Election Day

"Those who are standing up for democracy, and defending the rule of law, and committed to working across party lines — those are the kind of candidates we want to support," says Joel Searby. He is the National Political Director for the Renew America Movement, which supports candidates who defend democracy and reject extremism.Searby left the Republican Party in 2016 because of Trump's divisive rhetoric. He hopes to create viable alternatives for conservative voters, regardless of candidates' party affiliations, so that they are not represented by politicians who propagate conspiracy theories and inflammatory polemics. He says, "In my conservatism, there's a lot of room for both compromise and compassion."He discusses the importance of coalitions that draw from across the political spectrum, describing how he worked with the left wing to expand voting rights in Florida in 2018, and now supports Evan McMullin's independent senatorial campaign in Utah. He calls for legislators and citizens to focus on areas of common ground and shared priorities.

"We believe that environmental threats are big, but the power of well-organized community groups is bigger," says Mireille Bejjani, who is the Energy Justice director for Community Action Works. Mireille has years of experience organizing communities to achieve policy changes.She adds, "We work side by side with everyday people to confront those who are polluting and harming the health of our communities. We partner with those who are most impacted by environmental problems [...] and we train them with the know-how they would need to make change in their own backyard."Mireille shares her strategies and process when facing an environmental threat, some stories of emerging victorious by remaining persistent through a taxing dispute, and her vision for building more environmentally friendly communities.

"In order for a system of self-government to work, it required an informed and engaged citizenry," says Julie Silverbrook, a constitutional scholar who works for iCivics, a platform that provides civic education resources for teachers and students. She explains how civic education fosters a public perceptive to current affairs, how iCivics reaches its audience effectively, and how schools can incorporate civics curriculums. She also gives us a bite-size civics lesson, giving insight into the Constitution, the courts, and the breakdown of deliberation in government.

Matthew Graham is a political scientist at George Washington University who studies the public's role in keeping politicians accountable. He said that this ability is severely compromised by political polarization, which minimizes voter choice and raises the cost of supporting democracy, as well as a general lack of unawareness about current affairs. He noted, "If the same person is the same person is your enemy in every single debate, then you never practice compromising with them, you never learn to respect them, and ultimately you just let problems simmer the way that we've seen happen so frequently in the past few decades."This episode continues an ongoing series on democracies in decline.

Anais Marin is the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus. She says, "The atmosphere I would describe now as one of fear and impunity for abuses against internationally recognized human rights."Anais describes how peaceful protests against President Alexander Lukashenko's rigged election victory were repressed through torture and arbitrary arrests. She breaks down Belarus' illiberal institutions, dynamics of civil society and mobilization, and the international response.According to Anais, this situation is an important case study for how an authoritarian government seeking to retain power can suppress democratic freedoms. Additionally, since recording this interview, Belarus has cooperated with Russia to invade Ukraine. 

"If we reach a place where state legislatures and the U.S. House are beyond the reach of a majority of voters, we have a really dangerous, undemocratic situation on our hands," says David Daley, a best-selling author and leading expert on partisan gerrymandering.David explains how gerrymandering has become more potent in the last decade, with more precise and partisan maps than ever before, telling the story of the Republican REDMAP redistricting operation. He also explains how gerrymandering contributes to political polarization and a lack of fair representation. Then, he shares some solutions to gerrymandering, like multi-member districts. He offers some hope with stories of grassroots organizers who achieved meaningful progress with anti-gerrymandering ballot measures.

Ben Silberstein recently received his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania, writing his dissertation on original research of social structures in North Korea. He shares tragic glimpses into the former experiences of many defectors to South Korea, and some of their reflections. We discuss songbun, North Korea's rigid caste system that organizes people into social classes based on their family's loyalty to the government, exploring its legitimization, implementation, and possible subversion through public reaction and economic development. Then, we talk about surveillance, involving a network of spies and self-censorship. 

