Democratically: 2020
By Karin Robinson
Democratically: 2020May 31, 2019
Battle for the Soul
In this special bonus episode, 2 very exciting things happen! 1) Karin announces her new podcast, What Can You Do? This commute length podcast brings on experts in some of the biggest issues facing the world today - polarisation, the housing crisis, inequality, climate change - to get a quick briefing on the issue and point you to some practical things you can do to help. 2) Karin speaks to Edward-Isaac Dovere, political journalist for the Atlantic, about his "cracking" new book Battle for the Soul. They talk about how Pete Buttigieg got robbed of his post Iowa momentum, the tensions between Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, how close Mike Bloomberg came to being the nominee before Warren decimated him in his first debate, and - of course - about how Democrats wound up choosing Joe Biden and the country wound up electing him. They discuss the anti-democracy turn of the Republican Party post-election and how big D Democrats should respond to it. And, they play a "greatest hits" version of the Gut Check Game, reacting to quotes and sayings from throughout the campaign.
Pain Relief
In this final episode of Democratically: 2020, Karin explains the medical dramas that kept her away from podcasting for the first couple months of the Biden era, and talks to Political Director of Data for Progress Marcella Mulholland and former Republican strategist Marshall Manson about the American Rescue Act, the prospects for improving our political system, and the (surprisingly?) impressive start to the Biden Administration.
Terrorism Steals Our Joy
Insurrection.
Democratically... 2021!
This week, Karin welcomes in the new year with a quick recap of the rollercoaster of horrors that was 2020, and also gives you a rundown of what you can expect in Tuesday's 2 Georgia Senate runoff races.
Happy New Year to you and yours!
Christmas Presents!
Happy holidays to you and yours!
The Elector Speaks
Karin speaks to Friend of the Pod Khary Penebaker, who was one of the 306 Electoral College members who cast their ballots for Joe Biden this week. He tells us about what the vibe was like in the room, how he drew a little heart over Kamala Harris' name, how he has dealt with death threats and "twisted logic" from Trump supporters, and much more.
"I'm So Done With 2020"
* the controversial appointment of recently retired 4-star General Lloyd Austin as Defence Secretary, and why this presents a threat to the principle of a civilian-led military
* Skylar's enthusiasm for Secretary of State nominee Anthony Blinken, and the respect it pays to the expertise of diplomacy
* Karin's enthusiasm for Treasury Secretary Janet Yellin, who has played a leading role in moving financial policy into a more progressive direction.
We also talked about the possibility that Pete Buttigieg might be offered a job as Ambassador for China, and the pros and cons of this option.
And finally, we discussed the changing political nature of the American South, and whether it still makes sense to think of this area as a cohesive region given the changing demographics there.
And, of course, we play the Gut Check Game!
Parallel Universes!
Plus: We play the Gut Check Game, reacting to some colourful facts and personal anecdotes about some of Biden's Cabinet appointees.
Thankfully...
Live Event Today! A Democratically: 2020 Thanksgiving
Emma Burnell, Political Journalist
Marcela Mulholland, Deputy Director for Climate for Data for Progress
Jonathan Kopp, Co-Host of the Mind of State Podcast
Erich McElroy, stand up comic and host of the American Exchange Podcast
The session will be moderated by Paddy Collins, author of the Newsletter Because the Internet.
Sign up here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-democratically-2020-thanksgiving-tickets-129003515989?aff=Podcast
Bet On It.
Don't forget to register for A Democratically: 2020 Thanksgiving - our free live event for podcast friends and fans happening on Saturday, November 28th: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-democratically-2020-thanksgiving-tickets-129003515989?aff=Podcast
The President-Elect
Karin speaks to Alex Thier, a foreign policy specialist who served with President-Elect Biden in the Obama administration and is currently working to promote Democracy overseas. Alex first appeared on this podcast during the primary, when he made the case for Joe Biden to be the nominee. In this conversation, we discuss what a Biden administration will look like, the challenges the President-Elect faces at home and abroad, and how concerned we should be about Donald Trump's refusal to concede the race. And, of course, we play the Gut Check Game!
EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT: Karin also announced on this podcast that she will be hosting a live online event, "Thanksgiving, Democratically" on Saturday November 28th from 6PM UK time (1PM EST). Mark your diaries now, and register at this link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-democratically-2020-thanksgiving-tickets-129003515989?aff=Podcast
WE WON!
Karin takes a moment to celebrate Joe Biden's victory and reflect on the journey we've taken to get to this moment.
What Happened?
The End of the Beginning?
