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Neera Tanden — president and CEO of the Center for American Progress and a longtime Democratic policy hand — joins the Chuck Toddcast for an unusually candid reckoning with where the party went wrong and what it actually needs to do next. Tanden doesn't soften the verdict: Democrats' one job in 2024 was to keep Trump out of office, and they failed, in part because the establishment let the Biden campaign go on far too long and has consequently lost credibility it hasn't earned back. She argues that in an era where every election is close, Democrats shouldn't be satisfied chasing narrow wins — the actual goal should be a decisive Electoral College victory built around a genuine 60% coalition, especially now that even longtime Trump supporters are starting to break away. Tanden is refreshingly specific on policy: she defends incrementalism as the proven Democratic playbook (the ACA and Biden's Medicare drug price negotiations both succeeded that way, while Medicare for All keeps stalling because people are fundamentally change-averse), argues entrenched Washington interests can block even a clear majority's will, and wants Democrats to build their economic message explicitly around working-class anxieties.They discuss the sharp moral case for the estate tax while cautioning that a wealth tax is nearly impossible to administer fairly year to year and would almost certainly be struck down by this Supreme Court.

The conversation turns to the internal Democratic civil war and the road to 2026 and beyond. Tanden argues there's no rise of the DSA without Trump's return, frames the Michigan Senate primary as the real petri-dish test for the left, and is blunt that Democrats in swing states need to remember they're in swing states. She calls for a real, honest autopsy of 2024, and lays out her vision for a Democratic trifecta in 2027: pass bills that directly address the cost of living, investigate the administration's corruption and recognize that Trump's entire contract with his base rests on the promise that he can never lose. 

Play ball and swing for the fences on FanDuel, an official partner of the MLB athttps://FANDUEL.COM. 

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For free and unbiased Medicare help, dial (980) 734-3985 to speak with my trusted partner, Chapter, or go to askchapter.org/chuck/*Paid Partnership 

Chapter and its affiliates are not connected with or endorsed by any government entity or the federal Medicare program. Chapter Advisory, LLC represents Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and PFFS organizations and stand alone prescription drug plans that have a Medicare contract. Enrollment depends on the plan’s contract renewal. While we have a database of every Medicare plan nationwide and can help you to search among all plans, we have contracts with many but not all plans. As a result, we do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 50 organizations which offer 18,160 products nationwide. We search and recommend all plans, even those we don’t directly offer. You can contact a licensed Chapter agent to find out the number of products available in your specific area. Please contactMedicare.gov, 1-800-Medicare, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options. 

 

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Neera Tanden joins the Chuck ToddCast

01:00 Developing ideas for the country’s biggest problems

02:30 Democrats have real anger with the Trump administration

03:30 Democrats job was to keep Trump out of office & they failed

05:00 Pelosi thought Biden would lose and chose to act, but too late

06:00 The establishment allowed the Biden campaign to go on too long

06:30 The establishment has less credibility than in the past

07:15 Longtime Trump supporters are starting to break away from him

08:30 Every election is close, never enough for repudiation

09:15 Goal should be a large scale electoral college victory

11:00 The opportunity to build a 60% coalition

13:00 The problems America faces seem to big for incrementalism

15:45 The success of the ACA came via incrementalism

16:30 Medicare drug price negotiation was a huge win for Biden

17:30 Problem with Medicare-for-all is people are changing averse

18:30 Entrenched interests in Washington can stop a majority 

21:30 Dems should organize messaging to include more working class people

22:00 Why do we have a trillionaire when people are struggling with basics?

22:45 Working class people are more sensitive to crime issues

24:00 People are worried about the wealthy having too much power

25:30 Inheritance tax would help prevent oligarchy

27:00 People are pessimistic their kids won’t do better than them

27:30 It feels like the social contract has been eroded in America

29:00 If you believe in merit, you should believe in the estate tax

30:00 A wealth tax is hard to evaluate year to year

30:45 Supreme Court unlikely to find wealth tax constitutional

31:45 State wealth taxes are not a good idea

33:30 Democracy is undermined when there’s an economic nobility

35:00 Attitudes toward inequality were different in the 90s, every group doing better

37:15 There’s no rise of the DSA without the return of Trump

38:00 Michigan primary will be the petri dish test for the left

39:45 Democrats in swing states need to remember they’re swing states

40:30 Liberals in Texas thought Talarico was more electable

42:30 Progressives winning in blue cities isn’t that big of an issue

43:15 DSA needs to be cognizant that they would struggle in swing states

45:00 Democratic leadership has stayed the same

46:15 Democrats needs to do a real autopsy on 24

47:00 Harris being on the ticket saved the Democrats 4 senate seats

49:00 If Dems win both chambers, how should they spend 2027?

49:45 Dems should pass bills that address the cost of living

50:15 The administration’s corruption needs to be investigated

51:30 SCOTUS basically gave Trump a pass for illegality, Dems can’t do much

52:45 Republicans are starting to break, but they tolerate the intolerable

55:15 Trump’s contract with his base is that he can’t lose

56:30 Which under the radar senate race do you find most fascinating?

