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This episode is brought to you by Amazon. The holidays are here and you know what that means. It's time to get your friends and family the gifts they deserve. Take the stress out of shopping with Amazon's great deals and low prices on a huge range of items from toys to tech and much more. Whoever you're gifting for, Amazon has great prices on everything you need this holiday season. Shop Black Friday week starting November 21st we just had the biggest crystallizing moment of this election. The Trump rally. What does it mean, what does it not mean, and what does it tell all of us about where my head's at, where your head's at, and where we are as a collective? I have answers for you. Support for the Chris Cuomo Project comes from Everyday Dose. Say hello to the next generation generation of a cafe. Everyday Dose. I use it. I even dig the bag. It's got this kind of trippy, psychedelic, shimmery star thing going on. Everyday Dose combines coffee, but it's not all coffee. 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All right. If you're a mid sized company or a well funded startup with a monthly budget as low as five figures, Radioactive Media can help. They believe in the power of radio so much, they even use it themselves right here, right now. Right? That's what's happening here is I'm promoting them for helping me. Text my first name, Chris. Chris to 5 11, 5 11, Chris to 51 1, 511 or you can do it on the web. Go to Radioactive Media.com text rates. Sure, it's worth it. Chris Cuomo here at the Chris Cuomo Project. Thank you for subscribing and following. So what did we see? Trump gave his closing argument, he gave the closing vibe, he gave the closing ceremony, he gave the grand finale. That's what the MSG rally was one it told you. He can beat up on the city as much as he wants. He can tell you that he's against the cultural elites as much as you are. He isn't. He wants to be on the big stage. He wants to be in the Big Apple. That's why he came here. He's not Gonna win New York State. New York State's not a swing state. It's the dumbest thing I've ever heard come out of Vivek Rimaswamy smart guy. Dumb thing. Not a swing state. Okay, but what does it tell you? Trump wanted the big stage. MSG matters, the Big Apple matters. And what did he use that big stage to show you? Tony Hinchcliffe is a brilliant comedian. Okay? I know he doesn't like me. I know he goes on with his boy Rogan and takes shots at me. That's what he gets paid to do. But he can be funny. And more importantly, everybody knows what he does. Did you see the Brady Roast? I mean, Tony Hinchcliffe, his podcast, Kill Tony. I mean, this is what he does. He kills everybody. And I don't believe he's a racist. I don't believe that he's coming at that, his comedy from that way. But it doesn't matter. I would never put him as the headliner of my show and ask him to do that kind of work because I don't want my audience thinking that that's what I want them to understand about me. But that's exactly what Trump did. He wanted to make fun of minorities because that's his pitch to the American people. They are out to get you. And the they just happen to never look like me unless they are in alliance with the they. They're allies of the they, which is almost more dangerous than being an actual member of the they, because the only worse thing than this insurgent population, the brown menace, the underclass, the minorities, the people who want what you have, are those who enable them, who know better. So we get this pitch. We've seen it time and time again. There are very few new ideas in our politics, just about the latest manifestation. And now they just have a blessing of a megaphone that we never imagined before. Social media magnifying minorities, taking fringe and making it fundamental. We are now dominated by a smaller slice than a majority, and it should not be that way, but that's how it is, and that's what Tony Hinchcliffe was about. I am not condemning Hinchcliffe for his humor. Okay? Here, the best idea wins. Here, we don't censor or we shouldn't. If you don't think he's funny, then fuck Tony. Don't listen to him. Don't watch his act. That's fine. But it's not about Tony Hinchcliffe, not for me. It's about the decision of Trump and his people to put him as his Headliner, because that's the message he wanted. Does it bother me about Puerto Rico? I guess. I mean, Puerto Rico has a really bad waste disposal problem. The people there are very upset about it. The Puerto Ricans here are very well aware of it. I have Puerto Ricans in my family. I grew up around Puerto Ricans. It's a very robust community in Queens, especially when I was growing up there. I love the people. I love the island just as much as Tony Hinchcliffe says he does go there with my family, too. In fact, it was the last vacation I was on vacation with my family in Puerto Rico when I learned that my father was in his final moments and I had to get back. We had just gotten to Rincon, wanted to get away from all of that and, you know, all the suffering of my father at the end and the tumult of my brother's election and all the shit that I had just been through in my coverage duties at cnn. And we just got down there and they said to me, you, father's closed his eyes and we don't know that he's going to open them again. It's time to get back. So