National Review’s Downey: ‘Pod Save America’ Is More Like ‘Pod Save Face’ with All the Blame Gaming Going On

EMANUEL Let s pivot ░░░░░░░░ the aftermath of the ░░░░░░░░ election A lot of ░░░░░░░░ game going on You ░░░░░░░░ got prominent left leaders ░░░░░░░░ aim at one another ░░░░░░░░ X You had a ░░░░░░░░ of a former Obama ░░░░░░░░ basically laying out a ░░░░░░░░ of guests they were ░░░░░░░░ to have on the ░░░░░░░░ Save America podcast And ░░░░░░░░ writer from The New ░░░░░░░░ Times writing a good ░░░░░░░░ for the importance of ░░░░░░░░ media They went back ░░░░░░░░ forth Is this what ░░░░░░░░ when your side loses ░░░░░░░░ Well I would say ░░░░░░░░ s more like Pod ░░░░░░░░ Face because this is ░░░░░░░░ lot of blame gaming ░░░░░░░░ on right now This ░░░░░░░░ a big mea culpa ░░░░░░░░ mortem because they re ░░░░░░░░ that alternative media was ░░░░░░░░ winner of this election ░░░░░░░░ media is anxious because ░░░░░░░░ survival is now uncertain ░░░░░░░░ I think these podcasts ░░░░░░░░ Pod Save America is ░░░░░░░░ candidate quality Kamala Harris ░░░░░░░░ deeply unlikable And all ░░░░░░░░ these outlets were complicit ░░░░░░░░ the cover up of ░░░░░░░░ know Biden s age ░░░░░░░░ then they of course ░░░░░░░░ his ouster at the ░░░░░░░░ hour but they were ░░░░░░░░ for the consequences of ░░░░░░░░ they were encouraging And ░░░░░░░░ other thing is you ░░░░░░░░ Kamala Harris s staffers ░░░░░░░░ on Pod Save America ░░░░░░░░ they complained that she ░░░░░░░░ t actually get all ░░░░░░░░ opportunities from podcasts the ░░░░░░░░ that people thought But ░░░░░░░░ mean that s a ░░░░░░░░ silly because she was ░░░░░░░░ to go on Joe ░░░░░░░░ which has an audience ░░░░░░░░ 14 5 million people ░░░░░░░░ she refused due to ░░░░░░░░ or due to scheduling ░░░░░░░░ And so she intentionally ░░░░░░░░ the opportunity to court ░░░░░░░░ lot of voters And ░░░░░░░░ think that s been ░░░░░░░░ of their post election ░░░░░░░░ EMANUEL OK I want ░░░░░░░░ play for you a ░░░░░░░░ from David Plouffe who ░░░░░░░░ a senior Obama adviser ░░░░░░░░ was a senior adviser ░░░░░░░░ Vice President Harris Let ░░░░░░░░ hear his take Clip ░░░░░░░░ PLOUFFE This political environment ░░░░░░░░ OK We were dealing ░░░░░░░░ ferocious headwinds And I ░░░░░░░░ people s instinct was ░░░░░░░░ give the Republicans and ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump another chance ░░░░░░░░ we had a complicated ░░░░░░░░ to put together here ░░░░░░░░ terms of the voters ░░░░░░░░ it was going to ░░░░░░░░ a little bit more ░░░░░░░░ Republicans than we saw ░░░░░░░░ 20 maybe a percent ░░░░░░░░ Republican voters for us ░░░░░░░░ ends EMANUEL Is the ░░░░░░░░ issue that Democrats went ░░░░░░░░ left on social issues ░░░░░░░░ many Americans were more ░░░░░░░░ about the economy the ░░░░░░░░ and inflation DOWNEY Yes ░░░░░░░░ to discount that is ░░░░░░░░ overestimate these headwinds because ░░░░░░░░ wasn t like there ░░░░░░░░ all these unforeseen forces ░░░░░░░░ were preventing Kamala Harris ░░░░░░░░ being a competitive candidate ░░░░░░░░ intentionally lurched far to ░░░░░░░░ left of where the ░░░░░░░░ American is on so ░░░░░░░░ kitchen table issues They ░░░░░░░░ on gender ideology and ░░░░░░░░ that are just not ░░░░░░░░ priority EMANUEL OK DOWNEY ░░░░░░░░ inflation was looming very ░░░░░░░░ and when they couldn ░░░░░░░░ afford to have you ░░░░░░░░ successful lives in this ░░░░░░░░ And so their EMANUEL ░░░░░░░░ DOWNEY you know the ░░░░░░░░ with identity politics is ░░░░░░░░ what cost them.”