1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:05,439 Speaker 1: Kamala Harris is the anointed one. She is heading towards 2 00:00:05,559 --> 00:00:09,920 Speaker 1: the Democrat National Convention basically as the presumptive nominee. She 3 00:00:10,039 --> 00:00:14,360 Speaker 1: most recently received the endorsement of the Obamas. She's never 4 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:19,079 Speaker 1: received a single primary or Coccus vote, Yet this is 5 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:23,720 Speaker 1: the party that proclaims it cares about democracy. She says 6 00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:28,360 Speaker 1: she's running a people powered campaign, but she's never received 7 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:32,640 Speaker 1: a presidential primary or Cocca's vote. Make it make sense? 8 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:36,440 Speaker 1: So who is this woman? Who is Kamala Harris? What 9 00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:38,080 Speaker 1: do you need to know about her? We're going to 10 00:00:38,159 --> 00:00:40,239 Speaker 1: talk to someone who literally wrote the book on her. 11 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:43,680 Speaker 1: His name's Charlie Spearing. He wrote the book Amateur Hour 12 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 1: Kamala Harris in the White House. So we're going to 13 00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:50,720 Speaker 1: do a little deep dive in the Kamala Harris. Stay 14 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 1: tuned for that with Charlie Spearing. Well, Charlie, it's great 15 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:01,480 Speaker 1: to have you on this show. I imagine you've got 16 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:03,560 Speaker 1: a lot of thoughts right now, since he wrote the 17 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:07,679 Speaker 1: book about Kamala Harris. I guess, at first glance, you know, 18 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:10,600 Speaker 1: it looks like she's obviously going to be the Democrat nominee. 19 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 1: The Obamas haven't out on doorst she pretty much has 20 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:15,600 Speaker 1: the green light. I guess what would a Kamala Harris 21 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:17,840 Speaker 1: presidency look like, do you think. 22 00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:23,039 Speaker 2: Thanks Lisa, Yeah, certainly that's what everybody's looking at her. 23 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:26,119 Speaker 2: You know, her record as vice president was so unimpressive. 24 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:30,120 Speaker 2: There's really only one sort of priority that stood out, 25 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:33,560 Speaker 2: which was her effort to campaign on abortion rights. I 26 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:37,280 Speaker 2: really feel that if Kamala Harris did achieved the presidency, 27 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:40,120 Speaker 2: I think the issue of abortion would be number one 28 00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 2: on her priority list, as she would use that issue 29 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:45,680 Speaker 2: to be Republicans politically. I think that's one of the 30 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 2: biggest strengths the Biden administration had, and it certainly one 31 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 2: that she was she was leading the way. So I 32 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:55,360 Speaker 2: think she's and that's sort of already featured in her 33 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 2: campaign material, this idea that abortion rights are freedom and 34 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:02,240 Speaker 2: we stand for freedom and abortion, and that's going to 35 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:05,160 Speaker 2: be a focal point of who she is as a 36 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:07,720 Speaker 2: as a candidate and certainly and she becomes president. 37 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:12,960 Speaker 1: You called her book Amateur Hour. Why did you choose 38 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:13,400 Speaker 1: that title? 39 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:18,280 Speaker 2: Well, that's just based on conversations I was having with Republicans. 40 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 2: It was clear that with Democrats, even certainly with Republicans 41 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 2: but also Democrats that Colin Hardison wasn't necessarily prepared to 42 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:29,280 Speaker 2: be on the national stage. She had only had a 43 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:31,760 Speaker 2: couple of years in the Senate before she was sort 44 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:34,240 Speaker 2: of plucked out of the in a failed presidential campaign. 45 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 2: Before she was sort of plucked out of the sort 46 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:40,640 Speaker 2: of the dolt from you know, the Biden administration has 47 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:44,480 Speaker 2: really sort of resurrected her political career after her failed 48 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:47,600 Speaker 2: presidential campaign. I think she would have been left behind, 49 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:51,880 Speaker 2: as you know, an ordinary California senator, munched in the 50 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:55,880 Speaker 2: lines of a Barbara Boxer or a Dianne Feinstein. She 51 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:58,919 Speaker 2: clearly didn't have enough capital to run her own campaign 52 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 2: for president when she became vice president. A big part 53 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:05,240 Speaker 2: of the reason that Biden ran for reelection is that 54 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:08,920 Speaker 2: Harris was not ready to run and didn't and Democrats 55 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:12,160 Speaker 2: didn't think she could run and win against against Donald Trump. 56 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 2: So that's the certain that was certainly the mood in 57 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:18,320 Speaker 2: the early part of the Biden administration, and that just 58 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:21,120 Speaker 2: makes it even more surprising that now today they're putting 59 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:23,960 Speaker 2: all their hopes on a on a person that they 60 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:26,680 Speaker 2: privately derided behind the scenes early in her career. 