Everybody Assumes

How do you write a speech for VP-Elect Kamala Harris? Or Amb. Susan Rice? Or Pete Buttigieg? What happens if you disagree with the person you are writing speeches for? What’s it like to write speeches on the road for an upstart presidential candidate?

With Zev Karlin-Neumann, we address these questions and more. Karlin-Neumann was the chief speechwriter to Mayor Pete Buttigieg in his 2020 presidential campaign, then-Senator Kamala Harris’s speechwriter in the Senate, and Amb. Susan Rice’s speechwriter when she was national security advisor to President Obama. He started his career in the House of Representatives and at the communications firm West Wing Writers.

I hope you enjoy!

Speeches mentioned:

President Obama’s speech to the Canadian parliament in 2016: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAxaeB9-E70&feature=emb_title

Mayor Pete’s concession speech on March 1, 2020: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tP3n1EtCdIQ

Amb. Susan Rice’s remarks to the American Jewish Committee in 2016:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkaTplfdJUA

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1. What's your favorite podcast?

The Deciding Decade -- Pete Buttigieg

2. Most insightful person you follow on social media?

Prof. Kevin Kruse

3. Book/s that have most shaped your thinking?

"A Promised Land" -- Pres. Barack Obama

"Master of the Senate" -- Robert Caro

"These Truths" -- Jill Lepore

*(Forgot to ask during the podcast, so followed up afterward. Sorry we couldn't have a discussion about these works and how they impacted Karlin-Neumann)

Although it has only been a few weeks, one of the major surprises from this year’s presidential election is the rise of support for President Trump in the Hispanic community.  Conversely, Latino organizations such as LUCHA, a grassroots political advocacy and social services provider for Hispanics in Arizona, have newfound strength having helped President-Elect Biden win Arizona and other battleground states. How did Trump’s efforts successfully engage Hispanics to win Florida, but not Arizona or Nevada? What was the pulse of the Cuban community in Miami in the lead-up to the election? How and why did the Biden campaign prove so inept at engaging and keeping Latinos, while the Trump and Sanders campaigns were seemingly so successful?

With Stephania Taladrid, of the 'The New Yorker’s,' we dive into these consequential questions and more, touching on everything from Taladrid’s unique background to some of the lesser-known aspects of the Cuban-American community’s political identity.

Stephania Taladrid is a contributing writer at 'The New Yorker,' covering the Spanish-speaking world. For over a year, Taladrid has been covering the Latino community’s role in the 2020 presidential election. Before joining the 'New Yorker' magazine, Taladrid was a speechwriter at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and a recipient of the prestigious Presidential Management Fellowship. She is a native speaker of three languages (English, Spanish, French), and is also fluent in another two (Italian & German), and grew up in Mexico, Spain, France, and the U.S.

I hope you enjoy this episode, and learn something new!

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Articles mentioned:

“Biden’s case to Latino Voters Comes Late. Will They Listen?” 9/16/2020

https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/bidens-case-to-latino-voters-comes-late-will-they-listen

“Can Latino voter Tip Wisconsin in Joe Biden’s Favor?” 10/13/2020

https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/can-latino-voters-tip-wisconsin-in-joe-bidens-favor

“How Pro-Trump Disinformation Is Swaying a New Generation of Cuban-American Voters” 10/26/2020

https://www.newyorker.com/news/us-journal/how-pro-trump-disinformation-is-swaying-a-new-generation-of-cuban-american-voters

“As Trump Gained Latino Support in Florida, Biden’s Campaign Ignored Warnings” 11/10/2020

https://www.newyorker.com/news/campaign-chronicles/as-trump-gained-latino-support-in-florida-bidens-campaign-ignored-warnings

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*For avid listeners, you may notice that the final three questions I usually ask about are my guests' favorite podcasts, people they follow on social media, and books that have shaped their thinking, are missing. This was my fault, as I forgot to ask. My apologies. No doubt, next episode I will ask.

One of the many things that have gotten swept out of the news during the Coronavirus economic and health crisis is the possible Israeli annexation of areas in the West Bank. That might sound like some legal jargon, but it has big implications for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the US-Israel alliance, and the stability of Jordan and Egypt.

