In this extended, inaugural episode, we outline what Vital Signs of Democracy is, and how it examines how the news, in aggregate, tells us a story about the future of our democratic republic, or democracy for short. Included in this launch episode is an overview of the two completely different "Make America Great" stories we feel are competing for our attention. One is the recognized MAGA story on the right that seems it wants to return us to a nostalgic past. The other is a different MAGA story on the left that seems to want to lead America to a multicultural, pluralistic future. Each of these stories demonize the supporters of the other story. We include in-depth commentary about our corporate and social media that currently publish stories for profit that end up dividing us or distorting the issues of importance to us as voters. We hope that what we explore in this launch podcast, helps you see the stories we are telling about democracy in America in a whole new way.