61 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:32,959 Speaker 1: You know, she grew up at Oakland, California. What do 62 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 1: you know about her upbringing, about her childhood. 63 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, she grew up as the you know, daughter of 64 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:43,120 Speaker 2: an of the academic and you know, cancer researcher. Her 65 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:46,640 Speaker 2: parents separated when she was young, and she sort of 66 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:50,840 Speaker 2: grew continued to grow up under her mother's watch. Mostly 67 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:53,240 Speaker 2: she was at work, and so there was a sort 68 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:56,680 Speaker 2: of a community of women that surrounded her and built 69 00:03:56,680 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 2: her up as she was as she was raised as 70 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 2: a child. But she's so wasn't raised poor, and she 71 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:05,600 Speaker 2: certainly wasn't raised in a you know, a segregated community, 72 00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 2: and she didn't have to suffer any of the effects 73 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:12,000 Speaker 2: of you know, her race, which is what you know 74 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 2: a lot of other black people and black candidates would 75 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:17,520 Speaker 2: talk about if they grew up in the South or 76 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:20,320 Speaker 2: they grew up poor in urban communities. 77 00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:23,240 Speaker 1: And what do we know about her parents. I know, 78 00:04:23,320 --> 00:04:27,880 Speaker 1: her dad, you know, was a Marxist, uh you know economists. 79 00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:30,280 Speaker 1: But you know, give us a little insight into kind 80 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:32,200 Speaker 1: of you know, her parents and sort of how she 81 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:35,920 Speaker 1: was raised, like what ideologies were taught in her household 82 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:40,040 Speaker 1: and kind of was her to impact that her parents 83 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:41,719 Speaker 1: have on her what which you tell us about them? 84 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 2: Right, Kamala Harris lates to talk about her parents regularly 85 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:49,840 Speaker 2: attending protests. You know, she talks about her parents growing 86 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:52,280 Speaker 2: up in marching and shouting for justice and how they 87 00:04:52,320 --> 00:04:56,400 Speaker 2: pushed little Kammel and the stroller. But upon closer examination, 88 00:04:56,680 --> 00:05:01,160 Speaker 2: a lot of their activism was into sellectual activism and 89 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:07,000 Speaker 2: at at the university where they were, Stanford, and certainly 90 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:11,400 Speaker 2: they held a lot of talking groups and at the 91 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:15,640 Speaker 2: Kamala's parents actually met at a seminar that her father 92 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:18,880 Speaker 2: was giving at the time, and certainly that's how they 93 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:21,520 Speaker 2: how they met, and so there was really more of 94 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:25,360 Speaker 2: an academic sort of discussion, and there was very limited 95 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:29,119 Speaker 2: They had very limited activism simply because they were both 96 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:33,040 Speaker 2: you know, not they were certainly there legally as students, 97 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:35,640 Speaker 2: but they were not citizens at the time, so it 98 00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 2: was very difficult for them to you know, they very 99 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:40,919 Speaker 2: careful about their actual activism, you know. 100 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:43,240 Speaker 1: And what kind of was she raised with religion or 101 00:05:43,279 --> 00:05:46,120 Speaker 1: you know, what what did that look like in their household? Well, 102 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:48,760 Speaker 1: it was very split, right because yes, she did have 103 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:51,640 Speaker 1: a black father, but her black father ended up leaving 104 00:05:52,279 --> 00:05:55,240 Speaker 1: and she was raised by her Indian mother who was 105 00:05:55,680 --> 00:05:58,560 Speaker 1: so her Indian mother talks about raising her as you know, 106 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:01,240 Speaker 1: and taking her to the Hindu to simple and participating 107 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:04,520 Speaker 1: in all the Hindu rituals. But Kama likes to talk 108 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:08,920 Speaker 1: about this woman called that she calls her second mother, 109 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:12,920 Speaker 1: and that's a woman in the in the area of 110 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:17,239 Speaker 1: the household who watches over the daughters, you know, Kamala 111 00:06:17,279 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 1: and her sister, and takes her to a Baptist church, 112 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:26,400 Speaker 1: a Christian church, Black Christian church in San Francisco. So 113 00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:30,960 Speaker 1: she has this sort of dual faith upbringing. But we 114 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 1: don't really hear Kamala talk about her Hindu upbringing anymore. 115 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:38,560 Speaker 1: She focuses more on this sort of adopted you know, 116 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:42,200 Speaker 1: the attendance at a Black church. And then tell us 117 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:44,520 Speaker 1: a little bit about you know, how did she well, 118 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:45,800 Speaker 1: First of all, you know, tell us a little bit 119 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:48,479 Speaker 1: about her you know, college age, you know, college years, 120 00:06:48,520 --> 00:06:50,760 Speaker 1: and then you know her entry into politics. 