Unmoderated with Sarah McCammon

Unmoderated News
  • 4.8 (22)
  • Politics
  • Updated Weekly

Unmoderated 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, Unmoderated 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. 5d ago

    Jared Polis Made Colorado #1 in Education

    Jared Polis took an unusual path into politics. When he was 25, and not yet a parent, he won a seat on Colorado's State Board of Education. He later had kids of his own and became the first openly gay parent to serve in Congress. In 2018, Colorado made him the first openly gay man ever elected governor in the United States. Eight years later, education is still Governor Polis's signature issue, from passing universal preschool and full-day kindergarten to breaking with most of his party on school choice. He's zagged on plenty of other issues, too, vetoing dozens of bills from a legislature his party controls. Now, with a few months left in his final term, Governor Polis is talking about what he's learned. Sarah McCammon spoke with him in Washington, DC, about how Colorado paid for universal preschool, why he cut Tina Peters's sentence, and why he wants Democrats to be pro-capitalism.  IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 — Cold open 1:19 — Why education: preschool, apprenticeships, and school choice 17:26 — RFK Jr., vaccines, and chemicals in the food supply 19:11 — Housing, duplexes, and mortgage rates near 7% 22:20 — Mail voting and cutting Tina Peters's sentence 27:59 — The Boulder attack, Melat Kiros, and antisemitism 32:18 — Why Democrats should run on affordability and capitalism 33:57 — Legacy, life after office, and the Democratic primary   CREDITS  Unmoderated is a production of Unmoderated News. Our team is Sarah McCammon, Kate deGruyter, Emily Becker, Janae Morris, David Fanto, Alex Kapelman, Kaitlyn Perez, Amea Thompson, Madison Meyer, Harrison Chinchar, Nathan Harnick, Jack Spilles, Alan Haburchak, and Gemma Waters. Music by Ṭaus al Chalabi.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Jared Polis Made Colorado #1 in Education

  2. Sep 24

    Quinton Lucas Wants Democrats at the Chiefs Game

    For stretches of his childhood, Quinton Lucas was homeless. He crashed at motels, with relatives, and even at the nursing home where his great-aunt lived. Now he's the mayor of Kansas City, Missouri. He was elected in 2019, the youngest mayor of Kansas City in more than a century. Four years later, he was reelected with more than 80% of the vote. Sarah McCammon, who grew up in Kansas City, spoke with Mayor Lucas there in person about growing up poor on the city's east side, why he goes on conservative talk radio every week, what free buses taught him, and why Democrats should celebrate the American story.   IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 — Cold open 01:19 — Motel rooms, a private-school scholarship, and code-switching 05:12 — The housing trust fund and his doubts about rent control 11:46 — State control of the police and stadium deals with Republicans 16:49 — Conservative talk radio, purity tests, and Wesley Bell vs. Cori Bush 27:11 — Free buses and falling crime 32:41 — The World Cup and patriotism 37:02 — Gun ordinances and what's nextCREDITS Unmoderated is a production of Unmoderated News. Our team is Sarah McCammon, Kate deGruyter, Emily Becker, Janae Morris, David Fanto, Alex Kapelman, Kaitlyn Perez, Amea Thompson, Madison Meyer, Harrison Chinchar, Nathan Harnick, Jack Spilles, Alan Haburchak, and Gemma Waters. Music by Ṭaus al Chalabi.#KansasCity #QuintonLucas #Democrats   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Quinton Lucas Wants Democrats at the Chiefs Game

  3. Sep 17

    Jessica Tarlov Wins Arguments Without Losing Friends

    Jessica Tarlov is, for lack of a better term, a prominent moderate. She's one of the most recognizable Democrats on Fox News, arguing daily with people who don't agree with her, and she co-hosts the podcast “Raging Moderates” with Scott Galloway.In her new book, I Disagree: Winning Arguments Without Losing Friends, she draws on those daily fights to share what she's learned about arguing well—with colleagues, with critics, and with her own family. Sarah McCammon spoke with Tarlov about the family dinner table that taught her to argue while still staying connected, her belief in fighting for health care as a human right, and what she thinks it will take for moderate Democrats to out-organize the party's left flank. CHAPTERS00:00 — Cold Open01:03 — Making the Case For the Moderate Lane12:58 — Learning to Argue Without Losing Friends25:13 — Why Facts Don't Change Minds31:09 — Chipping Away At Jesse Watters33:18 — Where She's Actually Changed Her Mind36:26 — The Pitch Democrats Need On Immigration43:17 — Inside the Fight With the DSA Unmoderated is a production of Unmoderated News. Our team is Sarah McCammon, Kate deGruyter, Emily Becker, Janae Morris, David Fanto, Alex Kapelman, Kaitlyn Perez, Amea Thompson, Madison Meyer, Harrison Chinchar, Nathan Harnick, Jack Spilles, Alan Haburchak, and Gemma Waters. Music by Ṭaus al Chalabi.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Jessica Tarlov Wins Arguments Without Losing Friends

