1 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:14,960 Speaker 1: Folks. I am so excited to welcome to wok F 2 00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:18,760 Speaker 1: Daily for the very first time Lauren bare who is 3 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:23,040 Speaker 1: a managing partner at Arena, which is an organization that 4 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:27,080 Speaker 1: is working to train a pipeline of Democrats in order 5 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:30,800 Speaker 1: to be able to run for office, to run campaigns, 6 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:33,279 Speaker 1: to do all of the things that we need them 7 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:36,440 Speaker 1: to do in order to battle against Republicans. You know, 8 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 1: I feel like Republicans do a much better job of 9 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:44,440 Speaker 1: building a pipeline. And let me be clear, their candidates 10 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 1: are crap. So it's amazing to me that they have 11 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 1: such an incredible infrastructure that their folks can rely on 12 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:58,800 Speaker 1: churning out candidates after candidates. Talk to us about Arena 13 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 1: and why you think that it was important to get 14 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:05,720 Speaker 1: to this place. Why is it important for us to 15 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:08,640 Speaker 1: have this kind of organization and infrastructure. We have a 16 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:11,720 Speaker 1: few what is it that makes this one different? Well, well, 17 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:14,680 Speaker 1: first of all, Danielle, thank you so much for having 18 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 1: me here today to talk about these really important issues. 19 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:21,640 Speaker 1: So arenas an organization and whose mission is to convene, 20 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:26,560 Speaker 1: train and support the next generation of Democratic candidates and 21 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:29,880 Speaker 1: campaign staff, and we were born out of the twenty 22 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:34,880 Speaker 1: sixteen election, but also out of a realization of precisely 23 00:01:34,959 --> 00:01:39,160 Speaker 1: what you're pointing out, which is that Republicans for decades 24 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:46,480 Speaker 1: have invested in infrastructure, in im party infrastructure, in organizing infrastructure, 25 00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 1: and infrastructure that is enduring year over year, cycle over cycle, 26 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 1: and Democrats simply have not. On our side. In some ways, 27 00:01:56,360 --> 00:02:01,800 Speaker 1: we focused on candidates running really care asmatic people for office. 28 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 1: But candidates don't win elections on their own. They require 29 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:13,079 Speaker 1: really strong, robust, well trained teams around them, and teams 30 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:18,040 Speaker 1: who represent the diversity of the country and the communities 31 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 1: that they are running to represent. And so Arena exists 32 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:26,360 Speaker 1: really to try to fill that gap on the Democratic side, 33 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:29,919 Speaker 1: and we do it through four different ways. We do 34 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:33,560 Speaker 1: it by running training programs. We have a flagship program 35 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:38,680 Speaker 1: called Arena Academy, which trains individuals how to be campaign staff, 36 00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 1: how to run campaigns, everything from being a campaign manager 37 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 1: to doing data, digital communications, fundraising. We have a careers 38 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:51,280 Speaker 1: team that works to place everyone we've trained on a 39 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:55,360 Speaker 1: campaign or working with a Democratic or progressive organization and 40 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:57,720 Speaker 1: then make sure that those people stay in the business 41 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:01,360 Speaker 1: cycle over cycle, year over year. We've got a suite 42 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:06,240 Speaker 1: of free downloadable tools our Arena toolbox so that candidates 43 