Democratic Party - Obama Presidency Oral History

...more expensive. So we were pushing the Democrats , trying to push them to a place tha...

...most Republicans and even some Democrats . But in healthcare at least, th...

...as a major issue, or we continue what Democrats have been more likely to do wit...

...Brown got elected, we went crazy on the Democrats . I remember, we were having our boar...

...op-eds in the Huffington Post; “The Democrats can't fold now.” To her credit, Pelos...

...relationship with the established Democratic Party and our contribution to candidates. W...

...dollars, other than maybe the Democratic Party itself—but we never gave our mone...

...reform and we need some help from the Democrats . We're not asking you to walk th...

...with everyone. It freaked them and the Democrats all out. Some, like Ryan, thought i...

...retirement, and actually found out the Democrats like Senator Ben Cardin and people wer...

...bring Organizing for America into the Democratic Party was just another indication that h...

...another was getting—is letting enough Democrats off the hook who would vote for clotur...

...fine with. We were not making moderate Democrats in marginal seats walk a plank abou...

...political movement] or crazy Democrats . I mean, I think the Green Party–is...

...saying, “How can we screw this up?” And Democrats were having a hard enough tim...

...a hard enough time consolidating the Democrats — Got it. —because, remember—I thin...

...DSA is kind of learning that, but the Democrats haven't been— Yes, exactly. —goo...

...have tried to do it, the progressive Democrats and others, they're just—haven't wo...

...DSA. He doesn't think about progressive Democrats . He doesn't think about the labo...

...good. You cannot organize because the Democrats suck and they won't pass labor laws...

...give the same speech about [how] the Democrats have let us down, and the laws have t...

...had contributed to the success of Democrats historically, and given the statistic...

...that are overwhelmingly disregarded by Democrats of—which Trump should have taught the...

...the only White guys voting for Democrats are White union members and Whit...

...were just never in the comfort zone of Democrats , and we were never part of th...

...just—the most depressing story of the Democratic Party — [Laughs] —you can imagine ho...

...labor leader, but not be the Democratic Party ; didn't matter. I'm still an AT...

...still an ATM machine, mostly, for the Democrats . It's very depressing. God, that'...

...to recapture majorities for the Democratic Party . Well, then, Democrats do not protec...

...for the Democratic Party. Well, then, Democrats do not protect unions. There ar...

...try to correct, but you never see the Democratic Party saying, “We really need to sit wit...

...They want to complain about the Democrats . I mean, that's what they mostly do...

...I mean, that's what they mostly do. The Democrats let us down, the Democrats sold us out...

...do. The Democrats let us down, the Democrats sold us out, the Democrats are for th...

...us down, the Democrats sold us out, the Democrats are for the big contributors. I An...

...fire to the basic issues—which is what Democrats are discovering wit...

...talk about healthcare, it is harder for Democrats to win a race. How do we get election...

...and called to arms and pressured the Democrats , not just the Republicans, t...

...speeches. It took most people in the Democratic Party at the turn of the century to say, “O...

...thirty years.” Well, what the fuck have Democrats been doing if you're not payin...

...retirement security? It seems, as a Democratic Party , there's some pretty simple issues yo...

...recreating slavery. [Laughs] But the Democrats can't keep focused on the economy an...

...Us. It was running challengers against Democrats in safe Democratic districts who th...

...and not just becoming lapdogs to Democrats . The seven unions failed in ou...

...debate of the primary season for the Democrats , and Obama did not perform as h...

...we had to create an environment where Democrats didn't think reforming healthcare wa...

...kinds of coalitions to convince enough Democrats that this is a—it's not going to kil...

...more expensive. So we were pushing the Democrats , trying to push them to a place tha...

...most Republicans and even some Democrats . But in healthcare at least, th...

...as a major issue, or we continue what Democrats have been more likely to do wit...

...Brown got elected, we went crazy on the Democrats . I remember, we were having our boar...

...op-eds in the Huffington Post; “The Democrats can't fold now.” To her credit, Pelos...

...relationship with the established Democratic Party and our contribution to candidates. W...

...dollars, other than maybe the Democratic Party itself—but we never gave our mone...

...reform and we need some help from the Democrats . We're not asking you to walk th...

...with everyone. It freaked them and the Democrats all out. Some, like Ryan, thought i...

...retirement, and actually found out the Democrats like Senator Ben Cardin and people wer...

...bring Organizing for America into the Democratic Party was just another indication that h...

...another was getting—is letting enough Democrats off the hook who would vote for clotur...

...fine with. We were not making moderate Democrats in marginal seats walk a plank abou...

...political movement] or crazy Democrats . I mean, I think the Green Party–is...

...saying, “How can we screw this up?” And Democrats were having a hard enough tim...

...a hard enough time consolidating the Democrats — Got it. —because, remember—I thin...

...DSA is kind of learning that, but the Democrats haven't been— Yes, exactly. —goo...

...have tried to do it, the progressive Democrats and others, they're just—haven't wo...

...DSA. He doesn't think about progressive Democrats . He doesn't think about the labo...