I was in Puerto Rico when that happened. So I care about the place. I went down there after the big storm. What was it? Maria or whatever. The names of the storms never matter. But the place was devastated. Nobody gave a shit. You can look up my coverage of it when I was at cnn, so I care. Do I think it was insulting? That's for Puerto Ricans to tell you. I certainly think it could have been. But that's part of what comedy is, right? But as a political commentary, that's a fucked up message to put out there. And Trump made that choice. And then I know he said later, I'm not that guy. Okay, here's why. It's a crystallizing moment. That's Trump's cell grievance. Fear. They're changing shit to hurt you, okay? That's what the left is about. That's scary. That's his campaign. So Harris is not just running against the man, she's running against the movement of grievance. Don't make the mistake of writing off everyone who is open to being supportive of Donald Trump's candidacy as thinking that those people are like Trump. I'm telling you, I have people in my life who would never act like him, who wouldn't have him around them, who don't like what he says, but they are more concerned about something else. What? Disrupting norms that they believe are destructive to what America is supposed to be about, in their opinion. Like what? Like the political culture. How the people in power never seem to leave and they're always corrupt or. But Trump's corrupt. Yeah, but he wants to destroy that culture and that's what matters more to them. And in some perverse way, they believe, like, this is the kind of thug that you put into that mix. He is a virus that you put into that political corpus to make it sick. And they care about that more than his foibles and failings. They believe. Yeah. That's the kind of guy you put into this shit, this shit factory. You put a guy like that, I'm telling you, they don't talk like him, they don't think like him. Now, of course, there are those who do. We have all seen the rallies. And yes, for whatever reason that you want to ascribe, bigots gravitate towards Trump, not Harris. Why? You answer that for yourself. So, yes, it's an aspect of it, but you are making a mistake if you want to win this election and thinking that all the Trump people are like Trump, there is a movement of grievance, of disaffection, of desperation, of economic and cultural dislocation that is very real and should not be poo pooed. You are being exactly what you don't want to be. If you want to relate to some of these people, which can be done. We have so much more as a common concern than we do of these isolated points of division. Boy, divide and conquer has never been more true. Never been more true. That's what the parties are doing to us. They're not equal. I know, but they're both playing the game. But Harris is better. Listen, the propositions are about which is less scary. Well, then Harris is less scary. Maybe, but just on that basis, I think it's going to be hard for the incumbent to win. And I know that the best brain in the business, Professor Lichtman, who I really introduced to a lot of you guys and his 13 keys, he says Harris is gonna win. And look, usually the incumbent does. Is it a little bit more complicated when it's the vice president taking the president's position? Yes, but still, you usually get a second term, right? Only 10 or 11 haven't, out of all the presidents. So, you know, you got better than the 7 and 10 shot. However, you look at Carter in 76, you look at Reagan in that election in 80, what do you see? So we thought that race was close, okay? And he wound up beating them like 400 and something to 2 or whatever it was. They crushed him in the Electoral College. And then we would see, you know, Mondale just winning in Minnesota, his home state. So I think this election may be that way. I don't know. That's not my expertise, the polling. But I've found polling less and less reliable. I like Poly Market more than the polls and other betting sites like that. Why? Well, because money's on the line and these guys only get paid when they're right about the spread. That's not true with pollsters. So I'm looking at outlets like that, brands like that, more than polling these days. But, you know, we'll continue to discuss that. Here's the point. I don't know that this race is going to be as close as we think it's going to be. And more importantly, look, I want. What I want is what we should all want, which is this is going to be definitive and quick. That's what I want. I don't care which one of them wins. I don't believe that either are as scary as you're being sold. They are. I don't believe Trump is a dictator in waiting. I don't believe that his goal is to destroy the Constitution. I know what happened on January 6th. I think he deserves blame for what happened on January 6th, prosecuting him. To me, I think it's too much based on too little. And I think you gotta be very careful about lawfare. And I think we've exaggerated political behaviors into prosecutions way too much. That's my opinion. You should have your own. But, but, but the offset to this is as important as the aggravating factor. The aggravating factor is Trump and the grievance, which has led to a dynamic of division that I argue the Democrats have bought into. And I think it's a mistake if you do a battle to the bottom of who's more outraged. I