1 00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:04,200 Speaker 1: Hi, I'm Molly john Fast and this is Fast Politics, 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:07,160 Speaker 1: where we discuss the top political headlines with some of 3 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:11,479 Speaker 1: today's best minds, and the Justice Department says Trump can 4 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:16,520 Speaker 1: be sued for the January sixth insurrection. We have an 5 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:22,240 Speaker 1: amazing show for you today. Tennessee State Representative Gloria Johnson, 6 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 1: a member of the Tennessee three, stops by to talk 7 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:28,640 Speaker 1: to us about all the fuckory in her workplace. Then 8 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:34,239 Speaker 1: we'll talk to Cook Political Reports Amy Walter about the 9 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:37,839 Speaker 1: Senate and the congressional maps in twenty twenty three and 10 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:41,839 Speaker 1: twenty twenty four. But first we have the host of 11 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:48,920 Speaker 1: the Bulwark podcast, Charlie Sykes. Welcome to Fast Politics, Charlie Sykes. 12 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:50,760 Speaker 2: It is great to be back, Molly. 13 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:53,760 Speaker 1: We're delighted to have you. So. I mean, I feel 14 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:57,680 Speaker 1: like every week is slightly worse. But the thing I 15 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:00,600 Speaker 1: want to read you and start with because feels like 16 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:04,320 Speaker 1: a real line in the sand here April eighteenth, is 17 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:07,600 Speaker 1: a tweet from Lloyd Blankfine. You may remember Lloyd blankfind 18 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:10,640 Speaker 1: does this man have the temperament to be president? Disney 19 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:19,520 Speaker 1: is lucky they don't have the launch codes, hippie Lloyd Blankfine. 20 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:22,679 Speaker 3: That is a sick burn round Santis doubling down on Disney, 21 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 3: threatening them I'm gonna put a prison next to you. 22 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:27,760 Speaker 3: It is one of these strange moves where, now I 23 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:30,000 Speaker 3: don't mean to be snarky here, but does anybody actually 24 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:30,800 Speaker 3: remember what. 25 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:31,920 Speaker 2: This fight is actually about. 26 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:34,720 Speaker 3: This is one of those things where it's vindicativeness for 27 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 3: the sake of vindictiveness. The fight is about the fight. 28 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 3: I don't know how many people, many voters would even 29 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:42,959 Speaker 3: remember that. This is because Disney criticized his don't say 30 00:01:42,959 --> 00:01:45,240 Speaker 3: a Gay bill and this is his retaliation. 31 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 2: But he keeps upping the anty. And here's the thing, Molly. 32 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:50,560 Speaker 3: All Disney has to do at this point is put 33 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:53,720 Speaker 3: out a press release saying, you know, we're just concerned 34 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 3: about the business climate in Florida and we're thinking of 35 00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 3: moving some of our tens of thousands of jobs out 36 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 3: of the state. And what DeSantis is toast, I mean, 37 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 3: it's just it is so self defeating. But this is 38 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:11,320 Speaker 3: this culture in the Republican Party where Donald Trump has 39 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:14,080 Speaker 3: steel balls, so Ron DeSantis has to say, no, I 40 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:15,360 Speaker 3: have titanium balls. 41 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 2: There's no end to it. 42 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:19,680 Speaker 3: You see that Trump is now trolling DeSantis about this. 43 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:22,240 Speaker 3: I'm true social you know how bad it is when 44 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:26,720 Speaker 3: Donald Trump is trolling you saying you're getting killed by 45 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 3: Disney and you know this is going to blow up 46 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 3: in your face. And I have to tell you, I 47 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:34,000 Speaker 3: hate myself for saying this, but Trump is not completely 48 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:36,799 Speaker 3: wrong about how dumb a political move this is. 49 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 1: You really know the machinations here better than I do. 50 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 1: How did Ron DeSantis get here? You know, this was 51 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:47,960 Speaker 1: the great white hope of the Republican Party up until 52 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 1: a few weeks ago. I mean obviously not. There must 53 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:53,959 Speaker 1: have been decisions that led him to this point. 54 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:57,200 Speaker 3: See, this is an interesting question because you always think that, well, 55 00:02:57,400 --> 00:02:59,079 Speaker 3: you had to have thought about this, right, I mean, 56 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:01,160 Speaker 3: you hadn't know what you were getting into. You had 57 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:05,840 Speaker 3: to kind of know that somehow you needed to navigate 58 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:08,320 Speaker 3: the MAGA base, You needed to be able to take 59 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 3: on Trump without alienating the magabase. And yet it's more 60 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:17,639 Speaker 3: and more apparent that Ron DeSantis didn't really see this coming. 61 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:20,640 Speaker 3: I mean, look, it feels like a cliche to say 62 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:23,519 Speaker 3: that that, you know, political history is littered with all 63 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:26,240 Speaker 3: of these governors who think they could be president and 64 00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:28,920 Speaker 3: then found that, hey, when the light came on. They 65 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:30,919 Speaker 3: were not ready for prime time. It's kind of hard 66 00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:33,320 Speaker 3: to scale up. I mean there's you know, there's Governor 67 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:35,840 Speaker 3: Rick Perry, and you know, I mean there's President Rick Perry, 68 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 3: and there's President Scott Walker, remember President really Rudy Giuliani 69 00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:42,280 Speaker 3: and all of these guys. Well, Ronda Santis is now 70 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:45,560 Speaker 3: kind of like, hey, and I'm the next guy. He 71 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 3: made the calculation that he had to go as far 72 00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:51,640 Speaker 3: right as possible, that he had to out Trump Trump. 