havanna a bad time

Hello from Atlanta and Cuba,

Joining me this week is my dear friend and former colleague Patrick Oppmann, who is CNN's Havana bureau chief.

When Marco Rubio was tapped to be Trump's new Secretary of State, I immediately called up Patrick. There are many uncertainties about second Trump term but one thing is clear; Cuba is in the cross-hairs of Rubio, who sees it as his personal mission to bring down the regime.

Marco Rubio, the son of Cuban exiles, will consider the downfall of the Cuban leadership as low-hanging fruit. Times are tougher than ever - as Patrick tells me - and that makes it an extremely vulnerable moment. Beijing, Iran, Israel are all knotty problems with regional implications. Kicking down the Cubans would be a considered an easy, early win for Rubio.

I love Cuba. I reported on the historic visit of President Obama when there was a brief opening up of diplomatic relations. There was a real sense of hope that the country was moving forward. In those heady days, in a Havana park, we all watched the Rolling Stones play live. How things change. When Fidel Castro died, Patrick broke the news, and we both reported on his funeral with ever-present intelligence agents hovering around us and listening to our every word (as if they would be reporting back to Fidel in the afterlife on our 'anti-revolutionary' analysis.)

My husband Kim was running CNN's coverage during those days of breaking news. We've spent some of the best times of our life hanging out with Patrick and drinking rum in Havana. Whatever happens, I hope the Cuban people are sparred more hardships.

Havana has always been a special place with a romantic mystique that still lingers from before the Revolution. During one of those trips, after my show was over, I walked around Old Havana exploring. Kim called and asked where I was. "In the bar that Hemmingway used to drink at, " I replied while nursing a local rum on the rocks. I heard him checking with Patrick who was with him at the CNN bureau, "Hemmingway drank in every bar in Havana, you're going to have be more specific."

Trump's presidency has enormous implications for America, and the world. We cannot know how it's going to play out. But I do know, for sure, there is going to be seismic repercussions for the people of Cuba. 

Best,
Robyn

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Havanna a bad time

Patrick Oppmann

Robyn Curnow covered Fidel Castro's funeral from Havana and was in Cuba when President Obama made an historic visit to the island. Patrick Oppmann has lived and worked as a foreign correspondent in Cuba for over a decade. Talking to Robyn from his home in Havana, Patrick weighs up what the appointment of Marco Rubio as Secretary of State. As the son of Cuban exiles, Rubio has always taken a hardline against Havana's leadership. While much of Trump's plans for his second term are still unclear, one definite is that Marco Rubio signals bad news for the Cuban leadership.

Robyn and Patrick have worked side by side in Havana and talked on air for years. They share a number of amusing stories about the foibles of life in Havana and the Castros.

What next, ‘Merica?

Greetings from Atlanta,

It's a brave new world and nobody knows exactly how America's choice on November 5 is going play out. Trump's first term is going to look very different to his second term. He has a massive mandate to lead and without the guardrails that were there the first time around. We are already seeing a focused, directed and clear strategy being implemented. He's going to hit the ground running (nothing like his first term.)

How did it get to this? 

Well, simple. Democrats lost, and they lost badly. Significantly, just about every part of the USA moved right in the last four years. 

What was it about the Biden/Harris administration that created the situation where every section of society and every corner of this country decided that Donald Trump was a better answer? The electoral map is red, red, red.

It's too simple to write off this vote as a giant nod to racism or sexism. Neither is it right to say that Trump will be President again because more than half of the country has been brainwashed by rightwing media. That's too simple. And it's unfair to the good Americans I know who voted for Trump, or chose to not vote for Harris because they didn't trust her with the country. Mostly, I think it was a vote against wokeness, unfettered immigration and day-to-day inflation (the economy is actually doing just fine.)

Let me know what you think?

Robyn

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What next, ‘Merica?

RObyn CUrnow

The electoral map is red, red, red. Across America, folks decided that they preferred Donald Trump to Kamala Harris. Why did the Democrats lose so badly? How did Trump get such a wide, and deep, mandate from the American public?

A South African living in the American South, Robyn Curnow brings her outsider perspective to the conversation about why Trump won (which did not surprise her in the least.) She argues it's wrong to suggest that more than half of Americans have been brainwashed by rightwing media. Nor is every Trump voter racist and sexist. It's not that simple.

Duh, Why Trump won

A quick hello from Atlanta,

I was going to call this show The Why Trump Will Win Again Podcast. Or, aptly, WTF AMERICA?

In the end, I gave it a more polite title; Searching for America. 

However, the premise never changed. I wanted to know why Trump would be President again. It was clear, months ago, that it was highly likely he'd be back in the White House. I wanted to understand why my neighbors, friends and some of the nicest people I knew would vote for him (or refused point blank to trust Kamala Harris with the Presidency.)

Here's my rough take, based on what I've been hearing for months, on why good Americans across demographics swung right.

Who's to blame - that's easy. Take a listen. Best,

Robyn

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Duh, WHy Trump won

RObyn CUrnow

As Donald Trump prepares to take control again - with a huge mandate from the American public - Robyn Curnow unpacks the result with her frank outsider perspective. While she's spent time trying to understand why so many of her neighbors voted for Trump, she is also clear that this is not a race the Democrats should have lost. Why? Joe Biden made a decision to run for a second term. If he had not, would things be very different now?

The Here Be Dragons Elections

When early European map makers did not know what was beyond undiscovered waters and land they drew dragons on the parchment and wrote ‘Here Be Dragons.’ It is an HBD week in America. 

We are about to sail into uncharted waters, and it’s totally and utterly unclear what the waves will reveal after the election. 

In my first ten episodes of Searching for America, I asked my guests to give me three words to describe America. Three words only. In this episode I pile all the words together and add my two cents to the mix. 

Words matter. America matters. This election is crucial. 

Take a listen to a special episode of Searching for America as we get ready to wrestle with dragons. 

Best,

Robyn

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The Here Be Dragons Election

RObyn CUrnow & Guests

Early European map makers drew dragons and wrote ‘Here Be Dragons’ on areas of the world that were still undiscovered or unknown. It is an HBD week in America.

We are about to sail into uncharted waters, and it’s totally and utterly unclear what the waves will reveal after the election.

In the first ten episodes of Searching for America, Robyn Curnow asked her guests to give her three words to describe America. Three words only. In this special election episode she piles all the words together and adds her own combination to the mix.

Three words to describe America?

At A Crossroads

Us vs Them

Divided. Hopeful. Protean

The election is ruining the pumpkin spice vibe!

It’s a beautiful time of the year in the American South. Fall leaves are various shades of mustard yellow and squash orange. The weather is perfectly gentle. Summer’s humidity is finally gone. Early autumn in America means oversized Halloween decorations are draped on the facades of houses. Giant spiders, plastic skeletons and fake cobwebs litter front yards. It’s always a charming, fun and special time of the year. This year though everyone is anxious. The election, someone moaned to me, is ruining the pumpkin spice vibe. 

It’s also a damned scary time. None of us need a Freddy Krueger mask or a polyester witches hat to remind us that there are some pretty nightmare scenarios for the coming weeks. 

The national conversation, the posters and the barrage of political ads is making everyone even more jittery. Hyper-partisan fear mongering is on steroids as both parties try to get undecided voters to the ballot. 