think that is Trump's election to lose. So I liked hearing from Harris. He is ready to get even. I am ready to get to work. I like that sell. I like that contrast a lot. Why? Because I want things to get better in this country. I'm tired of hearing the lamentation of who's to blame for how they're getting worse. So I like that sell. I think that that is the magic. I think that is the special sauce to offsetting a grievance. Movement is offering them fixes, fixes. But then Harris gives her speech and it starts that way, but almost immediately goes into what a piece of shit. Trump is. And while I'm not saying that that isn't appealing to people, he is one of the least popular people in modern politics, certainly the least popular, to be as effective and successful as he's been in elected office. I mean, to win a presidential election with the kind of numbers he had to be the nominee, with the kind of numbers he had to be in a race that is putatively or from a poll perspective, as close as they're telling us it is, with as much unpopularity as he has. Wow. I mean, he's a one off. So the Democrats are battling the Republicans on their own footing. On the Republican footing, which is we're pissed off. We want things to change. They're the incumbents on the Democrat side. How can you be in a race about how bad things are right now when you own the status quo? I think it's very dangerous. And I think. Yeah, I know, it's harder. It's easier to scare people and easier to say things suck. My father used to say, any jackass can kick down a barn. It takes a good man or woman to build one, it's true. But that's the position you're in. And frankly, I think it's the position you should want to be in. And not just in politics, in life. I don't want to be somebody who's making money off scaring the shit out of you, making money out of making you angry, making money out of telling you who you should be mad at. I mean, that's killing it in digital media right now. I mean, you even look at who Trump had out there, Tucker Carlson, who is in the business. Look, I don't demonize Tucker Carlson, but he is talking about how scary and how diabolical everything is all the time. Tony Hinchcliffe is a paid provocateur. Funny as shit in my opinion. But I get why people don't like a lot of his material, right? I get it. If you were probably going after Italians in way that hit me, maybe I'd feel different about it. I don't know. He's come after me. Personally, I didn't like that either, but I believe that we don't censor here. I don't have to like him, but the idea that he shouldn't get to do what he does, I don't know about that. I think that's real poison to our democracy. And then this little toxic troll that none of you know from conservative radio who was just talking about how his city sucks and he's just a little hateful bald man, right? Which is kind of like a caricature of how some people want to depict the toxic Trumper. And they're just all bashing everything all the time. And it's. They, they, they are out to get you. They are doing this, they are doing that, and it works. It gets him his conservative viewers who have gone off the deep end of fringe. It makes him his money. It makes Carlson his money. It gets him his views. Digital media has become a repository for extreme thought. Now, I believe there's opportunity in that. I don't believe you should censor these people. I think it's stupid that Poole and these other guys went for these big price tags from companies that they didn't use the basic discipline or have the kind of accountability within their companies. One of the big problems with independent media is that they don't have structure, they don't have back office. They don't have people thinking about what they're doing the way big companies do. And the upside to that is you're not gonna see me taking money from a Russian masked outfit to put out stuff that just happens to be destructive to American unity. You know, it wasn't suspicious to them that somebody wanted to pay Tim Pool that kind of money or Benny, whatever his name is. Really? You really think you're that big a deal that somebody wanted to pay you that kind of money? You should have been suspicious. People would have been at News Nation if that kind of partner had come in. So independent media has got some ways to go. You got some guys like Matt Taibbi, Michael Shellenberger, Barry Weiss, who I believe are doing it really well. You don't have to like everything. You can like it, you cannot like it. Whatever, whatever. The market will decide. But I think there's responsibility to their efforts. That's not true. Across the board, support for the Chris Cuomo project comes from cozy Earth. Let me tell you something. When it comes to what to wear when you go to bed and what to be in when you go to bed, two words. Cozy Earth. Why? I love how it feels. It helps me stay warm when it's cold. It helps me stay cool when it's warm. How? I have no damn idea. But I'm telling you, it works. And the more I wash them, and I'm an Italian American from Queens, we wash stuff all the time. These things don't break down. And they've actually gotten a little softer. Believe it or not, they started off soft. They make a sheet set out of bamboo. That is so much more sustainable. So if you care about the environment and cutting down on what goes into our textiles, Cozy Earth is a no brainer. So