1 00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:03,520 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Should Know, a production of five 2 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:12,600 Speaker 1: Heart Radios How Stuff Works. Hey, and welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:15,400 Speaker 1: I'm Josh Clark, and there's Charles W. Chuck Bryan over there, 4 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:18,079 Speaker 1: and Jerry's over there somewhere, I think in our office. 5 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:23,040 Speaker 1: And this is stuff you should know. Uh, the Swinging 6 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:30,120 Speaker 1: super Hip Cat edition. Swing States. They're the swing in 7 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:33,040 Speaker 1: the states of all They like to sleep with each 8 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:39,559 Speaker 1: other based on keys they took out of a fish ball. Uh. 9 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 1: I should say up front thank you to how stuff 10 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:46,239 Speaker 1: Works dot Com for this article, along with Politico, NPR 11 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 1: and I think blog I got some stuff from you. 12 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 1: Sounds like you're giving an acceptance speech for for best 13 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:58,880 Speaker 1: election podcast episode. It's all right, we are not gonna 14 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 1: win you. So this is on swing states, which uh 15 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:07,640 Speaker 1: are all the rage battleground states these days. Everybody loves 16 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:10,760 Speaker 1: them and have been for a while. But uh, some 17 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:13,200 Speaker 1: of this stuff I thought was even enlightened me and 18 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 1: I thought I kind of knew most of this stuff. Yeah, 19 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 1: it's one of those things that I found, um that 20 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:22,959 Speaker 1: you can make a lot more difficult than it actually is, 21 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:26,920 Speaker 1: at least just the general concept of swing states. But um, 22 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:30,400 Speaker 1: there's a lot of detail and info in history to it. 23 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:33,400 Speaker 1: That makes the whole thing really interesting. So to keep 24 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:36,360 Speaker 1: from making the whole thing more difficult than it is, 25 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 1: let's just define swing states at the outset. Swing states 26 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:47,200 Speaker 1: are states during presidential elections in the United States here, um, 27 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 1: that are so closely divided politically that they could go 28 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 1: either way. They could vote one way or the other. 29 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:01,040 Speaker 1: And based on a lot of you know, governmental ins 30 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 1: and outs that will go over depending on which way 31 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:08,600 Speaker 1: they they flip, they could make or break a presidential 32 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:11,679 Speaker 1: campaign and elect the president or deny somebody else the 33 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:16,120 Speaker 1: presidency at the same time. Even that's right, and I'm 34 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:18,440 Speaker 1: glad you said that, because more than anything else in 35 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:20,359 Speaker 1: this episode, we want to drive or I want to 36 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:24,040 Speaker 1: drive home. At least I'm sure you're on board. Um. 37 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:27,480 Speaker 1: A swing state is not just a state that is 38 00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 1: very closely divided politically among its constituents and it just 39 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:34,680 Speaker 1: could go one way or the other. It is a 40 00:02:34,720 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 1: state where there are people who there are enough people 41 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:42,000 Speaker 1: in that state who can be persuaded to change who 42 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:45,120 Speaker 1: they vote for that it can make a state go 43 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:49,040 Speaker 1: one way or the other. We're talking down to the 44 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:52,960 Speaker 1: thousands or even hundreds of votes, and that is why 45 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:57,080 Speaker 1: it is so, so, so so important that everybody votes. 46 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:00,120 Speaker 1: Everybody votes, but especially if you live in one of 47 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:03,320 Speaker 1: these swing states, because there are, believe it or not, 48 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:06,680 Speaker 1: there are people that still haven't made up their mind 49 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:10,359 Speaker 1: in this country, which is really surprising in in this 50 00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:16,079 Speaker 1: particular election, because things have gotten superpartisan and polarized in America, 51 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:17,960 Speaker 1: and they had been going that way for many, many 52 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:20,680 Speaker 1: years now. But I mean, it is I don't want 53 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:24,239 Speaker 1: to say it's reached its apex. I hope it's reached 54 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:26,560 Speaker 1: its apex. I'm sure it could get way worse. But 55 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:29,600 Speaker 1: things are real polarized here, so it is very surprising 56 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:32,600 Speaker 1: that there's undecided voters. And I remember from our election 57 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 1: polling episode, we were saying one of the reasons that 58 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:37,640 Speaker 1: the state polling was so far off is because there 59 00:03:37,640 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 1: were so many undecided voters at the end of two 60 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 1: thousand and sixteen, That in and of itself is pretty 61 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:46,280 Speaker 1: surprising because the candidates were so different, things were so polarized. 62 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 1: Then it's even more surprising now that there's any undecided voters, 63 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:52,560 Speaker 1: but they're out there. There's not a ton of them, 64 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 1: but there's enough of them to swing election and swing 65 00:03:55,240 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 1: of state um Brookings institutions as sent or more of 66 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:06,280 Speaker 1: a presidential candidate spending occurs in the swing states, and 67 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:09,320 Speaker 1: you know they're they're spending on ads, a lot of it, 68 00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 1: as ad bys and social media advis um, you know, 69 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:16,360 Speaker 1: robot calling, stuff like that. But we should go over 70 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:18,039 Speaker 1: just you know, I know we did one on the 71 00:04:18,080 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 1: electoral college, but just for our friends across the many ponds, 72 00:04:23,320 --> 00:04:25,360 Speaker 1: we should give kind of a quick overview of the 73 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:28,520 Speaker 1: very odd way that we do things here. Yeah, because 74 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:31,720 Speaker 1: everybody thinks in the United States that everybody goes to 75 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:35,760 Speaker 1: the polls and during a national election like the presidential 76 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 1: election and elects the president, one person has one vote, 77 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:43,400 Speaker 1: and that is definitely true. Each person does have a vote. 78 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:47,160 Speaker 1: But the thing is, we have something called the electoral college, 79 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:51,680 Speaker 1: and rather than directly elect the president through a popular vote, 80 00:04:52,320 --> 00:04:55,920 Speaker 1: we have an indirect way of electing the president where 81 00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:58,400 Speaker 1: all those people who go to the polls are going 82 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:01,320 Speaker 1: to the polls to ca to ballot whether they know 83 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:06,840 Speaker 1: it or not, for the the electors for each party. 84 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:10,159 Speaker 1: So if you voted for Donald Trump in two thousand twenties, 85 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:13,520 Speaker 1: say what you're voting for is not necessarily Donald Trump. 86 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:18,040 Speaker 1: You're voting for your state's Republican Party electors to go 87 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:21,320 Speaker 1: to the electoral College to cast their vote for Donald Trump. 