Help Me Understand: The Three-Point Plan, with Marshall Herskovitz

Seventy percent of Americans agree on almost everything, Marshall Herskovitz says. So why does the country feel this close to coming apart? Help Me Understand with Dr. Rod Berger, the first conversation. Emmy-winning writer, director and producer Marshall Herskovitz tells the story of the day a group of Hollywood storytellers briefed Democratic senators over lunch in 2017, and what it taught him about a party that couldn't get its message out. He lays out a plan he built from years of polling: leadership with the strength to match the moment, an economy that puts working Americans ahead of profit at any cost, and a return to common values. Along the way, he and Rod talk about who teaches civics, why Marshall points to Mississippi on teaching kids to read, the 15 months it took to plan D-Day, social media built to keep us hooked, and why it's okay to feel despair as long as you stand up anyway. In this episode 0:00 Welcome to Help Me Understand 1:51 Why politics, for a Hollywood storyteller 2:21 The Senate lunch 3:31 A good message no one could hear 5:35 What years of polling show 6:11 "70% of Americans agree on almost everything" 7:52 Help me understand: who teaches civics? 10:03 Mississippi and teaching kids to read 12:29 What it means to think big 13:08 D-Day in 15 months 15:52 Three principles 17:38 Emotions, not policy 19:54 Leadership comes first 22:44 Strong and empathetic 23:42 Kennedy and the moon 25:33 Neoliberalism and the common good 27:42 Social media and the tobacco playbook 31:18 Principle one: the economy 33:25 The golden age of American capitalism 38:24 Principle two: common values 41:25 What 9/11 showed about us 43:23 When they go low, call them out 45:05 November 3 and January 3 47:35 The hero's journey 48:24 It's okay to feel despair Help Me Understand is part of The Dangerous Ones Network. Have something you're trying to understand? Call The People's Hotline and leave a message: 503-212-4600. Dr. Rod Berger has conducted more than 4,000 interviews across five continents. He is Editor-at-Large at Fair Observer and the author of The Narrative Edge: Authentic Storytelling That Meets the Moment (Wiley). Some episodes of Help Me Understand feature his friend Marshall Herskovitz, the Emmy-winning writer, director and producer. Visit drrodberger.com · Get The Narrative Edge in hardcover