Doesn't have to be terrifying: 'Pod Save America' hosts on getting involved in politics

Intro ON THURSDAY NIGHT THIS DEBATE AS THEY JOSTLE FOR POSITION TO BE DONALD TRUMP'S VICE PRESIDENT. WE'RE EXCITED TO BE JOINED BY THE COHOST OF POD SAVE AMERICA JON FAVREAU, JOHN LOVETT AND TOMMY VI, THE OR. THEY'RE COAUTHORS OF THE NEW BOOK, "DEMOCRACY OR ELSE." IT'S LIKE YOUR ERAS TOUR. >> BIG SUMMER. >> BROOKLYN TOMORROW NIGHT. >> THAT'S RIGHT. BOSTON FRIDAY NIGHT. >> IT'S BIG. I NOTICED YOU CALLED HIM MARTY SHORT. IS HE LIKE A FRIEND? >> THAT'S A FAIR CRITICISM. >> THAT'S COOL. >> WE HAD STEVE MARTIN IN A CLIP THERE CALLING HIM MARTY. I DIDN'T DESERVE TO CALL HIM MARTY. YOU'RE RIGHT. >> SORRY TO BRING IT UP. Presidential race >> WE WROTE A BOOK. >> ANYWAY, THE BOOK, JOHN, THE BOOK. SO LET'S TALK BEFORE WE DIG INTO THE DETAILS OF THE BOOK, WHICH IS PRACTICAL, USEFUL INFORMATION FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO GET INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS AND NOT JUST LOB GRENADES FROM TWITTER. LET'S TALK ABOUT WHERE YOU THINK WE ARE HEADING INTO THE DEBATE THURSDAY NIGHT. OBVIOUSLY THIS IS GOING TO BE A MARGIN OF ERROR RACE. WE LOOK AT THE SEVEN SWING STATES. HOW ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT THIS CYCLE? >> IT'S A 50/50 RACE, AND IT COULDN'T BE TIGHTER. EVERYTHING MATTERS. THERE'S QUESTIONS BIDEN HAS TO ANSWER ABOUT CONCERNS ABOUT HIS AGE. THEN I THINK DONALD TRUMP HAS TO GO UP THERE AND TRY NOT TO REMIND PEOPLE OF WHO HE REALLY Debate preparation IS, WHICH IS KIND OF THE UNHINGED DONALD TRUMP OF THE TWITTER FEED. THESE ARE THE COMPETING OBJECTIVES OF THIS DEBATE. >> YOU WERE A SPEECH WRITER FOR OBAMA AND HIS RIGHT HAND FOR MANY YEARS. AS YOU THINK ABOUT DEBATES AND THE PREPARATION THAT GOES INTO THOSE, WHAT IS IT LIKE IN THOSE ROOMS WHEN THE STAKES ARE SO HIGH? >> USUALLY THE CANDIDATE IS NOT TOO HAPPY. IT'S NOT THEIR FAVORITE THING TO DO DEBATE PREP. AT LEAST IT WASN'T WITH BARACK OBAMA. FOR ANY INCUMBENT PRESIDENT IT DOESN'T GO WELL FOR A FEW REASONS, BECAUSE THEY GET DEFENSIVE ABOUT THEIR RECORD. THEY DON'T LIKE BEING CHALLENGED. YOU DON'T WANT TO FILL THE CANDIDATE'S HEAD WITH TOO MUCH. YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THERE'S A COUPLE GOALS THEY NEED TO WALK OFF THE DEBATE STAGE HAVING ACHIEVED. I THINK FOR BIDEN, THE MAIN OVERARCHING GOAL IS HE WANTS PEOPLE TO GO AWAY WITH THE IMPRESSION THAT HE CARES ABOUT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND DONALD TRUMP CARES ABOUT HIMSELF, AND EVERY ANSWER HAS TO FILTER THROUGH THAT LARGER FRAME. >> WHAT SORT OF ATTACK LINES SHOULD HE HAVE READY TO GO AFTER TRUMP? >> I THINK HE HAS TO DO WHAT HE DID AT THE STATE OF THE UNION. IF HE CAN SHOW UP, HAVE ENERGY, REMIND PEOPLE THAT WHILE THERE ARE LEGITIMATE REASONS TO HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT SOMEONE OVER 80 BEING PRESIDENT, THAT AT TIMES, YES, HE MOVES SLOWER. BUT THE COMPARISON IS THAT JOE BIDEN MAY SEEM OLDER, BUT HE'S STILL MENTALLY, PSYCHOLOGICALLY Can Trump win AND EMOTIONALLY UP TO THE JOB. AND DONALD TRUMP IS UNFIT. >> IF YOU THINK JOE BIDEN THE ONE SLIPPING, POUR YOURSELF A DRINK, SIT AND WATCH AN HOUR OF A DONALD TRUMP RALLY AND RECONSIDER. >> YEAH, RECONSIDER. I WANT TO THROW THIS OPEN TO THE WHOLE TABLE HERE, BECAUSE YOU GUYS HAVE SO MANY INTERACTIONS WITH SO MANY PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF YOUR DAY AND THE WEEK. IT'S REALLY KIND OF A TWO-PART QUESTION. WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT COME TO YOU AND THEY'RE CATASTROPHIZING ABOUT DONALD TRUMP COULD GET REELECTED AFTER ALL THE MADNESS, WHAT DO YOU TELL THEM? AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I START CATASTROPHIZING AND I GO, WAIT A SECOND, YOU'VE GOT THIS GUY THAT TRIED TO OVERTHROW AMERICAN DEMOCRACY, SAID HIS VICE PRESIDENT DESERVED HANGING, 34 FELONY COUNTS, SAYS HE WANTS TO EXECUTE GENERALS. AND IT'S A 50/50 RACE. IN THOSE DARK MOMENTS, WHAT DO YOU SAY TO YOURSELF ABOUT THIS COUNTRY AND HOW WE GET THROUGH THIS? >> WHEN PEOPLE SAY COULD DONALD TRUMP WIN, WE SAY, YES, OF COURSE HE COULD WIN. THAT'S WHY YOU SHOULD GET INVOLVED, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO BE A BUNCH OF NERVOUS DEMOCRATS WATCHING THE DEBATE THURSDAY NIGHT. WE CAN'T CONTROL WHAT JOE BIDEN DOES, BUT WE CAN CONTROL THE OUTCOME OF THE ELECTION. THE UPSIDE OF THE FACT THAT JOE BIDEN WON BY 40,000 VOTES ACROSS THREE SWING STATES IN 2020 IS EVERY SINGLE PERSON CAN HAVE AN IMPACT IN A CLOSE RACE. FOLLOWING POLITICS CAN BE TERRIFYING, BUT GETTING INVOLVED IN POLITICS DOESN'T HAVE TO BE TERRIFYING AND IT CAN BE FUN AND IMPACTFUL. MOST AMERICANS DON'T FOLLOW THE NEWS AS CLOSELY AS WE ALL DO. JOE, TO YOUR POINT ABOUT HOW COULD IT BE SO CLOSE, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVEN'T PAID ATTENTION TO ALL THE HORRIBLE THINGS DONALD TRUMP HAS DONE OR THEY FORGOT ABOUT IT BECAUSE THEY HAVE BUSY LIVES. THAT CAN EMBOLDEN US TO PERSUADE PEOPLE AND REMIND THEM WHAT DONALD TRUMP IS AND ALSO TELL THEM WHAT ANOTHER FOUR YEARS OF DONALD TRUMP WOULD BE LIKE AND WHAT BIDEN HAS BEEN DOING TO FIGHT FOR PEOPLE AND WHAT BIDEN Get involved WILL CONTINUE TO DO. IT'S FRUSTRATING, BUT THAT'S DEMOCRACY. THAT'S THE WAY WE SAVE IT. >> THE POINT OF YOUR BOOK IS THE OLD LINE FROM YOUR OLD BOSS, PRESIDENT OBAMA, WHEN A CROWD WOULD BOO, SAY DON'T BOO, GO DO SOMETHING. >> THERE ARE A LOT OF VERY GOOD REASONS TO BE CYNICAL, ANGRY, FRUSTRATED, WORRIED ABOUT POLITICS. A LOT HAD TO GO WRONG FOR SOMEONE LIKE DONALD TRUMP TO GET WITHIN A HUNDRED MILES OF THE OVAL OFFICE. THERE'S A LOT WE DON'T HAVE CONTROL OF, BUT THERE'S A LOT YOU DO HAVE CONTROL