We talk about the importance of this move and its possible implications with David Makovsky and Amb. Dennis Ross. Additionally, we discuss their recent book, "Be Strong and of Good Courage" (חזק ואמץ/chezek vi'emetz in Hebrew, a biblical reference), and the role of history in Israeli leaders' thinking when they make historic decisions.

David Makovsky is the Ziegler distinguished fellow at The Washington Institute, a former senior advisor to the Special Envoy for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations in the Obama administration, and in the 1990's he reported on Yitzchak Rabin and the Oslo Accords for multiple publications. Our other guest is Amb. Dennis Ross, who is currently the counselor and William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute, and served as a special advisor to then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. He has been involved in almost all major Israeli-Palestinian negotiations for the past quarter-century.

You can find their new book, "Be Strong and Good Courage," here: https://www.amazon.com/Be-Strong-Good-Courage-Important-ebook/dp/B07MPX7LKR

*The views here are solely my own.

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Dennis Ross--

Favorite Podcast: The Bill Simmons Podcast

A book that has most shaped your thinking: “Inevitably of Tragedy: Henry Kissinger and His World” – by Barry Gewen

David Makovsky--

Favorite Podcast:

-Decision Points (Makovsky’s own podcast)

-“NYT’s” “The Daily”

A book that has most shaped your thinking:

"Churchill: Walking with Destiny" - by Andrew Roberts

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Major takeaways from the interview can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-GTijQvIkuSKBy3ofho_e4HZjRenz3gj6TDwoKsHffw/edit?usp=sharing

We live in a time of deep division and confusion. It is naturally breeding a brand conspiratorial politics on both sides of the political aisle, creating a situation ripe for antisemitism. And that is exactly what is happening. Attacks on Haredim in the New York area are skyrocketing, in the past two years there have been four major terror attacks against Jewish communities across the nation, and more political figures have condoned or tacitly supported antisemites or their ideas. And now in a time of coronavirus, conspiracy theories blaming the Jews for the pandemic are rampant. 

How might one counter this reemerging threat, especially gearing up for what will most likely be the most vicious election cycle yet? What is President Trump’s role in this issue – symptom, cause, unrelated? In such a polarized time, how does Ungar-Sargon manage the opinion page of one of the leading Jewish news publications? 

With Batya Ungar-Sargon, the Forward’s opinion editor, we discuss these issues and many more in a fascinating and fun conversation. Ungar-Sargon also holds a PhD in English from University of California, Berkeley. 

*Please note this was recorded before the coronavirus began afflicting places outside of China, and before former VP Joe Biden secured decisive victories in the Democratic primaries.

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Favorite podcasts: “The Daily” + “Criminal” + “The Promised Podcast”

Most insightful person to follow on social media: Jarvis Good

Books that have most shaped Ungar-Sargon's thinking:

"Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil" + "Origins of Totalitarianism" – both by Hannah Arendt

"Middlemarch" – George Eliot

Works of Benny Morris and Norman Rush

Yossi Klein Halevi is someone I have wanted to interview for a while now. I immensely enjoyed his newest book, “Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor,” and felt it was a developed emotional and political expression of thoughts from my own two summers of dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians. So I was thrilled when he agreed to do an interview at his home (a place that overlooks Arab East Jerusalem, something he has written about beautifully in Letters). The book is a New York Times bestseller, and is now out in a second edition with the responses of “neighbors” — Palestinians and Arabs from around the West Bank, Gaza, and around the world. He is also the author of three critically acclaimed books, "Memoirs of a Jewish Extremist," "At The Entrance to The Garden of Eden," and "Like Dreamers: The Story of the Israeli Paratroopers Who Reunited Jerusalem and Divided a Nation."

The interview begins with Klein Halevi’s thoughts on Israel’s current political gridlock, then moves to the role of religion in both the Israeli and Palestinian narratives of the conflict. In the second half, we focus on Klein Halevi’s political development, beginning with the influence of his parents as Holocaust survivors and involvement in far-right youth movements as a teenager, and his transition to centrist politics later in life. I really enjoyed Klein Halevi’s balance of empathy and emotion with hard-hitting political analysis. I hope you take a listen!