121 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:54,000 Speaker 2: Right, So her college year she went to Howard University, 122 00:06:54,240 --> 00:06:58,800 Speaker 2: and you know, she spent a lot of time, you know, 123 00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:02,640 Speaker 2: enjoying college for all of its all the things that 124 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:05,280 Speaker 2: it offers. She attended a few protests, but she wasn't 125 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:08,800 Speaker 2: seen as, you know, a radical activist. She was very practical. 126 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:12,080 Speaker 2: She wanted to go to Howard University, get a law degree, 127 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:14,520 Speaker 2: and go back to San Francisco and get a good job. 128 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:19,560 Speaker 2: And she ultimately went back and became a prosecutor, working 129 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:23,680 Speaker 2: for the Almeda County Attorney you know, district Attorney's office 130 00:07:23,720 --> 00:07:26,679 Speaker 2: as a lawyer. And that's when she first met Willie Brown, 131 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:30,520 Speaker 2: one of the most powerful politicians in California, who was 132 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:32,320 Speaker 2: then running for mayor of San Francisco. 133 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:35,320 Speaker 1: And then tell us about their relationship. How did he 134 00:07:35,320 --> 00:07:36,880 Speaker 1: help her get into politics? 135 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:41,520 Speaker 2: Right, So, Willie Brown is sixty years old, he's running 136 00:07:41,520 --> 00:07:44,840 Speaker 2: for mayor of San Francisco, and Harris is relatively unknown, 137 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:48,640 Speaker 2: twenty nine years old. She is the, like I said, 138 00:07:48,720 --> 00:07:53,760 Speaker 2: working in the Almita County's District Attorney's office. And that's 139 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:56,320 Speaker 2: where they sort of kick off this relationship. Willy Brown 140 00:07:56,760 --> 00:08:01,240 Speaker 2: starts dating her, and she's seen as a stabilizing force 141 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:05,120 Speaker 2: on his personality as he's running for office. Gossip colonists right, 142 00:08:05,840 --> 00:08:09,200 Speaker 2: for the first time, Willi Brown is having a relationship 143 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:11,640 Speaker 2: with an adult woman because he's sort of a known 144 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:14,680 Speaker 2: philanderer with young women on his arm, different women on 145 00:08:14,680 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 2: his arm because he's long estranged from his real wife, Blanche, 146 00:08:20,240 --> 00:08:24,120 Speaker 2: who lives separately from Brown, but the couple never divorced. 147 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:29,520 Speaker 2: So Willie Brown really helped get Kamala Harris on this stage. 148 00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 2: First of all, through the social connections on Willy Brown's arms. 149 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:38,359 Speaker 2: She meets all of his wealthy donors, all of the celebrities. 150 00:08:38,920 --> 00:08:43,440 Speaker 2: There's a fun gossip column bit about Clinton Eastwood spilling 151 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:46,719 Speaker 2: champagne on the mayor's new steady is what they could 152 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:49,439 Speaker 2: describe her as. So she's definitely rubbing shoulders with all 153 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:53,760 Speaker 2: the top celebrities, the donors, and certainly the democratic officials 154 00:08:54,960 --> 00:08:59,360 Speaker 2: of the very powerful San Francisco Democratic community. And on 155 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:02,400 Speaker 2: top of that, Willie Brown also appointed her to some 156 00:09:02,440 --> 00:09:05,040 Speaker 2: state board positions that paid her a great deal of money. 157 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:09,720 Speaker 2: She made over four hundred thousand dollars just after a 158 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:13,800 Speaker 2: couple of years serving in these board positions that only 159 00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:16,280 Speaker 2: met like once or twice a month. Put that in 160 00:09:16,280 --> 00:09:19,200 Speaker 2: today's dollars, that's nearly a million dollars. So it was 161 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:22,679 Speaker 2: very lucrative for Harris, put her on a very stable 162 00:09:22,720 --> 00:09:26,840 Speaker 2: footing for her to pursue her next goal. She also, 163 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:29,640 Speaker 2: you know, Brown also gave her the keys to a BMW, 164 00:09:30,040 --> 00:09:32,280 Speaker 2: so she he made sure that she was well taken 165 00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:35,800 Speaker 2: care of and perfectly positioned for a political future. So 166 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:39,520 Speaker 2: it's partly a lucrative relationship. Then to say the leadast. 167 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:42,120 Speaker 1: She got her start in two and three she was 168 00:09:42,160 --> 00:09:45,000 Speaker 1: elected to DA of San Francisco. You know, what can 169 00:09:45,040 --> 00:09:47,600 Speaker 1: you tell us about sort of her record there as DA? 170 00:09:48,679 --> 00:09:52,079 Speaker 2: Yeah, her record is DA. She ran sort of there 171 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:56,680 Speaker 2: was already sort of a progressive, a progressive district attorney 172 00:09:56,760 --> 00:10:01,600 Speaker 2: Terrence hollanand who San Francisco voters were growing tired because 173 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:06,240 Speaker 2: there was a rise of prostitution, of drugs, and of homelessness, 174 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:09,720 Speaker 2: you know, much of the issues we see today. Harris 175 00:10:09,800 --> 00:10:12,560 Speaker 2: ran almost to the right on that, you know, arguing, 176 00:10:13,360 --> 00:10:16,000 Speaker 2: we don't need to be tough on crime or week 177 00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:18,920 Speaker 2: on crime, we need to be quote smart on crime. 