Political Breakdown

Vice President Kamala Harris is widely considered to have won last night's debate against former President Donald Trump. Harris had Trump playing defense most of the night — a stark contrast to the June debate between Trump and President Joe Biden. Scott, Marisa and Guy dissect each candidate's best and worst moments and what difference it'll make in November. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Debate Night in America: former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are squaring off in their one and only scheduled debate. This event is historic in many ways and the stakes could not be higher for the candidates and for the nation. What do both candidates need to accomplish? And what kinds of questions will they get? And how should we judge their performances? Scott and Marisa talk about the what to expect and what to look for on the debate stage with New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Real democracy involves two or more candidates squaring off in elections giving voters a real choice for office. And yet, throughout the United States thousands of elections go uncontested, leaving voters with no choice other than to vote for the one candidate on the ballot or not vote at all. The progressive non-profit Contest Every Race say more often than not, the party not fielding a candidate is the Democrats. The organization is trying to change that by recruiting and financing Democrats to run for office, especially in battleground states. Lauren Gepford, executive director of Contest Every Race, joins Scott to talk about what uncontested races mean for America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Next week could be the most consequential week in politics before the November election, with former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala set to square off in their one and only scheduled debate. Scott, Marisa and Guy talk about the stakes for both Harris and Trump, what they need to accomplish and how they might try to define themselves. Plus, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan seems to be itching for a debate with Governor Gavin Newsom over a high profile ballot measure aimed at toughening up penalties for retail theft. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Francisco voters will choose their next mayor this November, and we are going to bring you interviews with all of the top candidates. Today, Marisa and Scott sit down with Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin, who talks about attending elementary school with Vice President Kamala Harris, his college activism, corruption at city hall, his record on housing and his recovery from alcohol addiction. We want to hear your questions! If you have a burning question that you want us to ask the mayoral candidates, you can send us an email: [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California legislative leaders are in a rare public standoff in Sacramento after Governor Gavin Newsom on Saturday called for a special session of the legislature to address gas prices. Why is Newsom pushing this now, two months out from the election? And why is the Democratic leader of the Senate unwilling to go along? Scott and Marisa talk about the political drama unfolding with The Sacramento Bee’s Nicole Nixon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Soon after President Joe Biden announced he would not seek another term, identity groups began forming to support Vice President Kamala Harris. Everything from “Swifties for Harris” to “White Dudes for Harris.” Thousands of people have joined Zoom calls to talk her up, raise money and figure out what they can do to elect the nation’s first Black and South Asian woman as president. Scott talks with KQED reporter Nisa Khan about the rise of pop culture fan groups getting involved in politics. Read more of KQED's Fandom Vote series, digging into the oft-overlooked voting bloc of fan armies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's crunch time in the California Capitol. Lawmakers have until midnight tomorrow to pass legislation out of both houses and send it to the governor for his signature or veto. Marisa and Guy talk about the end-of-session controversies and Sacramento drama with KCRA capitol correspondent Ashley Zavala. This conversation was recorded on Friday morning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shoplifting and retail theft are hot button issues in California, and Rachel Michelin has been at the center of the debate over solutions. Michelin is the head of the California Retailers Association and she joins Marisa and Guy to talk about new legislation to crack down on thefts and a controversial ballot measure going before voters in November. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former President Donald Trump rarely strays from his red tie, white shirt and blue suit, while Vice President Kamala Harris’ uniform consists of tailored suits in a variety of colors. But what does it all mean? What are they saying to voters? And why do fashion choices in politics even matter? Marisa talks about the politics of fashion with Vanessa Friedman, the fashion director and chief fashion critic at The New York Times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After Sam Bankman-Fried’s fall from grace, it seemed like the crypto industry was on the ropes. But this election season, it's becoming a potent political player — and both parties seem to want its support. Marisa talks about the state of play with Zeke Faux, an investigative reporter for Bloomberg Businessweek and author of "Number Go Up: Inside Crypto's Wild Rise and Staggering Fall." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Strength. Patriotism. Freedom. Ever since Vice President Kamala Harris jumped into the presidential race, Democrats have been all in on language and messaging historically more associated with Republicans. Marisa talks with Democratic communications researcher and campaign adviser Anat Shenker-Osorio to get her take on messaging strategies at last week's convention and what Harris needs to do in the weeks ahead to win this dead heat of a presidential race. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the fourth and final day of the Democratic National Convention, Vice President Kamala Harris officially accepted her party's nomination for president, capping a whirlwind 32 days since she entered the race. It was Harris’ opportunity to introduce herself to the nation, and although her speech included attacks on her Republican opponent Donald Trump, it was centered on lessons from her mother, their middle-class life and her own realization of the American dream. Scott, Marisa and Guy share their highlights and takeaways. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the final day of the Democratic National Convention, where Vice President Kamala Harris will formally accept her party’s nomination. The Political Breakdown team has been in Chicago for the DNC all week, talking with delegates, party leaders and elected officials. Today, Marisa, Scott and Guy share some of their conversations with the movers and shakers they’ve run into this week in Chicago. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Political Breakdown team is in Chicago all this week for the Democratic National Convention. Today, Scott, Marisa and Guy bring you an inside look at the first two days of the DNC. They recap the speeches and performances and talk to delegates about their excitement for Vice President Kamala Harris on the democratic ticket. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Political Breakdown team is in Chicago for day two of the Democratic National Convention. This evening, the party is holding a ceremonial roll call to officially nominate Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s nominee, though she secured that nomination in an online vote nearly two weeks ago. On today's show, Scott and Marisa bring together some of Harris’ old friends and colleagues to reminisce, share stories and give us a deeper understanding of the woman who is hoping to become the 47th president of the United States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today is the first day of the Democratic National Convention, taking place in Chicago, Illinois. The Political Breakdown team is at the convention all week, and today, Scott and Marisa sit down with California Senator Laphonza Butler. Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Butler to the Senate last year following the death of Dianne Feinstein, but Butler will not seek election to a full term this year. Butler helped run Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign and shares what a Harris presidency would mean for her and her family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To wrap up our weeklong series examining what a Kamala Harris presidency might look like, Marisa and Scott talk with Jazmine Ulloa, national politics reporter for The New York Times. They dig into Harris' potential immigration policy plans, which remain top of mind in this race for voters and a line of attack for Harris' opponents. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With just days left before the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Political Breakdown continues our series examining what a potential Kamala Harris presidency would look like. Today, Marisa and Scott are digging to the issue voters say is number one for them: the economy. Just hours ago, Vice President Harris appeared alongside President Joe Biden to tout a new deal with drug companies to bring down costs on 10 commonly used drugs for Medicare recipients. Tomorrow, Harris is expected to roll out more details of her broader economic agenda in a speech in North Carolina. To talk about what we know so far about Harris' economic plans and her record, Marisa and Scott are joined by Alan Rappeport, economic policy reporter for The New York Times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The next U.S. president will likely inherit wars in Ukraine and Gaza, along with complicated relationships with China and Russia. As vice president, Kamala Harris has mostly supported Biden Administration policies, but how would she recalibrate those positions if she is elected president? Political Breakdown continues their series digging into what a Harris administration might look like. Today, Scott and Marisa talk about foreign policy with Eric Bazail-Eimil, national security reporter and co-writer of POLITICO's "National Security Daily." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Political Breakdown continues our week-long series looking at how Vice President Kamala Harris would tackle a range of major issues if she’s elected president. Today, Scott and Marisa talk with Grist's Zoya Teirstein about how a Harris administration would handle climate change and environmental protection. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What would a Kamala Harris presidency look like and how would her policies differ from President Biden? Just three weeks after Harris got into the race and ahead of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, the Political Breakdown team is spending all week analyzing what we know about the vice president’s policy agenda. To kick us off, Marisa and Scott talk with NPR White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram, who's traveling with Harris as she campaigns across the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new poll from the San Francisco Chronicle shows Mayor London Breed with surprising strength against four main challengers, with former Supervisor Mark Farrell in second followed by non-profit founder Daniel Lurie. Plus, a rare political move in Sacramento: A state senator representing a rural part of California announces an abrupt switch from the Democratic to the Republican Party. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Francisco voters will choose their next mayor this November, and we are going to bring you interviews with all of the top candidates. Today, Marisa and Scott sit down with former interim mayor and supervisor Mark Farrell, who discusses his German heritage, growing up and raising kids in the city; along with his plans for policing and encampment sweeps. We want to hear your questions! If you have a burning question that you want us to ask the mayoral candidates, you can send us an email: [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The presidential election is dividing big money donors from across the political spectrum in Silicon Valley. Although some prominent venture capitalists are backing Kamala Harris, there are a handful of other tech billionaires who have recently thrown their support behind former President Donald Trump. Scott discusses this campaign battle over deep pockets in Silicon Valley with the Washington Post's Trisha Thadani. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is joining Vice President Kamala Harris on the Democratic ticket. They’re hoping the former school teacher and football coach can help reach swing voters in the midwest, but Republicans are already trying to paint him as a West Coast liberal. Scott talks with Minnesota Public Radio politics reporter Dana Ferguson and Brendon Gehrke, a former congressional staffer for Walz, about the governor's personal and political image — plus, why people are saying he has "Midwestern dad energy." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Veteran Los Angeles Times and Sacramento Bee reporter Dan Morain wrote a biography in 2021 titled “Kamala’s Way: An American Life," which traces Harris’ rise in politics starting from her upbringing in the Bay Area to her getting elected vice president. Scott talks with Morain about Harris then and now and how she matches up against former President Donald Trump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vice President Kamala Harris officially won enough votes from Democratic delegates to become the party’s presidential nominee. She also hired new senior advisors including David Plouffe, a top strategist for Barack Obama's presidential campaigns. Scott and Marisa talk about all that with Bradford William Davis, a reporter, culture critic and fellow with the National Press Foundation. Plus, Davis shares an inside view of the National Association of Black Journalists convention where former President Donald Trump questioned Harris' ethnicity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah Longwell spends a lot of her time talking to swing voters about how they view the presidential race and politics more broadly. A Republican pollster and Never Trumper, Longwell joins Marisa and Scott to discuss how these key voters view Vice President Kamala Harris and what both Harris and former President Donald Trump would need to do to get those “double haters” over to their side this November. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former President Donald Trump derided Vice President Kamala Harris' multiracial identity during an interview at the National Association of Black Journalists convention earlier today. It reveals how some Republicans are trying to make Harris' gender and racial identity a liability in the race. As the daughter of immigrants from Jamaica and India, how will Harris talk about her personal biography as she reintroduces herself to voters? Scott talks with New Yorker writer Jay Caspian Kang who argues that Harris shouldn’t shy away from talking about her parents. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever since Donald Trump picked Ohio Senator J.D. Vance to be his running mate two weeks ago, more than a few Republicans have wondered aloud if it was a mistake. Vance’s memoir Hillbilly Elegy describes growing up in poverty in a dysfunctional family ripped apart by opioid addiction. Since then he’s gone from Appalachia to Yale Law School to a San Francisco venture capital firm to the U.S. Senate and Republican ticket. Politico's Ian Ward had many conversations with Vance before he became Trump's running mate and he talks with Scott and Marisa about how Vance transformed from Never Trumper to MAGA warrior. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this month, Los Angeles Representative Adam Schiff called on President Joe Biden to step down from the presidential ticket, helping Vice President Kamala Harris ascend to where she is today – as the likely Democratic nominee for president. Scott talks with Rep. Schiff about his decision to make that call, how Trump's pick of J.D. Vance came at the perfect time for Democrats and his plan to reshape the U.S. Supreme Court. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Vice President Kamala Harris quickly consolidated support in the Democratic Party for her campaign for president, and Republicans are already using her record as a prosecutor here in California against her. Scott, Marisa and Guy chew over this blockbuster week of news including the launch of Governor Newsom's podcast "Politickin'" with Super Bowl champion Marshawn “Beast Mode” Lynch and agent Doug Hendrickson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Kamala IS brat.” The tweet from British pop singer Charli XCX set the internet on fire. Marisa and Scott talk to Guardian features writer Alaina Demopoulos about the memeification of Vice President Kamala Harris and whether any of it translates into donations or votes in the November election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this month, President Biden said in an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, "I mean, if the Lord Almighty came down and said, ‘Joe, get out of the race,’ I’d get out of the race." And then, Nancy Pelosi stepped in. The former House speaker played a big role in convincing the president to drop out of the presidential race – but why does Pelosi still have so much clout? Marisa talks with the SF Chronicle's Washington correspondent Shira Stein about Pelosi's hand in the 2024 presidential race. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lateefah Simon worked for Vice President Kamala Harris two decades ago in the San Francisco District Attorney’s office, and she's remained friends with Harris ever since. Simon, who serves on the BART board of directors and is running for U.S. Congress in Oakland, joins Marisa to talk about how the vice president's Bay Area roots have shaped her career and life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Now that President Joe Biden has ended his reelection campaign and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as nominee, all eyes are on the Bay Area native and former state and local prosecutor. Marisa is joined by NPR White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram to talk about Harris' reputation in D.C., where her policy views diverge from Biden's and her pitch to voters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Joe Biden announced he's dropping out of the 2024 election and threw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris. It's a move that wholly upends this presidential race, which until now has been a contest between the two oldest nominees ever. This is all happening with just weeks left before the Democratic National Convention in Chicago and just 107 days before election day. On this special edition episode of Political Breakdown, Marisa, Scott and Guy discuss reactions to this news, whether Democrats will coalesce behind Harris, who she might pick as a running mate and what to expect next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