73 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 3: But the thing is that he doesn't have Trump's reptilian instinct, 74 00:03:57,400 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 3: and so he goes through the motions and he's now 75 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 3: gotten himself in a fight with Disney, and as that 76 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:08,520 Speaker 3: is not going well, he is now escalating his fight 77 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:12,320 Speaker 3: against bud Light. Because of course, we can't let a 78 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:15,120 Speaker 3: culture war spat go unexploited. 79 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:17,560 Speaker 1: I want to point out that is the Bush family, 80 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:19,719 Speaker 1: the Anheuser Busch family, right. 81 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:21,680 Speaker 2: The Anheuser Busch family. 82 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:23,400 Speaker 1: Republican megadowners. 83 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:27,039 Speaker 3: And so there are some Republicans who are back well 84 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:29,720 Speaker 3: exactly there, and this is one of this is one 85 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:33,360 Speaker 3: of these strange moments where all of the Republican candidates 86 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:36,960 Speaker 3: are all in on the bud Light boycott. With the 87 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:40,159 Speaker 3: exception of Donald Trump, who once again is going like, 88 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 3: I don't you know these guys give a lot money 89 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:46,120 Speaker 3: to Republicans. It's a he's purely transactional. But you know, 90 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:48,360 Speaker 3: this is the thing about Rhonda Santis is that roond 91 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:51,479 Speaker 3: De Santis is a guy who is trying to act 92 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:55,840 Speaker 3: like if I was a culture war zealot, what would 93 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:58,680 Speaker 3: I do? And there's always kind of doesn't get it right, 94 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:00,520 Speaker 3: you know what I'm saying. It's a I think when 95 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 3: Mitt Romney said I am severely conservative, let's put on 96 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:06,840 Speaker 3: a lizard mask and like I am lizard man. No 97 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:10,120 Speaker 3: one is more of a lizard than me. And you know, 98 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:12,679 Speaker 3: I can't get the tongue quaite right, right. 99 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:16,520 Speaker 1: That's what strikes me is that if you are completely pretending, 100 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 1: then it's not going to be authentic, right. 101 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:22,520 Speaker 2: I think that's one of his problems. Yeah, exactly one 102 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:22,800 Speaker 2: of the. 103 00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:24,400 Speaker 1: Things I wanted to ask you about, which is a 104 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:28,560 Speaker 1: thing that I constantly get drawn into discussions about and 105 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:31,560 Speaker 1: every time I'm like, what are you talking about? The 106 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:36,680 Speaker 1: whole supposition of DeSantis' shtick was that he was going 107 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:39,560 Speaker 1: to run to the right of Donald Trump on policy. 108 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:44,760 Speaker 1: But Donald Trump and policy. Do they really belong in 109 00:05:44,800 --> 00:05:45,560 Speaker 1: the same sentence. 110 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:49,359 Speaker 3: That is an excellent question because I think that anyone 111 00:05:49,400 --> 00:05:53,320 Speaker 3: who thinks that Republican politics is about ideas or policies 112 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:57,400 Speaker 3: has completely missed the transformation of the party because this 113 00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:00,320 Speaker 3: is a post ideas party. There was a time when 114 00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:02,560 Speaker 3: Daniel Patrick moyne head said, you know, Republicans are the 115 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:05,640 Speaker 3: party of ideas. Well, that was like way decades ago. 116 00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 3: Now the Republican Party is a party that did not 117 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:13,560 Speaker 3: even have a platform in twenty twenty. It is about posturing, 118 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:17,920 Speaker 3: It is about attitude, It is about vibes exactly who 119 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:21,080 Speaker 3: can inflict more pain on the people you hate? So yes, 120 00:06:21,480 --> 00:06:25,039 Speaker 3: thinking that you can run on policy is just incredibly naive. 121 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:28,240 Speaker 3: But I think part of it is that DeSantis gets 122 00:06:28,279 --> 00:06:31,120 Speaker 3: the part about I need to punch people in the 123 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:34,520 Speaker 3: nose harder than anybody else. So he has that, but 124 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:37,800 Speaker 3: he's not terribly skillful in picking who he's going to 125 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:40,440 Speaker 3: punch in the nose. It's worked for him so far 126 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:42,880 Speaker 3: what he's done. You know, you pick on Gaze, you know, 127 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:47,600 Speaker 3: you pick on CRT. But going after Disney feels and 128 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:50,760 Speaker 3: going after bud Light feels like you're about to turn 129 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 3: yourself into a cartoon character. 130 00:06:52,839 --> 00:06:55,120 Speaker 1: The thing that I sort of am sad that the 131 00:06:55,160 --> 00:07:00,080 Speaker 1: Republican Party has completely abandoned is this sort of capital 132 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:04,080 Speaker 1: at all. Like I wish they were still into that. 133 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:05,320 Speaker 2: I wonder whether. 