Podcast Summary: "Make America What Again? Policy Priorities For A Progressive Future"

Podcast: What A Day – Crooked Media
Host: Jane Coaston
Guests: Waleed Shahid (Democratic strategist), Neera Tanden (Center for American Progress), Matthew Yglesias (Slow Boring newsletter)
Date: November 15, 2025
Episode Context: Recorded live at Crooked Con in Washington, D.C.

Episode Overview

This episode features a dynamic panel discussion on the policy directions and messaging strategies for progressives in anticipation of the 2026 elections. Rather than framing the conversation as a debate between centrist and left-wing positions, host Jane Coaston probes what actually works to build winning electoral coalitions. The guests—each influential in Democratic policy and politics—consider how Democrats can respond to voters’ immediate concerns, navigate the nationalization of local politics, and reconcile progressive ambition with electoral reality.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Role of Policy in Campaigns and Electioneering

• Waleed Shahid argues that policy should fit into a compelling narrative rather than stand alone, emphasizing storytelling about corruption and system-rigging (02:23).

  • Examples: Banning congressional stock trading, ticketing reform as populist issues rather than transformative policy but effective for building a sense of authenticity and conflict.
  • “Policy is part of a broader recipe of success based on who your candidate is and what their larger narrative is.” (02:27)

• Neera Tanden highlights economic anxieties—cost of living and utility costs—as areas where Democrats can both criticize Republican policies and offer a positive agenda (04:49).

  • “An affirmative agenda that is highly focused on how we will deliver on lowering costs for people.” (06:14)

• Matthew Yglesias points out a disconnect between Democratic campaign messaging and what Democratic governments often prioritize (e.g., environmental regulations that aren’t campaign centerpieces) (07:08).

  • "I have never seen a Democratic candidate run an ad about how they're going to ban plastic bags…” (07:41)
  • Cautions that elite priorities (climate, criminal justice reform) should not outpace voter priorities.

2. Local vs. National Messaging in a Nationalized Media Age

• Jane Coaston introduces the challenge: The media and political discourse tend to flatten local distinctions, making it hard for candidates to tailor platforms to their constituencies (10:00).

  • “I do not need Zoron to have to answer for Abigail Spanberger, and I don't want Abigail Spanberger to need to answer for Zoram Hamdani.” (10:51)

• Shahid supports a unifying theme—populist affordability—adapted for different geographies, while also stressing the productive conflict of primary fights.

  • “There is a kind of coalescing on new leadership… populist affordability… let the primaries happen.” (12:25)

• Yglesias frames “safe” progressive districts as laboratories: success there can become a model for more moderate districts, but he insists the standard of governance, not just electioneering, matters (13:53).

  • “The challenge for Democrats isn’t how do we win an election in New York; it's how do we govern New York so that it’s a growing, thriving place…” (15:36)

• Tanden emphasizes the need for a gigantic, inclusive coalition that learns from successes of both progressive and moderate Democrats (17:06).

  • “If you actually believe democracy is at stake… it is actually vital that we build gigantic tents.” (17:11)

3. On Issue Emphasis: Culture, Economics, and the Electorate’s Diversity

• Coaston brings up the danger of oversimplifying “kitchen table issues,” noting diversity exists even within voter blocs typically categorized as “working class” or “progressive” (21:48).

  • "It's really difficult to decide how to talk about these issues… like, which issues you're going to emphasize…” (21:52)

• Shahid suggests policies like ending military aid to Netanyahu as resonant with disenchanted or skeptical potential Democratic voters—noting the salience of foreign policy and affordability links for some communities (23:35).

  • “The obvious one is stop sending billions of dollars to Benjamin Netanyahu… they are thinking about… how is there billions of dollars to spend overseas and not enough for [domestic needs]?” (23:37)

• Yglesias warns about pushing too far ahead of public opinion; he references Obama’s initial stance on marriage equality as a case where political leadership was behind activists but ultimately shifted in response to changing public opinion (25:34).

