Check Out a Preview for “Clock It”

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Rachel Maddow Show – Preview of “Clock It”

Date: February 12, 2026
Hosts: Eugene Daniels & Simone Sanders Townsend
Episode Focus:
A preview of the new podcast “Clock It” with hosts Eugene Daniels and Simone Sanders Townsend, discussing political culture shifts in the Trump era, and a deep dive into the high-profile Texas Democratic primary.

---

Main Theme & Purpose

The episode introduces Clock It, a new show from MS NOW, aiming to demystify behind-the-scenes political maneuvering and open candid, informed political conversations to a wider audience. The preview spotlights how culture and politics collide, and features a sharp analysis of a heated Texas Democratic primary between Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett and State Rep. James Talarico.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why “Clock It?” (00:04–00:45)

• Hosts’ Backgrounds:
  • Simone: Years working in DC, on campaigns, and within the White House.
  • Eugene: Political coverage, president of the White House Correspondents Association.
• Show’s Mission:
  • Reveal and interpret political strategies and cultural impacts from an insider perspective.
  • Open up their “group chat” style discussions to the public, dissecting current events with transparency.

“We’ve learned to see through political machinations and maneuvering, whatever that is.”
– Simone Sanders Townsend (00:18)

---

2. Trump’s Impact on Culture (00:22–00:40)

• Observation: The Trump administration is “trying to legitimize itself by hijacking the arts, sports, basically the culture.”
• Examples:
  • Trump branding everything, ICE at big sports events, White House TikToks with pop music.
  • Dismisses these as seemingly trivial but argues “this stuff matters.”

“Slapping Trump’s name on the kitchen, dispatching ICE to the Super Bowl, uploading TikToks set to Nicki Minaj songs. It looks trivial, but this stuff matters.” – Simone Sanders Townsend (00:30)

---

3. About “Clock It” Podcast (00:40–01:03)

• Format: Weekly Thursday episodes reviewing news and trends with their unique political lens.
• Access: First episode out now; ad-free versions and bonus content available via MSNow Premium.

---

4. Spotlight: Texas Democratic Primary (01:10–05:24)

The Stakes (01:10–01:22)

• The Texas Democratic primary is seen as “the most interesting and popping up in my group chats” — a microcosm of national party dynamics.

Candidates: Contrasts in Style & Strategy

• James Talarico (01:26–01:46):

  • Background: Former educator, flipped a Trump district.
  • Approach: Calm, pragmatic, motivated by education cuts.
  • Quote:

    “There weren’t enough desks for all those kids, so I had students sitting on the air conditioning unit. It’s unacceptable. And that’s why I ran...”
    – James Talarico (01:46)

• Jasmine Crockett (02:19–02:30):

  • Style: Direct, confrontational, passionate about justice.
  • Quote:

    “They’re killing people in the middle of the street. They decided to execute a mother of three in broad daylight. I don’t understand how we are sitting here and acting like this is normal.”
    – Jasmine Crockett (02:19)

• Framing the Race (01:22–02:36):

  • The party’s real split isn’t ideological but about “whether you want to fight or not.”
  • Crockett is “clear and concise, seems much more ready maybe to fight Donald Trump the way Donald Trump fights.”

“The split in the party is no longer ideological...the actual split is whether you want to fight or not. And I think these two people show how different groups in the Democratic Party want to fight.” – Eugene Daniels (01:26)

---

Social Media “Controversy” (02:36–03:38)

• Incident: Texas TikToker Morgan Thompson claims Talarico made a racially charged, derogatory remark during a private conversation.
• Allegation:
  • Talarico allegedly said he signed up to run against “a mediocre black man, not a formidable and intelligent black woman” (Colin Allred and Jasmine Crockett, respectively).
  • The remark raised questions about race, gender, and candidate accessibility to influencers.

“Up until this comment, the conversation was going well. That’s why it threw me off so much to have a white man say this to a black woman who is coming to him with concerns in relation to him for black people, child.” – Simone Sanders Townsend relaying Morgan Thompson’s account (03:13)

Media & Messaging Lessons (03:38–04:21)

• New Political Reality:
  • Candidates now engage influencers, not just journalists.
  • Off-the-record doesn’t always exist for social media creators.
• Advice:
  • Politicians need to adapt — “If you start talking off the record, they gonna tell. They gonna tell it.”

