The Democratic Establishment's Influence on Candidate Selection

Chuck Todd examines Zohran Mamdani's stunning primary victory as a seismic shift for the Democratic Party, analyzing how the young progressive candidate's win represents a broader rejection of establishment politics and legacy candidates. The discussion explores the Democratic establishment's lukewarm response to Mamdani's victory, their history of imposing flawed candidates on voters, and the growing disconnect between party leaders and their base. The conversation delves into whether the Democratic Party is ripe for a progressive takeover, the uncomfortable alliance between progressives and wealthy Democrats, and how Mamdani's success could inspire primary challenges against older politicians like Chuck Schumer, while also touching on the challenges of governing New York City and the unpopularity of recent legislative packages that fail to energize the Democratic base.

Then, Reid Wilson, founder and editor of Pluribus News joins Chuck for a comprehensive discussion that spans from sports stadium financing to the future of artificial intelligence regulation. The conversation begins with lighter topics like public funding for entertainment complexes and the Seattle Mariners' playoff prospects, but quickly dives into substantive policy discussions about AI regulation at both federal and state levels. Wilson provides insights into how different industries are responding to AI oversight, the infrastructure challenges posed by data centers, and why state-level politics often achieves more bipartisan cooperation than federal governance.

The discussion shifts to examine critical domestic policy issues, particularly the ongoing privatization of public education through school voucher programs that Wilson argues are draining state budgets while transferring wealth from poor to rich families. They also analyze upcoming gubernatorial races across multiple states, exploring how local issues like housing policy, education reform, and infrastructure development could influence political outcomes in Virginia, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Alabama, and Tennessee. The episode concludes with speculation about whether abortion rights will remain a driving force in state legislative sessions, offering listeners a thorough examination of how local and state politics are shaping America's political landscape.

Finally, Chuck answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment regarding politics in Louisiana, journalism, and bridging the gap between progressives and moderates!

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Introduction

00:30 Zohran Mamdani is a political earthquake for the Democratic party

01:30 The Democratic party’s lukewarm reaction to Mamdani’s victory

03:30 The Democratic establishment has imposed flawed candidates on their voters

06:30 The establishment doesn’t understand how unpopular their candidates are

07:45 Voters never got due process for Cuomo

08:30 Republicans are trying to weaponize Mamdani

10:30 Democrats need to stop supporting legacy names/candidates

12:00 If the wealthy are upset, Mamdani is winning

13:00 Democrats want to embrace Mamdani without adopting his positions

15:00 Is the Democratic party ripe to be overtaken by progressive candidates?

16:30 The uncomfortable alliance between progressives and wealthy Democrats

20:45 Cuomo felt out of touch to the voters

22:30 Chuck Schumer has becoming the establishment punching bag

24:15 Who can replace Chuck Schumer in leadership?

26:30 Gerry Nadler endorses Mamdani

28:00 Governing New York City is incredibly difficult

29:30 Mamdani’s victory could inspire primaries against older politicians

31:30 The “Big Beautiful Bill” is incredibly unpopular

33:30 There’s nothing positive in the bill to sell to their base

34:30 Polling shows voters want the government to do MORE

36:15 Almost every pick in the NBA draft had been traded

38:15 Reid Wilson joins the Chuck ToddCast! 

40:15 As a Seattle native, do you care about the OKC Thunder? 

42:00 Public financing for sports stadiums 

43:45 Teams aren’t just building stadiums, they build entertainment complexes 

45:45 Adding housing to complexes makes them easier to pass politically 

47:00 Members of Congress didn't read the "Big Beautiful Bill" 

47:45 Will a ban on AI regulation make it into the final bill? 

50:15 Is any other industry trying to push back against AI? 

52:15 There's more bipartisanship in state level politics 

54:15 State lawmakers make the best legislators in Congress 

55:15 What AI regulation has been easiest to pass? 

56:45 Who will enforce AI regulation? 

58:30 Urgency to get AI in place to compensate for boomers retiring 

59:15 Meeting power requirements for data centers 

01:01:30 Public pushback against data centers 

01:03:15 NIMBY's fighting against ADUs as solution for housing crisis 

01:05:15 Housing policy fights take a LONG time 

01:06:45 The privatization of the public school system 

01:08:15 Red state legislatures are all pushing school vouchers 

01:09:45 Voucher programs are draining state budgets 

01:10:30 Voucher programs are a wealth transfer from poor to rich 

01:12:45 Far less standards and accountability for private schools 

01:14:45 Are any states innovating in public education? 

01:16:15 Education could be a winning issue in a presidential election 

01:17:45 Which states are ripe to flip politically based on local issues? 

01:20:45 Virginia gubernatorial race won't be close, New Jersey will 0

1:23:45 Any chance for Republicans in Massachusetts?

 01:25:00 Chances for Republican senators running for governor? 

01:26:15 Could the Alabama governor's race be competitive? 

01:28:15 Is Marsha Blackburn too far to the right for Tennessee? 

01:31:15 Tennessee Republicans don't want Memphis to become Nashville 

01:32:15 Naming airports after presidents 

01:34:30 Will the Mariners ever make the playoffs? 

01:38:30 Will abortion be an issue this legislative season?

01:41:30 Ask Chuck - Is there a path for a Democrat to win the Senate seat in Louisiana? 01:45:45 Why don't more journalists explain how their work is done? 

01:49:00 Could Andy Beshear be a bridge between populists and moderates?