88 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:25,039 Speaker 1: Hopefully that is the indirect way of electing the president 89 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:29,040 Speaker 1: that we have. And under this situation, under this indirect 90 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:33,840 Speaker 1: electoral college setup that we have, you can actually get 91 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:38,240 Speaker 1: elected president without winning the popular vote. And that's what 92 00:05:38,279 --> 00:05:44,119 Speaker 1: happened in two thousand sixteen. Yes, twice, very recently happened 93 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 1: in the two thousand election where Al Gore I think 94 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:50,560 Speaker 1: one the popular vote by half a million votes. Happened 95 00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:53,360 Speaker 1: in two thousands sixteen where Hillary Clinton won the popular 96 00:05:53,440 --> 00:05:56,159 Speaker 1: vote by almost three million votes, like two point nine million. 97 00:05:56,320 --> 00:05:57,719 Speaker 1: And then it happened a couple of times in the 98 00:05:57,839 --> 00:06:01,240 Speaker 1: I think the nineteenth century didn't four times, Yeah, the 99 00:06:01,279 --> 00:06:04,840 Speaker 1: other two are pretty far back. And all four times, UM, 100 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:08,680 Speaker 1: Republican candidates lost the popular vote and ended up being 101 00:06:08,839 --> 00:06:12,719 Speaker 1: the winning the election. UM. And and we'll get into, 102 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:14,920 Speaker 1: you know, changes on the horizon as far as that goes. 103 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:17,279 Speaker 1: But to kind of put a pin in the electoral 104 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 1: college how it specifically works, as UM, each senator from 105 00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:24,640 Speaker 1: each state, which is two senators, because each state has 106 00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:29,920 Speaker 1: to get a vote, and then UM for each representative 107 00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:33,440 Speaker 1: in the House. Uh, they get a vote, and everywhere 108 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:36,479 Speaker 1: except for Maine in Nebraska does what's called a winner 109 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:40,359 Speaker 1: take all. So um, if if everyone in Georgia or 110 00:06:40,440 --> 00:06:43,680 Speaker 1: you know, if Georgia votes for for, let's say, Joe Biden, 111 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:47,480 Speaker 1: then everybody, all the electors would have to vote for 112 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:51,360 Speaker 1: Joe Biden and cast that vote in Maine. In Nebraska, 113 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:54,920 Speaker 1: what they do is I think they and the goal here, 114 00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:57,240 Speaker 1: by the ways, two and seventy electoral votes if you 115 00:06:57,240 --> 00:07:01,280 Speaker 1: want to win the presidency. But they do the district system, 116 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:04,039 Speaker 1: which is they award two of those electoral votes to 117 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:07,640 Speaker 1: the statewide popular vote winner, and then they go, I 118 00:07:07,680 --> 00:07:11,560 Speaker 1: think just a district by district, don't they Yeah, they do, 119 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:15,520 Speaker 1: and so so um you can win. You know, if 120 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:19,880 Speaker 1: you win your statewide election in Maine or in UM Nebraska, 121 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:25,120 Speaker 1: you get two electoral votes automatically, and then you get 122 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:27,960 Speaker 1: one for each district that you want, which is it 123 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:30,560 Speaker 1: seems a little more fair. It does seem a little 124 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:32,880 Speaker 1: more fair. But I saw that UM on fair vote 125 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:35,040 Speaker 1: dot Org. They they said, if you do the math, 126 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 1: it's actually way less fair a raational level. Yeah, like 127 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 1: maybe it works for Maine in Nebraska, but if all 128 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:43,280 Speaker 1: states did that, you would be able to eke out 129 00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:48,480 Speaker 1: and even more imbalance between an electoral college win and 130 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:51,720 Speaker 1: a loss of the popular vote. I saw somebody put 131 00:07:51,760 --> 00:07:56,800 Speaker 1: out that they there is a path to two hundred 132 00:07:56,800 --> 00:08:01,760 Speaker 1: and seventy electoral votes, so you would win the presidency 133 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:07,559 Speaker 1: while also getting just like of the popular vote. Um 134 00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:09,720 Speaker 1: that you like to think that could never happen, but 135 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:13,960 Speaker 1: apparently mathematically with this setup of the electoral college, it 136 00:08:14,040 --> 00:08:17,400 Speaker 1: could happen. And the reason why is because one the 137 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:20,440 Speaker 1: electoral college exists, like you said, and then too because 138 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:23,200 Speaker 1: of that winner take all system to where it doesn't 139 00:08:23,240 --> 00:08:26,240 Speaker 1: matter whether you win a state by one vote, you 140 00:08:26,280 --> 00:08:29,720 Speaker 1: get all of the electoral votes for that one state, 141 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:35,760 Speaker 1: and so um in in in creating swing states, the 142 00:08:35,800 --> 00:08:39,440 Speaker 1: electoral college also creates what are called safe states. And 143 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:43,559 Speaker 1: a safe state is where so many people so reliably 144 00:08:43,679 --> 00:08:49,880 Speaker 1: vote for the party that that candidate UM is running for, UH, 145 00:08:49,920 --> 00:08:52,240 Speaker 1: that you can just count on that state giving like 146 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:56,720 Speaker 1: winning their their electoral votes, and you actually start with 147 00:08:56,800 --> 00:08:59,720 Speaker 1: a base of that that that like, UM, let's say 148 00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:04,280 Speaker 1: there's a hundred and seventy solid electoral votes among like 149 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:08,280 Speaker 1: twenty states for Democrats. Right, that is what you would 150 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:12,160 Speaker 1: rely on, not just on election day but throughout the campaign. 151 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:14,680 Speaker 1: And so you're not spending much time or money in 152 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:16,920 Speaker 1: those states because those are safe states. You don't need 153 00:09:16,960 --> 00:09:18,960 Speaker 1: to It doesn't make any sense to do that. It 154 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:21,400 Speaker 1: makes way more sense to spend all of your time 155 00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:25,200 Speaker 1: and money and attention on those swing states because those 156 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:27,880 Speaker 1: are the ones that aren't necessarily safe, but they're also 157 00:09:27,960 --> 00:09:30,800 Speaker 1: not necessarily leaning the other way either, and you could 158 00:09:30,800 --> 00:09:34,160 Speaker 1: conceivably put those swing states together to create that two 159 00:09:34,280 --> 00:09:37,840 Speaker 1: hundred and seventy or more electoral votes which should lead 160 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:41,080 Speaker 1: you to the presidency. Right. But you know, it's gotten 161 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:44,920 Speaker 1: a little tricky here in recent years because, uh, there 162 00:09:44,920 --> 00:09:46,959 Speaker 1: are a few swing states that are kind of really 163 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:50,960 Speaker 1: solidly swingy, and then there have been a few that 164 00:09:51,080 --> 00:09:54,080 Speaker 1: are more swingy or less swingy. And you have to 165 00:09:54,080 --> 00:09:55,920 Speaker 1: make a decision as a candidate where you're going to 166 00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:58,560 Speaker 1: spend your money in your time, and that's where polling 167 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:02,440 Speaker 1: comes in. UM. A lot of people say that perhaps 168 00:10:02,520 --> 00:10:05,520 Speaker 1: Hillary Clinton didn't spend enough time in certain states that 169 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:10,720 Speaker 1: ended up flipping to Donald Trump. Um, it's all strategy. UM, 170 00:10:10,760 --> 00:10:13,839 Speaker 1: I think now we can maybe take a little extended 171 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:16,400 Speaker 1: sidebar here about this whole blue state red state thing 172 00:10:16,400 --> 00:10:20,480 Speaker 1: with I thought was very interesting because it here in 173 00:10:20,520 --> 00:10:23,720 Speaker 1: America we have blue states and red states. The blue 174 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:27,120 Speaker 1: states are the Democratic leaning states. The red states are 175 00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:30,560 Speaker 1: the Republican leading states. Um. If you are sort of 176 00:10:30,559 --> 00:10:32,600 Speaker 1: in the mix, maybe a swing state, they might call 177 00:10:32,679 --> 00:10:35,040 Speaker 1: you purple in the news. If you hear that, that's 178 00:10:35,040 --> 00:10:38,040 Speaker 1: what that means. But it didn't always used to be 179 00:10:38,120 --> 00:10:41,040 Speaker 1: these colors. Uh, And I got this from NPR. I 180 00:10:41,080 --> 00:10:44,000 Speaker 1: found it interesting to know that when the colors first 181 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:50,160 Speaker 1: started being assigned in the mid nineteen seventies, Uh, the uh, 182 00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:54,840 Speaker 1: the Democrats were red and the Republicans were blue. Yeah. 183 00:10:54,920 --> 00:11:00,480 Speaker 1: So supposedly blue was traditionally the republicans um color because 184 00:11:00,480 --> 00:11:03,760 Speaker 1: it was the color of the Union during the Civil War. UM, 185 00:11:03,800 --> 00:11:06,760 Speaker 1: and the Union was led by Abraham Lincoln, who was Republican. 