Cable television is filled with people offering predictable takes. If you are a Democrat, everything Donald Trump does is bad. If you are a Republican, Trump is the new American hero — vanquishing wokeism and the left all in one fell swoop.
Here’s the thing: Watching that or reading that or listening to that is BORING. Why do I want to tune in to listen to someone take a position that I knew they were going to take before the question was even asked?
Predictable partisanship is the enemy of democracy. It makes people believe that we really are vastly different than people with whom we disagree with on politics. That because we don’t agree on everything, we can’t agree on anything.
I simply don’t believe that. And I am drawn to other people who are willing to admit that neither party has ALL the right answers. And that we as individuals don’t have all the right answers.
That is all preamble to this:
is the opposite of most people on cable TV. He is thoughtful. Introspective. And unpredictable — in the best way possible.When I was at CNN, I was an admirer of Van. After I left the network, I was even more appreciative of his candor, his willingness to challenge entrenched orthodoxies and his openness to being wrong.
I reached out to Van to see if we could spend some time talking about this political moment. He agreed. That conversation is above.
Whether you are a Democrat, a Republican or find yourself caught in between the two parties (or forgotten by them), TRUST ME that this is a conversation you want to hear.
Thank you
, , , , , and many others for tuning in. And make sure to join me for my next live video in the app.
I am going to be doing a whole lot more chats like this. I’d love to have your support — either as a free or paid subscriber. Thanks.
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