134 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:08,280 Speaker 3: They're ever into it actually in retrospect, you know, But 135 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:10,880 Speaker 3: you're right, or I would look at it slightly differently, 136 00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:13,440 Speaker 3: at least into free markets. And this is one of 137 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 3: the ironies of someone like a Ronda Santis or the 138 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 3: Heritage Foundation is they will say we are for freedom, 139 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:22,600 Speaker 3: but you know, free markets not really working for us anymore. 140 00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:25,320 Speaker 3: So what you have is this kind of this authoritarian 141 00:07:25,400 --> 00:07:28,520 Speaker 3: desire to use the power of the state nakedly to 142 00:07:28,840 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 3: punish people. And I think that you know, Donald Trump, 143 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:34,520 Speaker 3: you know, stands up and he says, I am your 144 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:38,360 Speaker 3: retribution and sitting down in tallahassee Rohnda Santis here's that 145 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:40,160 Speaker 3: and goes, well, I have to find somebody that I 146 00:07:40,200 --> 00:07:43,520 Speaker 3: can be the retribution against them. What people really want 147 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:46,200 Speaker 3: is they want vindictamous. They want me to go and 148 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:49,240 Speaker 3: inflict pain on someone. That's how we got here. That's 149 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:53,720 Speaker 3: how we got Ronda Santis thinking that he can slingshot 150 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:58,400 Speaker 3: his way to the presidency by harassing the happiest place 151 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:04,680 Speaker 3: on Earth. I'm just works the optics are really bad. 152 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:05,560 Speaker 2: Boss. 153 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:08,560 Speaker 3: Let's go to war with Moana. Let's go to war 154 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:11,880 Speaker 3: with Frozen. Let's go to war with Mickey Mouse. Let's 155 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:13,400 Speaker 3: go to war with Sleeping Beauty. 156 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:17,400 Speaker 1: I mean what, he also got married at Disney World. 157 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:20,600 Speaker 2: In everyone I mean, I mean. 158 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:24,200 Speaker 1: I did not. I mean, I just feel like I 159 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:27,000 Speaker 1: mean he had some love for the place, the happiest 160 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:27,679 Speaker 1: place on Earth. 161 00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:31,920 Speaker 3: Well, okay, just from the most transactional point of view, 162 00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:36,680 Speaker 3: think about the number of employees, the tax base, the 163 00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:41,280 Speaker 3: economic impact of this company. Now maybe he thinks, well, 164 00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:43,720 Speaker 3: they're trapped, they can't go anywhere. They have too much 165 00:08:43,800 --> 00:08:47,680 Speaker 3: invested here. But it is a very rare moment for 166 00:08:47,760 --> 00:08:51,040 Speaker 3: the governor of a state to go after one of 167 00:08:51,080 --> 00:08:56,040 Speaker 3: the states, you know, premier economic assets. Leaving aside the 168 00:08:56,080 --> 00:08:59,199 Speaker 3: cultural issue or the fact that the vast majority of 169 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:03,720 Speaker 3: Americans love Disney World. They love it, they want to 170 00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:08,600 Speaker 3: take their kids to Epcot, and so he's down there going, well, 171 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:11,080 Speaker 3: maybe we'll make it so that families who you know, 172 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:15,240 Speaker 3: pack up their their minivans and drive from Oklahoma to 173 00:09:15,320 --> 00:09:18,720 Speaker 3: get to to get to Disney World will have nightmarish 174 00:09:18,880 --> 00:09:23,240 Speaker 3: tolls and traffic problems, and you'll have to worry about, 175 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:26,559 Speaker 3: you know, the rapists in the state prison next door. 176 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:28,920 Speaker 1: Right, because who is he actually targeting. 177 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:31,319 Speaker 3: He's saying, I'm going to make it miserable for all 178 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:34,160 Speaker 3: these American families who are going to spend too much 179 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:37,440 Speaker 3: money at Disney World so their kids have an experience. 180 00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:40,120 Speaker 3: I mean, I have to tell you, Molly, the political 181 00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:41,760 Speaker 3: genius of this escapes me. 182 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:45,520 Speaker 1: I actually think this is indicative of a larger problem 183 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:48,880 Speaker 1: in the Republican Party. For example, So a lot of 184 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:53,600 Speaker 1: the things that these Republican candidates are excited about, and 185 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:57,839 Speaker 1: again I'm thinking about Tim Scott running to the right 186 00:09:58,040 --> 00:10:01,160 Speaker 1: of Trump on abortion. A lot of these things are 187 00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:04,280 Speaker 1: just not I mean, like we're seeing this polling about abortion. 188 00:10:04,440 --> 00:10:07,440 Speaker 1: You know, it turns out that ending row has made 189 00:10:07,480 --> 00:10:10,400 Speaker 1: this very popular. Right. Americans may have been on the 190 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:12,920 Speaker 1: fence before, but now they are not. They're just sort 191 00:10:12,920 --> 00:10:16,320 Speaker 1: of getting into these cultural war issues that aren't necessarily winners. 192 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:17,960 Speaker 1: What do you think the. 193 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:20,640 Speaker 3: Play here is, Well, there may not be a play. 194 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:23,400 Speaker 3: It just may be that they're trapped. Is that this 195 00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:26,800 Speaker 3: is a priorty that is held hostage by its own base. 196 00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:29,240 Speaker 3: But now on abortion and guns, they're not just held 197 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:33,200 Speaker 3: hostage by the Republican base. They're held hostage by a 198 00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:37,280 Speaker 3: very vocal section of the base. Republican voters are not 199 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:41,040 Speaker 3: totally down with banning the abortion pill. Republican voters are 200 00:10:41,040 --> 00:10:44,880 Speaker 3: not necessarily in favor of constitutional carry, where you can 201 00:10:44,920 --> 00:10:47,880 Speaker 3: carry concealed weapons without a permit. So what you have 202 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:51,920 Speaker 3: is these vocal minorities on the extremes who have a 203 00:10:52,040 --> 00:10:55,320 Speaker 3: veto power over the rest of the party. So you ask, 204 00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:58,240 Speaker 3: what is the play. The play is that people like 205 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:00,679 Speaker 3: Tim Scott and Rondasy and I just think they have 206 00:11:00,760 --> 00:11:04,000 Speaker 3: to play to that faction within the faction and maybe 207 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:05,959 Speaker 3: they'll figure out, Well when I get to the general election, 208 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:08,280 Speaker 3: I'll worry about that later. Well, that's going to be 209 00:11:08,320 --> 00:11:10,480 Speaker 3: a very difficult pivot for them to do if they 210 00:11:10,480 --> 00:11:14,240 Speaker 3: spend the next year pandering to the crazies. 