Chris Murphy

a real focus on the way in which we would fix democracy if you give us power. In the last 10 years, I would argue that that set of issues was like never top 10, certainly not top five for Democrats. It's got to be top two now, because that's the only way that you will convince people that are starting to get pretty tired and pretty worried about Trump's assault on democratic norms.

Right, which is why I say it has to be a top two issue, right? The first issue is how Democrats would unrig the economy. Right. So talk about that.

Right, which is why I say it has to be a top two issue, right? The first issue is how Democrats would unrig the economy. Right. So talk about that.

But let me make the connection first, which is that one of the only ways you unrig the economy – is to unrig the way the government works in which the special interests and the billionaires get everything they want out of government, right?

But let me make the connection first, which is that one of the only ways you unrig the economy – is to unrig the way the government works in which the special interests and the billionaires get everything they want out of government, right?

The reason that the economy is rigged is because the government is rigged, is because the way in which campaigns are financed means that the billionaires and the corporations get a seat at the table and you don't. So if you are interested in changing the structure of the economy so that small businesses get a

The reason that the economy is rigged is because the government is rigged, is because the way in which campaigns are financed means that the billionaires and the corporations get a seat at the table and you don't. So if you are interested in changing the structure of the economy so that small businesses get a

or workers don't get abused in their workplace, then you have to fundamentally unrig the way the government works. So the two are intimately connected. And I would argue, Ross, that there's plenty of examples of elections that actually have turned on the issue of corruption, because it's kind of like a baseline issue.

or workers don't get abused in their workplace, then you have to fundamentally unrig the way the government works. So the two are intimately connected. And I would argue, Ross, that there's plenty of examples of elections that actually have turned on the issue of corruption, because it's kind of like a baseline issue.

People don't care about corruption until they are looking in the face of a corrupt elected official. And then really, regardless of your positioning on corruption, economics or immigration or choice or guns, they will vote you out. On this question of how you unrig the economy, I'll just start with this, and I'm sure we'll have a longer discussion about it.

People don't care about corruption until they are looking in the face of a corrupt elected official. And then really, regardless of your positioning on corruption, economics or immigration or choice or guns, they will vote you out. On this question of how you unrig the economy, I'll just start with this, and I'm sure we'll have a longer discussion about it.

Democratic economic policy during the Biden administration, I would argue, was very heavily reliant on subsidy. The child care tax credit, the increased Obamacare subsidies, the forgiveness of student loans, essentially a whole bunch of efforts to write families a check in order to paper over the unfairness of the economy. I don't think that's actually what voters want.

Democratic economic policy during the Biden administration, I would argue, was very heavily reliant on subsidy. The child care tax credit, the increased Obamacare subsidies, the forgiveness of student loans, essentially a whole bunch of efforts to write families a check in order to paper over the unfairness of the economy. I don't think that's actually what voters want.

Those are good economic policies, but they feel unfair. Kind of dirty, kind of lousy to just have to be compensated for the fact that work doesn't pay, which is why that has to be the structure of our efforts to unrig the economy, making work pay. That means a much higher minimum wage. That means much more empowered labor unions.

Those are good economic policies, but they feel unfair. Kind of dirty, kind of lousy to just have to be compensated for the fact that work doesn't pay, which is why that has to be the structure of our efforts to unrig the economy, making work pay. That means a much higher minimum wage. That means much more empowered labor unions.

That means the deconstruction of corporate power so that if you do start up a small bookstore in your community, you don't get squashed out of existence in the first week. You know, a suite and a set of policies that say to families, if you play by the rules, you are going to have a much better shot of getting ahead than you did under the old rules.

That means the deconstruction of corporate power so that if you do start up a small bookstore in your community, you don't get squashed out of existence in the first week. You know, a suite and a set of policies that say to families, if you play by the rules, you are going to have a much better shot of getting ahead than you did under the old rules.

Absolutely. And more than that, I think the fundamental underlying story of American politics today is this realignment that is happening, a new consensus of American voters that is looking for a home. And it is really a question of

Absolutely. And more than that, I think the fundamental underlying story of American politics today is this realignment that is happening, a new consensus of American voters that is looking for a home. And it is really a question of

of whether the Republican Party becomes more sincerely populist and tolerant of more government intervention in the market before the Democratic Party decides to be a big tent in which we allow into the party people who might not agree with us on social and cultural issues or guns and climate, but do believe in things like a higher minimum wage, more empowered labor unions and industrial policy.