A Conversation That Wouldn’t Have Happened 8 Yrs Ago

The Social Contract with Joe Walsh

The Bravery Project

Joe, Politics, Trump, Wash, Joewalsh, News, Thedaily, Thelincolnproject, Podsaveamerica

4.6 • 752 Ratings

🗓️ 30 July 2025

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

I sat down with author and former Obama speechwriter David Litt. We talked about his new book “It’s Only Drowning,” the scary state of our politics, the future of the Democratic Party, how to find common ground, and where to find hope these days. 8yrs ago, he and I were on opposite sides. Now we’re on the same side trying to help defend democracy.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	America, we got to get back to doing what's expected of us as free citizens in this democracy.
0:07.3	That means being tolerant, being respectful, staying informed, and being engaged.
0:13.5	I'm former Congressman Joe Walsh. Follow me here and join the millions of Americans who are renewing their social contract with each other.
0:23.6	The social contract, it's on us.
0:31.2	Welcome, everybody.
0:32.6	That voice you here right there belongs to David Litt.
0:34.7	I cannot wait to begin a conversation with them.
0:39.1	Come on in. Joe Thomas,
0:47.1	come on in. Alex, Alexis, everybody, come on in. I look. Got a great live, substack live tonight.
0:59.1	My guest, there he is, handsome young man. David Litt, former Barack Obama speech writer, author, and I got to tell you,
1:03.9	he's got a great, great book out that I'm going to hammer everybody. It's right there behind him, behind his right ear. It's called It's Only Drowning. Been out about a month,
1:10.6	learning to surf and a true story of the search for common ground as well.
1:17.6	We're going to get into that book of David Zet just came out about a month or so ago called
1:22.7	It's Only Drowning.
1:24.9	David, brother, thank you for joining me to i want to get into the book i want
1:32.2	your take on these fucking crazy times we're living in right now but give me start us give me a word as
1:41.0	you if you and i were sitting at our local favorite watering hole, drinking our drinks, and I asked you to give me a word or two that describes where America is politically right now, what's going on.
1:57.5	Where would you start?
1:59.9	Oh, man, that's, I feel like you're starting with the tough questions. I am. Yeah. I, I, I don't, I mean, I would say knife sedge, right? Like, that's actually how I feel where we are right now is, on one hand, we have never been in this much trouble. And on the other hand, if you look at where Trump and MAGA are, and I'm curious,
2:18.6	of course, what you're feeling about this is, but there, it's a very, you know, it's, it's right between
2:24.5	having more power than ever and having less power than ever, right? And I think it's,
2:30.3	it's a very interesting and interesting here being a euphemism for scary place where we are right now.
	...

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