Podcast Summary: The Next Level – "Closing Argument: He's Insane!"

Release Date: October 16, 2024

Hosts: Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller, Jonathan V. Last (JVL)
The Bulwark's signature political insight and banter bring listeners an in-depth analysis of the week's news, campaigns, elections, and pop culture feuds.

1. Trump's Town Hall Performance and Concerns Over Biden's Age (00:02 - 05:35)

JVL opens the discussion by highlighting Donald Trump's recent town hall event, expressing confusion over Trump's demeanor and the strategic silence regarding Joe Biden's age:

"Voters are super concerned about Joe Biden's age... It's just about the base question of can he do the job?" (00:02)

Tim Miller interjects, advocating for focusing solely on critiquing Trump without referencing Biden:

"Can we just judge Donald Trump on the merits of Donald Trump. It's bad enough..." (01:04)

Sarah Longwell recounts her team's experience watching the town hall, emphasizing the unusual shift from a Q&A to 30 minutes of music, which she describes as one of Trump's "most insane" actions:

"Donald Trump... just sways back and forth... this is the single weirdest thing he's ever done." (02:22)

The hosts debate whether Trump's behavior during the town hall indicates deeper issues, such as cognitive decline or poor health. JVL compares it to previous erratic actions like the balcony salute, deeming the current event less severe but still concerning:

"Donald Trump's not above committing crimes... It is a literally insane thing for the country to do." (04:47)

2. Media Criticism and Glenn Youngkin’s Interview with Jake Tapper (05:35 - 27:25)

The conversation shifts to media coverage of political figures. JVL criticizes how media outlets handle Trump's behavior, suggesting that presenters like Jake Tapper fail to adequately address Trump's possible cognitive issues:

"This is a TV problem... How dare Paparazzi." (04:12)

Tim Miller shares insights from Matthew Remsky, an expert on cults, who likens Trump's actions to those of a cult leader trying to maintain control by outsourcing emotional dominance to music:

"Trump is the dying Buddhist cult leader... This is exactly what's happening." (07:04)

Sarah Longwell argues that Democrats lost their strategic focus by not branding Trump as "insane" effectively, suggesting a return to an offensive strategy that highlights Trump's instability:

"They have got to go back to... it has to be insane person." (12:55)

The hosts express frustration with how media figures like Jake Tapper handle interviews with politicians like Glenn Youngkin. Tim Miller laments that mainstream media fails to challenge political figures adequately:

"The problem is the quiz... The Only people that watch CNN are Kamala Harris voters." (26:14)

3. Polling Insights and Voter Behavior (27:25 - 55:44)

JVL and Tim Miller delve into polling data, expressing skepticism about early voting projections and the reliability of current polls:

"It's unbelievably close... 50, 50. If you don't like Nate Silver, that's fine." (35:45)

Sarah Longwell focuses on battleground states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, noting Kamala Harris's consistent lead in Pennsylvania and the challenges in other states:

"She's been consistently ahead by four points in Pennsylvania..." (47:00)

The hosts discuss the complexities of voter preferences in states like Nevada and Arizona, highlighting the difficulty in swaying undecided voters:

"There were two going back to Trump and one who literally would not decide between the two." (48:10)

JVL brings attention to potential poll errors, referencing past election inaccuracies and emphasizing the unpredictability of the current race:

"The poll error was in the Republicans favor the last two presidential cycles." (35:10)

4. Media's Role and Critical Interviews (55:44 - 73:56)

Tim Miller recounts an interview with J. Cal, a venture capitalist who shifted from opposing to supporting Trump. He critiques J. Cal's superficial critiques of the Democratic Party, noting a lack of substantive policy concerns:

"He had nothing. Like, there was nothing. He seemed like a nice person, actually." (64:25)

Sarah Longwell reflects on how Trump's brand has become a symbol in Silicon Valley for heterodox thinking, suggesting that social acceptance of Trump has shifted:

"Trump is like a lifestyle brand now... And it feels like a lot of them are like, that's just what it feels like." (72:17)

The hosts express frustration with elites who feel alienated by the Democratic Party, indicating a disconnect between affluent individuals and mainstream political strategies:

"When you are a journalist, who do you serve?" (26:17)

5. Final Thoughts and Upcoming Plans (73:56 - End)

As the episode wraps up, JVL, Tim Miller, and Sarah Longwell discuss their upcoming bus tour and reflect on the political climate's challenges. They emphasize the need for continued vigilance against perceived threats to democracy and express hope for effective campaigning strategies.

Sarah Longwell concludes with a call to focus on Trump's instability to prevent normalization of his behavior among voters:

"Without really getting people focused on how insane it all is, they kind of like bake it in." (72:17)

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• JVL (00:02):
  "Voters are super concerned about Joe Biden's age... It's just about the base question of can he do the job?"

• Tim Miller (01:04):
  "Can we just judge Donald Trump on the merits of Donald Trump. It's bad enough..."

• Sarah Longwell (04:47):
  "Donald Trump's not above committing crimes... It is a literally insane thing for the country to do."

• JVL (07:04):
  "This is exactly what's happening. Trump is the dying Buddhist cult leader."

• Sarah Longwell (12:55):
  "They have got to go back to... it has to be insane person."

• JVL (35:45):
  "We'll take it. Chalk it up. Send them back to Mar-a-Lago..."

• Tim Miller (47:00):
  "She's been consistently ahead by four points in Pennsylvania..."

• Sarah Longwell (72:17):
  "Without really getting people focused on how insane it all is, they kind of like bake it in."

Conclusion

In this episode of The Next Level, hosts Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller, and Jonathan V. Last engage in a robust discussion about Donald Trump's recent behavior, concerns over Joe Biden's age, the media's handling of political figures, and the intricacies of current polling data. They advocate for a strategic focus on highlighting Trump's instability to prevent his normalization among voters and critique both media outlets and political elites for their roles in the current political landscape. The episode emphasizes the high stakes of the impending election and the need for effective messaging to influence voter perceptions.