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What It Takes

Unmoderated News

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.

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17 episodes
weekly
Avg 34 min
English

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#16
Thursday · 41 min
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.
#15
August 20 · 35 min
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.
#14
August 13 · 40 min
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.
#13
August 6 · 43 min
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.
#12
July 30 · 33 min
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.
#11
July 23 · 34 min
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.
#10
July 16 · 44 min
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.
#9
July 9 · 46 min
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.
#8
July 2 · 25 min
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.
#7
June 25 · 39 min
Bobby Pulido: The Quinceañera Candidate
Bobby Pulido spent thirty years building a career as a Tejano music star. Now he's running for Congress in South Texas, in one of the poorest parts of the state, trying to unseat a Republican incumbent. Pulido's opponent mocked his music career, saying the election wasn't about who you want performing at your niece's quinceañera. So he turned that dig into four thousand invitations to quinceañeras and other celebrations across Texas. Pulido thinks the key to flipping the district is to keep showing up in unconventional places. Sarah McCammon spoke with him in Washington, D.C. IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 — Cold open 01:15 — The dig, flipped into 4,000 invitations 04:38 — Trust beats policy / ranch halls 07:47 — What "Tejano" means 12:25 — Immigration, up close 18:16 — Why Hispanic voters moved right 21:46 — The gender gap and purity tests 24:50 — Faith and the "godless" label 27:19 — Rural respect over money 30:31 — Why a Democrat / social media's cancer 32:38 — Celebrity: weakness or strength 36:06 — Why leave the stage for Congress Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#6
June 18 · 34 min
Nikki Budzinski Works the Floor, Not the Feed
Nikki Budzinski is the kind of Democrat a lot of people say the party needs more of — a reluctant politician who came up in the labor movement and now represents a sprawling district in downstate Illinois. But she'd be the first to tell you her party has lost touch with the voters she grew up around. She was born in Peoria, moved around as a kid, and landed back in the heartland. She likes to say she's one of the few members of Congress who's spent time on the kill floor of a meatpacking plant. And she just won her primary by more than 50 points against a challenger who said she wasn't progressive enough. Now Budzinski represents a district that stretches from a college town to steel mills and soybean fields — and she's trying to answer a question her party can't afford to get wrong: how do Democrats win back working people who've stopped believing the party is fighting for them? 00:00 — Cold open 1:44 — Peoria roots and a working-class inheritance 4:00 — The kill floor in Kentucky 7:03 — A $15 wage won across the table 12:56 — On why she Democrats lost the working class 15:50 — Voting to deny ICE new money 21:46 — Workhorse, not show horse 25:10 — Money in politics and governing with power 32:16 — Her grandfather's American dream Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#5
June 11 · 31 min
Rahm Emanuel on Faith, Israel, and What’s Next (Pt. 2)
Rahm Emanuel believes in Israel. He also thinks its government is making historic mistakes. In Part 2 of our conversation, he aims his critique in every direction. Sarah McCammon spoke with Ambassador Emanuel in Chicago about the Jewish upbringing that still shapes him, why he confronted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to his face in 2009, and why he says the party's divide on Israel is generational rather than partisan. Part 1 dropped last week. IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 — Cold open 00:56 — A secular country still searching for meaning 02:52 — The Sadiq Khan synagogue story 05:20 — His grandmother’s red purse and family passports 09:09 — Navigating this moment as a Jewish Democrat 13:53 — Going face-to-face with Netanyahu in 2009 16:01 — Where the Palestinian leadership failed 16:42 — "A very aggressive moderate" 20:36 — Why Democrats flinch at power 26:32 — What’s Next Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#4
June 4 · 28 min
Rahm Emanuel: America Has Lost Its Nerve (Pt. 1)
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.
#3
May 28 · 27 min
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.
#2
May 21 · 48 min
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.
#1
May 14 · 31 min
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.
May 5 · 42 sec
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.

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