1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:03,080 Speaker 1: You are one of the people that's going to be 2 00:00:03,279 --> 00:00:07,000 Speaker 1: a really important future leader of the Democratic Party. Right, 3 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:11,680 Speaker 1: and so at some point for people that are watching this, 4 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 1: you're gonna become a person who is much better known 5 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:19,640 Speaker 1: in the country. It's much better better known to them, 6 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:24,800 Speaker 1: more widely seen on television. I hope Leader Jeffries, for example, 7 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:28,360 Speaker 1: is more visible than than he's been in laying out 8 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:32,600 Speaker 1: that that alternative vision. Where do you think things sit 9 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:33,680 Speaker 1: right now? 10 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:35,360 Speaker 2: How how do. 11 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:42,920 Speaker 1: You observe them? Donald Trump has one. It's not a landslide, 12 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:48,160 Speaker 1: but it is a sweep. Uh. It's a plurality victory, 13 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 1: not a majority mandate. But it is a significant repudiation 14 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:07,000 Speaker 1: of the Democrat parties case on a decade basis that 15 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:12,959 Speaker 1: Trump is an existential threat to all of these things 16 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:18,920 Speaker 1: that we Democrats stand in favor of that are of 17 00:01:18,959 --> 00:01:22,200 Speaker 1: the utmost importance. It was just it was just rejected 18 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:26,920 Speaker 1: wholesale by the country, I think for a bunch for 19 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:31,040 Speaker 1: a bunch of different reasons. When you observe this moment 20 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:36,160 Speaker 1: process it thirty four days out from Donald Trump raising 21 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:41,400 Speaker 1: his hand taking the oath the military aids with the 22 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:46,960 Speaker 1: nuclear football sliding away from Biden towards Donald Trump, all 23 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:52,920 Speaker 1: the powers of state back into Donald Trump's hand, with 24 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:57,960 Speaker 1: a control of his party of the Senate, narrowly in 25 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 1: the House, the courts, and nominating some of the most 26 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:15,480 Speaker 1: unqualified people emotionally, temperamentally, character wise that we've that we've 27 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 1: that we've ever seen nominated for office. Where are we 28 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:25,920 Speaker 1: and how did we get here? 29 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 2: That's a big question, Stevid. I'd be curious on your thoughts. 30 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:39,360 Speaker 2: I'll tell you where I think people are at. You know, 31 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:42,240 Speaker 2: there are a lot of places in America, a lot 32 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:51,320 Speaker 2: of communities in America that have seen stagnancy decline, just 33 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 2: a sense this country hasn't been working for them for 34 00:02:56,600 --> 00:03:01,040 Speaker 2: forty fifty years. I mean politicians selling jobs off store 35 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 2: for the cheapest wages and highest profits. You drive through 36 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:07,360 Speaker 2: America and you go from town to town, and I 37 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 2: know you've probably done this, and if there's a town 38 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 2: that doesn't have a prison or a hospital, a lot 39 00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:18,760 Speaker 2: of times it's just economically devastated. And then the most 40 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:20,800 Speaker 2: heartbreaking to me is when they say, oh, there used 41 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:24,080 Speaker 2: to be a manufacturing plant here, but now there's a prison, 42 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:27,400 Speaker 2: and that's where the economy is coming for a local 43 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 2: community people sensing the costs have gone up. You know, 44 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:35,120 Speaker 2: they look at the district like mine twelve trillion dollars 45 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:38,960 Speaker 2: in the coast and Silicon Valley, and they say, how 46 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:41,200 Speaker 2: can you have a country that's producing all this wealth 47 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:45,240 Speaker 2: and we're not participating and we're stagnant, and America just 48 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:47,839 Speaker 2: doesn't seem to be working. Hey. You know, I think 49 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:50,200 Speaker 2: the core of Trump's message was very simple. I'm going 50 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:51,920 Speaker 2: to get America to win again. I'm going to get 51 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 2: you to win again. I'm going to get you to 52 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 2: move again. And of course there's in my view, not 53 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:05,040 Speaker 2: much substance there. I don't think he's going to revitalize Johnstown, Pennsylvania, 54 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 2: or Gelsburg, Illinois, or bring new industry or bring the 55 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:12,280 Speaker 2: new modern economy to people who have been struggling. 