Every Issue Is Viewed Through a Political Lens. Lanhee Chen Talks to Armstrong & Getty.

and I thought that was amazing. So most of the media I'm taking in is fairly obsessed and should be this week about what did Biden know and when did he know it? With what Trump is calling Obama Gate and do we have a constitutional crisis here? In some Jonathan truly called it the story of the century went on with the the media and uh, you know, spying on political opponents and that sort of stuff. But for the other half of the country, the question is the

crimes of Donald Trump and will you pardon him? That's what I'm worried about if you're elected president. Completely different worlds we're living in. For the narrative, let's discuss with Lana he Chen, David and Diane Stephy, research fellow at the Hoover Institution, Director of Domestic Policy Studies at Stanford University. Lana he how are you, sir, I'm fine, good morning.

So we're curious your take on the utterly divided perceptions of the various groups of Americans and how do you campaign in a country like that, and specifically, how do you win over the persuadables while not freaking out your base if your base, on the other base believe completely different realities. Well, this is a really really important issue you guys are covering, but the polarization of our society, everything,

every issue is viewed through a political lens. But I don't care what it is, whether it's you know, reopening the economy because of coronavirus, the issue of unmasking, which is the whole controversy that you guys have been referencing around, uh, you know, revealing the identities of those who asked about A Flynn's identity or or or even you know, how we view the stimulus bill that Congress is considering, whether they should do it, whether it's just a big progressive

grab bag. I mean, all of these things are viewed through a partisan lens, and it's tough in a campaign setting, you know what, I think most of the candidates I've talked to this cycle have decided on and this is not going to be encouraging. They have basically decided. They have basically decided they're going to go to their base, and they're going to animate their base and make sure their base shows up and you know, hope that they collect just enough sort of independent minded people to get

them over the finish line. But they have decided, and there are there are countless examples of this guy's whether it's in contested Senate races around the country, congressional races. They have decided they are going to do their best to get enthusiasm up amongst those who are most likely to support them and hope that that's enough, because it is just to divide it. There is no nuance. You can't walk the middle line. You're better off just going

to your base. And it's discouraging, but I think that's where a lot of people are. Hey, I want to stay big picture for a little while. But first, there was a fellow or one buck back a Republican congressional seat in California for the first time since Poncho Villa was coming over the border. How did how did that happen? Um,

it's a combination of a lot of different things. First of all, I think it demonstrates the value of having a candidate who who at the end of the day, is an effective candidate because of how they match up with the demographics of a district, their ability to articulate just a very very simple message. And in Mike Garcia's case, who's the guy who won done in California twenty five Senior Valley that sort of area. It was a combination of a good candidate with a lot of anger at

the previous member of Congress who held that seat. I'm sure you guys have covered the Katie Hill debacle. Yeah, that was the naked don't sit my hotel furniture. Naked was my main takeaway from that. Just or just or just don't don't don't appear naked while being a member of Congress. I mean probably good idea, generally good good rule.

So so combination of good candidate plus you know, kind of disastrous situation with the previous officeholder, and and and you know, I think Garcia did a good job quite frankly to to the points discussion we were just having of motivating the people in that district. Who in particular felt that they either supported Trump or thought Trump was getting a bad rap. And I think that there were just enough of those people in a special election context

to to to get him across the finish line. Wow. Interesting. I know that you've been involved in a bit of a national discussion about opening up a particular around school, but you know, were you mentioned the whole partisanship around

every issue. There's a doctor writing in the New York Times today, an op ed piece from JOHNS Hopkins saying, you know, I argued for closing down for a long time now, and now I believe we've gone too far, too long, the economy suffering, blah blah blah, and then has to put a couple of paragraphs in the story to make it clear that I realized that some of you are sensitive to the political issues on this, as in, uh, you're Trump, then you won't open the economy. You must

be a Trump supporter. And so immediately it's got to be dismissed by the New York Times crowd. They had to, they had to point that out. It makes it difficult to have any conversation, it does. I mean, let me give you, guys an example of this. So a couple of days ago, I put out a series of tweets that basically said, look, I think I think we do need to really encourage the public, the public and private K through twelfth schools to try to reopen this fall,

but not just reopen willy nilly. We've got to have them think about, you know, issues like how do you take care of faculty who might be in that sensitive age category where they could suffer more, or kids who have prexisting conditions. Let's let's open up the schools, but do it intelligently. Um. I can't tell you how much hatred I got from the right and the left, the right saying you idiot, just open the school, just open them up. Kids will be fine, you know, kids will