"[Goal] number one is to help to build a more resilient, peaceful society in the places that we work," says David Alpher, a contractor for the Center for Conflict and Violence Prevention at the United States Agency for International Development. He adds, "working with communities, the key is working with the consent and the leadership of the people of the ground." Joining him is Ivan Rasiah, an employee at USAID's local office in Sri Lanka, who manages peacebuilding projects in the country. Drawing from their experience, David and Ivan help us understand the who, what, when, where, why, and how of American peacebuilding missions at their most and least effective.

"I hate bullies, and I see [civil rights work] as a way to help the bullied in society — people who are less powerful — against policies that corporations and governments use to unfairly hurt those who are marginalized or weak," says Alejandro Ortiz, a civil rights attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union.Alejandro outlines the legislation preventing housing discrimination and protecting free association (unionizing) rights. He discusses the techniques, including crime-free housing acts and union-busting law firms, that companies and governments use to violate them in subtle but significant ways. Then, he moves on to his approaches in his ongoing legal battles to counter these violations, forming impact-based claims and gathering evidence.

"We need the industry to develop guidelines, and values, and professional ethics," says Gilad Edelman, a journalist at WIRED who covers the politics of technology.Free speech, misinformation, and content moderation on social media platforms like Facebook have been playing a significant role in political discourse since President Trump and the COVID-19 pandemic. To what extent do companies have a right or responsibility to patrol their platforms when content might be harmful? Gilad shifts this conversation from one-or-the-other principles to a case-by-case, comprehensive decision-making process. 

"I think the future holds a tremendous amount of promise. We just need to make sure that no one's left behind," says Stijn Broecke, Senior Labor Economist at the OECD Future of Work Initiative.The Automation Revolution (or Fourth Industrial Revolution) is taking over a variety of human tasks. According to the OECD, 14% of jobs are at high risk of disappearing due to automation, while another third will be heavily affected. This episode explores responses to this development, from education and training to corporate regulation to creating a stronger social safety net. Stijn helps shift this conversation from existential musings to a practical set of steps for countries and governments to follow.

We aren't an authoritarian country, but after the Trump presidency, the 2020 elections, and ongoing attacks on fair voting, it seems that our democracy is pretty low-quality. Across the world, we've seen that presidents can gradually weaken a democracy, undermining the legitimacy of elections, opponents, and checks on their power.In this episode, I discuss four dangerous attitudes and trends, and how they enable the subversion of democracy: political polarization, nationalism, white (majority) identity politics, and cynicism. I use examples from the Trump presidency to illustrate these effects, and provide some thoughts on how we can watch out for the health of our institutions going forward.

Election Day will be relaunching relatively soon, new and improved. I'm very thankful for my audience, and proud of the content I've built up. Hopefully, you'll love the new topics and guests. More information will come in the following weeks.

There are three ways a president can beat the filibuster: win 60 seats in the Senate, negotiate with the minority party, or work on little things that both parties can agree upon. The first is impossible, the last is rare now, and Biden has chosen negotiation with Republicans, though Mitch McConnell's obstructionism makes this difficult. This leaves us only with backdoor, rule-bending measures like budget reconciliation or cloture. So, how do things actually get done? Through executive actions and White House power; through state and local governments and courts; through social movements like the Capitol riot; or, they simply don't get done unless they're power grabs. The Senate-president institution is incapable of getting work done. But there is a solution, it's surprisingly simple, and brought up often.

Ramadan, evictions, and political interests sparking a conflict that easily escalated with Palestinian riots and Hamas against Israeli police and extremism Domestic reaction to Israel-Palestine pitting value liberals against the Biden administration Journalist arrest in authoritarian Belarus, reminiscent of Russia Implementing a strategy with regards to North Korea, and building an appropriate negotiation profile https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Israel%E2%80%93Palestine_crisis https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/26/world/europe/whats-happening-in-belarus.html https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/north-korea/2020-04-13/what-kim-wants

Kevin McCarthy and Mitch McConnell's caucuses understand that the election was NOT stolen and that President Trump IS responsible. But they refuse to act accordingly, instead punishing Wyoming Representative Liz Cheney for pointing out Trump's "Big Lie" and voting to impeach. In other words, they are punishing dissidents to put blatantly their interests, and Trump's interests, above all other values. Loyalty to Trump is clearly, now, the only metric by which the GOP chooses to define itself. Retelling the story of the insurrection, I encourage you to recall the (ongoing) threat to the republic.