186 00:11:07,320 --> 00:11:10,760 Speaker 1: And then also apparently in Europe, the conservative parties are 187 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:13,440 Speaker 1: typically associated with the color blue, So it made more sense, 188 00:11:13,480 --> 00:11:17,320 Speaker 1: at least at first, to have Republicans be blue and 189 00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:21,160 Speaker 1: Democrats be read. And supposedly that's where it debuted back 190 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:24,440 Speaker 1: in nineteen seventy six here in the United States on 191 00:11:24,640 --> 00:11:28,280 Speaker 1: NBC because NBC was the first network to um have 192 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:31,720 Speaker 1: to go full color, and so in election Night nineteen 193 00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:34,560 Speaker 1: seventies six, they said, check out our amazing interactive map. 194 00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:38,480 Speaker 1: Blue states are gonna be ones that Republicans have one, 195 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:41,000 Speaker 1: Red states are gonna be ones that Democrats have one, 196 00:11:41,520 --> 00:11:43,400 Speaker 1: and um, have you did you see a picture of 197 00:11:43,440 --> 00:11:47,680 Speaker 1: the map. It looks like a giant stained glass window 198 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:51,240 Speaker 1: the United States. It does not look super flashy or 199 00:11:51,240 --> 00:11:53,320 Speaker 1: anything now, but at the time it was like, knock 200 00:11:53,400 --> 00:11:58,079 Speaker 1: your socks off. Technologically advanced, I guess, yeah. But UM, 201 00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:00,040 Speaker 1: here's the thing is, those colors weren't locked in and 202 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:02,880 Speaker 1: like there was never any you know, vote about those 203 00:12:02,920 --> 00:12:04,880 Speaker 1: colors or anything like that. They just sort of went 204 00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:09,760 Speaker 1: that way. Um, As more and more TV networks went color, UM, 205 00:12:09,880 --> 00:12:12,200 Speaker 1: they went with other colors, and it got a little 206 00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:15,720 Speaker 1: bit confusing. Um. Depending on which which network you were watching, 207 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:19,200 Speaker 1: you might see different colors representing different parties. I think 208 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:21,680 Speaker 1: always red and blue. But they were kind of flip flopped. 209 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:26,400 Speaker 1: And it wasn't until two thousand uh and the Washington Post, 210 00:12:26,679 --> 00:12:30,120 Speaker 1: Uh they credit Tim Russert. Um, I think the late 211 00:12:30,120 --> 00:12:33,480 Speaker 1: Tim Russert. He passed away to men. Yeah, they credit 212 00:12:33,480 --> 00:12:36,400 Speaker 1: Tim Russert with kind of locking in what we now 213 00:12:36,440 --> 00:12:39,720 Speaker 1: know as blue states and red states, Blue being for Democrat, 214 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:42,720 Speaker 1: red for Republican during the two thousand election between Gore 215 00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:47,840 Speaker 1: and Bush. And these colors are important because it's uh 216 00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:49,959 Speaker 1: and one of these writers in here, what's his name, 217 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:52,680 Speaker 1: Bill Bishop, Uh, he's from Texas. He wrote a book 218 00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:55,480 Speaker 1: called The Big Sort, and he kind of makes a 219 00:12:55,520 --> 00:12:58,600 Speaker 1: really good point that has become a shorthand of not 220 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:01,800 Speaker 1: just a leaning of the state, but sort of a lifestyle. 221 00:13:01,960 --> 00:13:05,160 Speaker 1: Like you hear things like, you know, it's a really 222 00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:09,079 Speaker 1: blue neighborhood or a red community, and you kind of 223 00:13:09,120 --> 00:13:12,560 Speaker 1: know that's shorthand for a certain thing in this country now. Yeah, 224 00:13:12,600 --> 00:13:16,000 Speaker 1: And and part of the problem with with especially designating 225 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:19,320 Speaker 1: entire states as like red or blue um is that 226 00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:22,160 Speaker 1: it makes it seem like there's this homogeneous group that 227 00:13:22,360 --> 00:13:25,079 Speaker 1: is that is that the whole state thinks that way, 228 00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:27,200 Speaker 1: And that's not necessarily true. I Mean, there's plenty of 229 00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:30,320 Speaker 1: states out there that that are considered red states, but 230 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:33,040 Speaker 1: they were won by one and a half percent or 231 00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:35,679 Speaker 1: three percent. You know, it's like a very close call, 232 00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:39,120 Speaker 1: but it went Republican in the presidential election, so it's 233 00:13:39,160 --> 00:13:41,360 Speaker 1: a red state or like you said, you know you 234 00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:43,839 Speaker 1: can you can get it down to like community level, 235 00:13:43,880 --> 00:13:46,200 Speaker 1: that kind of thing. And in doing so, all you're 236 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:50,360 Speaker 1: doing is sewing this division, that of tribal ism that 237 00:13:50,440 --> 00:13:53,079 Speaker 1: exists in the United States to where it's just so 238 00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:55,960 Speaker 1: easy to have this allegiance to blue or red. They 239 00:13:56,040 --> 00:13:58,760 Speaker 1: don't even make it donkey or elephant any longer. It's 240 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:00,880 Speaker 1: blue and red. It's one of the most basic things 241 00:14:00,920 --> 00:14:04,240 Speaker 1: you can you can sort by, which is colors um 242 00:14:04,320 --> 00:14:06,360 Speaker 1: and it's a it's a it's a real problem in 243 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:13,480 Speaker 1: that it's somehow stokes that mentality that in group out 244 00:14:13,480 --> 00:14:17,360 Speaker 1: group mentality that is so problematic in the United States 245 00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:21,600 Speaker 1: right now and is drowning the country as we speak. Basically, 246 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:24,200 Speaker 1: I hate to say it, but it's absolutely true. It 247 00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:27,240 Speaker 1: really is. And it's especially annoying if you have political 248 00:14:27,320 --> 00:14:29,360 Speaker 1: leanings like I do and live in a state like 249 00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:34,000 Speaker 1: Georgia that is for the past you know, uh twenty 250 00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:37,680 Speaker 1: plus years been solidly read and then you know, you 251 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:39,480 Speaker 1: have you know, you used to live in California, have 252 00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:42,480 Speaker 1: plenty of friends in California who say things about you know, 253 00:14:42,600 --> 00:14:46,680 Speaker 1: places like Georgia with such a disdain right, and just 254 00:14:46,800 --> 00:14:49,760 Speaker 1: it just bothers me so much because it is, you know, 255 00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:52,200 Speaker 1: these and the thing can be said for people on 256 00:14:52,240 --> 00:14:54,960 Speaker 1: the other side of the political spectrum. It's not exclusive 257 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:57,480 Speaker 1: to to me being a liberal in Georgia. It's I'm 258 00:14:57,520 --> 00:15:03,600 Speaker 1: sure the same frustrations happened for Republicans in Massachusetts. Absolutely, yeah, 259 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:06,240 Speaker 1: I'm I'm quite sure in that. I think it was. 260 00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:09,200 Speaker 1: I don't know what article that came from. They point 261 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:11,840 Speaker 1: out that those people are some of the most die 262 00:15:11,880 --> 00:15:16,160 Speaker 1: hard partisans you'll find, you know, people who are minority 263 00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:19,040 Speaker 1: in their state because they feel like they're really carrying 264 00:15:19,040 --> 00:15:22,160 Speaker 1: the flag for their party or whatever. Um. But yeah, 265 00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 1: it's it's it's a real problem and all it takes 266 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:26,960 Speaker 1: away all nuance, and it also makes people think like, oh, 267 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:29,920 Speaker 1: you're you're from a red state. I can't work with you. 268 00:15:30,440 --> 00:15:32,600 Speaker 1: My constituents won't like it if I work with you 269 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:36,040 Speaker 1: red state person, rather than you're from Wisconsin and I'm 270 00:15:36,040 --> 00:15:39,120 Speaker 1: from California. Let's figure out how to make this highway 271 00:15:39,120 --> 00:15:41,760 Speaker 1: bill make more sense kind of thing, you know. Yeah, 272 00:15:41,800 --> 00:15:43,920 Speaker 1: Emily and I have a lot of conversations about the 273 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:48,880 Speaker 1: lack of nuance in today's uh world, and it's I 274 00:15:48,880 --> 00:15:50,640 Speaker 1: think that's one of the biggest problems we have going 275 00:15:50,680 --> 00:15:53,800 Speaker 1: on right now. Nuance has been lost in everything, is 276 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:56,480 Speaker 1: carved very much into red and blue and black and white. 