Last night, October 29 after VP Harris made her closing argument, Dan Pfeiffer and Sarah Longwell met up on the Substack App for a live reaction to the speech.
Watch, listen and leave a comment.
Bulwark+ Takes
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Bulwark+ Takes brings you bite-sized takes on the news of the day from the entire Bulwark team. This is the home to ad-free video shorts, Bulwark+ member-only livestreams, and live event archives. The news cycle doesn’t slow down, and neither do we.
Bulwark+ Takes brings you bite-sized takes on the news of the day from the entire Bulwark team. This is the home to ad-free video shorts, Bulwark+ member-only livestreams, and live event archives. The news cycle doesn’t slow down, and neither do we.
Appears in episode
Dan Pfeiffer
Sarah Longwell
Recent Episodes
Nothing is as much as a lift as heading over into the comments sections of places like Meidas Touch, The Bulwark, Politics Girl, Lincoln Project, BTC etc etc etc etc etc.
There you will see tens upon tens of thousands of comments: "I am a Registered Republican and me n my whole Veterans family n my 96 year old lifelong Republican mother and all her Republican friends in the Home. We've all voted early. For Kamala Harris"
Or
"My MAGA hat wearing Trumper father in law just messaged me to say he voted for Commie Kamala. Because he loves his granddaughters more"
If you need a hit of Hopium. Go and have a look for yourself.
Had a long conversation with one of my brothers today about the election. He was asking me if voted and said he voted Tuesday when Early Voting opened in his state. He voted for Harris/Walz, and while he had warmed up to Kamala, what got him over the line was Tim Walz. My brother is a blue collar guy and he said "I just really like Tim Walz." I haven't heard pundits talk about it much, but I wonder how many white, blue collar guys will vote for the Democrats because they see themselves in Tim Walz.
Cokie Roberts said it best when an interviewer asked her why she thought Clinton lost: “I’ll give you a hint. It rhymes with ‘nexism.’” Let’s not blame Hillary, the fault lies in us.
Really happy that this was posted b/c I had problems with the livestream. This podcast reminded me of the bulwark podcasts when Charlie was doing them--two insightful people having a thoughtful, interesting conversation and letting each other complete their thoughts.
Thanks for bringing this to The Bulwark, I didn't know that it was a Substack initiative when it was first announced, I thought it was the The Bulwark looking for new platforms. I appreciate the just announced plans to bring all things Bulwark to the site.
I am in my early '70's. I regularly have coffee one afternoon a week with an 82 year old man. We talk about various things. He has been very unwilling to talk about the election. He wants Trump to win. When I ask him why, there are no good reasons I can discern from his answers. I think he may have a mindset against women in power. He came before women were revolutionary (in mind, not with weapons). That was me - revolutionary woman, in college in California, when Ronald Reagan was governor. But it always floors me that people I think of as reasonable will vote for someone as crass and thoughtless as Trump. I worry about the education and thinking ability of many young people today. Are we going back to the Stone Age?
Oh my gosh, you are so right! How hilarious! I haven’t seen it that way, but you’re completely right.
I appreciate your comment. I’m equally amazed. I’m realizing that people go with feelings more than logic.
Yes, I agree, but you won't get a lot of men to agree about that. They think it's all women do all too often. Women are always emotional. At least people think it... even if it is not true. It is the rare man who would agree that he is emotional.
You guys hit the nail on the proverbial head…… she’s so smooth, charming, compassionate, hard when needed, soooooo presidential - it blows my mind that people will vote against her - what are we seeing that MAGA cannot see????? It’s mind blowing
I just read Sarah's "Speak Out Now Republicans, Or You'll Regret It." It only lets me give her 1 Like, but I wish I could give her 75 thousand times Kamala's crowd size last night. Bravo, Sarah. I hope it moves some to come forward, but even if it doesn't, your straight-forward eloquence is absolutely the right thing, and none of us will regret it!
Wish Dan would stop with the speed talking.
Thanks Sarah! More is more! It's really cool getting to listen to all the smart people.
These two are a great team.
Ticket splitters are one thing with the AZ abortion initiative, but don't you think that what the ballot initiative really does is drive low propensity women voters out to the polls to protect abortion rights? And thus vote for Harris as well?
Channeling JVL, it gives AZ voters an out on a top issue. They can vote for abortion rights in their state and also for Trump. But whether that contingent out-vote the contingent that understand voting for Trump is voting against abortion in the coming years? I don’t know, but I certainly hope so.