178 00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:21,920 Speaker 2: That was Harris's campaign slogan. So she ran a little 179 00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:26,120 Speaker 2: bit to the right, to the center of Terrence halling On. So, 180 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:30,040 Speaker 2: but when she took office, she was mostly a relatively 181 00:10:30,200 --> 00:10:32,600 Speaker 2: you know, a different face, but pursued many of the 182 00:10:32,640 --> 00:10:38,559 Speaker 2: same progressive priorities that the previous candidate. Had. She famously 183 00:10:38,679 --> 00:10:42,120 Speaker 2: kicked off her campaign by refusing to seek the death 184 00:10:42,120 --> 00:10:45,400 Speaker 2: penalty for a cop killer that angered the police force 185 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:48,560 Speaker 2: in San Francisco, you know, who made a big deal 186 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:51,200 Speaker 2: about that and would turn their backs on her anytime 187 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:54,400 Speaker 2: they saw her. Even Dianne Feinstein at the time, who 188 00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:57,440 Speaker 2: attended the funeral of the police officer, publicly called out 189 00:10:57,480 --> 00:11:00,920 Speaker 2: Harris for failing to pursue the death penalty. And it 190 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:04,080 Speaker 2: was it was a slight that Harris never forgot, you know. 191 00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:06,600 Speaker 1: And if she also let a man out on probation 192 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:09,760 Speaker 1: who went on to kill two people as well, So 193 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:12,480 Speaker 1: did she kind of carry that same you know, left 194 00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:15,400 Speaker 1: wing philosophy into her time as Attorney general as well? 195 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:18,880 Speaker 2: Well. She ultimately moved a little further to the right 196 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:23,400 Speaker 2: after beating sort of the last significant Republican for attorney 197 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:26,439 Speaker 2: general just by a hair, you know, very small margin, 198 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:29,440 Speaker 2: and this is Steve Cooley of Los Angeles, was a 199 00:11:29,480 --> 00:11:33,640 Speaker 2: Republican who ran for the attorney general position. Harris just 200 00:11:33,679 --> 00:11:37,079 Speaker 2: barely beat him. So she shifted a little bit further 201 00:11:37,160 --> 00:11:39,440 Speaker 2: to the right as she grew, as she grew further 202 00:11:39,559 --> 00:11:43,360 Speaker 2: up into California politics. You know, there was the famous 203 00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:49,160 Speaker 2: Supreme Court decision against California that demanded they start releasing 204 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:54,160 Speaker 2: their overpopulated prisons. Klin Harris, as Attorney General, worked with 205 00:11:54,840 --> 00:11:57,920 Speaker 2: Governor Jerry Brown at the time to sort of slow 206 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:01,720 Speaker 2: down and stop these and find excuses to keep these 207 00:12:01,760 --> 00:12:04,880 Speaker 2: people in prison, because, as we all know, you know, 208 00:12:05,320 --> 00:12:08,719 Speaker 2: it's bad, bad luck for any sort of politician with 209 00:12:08,840 --> 00:12:12,400 Speaker 2: future political ambitions to release criminals, because one of these 210 00:12:12,440 --> 00:12:16,400 Speaker 2: criminals could significantly commit another crime and that would damage 211 00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:17,319 Speaker 2: your political career. 212 00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:23,480 Speaker 1: Got a quick commercial break, stay with us. You know, 213 00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:25,880 Speaker 1: it's interesting because then when she was the United States senator, 214 00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:28,760 Speaker 1: you know, Govtract named her as the most liberal senator, 215 00:12:28,800 --> 00:12:31,600 Speaker 1: even further to the left than you know, Bernie Sanders. 216 00:12:31,640 --> 00:12:34,120 Speaker 1: And you know, since then, we've seen her say that, 217 00:12:34,160 --> 00:12:36,119 Speaker 1: you know, she wants to take her to private insurance, 218 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:38,640 Speaker 1: that she believes in Medicare for all. She's compared you know, 219 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:41,800 Speaker 1: I used to KKK and all these really radical left 220 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:45,240 Speaker 1: wing policies. So it's like, I guess with her, she 221 00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:47,080 Speaker 1: sort of strikes me as the kind of person that 222 00:12:47,240 --> 00:12:51,680 Speaker 1: just says whatever people want to hear. It doesn't really 223 00:12:51,679 --> 00:12:57,520 Speaker 1: believe in anything. I guess, what's your sense? And obviously, 224 00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:00,880 Speaker 1: you know, researching her and learning of her like, does 225 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:02,760 Speaker 1: anything motive error or is it just power? 226 00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:08,280 Speaker 2: Yes, that's a very astute observation because Kamala Harris famously, 227 00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:11,079 Speaker 2: you know, opposed legal marijuana when she was running for 228 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:14,000 Speaker 2: attorney general and then after she won her re election 229 00:13:14,200 --> 00:13:17,440 Speaker 2: race and won a Senate seat, she changed her position 230 00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:21,000 Speaker 2: on it. And then there's examples of that all throughout 231 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:23,439 Speaker 2: her career where she changes her position on the issues. 232 00:13:23,480 --> 00:13:26,680 Speaker 2: It's as soon as it becomes politically liable. But after 233 00:13:26,760 --> 00:13:30,440 Speaker 2: she became the Senator of California, she was she moved 234 00:13:30,880 --> 00:13:34,000 Speaker 2: significantly farther to the left. Even before she launched her 235 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:37,480 Speaker 2: campaign for president, her assessment appeared to be if I, 236 00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:40,560 Speaker 2: if I am on the same page of Willie's of 237 00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:44,880 Speaker 2: Bernie Sanders, then perhaps I can earn the respect and 238 00:13:44,960 --> 00:13:47,440 Speaker 2: love from his followers if I just get as far 239 00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:49,840 Speaker 2: to the left as I can, and I'll be a 240 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:52,400 Speaker 2: candidate that doesn't have the sort of the downsides of 241 00:13:52,400 --> 00:13:55,520 Speaker 2: the Bernie Sanders, you know, a cranky old man from Vermont. 242 00:13:55,960 --> 00:14:01,280 Speaker 2: I'll be the sparkling, inspirational figures who becauses on policies. 