277 00:15:56,520 --> 00:15:59,600 Speaker 1: And it's sad. And you know what is what another 278 00:15:59,640 --> 00:16:02,280 Speaker 1: thing that makes it sad too is it's not just 279 00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:06,440 Speaker 1: like that's just appealing to the lowest common denominator. It 280 00:16:06,600 --> 00:16:11,400 Speaker 1: activates in all people, including brilliant, intelligent people who are 281 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:14,600 Speaker 1: otherwise normally level headed, that they still have that part 282 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:17,400 Speaker 1: of their brain stimilar They're like on blue arm red. Um. 283 00:16:17,680 --> 00:16:21,480 Speaker 1: I I affiliate with that, and I hate the opposite. 284 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:25,000 Speaker 1: It's um. It is that when you lose nuance, a 285 00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:27,640 Speaker 1: lot of stuff goes out the window with it. All Right, well, 286 00:16:27,680 --> 00:16:30,160 Speaker 1: let's take a break. That was our first soapbox of 287 00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:33,280 Speaker 1: the day. I didn't I thought we started out on 288 00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:36,640 Speaker 1: a soapbox was going to be I think pretty even 289 00:16:36,680 --> 00:16:40,560 Speaker 1: handed soapboxes. So right, sure, alright, well we'll come back 290 00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:43,280 Speaker 1: and we'll build another soapbox in the next couple of 291 00:16:43,280 --> 00:17:16,440 Speaker 1: minutes and we'll be back right after this and shocking, okay, um, 292 00:17:16,560 --> 00:17:20,320 Speaker 1: so with we're back on swing states, right, and I 293 00:17:20,359 --> 00:17:23,280 Speaker 1: think we should kind of talk about how how they 294 00:17:23,359 --> 00:17:28,639 Speaker 1: swing or how they have swung or swang uh recently 295 00:17:29,320 --> 00:17:31,760 Speaker 1: because with swing states like you, you kind of get 296 00:17:31,760 --> 00:17:35,240 Speaker 1: this idea that they're they're the same all all the time. 297 00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:38,240 Speaker 1: That's just not the case, especially not lately. Uh. It 298 00:17:38,280 --> 00:17:43,880 Speaker 1: seems like in two thousand and sixteen we're both watershed 299 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:49,800 Speaker 1: years as far as just completely recoloring the electoral map. Uh. 300 00:17:49,840 --> 00:17:52,680 Speaker 1: And in Bill Clinton did it and in two thousand 301 00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:55,600 Speaker 1: and sixteen Donald Trump did it, and it just surprised 302 00:17:55,680 --> 00:18:00,639 Speaker 1: everybody both times. Yeah, ninety two and if uh, you know, 303 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:03,600 Speaker 1: if you're our age or younger, you might not have 304 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:06,080 Speaker 1: been super hip to politics when you were in high school, 305 00:18:06,160 --> 00:18:09,080 Speaker 1: let's say, or early college, and you may not know 306 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:12,320 Speaker 1: that there was what was called a red wall. They 307 00:18:12,359 --> 00:18:14,000 Speaker 1: didn't call it a red wall back then, but it 308 00:18:14,080 --> 00:18:17,959 Speaker 1: was a red wall where there was UM. Republicans had 309 00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:22,639 Speaker 1: a pretty firm lock on the electoral college. Uh in 310 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:27,359 Speaker 1: that from nineteen sixty six to nine, twenty one states 311 00:18:27,680 --> 00:18:32,520 Speaker 1: voted Republican every single election. Uh. And that included you 312 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:37,840 Speaker 1: might be surprised to hear, uh, California, Illinois and New Jersey, 313 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:41,720 Speaker 1: in Virginia and here's the one that's going to really 314 00:18:41,720 --> 00:18:47,560 Speaker 1: make your heart stop. Vermont. Yeah. Traditionally, Republican voted twenty 315 00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:53,120 Speaker 1: one times in a row, and that is a electoral votes. So, uh, 316 00:18:53,240 --> 00:18:56,040 Speaker 1: they the Democrats had a pretty big disadvantage going into 317 00:18:56,160 --> 00:18:59,800 Speaker 1: nine historically, meaning that they had to win more than 318 00:18:59,840 --> 00:19:04,600 Speaker 1: three quarters of the remaining electoral votes. Um for these 319 00:19:04,680 --> 00:19:06,920 Speaker 1: you know, quote unquote competitive or up in the upper 320 00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:10,000 Speaker 1: grab states. And that's not counting d C, which Democrats 321 00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:12,200 Speaker 1: have always got a lock on. Yeah, for the last 322 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:16,160 Speaker 1: fourteen elections, DC has always gone Democrat, right. Um, So 323 00:19:16,760 --> 00:19:20,720 Speaker 1: that the common wisdom was that when George H. W. 324 00:19:20,920 --> 00:19:23,359 Speaker 1: Bush went up for re election, not only was he 325 00:19:23,480 --> 00:19:26,320 Speaker 1: the incumbent president, which means that you're supposed to be 326 00:19:26,359 --> 00:19:31,400 Speaker 1: favored typically. Um, he also had this red wall which 327 00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:33,080 Speaker 1: I don't know what they called it, but this lock 328 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:36,879 Speaker 1: on the electoral college, and uh, it was presumed that 329 00:19:36,920 --> 00:19:39,439 Speaker 1: he was probably gonna win. And then Bill Clinton came along, 330 00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:44,840 Speaker 1: and um, he flipped nine states from that red wall, 331 00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:47,840 Speaker 1: not just the swing states, he flipped nine of those 332 00:19:47,880 --> 00:19:51,480 Speaker 1: red wall states, um, which was a hundred and eighteen 333 00:19:51,560 --> 00:19:55,199 Speaker 1: electoral votes and ended up winning three hundred and seventy 334 00:19:55,240 --> 00:19:59,200 Speaker 1: two hundred and sixty eight for in the electoral College votes. 335 00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:03,679 Speaker 1: Somebody bring me a sledgehammer. That's basically what he did, though, 336 00:20:03,720 --> 00:20:07,600 Speaker 1: I mean, it was it was pretty unprecedented, and like 337 00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:11,400 Speaker 1: you said, just flipped the political thinking in this country 338 00:20:11,480 --> 00:20:15,840 Speaker 1: on its ear and flipped them so hard that California, Illinois, 339 00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:21,520 Speaker 1: New Jersey, and Vermont haven't haven't voted Republican since the election. 340 00:20:22,080 --> 00:20:26,000 Speaker 1: So really reshaped the map. Yeah, he flipped those Republican 341 00:20:26,119 --> 00:20:31,520 Speaker 1: lock states into Democrat lock states. That's right. And now 342 00:20:31,640 --> 00:20:33,439 Speaker 1: they call it the Blue Wall, and they do call 343 00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:36,200 Speaker 1: it the blue wall now because blue is firmly ensconced 344 00:20:36,240 --> 00:20:40,800 Speaker 1: as Democrat. And there are eighteen states supposedly among this 345 00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:45,280 Speaker 1: blue wall, along with d C that have voted Democrat 346 00:20:45,359 --> 00:20:48,280 Speaker 1: and each of the most recent six elections from nine 347 00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:55,560 Speaker 1: to two, well previously from ninety two to right. And 348 00:20:55,560 --> 00:20:57,840 Speaker 1: that's when Trump came in and flipped it on it's 349 00:20:57,880 --> 00:21:01,560 Speaker 1: here once again. Yeah, So he flipped some traditionally UM 350 00:21:01,720 --> 00:21:08,880 Speaker 1: Democrats strongholds like Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, UM. And he he 351 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:12,720 Speaker 1: did so by first of all, energizing voters that hadn't 352 00:21:13,119 --> 00:21:16,320 Speaker 1: really been seen at the polls very much um like 353 00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:21,119 Speaker 1: UH voters without higher education diploma. A lot of rural workers, 354 00:21:21,800 --> 00:21:25,360 Speaker 1: especially blue collar workers who had been lifelong Democrats, went 355 00:21:25,400 --> 00:21:29,600 Speaker 1: out and voted for Trump UM and ended up taking 356 00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:33,679 Speaker 1: I think he flipped more than just those three. Oh yeah, Um, 357 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:38,160 Speaker 1: he flipped five Maine and Minnesota. No, no, I'm sorry, 358 00:21:38,240 --> 00:21:40,080 Speaker 1: he flipped those three, and that's how he won the 359 00:21:40,080 --> 00:21:42,760 Speaker 1: electoral college. But he almost won main and he almost 360 00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:46,719 Speaker 1: won Minnesota, and both of them were pretty pretty strong 361 00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:51,359 Speaker 1: Democratic UH states. Minnesota hadn't voted for Republican in like 362 00:21:51,400 --> 00:21:54,720 Speaker 1: fifty years, and he came close to flipping that. And 363 00:21:54,800 --> 00:21:57,080 Speaker 1: so here's the thing we're talking about all these states 364 00:21:57,080 --> 00:22:01,600 Speaker 1: being flipped, because when a state gets lipped in an election, 365 00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:06,240 Speaker 1: especially if it's kind of close or narrowly held rather 366 00:22:06,280 --> 00:22:09,919 Speaker 1: than flipped, that state is probably going to be a 367 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:13,800 Speaker 1: battle ground or swing state in the next election. Yeah. 368 00:22:13,840 --> 00:22:15,720 Speaker 1: So if you're wondering, I mean, we'll list out the 369 00:22:15,720 --> 00:22:17,960 Speaker 1: swing states and sort of in that drama right here. 370 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:19,840 Speaker 1: But if you're wondering if you might be in a 371 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:24,040 