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Link to “Letters to My Palestinian Neighbors”: https://www.amazon.com/Letters-Palestinian-Neighbor-Yossi-Halevi/dp/006284492X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=37AOMO8HP04MW&keywords=letters+to+my+palestinian+neighbor&qid=1581272753&s=books&sprefix=letters+to+my+pa%2Cstripbooks-intl-ship%2C320&sr=1-1

The song by “The Who” called “We Won’t Get Fooled Again”: https://youtu.be/UDfAdHBtK_Q

The short film Yossi Klein Halevi produced decades ago about his survivor parents and their influence on him: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhG7bqINntU

Favorite podcast: “Everybody Assumes” (!)

Most insightful people to follow on social media:

Hen Mazzig, Einat Wilf, Bari Weiss

Book(s) have most shaped your thinking:

-“Sacred Fire” — Rabbi Kalonymos Kalmish Shapira

-“The Liberation of the Camps: The End of the Holocaust and Its Aftermath” - Dan Stone

Why is the Trump administration possibly rolling out the “Deal of the Century” for Israel and the Palestinians now? What’s Netanyahu like in-person, and what did someone who spent dozens of hours with Netanyahu learn about his leadership style? How would the US-Israel relationship change if Israel were to apply sovereignty over large swaths of the West Bank? What was Shapiro's view on the Iran deal? Would he recommend we go back into it under a new president? Finally, what skill is most essential for diplomats?

In this timely interview with Amb. Dan Shapiro, we address these questions and many more. Dan Shapiro served as the United States Ambassador to Israel from 2011-2017, and before that was the senior director for the Middle East and North Africa on the National Security Council. Shapiro was a senior advisor on foreign policy issues and the Jewish outreach coordinator on the 2008 Obama presidential campaign. He is currently a distinguished visiting fellow at Israel’s premier defense think tank, the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in Tel Aviv, Israel, and a principal at the geopolitical consultancy firm WestExec Advisors. Shapiro has also worked in senior advisory roles in Congress and holds an M.A. from Harvard.

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Article that Amb. Shapiro wrote in the “Forward” on considering alternatives to Two-States: https://forward.com/opinion/403476/how-to-keep-the-two-state-solution-alive-when-no-one-cares/

Favorite podcast: “The Axe Files” (Specifically the Charles Barkley episode)

Most insightful person to follow on social media: Tamara Cofman Wittes

A book that has most shaped Shapiro’s thinking: “Letters to my Palestinian Neighbor” — Yossi Klein Halevi

What are Israel's famed (or infamous) intelligence agencies' role in its history and survival? And in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? Specifically the highly effective yet ethically questionable "targeted killings"? On a more recent note, what's the situation with Iran? Could any deal between the US and Iran de-escalate the current tensions? How has Bibi Netanyahu handled the Iranian threat over his long tenure in power? What does Bergman think of Netanyahu's current challenger Benny Gantz and his leadership style? 

With the intrepid Ronen Bergman, we touch on these issues and many more. Bergman is widely considered one of the best investigative journalists in the world on Israel's security establishment, the Middle East, and global cyber conflict. He is currently a staff writer at the “New York Times Magazine” and a senior political and military analyst at “Yedioth Ahronoth.” Bergman also holds a Ph.D. in history from Cambridge University. His latest book is "Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel's Targeted Assassinations," which is currently being adapted to an HBO+Keshet TV series. The link to the book is here:

https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Kill-First-Targeted-Assassinations/dp/1400069718

*(This podcast was recorded a few days before the Soleimani killing)

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The article mentioned by Bergman about Israel possibly striking Iran (Bergman interviewed PM Netanayhu with his "NYT" collleages for over 3 hours):

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/04/magazine/iran-strike-israel-america.html

Bergman's reporting in the "New York Times” about the recent Soleimani strike (with over 26 other "Times" reporters): https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/11/us/politics/iran-trump.html

Favorite podcast: "The Daily"

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Link to the application for the Tikvah Fund high school program:

https://tikvahfund.org/hs/tsp2020/overview/

In the past few months, we have had a bunch of episodes on Israel. Each one has been special in its own right, and for the foreseeable future we will continue to have a few more episodes on these topics.

