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Former NPR Correspondent Michael Goldfarb has been living in Europe for more than three decades. He's got a perch on American politics that many analysts would envy.
When he left the United States in the early 1980s, it was just a few years after Bruce Springsteen released his 20-song double album "The River," a departure from the optimistic rock and roll that had defined his career.
"The River" told the story of working-class life in America, and the song that carried the album title was actually largely inspired by his brother-in-law, who was struggling to fulfill the dreams of his youth after the end of the post-war boom — a period characterized by the oil shock of 1973 and by oppressive stagflation.
Goldfarb says it's Springsteen's song, written decades ago, that aptly captures the 40 year hurt, dysfunction, and disintegration that is driving the 2016 election today. Click on the 'Listen' button above to hear the full interview.