Independent presidential candidate Robert Kennedy, Jr. has suspended his campaign and endorsed Republican nominee Donald Trump. Following the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, at least five Secret Service agents have been put on administrative leave. And Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell signaled today that a rate cut is forthcoming.
A capable Kamala concludes with a convention capstone for the people. Plus, an assessment, a look forward, and the never-ending attempt to figure out Trump's next maneuver, a conversation with Dave Weigel of Semafor and Marc Caputo of The Bulwark.
In today’s episode, we’re diving into the final day of the DNC, which was overshadowed by rumors of a surprise performance by Beyoncé. We discuss Maya Harris's heartfelt speech and Kamala Harris's brief remarks. As for Kamala’s policy platform—well, that remains a mystery! Tune in!
Welcome to another edition of Indicators of the Week! On today's show, the large downward revision to jobs numbers, the awkward release of that news and a survey that asks U.S. workers for the minimum salary they would accept a new job for.
Ravi kicks off the show by reflecting on the final day of the DNC convention, how the past four days could impact Democrats’ chances against Trump in November, and the implications of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s pending withdrawal from the race.
Ravi then welcomes New York Times housing reporter Conor Dougherty to the show to discuss the current state of the housing crisis, how political dynamics influence progress, and why Obama may have decided to use his speech at the DNC to advocate for reform within the outdated housing market. Finally, Ravi and Conor delve into Silicon Valley billionaires’ efforts to create a new city in California.
Time Stamps:
Grading the DNC - 0:01
Kamala's Risks - 6:14
YIMBY - 9:00
Billionaire City - 27:15
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Kamala delivered a real work of art—a perfect American story filled with love of country, democracy, family, and the pursuit of big dreams. She also spoke to the center of the electorate, and conveyed a strength to take on the bullies and protect the nation, all with a feminine touch. Meanwhile, the sitting black VP has positioned herself as the challenger against an incumbent Trump, infuriating him in the process. A.B. Stoddard joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod.
The Democrats had themselves a convention, they're really happy, Kamala Harris spoke for a while and did fine, the media have gone absolutely bonkers for her entirely—shall we say—conventional speech, and can she keep up being this much of a cipher until Election Day? Give a listen.
Kamala Harris makes history, accepting her party's nomination for President. Donald Trump vows border crackdown. Rail shutdown halted. CBS News Correspondent Steve Kathan has today's World News Roundup.
Vice President Harris accepted the Democratic nomination for President. Former President Trump campaigned at the southern border in Arizona, and the FDA approved a new COVID-19 vaccine designed to help protect against the latest strains of the virus.
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Today's episode of Up First was edited by Roberta Rampton, Krishnadev Calamur, Scott Hensley, Janaya Williams and Adriana Gallardo. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Nina Kravinsky. We get engineering support from Arthur Laurent. Our technical director is Zac Coleman. And our Executive Producer is Erika Aguilar.
In the 1972 presidential election, Democratic candidate George McGovern was soundly defeated by Richard Nixon. It was a bloodbath. He lost 49 states, a result widely attributed to his positions being “too liberal” for the American mainstream.
Four decades later, in a more liberal America, McGovern released a book called What It Means to Be a Democrat, outlining core values that define the Democratic Party. Because, he argued, in his day, during the “1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. . . it was obvious that a spirit of wide embrace was missing both inside and outside the convention hall.” The party had “splintered” into warring factions. This, McGovern argued, could never be allowed to happen again.
Here we are again, 50-plus years later, back in Chicago, back at the Democratic National Convention. There’s the version that’s inside. And there’s the one that’s outside, with left-wing demonstrators in the streets demanding the party forcefully oppose Israel’s war in Gaza, beseeching Democrats to somehow precipitate an end to capitalism and support various other identity-related progressive causes.
They marched and shouted, faces swaddled in N95 masks or tightly wrapped with keffiyehs, beneath a sea of Palestinian flags, punctuated by the occasional hammer and sickle. There was only one American flag to be found—a prop to be doused in lighter fluid and set alight.
Inside the convention hall, we passed countless people in red, white, and blue dresses and jackets and hats, while volunteers handed out signs that simply read “USA.” And while all those stuffed into Chicago’s United Center seemed energized by the Kamala coronation, we found divergent views on what it means to be a Democrat.
At the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last month, there were no divergent views. No Never-Trumpers. No holdout Nikki Haley supporters. No contingent of free-traders, tax-cutters, or libertarians. The MAGA faction had fully purged the dissenters.
A recent CBS News/YouGov poll found that while 86 percent of registered voters said they knew what Donald Trump stood for, that number fell to 64 percent when the same question was asked about Kamala Harris. Some of this can be attributed to her many policy flip-flops, some to her decision to avoid almost all interaction with media. . . and some to the Democrats’ emphasis on vibes over policy.
So we came to Chicago to ask the question: What does it mean, in 2024, to be a Democrat?
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