Neera Tanden, the president of the think tank, Center for American Progress, produced a memo on government reform and public corruption that was sent to John Podesta, campaign chairman, and Jake Sullivan, a senior policy adviser to the campaign on March 1.
“From our extensive research,” Tanden indicated, “voter distrust of government has reached alarming levels. However, ironically enough, the distrust is based on a liberal critique of government, not a conservative one. It is nearly universally believed that the government works for the rich (80% of voters nationwide), big corporations (83%), and special interests (84%) over the interests of the middle class.”
“The public’s distrust and anger at who the government is working for right now (the wealthy and special interests), and who it’s not working for (us) is a searing issue,” Tanden concluded. “My view is that political leaders communicate that they are part of the solution with bold actions and plans, or they will be seen as part of the problem. And being seen as part of the problem is a potentially deadly liability.”