Claire Gordon
Appearances
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
But to start with, short, simple, sweet, from Juna Elena Amia, why are you a liberal and not a democratic socialist?
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
Last question on politics from Matthew Davidoff. I've heard you argue very convincingly against the filibuster. Now we're set to have a Trump-controlled or Trump-friendly majority in all three branches. Has your opinion changed at all?
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
Moving on from politics. No more politics. This question from Matt Holmes. That was great. What are the things you enjoy about being a father? The context is he's 33. He's never had the desire to have kids.
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
He says that he's listened to three of our episodes on the topic of children, and he heard the things that you said about the way children are wonderful, your son is the nicest person to you, all this touching stuff, but still can't see how the pros outweigh the cons for his life. But it seems like he really actually just wants to be persuaded. He says, I want to be wrong. Please help.
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
Well, I get the framework of just if you've never had that kind of conviction or it's always been muddled, it's more than, oh, crap, I'm at the age where I need to make a decision. Can someone just nudge me?
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
Final question before rapid fire round. It's been a long year. It's been a weird year. Many ups, many downs. What is something significant you've changed your mind about this year?
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
Money on winning that she was the likely victor in the 2024 election.
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
You admitted to it in our, maybe you were in a vulnerable and tired moment in our post-election.
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
And someone texted me how admirable it was.
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
Is Derek Thompson, your co-author, is he as angry as you are about all of this? Or is he like, geez, Ezra, calm down?
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
I'm just curious because I've heard you say that before. Is there like a particular moment or something you read or a life experience where you felt this like click for you as a sort of a philosophical worldview?
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
If this is built, how long would the trip be between San Francisco and L.A.?
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
I mean, does any part of you... or hopeful that there could be a bulldozing of regulations in a Trump second term that could have positive effects?
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
I think that's a good place to end because that I think really captures where your mind has been most of the year. Rapid-fire round. Should we say 30 seconds? From Clark Hill, who are your top three favorite X-Men? Ooh, I don't know.
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
When you ask people for three books they'd recommend to the audience, you never let them go over like this.
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
From Dylan Smith, who noticed that we have a new intro song that we dropped with no public acknowledgement. And that is by the wonderfully talented Pat McCusker, the New York Times' very own audio engineer and composer. The question is, why did you want to change the theme song? And what kind of moods and emotions, what did you want people to feel?
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
So you're being very hard on the old theme song. I have great affection for the old theme song. If I ever hear it, one bar of it for the rest of my life, it'll flood me with feelings.
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
thematically connected. A question from Jamie Racanelli. What was your favorite band when you were younger?
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
Paraphrasing a question from Nick O'Brien, will there be a free and fair election in four years?
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
Sam Maxwell, you've got a stressful job. How do you unwind? And no saying reading a book or working out. No high achiever answers.
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
Yeah, extended periods of lack of balance really take a minute to unwind.
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
Wait, so it's just like reading them makes you feel good or a reminder to do those things?
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
It's not like Gretchen Whitmer when she had on that piece of paper before she gives a speech to remind her to be a boss bitch. Something about Aunt Flo.
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
It's an empowering period thing. It's not that.
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
I remember you saying a very similar thing to me around the end of last year.
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
Well, I wrote a play that my husband staged without telling me.
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
I'm glad I'm giving off that impression. That's important for my self-esteem. Last question of the year from Elizabeth Taylor.
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
Came back from the dead. The ghost of Elizabeth Taylor. All right, she died. The ghost of the most beautiful person who's ever lived. Came back to say the 2020s have been whack so far.
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
Vibe check for 2025. What do you think the vibes are going to be? What's your feeling?
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
Probably cool things are going to happen with AI.
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
I don't think a lot of our listeners will love ending on that answer. So a final question. Went from my burnout to... Final question of 2024 from Holly Hamilton, who noticed in the new album art that we also dropped this year with no public acknowledgement, a tattoo popping out from your sleeve. What does your tattoo mean?
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
Way better vibe for 2025. Trees. Tree vibe.
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
Wind rustling leaves. Roots growing in the ground.
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
Well, speaking of technology that is ambivalent, Travis Roberts wrote in with a question about blue sky and curious to hear your thoughts on blue skies burgeoning post-election popularity. But I wanted to add on to that. You've recently rejoined Twitter. You asked Anne Applebaum how she felt being on Twitter now that Elon Musk is using it in a more obvious political way.
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
Yeah, how do you feel about Twitter now, being on Twitter now?
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
Is there a sign that any of us outside who care about your mental well-being should know to stage an intervention?
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
Well, on podcasts making you like people you dislike, I wanted to ask this question from David Lieberman, because I know that you have thoughts about this. He writes, I find your hosting of insiders in the MAGA Trump world extremely enlightening. I would be much less informed without it.
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
At the same time, your treatment of these insiders as representatives of just one more segment of opinion, while no doubt an admirable model of open-mindedness, Cast the current political scene as normal in a way that it isn't. Normalizing MAGA, normalizing Trump by having certain people on the show. Do you have any thoughts on that and that charge?
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
Oh, thank you, Ezra. It has been a year. I am not yet quite ready to process it all. And these aren't all fun questions. People are here for your political analysis.
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
I think that's the definition of open-minded.
The Ezra Klein Show
What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024
Well, there will be some fun at the end when I'm going to continue the tradition from last year of a rapid-fire round.