Jacob Riis was famous for his work “How the Other Half Lives.” It exposed the gritty and impoverished underbelly of New York City during the height of the “Gilded Age”.  He has an interesting quote, “It is a dreary old truth that those who would fight for the poor must fight the poor to do it.” In this episode, Drew and Alex dive into the more broad concept that sometimes the disadvantaged vote against their own interests and preservation. They look at how layers like populism, messaging, identity politics, culture, and fear, all can cause people to elect leaders that aren’t in their own interest. They talk about issues like gun deaths, health care, the New Deal, the Southern Strategy, and more. Can ideology or group dynamics be more important to some than self preservation?