In the midst of this, Ben Jealous joined me to talk about his America. Ben used to head up the NAACP, a civil rights organization, and now leads the Sierra Club, which is the oldest and biggest environmental group in the States. The biracial son of school teachers, he tells stories of his family; a distinctly American family made up of the descendants of slaves, a suspected pirate and aTrump-voting lorry-driving uncle. 

Ben also has a stutter which he eloquently talks about from the perspective of being a surfer. As a child, Bill Cosby mocked his stutter which, Ben says, was the first indication he knew something was wrong with Cosby. 

Thank you for listening, 

Happy Halloween.

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An election scarier than Halloween

Ben Jealous (Part 1)

Ben Jealous is one of America's civil rights leaders. He's worked with Kamala Harris in San Francisco and heads up the country's largest and oldest environmental group. Robyn Curnow talks to him about black men being 'Trump-curious,' white poverty and his personal story as the son of a mixed-race marriage that was illegal at the time.

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That's when we knew something was off with Bill Cosby

Ben Jealous (Part 2)

Ben Jealous has given thousands of speeches as an American civil rights leader but few would guess that he had a childhood stutter that still defines his patterns of speech. As a surfer, he says he tends to ride his words and sentences like a wave. When he was a kid, Bill Cosby humiliated his stammer which left Ben's family stunned at the contrast between Cosby's public and personal behavior.

Take listen to Ben favourite things on this bonus b-roll episode.

Ben Jealous

Three words to describe America: Big, beautiful, and divided.

Favorite landscape: Big Sur. Yosemite

Family background: My father’s family arrived in Salem, Massachusetts, around 400 years ago, coming from England. My mom’s family has been here for around the same amount of time. They were among the earliest settlers and slaves in Virginia. One of my ancestors came on one of 17 slave ships from Madagascar, and she was most likely a pirate—16 out of 17 of those ships were piloted by known European pirates.

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Ben Jealous answers Robyn’s B-roll bonus questions

Three words to describe America?
Big, Different, Hopeful

If you could time travel, which era in American history would you like to visit?
I’d go back to 1881 Virginia during the time of the Readjuster Party—a remarkable multiracial movement of freedmen and white people that sought to reduce the state’s debt, abolish the poll tax, and invest in public education. My great-great-grandfather was part of this movement, which worked to break down racial and class barriers in pursuit of a fairer Virginia.

Where did you grow up?
Monterey California, but spent the summers in Baltimore with my grandparents

What landscape in the USA inspires you? Or epitomizes your America?

When I was a kid, it was the coast of California, especially Big Sur—it represented freedom from everything. For a kid growing up in a family where my parents had to break the law to get married, Big Sur was my refuge. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized there’s no place more sacred to me than the Chesapeake Bay. I paddleboard, fish, and crab there, just like my grandfather taught me and I've taught my children. It’s not just a body of water—my mother’s family arrived there as slaves and settlers. It also connects our ancestral home in Virginia with Baltimore, where we’ve been rooted for more than 80 years. For my family, it became a gateway to much greater opportunity.

Dream dinner party guests? Which Americans would you invite to your Thanksgiving Table? (Dead or alive?)

Robert E. Lee—controversial, I know, but I recently found out we’re cousins while researching my book. I’d be fascinated to hear him explain himself in his own words. I’ve heard many people defend his cause and many criticize it, but hearing it from him directly would be something else. I’d also invite Dave Chappelle and Dolores Huerta—they’re both whip-smart, fearless, and funny in person. They bring deep wisdom and perspective to any conversation, and I think they’d add a lot to the mix. Rosario Dawson would be another guest—she’s sharp and passionate about the issues she cares about.

Is there a piece of music or art that sums up your America?

Bruce Springsteen

Which books or films best explain America? Fiction or non-fiction.

• Never Forget Our People Were Always Free—my book reflects my family’s journey and what it was like growing up bridging different parts of America.

• The poems of June Jordan.

• The writings of Mark Twain.

• The speeches of Martin Luther King Jr.

• And the candid reflections of Thomas Jefferson.

Best job? 

Being a reporter for a newspaper in Jackson, Mississippi. I spent each week riding around the state in a truck. My publisher gave me one assignment that never changed—go talk to the people, they’ll tell you what’s going on. It was some of the best work I’ve ever done.

When did your family arrive in the US? Where were they originally from?

My father’s family arrived in Salem, Massachusetts, around 400 years ago, coming from England. My mom’s family has been here for around the same amount of time. They were among the earliest settlers and slaves in Virginia. One of my ancestors came on one of 17 slave ships from Madagascar, and she was most likely a pirate—16 out of 17 of those ships were piloted by known European pirates.

Your motto. 

I got it from my grandmother, Mamie Todd - “Pessimists are right more often, but optimists win more often. And ask me, I’d take winning”

Why is America divided?

Greed. From the start, America’s purpose was to enrich the king of England, and to do that, the British kept us divided. That divide-and-conquer strategy has been used ever since. But today’s division is extreme, and it’s hard to explain without considering the effects of NAFTA and related trade agreements. Together, they shut down 55,000 factories in the last 30 years and locked many Americans into a downward economic spiral.

Have you lost friends or family because of politics?

I couldn’t let go of my family who voted for Trump, I loved them before and after. But I have lost at least one friend—Reverend Clem Pinckney. We used to convene civil rights leaders together. He was murdered while leading a prayer service at his church. Clem was shot trying to stop the shooter, and he died along with several members of his congregation. [Charleston, Mother Emanuel AME Church]

What issues are driving you to vote? Or not?

Hastening the day that we, as Americans, come together again, and having an economy that lifts all boats.

An American president that you admire?

FDR—he wasn’t perfect, especially with Japanese internment, but he had a vision to lift all boats, and he succeeded better than any president before or since.

An American president that you don't admire?

Woodrow Wilson—he was openly racist in ways that were thoughtless and cruel.

Sports team?

Baltimore Orioles

What were your parent's careers? How has that influenced your career?

My parents were civil rights workers who met as school teachers. The values that led them into those careers have guided my entire life.

What can be done to bring Americans together?

We need to build an economy that lifts all boats. Our best hope is to agree that we intend to lead the global economy again, especially in areas like renewable energy, batteries, and electric vehicles. This is the century in which we’ll change the way the world is powered, and America needs to be at the forefront. We need to be a country that not only designs cool things but builds them and pays people well to do it.

Favorite American restaurant or meal?

Spoonbread and fried apples.

Biggest misconception that the rest of the world has about Americans?

That we’re not interested in them. I think it’s just that we’re a geographically isolated country, and that makes us seem provincial. Another big misconception is that the South is defined by racism and ignorance, while the North is seen as the opposite. In reality, there’s good and bad to be found in both regions, along with great educational institutions and wonderful people everywhere.

Do you listen to, read or watch the news? Where do you get your information?

For the past 15 years, I haven’t watched 24-hour news. I get my news from NPR, newspapers, and the Bobby Bones Show. I’ve avoided 24-hour news because it creates mass anxiety.

Best advice from a parent or grandparent?

My [grandmother's] motto

What does it mean to be an American in 2024?

It means being part of a nation that’s been through dark times before and come out stronger. I come from two old families who know our history and see the arc of our nation in decades and centuries, not weeks and years. There have been many times when we feared for the future of the union, and for humanity itself, but we always managed to hold the country together and move the world away from whatever big risks threatened us all.