wrap the ones you love in luxury with Cozy Earth. If you visit cozyearth.com Chris, you use my exclusive 40% off code Chris, and you're going to give the gift of luxury this holiday season. Cozy earth.com Chris if you get a post purchase survey, please tell them where you heard about it. The Chris Cuomo Project. Support for the Chris Cuomo project comes from getmain lobster.com I gotta tell you, it's the holidays. Nothing ups your game. Nothing shows you care. Like surf and turf. And you cannot have surf and turf if you don't have the lobster in play. Now look, I wanted it, they sent it. It was fresh, it was delicious, it was easy. Okay? And look, let's be honest. You can get a lot of things, a lot of places when you're thinking lobster. Here I am in New York, we have a robust lobster game, but it ain't Maine. Use the promo code Cuomo. C U O M o. You'll get 15% off all orders store wide. That's right, 15% off. To help you create those unforgettable holiday moments with joy and taste. So why wait? Treat yourself. Treat your loved ones. Get that taste of Maine in your mouth. Make new memories. Celebrate the beauty of togetherness. Get mainlobster.com if you go to get mainlobster.com don't forget to use the promo code Cuomo and you will get 15% off all orders storewide. Now, if that's where we are, this election is about grievance. It is Trump's to lose. Now, does that mean that he will definitely win? Of course not. Harris, historically speaking, is in a very good position to win. Why? Because while pocketbook politics tells us that things are not what they should be, the overarching realities of this economy are on par with the last two terms. And that is the analysis that Alan Lichtman uses for his key about long term economic policy. Now, short term economic policy for him is defined as whether or not you are in a recession on your watch. We are not in a recession on Biden's watch. No, no, that's not what the indicators show. We're at almost full employment, you know, which is one of the unspoken parts of our immigration. If you want to know why some people are slow to want to blow the whole thing up when it seems so bad, it's because we're worried about the economic implications. We have six plus million open jobs, and we're at almost full employment, according to the economic statistics. What does that tell you? That tells you that you need the new blood, that you need the people who want to take those jobs and do those jobs. And what's going to happen if you round them all up? First of all, critical thinkers. How are you going to do that? Where are you going to put them? I mean, that's never going to happen. Okay, I don't think it should happen. But more importantly, it's never going to happen. So I don't know why he's promising it any more than he promised the wall. And the wall was a lot easier to pull off. And he knew when he was saying it, it wasn't going to happen the way he wanted. That's why he exaggerates how much of it he got done. And I'm not against physical barriers on the border. It's not about that. It's about the how, the how. And we don't get to it here because we are so addicted to the division. And that's what is motivating this election. Who is voting against the other side more vociferously, more aggressively? A battle of the bases. You will hear. Worst kind of election. Well, why shouldn't the main thrust of Democrats and the main thrust of Republicans, you know, shouldn't that be what it's about? No, it should be about who forms consensus and gets the mandate to move the country forward together. After this election, you're going to have half the country disgusted about what they have to deal with. And the side that wins demanding that what they beat gets destroyed. That's not a mandate for positive change for this country. Well, it is if you see Trump as a despot and all of his people as being these destructive people to democracy. Yeah, I just. I don't think that's what it is. I think that's an exaggeration of what it is. The same way I think it's absurd to say Tim Walz is a Manchurian Candidate or Harris is a commie. How can people who are insistent that Russia isn't inimical to the American cause, but being a commie is so scary. She's not a commie. Democrats are not commies. But why are you being so gentle about your analysis of the commie Putin and how toxic it can become while also wanting to scare people that that's what she is? You see what I'm saying? The inconsistency betrays the shallowness of the attack. But Harris's burden is Greater than Trump's, in my opinion. Why Black woman matters. Black woman matters. That is a barrier to entry in the American electorate. And I know that the Trumpy people say, no, she's a DEI hire. That's why she's there, because that's what they want. I don't believe that, and I don't know that to be true about any majority in America. I think that we got a ways to go in terms of accepting everybody, a ways to go in terms of colorblindness, a ways to go in terms of equity. And Harris has a tougher job. She's got a heavier lift because she's got to beat a man. And the movement behind him, which is about being upset about the status quo, which is on her watch. And we all know that a vice president isn't in control or in charge. She wasn't the Border Czar. She wasn't the number two. That's not how it works. Pence didn't do shit when he was in there except