Speaker 1: swing state, it has to do with quite a few things. UM. Obviously, 372 00:22:24,040 --> 00:22:28,840 Speaker 1: the voting history there being predictable, UM, if you voted 373 00:22:28,880 --> 00:22:32,000 Speaker 1: for a long long time for a specific party, you're 374 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:36,040 Speaker 1: probably not a swing state. UM. If your demo demographics 375 00:22:36,080 --> 00:22:41,760 Speaker 1: in in that state are UM traditionally really supports the 376 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:43,560 Speaker 1: same candidate, then you're probably not going to be a 377 00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:47,760 Speaker 1: swing state. The fact is that most voters in most 378 00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:51,439 Speaker 1: regions of the country, or most regions of the states 379 00:22:51,480 --> 00:22:55,720 Speaker 1: in this country, they vote based on UM. They have 380 00:22:55,800 --> 00:22:59,320 Speaker 1: really different opinions based on the experience of just literally 381 00:22:59,359 --> 00:23:01,800 Speaker 1: the physical play is where they live. Right, So like 382 00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:07,560 Speaker 1: the rural voters typically go UM GOP a Republican, whereas 383 00:23:08,040 --> 00:23:12,919 Speaker 1: people in metropolitan areas, major metropolitan areas frequently go towards 384 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:16,200 Speaker 1: the Democrats, and they have different experiences based on their 385 00:23:16,200 --> 00:23:22,080 Speaker 1: geography UM and depending on how balanced that is, how 386 00:23:22,119 --> 00:23:24,960 Speaker 1: big the metropolis is, how big the rural area is 387 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:28,560 Speaker 1: in a state UM compared to whatever metropolis or capital 388 00:23:28,640 --> 00:23:30,960 Speaker 1: is there, that can make that state of swing state. 389 00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:33,320 Speaker 1: Like North Carolina is a really good example of that. 390 00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:38,880 Speaker 1: There's a lot of highly educated tech types, scientific researchers 391 00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:42,959 Speaker 1: who live in the research triangle UM in North Carolina, 392 00:23:43,240 --> 00:23:45,680 Speaker 1: but there's also a ton of rural voters to who 393 00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:49,600 Speaker 1: are active in politics, and those two balance each other out, 394 00:23:49,600 --> 00:23:52,960 Speaker 1: and so North Carolina is very frequently a swing state 395 00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:56,760 Speaker 1: in presidential elections because of that. Yeah, and you know, 396 00:23:56,840 --> 00:23:59,879 Speaker 1: I want to be clear, we're not like disparaging people 397 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:02,960 Speaker 1: who don't have college diplomas. Um, there are all kinds 398 00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:05,240 Speaker 1: of ways to be smart. Uh. There are a lot 399 00:24:05,240 --> 00:24:07,760 Speaker 1: of people with college diplomas that can't change their oil 400 00:24:07,800 --> 00:24:12,399 Speaker 1: on their car, or you know, or build defense and 401 00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:15,199 Speaker 1: those those are other types of smarts. And they're all 402 00:24:15,240 --> 00:24:18,160 Speaker 1: different ways to be smart. Yeah. Yeah, I'm not saying 403 00:24:18,160 --> 00:24:19,959 Speaker 1: that at all. Now. I think if you listen to 404 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:26,000 Speaker 1: our election polling episode, a divide between college educated and 405 00:24:26,080 --> 00:24:30,800 Speaker 1: non college educated voters was created in two thousands, sixteens 406 00:24:30,920 --> 00:24:33,240 Speaker 1: where it hadn't been there before, and now that is 407 00:24:33,280 --> 00:24:36,840 Speaker 1: a major part of American politics. Right, so along with 408 00:24:36,840 --> 00:24:39,760 Speaker 1: North Carolina this year and again, you know, this is 409 00:24:39,800 --> 00:24:42,879 Speaker 1: what they expect to see. Um, it could be turned on. 410 00:24:42,920 --> 00:24:44,720 Speaker 1: It's here once again, and states could be in the 411 00:24:44,760 --> 00:24:47,960 Speaker 1: mix that we didn't even forecast. You never know. But 412 00:24:48,080 --> 00:24:52,520 Speaker 1: right now they're saying that North Carolina, Arizona, Florida, always 413 00:24:52,600 --> 00:24:57,520 Speaker 1: Florida is so important, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin. Uh. Some people 414 00:24:57,560 --> 00:25:01,640 Speaker 1: say New Hampshire. Some people say Georgia, Uh, that's that's 415 00:25:01,640 --> 00:25:05,600 Speaker 1: a big one. Um, Georgia hasn't voted for a Democratic 416 00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:09,640 Speaker 1: presidential candidate, I think, I mean, has it been since Clinton? Yeah, 417 00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:14,520 Speaker 1: that's what I would say since. And I think Texas 418 00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:20,280 Speaker 1: remarkably and Georgia have both drifted left by four points 419 00:25:20,280 --> 00:25:22,960 Speaker 1: with each of the last couple of elections. And they're 420 00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:27,120 Speaker 1: saying that, you know, it's gonna be very tight in Georgia, 421 00:25:27,119 --> 00:25:29,919 Speaker 1: and I don't think anyone is anticipating that it will flip. 422 00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:32,800 Speaker 1: But it's purple and in the mix for the first 423 00:25:32,800 --> 00:25:35,639 Speaker 1: time in a long time. Yeah, which is really saying 424 00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:39,840 Speaker 1: something because I mean in Georgia, for many years, if 425 00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:43,040 Speaker 1: you were a Democrat, it just did not matter, Like 426 00:25:43,119 --> 00:25:45,800 Speaker 1: you just didn't need to bother to vote. And that's 427 00:25:45,800 --> 00:25:48,439 Speaker 1: a big problem with swing states in the electoral college 428 00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:51,720 Speaker 1: that we'll talk about that metaphorically, by the way, right exactly, 429 00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:54,080 Speaker 1: But I mean there's this this whole concept of a 430 00:25:54,119 --> 00:25:57,159 Speaker 1: wasted vote in a safe state for the opposition party, 431 00:25:57,200 --> 00:26:00,159 Speaker 1: their votes wasted. Um. But we'll talk about that later. 432 00:26:00,480 --> 00:26:04,479 Speaker 1: But um, just like there's some some surprising states that 433 00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:09,040 Speaker 1: are now considered swing states or battleground states. There's also 434 00:26:09,080 --> 00:26:13,320 Speaker 1: some that have customarily been swing states that aren't necessarily 435 00:26:13,720 --> 00:26:17,320 Speaker 1: And the big standout one for that is Ohio. Ohio 436 00:26:17,600 --> 00:26:23,040 Speaker 1: has voted for the president um correctly or I should 437 00:26:23,040 --> 00:26:28,320 Speaker 1: say they went they the nominee or the candidate that 438 00:26:28,320 --> 00:26:32,600 Speaker 1: that Ohio voted for has been the president, the one 439 00:26:32,640 --> 00:26:37,800 Speaker 1: who won the presidential race in like dozens of of 440 00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:42,119 Speaker 1: of elections, maybe not dozens, but they've been voting correctly 441 00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:45,359 Speaker 1: for the president, correctly picking the president. I feel like 442 00:26:45,400 --> 00:26:48,960 Speaker 1: I'm digging myself deeper into a hole here. Anyway. What 443 00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:52,119 Speaker 1: that says about Ohio is that, wow, Ohio is like 444 00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:56,560 Speaker 1: really a thinking group politically speaking, because we have had 445 00:26:56,600 --> 00:27:01,520 Speaker 1: Republican presidents and we have had Democrat president through throughout 446 00:27:01,520 --> 00:27:04,240 Speaker 1: the last few decades and Ohio has you know, voted 447 00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:08,439 Speaker 1: uh differently, you know, just about every time. And that 448 00:27:08,480 --> 00:27:10,879 Speaker 1: says that Ohio is the longstanding swing state. Well, Ohio 449 00:27:11,080 --> 00:27:12,760 Speaker 1: is flipped in two thousand and sixteen, and there's a 450 00:27:12,840 --> 00:27:15,080 Speaker 1: lot of political observers who are like, Ohio is now 451 00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:19,480 Speaker 1: leans conservative, now a red state, and that's a really 452 00:27:19,520 --> 00:27:23,240 Speaker 1: surprising turn of events. For Yeah, I think Colorado, Ohio 453 00:27:23,280 --> 00:27:26,280 Speaker 1: and Virginia are three of the traditional swing states that 454 00:27:26,320 --> 00:27:30,399 Speaker 1: have been taken off that list, Arizona and Georgia. I 455 00:27:30,440 --> 00:27:33,160 Speaker 1: don't think Texas is officially on the list at all, 456 00:27:33,200 --> 00:27:38,320 Speaker 1: but I think because Texas has always been so solidly conservative, 457 00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:42,639 Speaker 1: for it to eke towards the Democrats at all just 458 00:27:42,760 --> 00:27:45,200 Speaker 1: makes it a lot of Hey, so there's a lot 459 00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:47,119 Speaker 1: more talk about it on the news and stuff like 460 00:27:47,160 --> 00:27:50,120 Speaker 1: that because there's so much media influence, and I think 461 00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:53,560 Speaker 1: that the liberal media probably thinks that, like, oh, Texas 462 00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:55,800 Speaker 1: is leaning, maybe we can help push him over the edge. 463 00:27:55,880 --> 00:27:58,720 Speaker 1: We talk about it all the time. Yeah, probably, um, 464 00:27:58,760 --> 00:28:00,399 Speaker 1: because that's how things work if you listen to the 465 00:28:00,440 --> 00:28:03,560 Speaker 1: polling podcast. Uh. And like you mentioned earlier, in Minnesota, 466 00:28:04,119 --> 00:28:08,080 Speaker 1: UM hasn't voted for a Republican in in about fifty years, 467 00:28:08,680 --> 00:28:13,160 Speaker 1: and they are you know, they have inched a little bit, right. Yeah. 468 00:28:13,160 --> 00:28:17,960 Speaker 1: I think Trump just missed Minnesota and Clinton just barely one. 469 00:28:18,040 --> 00:28:21,720 Speaker 1: Minnesota by like three and Maine by one and a 470 00:28:21,760 --> 00:28:24,439 Speaker 1: half percent. So those two are definitely in play like 471 00:28:24,480 --> 00:28:27,080 Speaker 1: they haven't been in a while. Should we take another break. 