...good. You cannot organize because the Democrats suck and they won't pass labor laws...

...give the same speech about [how] the Democrats have let us down, and the laws have t...

...had contributed to the success of Democrats historically, and given the statistic...

...that are overwhelmingly disregarded by Democrats of—which Trump should have taught the...

...the only White guys voting for Democrats are White union members and Whit...

...were just never in the comfort zone of Democrats , and we were never part of th...

...just—the most depressing story of the Democratic Party — [Laughs] —you can imagine ho...

...labor leader, but not be the Democratic Party ; didn't matter. I'm still an AT...

...still an ATM machine, mostly, for the Democrats . It's very depressing. God, that'...

...to recapture majorities for the Democratic Party . Well, then, Democrats do not protec...

...for the Democratic Party. Well, then, Democrats do not protect unions. There ar...

...try to correct, but you never see the Democratic Party saying, “We really need to sit wit...

...They want to complain about the Democrats . I mean, that's what they mostly do...

...I mean, that's what they mostly do. The Democrats let us down, the Democrats sold us out...

...do. The Democrats let us down, the Democrats sold us out, the Democrats are for th...

...us down, the Democrats sold us out, the Democrats are for the big contributors. I An...

...fire to the basic issues—which is what Democrats are discovering wit...

...talk about healthcare, it is harder for Democrats to win a race. How do we get election...

...and called to arms and pressured the Democrats , not just the Republicans, t...

...speeches. It took most people in the Democratic Party at the turn of the century to say, “O...

...thirty years.” Well, what the fuck have Democrats been doing if you're not payin...

...retirement security? It seems, as a Democratic Party , there's some pretty simple issues yo...

...recreating slavery. [Laughs] But the Democrats can't keep focused on the economy an...

...I think it is something that generally Democrats have struggled with how to tal...

...big things. In your opinion, had the Democrats held onto that seat in Massachusetts i...

...turning point. I think a lot of Democrats , particularly in the House, ar...

...early in Clinton is, there is—again, Democrats are getting concerned about thi...

...to see pieces of it, in terms of, as Democrats were getting more nervous as we cam...

...part of the “Watergate baby” class [ Democrats first elected to Congress in 1974...

...in participatory democracy—not the Democratic Party , but participatory democracy—there ar...

...democracy. And those people might be Democrats or Republicans, but a representativ...

...had done. Do you think the Democratic Party had more difficulty unifying itsel...

...for that.' What are we going to do as Democrats ? Go around and say we're for taxes?...

...And the quid pro quo offered by the Democrats was basically to limit our regulator...

...remember that idea being seeded among Democrats and potential officeholders? That's ...

...members? A few Republicans. Mostly Democrats . So, Waxman-Markey gets passed by th...

...the global financial crisis changed how Democrats talked about climate change? I thin...

...I think that, broadly speaking, Democrats struggled for a long time about how t...

...I think it is something that generally Democrats have struggled with how to tal...

...big things. In your opinion, had the Democrats held onto that seat in Massachusetts i...

...turning point. I think a lot of Democrats , particularly in the House, ar...

...early in Clinton is, there is—again, Democrats are getting concerned about thi...

...to see pieces of it, in terms of, as Democrats were getting more nervous as we cam...

...part of the “Watergate baby” class [ Democrats first elected to Congress in 1974...

...in participatory democracy—not the Democratic Party , but participatory democracy—there ar...

...democracy. And those people might be Democrats or Republicans, but a representativ...

...had done. Do you think the Democratic Party had more difficulty unifying itsel...

...for that.' What are we going to do as Democrats ? Go around and say we're for taxes?...

...quickly and just said, “Look, this is Democrats only. We don't need Republicans. Let'...

...remaining issues. But remember that for Democrats these were issue...

...reform, but it certainly helped unify Democrats . I've got to go back and listen t...

...of some, where the moderates and the Democratic Party were, in terms of what she was lookin...

...Obama in resolving differences among Democrats in the House and the Senate as thos...

...the 2003 Medicare Modernization Act. Democrats opposed it; it was a giveaway to th...

...really, really antiregulatory push from Democrats and Republicans to the presiden...

...to focus on how do we make sure that Democrats that are up have as strong a platfor...

...alienate Republicans and not alienate Democrats in states like Ohio and Colorado an...

...She had support on the Hill from Democrats and Republicans alike. He liked th...

...the camp of, We need fresh blood in the Democratic Party . I thought that no matter what, bein...

...played out after the midterms, and the Democrats that were called out, there was thi...

...to be tough for Obama, because so many Democrats came in on his coattails. So we wer...

...but we lost a fair number of moderate Democrats . And there was a very well-oile...

...vote to hang it around vulnerable Democrats ' necks. And I think that was the poin...

...really, really antiregulatory push from Democrats and Republicans to the presiden...

...to focus on how do we make sure that Democrats that are up have as strong a platfor...

...alienate Republicans and not alienate Democrats in states like Ohio and Colorado an...

...She had support on the Hill from Democrats and Republicans alike. He liked th...