Democracy Sausage: On the brink

From debates and assassination attempts to celebrity endorsements, a lot can happen in a short amount of time in politics. 

What explains the performance-like aspects of this US election campaign? 

How can Americans come together to mend divisions? 

And what is the likely outcome of the presidential race? 

On this episode of Democracy Sausage, author and speechwriter Don Watson joins Professor Mark Kenny to talk about the world’s so-called greatest democracy and his new Quarterly Essay, High Noon: Trump, Harris and America on the brink. 

This episode was recorded as part of the ANU/Canberra Times Meet the Author series. 

Don Watson was Prime Minister Paul Keating’s speechwriter and adviser between 1992-1996. He is the author of many award-winning and critically acclaimed books, including Caledonia Australis, Recollections of a Bleeding Heart, American Journeys, The Bush and The Passion of Private White. He is the author of a new Quarterly Essay entitled High Noon: Trump, Harris and America on the brink. 

Mark Kenny is the Director of the ANU Australian Studies Institute. He came to the University after a high-profile journalistic career including six years as chief political correspondent and national affairs editor for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Canberra Times. 

Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to democracysausage@anu.edu.au.