0:48 Conspiracy theories and general distrust 5:09 The new electoral map, and thoughts on the electoral college and filibuster 10:28 Tucker Carlson and FOX News' dumb, dangerous attack on scientific expertise, exploiting distrust through questions and assumptions, and "educated racism" 16:03 On the importance of controlled, grounded indignation rather than tribalism "removed from the issues" 20:13 On avoiding condescension and American conservatism — denial of systemic problems and reactionary views 23:42 Biden's State of the Union (joint session of Congress address) — why big government progressivism is a good strategy for the economy and COVID-19 27:59 Biden's version of 'America First' and disengaged foreign policy (https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/22408089/biden-trump-america-first-policy-immigration-vaccines) 31:14 On the border crisis and Liz Cheney — is empathetic, inclusive Republicanism possible?

In March, over 172,000 illegal immigrants were apprehended by Customs and Border Protection. The surge is stretching American border capacities, from patrolling to detainment to asylum hearings and deportations, very thin. The surge of illegal immigration on the southern border has been highly politicized, particularly by the conservative media and Republican congressmen as a way of attacking Biden and exploiting identity politics/demographic fears. Meanwhile, the Biden White House tries to keep the issue quiet. Of course, it's not a direct result of government policy, as the main push factors are violence, economic desperation, and climate crises. However, it does force the Biden administration to make tough choices between humanity and security. The current situation dissatisfies almost everyone, as children are in prison-like, overcrowded tents that serve as hostile indefinite residences; also, with the end of the Remain in Mexico program, many illegal immigrants are held in American border towns as existing facilities overflow. The true conundrum is for unaccompanied (and accompanied) minors, whom the government has to take responsibility for, as deportation is not an option, leading to the current situation where tens of thousands are under US custody. So, what do we do — and where do the migrants go — next? The answer comes down to Biden's favorite word: infrastructure, on the southern border. In the short term, emergency legislative and executive assistance; in the long term, build up of personnel and technology; and international relations, working with neighbors in Mexico and Central America. The immigration issue, especially given the border crisis, is a test of how the Biden government treats human lives and fates, and a test of the security policy to come.

A world tour of problems, and America's role in causing and resolving them. An incoherent strategy of navigating rivalries in the Middle East, in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, as a war on terror overlaps with allegiances to governments like Saudi Arabia and Pakistan China's internal oppression and consolidation of power in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong; as well as a hunger for international influence, through an investment plan called the Belt and Road initiative that builds soft power A rise of far right-wing authoritarianism in Poland, Hungary, Germany, and the UK; the continuation of such a regime in Putin's Russia, where the Alexei Navalny controversy continues. America, despite many mistakes, is holding the global liberal democratic order together. America cannot give up on diplomacy, and must be a problem solver with a broad reach. For this, the Foreign Service and State Department must be valued and listened to in government, as Ronan Farrow's book "War on Peace" argues.