56 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:14,960 Speaker 1: But I think the way to. 57 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 2: Counter him is one to show the hollowness of the 58 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:22,640 Speaker 2: actual vision that it's not getting America to move, and 59 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:27,400 Speaker 2: then to convey for us that we're actually the party 60 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:32,239 Speaker 2: that can bring together this country business leaders, venture capitalist, 61 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:35,719 Speaker 2: labor leaders, community leaders, faith leaders, and give it a 62 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:38,600 Speaker 2: purpose of getting this country to move and win. And 63 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:42,240 Speaker 2: I really think it's about conveying to people that we 64 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 2: get it, that there's this kind of stagnancy there and 65 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:48,920 Speaker 2: that we have the vision to get them moving again, 66 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:51,320 Speaker 2: give their kids a shot again. And I think we're 67 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 2: going to get that opportunity in twenty twenty six and 68 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:56,640 Speaker 2: then again in twenty eight. And I believe we've got 69 00:04:56,640 --> 00:04:59,560 Speaker 2: a great bench of talent for the House, Senate then 70 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:02,359 Speaker 2: presidency that's going to be succeeding in doing that. 71 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:06,680 Speaker 1: We live at a time where, uh yeah, I chok 72 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:10,320 Speaker 1: around about this right, where even the adults need trigger 73 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:13,760 Speaker 1: warnings now, right. So you know, any time I write 74 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 1: anything that is oppositional, say to the party line, you know, 75 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:23,800 Speaker 1: and I look back over my last two years, you know, 76 00:05:23,839 --> 00:05:29,359 Speaker 1: when I said, for example, that Biden's candidacy is a 77 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 1: real threat with regard to electing Donald Trump, and just 78 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:39,960 Speaker 1: the idea expressed, right, there's a lot of shouting down 79 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:44,800 Speaker 1: right that goes on in the Democratic Party that that 80 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 1: I observe as something that's new that didn't used to 81 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:53,640 Speaker 1: be there in the fabric of the party. And the 82 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:57,239 Speaker 1: sooner it goes away, uh, where there can be honest 83 00:05:57,320 --> 00:06:03,800 Speaker 1: discussions that are reality based, I think the better the party, 84 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:07,800 Speaker 1: the party will be. But for the people that are 85 00:06:07,839 --> 00:06:13,640 Speaker 1: watching this that have taken away from the election result 86 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:19,560 Speaker 1: that the racists have won and Trump seventy seven million 87 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:31,800 Speaker 1: voters are unfixable, broken, unrepentant, bad people, racist all. What 88 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:34,360 Speaker 1: is it that you want to that you want to 89 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:40,159 Speaker 1: say to them as part of the party and a 90 00:06:40,480 --> 00:06:46,680 Speaker 1: leader in its future, right about about why they lost 91 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:50,200 Speaker 1: and why Donald Trump is about to be sitting in 92 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:56,159 Speaker 1: the White House with a Republican House and a Republican Senate. 93 00:06:56,640 --> 00:06:59,800 Speaker 1: You listen to some of the voices out of the campaign, 94 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:03,320 Speaker 1: you know, they I think they're very sincere when they say, 95 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:06,320 Speaker 1: you know, they've assessed it, they've taken stock of it, 96 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:10,440 Speaker 1: and they ran a flawless campaign pretty much. And so 97 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:16,320 Speaker 1: what would you say right beyond just a blanket indictment 98 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:21,920 Speaker 1: of the of the people who voted for Trump. Democrats 99 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:26,640 Speaker 1: lost because why and something that has to change that 100 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:29,520 Speaker 1: specific that the party does is what? 101 00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:35,360 Speaker 2: So I only see that this is still a very 102 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:42,000 Speaker 2: decent country, open country, and the most open political system 103 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:45,000 Speaker 2: in the world. And I guess that's based on my experience. 