"An unprecedented moment." With The Nation's John Nichols
The Bill Press Pod
BP Pods
4.7 • 601 Ratings
🗓️ 6 August 2024
⏱️ 40 minutes
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Summary
John Nichols is the National Affairs correspondent for The Nation and associate editor of The Capital Times in Madison Wisconsin. He discusses the political landscape and the excitement surrounding Kamala Harris as Joe Biden's running mate. He reflects on the energy and momentum she has generated in just a few days since the announcement. Nichols also discusses the response from Republicans, including some who have not endorsed Trump. He believes that America is ready for a woman, especially a woman of color, to be president. He criticizes Trump's response to Harris and highlights the comfort level within the Republican party for statements that were once considered unacceptable. Nichols also discusses the potential for debates between Harris and Trump, emphasizing the need for fair rules and structures. He predicts that Harris will continue to gain support in the polls and will receive a bump from the Democratic convention. Nichols and Bill speculate on the potential vice presidential candidates, focusing on Governor Walz and Governor Shapiro. They discuss the importance of having someone from the Midwest and the progressive records of both candidates. They also mention Bernie Sanders' expected endorsement of Harris. Finally, Nichols emphasizes the importance of the 2024 election and the opportunity for a united government that works for the American people.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello, good friends. Welcome back to the Bill Press Pod in another big week for politics |
| 0:12.3 | topped off by the unveiling of Kamala Harris's vice presidential running mate. That's just |
| 0:18.4 | the latest example of how the world of politics has turned upside down |
| 0:23.1 | in the last two weeks, ever since President Biden announced his decision to step aside. |
| 0:28.7 | Suddenly, Donald Trump, who led in all the polls, is no longer in the lead. |
| 0:34.6 | Suddenly, the Republican Party, so united behind Trump, is now having second |
| 0:40.2 | thoughts about Trump and about J.D. Vance. And suddenly, the Democratic Party, usually so fractured, |
| 0:47.4 | is more united and more excited than it's been since the days of Barack Obama. Even veteran political reporters say they've never |
| 0:56.4 | seen anything like it. And so today, for his take on this astonishing political scene, |
| 1:03.6 | we catch up with one of the best and most progressive voices in journalism, John Nichols, |
| 1:10.4 | the Sage of Madison, Wisconsin, author of several great |
| 1:14.5 | political books and National Affairs correspondent for the Nation magazine. John Nichols, it's been |
| 1:21.2 | too damn long since we've had a chance to catch up, so it's really good to reconnect. |
| 1:25.7 | Welcome to the Bill Press Pod. It is very good to be on |
| 1:29.0 | the Bill Press Pod. I feel like a frog. Well, John, certainly the political world has turned |
| 1:36.2 | upside down in the last couple of weeks. Two weeks and a day since Joe Biden decided to step |
| 1:42.4 | aside, pass the torch to Kamala Harris. |
| 1:44.9 | Are you feeling better about 2024 today than you did a couple of weeks ago? |
| 1:50.2 | Well, first off, I'll tell you, it's the fastest moving two weeks in my life. |
| 1:54.2 | I think all of ours, it's hard to imagine. |
| 1:56.7 | When you just said that, I had to think for a second, go, wow, only two weeks. |
| 2:00.4 | It's amazing. |
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