In This Episode
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TRANSCRIPT
Jane Coaston: It’s Wednesday, October 29th, I’m Jane Coaston, and this is What a Day, the show reminding everyone with Halloween coming up, it’s okay to be scary and to wear a scary costume. But if you go up to someone’s house wearing terrifying costumes, identify yourself as, quote, “your worst nightmare,” and remain outside the house for 11 full minutes while threatening to break the door down, do not be surprised if your intended victims call the police. The video of your creepy efforts goes viral, and everyone gets very, very mad at you. [music break] On today’s show, Elon Musk hates Wikipedia so much that he launches Grokipedia to tell, quote, “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” So help us God. And Israel tests the limits of its ceasefire with Hamas. But let’s start with next Tuesday’s elections. In states from California to Virginia, Americans will be heading to the polls in big numbers on November 4th. In New York City, voters will pick a new mayor, choosing between former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent, Republican Curtis Sliwa. And the front-runner, Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani. Mamdani has been the frontrunner since a stunning victory in June’s Democratic primary, but the early voting tallies so far show two things. One, this election is going to have an absolutely massive turnout. And two, older voters are showing up, and that might be good news for Andrew Cuomo, who has gained on Mamdani in the polls. For his part, Mamdani is keeping his eyes on the mayoral prize. Here he is speaking to Fox News on Monday.
[clip of unnamed Fox News reporter] With all the voters talking to you, do you feel like you have it in the bag, or you still want people to show up, or do you think you got it?
[clip of Zohran Mamdani] You can never take anything for granted. If you want to take something for granted, that’s Andrew Cuomo, what he did in the primary. We don’t want to end up like Andrew Cuomo.
Jane Coaston: Now you might not live in New York City, but an election in New York City is never just an election for residents of the Big Apple, especially with the potential for the city’s first Muslim mayor to be going up against a Trump administration more than willing to make him and the city a target. So to talk about New York City’s big decision and just what Democrats can and can’t learn from Zohran Mamdani, I spoke to my new colleague, Alex Wagner. She’s the host of Crooked Media’s newest podcast, Runaway Country with Alex Wagner. Alex, welcome to What a Day.
Alex Wagner: It’s so great to be here. I’m happy to, I feel like I haven’t seen you in years.
Jane Coaston: I know. Uh.
Alex Wagner: I saw you actually once at the Crooked offices.
Jane Coaston: Yes.
Alex Wagner: I don’t think you, did I see? I mean, I feel like I was like trying to find where the good snacks were.
Jane Coaston: I know, I know, I know.
Alex Wagner: And maybe you were–
Jane Coaston: And at some point we will have a good snack conversation and you can hear my snack diatribe, but–
Alex Wagner: Not not today.
Jane Coaston: More importantly.
Alex Wagner: Not today.
Jane Coaston: More importantly, early voting started this past weekend in New York City and unlike in the primaries, voters over 55 made up a majority of those who turned out. Now, with the proviso that early voting numbers are often really stupid. I remember this, you remember this. We all remember this.
Alex Wagner: Oh yes.
Jane Coaston: From every other election except we forget every single time because that’s–
Alex Wagner: Yes.
Jane Coaston: –how we are. What could those numbers mean for Zohran Mamdani’s chances of defeating Andrew Cuomo?
Alex Wagner: Well, okay look, just bait again with a caveat that they’re stupid and you shouldn’t draw too many inferences from them I will say one thing is on is certain there is a lot of interest in this mayor’s race in New York City. People are fired up. They’re engaged. However, you look at how the two candidates Cuomo and Mamdani are doing with older voters, boomers as we call them. Um. And Cuomo does better with boomers, so if you’re the Cuomo campaign, you’re delighted to see a stronger turnout from the 55 plus crew. Having said that, I know lots of people who are in their 50s and 60s that are excited about Mamdani. I think its just, I do think the general, surprise surprise, the general election makeup is going to be different than the Democratic primary makeup, which is kind of always the case in every election ever. Um. I will say, and I said this before, I would not be surprised if this race is tighter than people think it necessarily will be given the enthusiasm and the amount of energy in and around the Mamdani campaign.
Jane Coaston: I actually want to ask you about the difference between the primary and the general with regard to voters. So there are two schools of thought in my head. One is that lots and lots of younger voters turned out in the primary, and might not be turning out now. The other is that people don’t vote in primaries. So–
Alex Wagner: Right.