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:09,800 Speaker 1: and campaign staff can have the knowledge that for so 44 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:13,720 Speaker 1: long was held by an exclusive handful of people, to 45 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:16,280 Speaker 1: be honest, you know, mostly white men who had worked 46 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:19,520 Speaker 1: in politics for some time. And then on top of 47 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:23,680 Speaker 1: all of that infrastructure building work, we also support candidates 48 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:27,520 Speaker 1: financially and by providing them with staff. And the kind 49 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:31,360 Speaker 1: of candidates that Arena supports are those who are bringing new, 50 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 1: fresh voices to the party, new perspectives, who are really 51 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 1: running on a premise of generational change and making our 52 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 1: party and our politics more reflective of the country as 53 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:46,400 Speaker 1: a whole. I love all the all of the different 54 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 1: parts that Arena brings to the table, and I will 55 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:51,440 Speaker 1: want to talk for a minute, you know, particularly about 56 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:54,520 Speaker 1: campaign staff and why that's important. I think for too 57 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 1: long we rely on passion right to get people in 58 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 1: stid and wanting to work on campaigns. It's usually younger folks, 59 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:06,800 Speaker 1: right that have the passion, have the energy, you know, 60 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 1: are going to live on the road pre covid that 61 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:12,680 Speaker 1: was you know, that was the case. In terms of campaigning, 62 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:17,480 Speaker 1: how do you get people interested? How do you draw 63 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:21,160 Speaker 1: people in to say we need you? Because when folks 64 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 1: think about You know, I get asked the question all 65 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 1: the time, Danielle, what can I do? Right? Like we're losing? 66 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:29,599 Speaker 1: What can I do? And I tell them volunteer, I 67 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:32,280 Speaker 1: say donate. You know, it depends on your capacity. So 68 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:35,200 Speaker 1: for those people that say what can I do, and 69 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 1: they want to do more than just volunteer, they want 70 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:40,159 Speaker 1: to do more than just write a check, how do 71 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:44,479 Speaker 1: you connect those folks to these campaigns? Yeah, well, what 72 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:48,559 Speaker 1: you're saying, Danielle is so right, because, like I said before, 73 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:52,680 Speaker 1: campaigns don't just run themselves. And I know this firsthand. 74 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:56,320 Speaker 1: I was a candidate for Congress in twenty eighteen, and 75 00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 1: I entered that race with with a ton of passion, 76 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 1: a ton of desire to serve my community, but no 77 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 1: understanding of the mechanics of running a campaign, and really 78 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:11,480 Speaker 1: relied on the team that I was able to build 79 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:14,560 Speaker 1: around me. But it was hard to recruit that staff. 80 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:17,840 Speaker 1: And it was doubly hard to recruit a staff that 81 00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:21,479 Speaker 1: I wanted to be diverse, that I wanted to be 82 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:25,159 Speaker 1: gender balanced, that I wanted to have BIPOC representation, that 83 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:29,880 Speaker 1: I wanted to have LGBTQ representation, Because the simple fact 84 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:34,320 Speaker 1: is it's been really hard to break into politics. You know, 85 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 1: you mentioned that you've encouraged people to volunteer, and I 86 00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:41,200 