“As a former comms person...these are also not journalists...it was a private conversation. Like the creators don’t understand.”
– Simone Sanders Townsend (03:38)

---

Response & Accountability (04:21–05:24)

• Talarico’s Response: Admits to calling the campaign “mediocre,” not the individual.
• Context: Colin Allred’s campaign performance scrutinized; Crockett’s entry shifted the race.
• Simone’s Take:
  • Admits Allred’s last campaign was mediocre.
  • Stresses it’s not appropriate for a white candidate to call a Black peer “mediocre,” even if critiquing a campaign.

“Should the white man be talking about another elected official and feel comfortable calling him a mediocre black man? No. And trying to pump up a black lady? Hell, no.” – Simone Sanders Townsend (05:12)

---

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “It looks trivial, but this stuff matters.”
  – Simone Sanders Townsend (00:30)

• “The actual split is whether you want to fight or not.”
  – Eugene Daniels (01:26)

• “They’re killing people in the middle of the street...”
  – Jasmine Crockett (02:19)

• “If you start talking off the record, they gonna tell. They gonna tell it.”
  – Simone Sanders Townsend (04:14)

• “Hell, no.”
  – Simone Sanders Townsend on racial undertones in Talarico’s comment (05:12)

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:04–00:22: Introduction to “Clock It” and hosts’ backgrounds
• 00:22–00:40: Trump’s maneuvers in culture
• 01:10–02:36: Democratic primary preview, candidate contrasts
• 02:36–03:38: Social media controversy breaks
• 03:38–04:21: The new media landscape for campaigns
• 04:21–05:24: Talarico’s response and Simone’s take

---

Summary & Takeaways

Clock It aims to go deep on both surface-level culture war stories and the complicated truths underlying political news. The preview reveals a dynamic, sometimes biting, always candid take on party politics, shifting campaign strategies, and how social media shapes modern political crises. The Texas primary is a case study in how party dynamics, identity, and new media converge, with the hosts providing both context and trenchant commentary.

“For more, search ‘Clock It’ and follow the show.”
– Simone Sanders Townsend (05:26)

---

End of summary.

Transcript

[Eugene Daniels]

Hey y'.

[Simone Sanders Townsend]

All.

It's Eugene Daniels and Simone Sanders Townsend.

[Eugene Daniels]

We're the hosts of a brand new podcast, Ms. Now presents Clock It.

[Simone Sanders Townsend]

We're starting this show because over our years in dc, Me on campaigns and working in the White House and me

[Eugene Daniels]

covering it all, plus running the White House Correspondents association, we've learned to see

[Simone Sanders Townsend]

through political machinations and maneuvering, whatever that is. Right, Eugene?

[Eugene Daniels]

Uh huh. Cause right now we're watching the Trump administration try to legitimize itself by hijacking the arts, sports, basically the culture.

[Simone Sanders Townsend]

See? Slapping Trump's name on the kitchen, dispatching ice to the super bowl, uploading tiktoks set to Nicki Minaj songs. It looks trivial, but this stuff matters.

[Eugene Daniels]

So we wanna open up our off air conversations, our group chat, if you will, to everybody.

[Simone Sanders Townsend]

Every Thursday we'll talk about what we see and hear in the news so you can start to clock it too.

[Eugene Daniels]

Our first episode is out right now and new episodes drop every Thursday. Subscribe to MSNow Premium on Apple Podcasts to get the show ad free. Plus you'll get an exclusive bonus episode as soon as this week.

[Simone Sanders Townsend]

Stay right here to get a preview of our first episode, then search for Clockett and hit that follow button. No state's race, though I think right about now is more interesting and more, you know, popping up in my group chats than what's going on in Texas in the Democratic primary between Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett.

Yes.

And State Representative James Talarico. James Talarico.

[Eugene Daniels]

The thing that I think is most interesting about this primary for Democrats is that the split in the party is no longer ideological, right? No, the actual split is whether you want to fight or not. And I think these two people show how different groups in the Democratic Party want to fight. Right. Like James Talarico, he's much more, you know, his demeanor's calmer.