Jane Coaston: If younger people show up at like baseline levels, it’s like, oh my God, so many younger people showed up for a democratic primary that everybody kind of forgot about. Which do you think is more valid and why do you think younger voters may not be turning out yet in the same numbers as they did in the primary?
Alex Wagner: I don’t, you know, like this is a weird one because often in like national politics, it’s the older voters that like you’ll, you want a reliable voting base if you’re a candidate, right?
Jane Coaston: Right.
Alex Wagner: And Democrat, younger voters tend to be less reliable. Now there was the sort of shock of the primary results, the excitement around Mamdani that I’m not surprised that older voters are turning out early. They like voting early, this is what older voters do. They like voting–
Jane Coaston: Yeah.
Alex Wagner: –by mail, they like voting early, they’re responsible voters. They don’t wait till the last minute like the kids do. I’m not sure how much to read into what the ultimate like you know makeup of the electorate will be on uh on election day when all the results are in. Right? But I think um you know the Cuomo team has acted aggressively. You have the Trump of it all, which I think is definitely shaping some minds about both for and against Mamdani and for and against Cuomo. Um, and I think there are some X factors, like New York city is a crazy place. Could anybody have predicted that Trump was going to do better? Like one of the cities where he was going make the biggest inroads in 2024 was would be New York City. I don’t think most New Yorkers would have told you that. And that’s why I feel like, you know, I’m loathe to predict, um, how it’s all going to shake down on election day, just because it’s such this, you, know, this election is so tied to national political dynamics. And we live in a pretty chaotic time.
Jane Coaston: This is why you’re one of my favorite people, because you say things like, I’m loathe to predict, and I love that, because we don’t know, nobody knows. But I did want to ask something you might know, which is last Friday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries finally endorsed Mamdani, New York Governor Kathy Hochul endorsed him in mid-September. Who do you think has more to gain from these endorsements, Mamdani or establishment Democrats?
Alex Wagner: I mean, it wasn’t Kathy Hochul, if you saw the reception she got–
Jane Coaston: Yeah.
Alex Wagner: –this week, where she mispronounced his name multiple times. I mean like–
Jane Coaston: –Yeah and then got uh tax the rich chants that she seemed to think had to do with the Buffalo Bills, which I’m like, ugh, Governor.
Alex Wagner: Well this crowd is certainly fired up. I think Hochul needs Mamdani more. I’m not sure, Jeffries is complicated. You know, that’s a thing. I mean it, first of all, if Democrats, especially those in Congress, have not learned anything at this point, I mean the idea is like, now is the time to take a stand. But like being kind of like mealy-mouthed and waiting for the last minute isn’t going to win you points with anybody. And like, I don’t think that Zohran Mamdani is going to, the difference maker is going be Kathy Hochul, especially given the fact that Mamdani supporters sort of undermined her, you know, uh legitimacy in a pretty, like, shocking way at the actual event, right? That’s not going to make Hochul supporters think, oh yeah, no, we have kinship here, and it’s not gonna make Mamdani supporters feel any more enamored of the governor.
Jane Coaston: You spoke to my friends over on Pod Save America recently about how you’ve been hearing about so-called quiet Cuomo voters.
Alex Wagner: Yeah.
Jane Coaston: Who are those voters and how could they impact this race?
Alex Wagner: Well, listen, I just think, I think I have Trump pt–, I mean, who doesn’t have Trump PTSD?
Jane Coaston: Yes, every every single person, I think that I mean that’s another big thing here is the Trump of it all is just being like, every like there will be this silent flood of people who have not said anything and they will come out of nowhere and here we are again.
Alex Wagner: I also think there is its like the only different the only dynamic that is slightly different is the fact that Mamdani I mean Mamdani has a tidal wave of public support. Like he is very much in the zeitgeist. He is very much in the culture of New York City. And um, much like, you know, you would, you would hear about rich New Yorkers quietly saying, I think I might vote for Trump. I mean, they would say those that to themselves, not to me, but right?
Jane Coaston: Right.
Alex Wagner: There is a, there is a cut of New Yorker who’s like, I just don’t know about this guy. And also I am general, I am generally and genuinely concerned that he has become such a ripe target for Trump, that it’s going to redound to New York City’s detriment, that the, the, that he is going to through no fault necessarily of his own, but just because Trump has his sights set on fighting Mamdani as, again, the vanguard of the Democratic Party, that Trump is gonna make life miserable and New Yorkers are gonna, Trump is going to make New York City uh lives collateral damage in his war against Mamdani. And so there’s that concern. There’s the concern about his experience. So again, I’m not endorsing any of that, but I think when you talk about New Yorker’s who are on the fence or who are quiet Cuomo supporters, these things come to their mind.
