The fate of democracy in America rests on the Democrats’ ability to defeat Republicans—decisively and repeatedly. But with millions of voters embracing Trumpism, that won’t happen unless Democrats shift gears and take concrete steps to reestablish their credentials as fierce patriots, tough fighters, and fearless leaders.
In Comeback: Routing Trumpism, Reclaiming the Nation, and Restoring Democracy’s Edge, Berkeley political scientist M. Steven Fish delivers a bold new take on democracy’s crisis. Prevailing theories hold that rising economic and cultural anxieties drove working-class voters to Trump. But Fish draws on a crush of data to show this thinking is deeply flawed.
It’s also led Democrats astray. This account strikes most working-class folks as condescending—and even offensive. But Democrats still assume they can bring these folks around by sticking to “kitchen table” issues and avoiding the culture wars. They can’t. Voters care more about guts and grit than prescription drug prices.
Politics is a dominance game and a contest to capture the flag. Politicians who seem to be the strongest leaders and most passionate patriots have the advantage. The Republicans get this. The Democrats don’t.
Republicans have a high-dominance political style. They love “owning the libs.” They take risks, use provocative language, and welcome conflict. Democrats have a low-dominance style. They’re risk-averse, allergic to hot-button issues—and a little boring. Rather than give as good as they get, they call Trump a bully then leave him in charge of the playground. Republicans hammer away at their patriotism, even when they shred American values. Democrats are skeptical of patriotism and have no national story—just policy pledges.
Comeback furnishes a roadmap for Democrats to beat Trumpism now—and it’s not about the economy or better policies. Liberals need a fresh approach to political messaging and style. Fish lays out:
What Trump’s voters love about him—he’s a strong leader who relishes the fight, he always says what he thinks and does as he pleases, and no one “owns” the liberals who look down on them like he does
Why laundry lists of policies bore voters—but a bold narrative of national greatness exhilarates them
What Democrats can learn from deeply principled, high-dominance, patriotic liberals like Frederick Douglass, Mary McLeod Bethune, FDR, JFK, LBJ, MLK, Jasmine Crockett, and more
11 liberal, high-dominance practices that Joe Biden can ride to victory in 2024—if he adopts them now
Comeback has the potential to reshape the political arena and reinvigorate democracy in America over the long haul.

COMEBACK by M. Steven Fish with Laila M. Aghaie

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M. Steven Fish is a comparative political scientist at the University of California, Berkeley who specializes in democracy and authoritarianism, religion and politics, and constitutional systems and national legislatures. He writes and comments extensively on international affairs and the rising challenges to democracy in the United States and around the world. He has appeared as a commentator on the BBC, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Deutsche Welle, Al Jazeera, CNN, CNA, and CNBC and has published commentary in The American Interest, the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, CNN.com, and Foreign Policy.

Laila M. Aghaie is an education consultant specializing in the development of community forums, speaker events, writing programs, and arts curricula in collaboration with school districts, government agencies, and community-based organizations.
“In this powerful and provocative book, democracy scholar Steven Fish argues convincingly that what liberals need now is strong leadership, with buoyant, vigorous, self-confident messaging, to combat bullying authoritarianism, ‘recapture the flag’ for democracy, and excite people with a positive moral vision of change. As his analysis of economic data, public opinion surveys, and social psychological research makes clear, elections are also an emotional contest, a struggle over values and compelling national narratives. This is a rallying cry for Democrats to reestablish ‘their reputations for superior strength and patriotism.’”—Larry Diamond, Mosbacher Senior Fellow of Global Democracy at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, and author of The Spirit of Democracy

“As authoritarianism threatens to take hold in the United States, many Americans have bought into narratives of inevitable decline and found themselves overtaken by despair. Steve Fish is having none of it. Comeback is the work of a veteran scholar and happy warrior: Fish not only corrects the record but lays out a battle plan for saving democracy. This book is essential for anyone who wants to be part of that fight.”—Tom Nichols, staff writer at The Atlantic and author of The Death of Expertise and Our Own Worst Enemy

“For all those who want to truly understand the Trump phenomenon, Steven Fish's Comeback is revelatory. For those who long to defeat Trump and Trumpism once and for all, Comeback is vital reading. An essential book on the reality of contemporary politics.”—Mark Danner, author of Spiral: Trapped in the Forever War

“Comeback is a remarkable achievement. Fish mobilizes decades of experience as a leading specialist on democracy and authoritarianism to construct a paradigm-busting explanation for Trump’s rise. He offers novel, promising, and feasible prescriptions for defeating Trumpism, including developing a ‘national-democratic narrative’ that can widen the appeal for justice and counteract bigoted nativism. This is a must-read book for politicians, scholars, journalists, and everyone who supports equality and democracy.”—Marc M. Howard, Professor of Government and Law and Director of the Prisons and Justice Initiative, Georgetown University, Founder and President of the Frederick Douglass Project for Justice, and author of Unusually Cruel: Prisons, Punishment, and the Real American Exceptionalism

“Steve Fish presents an original strategy for defeating America’s slide toward authoritarian populism, backed by an avalanche of data and incisive analyses of speeches and statements that illustrate how liberalluminaries have defended democracy throughout American history. His causal analysis and policy prescriptions are utterly convincing. Comeback is an important, brilliant, and thrilling read.”—George W. Breslauer, former Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, University of California, Berkeley, and author of The Rise and Demise of World Communism

COMEBACK by M. Steven Fish with Laila M. Aghaie

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