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IN THIS EPISODE:

Stacey Abrams, Kamala Harris, Gretchen Whitmer, Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, and Catherine Cortez Masto are the six women most often mentioned as Biden's possible choice for running mate. We analyze each person's strengths and weaknesses in terms of what Biden and the Democrats most need in order to win in November.

REFERENCES:

New York Times Op Ed  // Steve Phillips - It’s Obvious Whom Joe Biden Should Pick as Vice President

Donors of Color - Website

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In this Episode:

Post-Super Tuesday: What happened, why, and what’s next? After a dizzying week in national politics, we try to make sense of it all by discussing why Biden bounced back, what it means for Bernie, and what the data says about how it’ll all end up.

References:

Democracy in Color - How to Help
Warnock for GA Senate 2020 - Website
Rolling Stones // Tessa Stuart - Stacey Abrams Is Building a New Kind of Political Machine in the Deep South
New York Times // Steve Phillips - Bernie Sanders Can Beat Trump. Here’s the Math.
C-SPAN - Joe Biden Remarks in Los Angeles

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In this Episode:

We talk about how the Left is missing the mark at this moment with its troubling silence on Trump’s white nationalism, which is the key to and cornerstone of his continued power. By failing to make this their top priority issue—and keep it front and center—the Left, including all current Democratic primary candidates, risks throwing away their best chance at winning this November. We also hear what our special guest, Maurice Mitchell, formerly a key leader in the Black Lives Matter movement and now National Director of the Working Families Party, has to say on this topic, the party’s support of Elizabeth Warren, and much more. [11:21]

References:

Maurice Mitchell - @mauricewfp
Working Families Party - Website // @workingfamilies
Rashad Robinson - @rashadrobinson
Texas Organizing Project (TOP) - Website
Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA) - Website
New Georgia Project - Website

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In this Episode:

Iowa Caucus 2020 will be one for the books. We talk about what happened and what it means as the nomination race heads to another nearly-all-white state—New Hampshire—and then, finally, on to the diverse states of Nevada and South Carolina, where voters of color will help decide who becomes the eventual winner. Steve breaks down the interplay of Momentum and Math (accumulating delegates) in determining the Democratic nominee. Also get great insight on what’s ahead from Emmy Ruiz, one of the nation’s foremost political strategists who worked on Hillary Clinton’s campaign in Nevada in 2016 and was most recently a senior advisor to Kamala Harris’ campaign. [12:54]

References:

Emmy Ruiz - @EmmyRuiz

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In this Episode:

With the impeachment trial underway in the U.S. Senate and the Republicans doing everything in their power to cover up Trump’s corruption, we unveil an innovative new formula for ranking winnability of 2020 Senate elections and look at what it will take for Democrats to flip control of what’s supposed to be “the world's greatest deliberative body.,” [09:16], Plus, we sit down with one of the year’s most inspiring Senate candidates in the country, Texas’s Cristina Tzintzun Ramirez as she explains why Trump’s team is “deeply afraid of people like me.” [21:23].

References:

The Nation Magazine: 12 States Where Democrats Could Flip the Senate

Communities for New California

Texas Organizing Project

Cristina Ttzintzun Ramirez For Texas

TV Shows: The Bridge (Danish: Broen; Swedish: Bron); The Terror; Motherstruck

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In this Episode:

Are white male presidential candidates receiving preferential treatment from the Democratic Party? As the Democratic presidential primary field grows whiter and more male, we discuss how the Party and its rigid reliance on polling and fundraising numbers in its debate qualification rules give white men an advantage. We also explain what the Party should be doing to change this fact.

Also in this episode: Reflections on Julian Castro and the ending of his campaign; spotlight on Hidden Figure Maya Rupert, Castro's campaign manager, and what we did over the holidays.

References:

The New York Times/Siena College Research Institute: Iowa Poll October 25-30, 2019

Democracy in Color: Polling Bump for White Male Presidential Candidates

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In this Episode:

We delve into Pete Buttigieg’s Black problem and the underlying causes. What are the real reasons why he is polling at 0% with Black voters? And why does it matter to all Democratic voters?