Speaker 1: think that's part of the problem is that, you know, 87 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:44,760 Speaker 1: political engagement working in politics has been thought up as 88 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:49,000 Speaker 1: a volunteer job for so long, and then by definition, 89 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:52,520 Speaker 1: that makes it a job for those individuals who can 90 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:56,760 Speaker 1: afford to work for free. YEP. At Arena, we're trying 91 00:05:56,880 --> 00:06:00,919 Speaker 1: to up end that because we make politics actually needs 92 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:04,719 Speaker 1: to be a professional career and it needs to be 93 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 1: accessible to everyone that the Democratic Party is trying to serve, 94 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:12,040 Speaker 1: which means it needs to recruit more people of color, 95 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:15,760 Speaker 1: We need to recruit more working class individuals. We need 96 00:06:15,839 --> 00:06:19,280 Speaker 1: to make politics a career in which you can earn 97 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:22,840 Speaker 1: a living wage to draw the kind of talent that 98 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:26,120 Speaker 1: you want to bring to the table in order to win. 99 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:30,520 Speaker 1: And so what I would encourage, you know, anyone who's motivated, 100 00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:33,719 Speaker 1: who wants to do something really substantive, you know, think 101 00:06:33,839 --> 00:06:38,200 Speaker 1: about going to an Arena academy, spending five days and 102 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:43,359 Speaker 1: learning what it really takes to run a campaign. We 103 00:06:43,480 --> 00:06:46,920 Speaker 1: make a point of making sure that scholarships are available 104 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:49,839 Speaker 1: to everyone who needs them, so you're going to not 105 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:52,640 Speaker 1: be paying a dime if you can't afford to pay 106 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:56,239 Speaker 1: that tuition for training, and then we work very hard 107 00:06:56,279 --> 00:07:00,279 Speaker 1: with every person we've trained to help place them after words, 108 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:05,560 Speaker 1: because it can be an incredibly rewarding and fulfilling experience 109 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:10,240 Speaker 1: to find that candidate who you find inspiring, whether it's 110 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:13,000 Speaker 1: someone who's running for a school board or mayor, to 111 00:07:13,720 --> 00:07:17,640 Speaker 1: investident and then put in the work to get them 112 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:20,480 Speaker 1: elected and then bring that talent to the next race, 113 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:23,400 Speaker 1: and the next one and the next one. So you know, 114 00:07:23,480 --> 00:07:26,360 Speaker 1: if there are people out there listening and that sounds 115 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:30,120 Speaker 1: inspiring to you, I really encourage you to start thinking 116 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:33,200 Speaker 1: about this not just as a volunteer opportunity, but as 117 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:35,640 Speaker 1: a way to make a career path, and we will 118 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:38,040 Speaker 1: do everything we can to help make that possible for folks. 119 00:07:38,480 --> 00:07:40,960 Speaker 1: You know, I'm so happy that you brought up, you know, 120 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:45,960 Speaker 1: the pay because I think, you know to one of 121 00:07:45,960 --> 00:07:49,560 Speaker 1: the issues and I feel maybe this is changing in Washington, DC, 122 00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 1: But you know, when I was there as a very 123 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 1: as a very young person, you know, internships who are unpaid. 124 00:07:56,200 --> 00:07:59,280 Speaker 1: Working on the hill was unpaid, and you know, and 125 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:02,240 Speaker 1: I love the fact that your organization is making the 126 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:06,080 Speaker 1: connection between well if you're going to have something that 127 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:10,200 Speaker 1: is not paid or paid poorly, right, then you're carving 128 00:08:10,280 --> 00:08:13,840 Speaker 1: out a certain group of people that can engage right, 129 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:16,000 Speaker 1: and that may not be the best people, but to 130 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:20,120 Speaker 1: understand that for young people in