Politics is the means by which we as a society decide what to change and how. So, let's think of political dispositions as a spectrum from wanting a return to the past, to no change, to change into a future, to rapid change into an immediate future. These positions are driven by how happy you are with the way things are, which is primarily determined by whether you are part of "the elite" or not. Politicians love railing against the elite, yet both the Democratic and Republican parties have both elites and non-elites. So how do they manage this internal tension? GOP: the alliance is stable as long as 1) the populists remain inactive and unable to actually topple the establishment and 2) populist anger redirected to another definition of the elite. The former is being threatened by Trumpism, while the latter is fulfilled by white identity politics and the conservative media machine. Democrats: cynical liberalism, or a hopelessness for real change, denies the fundamental premise of liberalism, although it may appease the elite; in this case, the alliance is fundamentally flawed. Alternatively, optimistic liberalism has an emphasis on vision and virtue, which means that all Democrats are philosophically bonded. At the same time, magnitude setters like Bernie Sanders anchor the party and provide a clear identity, though they also threaten the establishment's stability.`

There were so many news stories this week, from Asian-American hate to transgender sports to Georgia's voting rights law; but, even as a political person, I had a hard time actually caring about them. So, I introduce six questions to have more focus and sensitivity in your political perspective: who, what, when, where, why, and how do you care? 1. Who? Ground yourself in reality by defining a clear subject, revealing the people behind the politics; attention is the most powerful thing. 2. What? Come up with a bucket list of three issues AT MOST; caring about 20 things really means caring about 0. 3. When? Make sure that your priorities aren't fickle, determined by popular opinion. 4. Where? Just as with who, ground yourself (literally) by pinpointing a physical location, local, state, national, or international. 5. Why? Which value or interest is motivating you? Make sure your standpoints are in line with the values you espouse. 6. How? Devote time to caring; research on proper sources, thoroughly, and make a difference in ways beyond clicks. Very helpful resource on how to care: https://www.nytimes.com/guides/year-of-living-better/how-to-participate-in-government

Tucker Carlson is not a real journalist. FOX News is not real journalism. And increasingly, other news networks like CNN or NBC are drifting away from real news as well, by adopting FOX-style monologues and a gossip mentality. Dissecting an except from Carlson's show, I explain how he hardly includes any concrete facts, instead choosing to construct a persuasive rhetoric—an agenda of emotions. In constructing un-factual characters of his opponents, he partially affiliates with a political party, though not completely. A channel like FOX, by amplifying Carlson's voice, mainstreams the language of conspiracy and replaces true journalism. Some subtitles and rhetorical headlines are outright ridiculous. Really, Carlson's agenda is best describes as—yes, propaganda—in fact, Wikipedia's description of propaganda perfectly matches his main features. Hopefully we will learn to differentiate fact from opinion, and explanation from persuasion.

Our electoral system — whoever has the most votes wins — is broken. The seemingly obvious solution is actually incredibly dysfunctional and destroys democracy: the Spoiler Effect works against accurate representation and voter choice, makes millions of votes simply "not count", gives almost absolute power to the two much-hated parties, and allows for gerrymandering and political polarization, encouraging divisiveness. Luckily, there is a solution. The Fair Representation Act proposes three simple fixes: independent redistricting commissions rather than partisanship, ranked choice voting to make races both more cooperative and more competitive, and multi-member districts to help with proportional representation.

Given the increasing political relevance of QAnon, claims of election fraud in 2020, and Plandemic, I discuss the psychology behind conspiracy theories. There are three main motives — the search for truth, a sense of security, and a desire for superiority — which are fulfilled by conspiracy theories. They are fueled by an essential distrust in the status quo, not necessarily a particular belief, so they don't even need to be self-consistent. This is why they are so difficult to disprove by presenting facts, which don't address the fundamental suspicion and conviction; especially when voices like Tucker Carlson and Donald Trump support them. Unfortunately, conspiracy theories have real consequences, especially during COVID-19, so we need to employ critical thinking to prepare ourselves. https://www.apa.org/research/action/speaking-of-psychology/conspiracy-theories https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/nov/29/how-to-deal-with-a-conspiracy-theorist-5g-covid-plandemic-qanon

The most recent developments to issues I've covered in the past seven episodes, as well as reflections on interviews and ideas I missed out on. Topics include: the state of the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccinations, the American Rescue Plan (aka the COVID stimulus bill) and its passage, the elephant graph showing the decline of the American middle class, Biden's foreign policy stances, thoughts on resolving racial injustice (especially in education, and even more.

