Redefining Freedom in Politics

There’s a new rallying cry for the Democratic Party: “Freedom.” On Wednesday, the third night of the Democratic National Convention, speakers from Oprah Winfrey to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro made the case for why Democrats should be considered the party of patriotism.  

And then there was Tim Walz. The Minnesota governor formally accepted the nomination for vice president and in his speech made several nods to his previous jobs, focusing especially on his time as a high school football coach. But beyond his biography, he also sought to draw distinctions between how Republicans talk about the idea of freedom and the ways Democrats do, for example on the subject of reproductive rights. 

On today’s episode, Aaron Blake and Elahe Izadi break down this latest spin on the Democratic Party’s message – and how Walz fared as its newest messenger. 

Today’s episode was produced by Peter Bresnan and mixed by Sam Bair. It was edited by Reena Flores and Mary Jo Murphy. 

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