Who do you think will win the November election?

Kamala Harris. A few months ago, I would’ve said Donald Trump, but now, I think Harris is the only candidate who has a shot at moving us beyond this time of deep division.

The Grateful Dead and other voters

The son of a rabbi and a sociologist and a massive Grateful Dead fan, Julian Zelizer is a historian who looks at American history from a number of different angles. When I anchored my show on CNN International I always tried to get Julian on as guest because he often had a holistic and, importantly, a judicious assessment of some of the more crazy days during the Trump presidency.

As journalists, we often record the first draft of history. It’s professors like Julian who then put our words and observations into a broader context, and fit the facts of day-to-day journalism into a historical pattern. He dislikes the word 'unprecedented’ to describe what’s happening in American politics. “Where everything is unprecedented, everything's brand new, and there's absolutely no context for what's going on, as a result, people have lesser of an understanding of current events.

We now know that Trump’s ascendancy and presidency was not an aberration in 2016. He's back, and whisker away from a second term. Julian tries to understand Trumpism as part of a radicalization of the Republican party. "If you just study Trump in isolation, you don't really get 2024.”

Julian believes the roots of polarization, culture wars and a distrustful electorate go back to 1974. Richard Nixon and Watergate, he says, is the fault-line. “It was a rupture and ‘74 was important, not just the year in itself, but it's a culmination of many sources of friction that have been happening. Battles over Vietnam, battles over the presidency, battles over how Americans saw politics and government.”

Electorate lost trust in institutions like the government and the promise of a robust middle class. Instead, out of the dust of Watergate emerged strong centralized parties and media amplified by a strong campaign finance system that thrives on discord. After 1974, he says America remade itself and its institutions to foster division rather than to push against it.  

I was interested to hear his views on single issue voters. This was something that was new to me when I covered my first US election in 2016. I’d repeatedly hear people say they’d ‘hold their nose’ and vote for Donald Trump because he would deliver a single ideological wish for them - tougher border control, or a more conservative supreme court or an anti-abortion legislation. 

Many Trump voters agree he is a morally-compromised man who brings out the worst instincts in America but they’ll vote for him just because of that one, single issue. I don’t understand that thinking; to me it is like buying a basket of rotten fruit because you liked the look of one cherry. To Americans though, this is the way they roll in election time.

More often than not, the single issues are points that are not political game-changers in other countries. No other Western democracy has such an agonized divisive debates about abortion, books, guns or religion to the extent I’ve seen in America. Why?

“In the 70s at the heyday of feminism, the argument was that the personal is political.” Julian says that concept is now baked into American politics, especially when the bogey-man of Communism was vanquished at the end of the Cold War. Since the 1970’s, private and personal issues such as reproduction, gender, Christianity or what books your kids read have been hyper-politicized by both liberals and conservatives. 

The ‘personal is political’ is not just played out in the bedroom but also in the kitchen with bread and butter issues. The cost of living and inflation might just be the single biggest issue that will decide this election. Immigration too. It just depends who you talk to.

Voters will vote only because of ONE of those issues. Strategically that’s what matters to the parties - finding what issue fires up a voter in a specific area. Localized pin-pointing of your own personal bugbear is how the presidency is won.

“Politicians play this stuff up. They focus on these narrow issues that are going to get segments of the electorate,” says Julian, “So you're doing slivers of voters. And so it's appealing to find these single issues that might, you know, change X number of voters in a state like Michigan, as opposed to searching for grand issues.”

I’m a little closer as to figuring out why Americans are so divided - the electoral system encourages voters to get fired up about one thing rather than the common good. Narrow interests triumph over wide commonalities. Take this basic structural fact and then add social media, AI and big data to amplify the aims of narrow interest groups and you have a divided country unable to see the bigger picture as well as a set of national leaders who don’t subscribe to coalition thinking. 

One thing I don't think will change, whether Harris or Trump wins, is the division. Polarization is baked in, and here to stay.

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Please, no, American politics are not 'unprecedented'

Julian zelizer (Part 1)

The son of a rabbi and a renowned sociologist, Julian Zelizer is a Princeton historian who studies modern American politics in a clear, cool way. Robyn Curnow - who has covered elections around the worlld wanted to know why the politics of Donald Trump has taken so firmly root in American life and why Americans get so amped up over single issues.

And, Robyn (who was in the 'belly of the beast' at CNN) and Julian talk frankly about the mistakes the media made in covering Trump in the early days. And the arguments over if the Democrats are too radicalized and 'dangerously liberal,' as the Republicans call them.

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The Son of a Rabbi, LBJ and the Grateful Dead

Julian Zelizer (Part 2)

Every week Robyn Curnow asks her guest the same questions in this bonus episode. Where would you go if you could time travel? Dream Thanksgiving dinner guest (dead or alive)? What does it mean to be an American? Why is the country polarized? Favorite movie?

Julian. Zelizer answers

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Julian Zelizer answers Robyn’s B-roll bonus questions

Three words to describe America?
Divided. Contentious. Fraught

If you could time travel, which era in American history would you like to visit?
1960s. Oval Office during Presidency of Lyndon Johnson

Where did you grow up?
Metuchen, New Jersey

When was the last time you cried?

Can’t remember. Funeral of my mother- in law I had a few tears

Have you observed or met Biden, Trump, Vance, Waltz in person? What were your thoughts?

Trump

Biden

Harris

Vance

When did your family arrive in the USA? Where are they from originally?
One half from Eastern Europe. The other half from Argentina and Paris.

Favorite American Food?
Hamburger

Have you seen Divisions in workplace?

In the world of ideas, journalism, speaking and more, the divisions have become more pronounced in terms of audiences. Less trust about each other.

What piece of music or art sums up your America?
Photograph from Mississippi

Favorite American landscape
New York City

An American president you admire?
Lyndon Johnson

An American president that disappoints you

Buchanan

What were your parents' careers? How did they influence your career?
My dad was a rabbi. My mom is a professor of sociology

Best advice from a grandparent?
My grandfather a rabbi was a role model of work can be something you love and do to make the world better rather than for profit.

Main issues driving your vote
Leadership and Ethics

Who do you think will win in November?

I don’t know. It’s a toss up.

CIA Station Chiefs and not-so-secret Secrets

I’m joined by two high-level former CIA intelligence officers in this week’s podcast. John Sipher and Jerry O’Shea were station chiefs in Moscow, Baghdad and other key posts. They now host a podcast called Mission Implausible in which they banter - as you’ll hear on my show these former spooks can certainly banter - about conspiracy theories. 

Each week I send my guests a questionnaire before we chat. It’s a Proust-like set of questions that focus on America. A fun parlor game? Yes, but also really interesting to see what folks have to say about where they would go if they could time travel in American history, or what movie best sums up the U.S.A. There are also some fantastic answers about who would be invited to a dream dinner party (guests can be dead or alive.)

I’ve included John and Jerry’s answers below. All my previous guest’s answers are on the newly updated website www.searchingforamericapod.com Fun reading!

Alternatively, you can catch up with the bonus episodes from previous shows where I devote an entire conversation to these questions.  You’d be surprised by some answers and chuckling with amusement at others. If you’ve not listened to the previous bonus shows do go back and listen. I loved it that Sarah Smarsh  wanted to time travel to the 1920’s to find a honky tonk where she could do the Texas Two-Step.