211 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:17,720 Speaker 1: This is a question I actually asked Martin McKinnon, and 212 00:11:17,760 --> 00:11:20,040 Speaker 1: I'm going to ask you it too, because I feel 213 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:24,199 Speaker 1: like you both are uniquely qualified into this. Your fantasy 214 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:27,640 Speaker 1: the Republican Party becomes normal again, How does that happen? 215 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:30,320 Speaker 2: Well, Mark so much smarter guy than than I am. 216 00:11:30,520 --> 00:11:33,080 Speaker 3: I have to say that I am beyond fantasies because 217 00:11:33,080 --> 00:11:35,880 Speaker 3: I'm beyond illusions. I don't know that in my lifetime 218 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:39,319 Speaker 3: I'm going to see the Republican Party return to anything 219 00:11:39,520 --> 00:11:43,880 Speaker 3: like a normal rational party. I think the damage that's 220 00:11:43,920 --> 00:11:47,839 Speaker 3: been done has been too profound, because you know, it's 221 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:50,839 Speaker 3: it's misleading to think that all of the problems of 222 00:11:50,880 --> 00:11:53,280 Speaker 3: the party flow from Donald Trump. A lot of them do. 223 00:11:53,440 --> 00:11:55,360 Speaker 3: I mean a lot of them do. And I do 224 00:11:55,400 --> 00:11:59,080 Speaker 3: think that Donald Trump is a unique existential threat. But 225 00:11:59,320 --> 00:12:03,080 Speaker 3: the Republican Party has a base problem, and this is 226 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:06,440 Speaker 3: going to continue for a very long time, maybe even decades. 227 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:08,600 Speaker 3: Think of the number of people who have grown up 228 00:12:08,600 --> 00:12:10,920 Speaker 3: in this environment who think that this is the way 229 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:14,560 Speaker 3: politics are, that this is the way you treat people, 230 00:12:14,679 --> 00:12:17,559 Speaker 3: that you don't actually have to have policies, you don't 231 00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:20,240 Speaker 3: actually have to get anything done. You have an entire 232 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:23,120 Speaker 3: generation that's growing up, you know, has grown up since 233 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:25,800 Speaker 3: Donald Trump came down that Golden escalator and talked about 234 00:12:26,040 --> 00:12:28,560 Speaker 3: Mexican rapists. They're going to be around, mollly, They're going 235 00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:30,680 Speaker 3: to be around for a very very long time. Think 236 00:12:30,679 --> 00:12:34,600 Speaker 3: about the impact that the politics of nineteen sixty eight 237 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:38,920 Speaker 3: have had on politics afterwards, and the way that we're 238 00:12:38,960 --> 00:12:43,040 Speaker 3: still kind of in that shadow, still kind of hungover 239 00:12:43,160 --> 00:12:43,480 Speaker 3: from that. 240 00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:45,560 Speaker 2: Well, that was how. 241 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:48,800 Speaker 3: Many years ago now, though thirty forty to fifty years 242 00:12:48,800 --> 00:12:51,080 Speaker 3: from now, I think we're still going to have the 243 00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:54,920 Speaker 3: hangover to the way this culture has been broken by 244 00:12:54,920 --> 00:12:56,760 Speaker 3: what we're going through right now. So I don't have 245 00:12:56,800 --> 00:12:58,920 Speaker 3: a fantasy, to tell you the truth. I guess my 246 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:01,480 Speaker 3: fantasy is any buddy but Trump, and then let's move 247 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:07,560 Speaker 3: on from there. You know, anybody other than this narcissistic, sociopathic, 248 00:13:07,760 --> 00:13:11,560 Speaker 3: chronic liar, who in fact would toward the Constitution if 249 00:13:11,559 --> 00:13:16,480 Speaker 3: you thought it was in his interest, virtually anybody else is, 250 00:13:16,640 --> 00:13:20,960 Speaker 3: by our lowered standards, is more normal, not necessarily normal, 251 00:13:21,280 --> 00:13:24,160 Speaker 3: but more normal. So let's break the fever of the 252 00:13:24,360 --> 00:13:27,760 Speaker 3: absolute crazy. Let's get to a point where we actually 253 00:13:27,800 --> 00:13:30,520 Speaker 3: don't have to care about what Mike Lindell says, or 254 00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:34,680 Speaker 3: Steve Bannon or Marjorie Taylor Green or Paul Gosar, in 255 00:13:34,760 --> 00:13:37,880 Speaker 3: which we don't necessarily have the Kevin McCarthy's of the 256 00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:41,559 Speaker 3: world who have to empower, you know, the most irrational, 257 00:13:41,840 --> 00:13:45,960 Speaker 3: erratic crazies in his caucus. Maybe that would be my fantasy, 258 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:48,160 Speaker 3: but that's not that's not much of a fantasy. 259 00:13:48,240 --> 00:13:49,559 Speaker 2: I'm not hoping for unicorns. 260 00:13:49,559 --> 00:13:52,679 Speaker 3: I'm just, you know, maybe hoping for a really shaggy, 261 00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:56,240 Speaker 3: flea ridden donkey who is not Donald Trump. 262 00:13:56,360 --> 00:14:00,959 Speaker 1: Let's were you chopped at how stupid? But that McCarthy's 263 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:03,280 Speaker 1: speech on the floor was yesterday. 264 00:14:03,280 --> 00:14:06,440 Speaker 3: I'm constantly being shocked about how stupid it all is. 265 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:11,040 Speaker 3: So no, it's like, Okay, this is Kevin McCarthy, who 266 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:13,679 Speaker 3: has told us who he is over and over again. 267 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:14,560 Speaker 2: You know. 268 00:14:14,960 --> 00:14:18,440 Speaker 3: The scary part is that Kevin McCarthy is about to 269 00:14:18,559 --> 00:14:21,520 Speaker 3: potentially tank the US economy with the dead crisis. 