472 00:28:27,359 --> 00:28:29,240 Speaker 1: Let's take another break, and then we're gonna come back 473 00:28:29,240 --> 00:28:38,080 Speaker 1: and talk about get this swing states, Josh and Shock 474 00:28:50,440 --> 00:29:03,000 Speaker 1: and things like stop so Chuck. One of the things 475 00:29:03,080 --> 00:29:06,800 Speaker 1: that we talked about early on is that UM swing 476 00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:12,800 Speaker 1: states basically tell campaigns where they need to concentrate their focus, 477 00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:17,880 Speaker 1: their money, their candidates time. Uh, you know, election stops, 478 00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:22,360 Speaker 1: that kind of thing, stumping UM and they do that 479 00:29:22,480 --> 00:29:25,560 Speaker 1: like that's that's where the vast majority of the money 480 00:29:25,600 --> 00:29:29,080 Speaker 1: goes is it's advertising campaigns in these swing states. Florida 481 00:29:29,120 --> 00:29:32,120 Speaker 1: is a really good example of a longstanding swing state 482 00:29:32,240 --> 00:29:35,640 Speaker 1: that gets tons and tons of advertising money. Yeah. Florida 483 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:39,960 Speaker 1: is such an interesting state to me because it is 484 00:29:40,080 --> 00:29:43,600 Speaker 1: it's really hard to pin down politically, and I think 485 00:29:43,720 --> 00:29:48,120 Speaker 1: it's because, I think, more so than almost any other 486 00:29:48,200 --> 00:29:54,200 Speaker 1: state except maybe California, I feel like there are more 487 00:29:54,360 --> 00:29:58,320 Speaker 1: versions of Florida than almost any other state has versions 488 00:29:58,360 --> 00:30:01,880 Speaker 1: of itself. Absolutely, and it's not I mean, Florida is 489 00:30:01,880 --> 00:30:05,040 Speaker 1: not small. It's not the side of California. But you know, 490 00:30:05,080 --> 00:30:09,000 Speaker 1: you think about the Gulf Coast and then inland from 491 00:30:09,040 --> 00:30:12,560 Speaker 1: the Gulf Coast, very different people. Yeah, the people Inland 492 00:30:12,600 --> 00:30:16,800 Speaker 1: wouldn't be caught dead in Florabama. Yeah. You think about 493 00:30:17,160 --> 00:30:20,960 Speaker 1: Miami Beach and that area and in Key West and 494 00:30:20,960 --> 00:30:23,720 Speaker 1: Fort Lauderdale, and then you've got the interior of like 495 00:30:23,760 --> 00:30:27,080 Speaker 1: the Tampa Clearwater area, which is really different. And then 496 00:30:27,280 --> 00:30:31,080 Speaker 1: let's not forget about the most magical place on Earth, Orlando. Well, 497 00:30:31,120 --> 00:30:33,040 Speaker 1: you've got Orlando, and then you've also got up in 498 00:30:33,080 --> 00:30:36,080 Speaker 1: the north, you know, borderline Georgia. You have places like 499 00:30:36,160 --> 00:30:40,640 Speaker 1: Jacksonville and St. Augustine, and just Florida has so many 500 00:30:40,680 --> 00:30:43,920 Speaker 1: different kinds of places within its own state that it 501 00:30:43,960 --> 00:30:45,840 Speaker 1: doesn't surprise me that it's really hard to pin down 502 00:30:46,160 --> 00:30:49,160 Speaker 1: politically because it's hard to pin down just sort of culturally, 503 00:30:49,200 --> 00:30:51,800 Speaker 1: I think, right, and because you have so many different 504 00:30:51,840 --> 00:30:55,760 Speaker 1: places that geographically informed the voters, um, that are so 505 00:30:55,920 --> 00:31:01,520 Speaker 1: demographically diverse, all in one state, then that of course 506 00:31:01,600 --> 00:31:03,800 Speaker 1: is going to be a swing state in Florida probably 507 00:31:04,400 --> 00:31:07,080 Speaker 1: always will be a swing state just for those reasons. 508 00:31:07,800 --> 00:31:10,200 Speaker 1: So the retirees are a big um. They always point 509 00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:15,320 Speaker 1: to retirees in Florida traditional conservatives. But apparently the youngest 510 00:31:15,400 --> 00:31:21,480 Speaker 1: three generations amount to registered voters there now, so that's surprising. Yeah, 511 00:31:21,560 --> 00:31:24,240 Speaker 1: I mean, I guess the sad way to say it 512 00:31:24,280 --> 00:31:28,520 Speaker 1: is is that many of these people are dying. Yeah, 513 00:31:28,760 --> 00:31:32,120 Speaker 1: I mean, surely, I mean, there's an elderly population is 514 00:31:32,160 --> 00:31:34,760 Speaker 1: going to eventually die off, then you've got a younger 515 00:31:34,800 --> 00:31:36,960 Speaker 1: population is actually going to age into it. But it 516 00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:41,160 Speaker 1: seems like right now they're the elderly population in Florida 517 00:31:41,480 --> 00:31:45,480 Speaker 1: has been losing ground numbers wise, while the younger populations 518 00:31:45,480 --> 00:31:47,920 Speaker 1: have been gaining ground. There coming after you for a 519 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:50,040 Speaker 1: state because you need all those young people to work 520 00:31:50,080 --> 00:31:53,480 Speaker 1: to take care of all those old peopleres So um, 521 00:31:53,640 --> 00:31:56,720 Speaker 1: Florida gets a tremendous amount of attention, a lot of money, 522 00:31:56,840 --> 00:32:01,640 Speaker 1: a lot of campaign visits, all that stuff. And because 523 00:32:01,640 --> 00:32:04,320 Speaker 1: it's a swing state, all swing states get that kind 524 00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:09,800 Speaker 1: of stuff um in presidential elections. But people in other states, 525 00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:13,320 Speaker 1: especially in solid states that have gone one way for 526 00:32:13,480 --> 00:32:17,440 Speaker 1: many many election cycles, those people say, well, hey, what 527 00:32:17,480 --> 00:32:20,200 Speaker 1: about us. We want attention, we want these campaign stops. 528 00:32:20,240 --> 00:32:22,160 Speaker 1: We have things that are important to us that we 529 00:32:22,200 --> 00:32:24,400 Speaker 1: want to talk to you about and hear from you about. 530 00:32:24,800 --> 00:32:29,680 Speaker 1: We don't care about Florida. We care about uh Idaho, 531 00:32:29,920 --> 00:32:32,840 Speaker 1: So come to Idaho and talk to us in Idaho. 532 00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:35,280 Speaker 1: And the candidate usually says like, I don't even know 533 00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:38,040 Speaker 1: where Idaho is. Please leave me alone. I'm trying to 534 00:32:38,080 --> 00:32:41,400 Speaker 1: pay attention to Florida and you're being very distracting right now. Yeah. 535 00:32:41,480 --> 00:32:44,760 Speaker 1: And here's the thing, Like, in my mind, I say, 536 00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:47,400 Speaker 1: who cares if a presidential candidate comes and talks to 537 00:32:47,440 --> 00:32:51,080 Speaker 1: people at a dumb rally, like like does that really matter? 538 00:32:51,160 --> 00:32:53,600 Speaker 1: But what they do is, you know, it's not just 539 00:32:53,680 --> 00:32:56,400 Speaker 1: a broad sort of let me make a stop there. 540 00:32:56,440 --> 00:33:00,280 Speaker 1: It's very pinpointed and calculated, like they might be going 541 00:33:00,320 --> 00:33:05,480 Speaker 1: after a really specific constituency there, like because how close 542 00:33:05,560 --> 00:33:08,880 Speaker 1: some of these swing states are. Uh, and they might say, 543 00:33:08,920 --> 00:33:13,120 Speaker 1: you know what, if we can get auto workers to 544 00:33:13,240 --> 00:33:16,840 Speaker 1: vote for you will be set. Or if we can 545 00:33:16,880 --> 00:33:21,880 Speaker 1: get people that work on on public roads and infrastructure 546 00:33:22,360 --> 00:33:26,280 Speaker 1: flipped our way, then we can win by a thousand votes. 547 00:33:26,840 --> 00:33:29,080 Speaker 1: And so they may make pit stops in these states 548 00:33:29,720 --> 00:33:31,480 Speaker 1: to go to the factory. I mean, that's why do 549 00:33:31,480 --> 00:33:34,360 Speaker 1: you do that stuff? It's not just to uh, you know, 550 00:33:34,400 --> 00:33:36,520 Speaker 1: it's I mean, it's it's all just very calculated and 551 00:33:36,640 --> 00:33:39,840 Speaker 1: very specific. Right because the viewer on TV is like, hey, 552 00:33:39,880 --> 00:33:41,800 Speaker 1: I work in a factory and they're in a factory 553 00:33:41,880 --> 00:33:44,320 Speaker 1: right now. They must mean that they really identify with 554 00:33:44,440 --> 00:33:46,880 Speaker 1: my needs and wants. Well, true, And that's someone from 555 00:33:46,880 --> 00:33:49,160 Speaker 1: another state that also just happens to work in a factory. 556 00:33:49,200 --> 00:33:52,480 Speaker 1: But the people in that state, I feel like, Wow, 557 00:33:52,520 --> 00:33:55,880 Speaker 1: they're here to talk to the coal miners, right. I 558 00:33:55,960 --> 00:33:58,840 Speaker 1: can't believe they came to Michigan. No one ever comes 559 00:33:58,840 --> 00:34:02,000 Speaker 1: to Michigan on purpose. Hey, we went to Michigan on 560 00:34:02,040 --> 00:34:06,840 Speaker 1: purpose once, are we? We haven't ragged on Detroit in 561 00:34:06,920 --> 00:34:08,960 Speaker 1: a long time. No, it's been a while, but that's 562 00:34:09,040 --> 00:34:11,760 Speaker 1: really what we're talking about. Michigan is code for Detroit 563 00:34:11,800 --> 00:34:14,040 Speaker 1: when you're talking about not going to Michigan. But it's 564 00:34:14,080 --> 00:34:17,880 Speaker 1: just interesting how pinpointed and how um just like razor 565 00:34:18,000 --> 00:34:21,880 Speaker 1: sharp and focused and laser focus campaigns are these days 566 00:34:21,920 --> 00:34:25,000 Speaker 1: with talking to very specific groups of people. If they 567 00:34:25,040 --> 00:34:27,520 Speaker 1: think they can win a thousand votes out of a state, 568 00:34:27,600 --> 00:34:30,320 Speaker 1: that that could make a difference. It can because again 569 00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:34,720 Speaker 1: here's here's why a thousand lit literally a thousand votes 570 00:34:35,560 --> 00:34:40,560 Speaker 1: could make the president UM in a state because of 571 00:34:40,600 --> 00:34:44,279 Speaker 1: that winner take all electoral votes. Whereas if like those 572 00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:48,239 Speaker 1: states use the district system like Maine in Nebraska, UM, 573 00:34:48,280 --> 00:34:52,640 Speaker 