Where Have All The Democrats Gone? Ruy Teixeira

American politics are evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans. But our guest argues that it doesn't have to be this way. He tells fellow Democrats: "Given the problems the Republicans have, why aren't you beating the hell out of these people?"

Political scientist and author Ruy Teixeira says that recent election results have been a lost opportunity as the left pursued identity politics instead of focusing on class. While more white college-educated voters have abandoned the Republicans in the past decade, Democrats have lost ground among white and hispanic working class voters. 

"That's a fundamental question that Democrats should be confronting, but don't," he tells us.

Ruy Teixeira is among America's best-known political thinkers. He's a senior fellow at The American Enterprise Institute, where he writes and does research about changing party coalitions and the future of electoral politics. He calls himself a social democrat.

He is co-author with John Judis of "The Emerging American Majority" that was published two decades ago. The highly influential book argued that Democrats would gain a lasting advantage in twenty-first century America. But the party has not made significant gains. Their next book, out this fall, is called "Where Have the All Democrats Gone?: The Soul Of The Party In The Age of Extremes".

In this episode we hear about a wake-up call for Democrats. Teixieira argues for a return to policies of growth, prosperity and economic abundance that enabled the left to dominate American politics in much of the second half of the last century. 

Recommendation: Richard has read James Wilson's critically acclaimed and profoundly moving book "The Earth Shall Weep: A History of Native America."

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