270 00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:24,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's not excited for that. 271 00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:28,280 Speaker 3: That's concerning because I don't think that he's smart enough 272 00:14:28,480 --> 00:14:31,080 Speaker 3: to know how to navigate this, and I don't think 273 00:14:31,120 --> 00:14:34,560 Speaker 3: he has the political power, and so he's steering us 274 00:14:34,840 --> 00:14:39,000 Speaker 3: right toward the iceberg and there are very very few 275 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:42,000 Speaker 3: responsible adults who are going to run in and you know, 276 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:43,920 Speaker 3: grab the helm before he crashes it. 277 00:14:44,160 --> 00:14:46,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, that is the nightmare fuel that keeps me up 278 00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:50,880 Speaker 1: because the American economy is in very even though it's 279 00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:53,720 Speaker 1: doing okay, it's still in a very precarious spot. 280 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:55,360 Speaker 2: Why have worse nightmare fuel for you? 281 00:14:56,160 --> 00:14:59,000 Speaker 3: Oh go tell me my nightmare fuel is that we 282 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:00,840 Speaker 3: now live in a country where if I ring the 283 00:15:00,880 --> 00:15:03,040 Speaker 3: wrong doorbell, or if I'm trying to make a U 284 00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:05,240 Speaker 3: turn and I pull into the wrong driveway while I'm 285 00:15:05,320 --> 00:15:08,200 Speaker 3: visiting my kids in southern Maryland, Somebody's gonna shoot me. 286 00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:10,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, what happened twice. 287 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:13,320 Speaker 3: We have four hundred million guns in this country. And 288 00:15:13,640 --> 00:15:15,560 Speaker 3: you know, I am old enough to remember when even 289 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:18,920 Speaker 3: the NRA was concerned about gun safety and being responsible. 290 00:15:19,040 --> 00:15:21,520 Speaker 3: And it's basically the NRA has said, fuck it, Let's 291 00:15:21,520 --> 00:15:24,600 Speaker 3: just push as many guns out there as possible. Let's 292 00:15:24,600 --> 00:15:28,280 Speaker 3: make them into the ultimate phallic symbols, and then let's 293 00:15:28,320 --> 00:15:32,040 Speaker 3: encourage people to actively fear and hate one another and 294 00:15:32,120 --> 00:15:34,840 Speaker 3: assume that anyone that approaches us who looks at is 295 00:15:34,840 --> 00:15:39,120 Speaker 3: funny is dangerous. What could possibly happen? So, you know, 296 00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:42,040 Speaker 3: and I'm sure you've had this conversation as well. You know, 297 00:15:42,120 --> 00:15:45,840 Speaker 3: after every single mass shooting, after every single atrocity, you go, well, 298 00:15:45,880 --> 00:15:48,360 Speaker 3: will this be the turning point? Will this wake us up? 299 00:15:48,400 --> 00:15:51,480 Speaker 3: And you know the answer is no, And so nothing 300 00:15:51,600 --> 00:15:54,160 Speaker 3: is going to happen to change that at least. 301 00:15:53,960 --> 00:15:54,560 Speaker 2: For some time. 302 00:15:54,760 --> 00:15:56,840 Speaker 3: So I have lots of night I have lots of 303 00:15:56,960 --> 00:15:59,160 Speaker 3: nightmare fuel. But that's that's my nightmare fuel that I 304 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:00,240 Speaker 3: have on the bedside. 305 00:16:00,440 --> 00:16:04,280 Speaker 1: These days, guns are a situation where they're Republicans don't 306 00:16:04,320 --> 00:16:06,720 Speaker 1: want to come to the table, right because the base 307 00:16:06,840 --> 00:16:09,960 Speaker 1: loves it, and they think of any kind of compromise, right. 308 00:16:10,320 --> 00:16:12,840 Speaker 1: But they think of any kind of compromise as a failure. 309 00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:16,680 Speaker 1: But if you think about it, the labor shortage in 310 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:22,720 Speaker 1: this country, I mean the visual of Sarah Sanders signing 311 00:16:22,760 --> 00:16:27,400 Speaker 1: a child labor bill just to not have to have 312 00:16:27,640 --> 00:16:31,080 Speaker 1: immigrants in this country. I mean, that's like stuff from 313 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:32,120 Speaker 1: another century. 314 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:35,040 Speaker 3: There is an element in which it's become not just 315 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:38,520 Speaker 3: from another century, but a cartoon of another century. I mean, 316 00:16:38,560 --> 00:16:39,760 Speaker 3: it's like, I think we need to go back and 317 00:16:39,800 --> 00:16:42,120 Speaker 3: read Dickens more because we're going to be living. 318 00:16:41,960 --> 00:16:42,680 Speaker 2: In that world. 319 00:16:43,360 --> 00:16:46,920 Speaker 3: This is an interesting point because they create because of 320 00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:51,520 Speaker 3: their impulses, they create these virtually insoluble problems and then like, okay, 321 00:16:51,920 --> 00:16:54,400 Speaker 3: you know, we demogogue the whole issue of you know, 322 00:16:54,440 --> 00:16:56,840 Speaker 3: building the wall and everything and not having these immigrants. 323 00:16:56,840 --> 00:16:58,320 Speaker 3: We're going to come in and rape your women and 324 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:01,160 Speaker 3: take your jobs, and like, wait, we have a terrible 325 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:04,320 Speaker 3: labor shortage, so of course we're going to put twelve 326 00:17:04,359 --> 00:17:06,080 Speaker 3: year old white kids to work now. 327 00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:10,280 Speaker 1: Right, Yeah, yeah, it's unbelievable. Well, I mean we are 328 00:17:10,359 --> 00:17:13,480 Speaker 1: sort of Brexit on a smaller scale, right of stupid 329 00:17:13,840 --> 00:17:14,520 Speaker 1: or larger. 330 00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:18,000 Speaker 2: Oh, I think we are way past Brexit. I think 331 00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:22,359 Speaker 2: Brexit eats our dust all of this. 332 00:17:24,040 --> 00:17:26,040 Speaker 1: Charlie, thank you so much for joining us. I hope 333 00:17:26,040 --> 00:17:26,680 Speaker 1: you'll come back. 334 00:17:26,880 --> 00:17:28,600 Speaker 2: It's always fun. Thank you so much more. 335 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:34,960 Speaker 1: Gloria Johnson is a member of the Tennessee State House 336 00:17:35,040 --> 00:17:41,800 Speaker 1: of Representatives. Welcome too Fast Politics, Representative Gloria. 337 00:17:41,520 --> 00:17:44,240 Speaker 4: Johnson, Well, thank you and thank you for having me. 338 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:47,240 Speaker 1: I wanted to have you for a number of reasons, 339 00:17:47,480 --> 00:17:50,520 Speaker 1: not just because you are now the most famous. You 340 00:17:50,760 --> 00:17:54,879 Speaker 1: and the Justins are the three most famous state reps 341 00:17:54,920 --> 00:17:57,800 Speaker 1: ever to come out of the state of Tennessee. 342 00:17:58,359 --> 00:18:01,520 Speaker 5: I guess so. I don't know, it's hard to think 343 00:18:01,560 --> 00:18:01,960 Speaker 5: about that. 344 00:18:02,480 --> 00:18:04,320 Speaker 1: I wanted to ask you a little bit about your 345 00:18:04,359 --> 00:18:08,600 Speaker 1: experience now, just about the protest. When it started, did 346 00:18:08,640 --> 00:18:12,359 Speaker 1: you have any sense that things would mushroom into what 347 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:13,000 Speaker 1: they are now? 348 00:18:13,359 --> 00:18:13,560 Speaker 6: Oh? 349 00:18:13,640 --> 00:18:17,399 Speaker 4: Absolutely not, because typically, you know, I got here, we 350 00:18:18,040 --> 00:18:20,760 Speaker 4: started session. I think we started session. I can't remember 351 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:23,399 Speaker 4: what time we started it that day, nine o'clock. I 352 00:18:23,440 --> 00:18:26,280 Speaker 4: got here well before eight because I knew that people 353 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:29,000 Speaker 4: were going to be gathering for the protest and I 354 00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:31,399 Speaker 4: wanted to talk to folks who were here. And you know, 355 00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:33,399 Speaker 4: I spent a lot of time that morning talking to 356 00:18:33,480 --> 00:18:36,600 Speaker 4: moms who had dropped their kids off at school and were, 357 00:18:36,760 --> 00:18:40,399 Speaker 4: you know, just tereary, telling me that it's terrifying to 358 00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:43,159 Speaker 4: drop their kids off, wondering if they're going to be 359 00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:46,080 Speaker 4: okay when they go to pick them up or when 360 00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:46,520 Speaker 4: they you. 361 00:18:46,560 --> 00:18:48,360 Speaker 5: Know, are they going to come home on the bus. 362 00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:51,480 Speaker 4: And just talk to so many parents who are there 363 00:18:51,560 --> 00:18:54,000 Speaker 4: for that very reason. You know, they want to do 364 00:18:54,080 --> 00:18:57,240 Speaker 4: everything they can. So this is not something that the 365 00:18:57,400 --> 00:18:59,920 Speaker 4: children have to worry about and parents have to worry about. 