This episode is a bit different. It’s longer, and more importantly deeper. Our guest, Haviv Rettig Gur, touches on the usual newsy topics like Bibi Netanyahu, and we go to the places that beg for more attention, like the fraying ties between Israel and American Jews. He brilliantly illuminates everything from Israel’s long term strategy against Hamas to his motivation from Maimonides to explore journalism.

Haviv Rettig Gur is "The Times of Israel" Senior Analyst, meaning he does the deep dive pieces on subjects beyond the headlines. Before that, he was a correspondent for "The Jerusalem Post," and Gur was also the director of communications for the Jewish Agency for Israel.

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The article by Micah Goodman that was mentioned:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/04/eight-steps-shrink-israeli-palestinian-conflict/585964/

Gur's Article on Gantz and Netanahyu on the Gaza situation:

https://www.timesofisrael.com/why-netanyahu-and-gantz-bicker-most-over-the-policy-they-most-agree-on/

Gur's Review of Dr. Daniel Gordis's new book on the US and Israeli Jewry: https://www.timesofisrael.com/a-new-book-explores-the-ties-that-no-longer-bind-the-jews-its-a-good-start/

Favorite podcast: "Lexicon Valley"

Most insightful accounts on Social Media:

Facebook--The Hebrew Academy of Israel / Twitter--Pew Research Center

Book(s) that have most shaped your thinking:

"The Dispossessed" -- Ursula K. Le Guin

"The Ethics of Authenticity" -- Charles Taylor

"The Righteous Mind" -- Jonathon Haidt

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From our sponsor: Link to Tikvah Fund high school program application -- https://tikvahfund.org/hs/tsp2020/overview/

For this podcast, we are taking a break from Israel's coalition chaos, and instead focusing on two of the most important topics facing the world: the rise of China and the revolution in technology. What are China's interests in the long run? How important are their efforts to invest (or coerce) smaller states in southeast Asia and Africa with economic investments? What are the larger ramifications of the trade war? On the tech front, how is the internet changing the way power is exerted across the world? And, what’s briefing former Vice President Dick Cheney like? 

This episode's guest, David Gordon, offers a unique perspective of business and national security policymaking. Gordon is currently a senior advisor on geo-economics and strategy at the International Institute of Strategic Studies, a London-based think tank, and previously held senior positions at the geopolitical consulting firm Eurasia Group. In the George W. Bush administration, Gordon helped set up the National Intelligence Council (which advises the president on national security issues), serving as its deputy and acting director. From 2007-09 he served as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's director of Policy Planning, basically meaning he did long-term thinking and analysis along with speech writing directly under the secretary. Gordon holds a PhD in Economics and Political Science from the University of Michigan. 

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Most insightful person to follow on social media:

Ian Bremmer 

A book that has most shaped your thinking: "Churchill: Walking with Destiny" - Andrew Roberts

What are the deeper trends in Israel influencing the current coalition negotiations? Or practical steps that can be taken toward peace? Even the dramatic decline of the Israeli left?

In this episode, Anshel Pfeffer and I discuss these topics, along with some of the most recent developments in Israel's coalition talks, and Gantz's chances for forming a coalition. We also delve into the complexities of the Haredim (ultra-orthodox) in Israeli society, how Bibi Netanyahu operates, and the divisions within Palestinian society. The part of this episode that I found most fascinating was Pfeffer's ideas for practical steps to bring about some sort of peace, and his take on the Israeli left. I hope you take a listen!

Anshel Pfeffer is a senior columnist for "Haaretz," a correspondent for "The Economist," and author of "Bibi: The Turbulent Life and Times of Benjamin Netanyahu."

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Favorite podcast: "The Totally Football Show"

Most insightful person to follow on social media: Ravit Hecht and Gregg Carlstrom

Favorite book: "Shooting an Elephant"- George Orwell (I know, it's a short story).