Episode 2235: John Driscoll on why Kamala Harris lost
I did this interview with John Driscoll, co-author of Pay the People! Why Fair Pay is Good for Business and Great for America, earlier this week, assuming that Harris would lose the election. And let’s be clear: she did lose an election that should have been eminently winnable. Driscoll spelt it out clearly in a powerful The Hill article last week about how raising the minimum wage is the key to the White House for Harris. The problem with Harris, and most of the Democratic party, is their failure to offer a coherent and politically sellable economic alternative to Trumpism. John Driscoll and his group of successful business leaders at Patriotic Millionaires offer that alternative. It’s not socialism, but it is an undisguised and unapologetic attempt to recognize the economic predicament of the American working class and to resurrect the American Dream by leveling the playing field. That’s the way to defeat Trumpism. Not by smiling inanely and saying nothing.
John Driscoll chairs the Waystar Corporation and is a senior advisor at Walgreens Boots Alliance. Previously, he was CEO at CareCentrix, president of Castlight, group president at Medco, and SVP at Oxford Health Plans. John also served as a captain in the U.S. Army Reserve and is a longtime board member of the Alliance for Hunger and The Patriotic Millionaires. The co-author, with Morris Pearl, of Pay the People! (The New Press), he lives in Stamford, Connecticut.
Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.
Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe
Why Big Tech threatens our civil rights, economy and democracy: Silicon Valley insider Tom Kemp warns about the existential dangers of Google, Facebook, Amazon and Apple
Can there be liberty in the Greater Middle East without democracy? Robert D. Kaplan on why Singapore offers a palatable political model for countries lying between the Mediterranean and China
Remembering the Digital Future: Ethan Zuckerman on the history of blogging, the Arab Spring and why there will never be another Twitter
The Silicon Valley Playbook for Existential Success: Behnam Tabrizi on why some companies succeed and others fail in the perpetual struggle to survive in today's innovative economy
On the Disinformation of Trump, RFK Jr and Putin: Lee McIntyre explains how we can fight for truth and protect democracy
What, exactly, is female beauty? Celeste Marcus on Bardot and Barbie as rival and perhaps incompatible types of beautiful women
Liberal Saint or Monty Pythonesque Sinner? D.J. Taylor uncovers a "New Life" for George Orwell that resurrects the iconic 20th century writer for a 21st century audience
8 inspiring non-fiction reads for the summer: Bethanne Patrick on books about New York City sex cults, the oceanic underworld, Ghanian confidence tricksters and American women, fathers and sons
What history teaches us about the future of venture capitalism: Keith Teare on how being a good investor requires us to overcome our emotions
Why Podcasters should NEVER read advertisements on their own shows: Jemima Kelly on the gross inauthenticity of podcasts and most other forms of "social" media
So how much would you pay for the Mona Lisa? Arturo Cifuentes explains the cost of art and why valuing paintings is like evaluating the price of real-estate
The Not-So-Secret World of Black Twitter: Deesha Philyaw on social media, the influencer generation and the loneliness of online existence
Getting Beyond the Happy Talk of Liberal Orthodoxy: Susan MacKenty Brady explains how men and women can begin talking fearlessly to one another again