>> Tucker: IN OUR OPENING SHOW
OF THE YEAR, WE TALKED ABOUT THE
CENTRAL PROBLEM OF AMERICAN
POLITICS WHICH IS OUR LEADERS
HAVE LOST SIGHT OF THE POINT OF
BEING IN CHARGE.
THEIR GOAL SHOULD BE SIMPLE,
STRONG, AMERICAN FAMILIES.
ANYTHING THAT MAKES IT HARDER TO
FORM STRONG FAMILIES, THEY OUGHT
TO BE AGAINST.
JUDGING BY THE RESPONSE WE GOT,
A LOT OF YOU AGREE WITH THAT.
THAT PIECE RESONATED MORE THAN
ANYTHING WE'VE DONE IN THE LAST
TWO YEARS.
IN WASHINGTON THOUGH IT WASN'T
VERY POPULAR.
ONE WRITE A REVIEW SUGGESTED WE
WERE PEDDLING SOMETHING CALLED
VICTIMHOOD OF POPULISM.
THAT'S NOT THE POINT.
POPULISM IS NEVER THE GOAL.
FOR SO LONG, VOTERS FEEL LIKE
THEY HAVE TO PUNISH THE PEOPLE
IN CHARGE TO GET THEIR
ATTENTION.
POPULISM IS A SMOKE ALARM,
IGNORE IT AND THE PLACE BURNS
DOWN.
ON THE LEFT MEANWHILE, THE
RESPONSE WAS JUST AS
PREDICTABLE.
THEY SCREAMED BIGOTRY.
IN THIS CASE, THEY ACCUSED US OF
SEXISM.
WE DARED TO TALK ABOUT THE ROLE
OF FALLING MALE WAGES IN THE
DESTRUCTION OF THE AMERICAN
FAMILY, THAT'S NOT ALLOWED TO.
BUT LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT
WE ARE NOT THE FIRST ONES TO
NOTICE THIS PHENOMENON.
THERE'S AT LEAST ONE WELL-KNOWN
POLITICIAN WHO THOUGHT DEEPLY
ABOUT THIS MORE THAN A DECADE
AGO AND WROTE AN ENTIRE BOOK ON
THE SUBJECT.
SEE IF YOU CAN GUESS WHO THAT
WAS.
ALL RIGHT, TIME'S UP.
IT WAS ELIZABETH WARREN.
SHE WAS A HARVARD PROFESSOR WHO
PUBLISHED A BOOK WITH HER
DAUGHTER ENTITLED, THE TWO
INCOME TRAP.
WHY MIDDLE-CLASS MOTHERS AND
FATHERS ARE GOING BROKE.
THE CENTRAL THESIS OF THE BOOK
WAS AT THE MASSIVE ENTRY OF
MOTHERS INTO THE WORKFORCE HAS
BEEN A DISASTER FOR FAMILIES,
MOST OF ALL, FOR WOMEN.
MOTHERS WHO WORK HAVE TO SPEND
FAR MORE TIME AWAY FROM THEIR
KIDS WHICH FOR MANY ISN'T
LIBERATING SO MUCH AS IT IS
DEEPLY SAD.
COMPANIES LOVE IT OF COURSE
BECAUSE MORE WORKERS MEAN
CHEAPER LABOR.
MIDDLE-CLASS FAMILIES DON'T SEEM
HAPPIER OR MORE SECURE THAN THEY
WERE A GENERATION AGO.
IF ANYTHING, MUCH LESS.
AS WARREN POINTS OUT, YOU WOULD
THINK FAMILIES WOULD BE MUCH
RICHER WITH TWO PARENTS WORKING,
BUT THAT HASN'T HAPPENED.
WHILE THE INCOME GAMES HAVE BEEN
CONSUMED IN AN ARMS RACE TO
MAINTAIN THE STATUS QUO.
MOST THINGS IN AMERICAN LIFE
WERE CHEAPER THAN THEY WERE 50
YEARS AGO EXCEPT FOR THE THINGS
THAT MIDDLE-CLASS FAMILIES NEED
MOST IN THOSE ARE MUCH MORE
EXPENSIVE.
