Searching for America with Robyn Curnow
Robyn Curnow, Bleav
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What next, 'Merica? | Robyn Curnow
Searching for America with Robyn Curnow
11/13/24 • 13 min
The electoral map is red, red, red. Across America, folks decided that they preferred Donald Trump to Kamala Harris. Why did the Democrats lose so badly? How did Trump get such a wide, and deep, mandate from the American public?
A South African living in the American South, Robyn Curnow brings her outsider perspective to the conversation about why Trump won (which did not surprise her in the least.) She argues it's wrong to suggest that more than half of Americans have been brainwashed by rightwing media. Nor is every Trump voter racist and sexist. It's not that simple.
Farmers and Latinos for Trump | Leyla Santiago
Searching for America with Robyn Curnow
10/08/24 • 22 min
Leyla Santiago, a proud Latina with Puerto Rican roots, lives in Trump turf, as she calls it. “My neighbor has a big sign that says Farmers for Trump. There's a huge sign downtown that basically says F@#k Joe Biden right across from the church, by the way.”
For many Americans, the rural countryside is the 'real' America. Trump and his team have been hugely successful in crafting the image of rural life as something that is pure America; untainted and disrespected by outsiders, liberals and urbanites.
Yard signs are always a surefire way to gauge political persuasion in a community. Leyla’s green leafy nook of the country, which is forty-five minutes away from the nearest store, wears its pro-Trump heart on front yards.
“I think there is very much this us versus them mentality,” she says. “It's two Americas and one that is not easily understood. And so I think a lot of farmers that are for Trump will tell you that they want to vote for someone that's a little out of the box, somebody that understands them because they do feel that us versus them.”
Latinos for Trump
Trump has promised to be tough on immigration. It might just be the one issue that gives him the presidency for the second time and it could well be that Latino men in swing states are the ones to give it to him, even though Trump has used divisive language to describe South Americans coming across the southern border.
I asked Leyla why many Latino men have moved right and support Trump’s hardline threats on immigration even though he’s used racist tropes to describe them?
As a Latina woman with Puerto Rican background, Leyla says the Latino communities in the USA are a blend of different people in different places. “When he says they're coming over the border and they're not bringing their best, they're bringing the rapists and the criminals. Cubans don't consider themselves Mexicans, Puerto Ricans don't consider themselves Mexicans. And so it's a little bit like, yeah, he's talking about Latinos, but he's not talking about me.”
Crucially, she says the Republicans messaging on the economy and inflation really connects to many Latinos who have a historical and personal dislike of leftist dictatorships. “They really targeted those Cubans in Miami by putting out things like Biden is a socialist, right? You say socialism to a Venezuelan or a Cuban that has a voting registration card in the US and those are fighting words, right? Like that is fear.”
Chapters
00:00 Understanding Rural America: Yard signs in Virginia
02:49 The Politics of Identity and Belonging
06:06 The Role of Media and Journalism in Politics
08:59 Latino Voters: Shifting Allegiances and Perspectives
12:13 The Disconnect: Language, Identity, and Voting Behavior
14:57 Young Voters: The Key to the Future
18:11 The Evolution of Journalism
Keywords
Rural America, Politics, Identity, Latino Voters, Media, Journalism, Young Voters, Trump, Harris, Election 2024
CIA, Hemmingway and a Nazi-KGB spy | Jerry O'Shea and John Sipher
Searching for America with Robyn Curnow
10/15/24 • 29 min
Fun questions for two former CIA Station Chiefs.
Where would you time travel to in American history?
John Sipher - 1950's post-war
John O'Shea - he wants to go 50 years into the future. "It's my time machine I can do what I want with it!"
Favorite American landscape?
Jerry O'Shea - Hawaii (and Zimbabwe and South Africa globally.)
John Sipher - New England
Dream dinner party guests
Jerry O'Shea - Hemingway and lots more...
John Sipher - FDR
Worst mistake?
Jerry O'Shea - believing the narrative that Saddam had WMD
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the American Experience
01:40 Describing America: Protean and Polarized
04:26 Reflections on Time Travel in American History
06:15 Landscapes of America: Cultural Melting Pots
10:00 Dream Dinner Party Guests: Historical Figures
14:14 Art and Literature: Defining American Identity
16:08 Mistakes and Lessons Learned in Life
20:14 Understanding America's Division
26:21 What It Means to Be American in 2024
Please, no, American politics are not 'unprecedented' | Julian Zelizer
Searching for America with Robyn Curnow
10/23/24 • 30 min
The son of a rabbi and a renowned sociologist, Julian Zelizer is a Princeton historian who studies modern American politics in a clear, cool way. Robyn Curnow - who has covered elections around the worlld wanted to know why the politics of Donald Trump has taken so firmly root in American life and why Americans get so amped up over single issues.
