Episodes
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Robyn Curnow covered Fidel Castro's funeral from Havana and was in Cuba when President Obama made an historic visit to the island. Patrick Oppmann has lived and worked as a foreign correspondent in Cuba for over a decade. Talking to Robyn from his home in Havana, Patrick weighs up what the appointment of Marco Rubio as Secretary of State.
As the son of Cuban exiles, Rubio has always taken a hardline against Havana's leadership. While much of Trump's plans for his second term are still unclear, one definite is that Marco Rubio signals bad news for the Cuban leadership.
Robyn and Patrick have worked side by side in Havana and talked on air for years. They share a number of amusing stories about the foibles of life in Havana and the Castros. And one sure thing about Trump's foreign policy.
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The electoral map is red, red, red. Across America, folks decided that they preferred Donald Trump to Kamala Harris. Why did the Democrats lose so badly? How did Trump get such a wide, and deep, mandate from the American public?
A South African living in the American South, Robyn Curnow brings her outsider perspective to the conversation about why Trump won (which did not surprise her in the least.) She argues it's wrong to suggest that more than half of Americans have been brainwashed by rightwing media. Nor is every Trump voter racist and sexist. It's not that simple.
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Missing episodes?
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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 ActionTakeaways
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
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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 Unityhttp://www.x.com/robyncurnow
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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 StorytellingKeywords
American identity, Trumpism, polarization, foreign influence, authoritarianism, conspiracy theories, intelligence analysis, political dynamics, cultural shifts, spycraft
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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 2024http://www.searchingforamericapod.com
http://www.spycraftentertainment.com
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Leyla Santiago, a proud Latina with Puerto Rican roots, lives in Trump turf, as she calls it. “My neighbor has a big sign that says Farmers for Trump. There's a huge sign downtown that basically says F@#k Joe Biden right across from the church, by the way.”
For many Americans, the rural countryside is the 'real' America. Trump and his team have been hugely successful in crafting the image of rural life as something that is pure America; untainted and disrespected by outsiders, liberals and urbanites.
Yard signs are always a surefire way to gauge political persuasion in a community. Leyla’s green leafy nook of the country, which is forty-five minutes away from the nearest store, wears its pro-Trump heart on front yards.
“I think there is very much this us versus them mentality,” she says. “It's two Americas and one that is not easily understood. And so I think a lot of farmers that are for Trump will tell you that they want to vote for someone that's a little out of the box, somebody that understands them because they do feel that us versus them.”
Latinos for Trump
Trump has promised to be tough on immigration. It might just be the one issue that gives him the presidency for the second time and it could well be that Latino men in swing states are the ones to give it to him, even though Trump has used divisive language to describe South Americans coming across the southern border.
I asked Leyla why many Latino men have moved right and support Trump’s hardline threats on immigration even though he’s used racist tropes to describe them?
As a Latina woman with Puerto Rican background, Leyla says the Latino communities in the USA are a blend of different people in different places. “When he says they're coming over the border and they're not bringing their best, they're bringing the rapists and the criminals. Cubans don't consider themselves Mexicans, Puerto Ricans don't consider themselves Mexicans. And so it's a little bit like, yeah, he's talking about Latinos, but he's not talking about me.”
Crucially, she says the Republicans messaging on the economy and inflation really connects to many Latinos who have a historical and personal dislike of leftist dictatorships. “They really targeted those Cubans in Miami by putting out things like Biden is a socialist, right? You say socialism to a Venezuelan or a Cuban that has a voting registration card in the US and those are fighting words, right? Like that is fear.”
Chapters
00:00 Understanding Rural America: Yard signs in Virginia
02:49 The Politics of Identity and Belonging
06:06 The Role of Media and Journalism in Politics
08:59 Latino Voters: Shifting Allegiances and Perspectives
12:13 The Disconnect: Language, Identity, and Voting Behavior
14:57 Young Voters: The Key to the Future
18:11 The Evolution of JournalismKeywords
Rural America, Politics, Identity, Latino Voters, Media, Journalism, Young Voters, Trump, Harris, Election 2024
http://www.searchingforamericapod.com
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Leyla Santiago answers Robyn's questionnaire that she sends to all her guests before the show.
Three words to describe America?
AT A CROSSROADSWhere did you grow up?
I'm an Army brat, so I moved around quite a bit. Born in Puerto Rico, moved to Panama during the Noriega conflict, then moved to South Carolina when my dad was stationed at Ft. JacksonIf you could time travel, which era in American history would you like to visit? Why?
If I'm being honest, the idea of traveling back in time as a minority is not thrilling. But if I had to pick an era, I would travel back to either the roaring 20s to watch women (though not all) obtain the right to vote or to the '60s to see the civil rights movement in action, albeit tough to watch.Iconic American landscape that means something to you? Or epitomizes your America?
Stateside, Shenandoah National Park inspires me. Of course nothing soothes my soul and inspires me quite like the mountains of Puerto Rico. They have a way of reminding me of the resilience of my own people.Dream dinner party guests? Which Americans would you invite to you Thanksgiving table (dead or alive?)
Felisa Rincon de Gautier
Dolly Parton
Harriet Tubman
SelenaChapters
00:00 Three words to describe America?
