We just talked live with Faiz Shakir, the More Perfect Union executive director, Bernie Sanders advisor, and veteran organizer and strategist, about the future of the Democratic Party. Now, if you’re the kind of person who pays a lot of attention to politics, the strategy documents coming out of centrist PACs and left think tanks this week were big news. But, Shakir told us, these policy and messaging proposals for how to win over voters in 2026 and 2028 might be interesting in theory, but miss the point, whether you think the way forward is to clone Zohran Mamdani or to tack to the center.
If you want a more responsive, representative party, Shakir says, the answer — or at least the beginning of an answer — is simple: listen to what people are actually saying, and recruit and run candidates who reflect and represent them. There are too many lawyers running for office, he says, and not enough plumbers, nurses, and small entrepreneurs. That’s how to build a party that understands the aspirations and desire for justice of all Americans — the kind of party with a vision, not just opposition, that can not only regain power, but also has an idea of what to do with it to build a country and an economy that serves working people, not just oligarchs.
Shakir is always insightful and inspiring, and you won’t want to miss any of this conversation. Just click on the video player above to watch it now.
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Join us for more Live conversations this week!
Join us tomorrow, Wednesday, October 29, for two important conversations: at 11:30 a.m. Eastern, we’ll talk to David Hogg of Leaders We Deserve; then at 1:00 p.m. Eastern, we’ll be joined by Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy. And then on Thursday, October 30, at 12:30 p.m., come back for our regular talk with messaging guru Anat Shenker-Osorio.
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