1: you know, if you won, you might get half of 574 00:34:52,680 --> 00:34:55,200 Speaker 1: the delegates and they get the other half. Basically, but 575 00:34:55,320 --> 00:34:57,280 Speaker 1: the fact that it's winner take all is that. Yeah, 576 00:34:57,480 --> 00:35:00,800 Speaker 1: those extra thousand votes really count in a good sized 577 00:35:00,840 --> 00:35:05,080 Speaker 1: state for ten electoral votes twenty electoral votes, So it's 578 00:35:05,480 --> 00:35:08,399 Speaker 1: definitely worth spending that much time and focus on one 579 00:35:08,480 --> 00:35:11,080 Speaker 1: single state, and a lot of other states resent a 580 00:35:11,080 --> 00:35:14,200 Speaker 1: lot of non swing states. So safe states resents swing 581 00:35:14,280 --> 00:35:18,200 Speaker 1: states because they say, basically, it's up to Ohio and 582 00:35:18,280 --> 00:35:21,160 Speaker 1: Virginia to decide who gets to be president. The rest 583 00:35:21,160 --> 00:35:23,160 Speaker 1: of us are going to go vote is we're expected 584 00:35:23,200 --> 00:35:25,640 Speaker 1: to because if you're in a safe state, it doesn't 585 00:35:25,680 --> 00:35:27,839 Speaker 1: matter if you win by a thousand votes or win 586 00:35:27,880 --> 00:35:31,160 Speaker 1: by a million votes. You're gonna it's winner take all 587 00:35:31,200 --> 00:35:33,280 Speaker 1: again too, So you're not gonna pay that much attention, 588 00:35:33,360 --> 00:35:36,680 Speaker 1: and really you're not in a way, you're not producing 589 00:35:36,680 --> 00:35:39,920 Speaker 1: the president. That's a little cynical in my opinion, because 590 00:35:40,120 --> 00:35:43,799 Speaker 1: without that solid safe state, you wouldn't have that foundation 591 00:35:43,920 --> 00:35:47,760 Speaker 1: that the president the candidate is building the swing state 592 00:35:48,120 --> 00:35:52,120 Speaker 1: um electoral votes off of. I don't think that's fully accurate, 593 00:35:52,160 --> 00:35:54,080 Speaker 1: but there does seem to be like some sour grapes 594 00:35:54,120 --> 00:35:58,600 Speaker 1: among safe state people. That makes sense to me most 595 00:35:58,640 --> 00:36:02,000 Speaker 1: of all. Chuck when you're talking walking about people who 596 00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:04,920 Speaker 1: feel like their vote is wasted because they're voting for 597 00:36:04,960 --> 00:36:09,319 Speaker 1: the party. That's the opposite of how the state traditionally goes. 598 00:36:09,600 --> 00:36:11,920 Speaker 1: So if you're a Georgia voter and you're a Democrat 599 00:36:12,239 --> 00:36:15,960 Speaker 1: for the last several elections, you could very easily feel 600 00:36:15,960 --> 00:36:18,319 Speaker 1: like your vote was so wasted you might not even 601 00:36:18,320 --> 00:36:21,520 Speaker 1: bother going to the pulse because your vote in this 602 00:36:21,640 --> 00:36:24,359 Speaker 1: sense of electoral college. And this is a really good 603 00:36:24,400 --> 00:36:27,560 Speaker 1: reason to do away with the electoral college. As far 604 00:36:27,600 --> 00:36:32,040 Speaker 1: as the electoral college is concerned, your vote didn't count you. 605 00:36:32,040 --> 00:36:34,480 Speaker 1: You had no reason to go vote as far as 606 00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:38,279 Speaker 1: electing the president goes, because it was washed away and 607 00:36:38,400 --> 00:36:40,960 Speaker 1: drowned out by all the other votes that went towards 608 00:36:41,000 --> 00:36:43,040 Speaker 1: the other candidate. And since it's a winner take all 609 00:36:43,120 --> 00:36:47,040 Speaker 1: system of electoral votes, that that your vote didn't matter 610 00:36:47,120 --> 00:36:49,400 Speaker 1: because they were always going to win all those delegates 611 00:36:49,400 --> 00:36:54,040 Speaker 1: because you were going to get out voted. Right. But um, 612 00:36:54,080 --> 00:36:57,040 Speaker 1: and and I'm glad you said president specifically, you should 613 00:36:57,040 --> 00:36:59,960 Speaker 1: always vote for the president, of course, But um, there 614 00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:04,879 Speaker 1: are so many ballot measures in local um local considerations 615 00:37:04,880 --> 00:37:07,840 Speaker 1: on the ballot local elections that really have such an 616 00:37:07,880 --> 00:37:11,919 Speaker 1: impact that you always always always vote UM. But it's 617 00:37:11,920 --> 00:37:15,000 Speaker 1: almost like It's almost like filling out your census form. 618 00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:17,919 Speaker 1: In a way, it's the only information that we have 619 00:37:18,680 --> 00:37:22,840 Speaker 1: of where a state is politically, is you casting your vote. 620 00:37:23,080 --> 00:37:25,960 Speaker 1: So if you cast your vote in Georgia like I do, 621 00:37:26,520 --> 00:37:29,680 Speaker 1: and Donald Trump wins Georgia, again, it's not a wasted 622 00:37:29,760 --> 00:37:33,240 Speaker 1: vote because the Democratic Party will look up the numbers 623 00:37:33,280 --> 00:37:35,839 Speaker 1: and say, wow, you know, like they're doing. Now, look 624 00:37:35,840 --> 00:37:38,000 Speaker 1: how many you know, Stacy Abrams almost got elected. The 625 00:37:38,040 --> 00:37:41,760 Speaker 1: first African American female governor in the United States, almost 626 00:37:41,800 --> 00:37:44,879 Speaker 1: won in Georgia in an election that many people thought 627 00:37:44,960 --> 00:37:48,480 Speaker 1: was undermined by the Republican candidate with voter suppression, and 628 00:37:48,480 --> 00:37:50,920 Speaker 1: that was a big deal. So now that's why so 629 00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:53,880 Speaker 1: much attention is on Georgia, because it's like you're filling 630 00:37:53,880 --> 00:37:56,680 Speaker 1: out your little census thing, you're casting that vote, and 631 00:37:57,000 --> 00:37:58,799 Speaker 1: they're saying, Okay, well George is in the mix. Now 632 00:37:58,840 --> 00:38:02,480 Speaker 1: we're gonna We're gonna campaign in Georgia. Moore. Plus, also, 633 00:38:02,560 --> 00:38:05,080 Speaker 1: there's another really good reason to vote in those situations 634 00:38:05,120 --> 00:38:08,240 Speaker 1: as well. Um, Like, I'm sure other voters in Vermont 635 00:38:08,280 --> 00:38:10,400 Speaker 1: who felt like they were probably wasting their vote in 636 00:38:11,239 --> 00:38:14,239 Speaker 1: two but they went dutifully to the polls and exercise 637 00:38:14,360 --> 00:38:18,000 Speaker 1: their real, basic important right as a citizen there, right 638 00:38:18,040 --> 00:38:21,959 Speaker 1: to vote. Um. And Bill Clinton ended up flipping the state. 639 00:38:22,239 --> 00:38:24,040 Speaker 1: Had those people been like it's just a waste to 640 00:38:24,120 --> 00:38:26,560 Speaker 1: vote anyway and stay at home, that state wouldn't have 641 00:38:26,640 --> 00:38:31,080 Speaker 1: been flipped. The same goes for Wisconsin or Michigan for 642 00:38:31,160 --> 00:38:35,040 Speaker 1: Trump in two thousand sixteen. Um. So there's a lot 643 00:38:35,080 --> 00:38:37,920 Speaker 1: of good reasons to go out and vote, even if 644 00:38:37,920 --> 00:38:40,520 Speaker 1: you feel like your vote is wasted. That's just it's 645 00:38:40,560 --> 00:38:44,600 Speaker 1: just too cynical, you know, And I understand especially in 646 00:38:44,640 --> 00:38:47,799 Speaker 1: the in the during the coronavirus pandemic. You know, things 647 00:38:47,840 --> 00:38:52,799 Speaker 1: are definitely different, but under normal circumstances, especially the idea 648 00:38:52,840 --> 00:38:55,560 Speaker 1: of just staying home and not voting unless you're protesting 649 00:38:55,600 --> 00:39:01,360 Speaker 1: against your party's candidate. That's different. But candidate okay, sure, 650 00:39:01,640 --> 00:39:03,360 Speaker 1: I mean just the idea of getting out to the 651 00:39:03,360 --> 00:39:06,919 Speaker 1: polls on election dame, participating in government on that one 652 00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:11,319 Speaker 1: day every four years. Even it's important, it's it's just 653 00:39:11,480 --> 00:39:14,480 Speaker 1: important in ways that you can't fully put your finger on, 654 00:39:14,560 --> 00:39:17,279 Speaker 1: but you just know it's important and important enough to 655 00:39:17,360 --> 00:39:19,520 Speaker 1: just do it. Well, it's a right that people in 656 00:39:19,520 --> 00:39:22,920 Speaker 1: this country literally lost their lives to ensure and it's 657 00:39:22,920 --> 00:39:26,520 Speaker 1: a right that not everyone in this country had until 658 00:39:26,560 --> 00:39:29,479 Speaker 1: fairly recently. Uh, and so it would be a very 659 00:39:29,480 --> 00:39:32,000 Speaker 1: sort of privileged. I know that word is thrown around 660 00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:35,320 Speaker 1: a lot, but it's a it's a truly privileged frame 661 00:39:35,360 --> 00:39:38,640 Speaker 1: of mind to think, why bother voting when so many 662 00:39:38,640 --> 00:39:41,160 Speaker 1: people in this country, women and people of color didn't 663 00:39:41,160 --> 00:39:44,359 Speaker 1: even have the right to vote, and you know, within 664 00:39:44,400 --> 00:39:47,880 Speaker 1: the last like hundred years. So it just that's something 665 00:39:47,920 --> 00:39:50,799 Speaker 1: that that's the only thing that really burns me up. 666 00:39:50,880 --> 00:39:52,839 Speaker 1: Vote for whoever you want to vote for. But if 667 00:39:52,880 --> 00:39:54,640 Speaker 1: you sit at home and you don't even vote, then 668 00:39:56,239 --> 00:39:59,879 Speaker 1: just get out and you know what, Yeah, vote or die, 669 00:40:00,040 --> 00:40:04,160 Speaker 1: as he did, he says. Yeah. So one other thing 670 00:40:04,200 --> 00:40:06,360 Speaker 1: that really has grabbed me in the last like several 671 00:40:06,440 --> 00:40:10,000 Speaker 1: years is the the idea. You know, when I was 672 00:40:10,040 --> 00:40:12,120 Speaker 1: a younger, lad, I was like, voting doesn't even matter, 673 00:40:12,160 --> 00:40:17,600 Speaker 1: doesn't count. Everything is controlled by the illuminati anyways, right, So, um, 674 00:40:17,760 --> 00:40:22,560 Speaker 1: the idea that that the Russians are meddling in our 675 00:40:22,600 --> 00:40:27,960 Speaker 1: election and that the the candidates take um the the 676 00:40:28,000 --> 00:40:30,960 Speaker 1: election so seriously. In super paxuris so much money to 677 00:40:31,000 --> 00:40:34,520 Speaker 1: spend and try to sway people's public opinions. The idea 678 00:40:34,600 --> 00:40:37,959 Speaker 1: that that actually happens in real life, to me, goes 679 00:40:38,000 --> 00:40:41,240 Speaker 1: to support the idea that your votes actually do count, 680 00:40:41,320 --> 00:40:44,479 Speaker 1: that voting really does matter in the United States still, 681 00:40:44,560 --> 00:40:47,480 