Given my work in and around politics, a question I get asked a lot: are things really worse today than they’ve been in the past? Or for whatever reason—because of social media, perhaps—does it just feel worse?
To answer that question, this is the first in a series where I’ll be speaking with former members of Congress—Democrats and Republicans—to get their perspective on what it was like to serve, and how things are different then vs. now.
Yesterday, I spoke with Toby Moffett, a Democrat from Connecticut, a self-described “left liberal,” and a Watergate Baby who served from 1975-1983.
He’s concerned about money in politics and a profound lack of bipartisanship today. Give it a listen.
Topics from my conversation with Toby Moffett
0:00 – 4:50: Introduction and Toby’s background.
4:51 – 6:05: Comparing Nixon, Reagan, and Trump.
6:06 – 8:19: Getting elected as a Democrat in 1974.
8:20 – 15:28: How the Republican Party has changed.
15:29 – 22:36: How bipartisanship has changed (or, how to make a quick buck at Laurel Park).
22:37 – 25:35: Working with conservative Republicans like Henry Hyde (the staunch abortion opponent).
25:36 – 33:00: The corrosive impact of money in politics, and how much more pervasive its impact is today.
33:01 – 35:31: How media and the media landscape have changed.
35:32 – 38:35: Best members of Congress to work with.
38:36 – 46:07: What do you miss about serving in Congress?
46:08 – 47:57: Wrap-up.
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