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Ex-CIA Station Chiefs

John Sipher and Jerry O'Shea (Part 1)

Two of America's high-level intelligence officers join Searching for America for a wide-ranging conversation about what might happen if Donald Trump becomes President again? Ex-CIA Station Chiefs John Sipher and Jerry O'Shea who have 60 years experience between them operating in hostile environments across the world but they agree that trying to understand America right now is "befuddling."

Robyn Curnow ask them who will win the election? "This isn't a secret that spies can steal."

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Ex-CIA intel officers and a Nazi-KGB spy

Jerry O'Shea and John Sipher (Part 2)

Every week Robyn Curnow asks her guest the same questions in this bonus episode. Where would you go if you could time travel? Dream Thanksgiving dinner guest (dead or alive)? What does it mean to be an American? Why is the country polarized? Favorite movie?

Jerry O’Shea and John Sipher answer

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John Sipher answers Robyn’s B-roll bonus questions

Three words to describe America?
Divided, uncertain, searching

If you could time travel, which era in American history would you like to visit?
1940s, 50s. I'm a history buff and interested in the making of the Cold War and our national security institutions.

Where did you grow up?
Small town in upstate NY

Dream dinner party guests? Which Americans would you invite to your Thanksgiving celebration (dead or alive?)
FDR, Whitaker Chambers, Henry Kissinger

Which books or movies explainAmerica?
 Too many

When did your family arrive in the USA? Where are they from originally?
Northern Europe. 19th century

What's your motto?
Be nice

Why is America so divided?
There are two different kinds of personalities that manifest in different outlooks on the world. While our system is meant to depend on compromise, it is also vulnerable to populists and personalities. I think Trumpism has surfaced parts of American political culture that have always been there, but have usually been on the fringe.

Have you lost friends or family because of politics?
Yes

What issues are driving you to vote? Or not?
I always vote

An American president you admire?
Lincoln, FDR

An American president you don't admire?

Trump

Sports team?
NY Giants, Yankees, Knicks

What were your parents' careers? How did they influence your career?
Father was a history professor. Mother a school librarian. Always interested in history, events, politics.

What can be done to bring Americans together?
I wish I knew. Certainly more civics education. Less Gerrymandering. Politics have been a rush to the extremes. We need to realize that governing requires compromise, and a complex world requires experts.

Do you listen to, read or watch the news? Where do you get your information?
I read. Times, Post, Economist, books. Only watch news like PBS

Who do you think will win in November?

Harris

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Jerry O’Shea answers Robyn’s B-roll bonus questions

Three words to describe America?
protean, polarized, powerful (but overly focused on its perceived weaknesses)

If you could time travel, which era in American history would you like to visit?
The future: 2057 (when I'd be 100, if I ever make it). Want to know how our (US society's, CIA's and my personal) efforts and sacrifices result in making the world, hopefully, better for my/our children and grandchildren (i.e., protecting the democratic ideals in the constitution, dealing with authoritarian regime rivals, new revolutionary technologies and, perhaps most of all, climate change). What we all got right and where we failed.

Where did you grow up?
Small town, one of ten kids, with one street light in upstate, New York (near Rochester). Left home at 18 and lived/studied/traveled on own for years in Europe (university in Austria and Germany), Asia, Africa, Middle East and Latin America before returning back to US. Student and hippie years. Note: for Robyn: I travelled through Africa in my early years (hitch-hiked through Sudan; spent much time in Kenya) and then, professionally, lived in Zimbabwe for years (also spent much time in South Africa )- Zim was my favorite foreign tour. I love Africa.)

Dream dinner party guests? Which Americans would you invite to your Thanksgiving celebration (dead or alive?)
Earnest Hemingway, Susan B. Anthony, Teddy Roosevelt, Martha Dodd (America's most successful female spy - but for the other side), Albert Einstein and Winston Churchill (both had US citizenship), Obama (who now ives just up the road from me in Hawaii)

Is there a piece of American art or music that sums up your America?
The art form in which America has always led the world is: film. Casablanca with Bogart, Bergman, Claude Reins and Peter Lorre. Bogart embodies the tough, tortured misunderstood loner who, at heart, is really a romantic altruistic ideologue who wants to do the right thing. It captures the narrative of how America wants to sees itself in relation to the world.

Which books or movies explain America?
Book. "Team of Rivals: the political genius of Abraham Lincoln": Doris Kearns Goodwin. Non-Fiction. Messy democracy in action.

When did your family arrive in the USA? Where are they from originally?
Grandparents; all in 1920's and early 1930's: two from Ireland (one entered US illegally - jumped ship - in early 20's); one from Germany and one from French Canada (also entered illegally in early 30's)

When was the last time you cried?
Death of father; a few years ago.

What's your motto?
"Say not the struggle naught availeth..."

Why is America so divided?
"Traditional America" fears demographic, racial and tech changes that are inexorably altering its world and the narrative through which it understands the world and its place within it - for good and for ill. Many in America - immigrants, the educated and secular, the young, racially/culturally diverse elements - accept and embrace change; many do jot see a future for themselves as a majority shareholder in this new world. Divisions are real but are being exacerbated and manipulated by media, politicians, international adversaries, etc.

Have you lost friends or family because of politics?
Yes. Have received death threats, too.

What issues are driving you to vote? Or not?
Preserving democracy.

An American president you admire?
Lincoln, FDR

An American president you don't admire?

Trump

What were your parents' careers? How did they influence your career?
Father: Salesman; mother: housewife

What can be done to bring Americans together?
Create unifying narratives.

Favorite American meal or restaurant?
An American Thanksgiving, with all the trimmings - and with family

Biggest misunderstanding the rest of the world has about Americans?
That Americans are culturally shallow.

Do you listen to, read or watch the news? Where do you get your information?
Yes. News outlets that do fact-checking in US and foreign (i.e., BBC, der Spiegel, Deutsche Welle)

Best advice from a parent or grandparent?
Don't let others define you

What does it mean to be an American in 2024?
Trick question: there are two basic sets of answers and this is why the US is now polarized

Who do you think will win in November?
Harris - but would have said Trump is you'd asked me a month ago

Latinos and Farmers for Trump

Leyla, a proud Latina with Puerto Rican roots, and I talked a lot on air when I had my show on CNN. Like with one of other regular on-air CNN guests, Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, I’ve always wanted to hear more about Leyla’s backstory and her thoughts on America. 

 She lives in Trump turf, as she calls it, now. “My neighbor has a big sign that says Farmers for Trump. There's a huge sign downtown that basically says F@#k Joe Biden right across from the church, by the way.” 

For many Americans, the rural countryside is the 'real' America. Trump and his team have been hugely successful in crafting the image of rural life as something that is pure America; untainted and disrespected by outsiders, liberals and urbanites.

“I think there is very much this us versus them mentality,” she says. “It's two Americas."

For many rural voters, immigration and inflation will be key in their choice of President. 

Trump has promised to be tough on immigration.

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Farmers and Latinos for Trump

Leyla Santiago (Part 1)

I asked Leyla why many Latino men have moved right and support Trump’s hardline threats on immigration even though he’s used racist tropes to describe them?

As a Latina woman with Puerto Rican background, Leyla says the Latino communities in the USA are a blend of different people in different places. “When he says they're coming over the border and they're not bringing their best, they're bringing the rapists and the criminals. Cubans don't consider themselves Mexicans, Puerto Ricans don't consider themselves Mexicans. And so it's a little bit like, yeah, he's talking about Latinos, but he's not talking about me.”

