Pod Save America - What’s the Story We’re Telling? + Sen. Ruben Gallego (Crooked Con)

Live from Crooked Con, Jon Favreau talks to Jen Psaki, Faiz Shakir, Lis Smith, Rebecca Katz, and Adam Jentleson about the narrative we’re pitching—not just about why Trump and the MAGA loons are bad, but why Democrats are good. Then, Sen. Ruben Gallego joins Jon Lovett to talk about how Democrats can win on immigration and how to run a localized race when all politics feels national.
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Duration: 1h 39m
Broadcast on: 19 Nov 2025
Audio Format: other

This episode is brought to you by MS Now. We the people in order to form a more perfect union. These words are more than just the opening of the Constitution. They are a reminder of who this country belongs to and what we can be at our best. They're also the cornerstone of MS Now. Whether it's breaking news, exclusive reporting, election coverage, or in-depth analysis, MS Now keeps the people at the heart of everything they do. Home to the Rachel Maddow Show, morning Joe, with a briefing with Jen Psaki and more voices you know and trust. MS Now is your source for news, opinion, and the world. Their name is new, but you'll find the same commitment to justice, progress, and the truth you've relied on for decades. We will continue to cover the day's news, ask the tough questions, and explain how it impacts you. Same mission, new name, MS Now. Learn more at MS. Now. How would I rate a career in tourism? As a tour guide, I get to enjoy the outdoors, meet new people, and call it a job. Some might say my day is a bit of a trek, quite literally trekking up Ireland's incredible mountains. But seeing everyone's faces when we reach the top, that's always a high point. I'd rate my job a solid five out of five, maybe minus half a point for the wind chill. Scale new heights with a career in tourism, a career you'll rate. Visit tourismcareers.ie to find out more, brought to you by Forza Ireland. I'm John Fava, we are Live at Crooked Time. So this is a panel about the story that Democrats choose to tell voters about what we believe, where we want to take the country and how we'll get there. I'm biased as a former speechwriter, but I think figuring that out is one of the more important tasks for the party and one that is under-discussed. We talk a lot about issues, policy positions, slogans, specific messages, I think we don't talk enough about how they all fit together in a cohesive, persuasive narrative. And so I am very lucky to be joined by some of the most brilliant strategists and storytellers in our party to talk to me about this. My friends Jen Psaki of MSNow. You say it's not MS, it's fine, it can be either one. It's just rolled out, it was great. I'm happy to be here. Fash Shakir of More Perfect Union. And veteran Democratic strategist Rebecca Katz, Liz Smith, and Adam Jennelson. All right, let's talk about the story coming out of Tuesday night. A good story for once. So the rosiest take on the results is that whether you're Zor and Mamdani or Abigail Spanberger or anyone, anywhere else, Democrats who won focused on affordability. Unlike Donald Trump, who campaigned on affordability and is now building himself a gold palace. So if you're candidate running in 2026 you focus almost exclusively on affordability with the message tailored to the voters you're running to represent in the place that you're running. Some will sound more like Mamdani. Some will sound more like Mikey Cheryl or Abigail Spanberger. Some will sound completely different, but that's okay because we're a big 10 party and as long as your campaign is focused on affordability, we're good.

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