Ultimately, it happened at lightning speed. After weeks of apparent digging in, USA president, Joe Biden, finally bowed to the inevitable and withdrew his candidacy from the presidential election contest, endorsing his Vice President, Kamala Harris, as he did so. She, within 24 hours, had secured sufficient Democrats' delegates to the upcoming national nomination convention to instantly become the putative nominee. Harris immediately started campaigning with feisty, speeches, taking on her Republican opponent, Donald Trump, frontally and laying out her policy themes under her slogan "We're Not Going Back!" to counter Trump's, "Make America Great Again", making the intensely fractious, febrile contest ostensibly about the past versus the future. Peter Clarke and Margo Kingston take stock of the first days of this utterly transformed and crucial US presidential election contest.

Denise Shrivell is an Australian democracy activist, media critic and analyst. Her background is in advertising and public communications. More recently, Denise has worked on political campaigns including as an advisor to "community independent", Kylea Tink, now the independent federal MP for North Sydney. She produces and presents a weekly, "live" podcast titled, Spinproof, and curates a daily newsletter, TrueNorth, which aggregates Denise's selections of quality, independent, Australian journalism.

She is in conversation with #transitzone anchor, Peter Clarke.

DENISE SHRIVELL TWITTER: @DeniseShrivell

https://linktr.ee/deniseshrivell

TrueNorth: https://linktr.ee/truenorthnews

@TrueNorthNewsAU

SpinProof Podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/spinproof--4577848

Tasmania has just had an election called by disgruntled premier, Jeremy Rockliff, who wanted to escape the "chaos" (his words) of an unstable, minority government. The election did not go well for Rockliff. The Tasmanian Liberal party did gain the most seats in the new parliament but below an absolute majority. However, the Tasmanian Greens gained significant ground adding new seats , as did the Jacqui Lambie Network. A sprinkling of independents made up the rest. Peter Clarke, Margo Kingston and guest, Nicholas Gruen, discuss the prospects for this inevitably more deliberative parliament (if it can be formed and sustained). Nicholas then lays out his visions for a standing Citizen Assembly, made of citizens not elected but sampled from the population. And, with the roiling USA presidential and congressional election campaigns now well under way (with about seven months to go to voting day) Peter, Margo and Nicholas take a brief look at the looming possibility, Donald J. Trump could return to the Oval Office.

NICHOLAS GRUEN is CEO of Lateral Economics and Visiting Professor at King's College London? He publishes a regular newsletter, and is a podcaster.

https://nicholasgruen.substack.com/about?utm_source=subscribe_email&utm_content=learn_more

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/uncomfortable-collisions/episodes/Democracy-doing-it-for-ourselves-e2c6q47?%24web_only=true&_branch_match_id=1306783627365838322&utm_source=web&utm_campaign=web-share&utm_medium=sharing&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXLy7IL8lMq0zMS87IL9ItT03SSywo0MvJzMvWT9U3LotK8XAPyE7zTAIAMhH1vTAAAAA%3D