366 00:19:00,160 --> 00:19:03,480 Speaker 4: My generation worried about school shootings was not a thing, 367 00:19:03,760 --> 00:19:06,879 Speaker 4: but this generation has grown up with that potential and 368 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:07,959 Speaker 4: that possibility. 369 00:19:08,320 --> 00:19:12,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, just insane. So you have been in 370 00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:16,000 Speaker 1: the legislature longer than the two justins you were in 371 00:19:16,040 --> 00:19:19,080 Speaker 1: the legislature, did you sort of sub out and then 372 00:19:19,160 --> 00:19:19,679 Speaker 1: come back? 373 00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:23,520 Speaker 4: I live in East Tennessee. Justin Pearson's from West Tennessee. 374 00:19:23,680 --> 00:19:26,280 Speaker 4: Justin Jones is from met Old Nashville. They come from 375 00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:30,160 Speaker 4: very blue districts. I am from red East Tennessee, and 376 00:19:30,240 --> 00:19:33,919 Speaker 4: so I won in twenty twelve. So I served in 377 00:19:33,920 --> 00:19:37,960 Speaker 4: twenty thirteen and fourteen. I was extremely vocal, as you 378 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:43,840 Speaker 4: can imagine, and they spent hundreds of thousands of dollars. 379 00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:43,960 Speaker 5: To beat me. 380 00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:44,800 Speaker 1: Oh wow. 381 00:19:45,040 --> 00:19:45,960 Speaker 5: And so I. 382 00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:49,119 Speaker 4: Won that first time by a little under three hundred votes. 383 00:19:49,400 --> 00:19:52,480 Speaker 4: In the next election in twenty fourteen, they beat me 384 00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:55,359 Speaker 4: by about one hundred and eighty votes. And then in 385 00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:58,679 Speaker 4: twenty sixteen they beat me by one hundred and fifty votes. 386 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:02,600 Speaker 4: And in twenty eighteen I came back and won by 387 00:20:02,640 --> 00:20:03,840 Speaker 4: twenty five hundred votes. 388 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:08,199 Speaker 1: Oh I love that. So interesting. Let's just talk about 389 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:10,199 Speaker 1: the protests for a minute, because this is like the 390 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:14,760 Speaker 1: first time that anyone has ever been expelled from the 391 00:20:14,800 --> 00:20:19,040 Speaker 1: Tennessee State House for decorum violations. Right. 392 00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:19,800 Speaker 5: Right. 393 00:20:19,960 --> 00:20:23,720 Speaker 4: Previously it was things that were literal crime, right, except 394 00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:27,159 Speaker 4: for back in eighteen sixty six, where there was expulsion 395 00:20:27,200 --> 00:20:29,480 Speaker 4: because some people refused to show up to vote for 396 00:20:29,520 --> 00:20:33,800 Speaker 4: the fourteenth Amendment. Right, but the last ones were robbery. 397 00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:35,480 Speaker 1: Fraud, prostitution, right. 398 00:20:35,800 --> 00:20:40,879 Speaker 4: Well, the last one was sexual harassment of twenty two women, 399 00:20:41,320 --> 00:20:44,840 Speaker 4: right and also there were campaign finance violations that all 400 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:47,639 Speaker 4: came out, so there were all of that as well. 401 00:20:47,840 --> 00:20:49,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, he sounds great, that guy. 402 00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:52,119 Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah, it was great. 403 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:54,840 Speaker 1: Yeah. One of the things that I was struck by 404 00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:58,879 Speaker 1: with this protest, and the thing that I related to 405 00:20:59,160 --> 00:21:01,880 Speaker 1: you about your story was that you have been an 406 00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:06,159 Speaker 1: incredibly good allied to these two justins, And I was 407 00:21:06,240 --> 00:21:10,000 Speaker 1: wondering if you could talk a little bit about how 408 00:21:10,200 --> 00:21:13,359 Speaker 1: the way in which you were able to I don't know, 409 00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:16,639 Speaker 1: I see myself and you as like being able to 410 00:21:16,680 --> 00:21:20,320 Speaker 1: be a good ally to younger people who will ultimately 411 00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:23,520 Speaker 1: hopefully you know, you don't have the lived experience they do, 412 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:26,600 Speaker 1: but you are able to, you know, hold space for them. 413 00:21:26,840 --> 00:21:27,080 Speaker 4: Right. 414 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:29,359 Speaker 5: Well, you know, I taught school. I taught teenagers for 415 00:21:29,400 --> 00:21:30,399 Speaker 5: twenty seven years. 416 00:21:30,600 --> 00:21:34,160 Speaker 4: I worked with emotionally disturbed teenagers, which is what I say, 417 00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:36,760 Speaker 4: that's what prepared me to work in the Tennessee legislature. 418 00:21:37,640 --> 00:21:40,440 Speaker 4: But I mean I've always and even after I retired, 419 00:21:40,600 --> 00:21:44,840 Speaker 4: I did fellowships and internships training young organizers to fight 420 00:21:44,880 --> 00:21:47,800 Speaker 4: for issues or to fight for, you know, candidates work 421 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:51,119 Speaker 4: on campaigns and how to organize. And I've been working 422 00:21:51,119 --> 00:21:55,080 Speaker 4: with Justin Jones for probably ten years because when I 423 00:21:55,240 --> 00:21:58,080 Speaker 4: was first here, he was coming here as a student 424 00:21:58,119 --> 00:22:02,840 Speaker 4: from Fisk who was advokating for using student IDs for 425 00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:06,800 Speaker 4: as voting IDs. And so then after that I got 426 00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:10,479 Speaker 4: heavily involved in the expansion of Medicaid. Even when I 427 00:22:10,560 --> 00:22:14,120 Speaker 4: was not in office, I was the state lead for OFA, 428 00:22:14,280 --> 00:22:17,120 Speaker 4: and our function at that point was mainly to try 429 00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:20,919 Speaker 4: to organize to expand medicaid in Tennessee. So that was 430 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:24,439 Speaker 4: something