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GUEST: Laura Flanders, host of Radio Nation on Air America Radio, and author of several books including Blue Grit: True Democrats Take Back Politics from the Politicians

Most of us recall the images on our TV and computer screens the night before the 2004 presidential election when maps of the United States broken up into red and blue bits were used to explain Bush’s marginal victory. America seemed far more red than blue, far more Republican than Democrat. But those maps are quite misleading says author and radio host Laura Flanders. Many states relegated to being Republican actually have strong pockets of Democrats. But these Democrats are not party hacks. They are, as Flanders calls, Blue Grit democrats – progressives who are at the forefront of issues like war, climate change, labor rights and gay rights and are far more radical on these issues than the Democratic Party. It would benefit the Party to actually listen to these democrats-with-small-d. In her new book, Blue Grit: True Democrats Take Back Politics from the Politicians, Laura Flanders recounts her experiences traveling across the US for a year, interviewing and interacting with hard working progressives, and issuing a strong warning to the Democratic Party, that they ignore these people at their peril.

Laura Flanders will be speaking on Tuesday April 17th at 7 pm at the UCLA Hammer Museum, located at 10899 Wilshire Blvd in Los Angeles, CA 90024.