particular, or people that 131 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:23,520 Speaker 1: are looking for a career change frankly right, that want 132 00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:27,520 Speaker 1: the opportunity to engage in a way that makes them 133 00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:31,120 Speaker 1: feel like they are living and working on purpose. Not 134 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:34,400 Speaker 1: being able to having to make a decision between a 135 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:37,160 Speaker 1: low paying job putting food on your table and then 136 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:39,959 Speaker 1: wanting to do something of purpose. Shouldn't be a decision 137 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:43,160 Speaker 1: that people have to be forced to choose between. Right 138 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 1: And So for those BIPOC people in particular and LGBTQ people, 139 00:08:49,400 --> 00:08:51,600 Speaker 1: how do you talk to them about why it's so 140 00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:55,839 Speaker 1: important to have campaigns that look like the country as 141 00:08:55,880 --> 00:08:58,120 Speaker 1: opposed to just looking like the candidate you know that 142 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:01,640 Speaker 1: they may like, But why is it's so important you think? Look, 143 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:05,600 Speaker 1: at the end of the day, campaigns are really about 144 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:10,480 Speaker 1: forming a human connection with voters. They are successful when 145 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:14,319 Speaker 1: that candidate connects with a voter, but they're also successful 146 00:09:14,559 --> 00:09:19,520 Speaker 1: when that team connects with potential voters. And on any campaign, 147 00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:23,760 Speaker 1: your campaign staff is really an extension of the candidate. 148 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:27,160 Speaker 1: They are representing that individual out in the community. They're 149 00:09:27,160 --> 00:09:31,040 Speaker 1: making the case for why to elect them. And the 150 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:35,359 Speaker 1: fact of the matter is people are more engaged in politics, 151 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:39,520 Speaker 1: more trusting of people running for office when they can 152 00:09:39,559 --> 00:09:44,439 Speaker 1: see themselves and in some way reflected in the process. 153 00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:48,320 Speaker 1: So if you're going into BIPOC communities, if you've got 154 00:09:48,400 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 1: BIPOC staff who can go into those communities, who can 155 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:55,760 Speaker 1: speak to the issues from a point of having experienced 156 00:09:55,880 --> 00:10:01,520 Speaker 1: themselves in a way that has authenticity, gains trust, that's 157 00:10:01,520 --> 00:10:03,760 Speaker 1: going to take you farther. As a member of the 158 00:10:03,880 --> 00:10:08,240 Speaker 1: LGBTQ community, I can say that the number of folks 159 00:10:08,360 --> 00:10:11,320 Speaker 1: who stepped into my campaign office when I was running 160 00:10:11,600 --> 00:10:14,480 Speaker 1: because they knew I was an openly gay candidate and 161 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:16,920 Speaker 1: because I had openly gay members of my team and said, 162 00:10:17,240 --> 00:10:20,840 Speaker 1: I've never done anything political. I don't often vote, but 163 00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:24,160 Speaker 1: in you, I see someone for the first time who's 164 00:10:24,200 --> 00:10:27,640 Speaker 1: representing me in politics, and that's what's drawing me in. 165 00:10:27,920 --> 00:10:30,200 Speaker 1: And so I think that's the case to be made, 166 00:10:30,360 --> 00:10:34,800 Speaker 1: is that so many times marginalized communities don't see this 167 00:10:34,840 --> 00:10:38,600 Speaker 1: work as their work because they've been left out of 168 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:43,720 Speaker 1: the process. But we really have an opportunity to open 169 00:10:43,840 --> 00:10:47,840 Speaker 1: up whole new swots of the electorate and bring people 170 00:10:48,040 --> 00:10:52,520 Speaker 1: in if we have staff and folks on campaigns who 171 00:10:52,559 --> 00:10:56,240 Speaker 1: are more broadly reflective of the community. And you know, 172 00:10:56,400 --> 00:10:58,440 Speaker 1: the one thing I would add to that is he 173 00:10:58,480 --> 00:11:00,840 Speaker 1: said that arena. You know, we have a toolbox which 174 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:04,120 Speaker 1: teaches you how to build a campaign. But our tools 175 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:06,679 Speaker 1: aren't just the nuts and bolts of this is how 176 00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:09,160 Speaker 1: you make a finance plan, this