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Army Brat, Dolly Parton and Puerto Rico

Leyla Santiago (Part 2)

Every week Robyn Curnow asks her guest the same questions in this bonus episode. Where would you go if you could time travel? Dream Thanksgiving dinner guest (dead or alive)? What does it mean to be an American? Why is the country polarized? Favorite movie?

Leyla Santiago answers

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Where would you go if you could time travel in american history & other bonus questions

Three words to describe America?

AT A CROSSROADS

Where did you grow up?

I'm an Army brat, so I moved around quite a bit. Born in Puerto Rico, moved to Panama during the Noriega conflict, then moved to South Carolina when my dad was stationed at Ft. Jackson

If you could time travel, which era in American history would you like to visit? Why?

If I'm being honest, the idea of traveling back in time as a minority is not thrilling. 

But if I had to pick an era, I would travel back to either the roaring 20s to watch women (though not all) obtain the right to vote or to the 60s to see the civil rights movement in action, albeit tough to watch.

Iconic American landscape that means something to you? Or epitomizes your America?

Stateside, Shenandoah National Park inspires me. Of course nothing soothes my soul and inspires me quite like the mountains of Puerto Rico. They have a way of reminding me of the resilience of my own people.  Plus, I'm from the mountains of PR.

Dream dinner party guests? Which Americans would you invite to you Thanksgiving table (dead or alive?)

• Felisa Rincon de Gautier

• Dolly Parton

• Harriet Tubman 

• Selena

Which books or movies explain America? Fiction or non-fiction?

The Warmth of Other Suns- Isabel Wilkerson

When did your family arrive in the USA? Where were they from originally?

My family has Spanish roots and arrived in Puerto Rico in the 1800s. My immediate family moved stateside in 1989. We moved to South Carolina, talk about culture shock!

When was the last time you cried?

A week ago-- in a conversation with my mother about aging. Tough to watch your parents age

What's your motto?

Passion. Compassion.

Why is America so divided?

I think there are a number of factors. 

-Demographics are changing

-social media, news, fake news-- we are constantly being bombarded with divisive messaging in media and these messages are making their way into more than just our facebook feeds. Just watch a congressional hearing or heck, a local  school board meeting and you'll see it on full display. 

- it feels like politics is playing a bigger role in even our identity-- and I think that play a role in the silos many of us live in. 

Have you lost friends or family because of politics?

I wouldn't say I have lost any, but it certainly has put distance between some.

What issues are driving you to vote? Or not?

Issues that I am passionate about...

• gun violence

• climate change

• immigration

An American president you admire?

President Lincoln

An American president you dont admire?

President Polk and the idea of Manifest Destiny. 

Sports team?

Not a sports gal

What were your parents careers? How has that influenced your career?

My father was in the U.S. Army. My mother was a teacher. 

My mother was a single mom with three kids on a teacher's salary and yet, she taught me some of the most valuable lessons that served me as a journalist. She had to hustle and be tenacious to survive. As a child, I remember watching her refuse to back down. If we would go to the store and she received bad customer service (often because of her accent), my mother would ask to speak to the manager. She demanded answers from a local manager all the way to the U.S. Capitol. I think that played a huge role in my life and influenced the path I took in my career

Best advice from a parent or grandparent?

I'm not sure it's advice. But a conversation with my grandmother that stuck with me...

My grandmother lived next to the federal prison in Puerto Rico. I remember driving by it one day as a child and saying something like, "that's where the bad people go." She responded by saying... "those are people who've made mistakes." I think that very brief exchange molded how I see people today. I try not to see people as good or bad. We are all people. Some of us have had different life experiences, different set of circumstances and have certainly all made different mistakes.

What does it mean to be an American in 2024?

Confusion.

I I feel like as a society, we're a little bit lost and confused. I still think we aspire to be great. 

I genuinely believe most people want to do well and want to do right by their neighbor and their fellow citizens.

But we're in a space right now where we've got so much being thrown our way that it's hard to make sense. 

Maybe I'm describing myself. I'm confused.

Who do you think will win in November?

I've learned not to predict in the world of politics

The 100 year old president

American Presidents - like England’s Kings and Queens - reflect a specific era in history. Jimmy Carter, who turns 100 this week, was a one-term Democratic President whose loss to Ronald Reagan in 1979 ushered a new type of Republicanism and the excess of the 1980’s. On his birthday, Carter’s legacy will be discussed a lot but almost everyone will be in agreement about one thing. Jimmy Carter is a good man. The same can’t be said for many other occupants of the Oval Office. 

Kevin holds a special place in his heart for Jimmy Carter, who he also shared a meal with at Carter’s home in Plains, Georgia. He tells me that when he was visiting he realized Carter’s home was so modest that it was worth less than the cost of the Secret Service vehicles parked outside. 

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The 100 year old president

Kevin Sullivan (Part 1)

"I think the race is a toss up," says Kevin Sullivan, "Trump has really captured the Republican Party." In this episode of Searching for America, Robyn Curnow talks with Washington Post journalist Kevin Sullivan about all the president's he has interviewed. They discuss the enduring influence of Donald Trump, the dynamics of the Biden administration, and the role of Kamala Harris as a progressive leader. Sullivan shares insights from his experiences covering American politics and reflects on the legacy of Jimmy Carter who turned 100 on Oct 1. 

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the wizard of oz and singing angels

Kevin Sullivan (Part 2)

Every week Robyn Curnow asks her guest the same questions in this bonus episode. Where would you go if you could time travel? Dream Thanksgiving dinner guest (dead or alive)? What does it mean to be an American? Why is the country polarized? Favorite movie?

Kevin Sullivan lists his favorite things 

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Where would you go if you could time travel in american history & other bonus questions

Three words to describe America?

Wounded. Frustrated. Hopeful.

If you could time travel, which era in American history would you like to visit?

I'd love to go back in time and see Satchel Paige pitch.

Where did you grow up?

On the coast of Maine

Iconic American landscape that means something to you?

Fenway Park in Boston.

Which books or movies explain America?

The Wizard of Oz.

When did your family arrive in the USA? Where are they from originally?

My four grandparents are full-blooded Irish, Swedish, German and Polish.

When was the last time you cried?

When my mother died.

Why is America so divided?

News silos, social media, lack of understanding of different ways of living.

What were your parents' careers? How did they influence your career?

Accountant and homemaker. My parents influenced me greatly, but not necessarily by their careers.

Favorite American meal or restaurant?

French fries

Biggest misunderstaning the rest of the world has about Americans?

People see only the caricatures and don't realize that most Americans are sane, reasonable  and decent

Best advice from a parent or grandparent?

My mother on parenting: "Just love them."

Why is Jesus on the ballot?

Unlike other Western democracies, America's politics are infused with religion. God is everywhere, all the time, especially during election season. As we get closer to the November polls, it would seem Jesus is personally invested in the outcome of the vote if you listen to candidates up and down the ballot. 

Doug Heye says Republicans and Democrats have used religion to attract voters in the past but evangelical fervor for Donald Trump has turbo-charged the Republican ticket in different ways. 