Man, sometimes Sarah is the only person in the world who can make me feel the slightest bit optimistic about this election. Thanks for that Sarah.
I love you and Dan working together! Bulwark member and Pod Save America fan!!!!
Except my siblings; college educated, white suburban, 60+yo, in Texas who are so attached to the work our parents did in the 60's and 70's forming the GOP in Bexar County, Texas.
Same jurisdiction... and a parent that I thought would never break blue just cast a nearly all Dem ticket, as did I. I just found it disheartening that there were so few challenged races. I only had to study half of my ballot.
Thanks as always. Take care of yourselves. Term of the podcast: "lug nuts". : )
Yes!! Say it to Elon and Melania, Vance's wife... I can't comprehend the MAGA schizophrenia on the "America is for the Americans" bile...
Hang in there! Love you guys - keeps me sane
I'm getting the sense that it would behoove all of us if everyone went to college.
My brothers, lifelong-Republicans, are in skilled trades and they loathe Trump. They laugh about what a phony he is and can't believe anyone would vote for him.
Lug nut, love it! Perhaps the lesson we should take is that we shouldn't have campaigns that drag on for years.
Thank you, Sarah & Dan! Y'all are two reasons I haven't gone into cardiac arrest in the Era of Trump.
When canvassing in Atlanta last weekend, we walked up to a house on our list and saw a Trump flier on the doorstep. It was the only house in our territory where we saw that. The house had a Mazda Miata parked our front. We did not get anyone to answer our door knock.
It made me wonder whether the person who lived in this house was one of the "bros" Trump's campaign has been trying to reach and that somehow this person gave personal identifying info to the Trump campaign (via posting something on line?) so that they could target just this house in our territory. Seemed odd to me....
One thing about the typical bro / Joe Rogan voter is they’re hyper-competitive young men. Don’t underestimate the power of a bruised young ego desperately craving a win, particularly after what happened in 2020, and now the sudden precipitous rise of Harris. For some of them winning is key to their very identity, a chip-on-the-shoulder disgruntled competitiveness, their deep fear of getting owned. And I do suspect educated women are gearing up to school Trump this time (fingers crossed). That's the vibe around Harris in 2024. But the idea these young men somehow feel less motivated in this environment than young women is wrong, I think, especially with the race so close and winnable. We have educated Dobbs-motivated young women "handing their homework in" VS. young bros having their perceived identity and competitive dominance threatened -- is that something we really think has a laughable gulf separating them..? I wouldn't be so sure about that.
She doesn’t have to make a pitch to the base. With the exception of the people who blame her for the horrendous suffering in Gaza, she has us. (BTW, I think if she wins the election, she’s in position to tell Netanyahu, “There’s going to be some changes made now”.) Donald Trump is the strongest possible turnout machine for progressive Democrats.
The polls are missing high propensity Republican women who are not telling anyone — their partners, children, friends, pollsters — that they are going to vote for Harris this time around.
Do you really think so? That gives me a little hope.
I know two women in Georgia who will vote for Harris & not let their husbands know.
I'm a little 5'6" old sort of retired out of necessity activist. Circa 2003, our yuck (as in yucky) mayor embarrassed the heck out of me in a local interview. Back then, I could hustle :) . I was digging out our small area during a blizzard, realized it was 3 weeks before the election with one candidate, walked across the blizzard street and asked our neighbor if I did a write-in for him (he was mayor for a long time and a state legislator for way less) and he won, would he take the job. "Yes, but don't involve me in it."
3 weeks+1 day later (I took off work - had to), women in their cars were stopping us on our village dog walk thanking me (I always let them know I wasn't alone other than in being verbally attacked when campaigning). Their husbands worked for the village and didn't know they were going to vote for Brian.
We all won and the village was saved (we were going to move if Brian lost and others said the same thing). It was the 2nd time this happened in Rockland County's history. That was in the days when I had no clue how to get to the internet and load a photo of an old voting booth with write-in instructions :) .
I left that comment before listening to this entire broadcast. Sarah and Dan agree with me!
You guys have been awesome during this Trump crisis. My fear is once Kamala is in, you guys will go back to your trickle-down economics, and related conservative stuff and we won't be able to be friends any more...
That kind of thinking is how our country has got to this point.
I love the "other people at the table" statement. I long for the intelligent back and forth of reasonable people working on solutions. Here's to what we can have in this country. Yes!