is how you buy 177 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:12,640 Speaker 1: your digital ads. We also have tools in there like 178 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:18,440 Speaker 1: how to build a racially just an equitable campaign, how 179 00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:23,280 Speaker 1: to think about unionization issues on campaigns, how to think 180 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:27,960 Speaker 1: about wage issues and health insurance. Because what needs to 181 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:33,480 Speaker 1: change is the entire mindset that campaigns could somehow be 182 00:11:33,600 --> 00:11:38,360 Speaker 1: run in a way that's different than any other employment 183 00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:42,320 Speaker 1: environment would be run and they still expect to recruit 184 00:11:42,480 --> 00:11:46,840 Speaker 1: top notch, diverse talent. We as a party have to 185 00:11:46,880 --> 00:11:49,600 Speaker 1: live up to our own values in the way that 186 00:11:49,679 --> 00:11:52,040 Speaker 1: we run our campaigns as well as in the way 187 00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:58,000 Speaker 1: that we deliver on policy once we're in office. You know, Lauren, 188 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:03,240 Speaker 1: many people or the last four plus years have gotten 189 00:12:03,280 --> 00:12:07,120 Speaker 1: such a terrible taste in their mouth with regard to politics. Right, 190 00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:12,000 Speaker 1: we saw through the Trump administration just how vile, how 191 00:12:12,080 --> 00:12:15,720 Speaker 1: cruel our politics can get. What do you say to 192 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:19,679 Speaker 1: those people that you know because of COVID, Because we're 193 00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:22,880 Speaker 1: all in our homes, we are all paying attention to 194 00:12:22,920 --> 00:12:26,120 Speaker 1: the same thing at the same time, which hasn't happened 195 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:29,960 Speaker 1: since the advent of social media. Frankly, right, what do 196 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:34,239 Speaker 1: you say to those people that have a newly recognized 197 00:12:34,280 --> 00:12:38,120 Speaker 1: appreciation for the importance of politics in their lives, but 198 00:12:38,880 --> 00:12:41,880 Speaker 1: are also disgusted by it, are also like this is 199 00:12:41,880 --> 00:12:45,440 Speaker 1: too toxic and and I don't want any part of it. 200 00:12:46,440 --> 00:12:48,719 Speaker 1: What do you say to those folks? Yeah, well, I 201 00:12:48,760 --> 00:12:51,479 Speaker 1: mean the first thing I do is acknowledge that those 202 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:55,480 Speaker 1: feelings are very real. The last four plus years have 203 00:12:55,559 --> 00:12:59,280 Speaker 1: been a very challenging time to turn on the television, 204 00:12:59,280 --> 00:13:02,520 Speaker 1: to look at the new paper, to ingest what's going on, 205 00:13:02,679 --> 00:13:06,360 Speaker 1: and that that vitriol in that hate, and then feel 206 00:13:06,360 --> 00:13:10,000 Speaker 1: like that's something you want to jump into. I mean, 207 00:13:10,040 --> 00:13:13,280 Speaker 1: it's it's not unnatural that the instinct is to in 208 00:13:13,320 --> 00:13:16,719 Speaker 1: some ways want to pull back and pull away from that. 209 00:13:17,160 --> 00:13:19,880 Speaker 1: But at a basic level, I think politics can be 210 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:22,880 Speaker 1: driven by one of two things. It can be driven 211 00:13:23,040 --> 00:13:26,199 Speaker 1: by hope or it can be driven by fear. And 212 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:31,160 Speaker 1: Donald Trump and the Republican Party have very much leaned 213 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:38,520 Speaker 1: into this fear based politics, hate mongering, appealing to our 214 00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:43,840 Speaker 1: basis instincts, trying to make people turn against their neighbors 215 00:13:43,920 --> 00:13:47,600 Speaker 1: and think of them as somehow other. And if that's 216 00:13:47,679 --> 00:13:52,200 Speaker 1: not appealing to you, it's only going to change if 217 00:13:52,280 --> 00:13:56,400 Speaker 1: you lean into the alternative, which is a hope based politics. 