OF. I WAS IN NORTH CAROLINA THIS WEEKEND. THERE WAS A RACE FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE TURNED BY 500 VOTES. IF THEY HAD BEEN ABLE TO KEEP THAT SEAT, THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PROTECT ABORTION IN NORTH CAROLINA. THE NEWS MIGHT BE DEPRESSING, BUT IF YOU KNOCKED ON DOORS YOU COULD PERSONALLY REACH A NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT COULD CHANGE A POLICY AS BIG AS THAT IN A STATE LIKE NORTH CAROLINA. THE MORE PEOPLE WHO DISCOVER IF Sunday evenings YOU PARTICIPATE, YOU SEE WHAT'S ONLINE IS MUCH MORE ADDITIVE AND POSITIVE THAN JUST WHAT YOU SEE ON THE PHONE. >> THE MARGINS ARE SO THIN IN JG JG OR PENNSYLVANIA OR PENNSYLVANIA -- >> WE ALL HAVE THE MOMENTS WHERE WE SIT AT HOME AND SPIRAL ABOUT POLITICS. I CALL THAT SUNDAY EVENING. MAYBE TAKE AN EDIBLE, GO TO BED. WAKE UP, TALK TO PEOPLE IN A SWING STATE. SEE IF WE CAN GET PAST THE PERSONALITIES OF THE TWO CANDIDATES. DO YOU BELIEVE CLIMATE CHANGE HAS BEEN A PROBLEM? WELL, THERE'S ONE PERSON WHO IS CONCERNED ABOUT IT. JOE BIDEN PRO-CHOICE. TRUMP HAS A VERY DIFFERENT VISION FOR THE FUTURE FOR WOMEN'S REPRODUCTIVE CARE. >> POLLS SUGGEST SO MANY AMERICANS DON'T LIKE EITHER CANDIDATE. WE KNOW THAT GROUP HAS SORT OF SIDED THE LAST COUPLE OF ELECTIONS. HOW DOES BIDEN WIN PEOPLE BACK WHO DON'T LIKE HIM? >> YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REMIND THOSE DOUBLE HATERS OF WHAT THEY REALLY HATED ABOUT DONALD TRUMP. HE HAS BENEFITTED FROM BEING OFF TWITTER, FROM BEING OUT OF THE LIMELIGHT. SICKOS LIKE US WATCH HIS RALLIES FOR 90 MINUTES ON YOUTUBE. MOST PEOPLE DO NOT. JOE BIDEN HAS TO TELL THEM Democracy or Else HERE'S WHAT I WILL DO IF YOU GIVE ME ANOTHER FOUR YEARS. >> THE THESIS OF THIS BOOK, QUOTE, "DEMOCRACY OR ELSE" IS AN EFFORT TO PUT DOWN ON PAPER THE LESSONS WE'VE LEARNED ALONG THE WAY. WE'VE ALSO GATHERED ADVICE FROM SOME OF THE BEST ORGANIZERS AND LEAST ANNOYING POLITICIANS AROUND. BECAUSE, IF THE ROLLER COASTER RIDE OF DOOM AND HOPE WE'VE BEEN ON TELLS US ANYTHING, IT'S THAT WE ALL HAVE A ROLE TO FIGURE THIS OUT. FOR PEOPLE WHO DO DOOM SCROLL ON SOCIAL MEDIA OR WATCH CABLE NEWS AND FRET EVERY MORNING OR NIGHT ABOUT WHERE THE COUNTRY IS HEAD ED, WHAT CAN PEOPLE DO TO CHANGE THE COURSE OF THE RACE? >> GETTING INVOLVED IN POLITICS, YOU CAN START IN YOUR OWN COMMUNITY, YOUR OWN STATE. WE'RE ALL FOLLOWING NATIONAL POLITICS, AND THAT CAN DEPRESS US. YOU CAN HAVE A BIGGER IMPACT ON SOME OF THESE LOCAL RACES. JOIN YOUR LOCAL DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE, JOIN PLENTY OF THE GROUPS THAT HAVE SPRUNG UP SINCE DONALD TRUMP WON, THE GRASSROOTS GROUPS TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO VOTE, TO REGISTER TO VOTE. TALK TO PEOPLE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, IN YOUR COMMUNITY. YOU'RE