You can join Karin on election night (and beyond, until we have a result) for a live chat about the results with a crew of fellow podcast listeners and friends here: discord.gg/dDCN5ut
The Choice: Part 2
After that, in the second part of this short series on the parallel lives of the two candidates, Karin is joined by the writer Skylar Baker Jorden to run through:
2008: The year Donald Trump was riding high on his newfound fame as the star of The Apprentice, and making a fortune off licensing agreements that reinvigorated his financial health. Meanwhile, Joe Biden made his second run at the Presidency, eventually dropping out and being chosen as Barack Obama's running mate and getting elected to the Vice Presidency.
2020: The year Donald Trump ran for reelection amidst a global pandemic, nationwide protests against racism, and economic calamity, and Joe Biden makes his third attempt at the Presidency and finally wins the nomination. (And don’t forget to join our election night live chat here: https://discord.gg/EyTdSQPf)
The Choice: Part 1
In the first of a 2 part series, Karin is joined by writer and Friend of the Pod Skylar Baker Jordan for a deep dive on the parallel lives of the two men who seek the Presidency. Focussing in pivotal years that we important in defining the lives of both men, Karin covers the live of Joseph Robinette Biden, Former Vice President, Senator for Delaware, grieving husband and father, 3 time Presidential candidate, and Man on a mission...
Meanwhile, Skylar covers the live of Donald John Trump, scion of a New York real estate dynasty, "billionaire' property developer whose net worth is sometimes negative to the tune of millions, twice divorced father of 5 and President of the United States.
In this episode, we look at:
1973: The year in which Biden is sworn in to the Senate from his sons' hospital bed and the year the Trump family is investigated for racial discrimination in housing.
1991: The year Biden Chairs the Judiciary committee hearing into the nomination of Clarence Thomas - prompting a national debate about sexual harassment in the workplace and the year Trump declares the first of his 6 bankruptcies, after the catastrophic failure of some his Atlantic City casino investments.
Stay tuned for Part 2 which will be published on Friday, and look at the years 2008 and the present day.
Final Debate Watch: Dog Whistles & Foghorns
To continue the conversation about the themes of this episode, check out the Mind of State Facebook group here: www.facebook.com/groups/mindofstatepod/
"Be More Shocked"
Karin speaks to Kyle Taylor, the founder of Fair Vote UK, about the ways that social media platform have changed our political debate. We discuss the way that platforms responded to the New York Post story relating to Joe Biden's son Hunter, and we try to consider what a better information ecosystem might look like.
There Is No Debate!
Reasons to be cheerful! 😀 (Reasons to worry! 😳)
This week, after a quick news roundup, Karin talks through the abundant reasons Democrats have to be cheerful and optimistic about the election so far, based on the current polling and based on the data we do have about early voting. But then, after a warning for those who don't want to hear it, she touches on a few things that might be sources of concern for Democrats.
VP Debate Watch: Mike Pence is Not a Robot
To donate to the Democratically Act Blue Fundraising page, click here: secure.actblue.com/donate/democratically
President Superspreader
Karin talks to Journalist and @TrumpsAlert creator James O'Malley about President being ill with Covid, the unreliable and contradictory information that the White House put out about the President's health, the high number of other Republican officials who have now tested positive for the virus, the impact this could have on Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation hearings and much more.
Click here to donate to the Democratically 2020 election fund: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/democratically
Debate Watch 1: The WYSIWYG Presidency
WTF Happened in 2016?!
Karin talks to Political Scientist Seth Masket about his new book Learning from Loss: The Democrats 2016-2020. They discuss the different narratives Democrats used to explain their loss in 2016 and how that affected the 2020 Primary race. His findings show that electability and identity featured highly in people's calculations and that views on electability often coloured how Party leaders and activists thought about the selection of their nominee.
She also briefly covers the news about Trump's nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court, and the bombshell New York Times story unveiling 20 years worth of Trump's tax returns: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/09/27/us/donald-trump-taxes.html?action=click&module=Spotlight&pgtype=Homepage
Seth's book can be found here: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/learning-from-loss/84FBCDB9534B3F80C26C2CAE672951CE
Data. For Progress!
Karin speaks to Marcela Mulholland, Deputy Director of Climate at Data for Progress to get an update on what the state of polling says about the Presidential race, but also about how voters think about big issues like Climate change more broadly and what are the opportunities to move our politics in a more progressive direction. Obviously, we touch on the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the dire consequences that could have for the Supreme court, as well as the wider structural challenges that progressives face in what has become a very unequal and unfair political system. And we talk about the generational differences between idealistic younger voter (like Marcela) who are passionate about issues but may not align with a political party, and an older generation (like me?) who may see their politics more through a Party lens.