  4. Sep 10

    Yadira Ramos-Herbert Says Real is Better Than Polished

    Yadira Ramos-Herbert grew up in Queens, the granddaughter of immigrants. She started her career as an attorney in New York City, then spent a decade in leadership at Columbia University Law School. She was working with students there when the campus was rocked by protests over the war in Gaza, after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. Soon afterward, she became the first woman and the first person of color ever to lead the city of New Rochelle, New York. Today, Ramos-Herbert presides over one of the most closely watched affordable housing efforts in America while leading a deeply diverse city through a divided political moment.  Sarah McCammon spoke with Mayor Ramos-Herbert about her family’s immigration story, the backlash she sometimes faces for speaking Spanish on the job, and how she held her city together after October 7. In This Episode 00:00 — Cold open 01:43 — Grandparents, the American dream, and why she speaks Spanish on the job 13:28 — From a broken park to Mayor of New Rochelle 19:59 — Insecurities, fundraising, and being a Latina candidate 24:44 — October 7, the Columbia protests, and a mayoral race under scrutiny 31:31 — Misinformation, trust, and “Coffee with the Mayor” 34:23 — The Mamdani 9/11 controversy 37:20 — New Rochelle's housing boom and rent control 45:11 — Advice for 2028  Episode CreditsUnmoderated is a production of Unmoderated News. Our team is Sarah McCammon, Kate deGruyter, Emily Becker, Janae Morris, David Fanto, Alex Kapelman, Kaitlyn Perez, Amea Thompson, Madison Meyer, Harrison Chinchar, Nathan Harnick, Jack Spilles, Alan Haburchak, and Gemma Waters. Music by Ṭaus al Chalabi. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Yadira Ramos-Herbert Says Real is Better Than Polished

  5. Sep 3

    Frank Sharry Says Democrats Could Still Win on Immigration

    Third Way Senior Fellow Frank Sharry has been at the center of nearly every major push for immigration reform for decades — and watched almost all of them fall apart. Now he wants Democrats to reckon with where they went wrong on immigration, and how the party can reclaim the middle in the midterms and beyond. Sarah McCammon spoke with Sharry about how Democrats lost credibility on the border, the “both-and” answer he thinks can win back swing voters, and how four decades working with refugees shaped his view of the issue.  IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 — Cold open 1:33 – Both parties captured by the loudest factions 4:33 — Biden's border fix came too late 8:34 — Secure the border, reform enforcement at home 19:18 — The "both-and-" answer costs and the Atlantic op-ed that cost Sharry old friends  30:57 — Order and generosity, "two sides of the same coin" 39:20 — Sharry's origin story 43:44 — The math behind Trump's demonization of immigrantsWe have some exciting news to share: the podcast will soon have a new look and a new name. We’re officially becoming Unmoderated.You’ll notice new colors, new fonts, and a fresh look but the content you know isn’t changing.  Sarah McCammon will still be sitting down with leaders, advocates, and changemakers to unpack the personal stories that shaped them and the battles they’re taking on today.We'll see you next week for the start of a new chapter.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Frank Sharry Says Democrats Could Still Win on Immigration

  6. Aug 27

    Jake Auchincloss Wants to Save Democrats from Permanent Minority

    Most kids hang posters of their favorite bands on their walls. Jake Auchincloss decorated his room with pictures of the Founding Fathers. His grandfather, the son of Jewish refugees, snuck into a Marine recruiting station as a teenager during World War II, over his mother’s objections. Representative Auchincloss joined the Marines to carry on that legacy. He commanded infantry in Afghanistan, then came home and ran for office. Now he is pushing the Democratic Party toward the center—and back to winning.  Sarah McCammon spoke with Representative Auchincloss about how Afghanistan shaped his view of American power, why he calls social media a failed society, and the governing vision he thinks can redefine the center around the middle class. IN THIS EPISODE: 0:00 — Cold Open and Introduction 1:01 — Admiration for the Founding Fathers 5:42 — Afghanistan and American power 10:23 — Redefining the center around the middle class 19:07 — Patriotic, productive populism 21:57 — Chatbots and developing brains 28:41 — Antisemitism in both parties 36:03 — The Israel aid vote and AIPAC 38:40 — A governing vision for the middle class Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Jake Auchincloss Wants to Save Democrats from Permanent Minority

  7. Aug 20

    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

  8. 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
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4.8
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22 Ratings

About

Unmoderated 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, Unmoderated 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.

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