57:45 Amy Acton in Ohio will be the canary in the coalmine

Neera Tanden &mdash; president and CEO of the Center for American Progress and a longtime Democratic policy hand &mdash; joins the Chuck Toddcast for an unusually candid reckoning with where the party went wrong and what it actually needs to do next. Tanden doesn't soften the verdict: Democrats' one job in 2024 was to keep Trump out of office, and they failed, in part because the establishment let the Biden campaign go on far too long and has consequently lost credibility it hasn't earned back. She argues that in an era where every election is close, Democrats shouldn't be satisfied chasing narrow wins &mdash; the actual goal should be a decisive Electoral College victory built around a genuine 60% coalition, especially now that even longtime Trump supporters are starting to break away.&nbsp;Tanden is refreshingly specific on policy: she defends incrementalism as the proven Democratic playbook (the ACA and Biden's Medicare drug price negotiations both succeeded that way, while Medicare for All keeps stalling because people are fundamentally change-averse), argues entrenched Washington interests can block even a clear majority's will, and wants Democrats to build their economic message explicitly around working-class anxieties.They discuss the sharp moral case for the estate tax while cautioning that a wealth tax is nearly impossible to administer fairly year to year and would almost certainly be struck down by this Supreme Court.
The conversation turns to the internal Democratic civil war and the road to 2026 and beyond. Tanden argues there's no rise of the DSA without Trump's return, frames the Michigan Senate primary as the real petri-dish test for the left, and is blunt that Democrats in swing states need to remember they're in swing states. She calls for a real, honest autopsy of 2024, and lays out her vision for a Democratic trifecta in 2027: pass bills that directly address the cost of living, investigate the administration's corruption and recognize that Trump's entire contract with his base rests on the promise that he can never lose.&nbsp;
Play ball and swing for the fences on FanDuel, an official partner of the MLB at https://FANDUEL.COM.&nbsp;
Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.
For free and unbiased Medicare help, dial (980) 734-3985 to speak with my trusted partner, Chapter, or go to <a href="http://askchapter.org/chuck">askchapter.org/chuck</a> <a href="http://askchapter.org/realdana">/</a>*Paid Partnership Chapter and its affiliates are not connected with or endorsed by any government entity or the federal Medicare program. Chapter Advisory, LLC represents Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and PFFS organizations and stand alone prescription drug plans that have a Medicare contract. Enrollment depends on the plan&rsquo;s contract renewal. While we have a database of every Medicare plan nationwide and can help you to search among all plans, we have contracts with many but not all plans. As a result, we do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 50 organizations which offer 18,160 products nationwide. We search and recommend all plans, even those we don&rsquo;t directly offer. You can contact a licensed Chapter agent to find out the number of products available in your specific area. Please contact<a href="http://medicare.gov/"> Medicare.gov</a>, 1-800-Medicare, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)
00:00 Neera Tanden joins the Chuck ToddCast
01:00 Developing ideas for the country&rsquo;s biggest problems
02:30 Democrats have real anger with the Trump administration
03:30 Democrats job was to keep Trump out of office &amp; they failed
05:00 Pelosi thought Biden would lose and chose to act, but too late
06:00 The establishment allowed the Biden campaign to go on too long
06:30 The establishment has less credibility than in the past
07:15 Longtime Trump supporters are starting to break away from him
08:30 Every election is close, never enough for repudiation
09:15 Goal should be a large scale electoral college victory
11:00 The opportunity to build a 60% coalition
13:00 The problems America faces seem to big for incrementalism
15:45 The success of the ACA came via incrementalism
16:30 Medicare drug price negotiation was a huge win for Biden
17:30 Problem with Medicare-for-all is people are changing averse
18:30 Entrenched interests in Washington can stop a majority&nbsp;
21:30 Dems should organize messaging to include more working class people
22:00 Why do we have a trillionaire when people are struggling with basics?
22:45 Working class people are more sensitive to crime issues
24:00 People are worried about the wealthy having too much power
25:30 Inheritance tax would help prevent oligarchy
27:00 People are pessimistic their kids won&rsquo;t do better than them
27:30 It feels like the social contract has been eroded in America
29:00 If you believe in merit, you should believe in the estate tax
30:00 A wealth tax is hard to evaluate year to year
30:45 Supreme Court unlikely to find wealth tax constitutional
31:45 State wealth taxes are not a good idea
33:30 Democracy is undermined when there&rsquo;s an economic nobility
35:00 Attitudes toward inequality were different in the 90s, every group doing better
37:15 There&rsquo;s no rise of the DSA without the return of Trump
38:00 Michigan primary will be the petri dish test for the left
39:45 Democrats in swing states need to remember they&rsquo;re swing states
40:30 Liberals in Texas thought Talarico was more electable
42:30 Progressives winning in blue cities isn&rsquo;t that big of an issue
43:15 DSA needs to be cognizant that they would struggle in swing states
45:00 Democratic leadership has stayed the same
46:15 Democrats needs to do a real autopsy on 24
47:00 Harris being on the ticket saved the Democrats 4 senate seats
49:00 If Dems win both chambers, how should they spend 2027?
49:45 Dems should pass bills that address the cost of living
50:15 The administration&rsquo;s corruption needs to be investigated
51:30 SCOTUS basically gave Trump a pass for illegality, Dems can&rsquo;t do much
52:45 Republicans are starting to break, but they tolerate the intolerable
55:15 Trump&rsquo;s contract with his base is that he can&rsquo;t lose
56:30 Which under the radar senate race do you find most fascinating?
57:45 Amy Acton in Ohio will be the canary in the coalmine

The Chuck ToddCast is back! If you're looking for smart, no-nonsense political conversation, you've come to the right place. The Chuck ToddCast goes beyond the headlines, featuring conversations with top reporters, insiders, and newsmakers from D.C. to the heartland. No scripts, no spin—just real discussions about what’s shaping our politics and why it matters.

The Chuck ToddCast

Interview Only w/ Neera Tanden - The Democratic Party's Credibility Problem — And How to Fix It 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/553aad1c-173a-4760-b0ff-b48f0150ebdd/transcript