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Jay Cost author of 'Spoiled Rotten' discusses how the democratic party lost its way
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All right -- Get back to politics now.
And whether the Democrats the party of government than Republicans are -- government and who knows how to -- who does it probably.
Do any of them do it properly I think on the counselors and you would give me to that would join in the studio media by Jay Costa is -- this fabulous new book as I grab it -- there it is on the screen anyway.
Spoil the rotten how the politics of patronage.
Corrupted the once noble Democratic Party and now threatens.
The American republic could see -- to see and that is a very very bold subtitled the -- -- the American republic.
Yes have so well.
You know the essence of the American republic is the idea that the government represents everybody.
Right that that they we elected and then day you're there to govern for all of us not just a privileged few.
And the argument of my book is that whereas at one point the Democratic Party really did live up to that ideal.
I would say over the last forty or fifty years it's really come to be a party for -- of these -- party clients these special interest groups that now dominate.
So are you saying to Republicans have always been that way of putting hydrogen -- -- -- -- you wrote the book because the Democrats have changed they want to know what what other Republicans have their own issues I wrote the book mostly because the Democrats were founded a 107 years ago or so.
In opposition to this very type of politics this is what Andrew Jackson.
In the 1820s was reacting purpose trust it and sell you know I I thought it was it's a tragic story which is what attracted to me.
Is -- here it is the party has now somehow managed to become everything at once stood again it's so it visit -- your book is not end outwardly -- -- done it -- -- it's -- an -- to -- Republican it's just day eights -- if you want morality tale of how party lost its way in right.
That's that's right it's also not a book about conservative vs liberal right the idea behind the book is well you can be conservative you can be liberal the question and I'm asking in the book is.
Is the Democratic Party now -- good vehicle for American liberalism.
And my argument is note that if there's this a certain kind of public spirited liberalism big government for everybody but the argument in my book is that the party to -- represented.
Government.
For Democrats are just how -- to happen I mean is that just a product.
Of modern politics.
That that's just the way it is become more on all sides and the Democrats to survive.
How to do the same thing.
No I don't think that's right I think instead what what happened was when -- Franklin Roosevelt became president in 1932.
He brought to Washington DC the old.
Patronage style political program of Tammany hall -- the great Irish machine that ran New York City for eighty years and the idea behind that was basically.
Pay to play right if you -- loyal Democrat will get to a contractor will get your brother job or something Roosevelt took that basic model and brought it to Washington -- -- expanded use the power of the federal government during the great deal.
Not just to get this person or that person job or contract but did to sort of -- favors -- whole classes of the citizenry like organized labor.
Or southern agricultural interest and in other words when Roosevelt expanded the role of government he also brought this -- -- a sort of new way of doing business in a lot of respect.
Sutton one of our viewers are writing in -- -- for jury says question for use at Jake would you guess agreed to whether Democratic Party went wrong.
Was when they they left the idea of sponsoring road and infrastructure projects for instance and went to a -- -- social job.
This debate is -- of this that sure is part of it I mean the problem is there's an inherent problem with big government.
Any -- and by that you can include roads and infrastructure you can include welfare and government that is big enough to do big and bold powerful things for the whole country.
Also is big enough to -- To that you know -- off classes of people deployed to do great things for special interest as opposed to everybody.
And so there's sort of -- constant threat and really the problem with the Democratic Party I think.
You know roads and in -- structuring and those are problems too because the other in a lot of respects -- payoffs to organized labor -- right or interest as you know is there a way back from the situation.
Mean.
That's good question the book is not in the end and fortunately it's not the most optimistic I mean I'm very pessimistic about the prospects of the Democratic Party.
I think that historically.
One of the great strengths of the party was you know you had -- -- during.
Factions that had these client groups in -- but the party had been led by southern Democrat Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton in particular.
A big come from a region that doesn't have as much client who -- and they were very good leaders for the party but of course now.
You know the Republicans dominate -- -- it's hard to imagine and another democratic president coming from south some very.
Very skeptical and fortunate.
Right so our loved politics is spoiled rotten as a whole yes well what.
That that there's a cheerful way to go -- how -- help it's unfortunate but another Republican Party has similar problems there's no doubt about it and media anytime you have go to Washington DC look at all the interest groups there right there there for a reason they're not big data they don't have that expensive property on K street for the view.
Right it's gonna take major political surgery to change and -- absolutely all right -- -- altar of this excellent books spoiled rotten.
-- you can find it at the iTunes bookstore Amazon.com Barnes & Noble dot com.
And even one of those quaint old fashioned bricks and mortar bookstores if you can find when I believe this -- I have to thank goodness now we hope they always will be at stake also offers will -- thanks so much -- to happen all right we're gonna take a quick break here.
