This is the Tom Hartman program.

Welcome back everybody.

I've talked about a idea I've been noodling on. It's been on my mind and it is the

trajectory of dominant political parties.

And the moment that there is now for the party that is out of power in the House

Representatives, in power in the presidency, out of power in the Supreme Court,

and teetering on the brink of power in the US Senate.

And that is that I think there is now a time

for not only that political party, but I'll also say for pro-democracy

people generally to lean into patriotism. This is something that's made me nervous

most of my life. As a kid we were in the midst of the Cold War and the people who are

draping themselves in the flag were mostly talking about how I don't know too

often talking about how we should not be too worried about

apartheid in South Africa just didn't seem like my team was the team that trumpeted

America. They would say USA USA and I was worried that when they meant it they meant something about I don't know

Low-key racism or not really worried about gaps and wealth disparities and frankly not that worried about democracy itself

Now I believe that there's something different happening.

I believe that the not only are we seeing the continued trajectory of the Democratic Party, which I describe as

America's Party, is a party whose strengths and weaknesses reflect and sometimes lead the strengths of weaknesses of the country.

Starting with advocating for working farmers in a agarian age,

moving into a machine age, working to overcome control

by corrupt political machines, working the past, let's call it six decades,

...