Jane Coaston: So something that I think is an obvious point is that New York City is a very specific place, like very specific. And–
Alex Wagner: Yeah.
Jane Coaston: Over at The Argument, data analyst Lakshya Jain, who I’ve spoken to on the show, recently published some polling indicating that while Mamdani has run a very strong campaign, his favorability ratings don’t look good at the national level, which is fine. Like there are lots of people who do very well in where they are, but that might not work nationally, but what do you make of the idea that national Democrats have something to learn from Mamdani and his messaging? Because I think that there’s going to be, regardless of what happens, there’s going to be like the Mamdani message, the Mamdani moment, like, you know, can we take that from there to an election taking place somewhere else? I personally don’t think so, because New York City is not like anywhere else on Earth.
Alex Wagner: Yeah, I mean, listen, I think what the Democratic Party needs is big ideas. They need conviction. They need a set of, I don’t mean to genderize it, but like cojones to face down what we’re looking at, which is an authoritarian who is going to try and potentially hold onto power well past what the Constitution dictates he can do. And so it is not a time for shrinking violets. And I don’t actually don’t even think it’s a time to be trying to map Zohran Mamdani onto like, Nebraska, you know?
Jane Coaston: Yeah.
Alex Wagner: Like it’s what it’s about is like getting getting fresh and sassy and and and championing people who are doing well in their respective markets, right? Like you end up in a mushy middle if you’re trying to find someone that fits everyone’s that that’s like that six t-shirt sizes, right?
Jane Coaston: Right.
Alex Wagner: Like this is this is someone with unique generational talent and Democrats would be foolish to try and diminish that talent in the name of trying to find some national median that’s going to appeal to everybody. Um. I think it’s about listening to what he’s saying and also taking a cue from the way in which he has very naturally articulated a set of like passionate ideals, new policy prescriptions, and done so like where people are listening. Those those parts of it are universal. If you if you like just the strategy alone is something that the Democratic Party could learn a lot from. Um. Not everybody is going to be able to do it like Zhoran Mamdani, and maybe not everybody should. But the nuts and bolts of how he’s built something different are something I think Democrats can learn from.
Jane Coaston: Alex, as always, thank you so much for joining me.
Alex Wagner: Ugh. It is such a pleasure always and I hope um anything that I said proves to be somewhat accurate [laugh] in the next week.
Jane Coaston: See, again, this is why you never make predictions. You just kind of give people like the, oh?
Alex Wagner: Could be?
Jane Coaston: Anything could happen?
Alex Wagner: Exactly, what a day.
Jane Coaston: What a day. That was my conversation with Alex Wagner. She’s the host of Crooked Media’s newest podcast, Runaway Country with Alex Wagner. We’ll get to more of the news in a moment, but if you like the show, make sure to subscribe, leave a five-star review on Apple podcasts, watch us on YouTube and share with your friends. More to come after some ads. [music break]
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Jane Coaston: Here’s what else we’re following today.
[sung] Headlines.
[clip of House Speaker Mike Johnson] We’re going to make it simple. I had my my 15-year-old son and some of his friends were together over the weekend, and they wanted me to explain it to them as simply as possible. This is the little formulation, okay? Hey, fellas, remember from civics, you got to have 60 votes in the Senate.
Jane Coaston: House Speaker Mike Johnson took to the podium to share a simple graphic with the public, one that he could use to explain the government shutdown to his 15-year-old son in what must have been the most boring afternoon of that child’s life. The Senate on Tuesday failed for the lucky number 13th time to pass a measure to reopen the government. According to Axios, internal GOP frustration with Johnson’s shutdown strategy boiled overall during a private conference call Tuesday afternoon. Texas Republican Representative Dan Crenshaw joined a growing chorus of Republicans asking whether they should still be sitting at home in their districts while the government remains closed. On the Democratic side, attorneys general and leaders from 25 states have filed a lawsuit against the Agriculture Department over the impending halt of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. The suit argues that the USDA is legally obligated to keep issuing food assistance as long as funding remains available. And urges the court to require the agency to tap into contingency funds already approved by Congress to sustain the program during the shutdown. Also on Tuesday, a regular Ron Swanson, Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson, has offered Democrats a proposal to pay all federal workers while federal departments and agencies are shuttered. Some Democrats have signaled that they are open to supporting the plan. The Israeli army launched a barrage of attacks in Gaza on Tuesday, testing the limits of its already shaky ceasefire agreement with Hamas. According to Reuters, health officials said more than two dozen people were killed in the strikes as of Tuesday evening Pacific time. The order from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to launch strikes in the Gaza Strip came after an Israeli official said its forces were fired upon in southern Gaza. Hamas denied involvement and, in a statement, reiterated its commitment to the ceasefire. In addition, on Monday, Hamas handed over the remains of another hostage, but Israel said they belonged to a hostage the country had already partially recovered. Netanyahu’s office called the return of these body parts a quote, “clear violation of the ceasefire agreement,” which requires Hamas to return the bodies of the remaining hostages in Gaza as soon as possible. In response to the Israeli strikes, Hamass said it would delay handing over the body of another hostage. But, always the optimist, Vice President J.D. Vance expressed confidence in the ceasefire Tuesday when speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill.