Speaker 1: and things are not so thrown off course and controlled 682 00:40:47,480 --> 00:40:50,480 Speaker 1: and under the thumb of people who who um, you know, 683 00:40:50,480 --> 00:40:52,880 Speaker 1: are really pulling the strings and calling the shots that 684 00:40:52,880 --> 00:40:57,440 Speaker 1: that actually doesn't exist, That in reality, voting matters, and 685 00:40:57,480 --> 00:41:01,239 Speaker 1: I think that the threats to voting that we've seen 686 00:41:01,280 --> 00:41:04,319 Speaker 1: over the last like several years, UM have really kind 687 00:41:04,320 --> 00:41:07,040 Speaker 1: of driven that home for me. Yeah, And you know what, 688 00:41:07,360 --> 00:41:08,879 Speaker 1: by the time this comes out, will be a couple 689 00:41:08,920 --> 00:41:12,360 Speaker 1: of months to go before the election, UM, or actually 690 00:41:12,360 --> 00:41:15,759 Speaker 1: maybe one month to go. Check your voter registration. Make 691 00:41:15,800 --> 00:41:17,759 Speaker 1: sure you know where you're going to vote. If you're 692 00:41:17,800 --> 00:41:20,360 Speaker 1: voting early, make sure you understand that if you're voting 693 00:41:21,120 --> 00:41:24,560 Speaker 1: absentee or by mail, make sure you fully understand how 694 00:41:24,560 --> 00:41:28,840 Speaker 1: that all works. Don't be surprised on election day. You 695 00:41:28,840 --> 00:41:31,040 Speaker 1: don't want any surprises. You want to make sure you 696 00:41:31,120 --> 00:41:33,760 Speaker 1: know exactly how you're going to vote and that you 697 00:41:33,800 --> 00:41:37,719 Speaker 1: can ensure that you can vote absolutely UM. Go to 698 00:41:38,560 --> 00:41:43,680 Speaker 1: USA dot gov to check out voter registration UM, and 699 00:41:43,719 --> 00:41:46,040 Speaker 1: to make sure that you are like to confirm that 700 00:41:46,160 --> 00:41:49,600 Speaker 1: you're registered to vote. I still check. Yeah, I checked 701 00:41:49,880 --> 00:41:52,040 Speaker 1: recently too, and I tweeted it out on the Stuff 702 00:41:52,040 --> 00:41:56,040 Speaker 1: You Should Know podcast M Twitter platform to totally UM. 703 00:41:56,080 --> 00:41:57,440 Speaker 1: And we should put a bow on this one by 704 00:41:57,440 --> 00:42:00,520 Speaker 1: talking a little bit about the National Popular Vote Interstate 705 00:42:00,600 --> 00:42:04,279 Speaker 1: Compact and this, uh, the n p V. I see, 706 00:42:04,440 --> 00:42:06,960 Speaker 1: this is a group of states that advocate for a 707 00:42:07,000 --> 00:42:10,640 Speaker 1: different plan moving forward. Uh. These are states and people 708 00:42:11,200 --> 00:42:15,840 Speaker 1: that say, how can a candidate win by three million 709 00:42:15,920 --> 00:42:20,400 Speaker 1: votes or five thousand votes and not be president? Because 710 00:42:20,400 --> 00:42:22,120 Speaker 1: that is clearly not the will of the people. We 711 00:42:22,160 --> 00:42:25,560 Speaker 1: have a broken system. Let's get rid of this electoral college. 712 00:42:26,120 --> 00:42:31,800 Speaker 1: And right now there are Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Vermont, 713 00:42:31,800 --> 00:42:36,120 Speaker 1: New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, 714 00:42:36,360 --> 00:42:41,120 Speaker 1: d C. And Hawaii are all signed up in a 715 00:42:41,200 --> 00:42:47,359 Speaker 1: past legislation to enter this compact, with several more pending. Ohio, Pennsylvania, 716 00:42:47,760 --> 00:42:51,319 Speaker 1: South Carolina, and Virginia are pending. Right. And so what 717 00:42:51,400 --> 00:42:54,000 Speaker 1: this compact says is the state signs onto the compact 718 00:42:54,040 --> 00:42:58,839 Speaker 1: that says, UM, under normal electoral college rules, we um 719 00:42:59,040 --> 00:43:03,160 Speaker 1: give our electoral votes to whoever wins the statewide ballot. Instead, 720 00:43:03,480 --> 00:43:06,600 Speaker 1: we're going to give it to whoever wins the national vote, 721 00:43:06,640 --> 00:43:10,640 Speaker 1: the national popular vote. So even if say, um, Joe 722 00:43:10,680 --> 00:43:14,160 Speaker 1: Biden loses Idaho, if Idaho was signed on to this 723 00:43:14,239 --> 00:43:16,560 Speaker 1: and this thing, we're in effect, but he won the 724 00:43:16,640 --> 00:43:20,840 Speaker 1: national popular vote, Idaho would give its electoral votes to Biden. 725 00:43:21,040 --> 00:43:23,400 Speaker 1: So that the states are gonna follow the popular vote 726 00:43:23,480 --> 00:43:27,439 Speaker 1: and basically go around the electoral college, not using by 727 00:43:27,600 --> 00:43:30,400 Speaker 1: using the electoral college. Yeah, because you can't abolish it. It 728 00:43:30,320 --> 00:43:33,480 Speaker 1: It would take a constitutional amendment and ratification by thirty 729 00:43:33,480 --> 00:43:36,600 Speaker 1: eight states I believe to get rid of the electoral college. 730 00:43:36,840 --> 00:43:39,799 Speaker 1: This requires none of that. It's the states signing on 731 00:43:39,960 --> 00:43:43,800 Speaker 1: to go around the electoral college by using the electoral college. 732 00:43:44,000 --> 00:43:46,560 Speaker 1: And I mean we should say to the electoral college 733 00:43:46,600 --> 00:43:49,319 Speaker 1: is part of the Framer's vision for the Constitution, but 734 00:43:49,360 --> 00:43:53,880 Speaker 1: they specifically added this provision to keep the popular vote 735 00:43:54,080 --> 00:43:57,480 Speaker 1: from selecting the president. They wanted to keep this elite 736 00:43:57,480 --> 00:44:01,719 Speaker 1: group of politicos in charge of who actually picked the president. 737 00:44:01,760 --> 00:44:04,640 Speaker 1: And that's they created the electoral college to get in 738 00:44:04,640 --> 00:44:07,680 Speaker 1: the way of the popular vote. Yeah, it's interesting, it 739 00:44:07,760 --> 00:44:12,760 Speaker 1: really is. So that's swing states. Ah, that swing states. 740 00:44:13,600 --> 00:44:15,399 Speaker 1: If you want to know more about swing states, start 741 00:44:15,440 --> 00:44:18,120 Speaker 1: reading up on swing states, start reading up on politics. 742 00:44:18,120 --> 00:44:22,400 Speaker 1: It's pretty interesting stuff. And like we said earlier, go vote, 743 00:44:22,880 --> 00:44:25,879 Speaker 1: just vote. Uh. And since I said that, everybody's time 744 00:44:25,920 --> 00:44:30,880 Speaker 1: for listener mail. Uh. This is from McKenna bridge And 745 00:44:30,880 --> 00:44:34,720 Speaker 1: this is in defensive baby carrots. Uh. Just like Chuck, 746 00:44:34,760 --> 00:44:37,840 Speaker 1: the thought of baby carrots disgusted me in the past, 747 00:44:37,880 --> 00:44:41,080 Speaker 1: conjuring up, conjuring up images of towering piles of food 748 00:44:41,120 --> 00:44:44,080 Speaker 1: waste that I imagined where the byproduct of these smooth 749 00:44:44,120 --> 00:44:46,680 Speaker 1: little suckers. But we got it all wrong, my friend. 750 00:44:47,239 --> 00:44:49,320 Speaker 1: While the baby carrot is of course a very manicured 751 00:44:49,360 --> 00:44:52,520 Speaker 1: and aesthetically fleasing version of the real carrot pulled straight 752 00:44:52,520 --> 00:44:55,680 Speaker 1: from the soil, their invention basically changed the entire carrot 753 00:44:55,719 --> 00:45:00,439 Speaker 1: industry forever. Uh. And there was a guy name Mike 754 00:45:01,160 --> 00:45:05,279 Speaker 1: euro Sick who decided to smooth carrots down in the 755 00:45:05,360 --> 00:45:09,640 Speaker 1: nineteen eighties into these little, aerodynamic, bite sized cylinders, and 756 00:45:09,840 --> 00:45:12,600 Speaker 1: they were called baby carrots. Uh. He figured carrots are 757 00:45:12,680 --> 00:45:16,839 Speaker 1: ugly and uh, too plentiful to profit to profit from 758 00:45:16,840 --> 00:45:20,319 Speaker 1: his farmers, so they had a long growing season and 759 00:45:20,360 --> 00:45:24,840 Speaker 1: the people just weren't buying them. So Mike Yousroic, I'm sorry, 760 00:45:24,880 --> 00:45:30,000 Speaker 1: Eurosic introduces the baby carrot, and boom carrot sales absolutely skyrocketed, 761 00:45:30,320 --> 00:45:33,600 Speaker 1: and even today's baby carrots frequently top the list for 762 00:45:33,680 --> 00:45:39,000 Speaker 1: the largest share of supermarket sales. Asking about the peels, guys, well, 763 00:45:39,120 --> 00:45:41,840 Speaker 1: they are just about the perfect byproduct for making carrot 764 00:45:41,880 --> 00:45:45,200 Speaker 1: juice baby character tasty, convenient, and turns out a wonderful 765 00:45:45,239 --> 00:45:48,440 Speaker 1: invention the more you know, right, Anyway, I'm not completely 766 00:45:48,440 --> 00:45:50,920 Speaker 1: caught up on your podcast, so maybe someone's beat me 767 00:45:50,960 --> 00:45:53,160 Speaker 1: to the punch, but I didn't want to chance y'all 768 00:45:53,160 --> 00:45:56,400 Speaker 1: making fools of yourself the next time baby baby Carrots 769 00:45:56,400 --> 00:45:58,600 Speaker 1: comes up. Think you guys are great. To keep up 770 00:45:58,640 --> 00:46:02,160 Speaker 1: the amazing work. You're a listener and baby carrot convert 771 00:46:02,920 --> 00:46:06,080 Speaker 1: McKenna bridge and I even looked it up too, and 772 00:46:06,120 --> 00:46:08,440 Speaker 1: I think I saw that it was a myth that 773 00:46:08,480 --> 00:46:11,520 Speaker 1: they are bleached. M but it sounds like something I 774 00:46:11,560 --> 00:46:13,799 Speaker 1: would buy into. It sounds like something i'd buy into. 775 00:46:13,840 --> 00:46:18,760 Speaker 1: Two big carrot or I'm sorry, small carrot carrots are bleached. 776 00:46:18,760 --> 00:46:22,360 Speaker 1: The Illuminati really runs things, So you know that I 777 00:46:22,400 --> 00:46:25,279 Speaker 1: haven't fully vetted all that, but that's what mckinnabridge says, 778 00:46:25,360 --> 00:46:28,200 Speaker 1: is that they really turned around carrots as a whole 779 00:46:28,600 --> 00:46:32,600 Speaker 1: and that they do use those uh shavings. That's really 780 00:46:32,760 --> 00:46:36,160 Speaker 1: carret juice, is what she says. Well, McKenna, that was 781 00:46:36,239 --> 00:46:38,120 Speaker 1: really great stuff. Thank you for trying to keep us 782 00:46:38,160 --> 00:46:41,920 Speaker 1: from making fools of ourselves again. It's not gonna know, 783 00:46:42,520 --> 00:46:45,160 Speaker 1: it won't stick. If you want to get in touch 784 00:46:45,200 --> 00:46:47,719 Speaker 1: with us, like McKenna did, you can send us an 785 00:46:47,719 --> 00:46:54,560 Speaker 1: email to Stuff podcast at iHeart radio dot com. Stuff 786 00:46:54,600 --> 00:46:56,560 Speaker 1: you should know is a production of iHeart Radios. How 787 00:46:56,600 --> 00:46:59,239 Speaker 1: stuff works for more podcasts for my heart radio because 788 00:46:59,239 --> 00:47:01,759 Speaker 1: that the iHeart Radio a Apple podcasts are wherever you 789 00:47:01,800 --> 00:47:09,880 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows. H m hm