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“Spoiled Rotten” author Jay Cost on how the Democratic Party has changed from its populist origins.
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My next guest says Democrats are playing a double game complaining about inequality while enacting policies to advance the interest.
Of their own clients joining -- down.
Author of the brand new book spoil rock -- politics of patronage.
Corrupted the -- -- Democratic Party and now threatens the democratic.
Republic.
Good to have you with us and congratulations on the book.
It's up on -- dobbs dot com by the way we recommend it highly.
Just let me.
Let -- just -- -- why would you suddenly focus on a party that right now.
Is being held by the Republicans certainly conservatives.
As responsible for just about every -- that confronts the -- Well you know -- I got the idea to write the book while watching the president in his allies in congress during the 20092010.
Legislative session and I was really struck as I was watching.
In slow motion watching them create a health care bill to cap and trade bill the financial reform bill.
Watching how they curried favor with special interest groups.
Not just the typical groups that you sort of think of as being part of the democratic coalition organized labor for instance.
Feminists environmentalists but also increasingly big businesses professional organizations that you -- thinking -- Republican territory right.
That's exactly right historically people you know and still do frankly think of the big banks for instance is being part of the Republican coalition.
But if you look at the financial reform bill -- was substantially watered down in a way that.
Made the big banks happy and I was just really struck because when the party was founded in this was almost 200 years ago by -- Jackson.
It was founded as a political coalition that was meant to fight this kind of favoritism this kind of special interest politics.
Really be a party of all the people behind huddling over -- society Populist Party standing up against the establishment and and and the and the powers obvious stuff -- That's exactly right that's -- Jackson form the party -- really felt.
In his day -- age that the government had been captured by moneyed interest in the northeast and head.
-- the needle public policy and their direction against.
The farmers in the south and west and he.
-- to -- -- root out corruption and favoritism from the government and we're -- we're really.
I'm -- -- I apologize well that was -- yeah that was really the foundation of the party and somehow along the way it's really lost its way.
And come to stand for frankly everything that it wants -- post.
I don't think there's any.
Doubt in anyone's mind of this country who -- who make up.
What groups -- The coalition that drives that is the Democratic Party I think there's a lot of confusion about.
What the result this frankly because this is -- president talking right now about FairPlay a level playing field.
On the square deal I mean he's he's.
He's resurrected just about every motto from a democratic campaign over the course last.
Hundred years.
If the idea that -- the Democrats are anymore however.
Obligated and be had in our.
Hurt anymore are responsible to their client then that Republicans.
About -- -- it seems they are both practicing.
The same game just in different rights.
Well I think that's true -- lot of 222 large degree but.
You know I I think the real difference is now that that the Democrats you know used to be able to balance you know.
The interest of their party you know client groups -- their interest groups with the public good and really.
You know that's an endemic problem of American politics in just any kind of party -- democracy where political parties only are elected by a portion of the country but have to govern for everybody.
It's a persistent problem and it has been -- problem since the beginning of the country's history municipal what I think.
-- can I would I -- -- -- we're we're just about out of time and and what -- -- just turned -- very quickly we've obviously got to close contest.
-- which of these clients as you referred them.
To which the Democratic Party and its leadership is is all of a what you're of these.
Which of these clients are client groups are are going to determine the outcome.
In your judgment of the election.
Well I think that the place of watches Wisconsin I mean if there's any group -- it's it's most important in the democratic coalition now it's really the government unions.
I would -- close second in that regard would be the environmentalist left of me both of them.
Provide lots of money to the Democratic Party campaign every year and their -- sacred to how the party gets the job done on Election Day.
Jerry costs thanks so -- the -- is spoiled rotten we recommend that --