[James Talarico]

I got into this because of my students. I got into the classroom in the fall of 2011, right after the state legislature cut $5 billion from our schools. I had 45 kids in one classroom. There weren't enough desks for all those kids, so I had, I had students sitting on the air conditioning unit. It's unacceptable. And that's why I ran for the state legislature. It's why I flipped a Trump district that no one thought was winnable.

[Eugene Daniels]

And you have someone like Congresswoman Crockett and she is much more, I think, like a lot of members of Congress that are Democrats, much more in your face.

[Simone Sanders Townsend]

They're killing people in the Middle of the street. They decided to execute a mother of three in broad daylight. I don't understand how we are sitting here and acting like this is normal.

[Eugene Daniels]

Right. She's much more clear and concise. She seems much more ready maybe to fight Donald Trump the way Donald Trump fights.

[Simone Sanders Townsend]

Some would call her unconventional. Some reports have called her and her campaign unconventional. This recently. Recently, okay, there was a controversy that popped off on the Internet. The fact that in 2026, campaigns are being and races are being appended by what happens on threads. I don't know if. And TikTok, I don't know if this was a scheme that Todd set up to encourage people to sign up for threads. Todd is busy, child. But if you weren't on threads, you were not understanding where this. What happened here. Exactly.

[Eugene Daniels]

So this is Texas based tiktoker Morgan Thompson. She said she met Talarico and this is what she says happened.

[Simone Sanders Townsend]

James Talarico told me that he signed up to run against a mediocre black man, not a formidable and intelligent black woman. Colin Allred, the mediocre black man that he's referring to as an attorney, a former professional football player and a former congressman. Up until this comment, the conversation was going well. That's why it threw me off so much to have a white man say this to a black woman who is coming to him with concerns in relation to him for black people, child.

Now, can I just say, a lot of different conversations have sprouted out from this. But as a former comms person, I will say in this new media landscape where folks are making their candidates available to influencers, people, creators. Right. People with platforms that have substantial social media followings, particularly in the state or the district, that makes a difference. These are also not journalists. And this isn't a slight to Morgan. I'm not trying to slight her, but it was a private conversation. Like the creators don't understand.

[Eugene Daniels]

Off the record. No, they do not. So politicians, take a note, take notes, baby.

[Simone Sanders Townsend]

If you start talking off the record, they gonna tell. They gonna tell it. And so she told about a private conversation she had. And to be clear, his comments were problematic.

[Eugene Daniels]

I will say this. His team, when they sent out the sort of apology, whatever, what he said was, I did call him mediocre.

[James Talarico]

I don't.

[Eugene Daniels]

It doesn't sound.

[Simone Sanders Townsend]

He said he called his campaign mediocre. And I mean, to be very clear, Colin Allred did not run a stellar Senate campaign.

[Eugene Daniels]

He's no longer running for Senate. So what does that mean?

[Simone Sanders Townsend]

Well, because Jasmine Crockett came in and kind of like, to be honest, put him out of the race. And there were concerns, I mean, if you talk to Democrats in Texas, like strategists and whatnot and people that do campaign work, there was a concern about the kind of campaign Colin Allred ran the last time he ran for Senate and when he lost. When he lost. And Democrats do believe that this is an opportunity, that this is one of the seats that they can take, like Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, they are talking about expanding the map. So I just don't think it is ever. Okay, though. Like, yeah. Was his campaign, was he running a mediocre campaign? Sure. Should the white man be talking about another elected official and feel comfortable calling him a mediocre black man? No. And trying to pump up a black lady? Hell, no.

[Eugene Daniels]

It makes no sense.

[Simone Sanders Townsend]

Thanks for listening. For more search clock it and follow the show.

[Dr. Horton Announcer]

Your new home is now ready. Dr. Horton, America's Builder has new homes that are ready today with new construction communities in Ellensburg and throughout the Greater Seattle area. Dr. Horton has the right home for you. At Dr. Horton, we're still building with flexible living spaces, smart home technology and two and three car garages. More communities and more homes available every day. Find your new home in Ellensburg now [e-mail]. Dr. Horton, America's builder and equal housing opportunity builder.