  • “Part of democracy is that sometimes you agree with the voters about things and… it is somebody else's job to change the voters' minds.” (25:41)

• Tanden reflects on leadership: The balance is to “make as much progress as you can without… recognizing that backlashes really do hurt people” (28:21).

  • Stresses that political progress is a dance of leading and following (30:21).

4. Lightning Round: One Policy to Convince Voters of Democratic Adaptability

• Shahid: Calls for a massive expansion of care infrastructure (healthcare, elder care, childcare)—a concrete, near-universal need (31:04).

  • "Massively expand our care infrastructure to lower costs." (31:04)

• Tanden: Emphasizes the need for stronger anti-corruption reforms, imagining bold policies to curb outsized influence of wealth on democracy.

  • “We are trying to think through a bolder set of ideas of ensuring that just because you are a gazillionaire does not mean you have the power a gazillion times more power.” (31:49)

• Yglesias: Advocates an "all of the above" energy strategy, acknowledging both renewables and the economic role of fossil fuels in key swing states.

  • “Democrats need to really re-embrace… an all of the above energy strategy… acknowledge the incredibly real benefits that fossil fuel production has had…” (33:02)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• Waleed Shahid:
  “I think there’s lots we can do here… this is like a populist issue that can build a larger story about corruption and rigging.” — On ticketing reform (03:38)

• Neera Tanden:
  “We should recognize, you know, where we are. Cost of living is obviously a huge concern. How people make ends meet, how they feel stuck, economically stuck.” (04:49)
  “If you actually believe democracy is at stake… it is actually vital that we build gigantic tents. Not big tents, but gigantic.” (17:11)

• Matthew Yglesias:
  “[When Democrats have power], they’re taking away your plastic bags, they’re taking away your plastic straws. And I think an interesting question is, like, why do we do that?” (07:41)
  “[The electorate in] New York City is more progressive… you can do things there that would not be electorally viable in other places. That… means lessons to be learned aren’t from how [Mamdani] ran, but from what will happen over the next four years if he does things.” (13:57)

• Jane Coaston:
  “I do not need Zoron to have to answer for Abigail Spanberger, and I don’t want Abigail Spanberger to need to answer for Zoram Hamdani.” (10:51)
  “It’s really difficult to decide how to talk about these issues. It’s really difficult to decide like which issues you’re going to emphasize…” (21:52)

Important Timestamps

• 00:00 – 02:23: Introduction & panel setup
• 02:23 – 04:47: Waleed Shahid on narrative, populism, and anti-corruption
• 04:49 – 06:58: Neera Tanden on cost of living, utility costs, and affirmative economic agenda
• 07:08 – 09:07: Matthew Yglesias on the disconnect between Democratic messaging and governance
• 10:00 – 12:25: Nationalization of politics, local vs. national messaging
• 13:53 – 16:39: What lessons (if any) can be learned from progressive strongholds?
• 17:06 – 19:20: Big-tent strategy, winning back working class and persuadable Trump voters
• 21:48 – 23:35: Kitchen table issues; bridging progressive and traditional/working-class concerns
• 23:35 – 25:34: Shahid on foreign policy and antiwar sentiment
• 25:34 – 30:34: Navigating 70/30/80/20 issues, leadership and backlashes, coalition-building
• 31:04 – 33:40: Final policy recommendations from Shahid, Tanden, Yglesias

Takeaways for Listeners

• Narrative matters as much as specific policy details. Voters want to see parties address corruption and affordability in ways that resonate with their daily lives.
• A broad, flexible “big tent” remains crucial. Local successes and strategies should inform but not dictate national messaging.
• Voters are wary of inauthenticity and want policies that address tangible needs: cost of living, care, affordable energy, and anti-corruption.
• Coalition management, not just ideology, is vital. Progressives and centrists both have lessons; electoral viability demands learning across the spectrum.
• Leadership is a balancing act—progress requires both responding to the current mood and sometimes guiding it forward.

For a deeper dive: Listen to the full episode, especially the exchanges between Shahid and Yglesias for a nuanced take on coalition-building and the tension between core values and coalition pragmatism.