GOING TO BE MORE PERSUASIVE WITH SOMEONE WHO KNOWS YOU, WHO TRUSTS YOU THAN YOU ARE TWEETING AT STRANGERS ONLINE. IT'S GOING TO MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER ABOUT POLITICS TOO, The Democratic Party BECAUSE YOU'LL REALIZE THAT PEOPLE IN REAL LIFE ARE MUCH MORE UNDERSTANDING AND OPEN THAN THEY SEEM JUST FOLLOWING THIS ONLINE. >> GET OUT THERE, START KNOCKING ON DOORS, PUT IN A YARD SIGN, AND YOU'LL GET THE FEEL OF THE RACE AND PERHAPS INFLUENCE A COUPLE OF VOTES ALONG THE WAY. >> KNOCK ON DOORS, YEAH, EXACTLY. IT'S PRETTY REMARKABLE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ACTUALLY GET OUT AND START TALKING TO PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO DECIDE ELECTIONS. SO I WANTED TO ASK YOU ALL ALSO GENERALLY JUST ABOUT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, THE HEALTH OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, THE STATE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY. YOU KNOW, THERE'S HANDWRINGING FROM ALL SIDES, OH, DEMOCRATS ARE TOO RADICAL, THEY'RE LOSING WHITE DUDES IN THE MIDWEST. WELL, THAT ENDS UP NOT REALLY BEING THE CASE. IT SEEMS THAT THE WHITE DUDES IN WISCONSIN SEEM TO BE HOLDING A BIT MORE FIRMLY TO BIDEN AND DEMOCRATS THAN OTHER GROUPS. WE HEAR IT EVERY FOUR YEARS, OH, REPUBLICANS ARE GOING TO GET A RECORD NUMBER OF BLACK VOTERS, A RECORD NUMBER OF HISPANIC VOTERS. THERE DOES SEEM TO BE SOME SLIPPAGE. HOW SERIOUS IS THAT, AND WHAT DOES THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEED TO DO TO REENGAGE AND RECONNECT WITH SOME OF THEIR MOST FAITHFUL VOTERS? >> I THINK THE BIGGEST DIVIDE IN POLITICS RIGHT NOW IS BETWEEN PEOPLE WHO ARE PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO POLITICS AND PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT. IF YOU LOOK AT POLLS OF VOTERS WHO SAY THEY'RE FOLLOWING THE RACE CLOSELY, JOE BIDEN HAS A HUGE LEAD WITH THOSE VOTERS. THAT'S TRUE IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AS WELL. WHERE HE'S STRUGGLING IS AMONG YOUNGER VOTERS, LATINO VOTERS, BLACK VOTERS, PEOPLE WHO AREN'T PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO POLITICS. THEY'RE CYNICAL AND FRUSTRATED ABOUT POLITICS. THE WAY TO TURN THAT AROUND, THIS IS GOING TO BE A RACE ABOUT MAKING OR TRYING TO GET PEOPLE'S ATTENTION AS BEST YOU CAN AND TRYING TO FORCE THE CHOICE IN THE ELECTION. WHEN YOU TRY TO GET PEOPLE TO THINK THAT YOUR VOTE IS NOT ABOUT REWARDING OR PUNISHING JOE BIDEN OR DONALD TRUMP. YOUR VOTE IS ABOUT YOU. YOUR VOTE IS ABOUT YOUR FUTURE. IT'S ABOUT YOUR FAMILY. WHEN YOU GET PEOPLE TO THINK ABOUT HOW THIS ELECTION ACTUALLY MATTERS TO THEIR OWN LIVES, THEN YOU SEE A LOT OF THESE VOTERS -- BY THE WAY, THEY'RE VOTERS WHO CAST THEIR BALLOT FOR JOE BIDEN IN 2020. IT'S EASIER TO GET THOSE VOTERS BACK THAN IT IS TO GET PEOPLE WHO NEVER