Taking readers to three key political battlegrounds—in Missouri, Florida, and Colorado—Winter suggests that robust state and local politics are the lifeblood of democracy and the only lasting building block of political power.
So why do [Republicans] keep winning state races? To put it another way, why do Democrats—the party of prosperity—keep losing to them? Can this be changed? How much does it matter? Meaghan Winter’s All Politics Is Local: Why Progressives Must Fight for the States looks into these questions with remarkable clarity and tenacity. She closely inspects liberal grassroots activism in three states—Missouri, Colorado, and Florida ... Her method was to visit these regions repeatedly over a period of years; to intimately acquaint herself with the local issues and people and developments, which involved spending hours watching legislative committees at work; and to attempt to gain insight into what a sustainable and progressive reinvigoration of the Democratic Party might require ... Winter brilliantly illuminates the subject by zooming in on Missouri. She closely studies how 'pro-life' advocates in that state responded to Roe v. Wade (1973) by fervently lobbying state authorities, and how the NRA got concealed-carry laws off the ground ... Thanks to the excellent work of Winter...and others...we know enough about how power is won and lost in America to outline a dominant Democratic strategy.
In this rousing debut, journalist Winter blames the political struggles of the left on 'long-term disinvestment' in state and local politics ... Winter’s account is well-reported and reasonable, although switching among the three case studies sometimes undermines the clarity of each state’s narrative. With its emphasis on the power of long-term organization and incremental change, this book will speak deeply to aspiring activists.
In her debut book, journalist Winter makes a compelling case for the importance of state and local races in promoting progressive politics ... Focusing on state politics in the swing states of Missouri, Colorado, and Florida, Winter argues persuasively that 'seemingly disparate local laws in fact have broad national consequences' ... A timely, urgent call for political engagement.