Hi Sarah, your recent comments on Michelle Obama not running for president on IMPOLITIC seems to have been spoken from a place of white privilege. I have read she spent the 8 years Her husband was in office constantly worried about some racist harming her family. Not to mention she has way too much integrity to run against the orange POS. Not to say Kamala doesn’t have to deal with all that as well. But having to endure that fear for 8+ years, and potentially the rest of her life? I’m ok with Michelle putting her family over country.
An occupational hazard of being a pundit is getting star struck in a way that can cloud one's judgment.
As a case in point, I don't think that Michelle would have been a stronger candidate than Kamala. Michelle may have started out the race with higher name recognition and favorability ratings, but I suspect that she would have taken just as much of a hit as Kamala has from right-wing propaganda.
More importantly, Kamala is clearly a more skilled and experienced politician than Michelle -- and actually wants the job of president. Why would you put someone in such a demanding role who doesn't like politics?
I don't think that Michelle put family over country -- she has focused her energies on what she feels like she does best. Isn't one of the major themes of this election to trust women to make the decisions that most impact their lives?
I love it! Sarah and Dan, two of my favorites! The Bulwark and Pod Save are my go to outlets in these crazy times.
Me too!!! Love the collaborations between the Bulwark and Pod Save America. (Lovett and Tim Miller are a fun diversion.) Honestly, I watch more Bulwark even though I’m more left leaning. I’ve gotta say, I have incredible respect for center right voters who have maintained their credibility and values in the face of DJT and co. Thanks Dan and Sarah.
Do we know the crossover between Crooked & The Bulwark in terms of subscribers? Wondering if we should start our own party after all this. I'd vote Pod Save the Bulwark just about every time, I think.
Love that - Pod Save the Bulwark. I am so anxious. I just want to sleep until Nov 6.
You can canvass and make calls. That is what I have found to be the best way to deal with this craziness these last days. Note: we need to run up the popular vote so these activities count even in non-swing states. At least that's my humble opinion.
Agreed. The only way I've been able to manage my anxiety is through having conversations with the republicans and undecideds in my life who have no idea this is going on. I think there are actually millions of these people out there. Someone needs to tell them why this is important. I'm realizing there is an offline majority in my life that just needs to be educated. Talk to one person who cares about you. Someone that may have different political values or be completely disengaged, and explain why it is so personal to you. It is probably big of a deal to the too, and they just don't know. I've had 5 Oklahoman's who were not planning on voting or were voting for Trump change their minds since Sunday. That's not nothing.
Great job Matt!
Why couldn't Joe Rogan do a Zoom interview.
Why do so many take what Joe Rogan says as worthy? I myself don’t watch him religiously but I’ll give him a try now and again - people are giving orangey platforms to get himself out of the Puerto Rican debacle and he’s too dumb to do it - all the more votes for planet A - thank you Trump
Kamela Harris should go on Rogan the Wednesday after the election while the results are still up in the air
Can you explain why?
To talk with a real bro with all the b******* and disprove it real time. Joe Rogan doesn't do his own research but you can coach him through it. It would be a very unscripted moment that would show that Harris is a real intelligent human and persuade that no the election wasn't stolen, claim x is bs, etc.
I think she could also have a very good conversation on conspiracy theories in general; I'm thinking of that veritasium video about 'why we can't have nice things real conspiracy theories'. If she came prepped with that and whatever current legal bs her team was fighting she could talk for hours in a very transformative way I think it could be a great bellwether conversation.
The polling is so confusing for me. I am surrounded by so many people, here in AZ, who are politically active for the first time, as well as a lot of people who are former trumpers supporting Harris. I don’t know one who’s switched the other way. Yes, I know people who are sticking with trump, but not nearly as many as 2020. The only thing scaring me are the polls. They are completely incongruent with everything else I’m experiencing
I've always felt this disconnect, which is why I put as much faith in polling as tea leaves. Both are about as reliably accurate. I like Sarah for being Sarah, and the work she does listening to voters and then translating that into trends.
Yeah, I wonder about the polls too. No one I know even answers a call from an unknown number. How are younger voters even reached?? I do wonder if they are underrepresented…
Yeah I'm in Michigan kind of the same experience in my small circle of family and friends. All but one former Trump voter switched to Harris plus young first time voters i know are all voting for harris, but then there's the polls. We shall see..