218 00:13:57,120 --> 00:13:59,959 Speaker 1: Politics you know of the nature of an Obama or 219 00:14:00,520 --> 00:14:04,960 Speaker 1: Biden or any number of the inspiring individuals who run 220 00:14:05,040 --> 00:14:07,560 Speaker 1: for House or Senate or city city council in the 221 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:12,400 Speaker 1: past four years, and you offer an alternative vision that 222 00:14:12,559 --> 00:14:16,040 Speaker 1: is truer to the values on which our country is 223 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:19,280 Speaker 1: founded and truer to the direction that we hope our 224 00:14:19,560 --> 00:14:23,080 Speaker 1: country will will go. So, you know, that's what I 225 00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:26,920 Speaker 1: try to say is to you know, lean into that hope. 226 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:30,440 Speaker 1: And then the other thing that I would say to 227 00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:33,680 Speaker 1: folks is, you know, in a previous life, back during 228 00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:36,920 Speaker 1: the Obama administration, I spent six years working as a 229 00:14:36,960 --> 00:14:40,920 Speaker 1: foreign policy official at the State Department, and I focused 230 00:14:40,920 --> 00:14:43,960 Speaker 1: on democracy in human rights, and part of what my 231 00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:48,880 Speaker 1: job was was looking at democratic backsliding in other countries 232 00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:52,680 Speaker 1: around the world, pointing out to our own government when 233 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:56,520 Speaker 1: there were red flags being raised that countries that were 234 00:14:56,640 --> 00:15:01,560 Speaker 1: democratic were actually headed in the direction because we know 235 00:15:01,720 --> 00:15:03,840 Speaker 1: democracy is in a one way street. Just because you 236 00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:06,760 Speaker 1: got there doesn't mean you stay there, and it doesn't 237 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:10,920 Speaker 1: mean you're becoming democrat more democratic every single day. And 238 00:15:11,280 --> 00:15:15,720 Speaker 1: it was terrifying to me post twenty sixteen to start 239 00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:18,920 Speaker 1: to see those same red flags that I'd seen in 240 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:23,440 Speaker 1: other countries in my own country. I never imagined I 241 00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:27,080 Speaker 1: would be confronted with that. And I think, you know, 242 00:15:27,280 --> 00:15:30,560 Speaker 1: we saved ourselves from the brink with the twenty twenty 243 00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:34,240 Speaker 1: election in getting Trump out of office, but the work 244 00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:40,120 Speaker 1: is not over yet. Our democracy is still incredibly unstable, 245 00:15:40,240 --> 00:15:44,040 Speaker 1: and you just need to look at voter suppression laws, 246 00:15:44,120 --> 00:15:49,960 Speaker 1: restrictions on civil rights, environmental black sliding to know that 247 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:52,960 Speaker 1: what we have right now is very fragile. And so 248 00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:55,080 Speaker 1: what I would also say to people is that if 249 00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:59,000 Speaker 1: you care about our country and care about it living 250 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:02,720 Speaker 1: up to its best ideals, then in some way, engagement 251 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:06,880 Speaker 1: is not a choice. It's a necessity. I love them 252 00:16:06,920 --> 00:16:11,360 Speaker 1: that you have to do to save the vision of 253 00:16:11,400 --> 00:16:14,440 Speaker 1: the country that you believe in. You know, I love 254 00:16:14,920 --> 00:16:17,800 Speaker 1: that you said that engagement is not a choice. I 255 00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:22,160 Speaker 1: think that we too often pose it right post politics, 256 00:16:22,240 --> 00:16:24,480 Speaker 1: as in something that you can choose to opt in 257 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:29,400 Speaker 1: or opt out of. And I hope you know one 258 00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:32,040 Speaker 1: I have said on WOKA for the longest time that 259 00:16:32,440 --> 00:16:34,520 Speaker 1: I do believe that all we did was hit pause 260 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:38,600 Speaker 1: on our sliding into authoritarianism. I do not think that 261 00:16:38,640 --> 00:16:42,280 Speaker 1: the election hit stop. But what I am hopeful of 262 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:47,440 Speaker 1: is that the historic turnout that we saw in twenty twenty, 263 00:16:47,480 --> 00:16:50,800 Speaker 1: the historic turnout that brought us the Biden Harris administration, 264 00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:56,280 Speaker 1: will again folks recognize that if I stay home right, 265 00:16:57,080 --> 00:17:00,680 Speaker 1: those Trumpers, those people that are working over time to 266 00:17:00,880 --> 00:17:05,160 Speaker 1: gas slide us into believing the exceptionalism of this country 267 00:17:05,160 --> 00:17:08,439 Speaker 1: without the analysis that are trying to take away every 268 00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:12,200 Speaker 1: single right that women, LGBTQ people, black folks and brown 269 00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:15,439 Speaker 1: folks have fought for since the beginning of time. That 270 00:17:15,520 --> 00:17:19,720 Speaker 1: without their engagement right, we