President Trump, who struggles to quote Bible verses and is no poster child for the Ten Commandments, has a loyal and powerful base among evangelical Christians. Trump and his supporters say they are doing God’s work because, in spite of the fact that he slept with a porn star weeks after his wife gave birth to his son, they see him as a savior on single issues around abortion, IVF and even gun control. It’s a Faustian bargain for the true believer, but it’s one that millions of Christians are willing to make this November. 

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WHy is jesus on the ballot?

Doug Heye (Part 1)

Unlike other Western democracies, America's politics are infused with religion. Why is God part of the get-out-and-vote plans? Republican strategist Doug Heye says Republicans and Democrats have used religion to attract voters in the past but evangelical fervor for Donald Trump has turbo-charged the Republican ticket in different ways.

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3 day weekend in nyc in 1951

Doug Heye (Part 2)

In this bonus episode, Republican strategist Doug Heye shows his foodie side by listing his favorite restaurants and imagining his dream dinner party with Julia Child, Thomas Jefferson and Hank Aaron. When Robyn Curnow asks him about his favorite Presidents, Doug Heye gives a surprising answer.

Favorite piece of music or movie: Frank Sinatra singing

What makes him cry? Maybe a few tears were shed' seeing Bruce Springsteen sing "Thunder Road"

First job: Mr Barbecue, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. "I'll never forget the customer who returned his french fries because they tasted like potatoes."

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Where would you go if you could time travel in american history & other bonus questions

Three words to describe America?

Divided. Nervous. Hopeful.

If you could time travel, which era in American history would you like to visit? 

Two eras - Revolutionary/Founding and late 40s/early 50s New York City

Where did you grow up?

Lewisville, North Carolina and Richmond, Virginia, by way of Red Bank, New Jersey

Iconic American landscape that means something to you? 

The beauty and enormity of Yellowstone are tough to beat.

Dream dinner party guests? Which Americans would you invite to your Thanksgiving celebration (dead or alive?)

Thomas Jefferson, Julia Child & Hank Aaron would make for a lively dinner.

Best job
Working in Congress. There's a standard line that when you walk up to the Capitol and don't feel a sense of awe, that's when it's time to leave. That fortunately never happened to me.

Is there a piece of American art or music that sums up your America?

Frank Sinatra's "The House I Live In," a song and short film for which he won an Oscar, opens with the line "What is America to me?" It means something different to all of us.

When did your family arrive in the USA? Where are they from originally?
Family comes from England, Ireland and my last name originates from Germany. Family came mostly to the northern New Jersey area throughout the 18th and 19th centuries.

When was the last time you cried?

Well I cry at everything. But there were probably a few tears as Bruce Springsteen played Thunder Road last weekend.

Why is America so divided?

The incentive system of media and money reward the loudest and angriest voices, moving the parties - and people - away from each other and does so on practically every facet in life.

Have you lost friends or family because of politics?
Only one. Oh well.

What issues are driving you to vote? Or not?Every issue. Our economy, our standing in the world, the debt, and on and on.

An American president you admire?

Ronald Reagan inspired me as a kid. George Washington still sets the standard. I'm fascinated by Nixon. JQA's post-presidency. And on an on.

An American president you don't admire?
Donald Trump. Andrew Johnson.

Sports team?

Tar Heels/Yankees/Steelers

What were your parents' careers? How did they influence your career?

Dad was a banker, mom mostly stayed at home. Both were politically interested, but neither really influenced my working in politics

What can be done to bring Americans together?

This is something I think about a lot and it's easier to identify the problems than the solutions. We need more calm voices and focus on issues confronting the lives of our citizens. The good news is that these all can foster bipartisan conversations - which happen everyday in Washington. They just need more attention and dedication

Favorite American meal or restaurant?
I love the old school places that have stood the test of time. My first job was behind the counter at Mr. Barbecue in Winston-Salem, still the best BBQ in the state. Vincenzo's in Winston-Salem. PJ Clarke's, Patsy's and Tribeca Grill in New York. Bistrot du Coin in DC. Bojangles & In-Out Burger, for fast food. All make me feel at home.

Do you listen to, read or watch the news? Where do you get your information?
So many places. Cable news, the internet, reporters I follow on social media and, whenever traveling, a hard copy of the local paper.

Biggest misunderstanding the rest of the world has about America?
One are issues around race. I remember a French college student telling me that they hated that "American would never elect a black man." That was 2008, and, well...

Also, that everyone owns a gun.

Who do you think will win in November?
Honest answer: I don't know

Rural America Rage and Missing Teeth

I have been wanting to talk to author Sarah Smarsh for years because she is one of the few people on the national stage who can explain, with authenticity, about a part of America that is often overlooked and undervalued. Sarah grew up in a poor, white rural area of Kansas. Her mom gave birth to her when she was seventeen and she was raised by her grandparents on their farm. Her latest book is called Bone on Bone; Essays on America by a Daughter of the Working Class. 

Donald Trump won over poor, white, working class folk in rural America because he has been able to channel their anger. Sarah and her family are not Trump voters - “Can’t stand the guy” - but she is also critical of Democratic Party which she believes ignored the pleas of large chunks of ordinary Americans who were struggling with the effects of globalization and the challenges of small-town life. 

Sarah writes with empathy about her grandmother’s dentures (all her teeth were removed in her twenties because she had no dental healthcare) and helping her grandparents harvest wheat or butcher their livestock. 

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Poor teeth rural Voters

Sarah Smarsh (Part 1)

Sarah Smarsh's grandmother had dentures in her twenties, after her teeth were pulled out due to poverty. Robyn Curnow asks why good or bad teeth explain whether America is a meritocracy?

Robyn wanted to talk to Sarah because she's rare commodity in America - a whisperer or translator of two Americas; rural, white, poor middle America and the educated, urbane newsrooms of the coasts. As one of the few people in a newsroom who have worked in a wheat field, Smarsh says she takes the stereotypes of middle America personally because they can get her people so wrong.

Not all white, poor Americans in rural areas are Trump supporters, in the same way not all New Yorkers are walking around with Black Lives Matter t-shirts. Sarah blames a fractured media and the Democrat Party ignoring large chunks of America where people have felt ignored, and to whom Donald Trump speak to.

How to bring divided Americans together? Dolly Parton, the Patron Saint of the American Working Class.

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Texas two-Step and Bourbon

Sarah Smarsh (Part 2)

Even though her family says American politicians 'are all crooks,' Sarah Smarsh was asked to run for Senate after she became a rare voice of an ignored part of America; the white, poor, rural working class. She choose not to go to run for office but instead wrote another book about her life in Kansas while working to save the prairies and fight against the stereotypes that paint her people as backwards.

The solution to American polarization? More honky-tonks, dancing and bourbon.

Her favorite landscape? The American prairie where she lives.

American movie? Wizard of Oz (even though everyone always says to her, 'You're not in Kansas anymore.")

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Where would you go if you could time travel in american history & other bonus questions

Three words to describe America?
Stressed
Empire
Militarized

If you could time travel, which era in American history would you like to visit?

The early or mid- 20th Century, simply for the purpose of dancing. I grew up doing the Texas two-step at rodeos and in honky tonks and later got into the swing-dance revival. While that era is not be romanticized and involved more injustice on many fronts, we're a less celebratory and communal culture than we used to be. Television and the Internet has made many Americans isolated and kind of lame. I once moved to Texas for their dance halls, which are still hanging on.

Where did you grow up?
Kansas

Iconic American landscape that means something to you?

The American prairie. I'm writing a book about it now.

Dream dinner party guests? Which Americans would you invite to your Thanksgiving celebration (dead or alive?)

Dolores Huerta, Elizabeth Warren, Jodie Foster and Toni Morrison.

Is there a piece of American art or music that sums up your America?

"I'm No Stranger to the Rain," by Keith Whitley

Which books or movies explain America?

A People's History of the United States, by Howard Zinn

When did your family arrive in the USA? Where are they from originally?

Paternal side arrived from central / western Europe in the late 19th century. Maternal side unknown.

When was the last time you cried?

Today

What's your motto?

Don't have one

Why is America so divided?

Economic conditions, for one

Have you lost friends or family because of politics?

No

What issues are driving you to vote? Or not?

All of them

An American president you admire?

Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren, in an alternate universe where they won the nomination

An American president you don't admire?

Most of them

Sports team?

Kansas City Chiefs since 1980!

What were your parents' careers?
Construction worker / farmer
Real estate agent

Unsafe in schools - from other people’s ideas

Thinking critically and being open-minded to other people’s ideas or opinions has been vilified by the left and right. Both sides advocate banning books - the left wants to ‘protect’ kids from uncomfortable language in novels like Huckleberry Finn or Gone with the Wind and the right wants to ban books to ‘protect’ kids from uncomfortable identity topics such as My Two Mommies.

Josh Clark is the head teacher of the Landmark School in Massachusetts and on the board of the National Association of Independent Schools. He’s also a world expert on teaching dyslexic kids (I met him when he was the head of the Schenck School in Atlanta, where my youngest daughter went, and where I’m on the board.) Josh wears many hats in American education and, critically, he has a broad overview of the challenges facing schools in the USA. 

There's a trend to oversimplify complicated issues which has robbed many children of an ability to see history or society as something wonderfully complex and nuanced. The gray areas are a no-man’s land and binary thinking is dominating. Political rhetoric about ‘the other’ creates a false choice between us and them, victim or victimiser, oppressed or oppressor. Nothing is that simple. Josh agrees, “ We have lost all tolerance for complexity.” he says, “We’ve somehow misconstrued ambiguity with a threat.” When ambiguity is lost, so is empathy. 

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Back to School Battle over ideas

Josh Clark (Part 1)

We need to immerse kids in more ambiguity, says headteacher Josh Clark, who is also on the board of the National Association of Independent Schools. How do the divisions in America manifest in schools?

Is pressure to say the right thing and give the 'correct answer' stifling debate and critical thinking in classrooms? Why have kids lost the ability to put themselves in another person's shoes? Does simplification of complicated issues create less empathy?

Josh Clark's dad was a prison warder which meant Josh grew up in the warder's house inside a prison complex in Hopewell, Virginia.

Growing up in the dynamic of the federal prison system gave Josh a perspective that informs his views on right, wrong, legal, illegal and the need to understand ambiguities and embrace complexity.

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Dazed and Confused, U.S.A

Josh Clark (Part 2)

Josh Clark would love to time travel to the 1850's just before the Civil War when the country was dealing with what it meant to be an American. As a Southerner, who grew up Mississippi, he is intrigued by a country that was grappling with itself and at the same time embracing transcendentalism. He lists his favorite books from the pre-Civil War days, written during an time of national tension. Leaves of Grass, Moby Dick and the Scarlet Letter.

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Where would you go if you could time travel in american history & other bonus questions

Three words to describe America?
Aspirational
Complex
Participatory

If you could time travel, which era in American history would you like to visit?

1850's because it was an awakening / culmination of uniquely American intellectualism and art. This time period saw the most important publications of some its most important thinkers: Melville, Thoreau, Emerson. Whitman, Hawthorne - much of it in response to the policies, ideas, and laws that would lead to the civil war.

A close second would to be an American expat in 1920's western Europe.

Where did you grow up?

Tennessee

Is there a piece of American art or music that sums up your America?

Campbell Soup Can's by Andy Wharhol
Jean-Michel Basquiat

Which books or movies explain America?
 Dazed and Confused
The Simpsons

When did your family arrive in the USA? Where are they from originally?

My maternal great grandparents came from Sweden I believe in the 1930's . My paternal grandparents are of English and Irish descent though I do not know much about their story.

When was the last time you cried?
Recently and often

What's your motto?

Make it New by Ezra Pound. I had it tattooed on my back when I was at college before I new that he was a Nazi sympathizer.

Why is America so divided?
So many reasons. As we abandon or reform longstanding religious and civic institutions, most of which I agree with, it leaves a vacuum of community and reassurance. With fewer institutional opportunities to reflect, affirm and push our values and understanding of the world, we feel threatened and revert to defining ourselves more by what we do not believe than what we do. As life has become more complex, our ability to process it has become less sophisticated and our consciousness much higher.

What issues are driving you to vote? Or not?

I will vote and will vote more against a candidate than for one.

An American president you admire?

Lincoln

An American president you don't admire?

Trump

Sports team?

Tennessee College Footballl

What were your parents' careers? How did they influence your career?
My mom was initially a stay-at-home mom and my dad was a federal prison warden.
I think my dad's job influences how I understand life and my career more than my actual role or responsibility.
I think my experience in school was the most influential by limiting what I saw as possible for myself.

What can be done to bring Americans together?
Dialogue and integration

Favorite American meal or restaurant?

Hamburger and fries

Biggest misconception the rest of the world has about Americans?
Education

Main issues driving your vote?
Vision for the Future

Best advice from a parent or grandparent?
You can always control how hard you work and how you respond.

What does it mean to be an American in 2024?
Privileged and pressured.

Who do you think will win in November?

Trump

Purple Heart, Crying at the Supermarket and Camo gear

Lt. General Mark Hertling is the epitome of a good American. A soldier, a thinker and a man who admits he cries at the ‘opening of a supermarket’ even though he won a Purple Heart for bravery.

Mark and I have spoken many times on air during battles, wars and terror attacks. In fact, we were live during the fall of Mosul which earned CNN an Emmy nomination. Ben Wedeman was reporting from a fox hole somewhere nearby Mosul in Northern Iraq and Mark and I were in studios back in the USA. Mark had commanded US forces in those areas so he knew the lay of the land, but also the geopolitics that had led to the rise of ISIS. 

Mark is a proud soldier. The army is a noble profession to him. He is not a fan of AR-15 carrying, camo-wearing civilians pretending to be soldiers. Neither is he a fan of former military officers using their service to campaign for political office. 

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An American Soldier

Lt. Gen Mark Hertling (Part 1)

What does it mean to die for America? What is it like losing men under your command? Why do so many American civilians dress up like soldiers in camouflage gear and carry deadly weapons of war? (Lt. Gen Mark Hertling has strong opinions about that...)

General Mark Hertling earned the Purple Heart in Operation Desert Storm and commanded the US Army Europe and Seventh Army. He's a Westpoint graduate and has numerous university degrees.

When she was a CNN anchor, Robyn Curnow and Mark Hertling had numerous conversations on air about battles, wars or terror attacks, but now Robyn gets a chance to ask Mark all the questions she never had the chance to during breaking news.

In this episode they dive into what it means to be an American soldier in divided times.