01:14 Dream dinner party guests
04:55 From somewhere else
08:40 Nature and Landscape in America
09:48 Echo Chambers and Political Discourse
12:48 Lessons from Family and Personal Reflections
14:44 The Current State of Being Americanhttp://www.searchingforamericapod.com
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"I think the race is a toss up," says Kevin Sullivan, "Trump has really captured the Republican Party." In this episode of Searching for America, Robyn Curnow talks with Washington Post journalist Kevin Sullivan about all the president's he has interviewed. They discuss the enduring influence of Donald Trump, the dynamics of the Biden administration, and the role of Kamala Harris as a progressive leader. Sullivan shares insights from his experiences covering American politics and reflects on the legacy of Jimmy Carter who turned 100 on Oct 1.
#America #Trump #Biden #Kamala Harris # Jimmy Carter #carter100
Chapters
00:00 Searching for America: Our Kevin Sullivan is NOT Kevin Sullivan the wrestler
01:47 Trump's Influence on American Politics and what he was like to interview
05:57 The Dynamics of the Biden Administration and Biden's long stories
10:08 Kamala Harris: A Pragmatic Progressive and what DC thinks of her
13:57 Reflections on Jimmy Carter's Legacy and his humble house in Plains, Georgia
18:10 The Global Perception of America where not all Americans are 'loud and stupid.'
21:48 The Role of Journalism in Society and being hired by Watergate editor Ben Bradlee -
Every week Robyn Curnow asks her guest the same questions in this bonus episode. Where would you go if you could time travel? Dream Thanksgiving dinner guest (dead or alive)? What does it mean to be an American? Why is the country polarized? Favorite movie?
Kevin Sullivan lists his favorite things
02:49 Time Traveling
06:09 The Role of Social Media in Polarization "It's amplified the worst of us"
09:00 Patience, listening and being a decent person -
Unlike other Western democracies, America's politics are infused with religion. Why is God part of the get-out-and-vote plans? Republican strategist Doug Heye says Republicans and Democrats have used religion to attract voters in the past but evangelical fervor for Donald Trump has turbo-charged the Republican ticket in different ways.
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In this bonus episode, Republican strategist Doug Heye shows his foodie side by listing his favorite restaurants and imagining his dream dinner party with Julia Child, Thomas Jefferson and Hank Aaron. When Robyn Curnow asks him about his favorite Presidents, Doug Heye gives a surprising answer.
Favorite piece of music or movie: Frank Sinatra singing
What makes him cry? Maybe a few tears were shed' seeing Bruce Springsteen sing "Thunder Road"
Favorite American landscape: Yellowstone
Favorite President; Ronald Reagan. George Washington. Richard Nixon.
Sports team: Tar Heels.
First job: Mr Barbecue, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. "I'll never forget the customer who returned his french fries because they tasted like potatoes."
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Even though her family says American politicians 'are all crooks,' Sarah Smarsh was asked to run for Senate after she became a rare voice of an ignored part of America; the white, poor, rural working class. She choose not to go to run for office but instead wrote another book about her life in Kansas while working to save the prairies and fight against the stereotypes that paint her people as backwards.
The solution to American polarization? More honky-tonks, dancing and bourbon.
Her favorite landscape? The American prairie where she lives.
American movie? Wizard of Oz (even though everyone always says to her, 'You're not in Kansas anymore.")
Dinner party guests (dead or alive)? Dolores Huerta. Jodie Foster. Toni Morrison.
Three words to describe America? Stressed, militarized and empire. The USA spends to much money policing the world and underinvests in taking care of its own people.
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Sarah Smarsh's grandmother had dentures in her twenties, after her teeth were pulled out due to poverty. Robyn Curnow asks why good or bad teeth explain whether America is a meritocracy?
Smarsh's new book is called Bone of Bone; Essays on America by a Daughter of the Working Class.
Robyn wanted to talk to Sarah because she's rare commodity in America - a whisperer or translator of two Americas; rural, white, poor middle America and the educated, urbane newsrooms of the coasts. As one of the few people in a newsroom who have worked in a wheat field, Smarsh says she takes the stereotypes of middle America personally because they can get her people so wrong.
Not all white, poor Americans in rural areas are Trump supporters, in the same way not all New Yorkers are walking around with Black Lives Matter t-shirts. Sarah blames a fractured media and the Democrat Party ignoring large chunks of America where people have felt ignored, and to whom Donald Trump speak to.
How to bring divided Americans together? Dolly Parton, the Patron Saint of the American Working Class.
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We need to immerse kids in more ambiguity, says headteacher Josh Clark, who is also on the board of the National Association of Independent Schools. How do the divisions in America manifest in schools?
Is pressure to say the right thing and give the 'correct answer' stifling debate and critical thinking in classrooms? Why have kids lost the ability to put themselves in another person's shoes? Does simplification of complicated issues create less empathy?
Josh Clark's dad was a prison warder which meant Josh grew up in the warder's house inside a prison complex in Hopewell, Virginia. "My first friend in life was Nelson. Nelson was an inmate who worked in our yard. He smuggled cocaine into the country in a private plane in the 70s. I was seven. I thought he walked on water."
Growing up in the dynamic of the federal prison system gave Josh a perspective that informs his views on right, wrong, legal, illegal and the need to understand ambiguities and embrace complexity.
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Josh Clark would love to time travel to the 1850's just before the Civil War when the country was dealing with what it meant to be an American. As a Southerner, who grew up Mississippi, he is intrigued by a country that was grappling with itself and at the same time embracing transcendentalism. He lists his favorite books from the pre-Civil War days, written during an time of national tension. Leaves of Grass, Moby Dick and the Scarlet Letter.
Motto: Make it New.
Best President: Abraham Lincoln.
Greatest fear for America: Apathy
What can bring Americans together in divided times? Football, of course. And in particular, college football in the South. (Go Tennessee...)
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