Raging Moderates with Scott Galloway and Jessica Tarlov
How To Make Centrism Sexy (feat. Sen. Cortez Masto)
Fri, 02 May 2025
Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto joins Jessica to talk about leading the charge against political extremism as the new Honorary Chair of the ModSquad—a coalition of moderate Democrats focused on common sense and connection. They dive into the fallout from Trump’s first 100 days back in office, the real-world impact of tariff chaos and budget cuts in Nevada, and why the political center might just be the future of the Democratic Party. Follow Jessica Tarlov, @JessicaTarlov. Follow Prof G, @profgalloway. Follow Raging Moderates, @RagingModeratesPod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
What is the purpose of the Mod Squad?
But the other side to that is just in general, people need to understand, I think there's more moderates. across the country that are looking for this common sense. Let's just work together. Let's find solutions. Let's make sure everybody else's life's better. How do we work towards that goal? And let me just give you a perfect example. I was coming home. I was in the Reno airport.
And I was actually leaving Reno and heading to Las Vegas. And a constituent saw me, said, hey, Senator, Senator, is that you? And I said, yeah, how are you? And he said, I just want you to know I'm one of your constituents and I support you. But I'm also one of your constituents that voted for Donald Trump, but also voted for Jackie Rosen. And that is not unusual in swing states like ours, right?
And so those are the type of, and that's what he said, I just want everybody to work together. I just want the common sense, solve problems. How do we move forward? And that really is where I'm coming from in a lot of our moderates. And that's why our voices need to be heard because it's a whole constituency that is out there that just wants people to solve problems at the end of the day.
But it does feel like this house on fire moment, right? And I've heard that criticism of plain spoken, moderate representatives who say you are not channeling the level of anger and anxiety that I have when my local Head Start has been closed down. My cousin lost their job. You know, we have someone taking over the public school system. who has no respect for public education in this country.
And I'm scared. So what do you say to that kind of Democrat or independent or moderate Republican who would be supportive of you about moderates ability to meet that moment?
Yeah, I would say don't confuse the ability and the willingness to work across the aisle and find common sense solutions with the idea that somehow we are not outraged and willing to fight back and push back and take action when necessary. Listen, I am... an attorney by trade. I was an attorney general fighting for people and their rights.
And at the end of the day, what is happening to women's rights across the country is just outrageous to me. And the fact that women have lesser rights now than they did 50 years, for the last 50 years. It's crazy. And the fact that they are taking away essential programs that we need in healthcare and mental health.
Let me just say, I've been a senator that have fought for mental health resources in my state for the last six years. And we brought in over a billion dollars from the federal government across the country and millions of dollars into Nevada to address mental health challenges that we were seeing because of COVID-19 and even before of COVID-19. And this administration has cut those programs.
I mean, it's just crazy to me. I fought for peer counseling programs. And so to me, that's why the outrage is absolutely there. But part of this is I know I have to be strategic and smart about my fights and taking them on. The big ones are key. Mental health to me is key. Women's rights, that's key. Rule of law, absolutely. I'm not going to back down.
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