Thank you for coming last night, and thank you for your thoughtful follow-up. You are of course completely right: journalists cannot simultaneously be party strategists without compromising themselves. Walter Cronkite would *totally* agree with you! :)
My comment was intended more as a thought experiment, as I contemplated the differences between Klein's stance and Coates' stance. I admire Coates' values and his integrity; as I said last night, there's nothing he said in that video (or in his VF piece) that I disagreed with.
In contrast, there *are* things that Klein has said that I disagree with; I think his 9/11/25 piece will go down as one of his top three errors of judgement in a prolific career. What I *do* generally admire about Klein, however, is that he thinks like a strategist: Why did we (progressives) lose? How can we win? What can we start doing differently?
Because he thinks like this, and because he's not afraid of bucking the Democratic establishment, he sometimes has really useful insights--as was definitely the case with his Feb. 2024 take (i.e. way before the disastrous June debate) re. Biden needing to withdraw from the race.
So anyway that was my point: Ta-Nehisi Coates is a writer. He writes what he believes--not what he thinks Democrats should or should not do. Klein is also a writer--but in his writing he often thinks/acts like a strategist. In the end, I felt their differences stem less from any real difference in values and more because they were looking at things through two very different lenses.
Hope this helps explain where I was coming from a bit better?
There is one thing Klein does in his conversations that I don’t appreciate. I dislike the way he resists or scoffs at some of the points his guests are making.
I think Coates is right to frame this moment in the full context of history, and Klein couldn’t sound more clueless when he says that approach is fatalistic.
He has also scoffed at some of Mamdani’s potentially innovative policy proposals.
Mamdani has energized younger voters, and mainstream Democrats would be wise to embrace him.
To paraphrase Kara Swisher, fear and caution have never won anything.
Thanks @Laurie Smith ! I’ll check it out. Logistics question: did you happen to see a post from me on LinkedIn just now about the Zoom session tonight? I just wrote one and I thought I set it live—but now I can’t find it?! So weird.
Thanks for confirming that you could see it, Laurie! Political content doesn't get much play on LI and I couldn't find my own post for a while. :-) But now I can see that it did go live at least. Thanks again!
Hi Kate,
Thank you for the thought provoking discussion yesterday evening.
I was thinking about your comment that you would want Ezra Klein rather than Ta-Nehisi Coates “at the table” to advise Democrats on strategy.
As a former journalist, I would not be comfortable knowing that any working OpEd writer is “at the table” with any political party.
Journalists need to change jobs if they want to become Democratic or Republican strategists.
Just my opinion, but I think Walter Cronkite would agree with me.
Hi Laurie,
Thank you for coming last night, and thank you for your thoughtful follow-up. You are of course completely right: journalists cannot simultaneously be party strategists without compromising themselves. Walter Cronkite would *totally* agree with you! :)
My comment was intended more as a thought experiment, as I contemplated the differences between Klein's stance and Coates' stance. I admire Coates' values and his integrity; as I said last night, there's nothing he said in that video (or in his VF piece) that I disagreed with.
In contrast, there *are* things that Klein has said that I disagree with; I think his 9/11/25 piece will go down as one of his top three errors of judgement in a prolific career. What I *do* generally admire about Klein, however, is that he thinks like a strategist: Why did we (progressives) lose? How can we win? What can we start doing differently?
Because he thinks like this, and because he's not afraid of bucking the Democratic establishment, he sometimes has really useful insights--as was definitely the case with his Feb. 2024 take (i.e. way before the disastrous June debate) re. Biden needing to withdraw from the race.
So anyway that was my point: Ta-Nehisi Coates is a writer. He writes what he believes--not what he thinks Democrats should or should not do. Klein is also a writer--but in his writing he often thinks/acts like a strategist. In the end, I felt their differences stem less from any real difference in values and more because they were looking at things through two very different lenses.
Hope this helps explain where I was coming from a bit better?
Kate
Yes, it does. Thank you for clarifying, Kate ❤️
There is one thing Klein does in his conversations that I don’t appreciate. I dislike the way he resists or scoffs at some of the points his guests are making.
I think Coates is right to frame this moment in the full context of history, and Klein couldn’t sound more clueless when he says that approach is fatalistic.
He has also scoffed at some of Mamdani’s potentially innovative policy proposals.
Mamdani has energized younger voters, and mainstream Democrats would be wise to embrace him.
To paraphrase Kara Swisher, fear and caution have never won anything.
Hi Kate,
Thank you for offering the Zoom call. I have been looking for ways to hear what others are thinking about the Klein-Coates conversation.
IMO, Klein continues to get this wrong.
This piece from the Poynter Institute points to Klein’s dismissiveness toward Coates’ invocation of history. I think that criticism is spot on.
https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2025/ezra-klein-ta-nehisi-coates-interview/
Thanks @Laurie Smith ! I’ll check it out. Logistics question: did you happen to see a post from me on LinkedIn just now about the Zoom session tonight? I just wrote one and I thought I set it live—but now I can’t find it?! So weird.
Yes — that’s where I first saw you mention it.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/steyerkatew_ta-nehisi-coates-and-ezra-klein-hash-out-activity-7380989759818518528-lnvm?utm_medium=ios_app&rcm=ACoAABSKVegBZsAPSZAQnAhKhy4_HwCgfxEg-f4&utm_source=social_share_send&utm_campaign=copy_link
Thanks for confirming that you could see it, Laurie! Political content doesn't get much play on LI and I couldn't find my own post for a while. :-) But now I can see that it did go live at least. Thanks again!