Ryan Grim’s new book, “The Squad: AOC and the Hope of a Political Revolution,” is important for every progressive. How do I know? The Right Wing is misrepresenting it. Here’s our interview.
I was watching CNN, where I saw a clip of an interview where Ryan Grim dismantled Senator Ted Cruz, exposing his ignorance, immorality, and inhumanity. Ryan Grim is an American author and journalist who has worked as the Washington D.C. bureau chief for The Intercept and has appeared on various political commentary platforms.
Grim and Cruz were discussing Hamas’ terrorist acts and Israel’s response. The difference is that, unlike many journalists, Grim was prepared as it was clear Cruz was willfully uninformed.
I knew that Ryan Grim was coming out with a new book, and I would want to interview him when it was released. I interviewed Grim about his previous book on the Squad, “We’ve Got People: From Jesse Jackson to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the End of Big Money and the Rise of a Movement,” at Netroots Nation 2019. I texted him and asked if he would do an interview on short notice about his interview with Ted Cruz and his new book, “The Squad: AOC and the Hope of a Political Revolution,” released this week. He was available between gigs, and we did the interview that night.
The Right is concerned with the Progressive Movement. They want to be the ones defining the narrative that creates dissension and chaos with the intent to stunt its growth. The Daily Mail and many Right-Wing outlets have begun misrepresenting the book. I was happy to see Grim push back on his The Intercepts’ Politics with Ryan Grim.
Initially, I decided that ignoring it would be smarter than drawing more attention to it. There’s an argument that all press is good press, but I don’t buy that because A) those folks aren’t going to bother to buy or read the book anyway, so the publicity isn’t worth anything and B) the more fake noise injected into the public consciousness there is about the book, the less chance there is that the public will take away a reasonably accurate message. But ignoring it isn’t really an option once a lie starts to pick up major steam, and this one now has. So I figured it was worth sending an email not just to correct the record — those outlets don’t care — but to talk about the way the right-wing media ecosystem is so good at blotting out reality.
Interview with Ryan Grim
Podcasts (Video — Audio)
Here are the bullet points of the interview with Ryan Grim.
- Interview Style and Preparation: Grim discusses his approach to interviewing, emphasizing the importance of thorough research and preparation. He reflects on learning from Mehdi Hassan’s interviewing style, which requires anticipating responses and being armed with facts to counter evasion and talking points.
- Political Commentary and Challenges: The discussion moves to Grim’s political commentary, particularly when he confronted Ted Cruz on Israel-related issues. Grim highlights the need for media figures to challenge prevailing narratives and biases, especially on sensitive topics like international conflicts.
- The Squad and Progressive Politics: Grim’s book focuses on the emergence of ‘The Squad’ and its impact on American politics. He describes the journey of these progressive politicians as they navigate and challenge the established norms of Congress, bringing fresh energy and idealism to the political landscape.
- Future of Progressive Politics and The Squad’s Challenges: The conversation concludes with speculations on the future of progressive politics in the U.S., particularly how organizations like AIPAC may influence the political fate of The Squad. Grim emphasizes the importance of understanding the challenges faced by progressive politicians in a predominantly traditional political environment.
Watch/Listen to the entire interview. It is insightful.
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