Can we talk about Abundance, Ezra Klein’s book

[Anonymous]

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/mar/27/abundance-by-ezra-klein-and-derek-thompson-review-make-america-build-again

That gives a brief overview. Klein and his co author, Derek Thompson, have been making the rounds on liberal podcasts recently.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pod-save-america/id1192761536?i=1000701297248

If I had to try to boil down in a sentence, it’s about how liberals aren’t governing well, and keep getting in the way of progress. We needed environmental and housing regulation, but they’re now preventing Dems from solving major problems.

I’ve been saying for the last 2 years that Dems aren’t listening to their voters. This hits the nail on the head.

If you don’t like the links I’ve posted, any search engine can find you at least 15 more options.

[Anonymous]

Haven’t read the book but I’ve heard Ezra making the rounds on the Daily Show and Bill Maher.

He makes some good points.

His podcast is pretty good.

Like most, he realizes the left went too far and is afraid to take action. We just do the circular firing squad thing and rarely engage with the dangerous rhetoric coming from the right other than to simply scold.

Sadly, I don’t think Ezra is the galvanizing leader we need. We need someone with balks to sound the alarm AND offer a path forward.

[Anonymous]

I hope the message is a clear and good one.

The main issue is that we don't pound the message enough or know what the message is or have too many.

[Anonymous]

I think their point is a good one. Special interests, including those pushing unreasonable levels of regulation and NIMBYism have derailed the ability of US to keep pace technologically and economically. I suppose my exemplar would be California's ill-fated high speed rail project, which is a project that China could have accomplished in about five years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hope the message is a clear and good one.

The main issue is that we don't pound the message enough or know what the message is or have too many.

Sadly, Democrats have no message beyond “get trump”. People are fatigued with this.

[Anonymous]

we've talked about it for years in the local dc sub - specifically the Montgomery county thread on upzoning.

many posters on that thread are specifically who klein and thompson are highlighting.

[Anonymous]

That has always been the conservative critique: that technocratic governance, no matter how laudable the intent, almost always fails when it hits reality. Klein is skirting around that. He’s also avoiding the fact that he was one of biggest cheerleaders and proponents of the very policies he now recognizes as having failed to deliver the goods.

Finally, the politicians are part of the problem. Obamacare COULD have been single payer. There would have been a massive electoral price to pay, but there was a once in fifty year opportunity to achieve a longstanding goal and
Obama and Dems chose to try to thread the needle with incrementalism that they hoped would preserve their control of government. They got neither.

[Anonymous]

Environmentalism is a religion. Abundance is a sin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope the message is a clear and good one.

The main issue is that we don't pound the message enough or know what the message is or have too many.

Sadly, Democrats have no message beyond “get trump”. People are fatigued with this.

I thought “Resist” was a terrible slogan. Like they had already given up and forgot they there were on the inside. So moronic

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/mar/27/abundance-by-ezra-klein-and-derek-thompson-review-make-america-build-again

That gives a brief overview. Klein and his co author, Derek Thompson, have been making the rounds on liberal podcasts recently.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pod-save-america/id1192761536?i=1000701297248

If I had to try to boil down in a sentence, it’s about how liberals aren’t governing well, and keep getting in the way of progress. We needed environmental and housing regulation, but they’re now preventing Dems from solving major problems.

I’ve been saying for the last 2 years that Dems aren’t listening to their voters. This hits the nail on the head.

If you don’t like the links I’ve posted, any search engine can find you at least 15 more options.

Until democrats go after employers replacing US citizens by mandating e-verify , we will know they have not changed

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That has always been the conservative critique: that technocratic governance, no matter how laudable the intent, almost always fails when it hits reality. Klein is skirting around that. He’s also avoiding the fact that he was one of biggest cheerleaders and proponents of the very policies he now recognizes as having failed to deliver the goods.

Finally, the politicians are part of the problem. Obamacare COULD have been single payer. There would have been a massive electoral price to pay, but there was a once in fifty year opportunity to achieve a longstanding goal and
Obama and Dems chose to try to thread the needle with incrementalism that they hoped would preserve their control of government. They got neither.

Yes - this. I like Ezra Kelvin’s podcast and the concept of his book. But I think he and others are wrong that Dems went “too far”. I think the problem is they didn’t go far enough. For example: healthcare. While Obamacare increased insurance coverage it hasn’t helped health outcomes or costs. But bc it was healthcare reform under Obama now Dems don’t want to touch that issue bc it’s “fixed”. Dems need to be strong to own up to past errors and fix them.

NIMBY-ism is another example. My town did some reason to allow more multi family housing: who is crying the loudest but the “liberals” who signed on to pledges promote diversity/equity/inclusion in all policies. They cite the fact that the new housing will result in “million dollar condos” but they ignore the fact that with no rezoning all we have gotten are $3-4 million single family houses (yes, I live in a pretty wealthy suburb). Our local elections this spring were pretty heated with a ton of finger pointing and misrepresentations and calls to “preserve the historical character of our town”. My town votes 90% Dem btw.

[Anonymous]

Can’t imagine actually buying this book.

[Anonymous]

Ezra Kine is an example of why democrats cannot win elections and they are completely out of touch with most voters. This is not a winning political campaign item. Most people (65%) already own homes and homeowners have a higher over turnout rate than renters. Over 70% of voters (in most) elections already own a home and they will not be happy about someone campaigning to destroy their home value, which most Americans largest asset. People do not want their kids school to be overcrowded due to rampant development and they don't want a 80 foot tall apartment building looking into their backyard. This is incredibly foolish and Republicans will be able to use this out of touch ivory tower messaging about "housing abundance" to destroy democrats in local elections. Hypothetical people that don't actually live in your community can't vote for your candidates and advocating for them is a terrible strategy to win elections.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope the message is a clear and good one.

The main issue is that we don't pound the message enough or know what the message is or have too many.

Sadly, Democrats have no message beyond “get trump”. People are fatigued with this.

Sure they do. You’re not listening.

[Anonymous]

Who are you people who thing Dems went too far left? They didn’t go progressive enough imo.

I bought into the “moderate” Dems bc I thought that would be a winning argument for the “independents” and here we are. I’m not all in for a progressive dem to have a shot at we can’t do any worse.

And at their heart, Dems biggest issue is they absolutely effing SUCK at messaging and connecting and highlighting accomplishments. The dem machine is outdated and broken.