kids will do it, They'll be fine. And from the left saying, you're a crazy Trump supporter. Why do you why why do you want to kill people? And I just don't. I don't know what to make of it anymore. Because people have gone they've gone mad, they have an inability to understand that sometimes there can be a middle, independent road that you're gonna watch. And I think most

people at their core want a reasonable solution. But we've become so animated by the far right and the far left that this is where we are in our society now. It's really kind of sad. Boy, You a guy who studies this sort of thing your whole life, saying I don't know what to make of it anymore and sounding despondent is troubling to me. Well, Lani, you've probably here

to say in the past. Will make a statement or have a conversation on the show, and we'll get half a dozen emails sing I'm never gonna listen to you again. You're two pro Trump, simultaneously receiving six emails saying I'll never listen to you again. You're too anti Trump. I mean, based on the same statements and and so. Yeah, it's crazy, But guess what, I bet they're all still listening. Well, And how could he not a loan he changed with

the Hoover Institution and Stanford University. I wish well Trump. I guess Trump to some extent things that benefits him anytime he's being talked about. But I wish he'd stay out of some issues. Um, I wish he'd stay out of this Obama Gate thing. I think if he'd stay out of it. There's a better chance The New York Times, you know, George Stephanopolis, whatever, digs into it as soon as Trump gets involved in it. So I don't want

to be in Trump side thing. Yeah, well, I think you know, first of all, he's got his gut instinct and they're just things he can't resist. This is going to be one of those things he wouldn't be able to write and then dive right into the middle of it. And you know, here's the thing. At the end of the day, I've been looking some more at that data about kind of what people think about Trump in the election this year. I'm actually not sure if it's going to matter a whole lot at the end of the

day whether he gets re elected or not. In terms of this issue, I really do think that it's going to be a very simple calculus for most people, and it's going to have to do with the economy. And when it comes down to it, it's not about how how objectively good the economy is, because I don't think the unemployment rate is going to be at a great point by the time we get to the election. It's going to be about the trend if if Trump can show some improvement about the economy, and he is able

to trump at that improvement. My sense is he's got a pretty good shot at being successful, notwithstanding all of the dialogue about how he's handled the coronavirus response. And I think people will disagree on that, but I really do think for most voters in the sort of swing states who are thinking about this election carefully, it's going to come down to the economy. So all this other

stuff is noise. Well, if the economy is not trending up, you know, compared to the current situation, God help us all, we're going to be in seriously dire straits. Lana Chan of the Uber Institution and Stanford University Lani on our personal note, maya to to your old college student daughter has become just utterly enthusiastic about electoral data analysis, And I don't know, Yeah, maybe I can, if I can give her your email address or something, maybe you could

recommend a book or something like that. And she's a great admirer. There's a there's a great amount of job security for people who are interested in electoral data these days. Yeah, I can't. She's surely not my child, but I'm proud of her anyway, and I claim her. Lannie, great to talk to you, and let's do it again soon. Thank you, Yeah, Lannie in a Twitter war over saying let's find a

middle ground and get colleges open again. I mean, is there a position you can take on any issue, any position on any issue, that will not get you hatred. There's just there's just a gut lever level feeling that so many people have now of sizing up a story, a pundit, a person you run into, or whatever, which side you on. There's only two sides, which are you on? And you listen for a you and then you make a determination, Oh they're on that side, right, That's that's

the end of it, exactly. I try to avoid that sort of thinking, but I understand it. You know, in nineteen forty four, for instance, there were not a lot of people running around saying, you know, Japan has been the source of some beautiful modern music, you know, or there are a lot of great German writers who you really ought to read. And by the same token, I used to have a next door neighbor who I despised.

He was a bastard. I mean, he was a rotten human being on every level, and if we'd had some sort of neighborhood controversy over should we I don't know, what do you want to do hire a street sweeper to keep distrectly? And he came out in favor of it. My natural inclination would be looked for reasons why that was a stupid Why stuff everyone's money. It's just it's the way we are as human beings. But if there's anything at stake in terms of unity, I mean if, if, if,

if there's enough at stake, the unity matters. For instance, the next cul de sac over was regular rating our cul de sac, beating up our children and and attempting to steal our stuff. Well, then he and I have to put aside are dislike and we at least have

to figure out a way to talk to each other. Well, the United States have some has some evil, evil sons of bitches, pardon me, living on the next cul de sac, whether it's North Korea or China most notably, or Russia or Iran, and we've got to be able to talk to each other. That's true. If you hate your boss and they come up with an idea that's a good idea, you have to fight your instinct to accept the fact

that it's a good idea. So I'm asking you, friends, look deep within your hearts, or those of you are shallow, look shallowly within your hearts, see if you can find some truth.