No policy matters unless it gets passed. How will Joe Biden navigate a Republican Party that opposes him in viewpoint and as a political maneuver? Biden has shown an unwillingness to invoke the "nuclear option" and eliminate the filibuster, and budget reconciliation is a limited tool though useful for COVID-19 stimulus. He embraces compromise, negotiation, and concessions, as part of his institutionalist orientation; yet, there is an inherent tension between bipartisanship and getting things done. Some practical issues might be dealt with, but a 50-50 Senate will not allow most progressive policies or any reforms to the democratic system. So, rather than finding away to override opposition, Biden is trying to use it to his advantage; for example, it gives him more control over the Democratic Party. By taking a step back from the spotlight and portraying Republicans as obstructionists opposing popular legislation like the $1.9 trillion stimulus bill, he is putting moderates in a tough spot: either work with the administration, or risk being on the wrong side of the public. This also builds trust in policy and bureaucracy. Sometimes, being passive is the best way to be active in legislation.

In this episode, I discuss the state of the nation on issues of racial inequality and discrimination, both on the individual mindset and systemic / public policy levels, with Sabrina Ticer-Wurr, an advocate for racial justice and cultural competency. Topics include: the myth of "reverse racism", the importance of proximity to the cause and taking action rather than abstaining, and the use of racial tensions as a political tool by many on the right wing; as well as the changes that need to be made to history education in schools, housing and urban development, monetary reparations, and police brutality (especially since George Floyd's murder).

The public option is Medicare For All for those who want it, and the main extension that was left out of the highly politicized Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). Proponents of the public option argue that it fits all interests, keeping the private sector while creating a government alternative. Opponents of the public option in favor of Medicare For All argue that it squanders an opportunity for progressivism, and that a public option isn't financially viable due to weak purchasing power. Opponents of the public option on the right argue that the government should never interfere in the private economy. Everyone, though, agrees that things need to change, and there's a healthy share of support for the public option. Of course, the political reality of a 50-50 Senate makes it highly unlikely that Biden can pull something off. On the COVID-19 pandemic — cases are finally on a steady decline; we have a vaccine plan, and vaccinations are on their feet; the stimulus package, which has elicited much frustration from both sides, should be in order by mid-March. Also discussed: immigration, and the FOX news response to it. Listen to the full episode for details.

In this episode, I discuss climate change and the associated politics with a passionate advocate for sustainability, Thomas Lyons, who leads a regional chapter of the Sunrise Movement — an organization supporting the passage of the Green New Deal. We go through the causes of denying the scientific evidence behind global warming; weighing economic costs such as job losses against preventing climate change; the likelihood of Congress taking action; private sector action; and various areas of climate policy including renewable energy infrastructure, cattle farming, regulations on oil and gas, the transportation/auto industry, and foreign policy led by John Kerry.

America needs a large-scale economic stimulus package, now — in fact, it's essentially an emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most voters agree on this. Biden's $1.9 trillion plan includes public health funding and $1400 checks among other items. The idea behind big government is that getting Americans out of the struggling situation comes first, cautious spending comes later. However, there is still partisan politics behind passing a stimulus bill. Democrats and Biden need to overcome a Republican challenge either by negotiation, taking up a smaller plan like Susan Collins' $600 billion one, or by using a brute force method like budget reconciliation. Once emergency mode is over, then comes his long-term economic vision, one that is in large part based on Andrew Yang's 2020 campaign: capitalism that works for the people. Biden's Buy American and trade policies attempt to resurrect and revitalize the American manufacturing industry that seems inevitably on the decline. Biden is actually surprisingly progressive, just judging by his first weeks in office: looking to invest heavy in infrastructure and innovation, taking workers' side on issues like unions and the minimum wage, supporting concentration-of-wealth measures like higher taxes, and taking further left stances on education than one might expect. After all, he is, as advertised, an old-school Democrat, appealing to Midwestern workers on down-to-earth economic policy, in contrast to the more contemporary brand. Step 1 is getting stimulus done. We'll see where it goes from there. He does have the benefit of the doubt, though, holding a slim majority approval rating, and trust over the opposition party on economic issues.

