Un-Trumping America

A Plan to Make America a Democracy Again

By: Dan Pfeiffer

Narrated by: Dan Pfeiffer

Length: 6 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

From the number one New York Times best-selling author of Yes We (Still) Can and cohost of Pod Save America, a sharp political playbook for how Democrats can take on the right-wing circus dominating American politics.

There is nothing more important than beating Donald Trump in 2020, but defeating Trump is just the start of this timely book. Un-Trumping America offers readers three critical insights: first, Trump is not an aberration, but rather the logical extension of the modern Republican Party; second, how Democrats can defeat Trump in 2020; and third, preventing the likes of Trump from ever happening again with a plan to fix democracy.

While the catalog of the president's crimes is long and growing, undoing Trumpism - the political platform of racism, authoritarianism, and plutocracy that gave rise to Trump and defines the Republican Party - is a long and continuing fight. Through a craven, cynical strategy engineered by Mitch McConnell, funded by the Kochs, and fueled by Fox News propaganda, Republicans have rigged American politics to drown out the voices of the people in favor of the powerful. Without an aggressive response that recognizes who the Republicans are and what they have done, American democracy as we know it won't survive this moment and a conservative, shrinking, mostly white minority will govern the country for decades.

Un-TrumpingAmerica dismantles toxic Trumpism and offers a way forward. Dan Pfeiffer worked for nearly twenty years at the center of Democratic politics, from the campaign trail to Capitol Hill to Barack Obama's White House. But it was Trump's victory and Republicans' incessant aiding and abetting of Trumpism that has radicalized his thinking. Here, Pfeiffer urges Democrats to embrace bold solutions - from fixing the courts to abolishing the electoral college to eliminating the filibuster - in order to make America more democratic (and Democratic).

Un-Trumping America is a powerful call for Democrats and progressives to get smarter, tougher, and more aggressive without becoming a paler shade of orange.

©2020 Dan Pfeiffer (P)2020 Twelve

Critic reviews

"[Un-Trumping America] lays out the path for Democrats to save the day, not by beating Republicans at their own (dirty, he convincingly claims) game but by, like, actually doing democracy." (Booklist)

A Guide on How to Rid Our Country of Trump-ism (Not Just Trump Himself)

Dan Pfeiffer gives readers an in-depth look at some moments that lead up to Trump, but unlike other books, he also gives some remedies to cure our country of his nebulous ideology.

The Blueprint

Please, I hope every Dem running for anything reads this. It is a great outline of what we need to do

This is a full-on poli sci course!

Read this book and learn how our government works. Share it with the high schoolers and college students you know.

For liberals only

In Un-Trumping America, Dan Pfeiffer puts forth ideas of aggressive counterattack against recent conservative gains. Dan’s analysis of why liberals hold less power despite winning more votes and his vision for creating a fair and just democracy are emotionally satisfying. It’s red meat for liberals and revolutionary unrest for conservatives.

Dan’s war plan is rooted in the assumption that conservatives are morally bankrupt, incapable of voting in their own self interest and irreparably destroying American democracy. He believes deeply in the virtuousness of his liberal cause, and his commitment to personal transparency is commendable in an era of hidden agendas, obfuscation and hypocrisy. He writes from a position of integrity, although his frequent use of expletives will likely offend readers from his mom’s generation. He holds nothing back for the sake of political consensus or accommodation. He’s angry and prepared to take up advanced weapons to defeat the enemy: Trump Republicans. And (spoiler alert) he furiously hates Paul Ryan.

Dan’s performance in reading his book is good overall and adds a level of authenticity, but at times he’s rushes through passages as if he was on a deadline to go record his next podcast. Overall, it’s a great listen for liberals, especially fans of the Pod Save America podcast. Most conservatives will find it a complete waste of time and money—other than to learn how the political opposition is thinking.

Yes we Dan!

Love Pfeiffer. I love his whit and that he gets straight to the point. I enjoyed learning things I may have missed when I was less engaged politically and how they lead to where we are today.

The book we need right now

This is a fantastic book that keeps you reading/listening by presenting complicated issues in an easy to understand format with tons of real life anecdotes. This book is a must read!

KABOOM!

Loved it, though the ending Paul Ryan rant was kind of a strange way to end a well though out argument and roadmap for democrats looking for paths to focus their ire toward trump and the emptiness of what we're once republicans.

Must Read!

Great explanation of the current state of our politics. This book is filled with inspiring possibilities for the democracy we can create for future generations.

A must read!

Dan Pfeiffer is experienced, savvy, and wicked smart. This new book is a must read / listen for everyone: from grassroots activists to long-time Democratic Party operatives, to all the good people just trying to eek out a living and are concerned about what is happening to our democracy. It is a deeply engaging listen. (My one suggestion would be for Pfeiffer to slow down just a tad when he is reading).

Pfeiffer's ideas are born from years of valuable experience on the front lines of our Democracy. They are clear, well stated, and well argued. Some of the ideas will be relatively easy to implement, assuming Democrats take control of all three branches of government in November. (I know, I know... but that's the first step for anything to change). Others are decidedly harder, will require long term investment, and will surely face resistance not just from Republicans, but also from the Democratic mainstream and the general public.

In these cases Pfeiffer provides good historical background that blows holes in many of the myths we tell ourselves (like the number of Justices on the Supreme Court is a sacred cow; it's fixed and always has been), and asks us to begin to change the story we're telling ourselves about what (supposedly) cannot be changed. He invites us to begin talking about these ideas, bringing them to family dinner tables and into the public discourse.

All change begins in story - with beginning to imagine something different and a path to getting there. In this brilliant book, Dan Pfeiffer gives us both.

PLEASE!

Dan! you are so brilliant! PLEASE go help the Biden campaign, they need you desperately! thanks for this terrific book and for being a patriot. Sally, age 71