243 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:05,760 Speaker 2: The Democratic primary voters love so she already worked on 244 00:14:05,960 --> 00:14:08,880 Speaker 2: building that reputation, and then certainly when she launched her 245 00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:12,120 Speaker 2: campaign for president, there was no position to liberal that 246 00:14:12,240 --> 00:14:15,480 Speaker 2: wasn't up for discussion or that she took a side on. 247 00:14:16,720 --> 00:14:18,680 Speaker 1: But so it's kind of scary then if she would 248 00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:22,000 Speaker 1: assume the office of the presidency, because if you have 249 00:14:22,160 --> 00:14:25,920 Speaker 1: someone who doesn't really believe in any thing, is not 250 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:31,840 Speaker 1: really rooted in anything, what that mean for how she 251 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:37,480 Speaker 1: decides to to govern. You know, she sort of just 252 00:14:37,520 --> 00:14:39,720 Speaker 1: strikes me as kind of like a you know, soul 253 00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:42,920 Speaker 1: well willing to you know. I mean, we saw her 254 00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:48,120 Speaker 1: with the presidential debate for twenty twenty, which you know, 255 00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:51,480 Speaker 1: she obviously flamed out and dropped out before Iowa, where 256 00:14:51,800 --> 00:14:54,400 Speaker 1: you know, she accused Joe Biden essentially of racism and 257 00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:56,960 Speaker 1: then immediately signed up to be his vice president. 258 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:03,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, I've disrectly seen as a very cynical politics. 259 00:15:03,320 --> 00:15:06,880 Speaker 2: She was playing very cynical politics, and she wasn't sort 260 00:15:06,880 --> 00:15:09,960 Speaker 2: of you could tell, voters could tell that she wasn't 261 00:15:09,960 --> 00:15:12,400 Speaker 2: necessarily wed to the issues because she was all over 262 00:15:12,400 --> 00:15:15,440 Speaker 2: the map. One day, She's supported getting rid of private insurance, 263 00:15:15,480 --> 00:15:17,480 Speaker 2: the next day she said it was a mistake and 264 00:15:17,520 --> 00:15:20,400 Speaker 2: didn't understand the question. And when voters would ask her 265 00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:22,400 Speaker 2: these questions, she was kind of all over the map 266 00:15:22,480 --> 00:15:26,680 Speaker 2: because she initially thought she had the right answer, but 267 00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:28,840 Speaker 2: would often bracktrack and clarify. 268 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:32,840 Speaker 1: You know, do people like her? I mean she has had, 269 00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:35,040 Speaker 1: you know, a ton of turnover. There's been so much 270 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:38,240 Speaker 1: written about the turnover in her office as vice president 271 00:15:38,280 --> 00:15:41,760 Speaker 1: of just losing a lot of staff throughout her time there. 272 00:15:41,800 --> 00:15:44,160 Speaker 1: So I mean, do people like her? You know, sort 273 00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:46,840 Speaker 1: of what's the gauge on her as just a person? 274 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:50,280 Speaker 1: I mean, I feel like typically staff turnover is telling 275 00:15:50,840 --> 00:15:52,800 Speaker 1: about the kind of person someone is. 276 00:15:53,960 --> 00:15:56,560 Speaker 2: Right, And when I did the research for the book, 277 00:15:56,680 --> 00:15:59,960 Speaker 2: Harris was not a beloved figure in fact, behind the scenes, 278 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:04,200 Speaker 2: and Washington Democrats and Republicans alike would would quite you know, 279 00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:07,800 Speaker 2: privately mark her behind the scenes. It was very hard 280 00:16:07,800 --> 00:16:10,440 Speaker 2: to find any bands of Kamala Harris back when I 281 00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:12,840 Speaker 2: first started researching this book, and I was surprised that 282 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:17,520 Speaker 2: there wasn't this solidified group of Kamala defenders. And that's 283 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:19,360 Speaker 2: kind of the way it isn't Washington, right when you're 284 00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:21,840 Speaker 2: found wanting and she had already piled up a number 285 00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:25,400 Speaker 2: of gaffes and mistakes, people can turn on you pretty quickly, 286 00:16:25,600 --> 00:16:29,680 Speaker 2: and if you're an abusive, difficult boss, right staffers in 287 00:16:29,840 --> 00:16:33,000 Speaker 2: Washington can usually put up with that if they believe 288 00:16:33,040 --> 00:16:37,240 Speaker 2: they're on the fast track to power. But if she's 289 00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:39,920 Speaker 2: seen as not having a political future, that's when, you know, 290 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:43,960 Speaker 2: the most the most clever positioning staffers will ship gears 291 00:16:43,960 --> 00:16:47,120 Speaker 2: and look elsewhere. And that's kind of where Kamala Harris 292 00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:51,240 Speaker 2: was until we now find ourselves in this moment where 293 00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:53,800 Speaker 2: all of a sudden she's now the darling of the 294 00:16:53,840 --> 00:17:00,360 Speaker 2: Democratic left. And certainly earlier, just just a few weeks ago, oh, 295 00:17:00,560 --> 00:17:02,600 Speaker 2: a lot of these same people that are out there 296 00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:06,439 Speaker 2: praising her now were privately sharing their concerns about her 297 00:17:06,520 --> 00:17:09,960 Speaker 2: possible campaign, whether or not she could compete with Donald Trump. 298 00:17:10,040 --> 00:17:13,120 Speaker 1: Out of the gate, there was a reluctance from Barack 299 00:17:13,119 --> 00:17:16,600 Speaker 1: Obama to endorse Kamala Harras now he has come around. 300 00:17:16,600 --> 00:17:19,800 Speaker 2: But what do you think that reluctance? What was behind that? 301 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:21,720 Speaker 2: Do you think? I think a lot of people were 302 00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:24,800 Speaker 2: very surprised to see that Obama wasn't out first out 303 00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:27,640 Speaker 2: of the gate to endorse Kamala Harris, because he has 304 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:31,119 Speaker 2: been a longtime supporter of her throughout her political career. 