HEALTH CARE, DAY CARE, COLLEGE
TUITION, HOUSING AND PLACES WITH
GOOD PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
BUYING THOSE THINGS REQUIRES TWO
INCOMES RATHER THAN ONE, WHICH
PUTS A STRAIN ON FAMILIES IN
WHICH BOTH PARENTS WORK.
WARREN PUTS IT THIS WAY.
"A GENERATION AGO A SINGLE
BREADWINNER WHO WORKED
DILIGENTLY AND SPENT CAREFULLY
COULD ASSURE HIS FAMILY A
COMFORTABLE POSITION IN THE
MIDDLE CLASS BUT THE FRENZIED
BIDDING WARS FUELED BY FAMILIES
WITH TWO INCOMES CHANGE THE GAME
FOR SINGLE INCOME FAMILIES AS
WELL PUSHING THEM DOWN THE
ECONOMIC LADDER.
TO KEEP MOM AT HOME, THE AVERAGE
SINGLE INCOME FAMILY MUST
FORFEIT DECENT SCHOOLS AND
COLLEGE DEGREES, LEAVING
THEMSELVES AND THEIR CHILDREN
WITH A TENUOUS HOLD ON
MIDDLE-CLASS DREAMS.
SUCH PRESSURES HAVE TAKEN THESE
WOMEN OUT OF THE HOME AND AWAY
FROM CHILDREN AND SIMULTANEOUSLY
MADE FAMILY LIFE LESS, NOT MORE,
FINANCIALLY SECURE.
TODAY'S MIDDLE-CLASS MOTHER IS
TRAPPED.
SHE CAN'T AFFORD TO WORK AND SHE
CAN'T AFFORD NOT TO.
JUST TO RESTATE, THIS IS NOT A
PRESS RELEASE FROM THE
MENNONITES OR A POSITION PAPER
FROM SOME CHRISTIAN RIGHTS
THINK TANK.
THIS WAS WRITTEN FAIRLY RECENTLY
BY SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN OF
MASSACHUSETTS, THE SAME ONE, THE
HERO TO THE LEFT.
LATER IN THE BOOK, WARREN LAYS
OUT THE LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES
OF AN ECONOMIC SYSTEM THAT
REQUIRES BOTH PARENTS TO WORK.
MORE FAMILIES GO BROKE.
IT INCREASES THE RISK OF
DOMESTIC ABUSE, DIVORCE AND
BROKEN HOMES.
SOME JUST DECIDE NOT TO HAVE
CHILDREN AT ALL.
AND WARREN'S RESPONSE TO THAT IS
STRIKING.
ANOTHER QUOTE FROM ELIZABETH
WARREN.
"MANY OF YOU.
PARENTHOOD AS
NOTHING MORE THAN ANOTHER
LIFESTYLE CHOICE, NOT DIFFERENT
FROM JOINING A COMMUNE OR A
PASSION FOR WINDSURFING.
BUT WHAT HAPPENS TO A NATION
THAT REWARDS CHILDLESS AND
PENALIZES THE PARENTS?
IF MIDDLE-CLASS MEN AND WOMEN
STOP MAKING THAT PARENTAL
LIFESTYLE CHOICE, WHO WILL CARE
FOR THEM IN THEIR OLD AGE?
WHO WILL PAY TAXES, BUILD
INFRASTRUCTURE AND KEEP THE
ECONOMY AFLOAT?
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHO WILL
POPULATE THE GREAT MIDDLE-CLASS
OF AMERICA'S FUTURE?
AND AGAIN, WE CAN'T SAY THIS
ENOUGH.
ELIZABETH WARREN WROTE THAT.
NOT IN 1936 BUT A MODERN ERA.
ELIZABETH WARREN SAID THAT ALOUD
AND NOBODY SEEMED TO MIND.
NO ONE WOULD SAY THAT TODAY.
WE WOULD LOVE TO TALK TO WARREN
ABOUT HER BOOK ANY TIME.
OBVIOUSLY SHE WON'T COME ON, SHE
CAN'T TALK ABOUT THE THINGS SHE
BELIEVED TEN YEARS AGO.
NO BUT MODERN DEMOCRAT CAN.
THEY CAN'T SAY THAT PROTECTING
TWO-PARENT FAMILIES SHOULD BE
THE GOAL.
BUT WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT AND WE
WILL.