And, Robyn (who was in the 'belly of the beast' at CNN) and Julian talk frankly about the mistakes the media made in covering Trump in the early days. And the arguments over if the Democrats are too radicalized and 'dangerously liberal,' as the Republicans call them.
Chapters
00:00 Complexities of American Politics
01:24 Understanding Unprecedented Politics
04:41 The Impact of Watergate on Modern Politics
06:30 Media's Role in Political Coverage
10:11 The Dynamics of the Democratic Party
12:05 Cultural Issues in American Politics
16:13 Personal Perspectives on American Identity
18:04 Jewish Identity and American Politics
20:54 Youth Engagement in Political Issues
22:44 Predictions for the Upcoming Election
The Son of a Rabbi, LBJ and the Grateful Dead | Julian Zelizer
Searching for America with Robyn Curnow
10/23/24 • 17 min
What are the current American leaders like? Princeton historian Julian Zelizer tells Robyn Curnow his perceptions of Trump, Biden, Vance, Harris and other leaders he's interviewed.
Three words to describe America right now? Fractured, divided and fragile.
Time travel? Oval Office, 1960's during Lyndon Johnson Presidency
Music? Grateful Dead
Ideal dinner guests? Ella Backer, Martin Luther King, FDR, Jerry Garcia.
http://www.searchingforamericapod.com
http://www.x.com/julianzelizer
Chapters
00:00 Exploring American Identity
02:58 The Complexity of Leadership
05:54 Understanding Modern Political Figures
08:47 Cultural Reflections in Music and Art
11:49 Disappointments in Leadership
14:57 Bridging Divides and Building Community
17:30 Optimism for the Future
Army Brat, Dolly Parton and Puerto Rico | Leyla Santiago
Searching for America with Robyn Curnow
10/08/24 • 16 min
Leyla Santiago answers Robyn's questionnaire that she sends to all her guests before the show.
Three words to describe America?
AT A CROSSROADS
Where did you grow up?
I'm an Army brat, so I moved around quite a bit. Born in Puerto Rico, moved to Panama during the Noriega conflict, then moved to South Carolina when my dad was stationed at Ft. Jackson
If you could time travel, which era in American history would you like to visit? Why?
If I'm being honest, the idea of traveling back in time as a minority is not thrilling. But if I had to pick an era, I would travel back to either the roaring 20s to watch women (though not all) obtain the right to vote or to the '60s to see the civil rights movement in action, albeit tough to watch.
Iconic American landscape that means something to you? Or epitomizes your America?
Stateside, Shenandoah National Park inspires me. Of course nothing soothes my soul and inspires me quite like the mountains of Puerto Rico. They have a way of reminding me of the resilience of my own people.
Dream dinner party guests? Which Americans would you invite to you Thanksgiving table (dead or alive?)
Felisa Rincon de Gautier
Dolly Parton
Harriet Tubman
Selena
Chapters
00:00 Three words to describe America?
01:14 Dream dinner party guests
04:55 From somewhere else
08:40 Nature and Landscape in America
09:48 Echo Chambers and Political Discourse
12:48 Lessons from Family and Personal Reflections
14:44 The Current State of Being American
An election scarier than Halloween | Ben Jealous
Searching for America with Robyn Curnow
10/29/24 • 14 min
Ben Jealous is one of America's civil rights leaders. He's worked with Kamala Harris in San Francisco and heads up the country's largest and oldest environmental group. Robyn Curnow talks to him about black men being 'Trump-curious,' white poverty and his personal story as the son of a mixed-race marriage that was illegal at the time.
http://www.searchingforamericapod.com
http://www.instagram.com/robyncurnow
Ben Jealous
"We've shut down 65,000 American factories in 30 years."
"Eight out of 10 black men will vote for Kamala Harris."
Chapters
00:00 The State of American Manufacturing and Economy
01:25 Political Landscape and Predictions
05:14 Voting Trends Among Black and Latino Men
08:05 Perceptions of Progressivism and Liberalism
10:00 Kamala Harris: A New Kind of Leadership
12:23 Environmental Challenges and Global Production
14:23 Conclusion and Call to Action
Takeaways
65,000 American factories have shut down in 30 years.
Economic mobility is a significant issue for most Americans.
Donald Trump's support has grown due to populist talking points.
Poverty affects more white Americans than many realize.
Voting trends show a shift among black and Latino men.
Perceptions of liberalism can alienate centrist voters.
Kamala Harris represents a new kind of leadership.
Environmental issues are intertwined with national security.
Voter turnout is crucial in a polarized political landscape.
The current political climate is marked by anxiety and uncertainty.
American economy, manufacturing, political predictions, voting trends, Kamala Harris, environmental issues, progressive politics, civil rights, grassroots organizing, electoral college
That's when we knew something was off with Bill Cosby | Ben Jealous
Searching for America with Robyn Curnow
10/29/24 • 11 min
Ben Jealous has given thousands of speeches as an American civil rights leader but few would guess that he had a childhood stutter that still defines his patterns of speech. As a surfer, he says he tends to ride his words and sentences like a wave. When he was a kid, Bill Cosby humiliated his stammer which left Ben's family stunned at the contrast between Cosby's public and personal behavior.
Take listen to Ben favourite things on this bonus b-roll episode.
Ben Jealous
Three words to describe America: Big, beautiful, and divided.
Favorite landscape: Big Sur. Yosemite
Family background: My father’s family arrived in Salem, Massachusetts, around 400 years ago, coming from England. My mom’s family has been here for around the same amount of time. They were among the earliest settlers and slaves in Virginia. One of my ancestors came on one of 17 slave ships from Madagascar, and she was most likely a pirate—16 out of 17 of those ships were piloted by known European pirates.
http://www.instagram.com/sierraclub
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the American Experience
00:45 Defining America: A Crossroads
03:02 Personal Histories and Racial Identity
05:56 The Influence of Environment and Nature
08:47 Overcoming Challenges: Stuttering and Resilience
10:46 Reflections on Optimism and Unity
Why is Jesus on the ballot? | Doug Heye
Searching for America with Robyn Curnow
09/24/24 • 22 min
Unlike other Western democracies, America's politics are infused with religion. Why is God part of the get-out-and-vote plans? Republican strategist Doug Heye says Republicans and Democrats have used religion to attract voters in the past but evangelical fervor for Donald Trump has turbo-charged the Republican ticket in different ways.
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Ex-CIA Station Chiefs | John Sipher and Jerry O'Shea
Searching for America with Robyn Curnow
10/15/24 • 34 min
Two of America's high-level intelligence officers join Searching for America for a wide-ranging conversation about what might happen if Donald Trump becomes President again? Ex-CIA Station Chiefs John Sipher and Jerry O'Shea who have 60 years experience between them operating in hostile environments across the world but they agree that trying to understand America right now is "befuddling."
Robyn Curnow ask them who will win the election? "This isn't a secret that spies can steal."
Chapters
00:00 Defining American Identity
00:56 Intelligence Analysis of American Politics
02:51 Understanding Polarization and Trumpism
06:07 Foreign Influence and Election Manipulation
08:56 The Threat of Authoritarianism
11:47 Cultural Shifts and Political Resonance
15:03 Conspiracy Theories in American Society
17:08 The Future of Trumpism and Political Dynamics
20:01 The Role of Intelligence in Politics
22:54 Characterizing Donald Trump
25:45 Spycraft and Authentic Storytelling
Keywords
American identity, Trumpism, polarization, foreign influence, authoritarianism, conspiracy theories, intelligence analysis, political dynamics, cultural shifts, spycraft
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FAQ
How many episodes does Searching for America with Robyn Curnow have?
Searching for America with Robyn Curnow currently has 25 episodes available.
What topics does Searching for America with Robyn Curnow cover?
The podcast is about News, Society & Culture, Documentary, Podcasts, America, Usa, Cnn and Politics.
What is the most popular episode on Searching for America with Robyn Curnow?
The episode title 'Three-day weekend in NYC in 1951 | Doug Heye' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Searching for America with Robyn Curnow?
The average episode length on Searching for America with Robyn Curnow is 19 minutes.
How often are episodes of Searching for America with Robyn Curnow released?
Episodes of Searching for America with Robyn Curnow are typically released every 1 day, 23 hours.
When was the first episode of Searching for America with Robyn Curnow?
The first episode of Searching for America with Robyn Curnow was released on Sep 9, 2024.
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