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The Sounds of Battle

Lt. Gen Mark Hertling (Part 2)

Why do so many American civilians dress up like soldiers in camouflage gear and carry deadly weapons of war? Lt. Gen Mark Hertling talks about what makes a soldier, and what it means to die for America. Hertling earned the Purple Heart in Operation Desert Storm and commanded the US Army Europe and Seventh Army.

In this episode they dive into what it means to be an American soldier in divided times.

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Where would you go if you could time travel in american history & other bonus questions

If you could time travel, which era in American history would you like to visit?
It's either the Revolutionary War period or the Civil War period, just because I would like to experience what the people of the day experienced. 
At Gettysburg in November of 1863, Lincoln was not the principal speaker. He was an afterthought. They had a guy named Everett who was considered the greatest orator of the time, congressman, senator, governor, president of Harvard. People would pay big money to see him. He prepared for two months for this speech, and he gave a two -hour presentation calling America back to the time of great nations, and he cited Pericles and Aristotle, and he described the battle in great detail for two hours.

He memorized his speech and gave it for two hours. And when the governor of Pennsylvania asked Lincoln to come, it was an election year, so they thought they had to get the president to come and dedicate this cemetery. But they wrote Lincoln a letter that said, we'd like you to give after the main speaker of a short, no, it was, I think it was brief remarks.

So what Edward gave in two hours, Lincoln did in two minutes, a little over two minutes, but his is the one that's remembered

Iconic American landscape that means something to you?
The Hudson River Valley. 
Also, my wife and I traveled from Washington, D .C. to Washington State, and we were able to travel the width of the country. And I think the mountains of the Northeast, the plains and the mountains of the Northeast, and the tribal lands especially, not just the mountains and the terrain, but the tribal lands of Native Americans are important to me, as well as some of the more important cities throughout the country. I just think it shows the vibrancy of who we are as a nation and the uniqueness of our population because the people of New York are very different from the people of Kansas City who are different from the people of Jackson, Mississippi. And it's fascinating for me to travel to those countries and learn the cultures.

Is there a piece of American art or music that sums up your America?
 I like history, but I like emotional histories. And both John Meacham and Doris Kearns Goodwin write terrific books. And Doris Kearns Goodwin, I had a chance to meet because her son was a second lieutenant, was my aide -de -camp, and I had no idea she was his mother.

And what's interesting, her first book, and I think one of her better books is a book about the Brooklyn Dodgers called Wait Till Next Year. And I'm a huge baseball fan.

Favorite historical figure?
George Marshall, because he was a selfless servant and he was always calm and collected. He had a great balance in his life even during four years of World War II.

He would leave the office every day at five o 'clock and ride his horse for an hour or two before dinner. And I think he just put things in perspective with a great weight of the world on his shoulders as a military leader. And then he became a very good diplomatic leader as the Secretary of State.

Which movies explain America?

West Wing, Newsroom, Sopranos, Saving Private Ryan, A Few Good Men, It's A Wonderful Life

When did your family arrive in the USA? Where are they from originally?

Late 1800s, from Germany.

When was the last time you cried?

Ha...my wife says I cry at Supermarket openings, so it's often.

What's your motto?
Leaders don't have the right to have a bad day.

An American president you admire?

A toss up between Lincoln, Roosevelt and Eisenhower. 

An American president you don't admire?

Mr Trump

Sports team?I swam and played water polo in college, I love watching baseball and college basketball and the Tour de France, and I currently ride road bikes as fast as I can as a 70 year old.

Biggest misunderstanding the rest of the world has about Americans?

That we can solve all problems

What do you want people to know about your America?
We have good people who are often distracted. 

Best advice from a parent or grandparent?
You have two ears and two eyes and only one mouth for a reason...try to use them in that ratio.

What does it mean to be an American in 2024?
Anxiety, and the requirement to immerse yourself in the details of what is happening.

Who do you think will win in November?
I believe in the majority of our citizens to  discern someone who cares about America's future and who cares for our people and differentiates that from someone who only cares for his own self-preservation and who is involved in a continual grift.

Kansas City, Baseball and Psych Wards

Jason Kander 'sorta ran for President' in 2020 before checking himself into a military psychiatric ward for PTSD (he served as an intelligence officer in Afghanistan.) Jason knows Kamala Harris and is still dialed into Washington politics from his hometown of Kansas City, Missouri where he runs a charity for homeless veterans.

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Who is Kamala Harris? | Jason Kander (Part 1)

What is Kamala Harris like? Why do Trump voters believe he's on their side?

US Army veteran and a former Democratic Party wunderkind, Jason Kander ran for Senate along with Kamala Harris so he knows what it's like working with her.

In this episode, Robyn and Jason talk about who their neighbors might vote for (Robyn is in Atlanta, Jason is in Kansas City) and whether Kamala Harris's progressive agenda is a 'bridge to far' for some, and what that might mean for the vote in November.

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Walking into a military psych ward | Jason Kander (Part 2)

In a humorous account of when he checked himself into a military psychiatric ward, he explains to Robyn why the doctor thought he was hearing voices (President Obama really did suggest he should run for President.) With the benefit of perspective and a healthy dose of therapy, Kander talks about the army, mental health and fighting for America.

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Time Travel and baseball | Jason Kander (Part 3)

Jason Kander is tells Robyn about his uncle who composed the song New York, New York and why his favorite landscape is a baseball field.

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Where would you go if you could time travel in american history & other bonus questions

Three words to describe America?
At a crossroads

If you could time travel, which era in American history would you like to visit?

Post-war America. It would be interesting to see a mostly unified version of the country.

Where did you grow up?
Kansas City area

Iconic American landscape that means something to you?
A baseball field.

Dream dinner party guests? Which Americans would you invite to your Thanksgiving celebration (dead or alive?)
Barack Obama, my wife Diana Kander and my Great Uncle John Kander, all of whom are alive.

Is there a piece of American art, film or music that sums up your America?
Field of Dreams with Kevin Costner

Which books or movies explain America?
Tribe by Sebastian Junger

When did your family arrive in the USA? Where are they from originally?
Just after the civil war. Germany and England as far as I can tell.

When was the last time you cried?
Last night I got teary while telling the a story about my dad.

What's your motto?
Try Hard. Never Quit. Have Fun.

Why is America so divided?
A deficit of shared experience.

Have you lost friends or family because of politics?

Yes.

What issues are driving you to vote? Or not?

Democracy

An American president you admire?

Obama

An American president you don't admire?

Trump. Runner-up: George W Bush

Sports team?

Royals and Chiefs

What were your parents' careers? How did they influence your career?

They were juvenile probation officers and my dad was also a police officer. I saw a public service ethic in them first hand even though they left those jobs while I was young.

What can be done to bring Americans together?

Universal Service.

Favorite American meal or restaurant?
Kansas City BBQ

Biggest misconception the rest of the world has about Americans?

That all the cool people live in New York or LA.

Do you listen to, read or watch the news? Where do you get your information?

I read the KC Star, the New York Times, and CNN.com, and I use my apple news app to read a sampling of everything else.

Best advice from a parent or grandparent?

Play the ball, don't let the ball play you. - My dad.
Be an asset to every team you're a part of. - My grandpa.

What does it mean to be an American in 2024?

To me, it means to live in a great country still striving to reach anything close to its potential. To Americans writ large, we don't really know, and that's a problem.

Who do you think will win in November?
Harris/Walz