THe Democratically: 2020 campaign fundraising page is now more than halfway to it's goal - please give if you can. The page is designed to funnel your money toward the most vital races: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/democratically
QAnon, Proud Boys, and Boogaloos
Some of the resources that Matthew mentions in the episode can be found here:
Researcher and Expert on US Extremism: twitter.com/MelissaRyan
Anti-Defamation league: adl.org
A Social Justice Think Tank Doing Research on Far Right Extremism: politicalresearch.org
And as always - the best way to combat the far right is to make sure your voice is heard at the ballot box.
For Americans Abroad: www.votefromabroad.org/
For Americans back home: www.vote.org/
American Cluster*uck
Trump’s campaign is reportedly having cash troubles: www.nytimes.com/2020/09/07/us/politics/trump-election-campaign-fundraising.html
www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/trump-spurns-traditional-debate-prep-first-faceoff-less-3-weeks-n1239605
The Bob Woodward book: Trump is on tape admitting that he deliberately underplayed the severity of the virus, saying "I wanted to always play it down. I still like playing it down, because I don't want to create a panic." www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-election/woodward-tapes-trump-press-conference-today-coronavirus-b421204.html
Trump’s Debate preparation: The first head to head presidential debate will take place on Tuesday the 29th of September, hosted by Fox News’ Chris Wallace. There are reports this week that Trump has not been doing any formal debate preparation: www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/trump-spurns-traditional-debate-prep-first-faceoff-less-3-weeks-n1239605
And, of course - we play the Gut Check Game
Winners and Losers
Karin is joined by Emma Burnell to discuss the recent Atlantic Article exploring Trump's contempt for those who serve in uniform (why does he keep calling them "losers"?), Biden's steadily strong poll number nationally as well as the state by state perspective (whisper it, but increasingly Biden looks like a winner), and the Democrats' exceptionally strong fundraising in August ($384Million dollars!?).
We also play the Gut Check Game, reacting to Trump's insistence he did not have a series of small strokes, Trump and BIden's visits to Kenosha Wisconsin and much more.
RNC Convention Watch
DNC Convention Watch! Wrap Up
DNC Convention Watch! Day 4
DNC Convention Watch! Day 2
DNC Convention Watch! Day 1
Kamala!
How to Vote (by Mail)!
Black Voters Matter
Person! Woman! Man! Camera! TV!
Also, Karin announces the creation of the Democratically: 2020 Victory Fund - an chance to donate to the Biden campaign, the top Senate races, and the Flippable fund for state races all at once. Give here: secure.actblue.com/donate/democratically
Show Me the Money!
This week, we explore political donation - who should you give to if your goal is to maximise progressive power? Chatting with Friend of the Pod and Chair of the Foreign Policy for America group Simon Clark, we explore the power of small donors, the role of different party and outside organisations in building a winning coalition, and how to figure out if your preferred candidate will spend your money well. We also cover Cal Cunningham's chances to pick up a Senate seat in North Carolina, and of course we play the Gut Check Game, testing our reactions to some of this week's headlines.
The Air War
We look at a selection of pro-Biden and pro-Trump ads to unpack the strategy of each, and how effectively they bring this strategy to life.
Swing States!
Plus, we play the Gut Check game, reacting to quotes from the news.
Stay tuned to the end for a surprise cameo from Karin's daughter seeking chocolate. Like you do.
The Hardy Report
Before that, Karin also catches you up on some of the other big news of the week, including President Trump's failure to fill an arena in Tulsa Oklahoma, and the primary election battles between establishment and more progressive candidates in Kentucky and New York.
You can hear more from the Hardy Report podcast here: anchor.fm/thehardyreport
No Pants Wetting!
Biden's surge in the polls and why Democrats still engage in pants wetting anxiety even when we're ahead.
Trump campaign's push to have 4 instead of the usual 3 Presidential debates - should Biden accept this offer?
The movement to Trump's nomination speech to Jacksonville Florida
Trump's racially inflammatory rally planned for Tulsa, Oklahoma
Two Supreme Court decisions this week that helped protect vulneerable communitieis - a ruling on LGBT workplace disicrimination and preventing the Trump administration from cancelling the DACA program for Dreamers
And finally, following Amy Klobuchar's wiithdrawal from the VP nomination race and her statement that she thinks the nominee should be a person of colour, we run through a bunch of the VP options in this week's Gut Check Game
Defund the Police?
Joe Trippi
We also take a moment to pay homage to some of the lives lost to police violence: remembering not just the deaths but also the lives of
George Floyd
Breonna Taylor
Tamir Rice
Philando Castille
Sandra Bland
And many more black American citizens who have been taken from us by the very people who were meant to protect them.
Trump V Twitter
We explore what the Biden campaign should be doing to get its message out through all this chaos and confusion, and how they can build effective digital infrastructure for the campaign.
The State of the Race...
How to Beat Trump...
And finally, we play the Gut Check Game, reacting to advice for Democrats from various pundits and commentators about how to win the election.