What are President Biden's main priorities and goals in his foreign policy; how does he envision America and the world? First, he wants to re-engage with the international community, once again have a seat at the table, and in fact, the most important seat. Second, he wants to re-create the liberal democratic bloc, or the "free world" as it's more commonly known, in opposition to rising authoritarian powers like China; go back to a more traditional web of friends and adversaries. Third, he wants to place a priority on human rights in discussions with other countries, and in his immigration policy. Fourth, he'll have to decide whether he's for or against military intervention abroad. Restoring American credibility, reputation, and status will be a big feat, in this challenging time for America in the world. We will see how Biden lives up to the moment and his agenda, but for now, this episode should be a good framework. Information taken from the Council on Foreign Relations.

Since the inauguration on Wednesday, Joe Biden is officially the president of the United States. So what does that mean? Well, his White House is a refreshing and inspiring return to a normal, competent operation, not a game show, as new press secretary Jen Psaki and the return of Dr. Anthony Fauci has shown us. We've reached the elusive goal of a White House that feels like what a White House should be. It's a completely new government that's immediately overturning a lot of the previous administration's policies, from rejoining the WHO and Paris Climate Accord, to ending the Muslim ban; they're also instituting a lot of measures to actually respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, like a mask mandate, the Defense Production Act, working on increasing vaccine access and so on. His plan for the pandemic, and his economic proposals, most notably his trillion-dollar stimulus bill, are viable plans addressing the core problems underlying crises. Finally, and it's a high bar to reach, but Biden needs to have the moral leadership of MLK and the political leadership of Lyndon Johnson to truly step up to the moment and restore unity in such a fractured time.

My final episode before the end of the Trump presidency — I explore the major themes of his chaotic final weeks by re-examining my episodes from season 5 in light of recent developments. Topics include: Joe Biden's cabinet picks; the state of the COVID-19 pandemic; the political theory behind Trumpism, the sequence of lies to anger to authoritarianism; economic stimulus and vaccine rollout; applauding political courage from Republicans and Biden's encouraging naivete when it comes to unity; why Christianity as a right-wing tool of identity politics upsets me; why Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock won the Georgia Senate runoffs; understanding the January 6 Capitol Hill riots through the lens of grievance conservatism; the positions of Trump, Republican congresspeople, and Republican consensus regarding the peaceful transfer of power; and finally, Trump's historic second impeachment.

A lot happened in politics this week, but none more shocking than a violent mob storming the Capitol building while congressional Republicans objected to counting the electoral votes from Arizona and Pennsylvania. This domestic terrorism was incited by Donald Trump, who encouraged supporters to march down Pennsylvania Avenue and expressed sympathy for them, in addition to his weeks of falsely claiming voter fraud before that; he is responsible for this culmination. He used extralegal means to help his authoritarian cause, an overthrow of legitimate results and American democracy itself. Unfortunately, too many House Republicans also stood by him simply because of political calculations. We are lucky to have survived, as many other countries would not have and haven't. And remember: president-led rioters attacking their own democratic government isn't normal.

On January 5th, the stakes will be just as high as on November 3rd. Mitch McConnell, the self-proclaimed "Grim Reaper" and Senate majority leader, will almost certainly adopt an obstructionist strategy similar to in the Obama administration, making it difficult for Biden to get anything done — that is, if he retains control of the Senate. The fate of the entire US government rests in the hands of Georgian voters, who will decide whether Democratic challengers Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock flip the seats blue, or Republican incumbents David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler defend the state. The Republicans are trying to remain (somewhat) firmly beside by Trump, who is making their lives difficult; running a top-down national-style campaign; and playing the politics of tribalism and fear, by portraying their opponents as radicals. The Democrats are running a local, bottom-up campaign, and portraying their opponents as elitists who don't care about their constituents, helped by the insider trading scandal and the COVID-19 stimulus bill. In the end, the election will come down to a few key questions — to find out what those are, listen to the full episode.