will remain on the brink 271 00:17:19,840 --> 00:17:22,159 Speaker 1: and there may not be an opportunity for us to 272 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:25,159 Speaker 1: be pulled back right. And what happens then, And I 273 00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:28,000 Speaker 1: don't you know, I am not a fearmongerer at all, 274 00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:30,879 Speaker 1: But I believe myself to be a realist, which is 275 00:17:30,920 --> 00:17:33,640 Speaker 1: all you have to do is see the news. One 276 00:17:33,640 --> 00:17:35,320 Speaker 1: of the questions, one of the last questions I want 277 00:17:35,320 --> 00:17:38,240 Speaker 1: to ask you, Lauren, is this. You know you ran 278 00:17:38,320 --> 00:17:45,400 Speaker 1: in twenty eighteen in Florida, which is an incredibly complicated 279 00:17:45,520 --> 00:17:49,280 Speaker 1: and place of great contradictions. What are some of the 280 00:17:49,320 --> 00:17:53,359 Speaker 1: things that you learned in that run that has informed 281 00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:56,480 Speaker 1: the work that you're doing now and can inform others 282 00:17:56,480 --> 00:17:59,119 Speaker 1: that are interested in either throwing their hat in to 283 00:17:59,240 --> 00:18:04,040 Speaker 1: be candidate or deciding that they want to run campaigns. 284 00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:08,000 Speaker 1: The first thing that I learned is that if you 285 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:13,560 Speaker 1: are an individual who feels the inclination to get involved 286 00:18:13,840 --> 00:18:16,959 Speaker 1: in politics, whether that's putting your own name on the 287 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:20,520 Speaker 1: ballot or joining a campaign as a member of staff, 288 00:18:20,920 --> 00:18:24,280 Speaker 1: don't wait for an invitation because people might not invite you. 289 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:28,760 Speaker 1: It takes gut, it takes will, But if you've got 290 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:33,200 Speaker 1: that fire in your belly, go on and put yourself 291 00:18:33,359 --> 00:18:36,280 Speaker 1: out there. Deciding to run was one of the most 292 00:18:36,520 --> 00:18:40,439 Speaker 1: frightening things that I've ever done, and ultimately probably the 293 00:18:40,440 --> 00:18:45,760 Speaker 1: most deeply rewarding and impactful things I have ever done, 294 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:49,600 Speaker 1: and no one was asking me to do it. I 295 00:18:49,680 --> 00:18:53,240 Speaker 1: decided to run for office when I was home with 296 00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:58,360 Speaker 1: a tiny, infant baby girl and struggling with the realization 297 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:02,680 Speaker 1: that she was born into a very different world than 298 00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:05,960 Speaker 1: the one I wanted her to be born into. And 299 00:19:06,040 --> 00:19:09,680 Speaker 1: I ultimately decided, what am I going to do to 300 00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:12,560 Speaker 1: make my daughter proud? How am I going to answer 301 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:16,920 Speaker 1: her ten or fifteen years ago when she asks me 302 00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:20,239 Speaker 1: what I was doing at that dark low point in 303 00:19:20,240 --> 00:19:24,000 Speaker 1: our country's history. And I had to take the leap 304 00:19:24,560 --> 00:19:27,720 Speaker 1: on my own and decide that putting myself in the 305 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:29,680 Speaker 1: arena was the right thing to do. So the first 306 00:19:29,720 --> 00:19:33,840 Speaker 1: big lesson is, if you want to get involved, just 307 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:36,280 Speaker 1: do it. Just go for it. And if you don't 308 00:19:36,320 --> 00:19:40,280 Speaker 1: know how, come to arena. We will help you out, 309 00:19:40,840 --> 00:19:42,960 Speaker 1: you know. The second thing I would say that I 310 00:19:43,080 --> 00:19:49,760 Speaker 1: learned is that it is still incredibly, incredibly challenging to 311 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:53,160 Speaker 1: run for office if you are in some way different 312 00:19:53,440 --> 00:19:57,360 Speaker 1: than the majority of people that we have elected throughout 313 00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:00,800 Speaker 1: the history of the United States, and let's be honest, 314 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:09,160 Speaker 1: they are almost exclusively white, straight, sysgendered men. Yep, that 315 00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:13,119 Speaker 1: doesn't mean you shouldn't do it, but what it also 316 00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:17,400 Speaker 1: means is that we collectively as a democratic community need 317 00:20:17,480 --> 00:20:22,280 Speaker 1: to think really hard about what are the structural barriers 318 00:20:22,320 --> 00:20:27,720 Speaker 1: that have prevented us from running