[clip of Vice President J.D. Vance] The president achieved a historic peace in the Middle East. The ceasefire is holding. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t going to be little skirmishes here and there.
Jane Coaston: I suppose ceasefire is a term best left up to interpretation. Remember the last time someone said, hey, did you hear about the great climate news? Well, today, today is also not that day. According to a new United Nations review, most of the countries that signed on to the Paris climate agreement have failed to complete one of the main homework assignments, updating their plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Only 64 countries submitted their updated pledges this year, which is just around a third of the signatories to the agreement. And the plans that were submitted would cut emissions by about 17% in the next 10 years, far short of the UN’s goal of a 37% reduction. And to make it all even worse, one of the plans that was included in this report was submitted in the final weeks of the Biden administration. President Donald Trump has said he has no intention of fulfilling this plan. While global leaders are failing to meet past climate pledges, storms are intensifying. On Tuesday, Hurricane Melissa sustained 185-mile-per-hour winds and made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 storm before weakening on its path. Simon Steele, the executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, notes in The Washington Post that while emission cuts are too slow, quote, “…humanity is now clearly bending the emissions curve downward for the first time.” Which may be one of the only acceptable moments to clap when someone proclaims we are going down. Elon Musk unveiled his own version of Wikipedia this week. But unlike the crowdsourced online encyclopedia, Musk’s version is made up of entries edited by XAI, his artificial intelligence company. The new project, unfortunately named Grokipedia, will, quote, “purge out the propaganda flooding Wikipedia,” Musk claimed in a post on Twitter, which he unfortunately renamed X. Grokipedia’s entry on gender, for instance, begins, quote, “gender refers to the binary classification of humans as male or female based on biological sex.” Wikipedia’s definition is much more expansive. Grok, which identifies as it/that, is much more certain about its creator. According to his own AI, Elon Musk, quote, “favors strength training,” which he needs to, quote, “sustain energy amid 80 to 100 hour work weeks that often extend into weekends.” Is posting on the internet considered strength training now? But then again, who am I to judge the veracity of these claims? I work for Crooked Media, a quote, “elite-led democratic effort” that is quote, “eschewing journalistic neutrality” according to Grokipedia. So it’s Wikipedia vs. Grokipedia and somehow the phrase, sorry I didn’t get much sleep I was knee deep in a grok hole last night just doesn’t have the same ring to it. And that’s the news. [music break]
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Jane Coaston: That’s all for today. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe, leave a review, contemplate how President Donald Trump appears to have confused an IQ test with a test for dementia, and tell your friends to listen. And if you’re into reading, and not just about how the president bragged about his performance on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment while on Air Force One on Monday, you know, the test where you’re asked to repeat a series of words like person, woman, man, camera, TV, and challenged Democratic representatives Jasmine Crockett and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to take the same test, like me. What a Day is also a nightly newsletter. Check it out and subscribe at Crooked.com/subscribe. I’m Jane Coaston, and the president had an MRI at his last physical for some reason and confused an IQ test with a test for dementia. He’s got third term written all over him. [music break] What a Day is a production of Crooked Media. It’s recorded and mixed by Desmond Taylor. Our associate producers are Emily Fohr and Chris Allport. Our video editor is Joseph Dutra. Our video producer is Johanna Case. We had production help today from Greg Walters, Matt Berg, Shawn Allee, Gina Pollack, and Caitlin Plummer. Our senior producer is Erica Morrison, and our senior vice president of news and politics is Adriene Hill. We had help today from the Associated Press. Our theme music is by Colin Gilliard and Kashaka. Our production staff is proudly unionized with the Writers Guild of America East. [music break]
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