How Much is “Being Cool” Actually Worth in Politics?
The Political Scene | The New Yorker
WNYC Studios and The New Yorker
4.2 • 3.3K Ratings
🗓️ 29 August 2024
⏱️ 36 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The New Yorker staff writer Naomi Fry joins Tyler Foggatt to unpack Kamala Harris’s cultural blitzkrieg and how a litany of A-list celebrities and online influencers have helped revitalize the Presidential race. “It’s like the scene in ‘Pulp Fiction’ or something, where Uma Thurman overdoses and then has the adrenaline shot into her heart,” Fry said. To what degree can a candidate turn “being cool” into a winning strategy?
This week’s reading:
- “What Kamala Harris May Have to Do Next,” by Jay Caspian Kang
- “Kamala Harris’s Youth-Vote Turnaround,” by E. Tammy Kim
- “The Kamala Show,” by Vinson Cunningham
To discover more podcasts from The New Yorker, visit newyorker.com/podcasts. To send feedback on this episode, write to [email protected].
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | The stage is set. After a week packed with speeches from the Democratic Party's biggest stars, |
| 0:07.0 | Kamala Harris is officially the Democratic nominee for President of the United States. |
| 0:12.0 | But besides the party Brass, nominee for President of the United States. |
| 0:12.9 | But besides the party Brass, |
| 0:14.9 | various celebrity speakers and performers |
| 0:17.1 | were woven throughout the schedule at the convention. |
| 0:19.9 | Please welcome actor and director Tony Goldwin. |
| 0:25.0 | Nine-time NBA champion and coach of the 2024 Olympic gold winning men's |
| 0:31.1 | basketball team, Steve Kerr. |
| 0:35.0 | Oprah Winfrey. |
| 0:38.0 | Multipatinum artist and activist John Legend. |
| 0:42.2 | It was an undeniable illustration of how much of a hold the Harris campaign has on the culture. |
| 0:49.8 | But how much does that matter? |
| 0:51.8 | And can Republicans make up lost ground |
| 0:53.4 | when it comes to pop culture, or has the war already been lost? |
| 0:57.4 | In an election this tight, how much is being cool |
| 1:01.0 | actually worth. |
| 1:03.3 | I spoke with my colleague, New Yorker staff writer Nome Frye about Kamala Harris's |
| 1:07.8 | Cultural Blitz Creek. |
| 1:10.3 | You're listening to the political scene. |
| 1:12.3 | I'm Tyler Foggett, and I'm a senior editor at the New Yorker. |
| 1:15.0 | Hey Nomey, thanks for coming on the show. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from WNYC Studios and The New Yorker, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of WNYC Studios and The New Yorker and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.