mainstream and thus acceptable, and Thomas Frank failed to figure out What's the Matter with Judicial Fiat, the Spiteful Ignorance of TV-Fed Provincials, and Shenanigans in the State of Florida, Itself?. Do you're homework, kids! Don't just be interested in "beer" they way they, apparently, are at UVa (c.f., the aforementioned's helpful quote in the otherwise-exemplary documentary film, Casino Jack and the United States of Money).
Bottoms up!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews