The left isn't going to come back until it figures out a way to get more power in this highly individualistic,

distrustful of the federal government age, back directly to people and pull them out of their chairs,

where they're watching politics as entertainment, and tell them that politics is your vocation and you have to do it

at different times maybe not all through your life but at different moments of your life you've

got to pitch in and take some responsibility for governing this country. Thank you. Welcome to Current Affairs. My name is Nathan Robinson. I'm the editor in chief of Current Affairs Magazine.

My guest today is Thomas Gagan. He is a labor lawyer based in Chicago. He is the author of

a number of books, including only one thing can save us, why America needs a new kind of

labor movement. Also, which side are you on, trying to be for

labor when it's flat on its back? And most recently, the history of democracy has yet

to be written how we have to learn to govern all over again.

Tom Gagan, thank you so much for joining us today.

Sure, Nathan.

Thank you for inviting me.

So this book starts with your run for Congress in the special election in 2009. And I have to say, running for Congress sounds awful

from your description of it. A better title for the book would be another fun thing I'll

never do again. It is awful, yes?

Well, of course, it's awful, especially for somebody who hates to get up at 5.30 in the

morning to go out in 20 below windshield and stand there at the L to shake hands. If you don't like that, you probably won't enjoy

running for office in Chicago in the middle of winter the way I did. But it has, you know,

I connected with people in a way that I never had before. It's a life experience. It is something

everybody should do at least once and then never do it again.

I urge it upon every citizen.

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