Exploiting Trump’s Weaknesses; plus Mass Deportation in US History

Listen HERE
Matt Gaetz dropping out as Attorney General nominee was a major setback for Trump, which exposes his vulnerabilities and weaknesses. Harold Meyerson reports on the divide in the Senate, and then between the MAGA movement and Republicans on Wall Street and in the corporations.

Also on this episode of Start Making Sense: Trump’s plan to deport millions of undocumented immigrants is terrible, but the idea of expelling people considered undesirable is not unprecedented in the American past. Eric Foner reviews that history, from the Native American “Trail of Tears” to the pre-Civil War proposals to free the slaves and send them to Africa.  Lewis: A Life.”  Transcript HERE   11-27-2024

Trump Voters for Abortion; and Learning from John Lewis

Listen HERE
A lot of people who voted for abortion rights referenda this year also voted for Trump. What were they thinking? How do they understand politics? Amy Littlefield spent election day in Amarillo, Texas, trying to find out.

Also: John Lewis, who died in 2020, challenged injustice from the sit-ins of 1960 to the Age of Trump. Historian David Greenberg talks about what we can learn from his example. Greenberg’s new book is “John Lewis: A Life.”  Transcript HERE   11-21-2024

Learning from the Election: Harold Meyerson; Trumpers for Abortion: Amy Littlefield; Sean Wilentz on Bob Dylan

Listen HERE
Trump’s terrible cabinet picks – what if the Democrats use these remaining two months to hold their own confirmation hirings? Also, are Democrats out of touch with the American people? Harold Meyerson comments.

Also: A lot of people who voted for abortion rights referenda this year also voted for Trump. What were they thinking? How do they understand politics? Amy Littlefield spent election day in Amarillo, Texas, trying to find out.

Plus: From the archives: Bob Dylan in 1964, when he was 23; Sean Wilentz, historian and author of a Grammy-nominated essay about Bob Dylan, comments (originally recorded in January, 2005).

Rebecca Solnit on Hope in the Dark; plus the Trump-Musk Bromance

Listen HERE
Hope does not mean saying ‘this is not bad,’ Rebecca Solnit argues; it just means we will not give up—because we know that what we do matters, and we also know we’ve been surprised by good things we never expected.

Also: The bromance between Elon Musk and Donald Trump cannot last – historian David Nasaw will explain why.

Transcript HERE   11-14-2024

Trump’s Crazy Cabinet: Harold Meyerson; Hope in the Dark: Rebecca Solnit; Where’s Melania?

Listen HERE
Trump’s initial nominees include Matt Gaetz for Attorney General – “the group that is probably most elated by this are his fellow Republican House members who hate his guts” – Harold Meyerson discusses Trump’s crazy cabinet.

Also: Hope does not mean saying ‘this is not bad,’ Rebecca Solnit argues; it just means we will not give up—because we know that what we do matters, and we also know we’ve been surprised by good things we never expected.

Plus: Melania has been absent from Trump’s side; and, is reported to have no intention of living in the White House for Trump’s second term; so, where ​IS Melania?​

How Trump Won: Harold Meyerson and John Nichols; Harried Tubman: Tiya Miles

Listen HERE
Big Picture: Trump won a landslide in the electoral college and control of the Senate; control of the House is unclear at this point. So much good work went into fighting Trump; but, a majority of voters know who Trump is and chose him. So, how did we get here? And, what do we do next? Harold Meyerson comments.

Also: John Nichols looks at the elections results: For starters: Trump got fewer votes than 4 years ago; 55% of voters in the CNN exit poll said he was “too extreme.”

Plus: Harriet Tubman escaped from slavery and returned again and again to lead others north to freedom. Now her story is being told in a wonderful new book, with the wonderful title “Night Flyer” –​ the author is Harvard historian Tiya Miles​ (originally recorded June, 2024).  11-7-2024

Kamala’s Closing Message, plus Election Protection

Listen HERE
New research suggests what messages win working class votes in Pennsylvania – strong economic populism, and not Trump’s threat to democracy. Bhaskar Sunkara, the Nation’s president, is on the podcast to discuss.

Also: The ACLU has been preparing for election day threats to voting and vote counting for years. Sophia Lin Lakin, director of the ACLU’s voting rights project, explains.

Transcript HERE   10-31-2024

Closing Arguments: Harold Meyerson; Melania’s Memoir: Amy Wilentz; Womens’ Reproductive Health Care: Michelle Obama

Listen HERE
If Harris wins Pennsylvania – a predominately working-class state – she probably wins the election; so, what could be the most effective closing argument to convince working-class voters there to vote for Harris? New research by The Center for Working-Class Politics tested messages and found that the strongest one singles out corporations for raising prices — Harold Meyerson comments.

Also: Melania has published a memoir, Melania, where she revisits plagiarizing Michelle Obama for her 2016 RNC convention speech, and wearing that jacket that said “I don’t care, do U?” when she visited INS detention camps for children separated from their parents at the border. Amy Wilentz comments on her explanations—and on the rest of the book.

Plus: Part of Michelle Obama’s speech in Kalamazoo last weekend where she said “to the men who love us, let me just try to paint a picture of what it will feel like if America, the wealthiest nation on earth, keeps revoking basic care from its women; and how it will effect every single woman in your life”; and about Trump: “a vote for him is a vote against us.”  10-31-2024

Are Black and Latino Voters Really “Drifting”? Plus Melania and her Memoir

Listen HERE
Latino and Black voters in swing states, we are told by the New York Times, are “drifting away from the Democrats.” But how good is the evidence here? Steve Phillips has our analysis.

Also: Melania has published a memoir: “Melania,” where she revisits plagiarizing Michelle Obama for her 2016 RNC convention speech, and wearing that jacket that said “I don’t care, do U?” when she visited INS detention camps for children separated from their parents at the border. Amy Wilentz comments on her explanations—and on the rest of the book.

Transcript HERE   10-24-2024