He wasnt announced candidate. So i walked onto the floor of the c mobbed and as he left a Television Commentator there said to him, who do you thinks going to win . He said, t nored to be here with two of the most vital and insightful public intellectuals america, whom i read all the time. Anne applebaum is a Pulitzer Prize winning historian, writer fo senior fellow at the Johns Hopkins of advanced international studies. Her latest book is, quote, the twilight of democracy the seductive lure of by the way. When i recall a lot of the book titles that weve heard about during this festival, im tempted to think theres more than a little pessimism here about the future. Ezra klein min is a columnist for the New York Times, where he also hosts thea klein podcast at a young age. He has a storied career in journalism and as a is New York Times best seller is entitled why were polarized. Another optimistic take on where we are in america. Let me start witll start with you, ezra. We . How did we