and electing more individuals 319 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:32,280 Speaker 1: who are representative of our country as a whole. Are 320 00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:36,920 Speaker 1: those economic and class based barriers? Because it actually costs 321 00:20:36,960 --> 00:20:39,960 Speaker 1: a great deal of money to run for the office, 322 00:20:39,960 --> 00:20:43,880 Speaker 1: It's a full time job. You can't be working. Are 323 00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:49,400 Speaker 1: there other forms of discrimination that are affecting BIPOC candidates 324 00:20:49,480 --> 00:20:53,479 Speaker 1: or LGBT two candidates or female candidates from fundraising and 325 00:20:53,560 --> 00:20:57,040 Speaker 1: bringing in as much money as others? And so one 326 00:20:57,040 --> 00:21:00,400 Speaker 1: of the lessons I took away was that is very 327 00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:02,600 Speaker 1: fortunate to be able to do what I did, but 328 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:08,160 Speaker 1: that also involved a responsibility to in turn break down 329 00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:12,760 Speaker 1: barriers to other individuals who ought to be running so 330 00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:17,240 Speaker 1: that our politics could be more inclusive as a whole. 331 00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:19,280 Speaker 1: And the final thing I would say I learned is 332 00:21:19,320 --> 00:21:23,080 Speaker 1: that you know, as important as the candidate is, the 333 00:21:23,119 --> 00:21:28,240 Speaker 1: team they build around them is equally as important. And 334 00:21:28,359 --> 00:21:32,320 Speaker 1: that is why I'm so happy to have found a 335 00:21:32,520 --> 00:21:36,480 Speaker 1: post candidacy home in Arena, which is a community that 336 00:21:36,520 --> 00:21:39,480 Speaker 1: I think in an organization that is really working to 337 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:42,840 Speaker 1: break down those barriers to running for office, to break 338 00:21:42,880 --> 00:21:45,800 Speaker 1: down those barriers for being a member of campaign staff, 339 00:21:46,119 --> 00:21:50,159 Speaker 1: and to make our politics as a whole more equitable, 340 00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:56,199 Speaker 1: more inclusive, more representative of this country. Lauren, I love it, 341 00:21:56,320 --> 00:22:02,440 Speaker 1: and you're providing this very cynical political with some hope 342 00:22:02,480 --> 00:22:04,800 Speaker 1: that there are folks that are putting together the teams 343 00:22:04,800 --> 00:22:08,920 Speaker 1: that are necessary for us to win. Tell everyone how 344 00:22:08,960 --> 00:22:13,440 Speaker 1: they can follow you, find Arena, get more information so 345 00:22:13,520 --> 00:22:17,800 Speaker 1: that they can opt in instead of opting out. Wonderful well. 346 00:22:17,840 --> 00:22:21,600 Speaker 1: You can find Arena on Twitter at Arena Summit. You 347 00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:24,400 Speaker 1: can find me at Lauren there and if you were 348 00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:28,480 Speaker 1: interested in attending one of our programs, go to Arena 349 00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:33,119 Speaker 1: dot run Slash Academy. Applications are actually open now for 350 00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:37,359 Speaker 1: our next Arena Academy in September, and we would love 351 00:22:37,720 --> 00:22:41,800 Speaker 1: anyone and everyone who is interested about finding their way 352 00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:46,159 Speaker 1: into politics as a profession to fill out that application form, 353 00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:49,879 Speaker 1: join us for five days and start their political journey. 354 00:22:50,040 --> 00:22:52,240 Speaker 1: I love it, Lauren. Thank you so much for making 355 00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:54,359 Speaker 1: the time to join woke f and I hope that 356 00:22:54,400 --> 00:22:56,800 Speaker 1: you will come back to us in the fall with 357 00:22:56,880 --> 00:22:59,440 Speaker 1: some of some of your folks, some of your new 358 00:22:59,480 --> 00:23:02,880 Speaker 1: cohort to discuss what they are learning and how we're 359 00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:06,000 Speaker 1: preparing to head into midterms. I would love nothing more. 360 00:23:06,119 --> 00:23:12,879 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for having me. That is it 361 00:23:13,040 --> 00:23:16,720 Speaker 1: for Today's Woke, a f daily podcast. To hear more 362 00:23:16,720 --> 00:23:20,920 Speaker 1: from me, including five full hour long shows every single week, 363 00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:24,760 Speaker 1: exclusive guest interviews, and more. Support me on Patreon at 364 00:23:24,760 --> 00:23:28,280 Speaker 1: Patreon dot com. Slash Woke a F Power to the 365 00:23:28,320 --> 00:23:31,399 Speaker 1: people and to all the people power, get woke and 366 00:23:31,520 --> 00:23:32,800 Speaker 1: stay woke as fuck.