What It Takes

Unmoderated News
  • 5.0 (20)
  • Politics
  • Updated Weekly

What It Takes with Sarah McCammon is a new podcast from Unmoderated News, that examines the personal stories that shape a new generation of leaders and the political and policy battles they fight to make change. Through intimate conversations with elected officials, political commentators, advocates, and community leaders, "What It Takes" unpacks the origin stories behind today's combative centrists. Together, we explore how they fight successfully in unfriendly territory, win hearts and minds, and overcome elite interests to make life better for all Americans. Instead of soundbites and talking points, the show digs deeper to uncover the values and experiences that shape how these leaders navigate politics in turbulent times with stories about what it takes to fight for wins and results.

  1. 2d ago

    Elissa Slotkin is on Trump’s List… and She’s Fighting Back

    Elissa Slotkin arrived in New York City as a student one day before 9/11—and before the smoke cleared, she knew what she wanted to do with her life. She went on to serve in the CIA, did three tours in Iraq, and worked in the White House under two presidents: one Republican and one Democrat. Michigan voters elected Senator Slotkin to the US Senate in 2024—the same night Donald Trump carried the state. She won in part by winning in places Kamala Harris couldn’t. And her tenure in the Senate has been defined by a willingness to take on powerful interests and stick up for what she believes in. After Senator Slotkin and other intelligence and military veterans made a public statement reminding American troops that they can refuse illegal orders, President Trump accused her of sedition. Lately she's also been taking on what she sees as the failures of her own party. Sarah McCammon spoke with Senator Slotkin in Washington, DC, about how her mother's illness and the AIDS crisis shaped her politics, what she means when she says Democrats need more alpha energy, and why she wants a crowded 2028 primary. #ElissaSlotkin #MidwestPolitics #DemocraticParty IN THIS EPISODE: 0:00 — Cold Open and Introduction 1:39 — Why Slotkin keeps showing up in the Midwest 6:04 — How her mother shaped her politics 13:44 — From 9/11 and the CIA to elected office 16:02 — The illegal-orders video and the threats that followed 21:09 — “Alpha energy” and the “happy warrior” trap 24:15 — Calling “balls and strikes” on Israel and Lebanon 28:34 — Why she wants to keep Chinese-made  cars out of the United States 31:05 — The Democratic Party’s search for something new Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Elissa Slotkin is on Trump’s List… and She’s Fighting Back

  2. Aug 13

    Brooke Jenkins Won’t Apologize for Prosecuting Crime

    Brooke Jenkins was a homicide prosecutor in San Francisco when she walked out the door and helped lead a campaign to fire her own boss. That boss was one of the most famous progressive prosecutors in America. He had promised fewer prosecutions and a new model of justice. But as drug markets spread and theft videos went viral, voters in one of America’s most liberal cities decided the experiment had gone too far. After they recalled him in 2022, Jenkins was appointed to replace him. Since then, San Francisco has become a test of a question Democrats face everywhere: Can the party get serious about crime and disorder without giving up on reform? Sarah McCammon spoke with District Attorney Jenkins about how she found her calling prosecuting violent crime, how she balances holding dangerous offenders accountable and partnering with at-risk communities, and what San Francisco can teach national Democrats.  IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 — Cold open 1:14 — Jenkins breaks with her boss 2:31 — Rejecting the pendulum swing on crime 7:03 — Enforcing every law 22:48 — The loss that led Jenkins to prosecution 28:38 — Democrats and the public safety argument 31:19 — Deadly force and the limits of federal power Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Brooke Jenkins Won’t Apologize for Prosecuting Crime

  3. Aug 6

    Tom Suozzi: The Trump Country Democrat Pushing His Party to the Middle

    Tom Suozzi grew up in a family where public service was the family business. His father immigrated from Italy, and flew bombing missions over Europe during World War II, before becoming a mayor. Suozzi went on to follow his father into politics. Today, he's the only Democrat in New York who holds a congressional district that Trump won. He’s on a campaign to push his party to declare itself capitalist not socialist and proud rather than ashamed of America.  Sarah McCammon spoke with Representative Suozzi about immigration, the future of the democratic party, and how Jonah Hill inspired an odyssey of the soul before his return to Congress.  IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 – Public Service Runs in the Family 02:43 – Losing Big, Starting Over 10:26 – The Future of the Democratic Party 17:11 – Immigration, Polarization & Why Congress Stalls 30:10 – Antisemitism, Division & America's Political Climate 33:01 – Can Washington Learn to Govern Again? 40:34 – Looking Ahead to 2028   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Tom Suozzi: The Trump Country Democrat Pushing His Party to the Middle

  4. Jul 30

    Ken Salazar on Immigration, the Border, and the Future of the Democratic Party

    Ken Salazar comes from a part of Colorado with a complicated history that has shaped the way he understands immigration and identity. Salazar has represented his home state in the U.S. Senate, served as President Obama’s Interior Secretary, and more recently, he was President Biden's ambassador to Mexico—at a time when Biden’s border policy was under scrutiny.  Now, Salazar is sharing his ideas about what went wrong and where Democrats should go from here. His new book ‘Borderlands’ is out now wherever books are sold.  Sarah McCammon spoke with Secretary Salazar about the politics of border security, the future of U.S.-Mexico relations, and Salazar's proposal for a new North American alliance.   IN THIS EPISODE 00:00 — Cold open  1:05 — Ken Salazar's family history in the American Southwest 6:17 — Immigration reform under Presidents Bush and Obama 9:38 — Why bipartisan immigration reform repeatedly failed 15:53 — Lessons from the Biden administration's border policy 21:45 — Border security, asylum reform, and mass deportations 24:11 — The future of the Democratic Party 25:45 — U.S.-Mexico relations and North American cooperation 26:34 — Themes from Salazar's new book, Borderlands Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Ken Salazar on Immigration, the Border, and the Future of the Democratic Party