Ricky Klee, a college instructor from South Bend, Indiana who has carefully followed and written about Buttigieg’s administration for several years, shares his insights. We also preview a new report from Democracy in Color looking at Mayor Pete’s record on racial issues in South Bend.

Also, some reflections on Kamala Harris suspending her campaign and what it says about the Democratic Party and African American political trends.

References:

20:50 - New York Times: Pete Buttigieg Is in Bad Shape With Black Democrats. Here’s Why

34:12 - The Root: Pete Buttigieg on Institutional Racism, Economic Inequality, and White Supremacy

39:34 - New York Times: 1619 Project

Democracy in Color: Sound Bend, Indiana Hiring & Contracting Diversity Under
Mayor Pete Buttigieg Report

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In this Episode:

The Washington Post recently wrote that Stacey Abrams is the most impressive Democrat in the country. Abrams, the first Black woman gubernatorial nominee in U.S. history, spoke for all Democrats in America when she delivered the Response to the State of the Union Address in February 2019, and she could be our nation’s next V.P.

Stacey and Steve were introduced to one another eight years ago and have been working together ever since to make this country more equitable. They discuss how to talk openly and directly about race in today’s politics, and this administration’s—and this nation’s—racism and history of white supremacy this election cycle without losing white voters. Other topics: impeachment, the plethora of talented people of color in politics, and favorite soap opera characters from the 80s. Co-host Sharline Chiang joins them in the conversation. 

Stacey is a lawyer, nonprofit CEO and author. She is the former minority leader of the Georgia House of Representatives. She was also the Democratic nominee in the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election. As the Democratic nominee for governor of Georgia, Stacey won more votes than any other Democrat in the state’s history.

“What we proved [during 2018 campaign] was that by paying attention to communities, by centering their needs, and by talking about core issues that cut across all of these communities, including the white community, that you can get votes. Because not only did I triple Latino and Asian Pacific Islander turnout, increased these participation rates by 139%, increased Black participation by 40%, I actually received the highest percentage of white votes in a generation. It disproves the myth that by acknowledging race, by acknowledging harm, that you somehow disadvantage yourself in the larger community.”

— Stacey Abrams

Check out Stacey’s organizations to learn more about her work for voters rights:

Fairfight2020.org

Faircount.org

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In this Episode:

Iowa, the state that launched Barack Obama’s campaign, is arguably the single most important state in this current Democratic nomination contest. It’s also the quintessential swing state. Two Iowa experts discuss what it takes to win and where things stand in the race.

Steve chats with two guests with deep history in Iowa politics: Pat Rynard, founder and managing editor of Iowa Starting Line, a news outlet that covers the Iowa Caucus and other Iowa political news, and Irene Lin, former campaign manager for J.D. Scholten, a Democrat who ran in Iowa’s 4th congressional district in 2018 who nearly toppled Representative Steve King in a heavily Republican district. 

They focus on how the caucuses in Iowa, which begin on February 3 in 2020, as the first contest in the Democratic presidential nomination process shape the races that follow. Pat and Irene weigh in on how each candidate is doing in the state so far and whether championing equality for people of color inevitably sends the message that you don’t care about economically-anxious whites. Everyone also answers: which concert would you most like to have front-row seats to?

Visit Iowa Starting Line

iowastartingline.com

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In this Episode:

Trump’s power has always been grounded in fanning the flames of white racial resentment, and it’s no accident that the most racially diverse Congress in history is now holding him accountable.

Steve and Sharline weigh in on the October 15 Democratic debate and the state of the Democratic presidential nomination contest and then dive into the topic of impeachment, namely the ongoing impeachment inquiry of No. 45. Much of the current news analysis tends to focus on how a majority of “the American people” now oppose No. 45, but in reality what has changed is that many more white people have finally had enough of this president. Voters of color have opposed Trump from day one and wanted him out. Black and brown legislators wanted him impeached ages ago. Steve also breaks down the most critical factors in understanding the prospects of the various candidates running for president.

Also in this episode: Maxine Waters singing the Black National Anthem at Jesse Jackson’s presidential announcement speech; Hidden Figures Subodh Chandra and Meena Morey Chandra, and “The Dr. Is In.”

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