The Lost Majority: Why the Future of Government Is Up for Grabs—and Who Will Take It

Sean Trende, senior analyst at RealClearPolitics, examines the collapse of the Democratic majority and its implications for the two-party system. He analyzes why Democrats lost momentum after appearing dominant two years prior, exploring weaknesses in their recent political strategy and the backlash against unions and other Democratic institutions. Trende argues that both major parties fail to connect with core American values and that traditional theories of cyclical political realignments lack foundation. He demonstrates how difficult it is to build a durable majority in the current political environment, while offering analysis on how Democrats can recover lost ground and how Republicans can rebuild power and credibility. Key arguments include: the South's Republican shift resulted from economic rather than racial factors; Obama's 2008 victory relied on a narrower version of Clinton's coalition rather than a transformative new one; Latino voters are not guaranteed Democratic support and may shift Republican as their economic status improves; and Democratic institutions like unions had already lost political relevance before recent public sector disputes. The book also includes critiques of potential Republican presidential candidates for 2012.