KQED's Political Breakdown team has been in Milwaukee all week for the Republican National Convention. Now that former President Donald Trump has accepted his party's nomination and the balloons have dropped, Scott, Marisa and Guy analyze his 93-minute speech and share their takeaways on the week, including the Democrats' turmoil. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the final day of the Republican National Convention, where former President Donald Trump will accept his party’s nomination. The Political Breakdown team has been in Milwaukee for the RNC all week, talking with delegates, candidates, party leaders and elected officials. Today, Marisa, Scott and Guy share some of the interesting conversations they've had and their takeaways from an extraordinary week for both Republicans and Democrats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott and Marisa talk about the news of the day, including Rep. Adam Schiff joining a chorus of Democrats calling on President Joe Biden to drop his bid for reelection. Later, they're joined by Republican Congressman Vince Fong, who won the election to finish the rest of Kevin McCarthy's term in Washington, about his new job, gun control, California's toss-up House races and Trump's anti-immigration rhetoric. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Political Breakdown team is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on day two of the Republican National Convention. Today, Scott and Marisa talk with the Chairperson of the California Republican Party Jessica Patterson after the delegation’s breakfast gathering, where Virginia’s Governor Glenn Youngkin and Donald Trump’s son Eric both gave speeches. Then, Scott is joined by Milwaukee's Democratic Mayor Cavalier Johnson to talk about the RNC's impact on the city. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Political Breakdown team is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin this week where the Republican National Convention is already underway and delegates from across the country have nominated Donald Trump for president. Wisconsin is a critical swing state that Trump narrowly won in 2016 and President Joe Biden narrowly carried in 2020. Scott, Marisa and Guy discuss Trump's pick for VP, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance. Then, they're joined by Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson to talk about guns, contesting election results and how to tone down political rhetoric to find common ground. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the final episode of Political Breakdown's weeklong series examining what a second Donald Trump presidency would look like, Marisa and Scott dig into the economy with Peter Coy, opinion writer for the New York Times. They discuss what the former president accomplished in his first White House stint and what his proposed tariffs, tax cuts and even immigration crackdowns could mean for your pocketbook. In August, Political Breakdown will do the same analysis of the Democrats’ agenda for 2025 the week before they hold their nominating convention in Chicago. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Political Breakdown continues our weeklong series looking at the possibility of a second Donald Trump presidency. Today, Marisa and Scott look into the impact on climate with Dharna Noor, fossil fuels and climate reporter at Guardian US. In his first term, Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement and he’s promised to go farther in a second term. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Political Breakdown continues our weeklong series looking at the possibility of a second Donald Trump presidency. Today, Marisa and Scott are joined by Franco Ordoñez, White House Correspondent for NPR's Washington Desk, to talk about what Trump 2.0 could mean for immigration enforcement, the NATO alliance and more. We will continue looking into policy areas in the coming days, including the economy and climate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Political Breakdown continues our weeklong series looking at the possibility of a second Donald Trump presidency. Marisa talks with Vann R Newkirk II, senior editor at The Atlantic and the host of the podcasts "Floodlines" and "Holy Week," about how Trump and his allies want to change the federal government and what his reelection would mean for civil rights and democracy. We will continue looking into several policy areas in the coming days, including climate, economy, foreign policy and immigration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Republican National Convention starts one week from today, and we will spend this entire week examining what a second Donald Trump presidency would look like based on what he and his allies have been saying and have laid out in public. Today, Marisa and Scott are joined by Philip Bump, national columnist for the Washington Post, to dig into Project 2025, the conservative playbook by Trump allies that aims to consolidate presidential power and sideline critics. We will continue looking into several policy areas in the coming days, including democracy, climate, economy, foreign policy and immigration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin Spillane is a Republican political consultant who’s spent a lot of time in the swing state of Nevada. What he’s seen there makes him think this presidential election is Donald Trump’s to lose. Marisa talks with Spillane about purple states, shifting voter demographics and ticket splitting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Bay Area town of Sunol is the latest to hold a school board recall election. The recall is aimed at two members who voted to ban the use of flags other than the state or federal ones — a policy widely seen as blocking the use of the LGBTQ Pride flag. Guy Marzorati joins Ericka Cruz Guevarra, the host of The Bay, to talk about how the issue bubbled up and how the town is feeling about it. In Sunol, a School Board Recall Divides the Town Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices