eastern. 8:00 p.m. tuesday at eastern, in 1968, america in turmoil, we look at the presidential campaign. we will discuss the cast of characters dominating the residential politics. robert f. kennedy austria's assassination, televise clashes between chicago police and demonstrators during the national convention, and richard victory.ecisive watch "1968: america in turmoil" on american history tv on c-span3. host: democratic consultant mike lux on his book, "how to democrat in the age of trump." but before we talk about the present and future, i want to talk about how the democrats got here. you point out this statistic. in the decade since 2008 week

when the future looks promising, seats, 63st senate u.s. house seats, 38 legislative chambers, 90 eight legislative seats. we also lost the present -- -- host: what were democrats doing wrong between 2008 and today? the demographics were moving in favor, the financial collapse had made americans convinced that republican trickle-down policies were not working. things seemed like they were going in our direction and they would have continued to have done that had we really the promises and really changed the country in a transformative kind of way.

if we have restructured the financial system rather than just rehabilitated it. if we had really brought wages working-class folks. if we have really done immigration reform, something about climate change, i think those would be both broadly popular and would have fired up our base. in aad, we got bogged down very long, torturous health care debate. we passed a good bill but it was a discouraging process. in the meantime, we didn't do any of the other things. then the sort of final thing that broke the camel's back is we did not prosecute wall street speculators who had ripped off the economy, committed fraud, against consumers, and that got people very cynical.

change moment big and why do you think it is time for democrats to have one now? book, in my previous talked about how in american history, there have been a series of the change moments were problems had built up over time and progressives swept into does a lot ofge things in a few years. the new deal was an example. the 64, 65, 66, where lbj was able to get a lot of things past , a progressive area of teddy those were times where big changes were happening. we had an opportunity in 2009 but we put. because we put, our base got cynical and did not turn out and

swing voters also felt like well, they are not doing anything for me. i think that is how we broke the coalition in the first place. why is it time to have a moment now? guest: what is in place now is trump, mcconnell, and the house republicans. periodhe most right wing in american history and they have gone so far to the extreme. we have an opportunity to lay out a bold agenda really focused on working-class folks, all kinds. my book about how there is a lot more that unites people, a lot more that unites the democratic race and swing voters, then there is that divides them. host: "how to democrat in the age of trump." joinu want to join the --

the conversation, the phones are split as usual -- we're talking with veteran democratic consultant mike lux. i want to show view -- viewers the about the author page. the first sentence of the first three paragraphs. is a cofounder of democracy partners, innovative full-service national consulting firm. mike served as senior staffer and advisor on six different presidential campaigns. mike currently serves on the boards of several organizations and is also cofounder of the center for american progress. election americans trust you as a voice for change? guest: i have been on the inside and outside of democratic politics for a long time. i was in the clinton white house as the liaison to the progressive community. i spent a lot of my years outsideto build

organizations and grassroots organizations, and i believe one of the problems the party has had his we do not pay enough attention to people on the that would try to preach down to people rather than listening and engaging. i think that is critical right now. listen to and engage some callers. phone lines split by party as usual. we will start on the line for democrats. silver spring, maryland. good morning. caller: good morning. thank you for taking my call. i want to give a quick suggestion on how the democrats campaign. you look at what republican said, you should have a quick line like we need to take our

country back from russia, number one. youer two, on the tax cuts, use task us the way republicans used obamacare before. , it didt the promises not pay for itself. we borrowed more than we borrowed in two years. obamacare,ne is on they promised for eight years to replace it. --n i finally replaced it, you need to highlight those points. then make the promise that the best way forward for health just for health care is to repair it and not replace it. host: thank you for the call to messaging and strategy. guest: i think he has got good points. i think both the tax and health

care fights were very much things democrats ought to be focused on now. right now, people trust democrats far more on health care and taxes because they see what the -- what they're doing, trickle-down economics. they want to give things all to the rich people in the big corporations. that is a message we could definitely use. what about the impeachment message? the house will initiate impeachment proceedings against the president? guest: i have never been a big fan of process arguments. we need to focus on issues that matter to folks. a lot of democrats are in favor of impeachment and i do not have a problem at all saying that we

should aggressively investigate the president because i think he is very corrupt. i think as time goes on over the weekend, he basically tweeted out something that proves his corruption and over time, we will investigate and do something about it. and i think democrats should talk about that. but i think on the campaign trail, obsessing about donald is not what we ought to be doing. he often feeling out our own vision on taxes and other important issues. host: what is the vision of health care that we sell? guest: that people ought to have the right to either buy into or get medicare if they want medicare. i think ultimately the country would be better off with medicare for all. where need a transition

we move to a system where people like what they have gone already, they can keep it, but if they don't, they could buy into medicare. that was something suggested 10 years ago during the health care fight and did not happen. looking at how to lower costs on health care is critical. medicare for all or some version of that would do that. host: alan is a republican from knoxville, tennessee. caller: i don't see how the working-class will come back to the democrats. most messaging i sent television is about russian insanity. meanwhile, you have got donald trump the much every day talking the 4.1% gdp is

coming in. good fort not looking you guys. thanks. i think trump has been able to take advantage of the growing economy that obama built for him. itersonally do not think will last very long because his policies are so focused toward the superrich that it is drying up money for everyone else. if you look at the structure of the economy for working people, their wages are not going up. a lot of jobs that people have to work, two or three jobs to keep their family together or make a living. i do not think working people are very excited about trump. we have seen in districts like , theylvania, the district heavily republican district for danny o'connor has a very good

chance of winning, we are seeing that working people are rebelling against the economy and our folk on the superrich. what habits of democrats win in ohio tomorrow? guest: another earthquake and we have had a bunch already this year. democrats have done very well in special elections. to win in alabama, to take back the seats we took in the virginia house as well as when the governor's race in a landslide when it was supposed to be close in the district, in part a much every election plus one in the house, we have done far better than the numbers in the previous election. are winning a lot of state legislative races as well in various districts in rural america -- rural america. host: new york, paul, independent, good morning. caller: i noticed mike did not

answer the last question that anyway, i'm from upstate new york and back in the 1990's, bill clinton set the trend for accepting corporate money and since those days, we had nafta, all of these ills that kind of for working people, i have to tell you, in upstate new york, we do not trust democrats anymore. look at nancy pelosi. , they collect money from the same people the republican party do, wall street. if you are a working person, you can see right through that. we do not really here economic solutions when we hear a democrat running for office here it is more of, corporate, middle-of-the-road, innuendo. that is my comment.

i think you are right in one way. and i talk in my book about this, how democrats have taken too much corporate money, and some democrats at least have gotten too close to wall street, too close to some of the biggest .ompanies and money i think we need to change that. i argue in my book that is democrats, we need to be back in the party of working people and economic solutions that will help working people. i think we're moving in the right direction with that. i think the reaction to trump and his favoring the rich over everyone else will help us in this election. host: are nancy and -- nancy pelosi and chuck schumer helping in that? two and extent.

democrats got used to a certain way raising money and it actually hurt us. because the more we raised money from big corporations, the more from billionaires, the more we lose touch with working people. i prefer elizabeth warren, where we raised a lot of the money onlinerking-class folks and they are more in touch with those kinds. if you look at the primaries, candidates who emphasize those kinds of close ties of working-class folks, those are winning. if democrats win the house and 2018, would you prefer someone else other than nancy pelosi to be the speaker? guest: everything in politics as compared to what? it all depends on who runs against her.

ideally, there would be a great young progressive who will be but, it is -- if it is nancy pelosi versus hoyer, who is actually hope -- older and more tied to corporate america, then of course i do not prefer that. host: david is a democrat from maryland, good morning. know, i think the democrats have to concede the fact that and republicans -- they don't mind lying or changing the rules. think the messaging for democrats needs to be more focused on what is wrong with the republican party. in other words, what you get when you vote republican. i think it off a lot of people

voted against their own self interest when they vote republican. i think we've done a really poor job of messaging what the republican party really stands for. in the states they control, there are clear examples to .2, women's rights issues on health care issues, the refusal to take medicaid money. over and over, the breaking up of unions, republicans have shown what they really stand for. out.ges is not point that i think people need to understand what they get when they vote republican. i disagree with you here a little bit at least. gof course think we should after republicans on the things they're doing wrong and they are doing so many different things wrong that it is easy to do. tolso think democrats need tell people what they believe

in, who they will fight or, which side they are on, what the values are. i think that is what we have been doing a poor job doing campaigns. 2016,assic example in hillary clinton spent the vast majority of her money attacking donald trump. people already knew that trump was, wasn't such a great guy. they just wanted someone -- something different and something new. i think if she said more about what she believed in and who she for,- who she would fight especially on economic issues, i think it would have been a far better thing to do. host:host: is abolish isa's a gd campaign message for democrats this year? guest: i think it is but in general, as long as you explain

again, weproposal is, are reacting to the wrong thing at -- i think it is important, isis has done terrible things, so i'd do not have a problem but worknk the only way to will be how we would manage the situation, to show we would do it in a compassionate but effective way. massachusetts next, richard, independent, go ahead. i listen to republicans and democrats and it is the same old thing over and over about, you care what the working-class or this and that and you do nothing. i will tell you, i call my congresspeople. kennedy, i am 74 years old. warne and brown, i keep calling

for the last 20 years i have been calling. i have got nothing done. they send me letters. i have three in my kitchen table right now from senator warren, 2014, 2015, 2016, from her washington office be at i get nothing from you people. republicans and democrats. all you do is talk -- host: what are you asking elizabeth warren for? caller: i was a firefighter for 34 years. i worked a second job for 34 years to build up social security. when i went to collect it, they took half of it away from me. it started in 1985 with reagan. everybody went on board with him. warren sent me three letters, we have to do something about it, and that was in 2014. i earned that social security.

working. i have to go to work today at 10:00. until 6:00 at night. i am 74 years old and i walked to work three miles up the road. he say but -- you care what the working man, but you don't and i really angry. talk.d she letting me thanks for the call. have a good day at work on this monday. i will let mike lux respond. guest: i share your frustration. i think government has not gotten much, especially federal government, not much done for working folks. book that democrats need to be far clearer on what we would do, far clear on getting things done. put in out that republicans have been in control of government, of congress,

since 2011. it is hard for elizabeth warren to get a lot done when mitch mcconnell is the head of the senate and donald trump is the president. i think she is working hard but you can only get so much done. what we have to look at is, if democrats regain control within the presidency, and then start delivering, then i think they folksave the support of like yourself. they need to keep fighting folks like yourself. they need to keep fighting for working people on these issues. host: folks

like yourself. they need to keep fighting for working people on these issues. host: about five minutes left with mike lux. we will keep taking your calls. republican call, go ahead. caller: you are right about the medicare issues and all that are known as poorer than i am in this country i swear, but i do not qualify for anything. i am white. hillary clinton, when she cheated in the primaries, that ruined it for her in this area. we cannot vote for a cheater. if you vote for a cheater, you endorse cheating and you are a cheater, guilty of that cheating. , ahead of time during the primaries, he would have said, i can beat them without cheating. that is why we love donald trump. love him. love him to death. we would never endorse a cheater. host: mike lux. go ahead. guest: i think trump is the ultimate cheater. trump has taken money from the russian mob for at least a decade. trump cheated his employees, cheated his subcontractors when and his businessman,

cabinet and his officials that he has appointed have been one of the most corrupt administrations ever. i also think that democrats need to do a better job focusing on these issues rather than playing your and politics, to point. i think if we focus on an agenda that would help, working folks on the issues that matter to them, then i think we have a much better chance. host: a democrat in idaho falls, idaho. good morning. caller: i have spent five or 10 year trying to get in. thank you. is i think a lot of politicians and just normal have addiction. they just need to go to rehab -- rehab. lying, cheating,

but if you get someone in power, once anything is wrong, you're trapped. i figure either the democrats, what they need to do, they have got to stand up for the truth. if anyone will not stand up for telling the truth, they do not need to be a democrat. money, if ofking got to be honest with people. if you cannot be, they need to andt looking in the mirror see where they are at in life. you will always have people who want to have control and power over weak people. it has been that way for many decades.

host: got your point. let's give mike lux a chance to respond. guest:host: got your point. let's give mike lux a chance to respond. guest: i agree we need to be honest with people. one thing i talk about is democrats needhost: got your po. let's give mike lux a chance to respond. guest: i agree we need to be honest with people. one thing i talk about is democrats need to be honest with voters about why they are for what they are for. i think we need to go to places like idaho and talk to folks about some of the big issues and be honest with people. even if we think it will not be in idaho to talkwe need a messd of in idaho to talk about having basic gun safety or talk about how trump is stirring up racism in the country. that we do not back away from the matter where we are in the country. john in beaverton, oregon. good morning. caller: i agree with what you are saying about listening, but i was wondering about reaching

out to safe groups and really listen to values. then let the issues flow from there. i work with an interfaith group, and we went to the ice in downtown portland. quiet, respectful and but we told people, there was a sickness. there was a solidarity about our move, our movement. so to listen to people's values and not simply their issues. guest: i very much agree with you. we talk in the book about the need to reach out to rural voters, faith-based voters and older voters, and talk about our values. about who we will fight for, what we believe in, what our values are, and having that as core to our message, rather

than a lot of details, is really important. host: and announcer: and c-span's "washington journal," live it every day with policies and issues that impact you. coming up tuesday morning, discussing the vulnerabilities of the american electorate grin and pipelines. electoral electric grid and pipelines. and painful personal expenditures. we sure to watch c-span's "washington journal," live tuesday morning. join the discussion. announcer: the former executive director for the advisory commission on public diplomacy, shawn powers, recently reflected on the challens