I love hearing this. Thank you
I'd believe the people around you over the polls! I love hearing things like this!
Watching in Davidson, North Carolina. Excellent convo. Thank you for discussing North Carolina. I'm hopeful that our state actually makes a Kamala Harris victory certain. In my household alone, four college students have voted in their first presidential election. All of them for Harris/Walz. And my registered Republican husband voted his first all Democratic ticket. No more ticket splitting in this household. We are not the only ones. What Dan Pfeiffer said about registered Republicans and Republican-leaning Independents being under-represented in polling is definitely what I'm seeing on the ground here in N.C.
Yay! Thank you for this upbeat news!
I was there. They said 75000 and I believe it. I was in line like 11 am and we were front row of “general admission”when I finally turned around it was a sea of people all the way to the fence and they were touting people to the mall were they had huge monitors set up. Park Ssrvice said something less 60k?
I think they got permission for 12500 (and that seemed low), then it just kept flicking climbing. It was amazing. Congrats for being there.
Mom had my sister and I walking the mall during the march against Vietnam. She had me with a sandwich board walking Wisconsin Ave. for Adlai (that was fine because I still remember the farmers' market - I always got powdered rolls).
❤️ I figured it was strategic. Say 7,500 initially to make sure you get the permit so last-minute. Then it looks amazing when it’s 75,000. She has done everything we asked to go (ex Shapiro, I know). So I flew from Oregon to DC to hear the first woman president speak on her home turf. (In case I can’t get back there for inauguration.) Ya’ll. It was perfect. The White House over her shoulder. The people were every kind you could be. I spent hours with a new group of besties (I went alone). There were no expletives on merch. There were no ugly slurs. It was heaven and I want this for us. Let the GOP get its shit together- or not. I don’t care. And Sarah, if she wins, you will deserve the Nobel Peace prize. 🕊️ Thank you
Doggone it, I can usually figure this stuff out but I missed it. That's it. Thanks.
What's a beastie? Very cool that you flew all the way from Oregon to DC to see history (hope it holds up) in the making. I look at Harris' audience and it's usually followed by chills. She seems so right and so not perfect but the best in my lifetime to be pres.
Is there information on how many people saw the speech on television?
According to Chuck Todd, we are down to who wins PA and NC. If they split, then NV will be the deal breaker.
I’ve been phone banking for Harris into PA. Almost everyone (>90%) says they’re voting on Election Day. This is different from past elections where ~50% of the D vote is early. I hope they’re ready for a deluge of voters!!
Thanks for doing that. I can't do stuff like that anymore so I stapled Project 2025 where I could and our yard looks decent with 5 signs (had six). We're in Allentown and we voted absentee easily as usual. I had to to to a doctor Mon. and asked the nice assistant if she was voting. She had an accent. She's voting and immigrated here 15 years ago and feel it's her duty. She's taking her two children with her. It was nice talking to her.
Good luck.
Do you believe this is specifically to counter the "Mail-in" Delay that the republican legislature has prevented them from changing?
Wasn't 2020 the first year that mailed and "in-person mail" (early) voting was allowed across the board in PA? My interpretation is that because there's not a tradition of early voting there, plus they have that law that no processing of mailed ballots can begin until election day, most people have decided to go back to "regular" in-person, election-day voting like they used to. This should mean that PA election officials will know what to expect, and that the counting delay will be minimized.
my fear is voter intimidation on Election Day . Early voting seems safer
Agreed. My fear is that Trump and Mike Johnson and a army of layers and Republican pols are going do everything they can to cheat, delay and upset the process.
You would think, but ... According to their Governor, who was on The Daily Show Monday night, they are going to do what they can, but PA will likely be the late reporter.
thank god for Josh. In NC, I was in a daze and a neighbor suggested we move back to a blue state. This is the closest we could get to blue (and I adore our state rep - Mike Schlossberg).
A White Male Christian, Michigan perspective on the contrasts…
https://open.substack.com/pub/jonathanbrownson/p/scoring-points?r=gdp9j&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Open your eyes, Dan!
Not sure what you mean?
His eyelids are half closed basically all the time. He looks like I did when I used to get stoned all the time.
He may have ptosis.
Probably checking his notes on what they want to cover.
He's looking slightly down, probably at his laptop. I think Sarah has her screen/camera higher, so she can keep her head level to look straight into the camera.
These are two of my favorite people!!! ❤️