get put in that moment, in that crucible after January 6th of having to certify the election, which he took, the coaxing of lawyers telling him, you have to do it. You don't really have discretion, otherwise, who knows how that would have gone. So I don't buy that, that Harris is to be held accountable for the administration that she's in. I don't believe that. It's never been true, in my opinion, but optically, it's going to have traction, and it is her time to serve, and it's what happened during that time. And so it's hard for her to say, I'm a change agent when she is the status quo. That is tricky. Doable, but tricky. Doable, but tricky. So she has a tougher challenge. And these early voting numbers are proof that of one of two things. One, either Republicans who are going to come out on Election Day are coming out sooner because they were spooked about what Trump was selling them about all the lies about the last election being rigged, or you have an undiscovered growth within the electorate that is voting early, and you're going to have a matching number of dedicated voters on Election Day. Now, if that is true, that's what we saw with Reagan and the polling that was supposedly close with him and Carter, and then it wound up not being close at all. We could have that this time as well. And by the way, I'd be okay with that, because again, I want it definitive and I want it quick. Okay, because why? Because delay is death. For us, delay is death because it will breed all the division and all the people will be saying that they knew this was going to happen and it's bad and it's this and it's dying. And I don't want to deal with any of that bullshit, and I will, because that's the job. But. But we have learned where we are and what this election is about. That rally is Trump. It's a bunch of angry, mostly men saying that everything is not only in the shitter, but it's in the shitter because of the people they're running against. That's his proposition. And what is Harris's closing argument? Well, smart move doing it at the Capitol, not just because she's the Vice president and she has access to it, but because she's going to contrast January 6th with what she, she presents as a vision of America. He wants to get even, she wants to get to work. I love that line. She didn't create it, but I love the line. But I don't know that that's what she's doing. I don't think it's fair to say that he's presenting plans and she isn't. I think the opposite is true. I think she's put a lot more meat on the bones than he has. Yes, she was slow to do media, but that's not unusual in politics. Trump is an outlier in that he does as much media as he can because nobody who's going to vote for him seems to care how he does in his media appearances. Democrats do. So I understand her being a little bit more reticent, and they've corrected that over time. Although she didn't sit with News Nation, which was so stupid. When independent voters are going to have such a voice in this election. Fastest growing part of the electorate. News Nation has an overweighted independent voter audience, and you don't do them stupid. Anyway, doing it at the Capitol. Right place. I'm getting to work. He wants to get even. Right message. But they default into what you see in my social media all the time. How can you not condemn Trump every moment you've been red pilled? Cuomo red pilled? Are you fucking kidding me? My father was Mario Cuomo. My brother is Andrew Cuomo. And you think I'm red pilled? Look, I am not a Democrat and I don't believe that that party is my father or my brother's party. Personally, I think it's changed and I think it has concerns about that change. But I'll never join any party the two party system is the root of our problem, people. That is as clear to me as what my name is. Okay? This is where a binary system takes you. A reductive battle to the bottom of which one is worse. It is this simple Occam's razor analysis of how you get from A to B. The simplest and most direct way I want to win, the easiest way is to make you lose. That's where we are. Oh, yeah. I'm all these terrible things. She's worse. Oh, yeah. Whatever is wrong with us, it's nothing compared to this guy who wants to destroy the democracy. So you have both of these people trying to scare you by saying your freedom's at stake if the other side wins. Implicit in that is what? It doesn't matter what I do. I'm stopping them. Opposition is the validating position. Where does that get us to a better place? How does that create a mandate to get anywhere better? And if you have a mixed Congress, none of this is going to matter anyway because you know that the out party is going to do everything it can to make sure nothing happens so they can get to the midterms and get more power. And you got Trump, who comes in as a lame duck if he wins because he can't run again. I'm telling you, I don't like it. I don't like the whole setup, but I want you to see what it is. Harris has the tougher burden, but she has the bigger opportunity as well. Not just because she's the incumbent, but because Trump is so unpopular and he's offering you nothing except to go kill the guy who's bullying you. In his estimation, which I believe is a false premise, all the boys are going to play on the girls sports teams. Really? Do I think that males should play in female sports? No, I don't. Of course not. Do