Rethinking Democracy: Strategies and Civic Engagement

Chuck Todd dives into the shifting political and cultural landscape—from Trump’s transformation of the information ecosystem and the  “civics lesson” his presidency has provided to the American public.  He weighs in on the administration’s use of militarized “law and order” tactics and Trump’s constant economic brinkmanship. The conversation ranges from Trump’s similarities to Turkey’s president Erdogan and his clashes with the Fed.. Chuck also introduces the new “ToddCast Top 5,” spotlighting rising Democratic contenders for 2028—from Gavin Newsom’s leadership and Ruben Gallego’s surge, to James Talarico’s Buttigieg-style buzz and the ongoing question of when Bernie Sanders will pass the torch to AOC. 

Then, former Republican operative turned Harris campaign strategist Maria Comella joins Chuck to deliver a brutal post-mortem on Democratic failures and to reflect on her unique career path across the political spectrum. From her early days in Republican politics to the inner workings of the Harris campaign, Comella offers candid insights on what it takes to run for office in an era defined by partisanship, shifting voter coalitions, and struggling party identities. She shares stories about Christie’s sharp self-awareness, Giuliani’s early years, and the challenges Harris faced in balancing her legal background with her political ambitions.

Together, Chuck and Maria dive into the pitfalls of Democratic messaging in the Trump era, why Harris couldn’t connect with Republican voters, and how Biden and Harris miscalculated their approach to the left. They also explore the rise of outsider candidates like Sanders and Trump, the failure of movements like “No Labels,” and whether a third party—or even a unifying military figure—could ever gain traction. With upcoming races in New Jersey and New York on the horizon, Comella weighs in on the donor class panic over Mamdani, Cuomo’s uncertain future, and what it will take for either party to break through with an electorate hungry for reform.

Finally, he answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. 

Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Introduction

01:15 Miami vs Notre Dame rivalry

04:30 Trump has changed the information ecosystem and expectations

05:30 Trump is giving the public a long overdue civics lesson

06:30 Turkey & Erdogan are the model for Trump

08:15 Trump backs off when the market reacts negatively

09:30 Trump’s firing of member of Fed board of governors heads to court

11:30 If the economy was booming, the Fed wouldn’t cut interest rates

13:30 Administration will ramp up “law and order” tactics in blue cities

14:45 National guard deployment is more about optics than crime

15:45 The issue of crime in cities divides the Democratic party

17:30 Trump is creating different standards between red and blue states

18:45 Politicizing the economy will only go badly

19:45 Trump will own the bad economy

20:30 Trump inserts himself into the Roger Clemons Hall of Fame debate

21:30 Trump sides with people who are caught cheating

23:45 Clemons belongs in the Hall of Fame

25:45 Will someone drop out of the NYC Mayoral race to stop Mamdani?

27:30 The rise of, and reaction to Mamdani is similar to rise of Trump

29:15 Howard University president resigns… hire Kamala Harris?

31:00 Introducing the “ToddCast Top 5”

31:30 Which Democrat has had the best 2025 to position presidential run?

32:15 Gavin Newsom has become the leader of the Democratic party

33:45 If Newsom loses referendum it will be a huge blow to his prospects

34:30 Ruben Gallego has greatly increased his standing

35:30 3 archetypes of Democratic presidential candidates

37:45 James Talarico buzz reminiscent of Pete Buttigieg in 2017

40:00 Andy Beshear & Wes Moore have made waves

41:30 Bernie Sanders hasn’t officially passed the torch to AOC

44:00 The Democratic base wants a fighter, the middle wants a uniter

46:00 Maria Comella joins the Chuck Toddcast 

48:00 Maria's origin story 

52:30 Difficulty running for state/local offices after being in unpopular congress 

53:30 Experience of working for Rudy Guiliani 

57:15 Moving from Republican politics to the Harris campaign

 58:15 Do Cuomo, Giuliani and Christie have much in common? 

59:15 All three are voracious readers 

1:00:15 Chris Christie was the most self-aware of the three 

1:01:30 Christie was mad at Chuck over Meet the Press interview 

1:04:00 Did you have a seat at the table with the Harris campaign? 

1:05:45 Kamala Harris tried to be everything to everyone 

1:07:30 Harris seemed like a more natural fit in law than in politics 

1:08:15 Harris had ideological identity issues 

1:09:45 Why Harris didn't appear on Joe Rogan's podcast 

1:10:45 Harris for Republicans vs. Republicans for Harris 

1:11:30 Biden & Harris didn't know how to talk to Republican voters 

1:13:00 Liz Cheney wasn't effective as a surrogate 

1:15:00 Biden & Harris were afraid to go after the left 

1:16:15 Harris campaign said she'd be different, but didn't show it 

1:17:30 Harris's appearance on The View symbolized her loss 

1:19:15 Harris had nearly a difficult, but not impossible task 

1:20:30 Harris didn't need to campaign with never Trump Republicans 

1:22:00 Harris was too late with her closing argument message 

1:23:30 Dukakis's closing message was just an airing of grievances 

1:24:45 Harris's closing message didn't meet voters where they were 

1:26:00 Democratic messaging has been dumb and lazy in Trump era 

1:27:30 Obama was the last candidate the public voted "for" 

1:28:45 Rise of Sanders and Trump show how weak the parties are 

1:29:15 Is there room for a third party? 

1:30:45 Why the "No Labels" party fell flat 

1:33:30 Could a less partisan military leader bring the country together? 

1:35:15 The system was built to force compromise rather than win/lose 

1:37:00 Voters want a reformer/change, Harris didn't offer that 

1:39:30 The GOP "establishment" let problems fester and ended up with Trump 

1:41:30 Rand Paul & Josh Hawley have stayed true to themselves 

1:43:15 Imitating Trump doesn't ever work for GOP candidates 

1:45:30 Who on the Democratic side could break through with GOP voters? 

1:47:30 The "Stop Mamdani" movement can't coalesce around one candidate 

1:49:00 Donor class panicking they can't stop Mamdani 

1:50:15 Schumer & Jeffries failed to find good NYC mayor candidate 

1:52:30 What will Cuomo do? Could he drop out? 

1:54:15 Money & ad buys won't stop Mamdani 

1:56:30 New Jersey governors race will be the closest race in November 

1:58:00 The Democratic consultant class is out of touch with voters

2:01:15 Chuck's thoughts on interview with Maria Comella 

2:01:45 Ask Chuck 

2:02:00 Potential reform to remove political bias from DOJ? 

2:09:00 Would a congressionally drafted amendment be better than a convention? 

2:12:15 Thoughts on a non-binding constitutional convention?

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