104 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:48,880 Speaker 2: You know, I'm the son of immigrants. My grandfather spent 105 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:55,080 Speaker 2: four years in jail alongside Gandhi for India's independence. My 106 00:07:55,200 --> 00:07:59,120 Speaker 2: father came here to Michigan to study there in engineering. 107 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:03,400 Speaker 2: I was born in Philadelphia in nineteen seventy six, our 108 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:06,920 Speaker 2: bi centenary. I grew up in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, at 109 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:10,400 Speaker 2: a time where Bucks County was probably ninety eight percent white, 110 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:15,680 Speaker 2: as an Indian American of Hindu fay. And you know, 111 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:17,960 Speaker 2: the coach said, I played Little League even though I 112 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:21,480 Speaker 2: couldn't hit. And I had teachers who said, go publish 113 00:08:21,640 --> 00:08:25,720 Speaker 2: a local Bucks County current Times. And we celebrated Christmas, 114 00:08:25,880 --> 00:08:28,840 Speaker 2: and we also on my street celebrated the valley because 115 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:31,560 Speaker 2: the neighbors were curious. And I had people who said, 116 00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:34,440 Speaker 2: you can do anything in America. And at the age 117 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:39,640 Speaker 2: of forty, this country elected me, a first generation Indian American, 118 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:46,560 Speaker 2: to represent arguably the most innovative, economically powerful place in 119 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:49,679 Speaker 2: the world, if not in human history, in terms of producing. Well, 120 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:53,120 Speaker 2: that is an American story. And by the way, I 121 00:08:53,160 --> 00:08:55,800 Speaker 2: went back to Bucks County with a journalist and met 122 00:08:55,840 --> 00:09:01,000 Speaker 2: my favorite tenth grade social studies teacher who I really 123 00:09:01,880 --> 00:09:06,880 Speaker 2: was inspired by. And guess what it turns out. Halfway 124 00:09:06,880 --> 00:09:10,400 Speaker 2: through the interview, he tells the journalists that he's going 125 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:14,360 Speaker 2: to be voting for Donald Trump. And the journalist I said, well, 126 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:16,960 Speaker 2: what if it was Trump versus Kana? And you could 127 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:20,120 Speaker 2: tell he's so pained. He's like, well, I respect Rocanna. 128 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:23,160 Speaker 2: I really like Rocanna. You know, it'd be a tough decision. 129 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:26,320 Speaker 2: And the journalists like, he's voting for Trump. And my 130 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:30,920 Speaker 2: point is more people need to actually go figure out 131 00:09:31,240 --> 00:09:34,800 Speaker 2: why and talk to people who voting for Trump. You 132 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:39,360 Speaker 2: can be George Wallace being a racist. You don't become 133 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:42,120 Speaker 2: president of the United States if there are not a 134 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:44,760 Speaker 2: lot of people voting for you. And I think the 135 00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:49,160 Speaker 2: fundamental thing that Trump did was tamp in to an 136 00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:55,199 Speaker 2: anger with people feeling left out of modern economic prosperity, 137 00:09:55,880 --> 00:09:58,760 Speaker 2: feeling that the political system was not working for them, 138 00:09:58,800 --> 00:10:01,440 Speaker 2: the economic system is not working for them, and we 139 00:10:01,559 --> 00:10:03,760 Speaker 2: have to come in and say we've got a better, 140 00:10:03,880 --> 00:10:06,520 Speaker 2: more compelling vision. And by the way, it's not going 141 00:10:06,559 --> 00:10:10,560 Speaker 2: to be politician driven. It's going to be assembling a 142 00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:16,040 Speaker 2: team of business leaders, of labor leaders, of local community leaders. 143 00:10:16,040 --> 00:10:17,679 Speaker 2: And this is we've talked about this before. 144 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:18,959 Speaker 1: That's what FDR did. 145 00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:22,360 Speaker 2: FDR he wasn't great in and of himself. Maybe he 146 00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:24,760 Speaker 2: was temperamentally, but he said, I'm going to bring the 147 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:28,080 Speaker 2: best of American talent and we're going to solve this 148 00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:30,079 Speaker 2: issue of the Great Depression. We're going to win the 149 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:33,760 Speaker 2: World War. Guess what. The Democratic Party has the opportunity 150 00:10:33,800 --> 00:10:39,480 Speaker 2: to be that convening force. We can be the unifiers. 151 00:10:39,520 --> 00:10:42,040 Speaker 2: We can put everyone on the field and talenty to 152 00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:45,959 Speaker 2: help revitalize this country. But we need to realize it 153 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:49,000 Speaker 2: needs revitalization. It's not just about the defense of the 154 00:10:49,040 --> 00:10:52,120 Speaker 2: current status fun institutions, because they're not working for a 155 00:10:52,120 --> 00:10:52,760 Speaker 2: lot of people. 156 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:56,360 Speaker 1: I'm Steve Schmidt. This is the warning and I invite 157 00:10:56,360 --> 00:10:59,559 Speaker 1: you to join. Subscribe on our sub stack on our 158 00:10:59,720 --> 00:11:02,760 Speaker 1: Uti channel, follow us. Welcome to the community.