305 00:17:33,119 --> 00:17:36,600 Speaker 2: I think that primarily the reason why he didn't endorse 306 00:17:36,600 --> 00:17:39,119 Speaker 2: her publicly right away is because he didn't want to 307 00:17:39,119 --> 00:17:43,200 Speaker 2: be seen as someone who was sort of pushing Biden 308 00:17:43,320 --> 00:17:46,640 Speaker 2: out and lifting Kamala up. There was already so many 309 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:49,800 Speaker 2: stories about how he was secretly working to get rid 310 00:17:49,880 --> 00:17:52,879 Speaker 2: of Biden. He didn't want the same stories to be 311 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:56,879 Speaker 2: written about him secretly putting Kamala into place. But don't 312 00:17:56,880 --> 00:18:00,080 Speaker 2: be fooled by that. I think that Obama is a 313 00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:04,040 Speaker 2: a huge Kamala proponent. He was obviously a big supporter 314 00:18:04,200 --> 00:18:07,040 Speaker 2: of hers when Biden was searching for a vice president, 315 00:18:07,600 --> 00:18:10,880 Speaker 2: And I think that Harris has long had the Obama 316 00:18:10,920 --> 00:18:14,399 Speaker 2: support and never never worried about not getting it. I 317 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:16,920 Speaker 2: think that Obama kind of wanted to make it look 318 00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:19,119 Speaker 2: as if she was winning on her own steam. But 319 00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:21,000 Speaker 2: it was clear that there was already a lot of 320 00:18:21,040 --> 00:18:25,000 Speaker 2: background work done before the decision by Biden was made. 321 00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:26,359 Speaker 2: You know, what do you think? 322 00:18:26,680 --> 00:18:30,720 Speaker 1: There was also reports that part of Joe Biden's reluctant 323 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:33,920 Speaker 1: to step aside as a candidate apparently, you know, he's 324 00:18:33,960 --> 00:18:36,639 Speaker 1: fine to be president of the United States commander in 325 00:18:36,720 --> 00:18:39,960 Speaker 1: chief but is not equipped to be a candidate, which 326 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:43,240 Speaker 1: is a really interesting spin we're being told right now. 327 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:45,399 Speaker 1: But you know, part of the reporting at least was 328 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:48,840 Speaker 1: that he didn't feel like Kamala Harris had what it 329 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:52,600 Speaker 1: takes to win the presidency, to win the election. What 330 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:56,879 Speaker 1: has their relationship been like between the two of them. 331 00:18:56,440 --> 00:18:59,479 Speaker 2: Well, Joe Biden wanted to buddy. He really thought that 332 00:18:59,600 --> 00:19:03,200 Speaker 2: he could picked Comlin, that she would be fully supportive 333 00:19:03,240 --> 00:19:05,600 Speaker 2: of him, and that he would have a friendly, buddy 334 00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:08,760 Speaker 2: like relationship like he felt that he had with Barack Obama. 335 00:19:09,560 --> 00:19:11,919 Speaker 2: But it turned out Kamala Harris was not there to 336 00:19:11,960 --> 00:19:16,320 Speaker 2: be buddies with Joe. She was definitely not friends with Jill. 337 00:19:16,840 --> 00:19:20,320 Speaker 2: So she became very kind of standoffs. She was sparcely 338 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:25,520 Speaker 2: protective of her own political brand. Biden's staffers almost threw 339 00:19:25,600 --> 00:19:27,159 Speaker 2: up their hands when they were trying to deal with 340 00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:31,040 Speaker 2: her because she was so so defensive and so careful 341 00:19:31,080 --> 00:19:35,520 Speaker 2: about protecting her political future rather than just volunteering and 342 00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:39,159 Speaker 2: taking one for the team. By their several instances of 343 00:19:39,240 --> 00:19:42,240 Speaker 2: Biden and his staff asking her to take the lead 344 00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:44,400 Speaker 2: on certain issues and she would decline, they would ask 345 00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:46,359 Speaker 2: her to go on the Sunday shows to cover something, 346 00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:50,439 Speaker 2: and she would decline. So they ended up throwing up 347 00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:52,560 Speaker 2: their hands and kind of letting her do her own 348 00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:55,160 Speaker 2: thing because it became very clear she was not there. 349 00:19:55,800 --> 00:19:59,080 Speaker 2: Her number one goal was not there to support Biden. 350 00:19:59,359 --> 00:20:02,560 Speaker 2: It was to sort of protect her own brand during 351 00:20:02,560 --> 00:20:04,240 Speaker 2: this entire project. 352 00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:07,920 Speaker 1: And there's also been reports that, you know, she doesn't 353 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:12,199 Speaker 1: really dig in on the research and dig in on 354 00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:14,560 Speaker 1: the issues. Can you tell us, can you give us 355 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:17,440 Speaker 1: any sort of insight into that? Right? 356 00:20:17,520 --> 00:20:20,679 Speaker 2: Staffers would talk about how you know, they you know, 357 00:20:20,840 --> 00:20:23,800 Speaker 2: for instance, when she did that interview with Lester Holt 358 00:20:23,840 --> 00:20:28,080 Speaker 2: after visiting Guatemala as part of her Borders Are Duties, 359 00:20:29,280 --> 00:20:32,280 Speaker 2: you know, the famous question when are you going to 360 00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:35,600 Speaker 2: the border, and she laughs off the question and jokes 361 00:20:35,640 --> 00:20:37,679 Speaker 2: that she hasn't been to Europe, and that was widely 362 00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:41,720 Speaker 2: seen as a mistake. You know, her staff had prepared 363 00:20:41,760 --> 00:20:44,040 Speaker 2: her for that answer, they had given her briefings on 364 00:20:44,080 --> 00:20:48,359 Speaker 2: that answer, and yet she, you know, ended up skipping 365 00:20:48,440 --> 00:20:51,919 Speaker 2: over her prepared answer and delivering something else entirely. And 366 00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:54,920 Speaker 2: that's just one example of how they, you know, staffers 367 00:20:54,920 --> 00:20:57,520 Speaker 2: wouldn't get frustrated with Harris because they would prepare her, 368 00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:00,800 Speaker 2: but she never took the issues seriously. I guess, what 369 00:21:00,840 --> 00:21:01,800 Speaker 2: do you see from her now? 370 00:21:01,840 --> 00:21:04,960 Speaker 1: I mean, it does seem like, you know, and watching 371 00:21:05,680 --> 00:21:10,360 Speaker 1: the few sort of you know, public speeches and things 372 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:12,840 Speaker 1: she has done since you know all you know, basically 373 00:21:12,840 --> 00:21:16,919 Speaker 1: the coronation. She's not officially the Democrat nominee, but you know, 374 00:21:17,119 --> 00:21:19,800 Speaker 1: she's essentially the presumptive nominee at this point. Got a 375 00:21:19,880 --> 00:21:26,399 Speaker 1: quick commercial break, stay with us. Does it look like she's, 376 00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:28,840 Speaker 1: you know, kind of paying attention to the NAXI. I mean, 377 00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:32,040 Speaker 1: it seems like a little bit more serious. You know, 378 00:21:32,119 --> 00:21:35,480 Speaker 1: she's not doing some of the weird laughter stuff. I guess, 379 00:21:35,480 --> 00:21:38,280 Speaker 1: what have you seen from her so far as a 380 00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:41,199 