What A Day – Episode Summary

Podcast: What A Day (Crooked Media)
Host: Jane Coaston
Episode Title: What Do Liberals Actually Believe?
Air Date: August 25, 2025
Primary Guest: Jerusalem Demsas, CEO and founder of The Argument

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Jane Coaston engages with Jerusalem Demsas—journalist and founder of the new publication "The Argument"—about the current state of American liberalism. Prompted by recent debates around language used by Democrats and the challenge of defining liberal values beyond opposition to right-wing politics, the conversation explores what liberals actually stand for in 2025. Jane and Jerusalem consider whether liberalism still has animating principles, how it differs from other left-leaning ideologies, and why clear articulation of liberal beliefs matters for America’s future.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why This Conversation, Why Now? (00:02–02:22)

• Jane sets the stage: Democrats and liberals are caught in a debate about divisive "buzzwords" and messaging, after think tank Third Way advised against certain terms ("cisgender," "intersectionality," etc.).
• The heart of the episode: What do liberals actually believe today? What do they stand for—if anything?

2. From “Standing For” to “Standing Against” (02:24–04:16)

• Jane references Jerusalem's launch video for The Argument, quoting:

  “Liberals used to stand for things...helping the poor...but now a lot of what liberals do is stand against things.”

• Jerusalem relates this to a historic critique of conservatives—once defined by opposition to liberalism—that now applies to liberals:

  "Now you think about, like, who's yelling stop all the time. Right. And, like, I'm yelling stop too." (Jerusalem, 03:08)

• Liberals are, at times, standing athwart history, reacting to rapid change in culture and technology.

3. The Meaning of Liberalism Today (04:16–05:36)

• Liberalism now often means “anti-Trump”—but it was historically a broader ideology:

  "We have an ideology that used to really animate people...a belief in individualism and respect for human rights and all these different great principles." (Jerusalem, 04:17)

• Liberalism’s dominance led to backlash and overconfidence ("things just felt so obvious") among liberal elites.
• The "arc of history" assumption dulled liberals’ ability to advocate actively for their views.

4. What Is “Liberalism”? (05:36–07:44)

• Jane asks for a precise definition—are we talking about Democrats, progressives, "the left"?
• Jerusalem’s core thesis:

  “Liberalism is a political philosophy that seeks to answer the question, how do we live with each other? ...when we’re all really, really different…” (Jerusalem, 05:36)

• Contemporary illiberal movements on both left and right try to erase difference; liberalism says: “We can live in a pluralistic society.”

5. The Reluctance to Speak Up—and Internal Pressure (07:44–09:49)

• Jerusalem notes that left-of-center individuals often censor themselves:

  "...you're constantly afraid of someone to your left telling you that you're insufficiently left leaning. And as a result, you stop articulating anything you believe." (Jerusalem, 07:44)

• This leads to conformity and lack of open debate among liberals and leftists.
• Jane distinguishes: there are real differences between liberals (who may support incremental social change, respect for process, and pluralism) and leftists (often more radical, sometimes anti-liberal).

6. Why Launch a New Liberal Media Outlet? (09:49–12:26)

• Jane asks why Jerusalem started "The Argument" in 2025.
• Jerusalem's rationale:

  "The difference that The Argument can make is the difference that…small ideological media outlets have made…not trying to be mass media organizations. What they're trying to do is change how ideology is conceived of..." (Jerusalem, 10:10)

• Major legacy liberal media are broad and diffuse; smaller outlets shape ideas and offer alternatives to "post-liberalism."
• She references the “abundance movement” (Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson): once-ignored ideas now influence national policy—evidence that persistent argumentation matters.

7. The Power of Articulation

• Jerusalem:

  "…when you make clear arguments for the stuff that you care about, it is the only way that someone could ever end up picking those up in four years, eight years, ten years, and actually using them." (Jerusalem, 11:40)

• Concludes: “You can just do things.”
  Both Jane and Jerusalem encourage active, unapologetic advocacy for one's values.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On what liberalism is:

  "How do we live with each other when we're all really, really different?" (Jerusalem, 05:36)

• On fear of being insufficiently left:

  "You stop articulating anything you believe. Everyone just kind of starts defaulting to…whatever the most radical left thing that's being said, we're all just gonna default towards that norm." (Jerusalem, 07:44)

• Jane, on silos and taboo opinions:

  "Some of these views are like, I think that maybe sometimes some people should go to prison." (Jane, 08:32)

• On the need for ideological clarity and media diversity:

  "I'm very, very worried that these smaller magazines and ideological outfits that exist are not advancing an alternative to post liberalism. And so my goal is to provide that alternative." (Jerusalem, 10:43)

Important Timestamps

• 00:02 – Episode opening, rundown of the day's news, and framing of the liberalism discussion
• 02:24 – Jerusalem joins, defining the current dilemma of liberal ideology
• 04:16 – Discussing anti-Trumpism vs. proactive liberal values
• 05:36 – Defining liberalism ("How do we live with each other?")
• 07:44 – The dynamic between liberals and leftists; internal pressure
• 09:49 – Motivation for The Argument and small ideological media's impact
• 12:23 – Conclusion of interview with Jerusalem

Tone and Language

• Conversational, candid, and self-aware—willing to poke fun at the insularity of liberal discourse and acknowledge internal contradictions.
• Emphasizes nuance, pluralism, and intellectual humility; avoids easy outrage or partisan sloganeering.

Concluding Takeaway

This episode offers a substantive, accessible exploration of how—and whether—liberals in America define themselves in 2025. Through Jane and Jerusalem’s discussion, listeners are urged to reflect on the importance of clearly articulating core values, creating space for genuine pluralism, and resisting the temptation to let opposition alone define an ideology. The rise of small, idea-driven liberal media is framed as both a necessary corrective and an invitation: "You can just do things."