Opinion: A pro-democracy movement, right here

Democrats begin talking about restoring the heart of the Voting Rights Act and other crucial reforms. View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Thursday, November 1, 2018 [NYTimes.com/Opinion »]( [David Leonhardt] David Leonhardt Op-Ed Columnist First, the latest episode of [“The Argument” podcast]( is out. On it, Ross Douthat, Michelle Goldberg and I have an intense conversation about political anger. We also talk about the gender gap in politics — and suggest a mystery writer to take your mind off politics. The right to vote. I recently asked Leah Greenberg and Ezra Levin — co-founders of the progressive grass-roots group Indivisible — what they hoped to see from Democratic presidential candidates once the midterms were over. Their answer: “Candidates bidding to out-democracy each other.” By that, they meant proposals that would make it easier for Americans to get involved in politics — and for politics to reflect the popular will. Greenberg and Levin didn’t go into detail, because they said they wanted to listen to the ideas that come forward. But you can imagine the kind of ideas they’re talking about: Voting-rights protection. Gerrymandering reform. Campaign-finance rules. Yesterday, House Democrats started the bidding. In announcing their planned agenda if Democrats retake House control, they made clear that democracy promotion and protection would be at the heart of it. The Times’s Nicholas Fandos [has the details]( including the restoration of key parts of the Voting Rights Act. “Only by winning foundational reforms to our process can we hope to move forward substantive reforms in other areas,” Lisa Gilbert of the advocacy group Public Citizen, which backs the proposal, [told The Washington Post](. I don’t think the Democrats’ agenda is ambitious enough yet. (I’d like to see more on [automatic voter registration]( and [voting by mail]( for example.) But it’s a good start. Americans should not face obstacles to voting or to having their votes count. If you want to read one overview of the subject, I recommend [Paul Glastris in Washington Monthly]( from earlier this year. “It’s no longer acceptable for Democrats to look at politics as a way to win the next election so as to jam through a bunch of their preferred policies before the Republicans inevitably take back power,” Glastris wrote. “They must instead see the purpose of politics as building sustained power for Democrats, period — but, unlike the other side, they must do this in part by strengthening the democratic process, not by undermining it. If passing this or that liberal policy helps in that effort, fine, pass it. If not, don’t.” The full Opinion report from The Times follows, including [the Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk]( on a great Turkish photographer. The Argument [Who’s to Blame for American Political Violence?]( And has our politics become polarized by gender? [When Trump Voters Go For Democrats]( [A sign of optimism at the Racine County Democratic Party offices in Wisconsin.]( A sign of optimism at the Racine County Democratic Party offices in Wisconsin. Lauren Justice for The New York Times By TIMOTHY P. CARNEY Why is the Rust Belt trending blue for the midterms? The collapse of community may provide an answer. From Our Columnists [Trump, Terror, and the ‘No Guardrails’ Presidency]( By BRET STEPHENS Yes, the president bears blame for the terror from the right. [Voters, You’re Being Manipulated]( By NICHOLAS KRISTOF Trump and Fox News are trying to scare white voters into supporting Republican candidates. [Imagining the Ideal Trump Rally]( By GAIL COLLINS No one expects much, but we deserve something slightly less terrible. Frank Bruni will be hosting his monthly trivia contest today at 4:30 p.m. ET on the [New York Times Opinion Facebook page]( with Sunday Review Editor Rachel Dry as guest host. Tune in and test your news and pop culture knowledge. [The Man Who Showed Us Istanbul]( [Nightfall in the Istanbul district of Zeyrek, 1960.]( Nightfall in the Istanbul district of Zeyrek, 1960. Photographs by Ara Guler/Magnum Photos By ORHAN PAMUK Orhan Pamuk remembers his friend Ara Guler, the great photographer, who lovingly captured Istanbul and its people. Contributing Op-Ed Writer [The Neuroscience of Hate Speech]( By RICHARD A. FRIEDMAN Humans are social creatures who are easily influenced by the anger and rage that are everywhere these days. Contributing Op-Ed Writer [The Trump Legions]( By THOMAS B. EDSALL Despite their sudden rise, they didn’t come out of nowhere. Contributing Op-Ed Writer [When Nightmares Are Real]( By JENNIFER FINNEY BOYLAN Donald Trump has harmed me more than any specter ever could. Listen to [“The Argument” podcast]( every Thursday morning, with Ross Douthat, Michelle Goldberg and David Leonhardt. ADVERTISEMENT LIKE THIS EMAIL? Forward it to your friends, and let them know they can sign up here. [A Voter’s Guide to Health Care]( By THE EDITORIAL BOARD Get the facts before Election Day. More in Opinion [There’s No Going Back. The G.O.P. Is Trump’s Party.]( By DANIEL MCCARTHY The president has reclaimed the formula that made the landslide victories of the Nixon and Reagan years possible. [Who Will Flinch in a Game of Chicken Between Italy and the E.U.?]( By LUIGI ZINGALES The short-term political interests of both sides are in a collision with their long-term political and economic interests — not to mention the global economy’s. [How to Punish Voters]( By JOSIE DUFFY RICE The prosecution of individual voters for fraud is a trend that seems intended to intimidate. [What Frankenstein’s Monster Really Looks Like]( By WILLIAM EGGINTON Mary Shelley’s great novel is about the failure to recognize the humanity of those who don’t resemble us. Op-Docs [What if He Falls?]( By ELIZABETH CHAI VASARHELYI AND JIMMY CHIN Alex Honnold took a huge risk when he made his free solo climb of El Capitan. Did making a film about it make it even riskier? We’ve got more newsletters! You might like Frank Bruni’s newsletter.  Go beyond the headlines and behind the curtain with Frank Bruni’s candid reflections on politics, culture, higher education and more every week. [Sign up for Frank Bruni’s email.](  ADVERTISEMENT letters [Trump vs. the Media: Is the President Winning?]( “Mr. Trump is no master of the actual duties of the presidency, but he is a master of using the media for his own ends,” a reader writes. letters [Trump’s Visit to Pittsburgh]( One reader is shocked that the president needs advice from family members about how to respond to a tragedy. Another criticizes those who protested his visit. HOW ARE WE DOING? We’d love your feedback on this newsletter. Please email thoughts and suggestions to [leonhardt@nytimes.com](mailto:leonhardt@nytimes.com?subject=Opinion%20Today%20Newsletter%20Feedback). FOLLOW OPINION [Facebook] [FACEBOOK]( [Twitter] [@nytopinion]( [Pinterest] [Pinterest]( Get more [NYTimes.com newsletters »](  | Get unlimited access to NYTimes.com and our NYTimes apps. [Subscribe »]( ABOUT THIS EMAIL You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's Opinion Today newsletter. 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