Speaker 1: presidential candidate and what you've read and what you know 381 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:44,360 Speaker 1: about her, any anything, any insight on that. 382 00:21:45,119 --> 00:21:47,840 Speaker 2: In the past couple of months, Lisa, she's been very 383 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:51,639 Speaker 2: disciplined and very focused. I think bad Kamala Harris was 384 00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:56,679 Speaker 2: already sort of preparing for this moment. Her campaign events 385 00:21:56,680 --> 00:21:59,800 Speaker 2: were very scripted, and she was very disciplined, and I 386 00:21:59,840 --> 00:22:02,320 Speaker 2: think I think a Kamala heiress as a candidate has 387 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:04,960 Speaker 2: learned a lot of lessons from twenty twenty, that you know, 388 00:22:05,160 --> 00:22:09,440 Speaker 2: not necessarily that you can't necessarily just thrive on your own, 389 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:12,840 Speaker 2: you know, terrorism, because it's not quite there. You're not 390 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:16,000 Speaker 2: you know, you're not seen as the next Obama. You 391 00:22:16,119 --> 00:22:18,760 Speaker 2: have to be the the Kamala Aires. You have to 392 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:21,240 Speaker 2: define yourself and you have to stay on message and 393 00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:24,520 Speaker 2: you can't get distracted. So I think that she has 394 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:28,280 Speaker 2: sort of demonstrated a little bit more discipline than her 395 00:22:28,320 --> 00:22:31,920 Speaker 2: previous attempts at campaigning. And we'll have to see whether 396 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:37,960 Speaker 2: she runs a kind of a very defensive, basement scripted 397 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:42,119 Speaker 2: campaign or whether there's moments where she can actually emphasize 398 00:22:42,160 --> 00:22:43,520 Speaker 2: her true personality. 399 00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:49,080 Speaker 1: What do you think are her biggest vulnerabilities from studying 400 00:22:49,119 --> 00:22:51,320 Speaker 1: her background and just studying her as a person with 401 00:22:51,400 --> 00:22:54,679 Speaker 1: this book, and what are our biggest vulnerabilities biggest liabilities 402 00:22:54,720 --> 00:22:55,400 Speaker 1: as a candidate. 403 00:22:56,480 --> 00:23:00,280 Speaker 2: Well, she's sort of defensive and she she's not a 404 00:23:00,320 --> 00:23:04,760 Speaker 2: risk taker, So that's and she lacks sort of the 405 00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:08,520 Speaker 2: authenticity and kerorism that it takes to be a presidential candidate. 406 00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:10,520 Speaker 2: You have to win the hearts of the American people. 407 00:23:11,080 --> 00:23:13,080 Speaker 2: Harris had a chance to do that when she ran 408 00:23:13,160 --> 00:23:17,040 Speaker 2: for president in twenty twenty and she failed miserably. Iowa voters, 409 00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:21,520 Speaker 2: even voters in South Carolina and even in the Southern states, 410 00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:24,959 Speaker 2: did not find her to be an approachable, warm candidate, 411 00:23:25,040 --> 00:23:27,960 Speaker 2: but just another power hungry senator trying to be the 412 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:30,679 Speaker 2: next Barack Obama, where there were several that ran that 413 00:23:30,800 --> 00:23:35,000 Speaker 2: year that voters ultimately rejected. And so I think that's 414 00:23:35,080 --> 00:23:38,280 Speaker 2: her biggest challenge right now. Can you actually go out there, 415 00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:41,680 Speaker 2: get on the stump, meet with voters, win over their 416 00:23:41,720 --> 00:23:45,639 Speaker 2: hearts or is it just going to be a scripted 417 00:23:46,200 --> 00:23:49,480 Speaker 2: campaign based on a couple of speeches at least interesting 418 00:23:49,560 --> 00:23:55,520 Speaker 2: to see how quickly that they can overcome that gap. 419 00:23:56,760 --> 00:23:57,679 Speaker 1: Is she intelligent? 420 00:23:58,680 --> 00:24:01,040 Speaker 2: You know, I think when she does the homework and 421 00:24:02,040 --> 00:24:06,640 Speaker 2: that she does have a kind of understanding of the issues. However, 422 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:09,560 Speaker 2: she is not very good at speaking in a way 423 00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:13,399 Speaker 2: that is authentic and lets people believe she's very If 424 00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:18,760 Speaker 2: you find she's in public, she's very guarded and isn't 425 00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:22,600 Speaker 2: very knowledge You can't really speak knowledgeably about the issues. 426 00:24:22,960 --> 00:24:26,000 Speaker 2: She can do a good job about, you know, raising 427 00:24:26,040 --> 00:24:29,960 Speaker 2: the fears of the problems that are facing Americans, but 428 00:24:30,080 --> 00:24:32,800 Speaker 2: as far as speaking in a way that that have 429 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:36,520 Speaker 2: resonates with the public is very difficult. She strikes me 430 00:24:36,560 --> 00:24:37,600 Speaker 2: as very insecure. 431 00:24:39,480 --> 00:24:40,960 Speaker 1: And I don't know if that's because of how she 432 00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:43,320 Speaker 1: got her start or what, but she strikes me as 433 00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:47,240 Speaker 1: a very insecure person. As you mentioned, like guarded, not 434 00:24:47,359 --> 00:24:50,080 Speaker 1: very confident in herself, not very confident in her ability. 435 00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:51,680 Speaker 1: It's not comfortable in her own skin. 436 00:24:52,680 --> 00:24:55,600 Speaker 2: I think that's right. She demonstrated that multiple times during 437 00:24:55,640 --> 00:24:59,400 Speaker 2: her twenty twenty campaign, and because you know, our campaign 438 00:24:59,560 --> 00:25:03,040 Speaker 2: ended so miserably, she's been even more guarded. She did 439 00:25:03,040 --> 00:25:07,240 Speaker 2: an interview a couple months ago with Lebron James's manager 440 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:10,679 Speaker 2: and she said, you know this, running a campaign is 441 00:25:10,720 --> 00:25:12,600 Speaker 2: like a food is like running through a food fight, 442 00:25:12,680 --> 00:25:16,359 Speaker 2: and you have to be perfect, you know, And that 443 00:25:16,560 --> 00:25:20,119 Speaker 2: sort of gave a window into how she views this 444 00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:22,200 Speaker 2: as like, I have to be perfect. I can't make 445 00:25:22,320 --> 00:25:25,560 Speaker 2: one slip or I will be punished. And when you 446 00:25:25,680 --> 00:25:29,480 Speaker 2: have that in mind, when you're not loose and comfortable 447 00:25:29,880 --> 00:25:32,760 Speaker 2: with the idea of running in the public eye, then 448 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:37,840 Speaker 2: you're going to automatically have a sort of guarded, defensive personality. 