  5. Jul 23

    Justin Bibb on Winning City Hall at 34

    Justin Bibb grew up in a house where public safety was personal. His father was a police officer and firefighter, his grandmother led the neighborhood watch, and those experiences shaped how he thinks about government, safety, and civic responsibility. Even after leaving Cleveland, Bibb never stopped thinking about how to make his hometown stronger. He eventually returned to run for mayor, becoming one of the youngest leaders of a major American city. Today, he's focused on policing, the housing affordability crisis, and the long work of revitalizing a Rust Belt city that has spent decades reinventing itself. Sarah McCammon talks with Bibb about what it takes to govern through difficult tradeoffs, why he believes cities are leading the country on problem-solving, and what national Democrats can learn from local leaders delivering results. IN THIS EPISODE 00:00 — Cold open  01:14 — Growing Up in the Shadow of Decline  06:13 — Why He Came Home  09:22 — Winning City Hall at 34  15:23 — Rebuilding Cleveland's Neighborhoods 21:19 — Why Mayors Get Things Done  25:12 — Leading After Tamir Rice  30:30 — Hope for the Next Generation  31:48 — Politics Without the Performance Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Justin Bibb on Winning City Hall at 34

  6. Jul 16

    Mark Cuban Has a Plan to Fix Health Care

    Mark Cuban Has a Plan to Fix Health Care Most people know Mark Cuban as a Shark Tank investor or longtime owner of the Dallas Mavericks. But a few years ago, he started Cost Plus Drugs to cut out the middleman in a pharmaceutical industry he says is fundamentally broken. Cuban wants healthcare for everyone—even if he doesn't think Medicare for All is the answer. He argues that transparency is the missing ingredient, and lays out what he thinks it would actually take to build a universal healthcare system that works. Sarah McCammon speaks with Cuban about healthcare reform, AI, wealth inequality, the future of the Democratic Party, and why he believes politicians need to spend less time talking and more time solving people's everyday problems. IN THIS EPISODE 00:00 — Cold open 1:14 — Why Cost Plus Drugs exists 4:54 — The transparency problem 9:13 — Universal healthcare vs. Medicare for All 16:10 — Billionaires and inequality 23:29 — Democrats, DSA, and social media 28:52 — AI and the future of work 38:08 — Advice for the next Democratic nominee Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Mark Cuban Has a Plan to Fix Health Care

  7. Jul 9

    Jackie Payne on the Moderate Women Who Decide Elections

    Jackie Payne on the Moderate Women Who Decide Elections After Donald Trump won in 2016, Jackie Payne did something unusual. She got in a car and spent two years just listening to women. What she found was a huge number of moderate women — in the suburbs and small towns — that both parties keep underestimating, and keep getting wrong. Closing that gap with America’s largest single voting bloc would meaningfully expand the coalition for progress and put extremists on the ropes. Payne is the founder and executive director of Galvanize Action, a group focused on moderate women. That makes her uniquely plugged into what these women want, and full of ideas on how to persuade them. Sarah McCammon spoke with Payne in Seattle. IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 — Cold open 01:02 — The shock of 2016 03:39 — Conflict, self-doubt, and standing alone 05:40 — Why white women: math and morality 10:48 — Who these women are 12:37 — The 2024 shift nobody noticed 18:09 — Broken arms and sick days 21:41 — The affordability-and-corruption recipe 24:14 — What's actually in their feeds 29:31 — Can a woman win in 2028? 45:02 — Make her feel seen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Jackie Payne on the Moderate Women Who Decide Elections

  8. Jul 2

    Joe Walsh and Yemisi Egbewole Diagnose the Brand

    Democrats have a branding problem. Joe Walsh and Yemisi Egbewole think they know why. They took very different roads into the Democratic Party. Walsh was a Tea Party congressman who campaigned for Donald Trump in 2016. Egbewole ran communications in Joe Biden's White House — and now she's a political commentator on Fox News. They both have ideas about why the Democratic Party feels so out of touch to many red-state voters, and thoughts on how to win them back. Sarah McCammon spoke with them live on stage in Charleston, South Carolina earlier this year. IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 — Cold open 00:26 — Two roads into the party 02:19 — What turns gettable voters off 04:54 — Crime down 35% means nothing 07:23 — The online left monster 10:10 — Authenticity vs. fighting 11:18 — Why there's no going back to Obama 14:14 — Independent media is where voters are 16:42 — Going into enemy territory 17:58 — Win purple, own purple 19:03 — The national brand problem 23:27 — Ultimate advice for democratswhats  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Joe Walsh and Yemisi Egbewole Diagnose the Brand
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Trailer

5
out of 5
20 Ratings

About

What It Takes with Sarah McCammon is a new podcast from Unmoderated News, that examines the personal stories that shape a new generation of leaders and the political and policy battles they fight to make change. Through intimate conversations with elected officials, political commentators, advocates, and community leaders, "What It Takes" unpacks the origin stories behind today's combative centrists. Together, we explore how they fight successfully in unfriendly territory, win hearts and minds, and overcome elite interests to make life better for all Americans. Instead of soundbites and talking points, the show digs deeper to uncover the values and experiences that shape how these leaders navigate politics in turbulent times with stories about what it takes to fight for wins and results.

Information

  • Creator
    Unmoderated News
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    What It Takes

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