As Donald Trump prepares to take control again - with a huge mandate from the American public - Robyn Curnow unpacks the result with her frank outsider perspective. While she's spent time trying to understand why so many of her neighbors voted for Trump, she is also clear that this is not a race the Democrats should have lost. Why? Joe Biden made a decision to run for a second term. If he had not, would things be very different now?

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Early European map makers drew dragons and wrote ‘Here Be Dragons’ on areas of the world that were still undiscovered or unknown. It is an HBD week in America.

We are about to sail into uncharted waters, and it’s totally and utterly unclear what the waves will reveal after the election.

In the first ten episodes of Searching for America, Robyn Curnow asked her guests to give her three words to describe America. Three words only. In this special election episode she piles all the words together and adds her own combination to the mix.

Three words to describe America?

At A Crossroads

Us vs Them

Divided. Hopeful. Protean

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Ben Jealous is one of America's civil rights leaders. He's worked with Kamala Harris in San Francisco and heads up the country's largest and oldest environmental group. Robyn Curnow talks to him about black men being 'Trump-curious,' white poverty and his personal story as the son of a mixed-race marriage that was illegal at the time.

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Ben Jealous

"We've shut down 65,000 American factories in 30 years."

"Eight out of 10 black men will vote for Kamala Harris."

Chapters

00:00 The State of American Manufacturing and Economy
01:25 Political Landscape and Predictions
05:14 Voting Trends Among Black and Latino Men
08:05 Perceptions of Progressivism and Liberalism
10:00 Kamala Harris: A New Kind of Leadership
12:23 Environmental Challenges and Global Production
14:23 Conclusion and Call to Action

Takeaways

65,000 American factories have shut down in 30 years.
Economic mobility is a significant issue for most Americans.
Donald Trump's support has grown due to populist talking points.
Poverty affects more white Americans than many realize.
Voting trends show a shift among black and Latino men.
Perceptions of liberalism can alienate centrist voters.
Kamala Harris represents a new kind of leadership.
Environmental issues are intertwined with national security.
Voter turnout is crucial in a polarized political landscape.
The current political climate is marked by anxiety and uncertainty.

American economy, manufacturing, political predictions, voting trends, Kamala Harris, environmental issues, progressive politics, civil rights, grassroots organizing, electoral college

Ben Jealous has given thousands of speeches as an American civil rights leader but few would guess that he had a childhood stutter that still defines his patterns of speech. As a surfer, he says he tends to ride his words and sentences like a wave. When he was a kid, Bill Cosby humiliated his stammer which left Ben's family stunned at the contrast between Cosby's public and personal behavior.

Take listen to Ben favourite things on this bonus b-roll episode.

Ben Jealous

Three words to describe America: Big, beautiful, and divided.

Favorite landscape: Big Sur. Yosemite

Family background: My father’s family arrived in Salem, Massachusetts, around 400 years ago, coming from England. My mom’s family has been here for around the same amount of time. They were among the earliest settlers and slaves in Virginia. One of my ancestors came on one of 17 slave ships from Madagascar, and she was most likely a pirate—16 out of 17 of those ships were piloted by known European pirates.

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Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the American Experience
00:45 Defining America: A Crossroads
03:02 Personal Histories and Racial Identity
05:56 The Influence of Environment and Nature
08:47 Overcoming Challenges: Stuttering and Resilience
10:46 Reflections on Optimism and Unity

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The son of a rabbi and a renowned sociologist, Julian Zelizer is a Princeton historian who studies modern American politics in a clear, cool way. Robyn Curnow - who has covered elections around the worlld wanted to know why the politics of Donald Trump has taken so firmly root in American life and why Americans get so amped up over single issues.

And, Robyn (who was in the 'belly of the beast' at CNN) and Julian talk frankly about the mistakes the media made in covering Trump in the early days. And the arguments over if the Democrats are too radicalized and 'dangerously liberal,' as the Republicans call them.

Chapters

00:00 Complexities of American Politics
01:24 Understanding Unprecedented Politics
04:41 The Impact of Watergate on Modern Politics
06:30 Media's Role in Political Coverage
10:11 The Dynamics of the Democratic Party
12:05 Cultural Issues in American Politics
16:13 Personal Perspectives on American Identity
18:04 Jewish Identity and American Politics
20:54 Youth Engagement in Political Issues
22:44 Predictions for the Upcoming Election

What are the current American leaders like? Princeton historian Julian Zelizer tells Robyn Curnow his perceptions of Trump, Biden, Vance, Harris and other leaders he's interviewed.

Three words to describe America right now? Fractured, divided and fragile.

Time travel? Oval Office, 1960's during Lyndon Johnson Presidency

Music? Grateful Dead

Ideal dinner guests? Ella Backer, Martin Luther King, FDR, Jerry Garcia.

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Chapters

00:00 Exploring American Identity
02:58 The Complexity of Leadership
05:54 Understanding Modern Political Figures
08:47 Cultural Reflections in Music and Art
11:49 Disappointments in Leadership
14:57 Bridging Divides and Building Community
17:30 Optimism for the Future

Two of America's high-level intelligence officers join Searching for America for a wide-ranging conversation about what might happen if Donald Trump becomes President again? Ex-CIA Station Chiefs John Sipher and Jerry O'Shea who have 60 years experience between them operating in hostile environments across the world but they agree that trying to understand America right now is "befuddling."

Robyn Curnow ask them who will win the election? "This isn't a secret that spies can steal."

Chapters

00:00 Defining American Identity
00:56 Intelligence Analysis of American Politics
02:51 Understanding Polarization and Trumpism
06:07 Foreign Influence and Election Manipulation
08:56 The Threat of Authoritarianism
11:47 Cultural Shifts and Political Resonance
15:03 Conspiracy Theories in American Society
17:08 The Future of Trumpism and Political Dynamics
20:01 The Role of Intelligence in Politics
22:54 Characterizing Donald Trump
25:45 Spycraft and Authentic Storytelling

Keywords

American identity, Trumpism, polarization, foreign influence, authoritarianism, conspiracy theories, intelligence analysis, political dynamics, cultural shifts, spycraft

Fun questions for two former CIA Station Chiefs.

Where would you time travel to in American history?

John Sipher - 1950's post-war

John O'Shea - he wants to go 50 years into the future. "It's my time machine I can do what I want with it!"

Favorite American landscape?

Jerry O'Shea - Hawaii (and Zimbabwe and South Africa globally.)

John Sipher - New England

Dream dinner party guests

Jerry O'Shea - Hemingway and lots more...

John Sipher - FDR

Worst mistake?

Jerry O'Shea - believing the narrative that Saddam had WMD

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the American Experience
01:40 Describing America: Protean and Polarized
04:26 Reflections on Time Travel in American History
06:15 Landscapes of America: Cultural Melting Pots
10:00 Dream Dinner Party Guests: Historical Figures
14:14 Art and Literature: Defining American Identity
16:08 Mistakes and Lessons Learned in Life
20:14 Understanding America's Division
26:21 What It Means to Be American in 2024

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