449 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:40,680 Speaker 1: You know, We've covered a lot of ground, but I'm 450 00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:43,000 Speaker 1: sure have missed things. Is there anything that you'd like 451 00:25:43,040 --> 00:25:45,360 Speaker 1: the audience to know that you know we haven't covered yet, 452 00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:48,000 Speaker 1: that you think is important or notable for people at 453 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:48,399 Speaker 1: home to know. 454 00:25:49,760 --> 00:25:53,679 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think that most people will just automatically dismiss Harris, 455 00:25:53,720 --> 00:25:56,600 Speaker 2: as you know, because they know the Kamala Harris of 456 00:25:56,680 --> 00:25:58,960 Speaker 2: the word salads, of someone who was not taking the 457 00:25:59,040 --> 00:26:03,800 Speaker 2: job seriously. But I certainly view her as a formidable 458 00:26:03,840 --> 00:26:07,159 Speaker 2: candidate because when you know she she has a record 459 00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:09,560 Speaker 2: of not doing very well in the job when she 460 00:26:09,640 --> 00:26:12,760 Speaker 2: gets the job, but when she wants a job, she 461 00:26:12,840 --> 00:26:16,720 Speaker 2: will rise to the occasion and and people will underestimate her. 462 00:26:17,119 --> 00:26:20,080 Speaker 2: I think that she is fully prepared to run a 463 00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:23,320 Speaker 2: good race, has the ambition to run a good race, 464 00:26:23,760 --> 00:26:26,720 Speaker 2: and that you know, if there it actually is a 465 00:26:26,720 --> 00:26:30,360 Speaker 2: debate between Harris and Trump, I think that Harris will 466 00:26:30,400 --> 00:26:34,040 Speaker 2: take it seriously and will be a formidable opponent in 467 00:26:34,400 --> 00:26:37,520 Speaker 2: any presidential debate. Certainly, she has to answer for her 468 00:26:37,640 --> 00:26:41,840 Speaker 2: very liberal record, and if Trump is wise, he'll he'll 469 00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:44,760 Speaker 2: focus on that, and I think that any kind of 470 00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:48,919 Speaker 2: competition between the two will be a significant race. I 471 00:26:48,920 --> 00:26:51,760 Speaker 2: don't think it's a I don't think it's a foregone 472 00:26:51,760 --> 00:26:55,239 Speaker 2: conclusion that that she'll just spiral into words soualads and 473 00:26:55,280 --> 00:26:57,560 Speaker 2: collapse completely if she makes a debate stage. 474 00:26:58,280 --> 00:27:00,600 Speaker 1: You know what, well, she almost strikes me as ambitious, 475 00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:03,600 Speaker 1: to be perfectly honest, like the kind where you know, 476 00:27:03,720 --> 00:27:08,840 Speaker 1: the Tanya hrting you to get ahead, you know, before 477 00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:10,800 Speaker 1: we go, you know, kind of what are some of 478 00:27:10,840 --> 00:27:14,480 Speaker 1: the big takeaways in terms of her you know, career 479 00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:18,040 Speaker 1: where you know, I mean, she does have sort of 480 00:27:18,040 --> 00:27:21,760 Speaker 1: a laundry list of very leftist policies. What stands out 481 00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:22,320 Speaker 1: to you. 482 00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:29,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, certainly with her policies, you know, her impositions she's taken. Yeah, yeah, 483 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:33,119 Speaker 2: And and Republicans have been reciting these off just in 484 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:37,239 Speaker 2: the last couple of days, so so rapidly. But you know, 485 00:27:37,440 --> 00:27:40,040 Speaker 2: it's clear that she has no intention of securing the 486 00:27:40,080 --> 00:27:44,840 Speaker 2: border or doing anything to expel all of the migrants 487 00:27:44,880 --> 00:27:47,320 Speaker 2: says she left that she let come across the border, 488 00:27:47,320 --> 00:27:50,000 Speaker 2: her and Biden. It's clear she has no interest in 489 00:27:50,040 --> 00:27:56,160 Speaker 2: the issue of immigration, immigration enforcement. She wants to, she 490 00:27:56,200 --> 00:28:01,600 Speaker 2: certainly wants to, you know, move towards u government supported healthcare, 491 00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:09,520 Speaker 2: government funded daycare, government funded government assistance for every aspect 492 00:28:09,680 --> 00:28:15,600 Speaker 2: of a person's life. She certainly is supports the government 493 00:28:15,880 --> 00:28:20,399 Speaker 2: federal federally, you know, making it codifying Roe v. Wade 494 00:28:20,400 --> 00:28:25,200 Speaker 2: into law, and making zero restrictions on abortion, and certainly 495 00:28:25,240 --> 00:28:27,760 Speaker 2: even suddenly some of the more fun policies that they 496 00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:31,040 Speaker 2: talked about during the campaign, like would you consider changing 497 00:28:31,600 --> 00:28:35,040 Speaker 2: you know, the government restrictions on red meat consumption? She 498 00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:39,120 Speaker 2: was she was, you know, vocally in supportive that and 499 00:28:39,280 --> 00:28:43,440 Speaker 2: so many other things like banning fracking and in you know, 500 00:28:43,480 --> 00:28:47,080 Speaker 2: getting rid of private health insurance. These are major issues 501 00:28:47,120 --> 00:28:49,360 Speaker 2: that she was on the record supporting and it will 502 00:28:49,400 --> 00:28:50,760 Speaker 2: be difficult to walk that back. 503 00:28:51,840 --> 00:28:53,280 Speaker 1: And I think she said she wanted to get rid 504 00:28:53,320 --> 00:28:54,240 Speaker 1: of plastic straws. 505 00:28:55,360 --> 00:28:58,719 Speaker 2: I don't know. Yeah, I'm going to forget get rid 506 00:28:58,760 --> 00:28:59,920 Speaker 2: of the plastic straws. 507 00:29:00,360 --> 00:29:04,040 Speaker 1: Well, it will be an interesting election, but you know, 508 00:29:04,080 --> 00:29:06,760 Speaker 1: we appreciate you bringing your insight on your book, Amateur Hour. 509 00:29:06,840 --> 00:29:10,040 Speaker 1: Charlie Sparing, thank you so much. We appreciate your time. 510 00:29:10,520 --> 00:29:12,200 Speaker 2: You bet, Lisa, thanks so much for having me. 511 00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:17,000 Speaker 1: Those Charlie Spearing, author of Amateur Hour, Kamala Harris and 512 00:29:17,040 --> 00:29:19,120 Speaker 1: the White House appreciate him taking the time to come 513 00:29:19,160 --> 00:29:21,320 Speaker 1: on the show. Appreciate you guys at home for listening 514 00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:23,600 Speaker 1: every Monday and Thursday, but you can listen throughout the week. 515 00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:25,560 Speaker 1: I do think John, Cassie, and my producer were putting 516 00:29:25,560 --> 00:29:26,960 Speaker 1: the show together until next time.