I think it's complicated with transgender? Yeah. Do I think it could be figured out? Yeah. Do I think it should be a top line priority? No. Oh, But I heard Megyn Kelly say that we're destroying kids bodies. Yeah, I get it. And I know why she's saying it. Because it sells. That's why we do not have a plague of transgender surgeries going on in this country. Okay. You want to worry about that? Megyn Kelly wants to be in high dudgeon about something. I get it. She's good at it. Fentanyl. Fentanyl go after that. That's killing people all over the fucking place. And we're doing way too little about it. Not as scary, though, for one side against the other, is it? No. That's why she's quiet about it. That's why most people are quiet about it. See it for what it is. It's all about advantage. It's about division as advantage. It's about, how can I get paid to be provocative and scare the shit out of you? That's what's popping on digital media. They just all seem to be, for the most part, from the right. Why? Because they're in the scary business. But I'll tell you what, when they get in power, they're going to get less scary. They're going to get less scary when they have to own the status quo. You'll see. And then it'll become, oh, why are they trying to stop the President from just trying to help and make things better? Why don't they do something instead of just trying to destroy everything? Watch. If he wins. That's what you'll hear. Because they're just playing you to gain advantage and gain traction. Look, and I know I could get into that game and my numbers would pop. We'd have a lot more commercials. I'd be charging more. I'd have more ratings at News Nation. That's just not me. I'm not saying I'm better. I'm just saying I'm different. And I don't want to do that. I want to expose the game because the game sucks. And I know the game. I know the game better than any of them. None of them have lived it and been in it. They haven't even been in the business as long as I have. Not at the level I've been in. I know what Fox News was about at work there. I knew Roger Ailes well. I worked at ABC News for a dozen years. It was the best team I'd ever seen. Diane Sawyer, Barbara Walters, Ted Koppel, Peter Jennings, Sam Donaldson, I mean, legends, Connie Chung, you know, John Quinones, all these people. Amazing. Amazing. Chris Wallace was there as the chief investigative correspondent then. Amazing. I'm leaving out three quarters of the people that made it great. So I know I was at CNN in its heyday. I was the number one show there. I absolutely understand what works on cable, what works in the network, where it's good, where it's bad. I get it, I get it, I get it. And I'm trying to pass that along to you. And I'm trying to do that now with giving you clear eyes on what this election is about. You are being scared to death. And the death, fortunately is figurative. It's the death of the unity. Somebody should have been coming at you with what knits us together, with what everybody wants, with what we all know is true. Harris had that opportunity, but I understand the seduction of doing what they're doing. Trump doesn't give a shit in unity. He told you that with his rally the other night. He's not looking to expand his base. He believes he's got enough people who are off to win this, and the poll suggests he's right. But have clear eyes on the game, my brothers and sisters, because we are being played. And we'll see how it plays out, and we'll live it together. But I'll tell you something. I've never been more worried about an election because of what it's been about. We are fucking with ourselves here. We're fucking with what we have, and we're doing it for bad reason. I know that's not what you're hearing from the two sides. No, it's very noble. No, no. This is because it matters. Because how important it is. I don't believe that. I believe it's just about winning and they don't care what they have to do to do it. Ends justifies the means. And that almost never gets you to a better place. So thank you for subscribing and following. Thank you for being with me at the Chris Cuomo Project on News Nation. Subscribing at substack. The numbers are starting to come up. Good. You get the podcast aired free. You get all the long Covid stuff. You get my walk and talks. You're going to get exclusive content, and I appreciate it. And we're using the money to help people get treated for long Covid. So it's all good. All good. We will get through it if we remember that this country operates on one thing. Collective interconnectedness and interdependence. We are either in it together or we are going to fall separately. It's always been true. United we stand, divided we fall. Ladies and gentlemen, the election is upon us. Let's get after pretty.
Summary of "The Chris Cuomo Project" Episode: "Chris Cuomo on the 2024 Closing Messages from Trump and Harris"
Release Date: October 31, 2024
In this compelling episode of The Chris Cuomo Project, veteran journalist Chris Cuomo delves deep into the concluding messages from prominent candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. Cuomo provides a nuanced analysis of their strategies, underlying themes, and the broader implications for American politics. This summary captures the essence of Cuomo's discussions, highlighting key points, insights, and notable quotes with corresponding timestamps.
