UM: Presidential Politics

The Nov. 3, 2011 edition of the New York Times features an op-ed by University of Michigan associate professor of history Matthew Lassiter. Lassiter, who is author of the book, “The Silent Majority: Suburban Politics in the Sunbelt South,” offers some historical perspective on current presidential campaign politics. Writes Lassiter: “Mr. Obama’s challenge in 2012 is not the ideological fervor of Tea Party conservatives, but rather the recognition by many working-class and middle-class voters that both parties favor Wall Street over Main Street. While activist groups on the right and left compete to portray big government or big business as the enemy, the silent majority is still out there in the volatile political center, up for grabs.” [Source]