And what does it say about the 'evangelical Christian' or 'religious right' vote? There is so much irony and hypocrisy: that they worship Donald Trump, who is of low moral dignity and most anti-biblical; that they invoke religion to support stances, often hateful, that do not align with religious values; that they value life in the womb but not outside; that their own rhetoric would ostracize Jesus if he was revived today. Christianity is just another part of identity politics for the religious right, another way to feel threatened. They don't follow the fundamental principles of 1 Corinthians 13:13 — not only faith, but also hope and love. I hope Reverend Raphael Warnock's version of Christianity is the one that America carries forth.

2020 has been a dark year, both in politics and in our society, and I've talked extensively about everything that went wrong. But there are still positives—sources that provide optimism. Regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, the past week has brought the authorization and rollout of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, as well as negotiations over a $900 billion economic stimulus bill in Congress. Regarding Trump's refusal to concede, the Electoral College upheld Biden's victory without any faithless electors, and Mitch McConnell congratulated Biden and Harris; democratic institutions stood up again and again, reaffirming the results, and political courage on behalf on many election-related state officials should be congratulated. Regarding the political landscape as a whole, Biden will put behind the era of Trumpism—the politics of fear and anger, of demonization, division and tribalism—and instead focus on uniting, strengthening and healing America. I analyze his acceptance speech to demonstrate this.

This episode attempts to understand Trumpism, the divisive rhetoric that has dominated the past few years: triggering a fear-based instinct against a totem of the other side. I analyze the negative language used in Donald Trump Jr.'s speech at the RNC regarding 'Joe Biden and the radical left Democrats,' and how it creates tribalism. Also: the two Senate runoffs in Georgia (Jon Ossoff against David Purdue, Raphael Warnock against Kelly Loeffler); Trump's continued denial of the election results; the state of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is, by far, the worst the COVID-19 pandemic has been. Cases, hospitalizations and deaths are peaking. Yet, the incompetence of Trump's response, along with Republican governors and senators who surely know better, remains. He wants to create a fake reality where the virus doesn't exist, through misinformation (about masks and social distancing) and conspiracy theories; by politicizing a non-partisan public health crisis. Be cautious in daily life. Also: a bipartisan economic stimulus bill waiting for Mitch McConnell's approval for a vote on the Senate floor; promising news of a vaccine, though prioritizing, distributing and administering it will be a major challenge itself for the Biden administration; Trump's continued denial of the election results, worrying about his future post-presidency, and certifications in spite of him.

Joe Biden has announced his Secretary of State and Treasury Secretary, along with other Cabinet and administration posts. From his Cabinet, what can we learn about his policies and priorities? I explore five areas: involvement in foreign policy, a progressive-moderate balance in economic policy, a priority on climate change, listening to the science on Covid-19, and being conscious of racial justice. Other topics covered include the initiation of transition protocol after Trump's disruption, and the Georgia runoffs.

Trump is continuing to dispute their election loss, not accepting Biden's transition. He and his Republican colleagues, together with his media machine, are creating a false world of fraud based on weak evidence, making it seem like the results are disputable. Their actions now, though, will affect the highly consequential Senate runoffs in Georgia. Their are four potential reasons for Trump continuing to fight: personal financial gain; he is a sore loser; he genuinely believes he won; he is attempting a coup to dismantle American democracy. For more detail, listen to the full episode.