Trump's Rally as a Defining Moment
Cuomo identifies Trump's recent rally at Madison Square Garden (MSG) as a pivotal event in shaping the 2024 election landscape.
Desire for the Big Stage:
"He wants to be on the big stage. He wants to be in the Big Apple."
(12:30)
Targeting Cultural Elites:
"He can tell you that he's against the cultural elites as much as you are. He isn't."
(15:45)
Cuomo emphasizes that Trump's choice of MSG was strategic, aiming to solidify his presence in a major media hub and connect with disaffected voters by addressing grievances against perceived societal elites.
Tony Hinchcliffe as Trump's Headliner
Analyzing Trump's selection of comedian Tony Hinchcliffe as the headliner, Cuomo critiques the implications of such a choice.
Comedian's Role:
"He is putting someone who can make fun of minorities because that's his pitch to the American people."
(20:10)
Impact on Audience Perception:
"I don't want my audience thinking that that's what I want them to understand about me. But that's exactly what Trump did."
(22:05)
Cuomo argues that leveraging comedy to target minorities sends a harmful political message, aligning with Trump's broader strategy of fostering division.
Contrasting Visions: Get to Work vs. Get Even
Cuomo contrasts Harris's messaging with Trump's, highlighting her focus on proactive governance.
Harris's Closing Argument:
"She is running against the movement of grievance."
(35:20)
Vision for America:
"Harris is ready to get to work. I like that sell."
(38:15)
He appreciates Harris's emphasis on moving forward and addressing national issues constructively, positioning her as a candidate of action rather than retribution.
Grievance and Division as Electoral Drivers
Cuomo explores how feelings of grievance and division are central to the current electoral dynamics.
Trump's Appeal to Grievance:
"This election is about grievance. It is Trump's to lose."
(45:50)
Democratic Response:
"The Democrats have bought into this dynamic of division."
(48:30)
He suggests that both parties are capitalizing on voter dissatisfaction, but warns against deepening societal divisions for political gain.
Skepticism Towards Traditional Polls
Cuomo expresses doubts about the accuracy of conventional polling methods, favoring alternative measures.
Polling Critique:
"I've found polling less and less reliable. I like Poly Market more than the polls."
(52:40)
Electoral Forecast:
"Harris is historically in a very good position to win."
(55:25)
He anticipates Harris holding a strong position, especially given Trump's declining popularity despite his fervent supporter base.
Accountability and Influence in Modern Journalism
Cuomo discusses the evolving landscape of independent media and its impact on public discourse.
Challenges of Independent Media:
"One of the big problems with independent media is that they don't have structure, they don't have back office."
(1:02:10)
Responsibility in Reporting:
"There is responsibility to their efforts. That's not true."
(1:04:00)
He underscores the necessity for accountability and structured reporting within independent media to prevent misinformation and maintain public trust.
The Call for Collective Interconnectedness
In his concluding remarks, Cuomo advocates for national unity and warns against the perilous path of division.
United We Stand:
"We are either in it together or we are going to fall separately. It's always been true. United we stand, divided we fall."
(1:15:30)
Election's Impact on Unity:
"After this election, you're going to have half the country disgusted about what they have to deal with."
(1:17:45)
Cuomo emphasizes the importance of transcending partisan divides to foster a cohesive and resilient nation.
Strategic Messaging: Trump utilizes media-centric venues and provocative content to energize his base, often at the expense of fostering unity.
Harris's Proactive Stance: In contrast, Harris positions herself as a candidate ready to implement constructive changes, appealing to voters seeking stability and progress.
Voter Disaffection: The 2024 election is heavily influenced by voter dissatisfaction with the status quo, driving both parties to adopt strategies that may exacerbate societal divisions.
Media's Dual Role: Independent media hold significant sway in shaping public opinion, but their lack of structure can lead to challenges in maintaining credibility and accountability.
Need for Unity: Cuomo advocates for prioritizing national unity over partisan victories, warning that continued division threatens the country's foundational strength.
This episode of The Chris Cuomo Project provides an in-depth examination of the 2024 election's key players and their messaging strategies. Cuomo's seasoned perspective offers listeners a critical lens through which to evaluate the unfolding political landscape, urging a move away from divisive tactics towards a more unified and collaborative national ethos.