What It Takes

Unmoderated News
  • 5.0 (19)
  • 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.

Episodes

  1. Rahm Emanuel: America Has Lost Its Nerve

    3d ago

    Rahm Emanuel: America Has Lost Its Nerve

    Rahm Emanuel has a reputation for two things: a tough demeanor and a policy nerd's command of detail. In Part 1 of our interview, he lives up to both. Ambassador Emanuel argues that America has spent 25 years sleepwalking — through the Iraq war, the Great Recession, and the pandemic — and that the people responsible were never held accountable. His solution starts somewhere you might not expect: a Mississippi classroom. Sarah McCammon spoke with him in Chicago about his diagnosis of the country, the education plan he'd run from elementary school to free community college, how we confront AI anxiety, and why he says it's the crisis neither party takes seriously enough. Part 2 drops next week. 00:00 — Cold open 01:27 — Why New Hampshire, and what a bike trip tells you 05:51 — "America has lost its nerve" 08:23 — The pattern: elites walk off clean 10:43 — How business put the China market over national security 14:33 — The Chicago school record 15:34 — Phonics, Mississippi, and a generation lost 16:06 — A plan for every graduate, and free community college 17:31 — Trades and "build baby build" 19:54 — Ban social media under 16 20:20 — AI anxiety and why the trades are the hedge 23:56 — How a president leads without commanding the states 27:12 — The three doors and the 80 percent Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    29 min
  2. Catherine Cortez Masto on What Battleground Voters Want

    May 28

    Catherine Cortez Masto on What Battleground Voters Want

    Catherine Cortez Masto has run and won twice in Nevada — even in an environment where Republicans had a six-point advantage. She's already the person many presidential hopefuls want to talk to as Democratic hopefuls plot their path to victory in the Silver State, first in a Democratic primary as Nevadans lobby to be first in the nation, and then as a battleground in the general election.   The granddaughter of a Mexican immigrant who served in the Army, Sen. Cortez Masto grew up the daughter of a Las Vegas parking attendant — who went on to become lowkey Vegas famous. She became a prosecutor, then Nevada's attorney general, and she's married to a former Secret Service agent. And she's the first Latina ever elected to the U.S. Senate. Sarah McCammon spoke with Sen. Cortez Masto in Washington about why she refuses to join the calls to abolish ICE even as she condemns agents’  behavior under Trump and is leading the push for accountability, what it actually takes to win swing voters, and the fights she says she'll never give up. 00:00 — Cold open 01:06 — Why Nevada wants to be first 04:05 — A message about costs 07:17 — What went wrong in 2024 08:18 — An immigrant family in Vegas 13:47 — A prosecutor's case against ICE 16:46 — Why not abolish ICE 17:56 — On "soft on crime" 20:01 — The case for moderates 24:36 — Showing up where you lose Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    28 min
  3. Mayor Eileen Higgins Flipped Miami by Listening

    May 21

    Mayor Eileen Higgins Flipped Miami by Listening

    In 2025, Eileen Higgins was elected the first female mayor of Miami and the first Democrat to lead the city in nearly thirty years. She beat a Trump-endorsed candidate by close to twenty points—in neighborhoods where many residents were skeptical of Democrats. Higgins left a corporate career to run the Peace Corps in Belize, served as a diplomat, then won a county commission seat representing Little Havana. Now she's mayor of one of America's most immigrant-shaped cities. Sarah McCammon sat down with Mayor Higgins in Miami to talk about building affordable housing, what it actually takes to win Latino voters, and why she's not afraid of the word "capitalist." 00:00 — Cold open 00:02:24 — Engineer in a blue jumpsuit 00:04:00 — Writing her own obituary 00:04:57 — Peace Corps to politics 00:08:29 — 100 days as mayor 00:15:05 — Winning Little Havana 00:21:19 — Leading through deportations 00:28:07 — Affordable housing in an unaffordable city 00:42:40 — "We can be Democrats differently" 00:45:16 — The Latino vote isn't monolithic 00:46:33 — Knocking on doors Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    48 min
  4. Gov. Mikie Sherrill is Taking on the Culture of “No”

    May 14

    Gov. Mikie Sherrill is Taking on the Culture of “No”

    New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill flipped five Trump counties last year and outran Kamala Harris statewide — with a message aimed squarely at voters in the middle, promising to tackle the cost of living and get government working. Sherrill is a former Navy pilot and the first female veteran ever elected governor. Sarah McCammon talks to Gov. Sherrill in Trenton about how she actually flipped Trump voters, why she declared a state of emergency for energy prices on day one, and what she would say to Democrats who keep losing. 0:00 — Cold open 1:50 — Deciding to fly 3:57 — Life on the carrier 7:00 — On Pete Hegseth 07:32 — Tailhook and women in combat 11:06 — Getting government to yes 14:19 — The day-one energy emergency 22:37 — Flipping five Trump counties 25:40 — Thinking long-term Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    31 min

  5. May 5

    Introducing 'What It Takes'

    What It Takes with Sarah McCammon is Unmoderated News's flagship podcast that examines the personal stories that shape a new generation of leaders. The first episode premieres Thursday, May 14 featuring an exclusive conversation with New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    1 min

Trailer

5
out of 5
19 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
    2K
  • Episodes
    5
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    What It Takes

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