that Justin Jones and I worked on together. He 431 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:27,520 Speaker 4: was always there for all of those events. And then, 432 00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:31,880 Speaker 4: of course back in twenty twenty twenty twenty one, when 433 00:22:31,960 --> 00:22:34,600 Speaker 4: we were trying to have the bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest, 434 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:37,640 Speaker 4: a guy who made millions off the slave trade, who 435 00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:42,440 Speaker 4: slaughtered three hundred surrendering black soldiers at Fort Pillow, who 436 00:22:42,480 --> 00:22:46,080 Speaker 4: became the first Grand Wizard of the KKK, he had 437 00:22:46,080 --> 00:22:48,400 Speaker 4: a bust in the Place of Honor in our capital 438 00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:50,720 Speaker 4: that our members had to walk past to get to 439 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:54,280 Speaker 4: the House and Senate floor. They had Justin Jones was 440 00:22:54,280 --> 00:22:58,959 Speaker 4: one of the organizers for a sixty two day protest 441 00:22:59,280 --> 00:23:02,200 Speaker 4: on Legislative Plaza, and I spend a lot of time 442 00:23:02,240 --> 00:23:05,760 Speaker 4: there with them as well, so I've known him well. 443 00:23:05,960 --> 00:23:08,239 Speaker 4: Justin Pearson, I have known for less time, but I 444 00:23:08,359 --> 00:23:11,240 Speaker 4: know about his hard work on the pipeline in Memphis 445 00:23:11,680 --> 00:23:12,000 Speaker 4: and what. 446 00:23:12,040 --> 00:23:13,240 Speaker 5: They were able to do there. 447 00:23:13,400 --> 00:23:15,440 Speaker 4: So as soon as I saw that he was running, 448 00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:17,920 Speaker 4: you know, I got behind him, got to know him, 449 00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:21,320 Speaker 4: and welcomed him here. And these these young people, they're 450 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:26,239 Speaker 4: so smart, they're so well informed. They're passionate about the 451 00:23:26,280 --> 00:23:28,879 Speaker 4: issues and their district, and they're passionate about the people 452 00:23:28,920 --> 00:23:33,160 Speaker 4: that they support. And I feel it's imperative that we 453 00:23:33,280 --> 00:23:37,919 Speaker 4: lift these voices. They are so important in the Tennessee House, 454 00:23:38,560 --> 00:23:42,480 Speaker 4: especially because those are voices that are not being heard. 455 00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:46,159 Speaker 4: And I'm a sixty year old white woman, and you know, 456 00:23:46,240 --> 00:23:48,000 Speaker 4: I still have a lot to say, but I'm going 457 00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:51,560 Speaker 4: to do everything I can to bring in young people 458 00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:56,720 Speaker 4: and to lift those voices, because it's just critically important 459 00:23:56,840 --> 00:24:00,600 Speaker 4: that we're hearing every voice in this state and not 460 00:24:00,760 --> 00:24:03,480 Speaker 4: just those at the top, the wealthy and well connected. 461 00:24:03,960 --> 00:24:07,400 Speaker 1: What does the Tennessee State has look like now? Protests 462 00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:10,240 Speaker 1: are still going on. I mean pete Us is sort 463 00:24:10,280 --> 00:24:12,119 Speaker 1: of a scene of what's happening right now. 464 00:24:12,240 --> 00:24:14,320 Speaker 4: I don't think there's a day they haven't been here. 465 00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:18,240 Speaker 4: Yesterday Reverend Barber was here with hundreds of pastors and 466 00:24:18,320 --> 00:24:22,119 Speaker 4: other folks. They marched from the Methodist Church all the 467 00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:24,800 Speaker 4: way to the Capitol and were present all night last 468 00:24:24,880 --> 00:24:27,200 Speaker 4: night while we were on the House floor. We will 469 00:24:27,280 --> 00:24:30,160 Speaker 4: also had a group that have been here since last 470 00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:34,560 Speaker 4: Thursday who are Republicans for Gun Safety. They say they'll 471 00:24:34,600 --> 00:24:38,200 Speaker 4: be here every day, and we have had something going 472 00:24:38,240 --> 00:24:42,600 Speaker 4: on today. I ran into in the hallway, Margot Price, 473 00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:47,000 Speaker 4: Alison Russell, Cheryl Crow, some musicians are here, meeting with 474 00:24:47,080 --> 00:24:49,959 Speaker 4: the head of the Senate, meeting with the governor, bringing 475 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:54,080 Speaker 4: a letter about gun violence. So it's and today we 476 00:24:54,160 --> 00:24:56,560 Speaker 4: have a This afternoon at five, there's going to be 477 00:24:56,600 --> 00:25:00,400 Speaker 4: a human chain from Vanderbilt Hospital to the Capital. 478 00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:04,000 Speaker 1: You and the two Justins did not disappear the way 479 00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:05,879 Speaker 1: the Republicans had perhaps hoped. 480 00:25:06,119 --> 00:25:10,760 Speaker 5: Oh no, absolutely not. We are going to continue this. Certainly. 481 00:25:10,960 --> 00:25:14,080 Speaker 4: We welcome talking to the media because it's a way 482 00:25:14,119 --> 00:25:17,320 Speaker 4: to talk about this issue. And by talking about this issue, 483 00:25:17,680 --> 00:25:19,800 Speaker 4: we brought so many people together. We have so much 484 00:25:19,840 --> 00:25:23,480 Speaker 4: support from other states and their state houses and state senates. 485 00:25:23,760 --> 00:25:26,040 Speaker 4: Those folks have been reaching out to us, and obviously 486 00:25:26,119 --> 00:25:30,160 Speaker 4: the folks from Kentucky are reaching out because of the 487 00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:32,960 Speaker 4: bank shooting that just happened, and they're like, we want 488 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:35,639 Speaker 4: to collaborate, we want to talk about this, and I 489 00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:38,800 Speaker 4: think some of the state reps are coming down today 490 00:25:38,840 --> 00:25:43,760 Speaker 4: for our human chain. So it started conversation between states 491 00:25:43,840 --> 00:25:47,480 Speaker 4: at a federal level, like Gabby Gifford's organization has reached 492 00:25:47,520 --> 00:25:50,600 Speaker 4: out to us. So we just want to continue to 493 00:25:50,760 --> 00:25:53,680 Speaker 4: build partners and build the movement so we can do 494 00:25:53,800 --> 00:25:56,960 Speaker 4: something about gun violence, which is now the number one 495 00:25:57,040 --> 00:25:58,159 Speaker 4: killer of our children. 496 00:25:58,400 --> 00:26:02,640 Speaker 1: How are those Republicans feeling well? Because I'm reading more 497 00:26:02,680 --> 00:26:05,600 Speaker 1: and more we didn't want to do it, someone else 498 00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:10,160 Speaker 1: pushed us to do it, anonymous members saying, well, we 499 00:26:10,240 --> 00:26:13,480 Speaker 1: had we really, you know, we just wanted to teach 500 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:15,679 Speaker 1: them a lot. I mean, seems like a lot of 501 00:26:15,760 --> 00:26:17,159 Speaker 1: Monday morning quarterbacking. 502 00:26:17,640 --> 00:26:19,720 Speaker 5: Did you hear the leak's recording of their caucus? 