In the middle of a contentious election season, it might be the perfect time to look back and try to figure out how we got here. In “The Longest Con: How Grifters, Swindlers, and Frauds Hijacked American Conservatism,” best-selling author and Equal Time guest Joe Conason investigates how lofty rhetoric can sometimes hide moneymaking motives. Who benefits, who is left to pay the bill and how does anyone get away with it?