Where can I listen to this podcast?

This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.

Does this podcast accept guests?

Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.

What It Takes

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by Unmoderated News

5.0(20 reviews)

12 episodes

Updated Daily

Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation 🇺🇸

Podcast Overview

What It Takes with Sarah McCammon is a new podcast from Unmoderated News, that examines the personal stories that shape a new generation of leaders and the political and policy battles they fight to make change. Through intimate conversations with elected officials, political commentators, advocates, and community leaders, "What It Takes" unpacks the origin stories behind today's combative centrists. Together, we explore how they fight successfully in unfriendly territory, win hearts and minds, and overcome elite interests to make life better for all Americans. Instead of soundbites and talking points, the show digs deeper to uncover the values and experiences that shape how these leaders navigate politics in turbulent times with stories about what it takes to fight for wins and results.

Language

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Publishing Since

5/5/2026

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Recent Episodes

July 23, 2026

Justin Bibb on Winning City Hall at 34

Justin Bibb grew up in a house where public safety was personal. His father was a police officer and firefighter, his grandmother led the neighborhood watch, and those experiences shaped how he thinks about government, safety, and civic responsibility. Even after leaving Cleveland, Bibb never stopped thinking about how to make his hometown stronger. He eventually returned to run for mayor, becoming one of the youngest leaders of a major American city. Today, he's focused on policing, the housing affordability crisis, and the long work of revitalizing a Rust Belt city that has spent decades reinventing itself. Sarah McCammon talks with Bibb about what it takes to govern through difficult tradeoffs, why he believes cities are leading the country on problem-solving, and what national Democrats can learn from local leaders delivering results. <h3>IN THIS EPISODE</h3> 00:00 — Cold open 01:14 — Growing Up in the Shadow of Decline 06:13 — Why He Came Home 09:22 — Winning City Hall at 34 15:23 — Rebuilding Cleveland's Neighborhoods 21:19 — Why Mayors Get Things Done 25:12 — Leading After Tamir Rice 30:30 — Hope for the Next Generation 31:48 — Politics Without the Performance Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

July 16, 2026

Mark Cuban Has a Plan to Fix Health Care

Mark Cuban Has a Plan to Fix Health Care Most people know Mark Cuban as a Shark Tank investor or longtime owner of the Dallas Mavericks. But a few years ago, he started Cost Plus Drugs to cut out the middleman in a pharmaceutical industry he says is fundamentally broken. Cuban wants healthcare for everyone—even if he doesn't think Medicare for All is the answer. He argues that transparency is the missing ingredient, and lays out what he thinks it would actually take to build a universal healthcare system that works. Sarah McCammon speaks with Cuban about healthcare reform, AI, wealth inequality, the future of the Democratic Party, and why he believes politicians need to spend less time talking and more time solving people's everyday problems. IN THIS EPISODE 00:00 — Cold open 1:14 — Why Cost Plus Drugs exists 4:54 — The transparency problem 9:13 — Universal healthcare vs. Medicare for All 16:10 — Billionaires and inequality 23:29 — Democrats, DSA, and social media 28:52 — AI and the future of work 38:08 — Advice for the next Democratic nominee Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

July 9, 2026

Jackie Payne on the Moderate Women Who Decide Elections

Jackie Payne on the Moderate Women Who Decide Elections After Donald Trump won in 2016, Jackie Payne did something unusual. She got in a car and spent two years just listening to women. What she found was a huge number of moderate women — in the suburbs and small towns — that both parties keep underestimating, and keep getting wrong. Closing that gap with America’s largest single voting bloc would meaningfully expand the coalition for progress and put extremists on the ropes. Payne is the founder and executive director of Galvanize Action, a group focused on moderate women. That makes her uniquely plugged into what these women want, and full of ideas on how to persuade them. Sarah McCammon spoke with Payne in Seattle. IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 — Cold open 01:02 — The shock of 2016 03:39 — Conflict, self-doubt, and standing alone 05:40 — Why white women: math and morality 10:48 — Who these women are 12:37 — The 2024 shift nobody noticed 18:09 — Broken arms and sick days 21:41 — The affordability-and-corruption recipe 24:14 — What's actually in their feeds 29:31 — Can a woman win in 2028? 45:02 — Make her feel seen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

12 total episodes available

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Frequently asked questions

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What is What It Takes?: What It Takes with Sarah McCammon is a new podcast from Unmoderated News, that examines the personal stories that shape a new generation of leaders and the political and policy battles they fight to make change.

Through intimate conversations with elected officials, political commentators, advocates, and community leaders, "What It Takes" unpacks the origin stories behind today's combative centrists. Together, we explore how they fight successfully in unfriendly territory, win hearts and minds, and overcome elite interests to make life better for all Americans.

Instead of soundbites and talking points, the show digs deeper to uncover the values and experiences that shape how these leaders navigate politics in turbulent times with stories about what it takes to fight for wins and results.
How often does this podcast release new episodes?: This podcast updates daily.
Where can I listen to this podcast?: This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
Does this podcast accept guests?: Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.

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