By electing Joe Biden as the 46th president of the United States, we made a decision we can be proud of. The pain of election week was worth it, and now we can celebrate. But, current president Donald Trump is still attempting a coup, undermining the election results. What's next for the Republican Party: do they have a future without Trump, where they can move on? Or has he co-opted the entire institution? I'm glad the media learned from their mistakes, but I'm still annoyed that they criticize polling. The victory is imperfect, where Senate control will come down to the two Georgia runoffs, and there will likely be gridlock due to McConnell's obstruction. I'm excited for Biden's presidency. So far, he has outperformed our expectations — which have been drastically lowered by Trump's absurdity — in his appearances. He can heal this country, unite us, restore democracy, and move us into the 21st century. In doing this, Joe Biden will actually make America great again. For more detail, listen to the full episode.

Joe Biden is our president-elect. I can't even describe how amazing that is. Updated from 'Too Close To Call'.

In this final episode before election day, I take a moment to acknowledge and reflect upon the historic nature of the 2020 elections; the stakes are high, and we'll soon see an unimaginable future. Then, I launch into my case against Donald Trump: he lacks the open-mindedness, empathy, responsibility, and honesty/integrity to be president.

Trump, currently behind, can only win if an October surprise like 2016 happens. There have been a couple opportunities: him contracting Covid-19, or the death of Justice Ginsburg and the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to fill the Supreme Court vacancy. He tried to artificially create them, like Hunter Biden's emails or QAnon. However, as a one-dimensional candidate, he cannot change course from his losing strategy. With mail-in voting and a much smaller pool of undecided voters, an drastic upset will be difficult. However, a November surprise is still certainly possible, where the outcome is yet to be determined even after election day.

Joe Biden could "win" the election, but not the presidency. All statistical signs point to a Biden/Democrat victory: an expanded battleground and consistent polling leads in swing states. But, the Trump administration has revealed an explicit willingness to cheat, suppressing the vote, and undermining election integrity, to set up to challenge a loss. What happens to the ballot itself holds unusual importance in 2020.

1. We need to change the way we conduct presidential debates, 2020 and election cycles beyond. I describe how exactly. 2. Biden-Kamala won the debates. They presented a more palatable image and message; simply, their narrative and style is the one that appeals. 3. Trump contracted Covid-19, a reminder to be careful. Somehow, Trump brushes it off, but it will still hurt him. 4. I offer commentary on Wednesday's debate. I absolutely loved it, a reminder that high-quality political discourse is alive in America. We saw great arguments from both, as they stayed on narrative (i.e. dodged questions): Harris to hit the anti-Trump issues home through prepared speeches and one-liners, Pence to make the election an ideological choice through traditional conservative talking points and demeanor.

The first clash of Biden vs. Trump was utter chaos. The president was aggressive and interrupting his opponent the entire time. Meanwhile, Biden spoke to the American people, ridiculing Trump and staying relatively on point — that Trump doesn't care about your family. Trump stayed true to his Trump brand hostility, and Biden reinforced his moderate, calm persona. It was a front-stabbing match, with plenty of signature Trump lies and a frustrated Biden. But in the end, the results of the 2020 election will come down to: will the election be carried out fairly? For more detail, listen to the full episode.

Expanding on episodes from this season. Topics include: why a Trump upset is unlikely, why Trump keeps claiming 'America is great', why Trump is incentivized to create conflict, and the battle over Justice Ginsburg's replacement on the Supreme Court.

It's unacceptable that Trump is President — from when was his behavior allowed? Covid-19 can be contained, but Trump's reckless mismanagement has gotten the situation out of control. As president, his words kill, by discouraging masks/social distancing and raising doubts about the seriousness of the pandemic. Even still, he promotes racial division, conspiracy theories, and openly cheats in the election. In the end, it comes down to voting him out. For more detail, listen to the full episode.

What are the most hotly contested issues in this election cycle, and what are the two campaigns saying about them? "Battleground 2020" includes the coronavirus pandemic, racial and social justice movements, law and order, whether America is on the right track, and whether 2020 is a partisan or candidate-oriented election. For more detail, listen to the full episode.