503 00:26:19,760 --> 00:26:21,760 Speaker 1: Though yes I did. 504 00:26:22,280 --> 00:26:25,320 Speaker 4: That was not We're sorry. That was we didn't do 505 00:26:25,359 --> 00:26:27,919 Speaker 4: it hard enough? And how dare these people be in 506 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:31,400 Speaker 4: our hallowed halls? And they were at war and we 507 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:34,119 Speaker 4: were the enemy. And I'm just thinking, how can you 508 00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:36,160 Speaker 4: be doing the work of the people when all you're 509 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:40,000 Speaker 4: focused on is punishing us. I mean, you know, we 510 00:26:40,040 --> 00:26:44,240 Speaker 4: had this horrible shooting in Nashville, and their first act 511 00:26:44,880 --> 00:26:48,800 Speaker 4: is to expel members who were trying to speak up 512 00:26:48,840 --> 00:26:52,119 Speaker 4: against gun violence. Their first action should have been doing 513 00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:56,119 Speaker 4: something about gun violence, not expelling members who wanted to 514 00:26:56,160 --> 00:26:59,320 Speaker 4: talk about it. And this is who they are. I mean, 515 00:26:59,359 --> 00:27:02,479 Speaker 4: you heard on that Tate They're destroying our way of 516 00:27:02,600 --> 00:27:05,480 Speaker 4: life and you know they are the enemy. And I 517 00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:07,680 Speaker 4: came off of that thinking it sounded like a bunch 518 00:27:07,720 --> 00:27:11,560 Speaker 4: of Confederates strategizing for the Civil War. I mean, yeah, 519 00:27:11,760 --> 00:27:14,640 Speaker 4: why are they focusing on us? And why are they 520 00:27:14,720 --> 00:27:19,240 Speaker 4: not focusing on policy that Tennessee families want and need? 521 00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:22,719 Speaker 1: Yeah? No, I mean it's just amazing. Where are you 522 00:27:23,280 --> 00:27:27,720 Speaker 1: now with sort of building your war chast and also 523 00:27:28,560 --> 00:27:34,840 Speaker 1: kind of galvanizing Tennessee liberals to run against I mean, 524 00:27:34,880 --> 00:27:38,800 Speaker 1: some of these people probably can be primary or not primary, 525 00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:40,520 Speaker 1: but beaten in the general. 526 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:44,000 Speaker 4: I can tell you that I just spoke over the 527 00:27:44,040 --> 00:27:47,320 Speaker 4: weekend I spoke to It was the statewide dinner for 528 00:27:47,359 --> 00:27:50,959 Speaker 4: the Tennessee Federation of Democratic Women, And whenever I go, 529 00:27:51,040 --> 00:27:52,919 Speaker 4: you know, I always make that ask to run for 530 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:56,159 Speaker 4: office because right now this House is only ten percent 531 00:27:56,200 --> 00:27:59,200 Speaker 4: women and that's horrifying to me. And this day is 532 00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:01,480 Speaker 4: fifty two percent women. We need to be fifty two 533 00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:04,679 Speaker 4: percent of the House. The fact that women, you know, 534 00:28:04,840 --> 00:28:08,879 Speaker 4: because the elections have been so hideous, especially against me, 535 00:28:09,119 --> 00:28:12,399 Speaker 4: the attacks are just ugly. Now they'll have a picture 536 00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:15,960 Speaker 4: of me covered in blood spatter saying that my friends 537 00:28:15,960 --> 00:28:19,680 Speaker 4: are violent criminals. And you know, nobody wants those attacks, 538 00:28:20,280 --> 00:28:23,800 Speaker 4: especially women and bringing it to their family, right So 539 00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:26,360 Speaker 4: it's hard to get women to step up. But at 540 00:28:26,359 --> 00:28:29,480 Speaker 4: that after that dinner, so many people came up to 541 00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:31,760 Speaker 4: me and said, hey, I'm running against so and so 542 00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:35,680 Speaker 4: Republican this year, and I mean more than way, more 543 00:28:35,680 --> 00:28:38,640 Speaker 4: than I've ever heard before. And it was just wonderful 544 00:28:39,160 --> 00:28:42,120 Speaker 4: to hear that. You know that they're already thinking about, 545 00:28:42,160 --> 00:28:45,480 Speaker 4: they're already making plans, they're already you know, sort of 546 00:28:45,560 --> 00:28:48,600 Speaker 4: tracking what they're what the person that they're going to 547 00:28:48,680 --> 00:28:51,880 Speaker 4: run against is doing in the House. And it's a 548 00:28:51,920 --> 00:28:55,600 Speaker 4: great thing to see. People are really really energized, and 549 00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:58,440 Speaker 4: we're going to keep that energy up. We want good 550 00:28:58,520 --> 00:29:01,720 Speaker 4: candidates to run and challenge to these folks because even 551 00:29:01,840 --> 00:29:04,680 Speaker 4: their own members, like I said, Republicans for Gun Reform 552 00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:07,600 Speaker 4: have been here since last week and they said they're 553 00:29:07,640 --> 00:29:11,320 Speaker 4: staying as long as we stay. And in my district, 554 00:29:11,480 --> 00:29:16,480 Speaker 4: I've run red flag laws and safe storage laws for 555 00:29:16,560 --> 00:29:18,960 Speaker 4: the last couple of sessions and they've been killed in 556 00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:22,600 Speaker 4: committee on a party line vote. But I polled red 557 00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:26,080 Speaker 4: flag laws in my district in deep read East Tennessee, 558 00:29:26,760 --> 00:29:30,760 Speaker 4: and even a majority of Republicans support red flag laws. 559 00:29:31,440 --> 00:29:35,840 Speaker 4: So it's supported by a majority of Republicans, Independents and Democrats. 560 00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:39,000 Speaker 4: They are missing the vote on this because they're listening 561 00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:42,920 Speaker 4: to the NRA and the Tennessee Firearms Association and they 562 00:29:42,960 --> 00:29:47,560 Speaker 4: are absolutely not listening to their own constituents and their 563 00:29:47,600 --> 00:29:49,280 Speaker 4: own voters in many cases. 564 00:29:49,760 --> 00:29:53,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, that is kind of incredible. I mean, we're seeing 565 00:29:53,320 --> 00:29:56,680 Speaker 1: this everywhere in this Republican party. Is that we're seeing 566 00:29:57,120 --> 00:30:03,280 Speaker 1: Republicans who are completely way to the right of their constituents. 567 00:30:03,560 --> 00:30:06,160 Speaker 4: Yeah, and there all those people were here last night. 568 00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:08,280 Speaker 4: They stayed for three and a half hours because we 569 00:30:08,360 --> 00:30:11,880 Speaker 4: had a bill on the floor to arm teachers. 570 00:30:12,120 --> 00:30:14,600 Speaker 1: Right, I remember, so stupid. 571 00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:17,800 Speaker 4: So Reverend Barber was here, all those pastors were here, 572 00:30:17,920 --> 00:30:20,720 Speaker 4: Lots of people were here. They went into session an 573 00:30:20,800 --> 00:30:22,960 Speaker 4: hour early. We went in at four. We usually go 574 00:30:23,040 --> 00:30:24,880 Speaker 4: in at five on Mondays and we usually go till 575 00:30:24,920 --> 00:30:27,520 Speaker 4: about eight. We went in at four. It gets to 576 00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:32,120 Speaker 4: seven twenty seven or something like that. We were right 577 00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:35,840 Speaker 4: at the bill that everybody wanted to hear about arming teachers, 578 00:30:35,840 --> 00:30:37,880 Speaker 4: that they had waited three and a half hours for 579 00:30:38,360 --> 00:30:40,720 Speaker 4: and come from all over the country actually to hear 580 00:30:40,760 --> 00:30:41,240 Speaker 4: that bill. 581 00:30:41,640 --> 00:30:43,200 Speaker 5: They rolled it to the next. 582 00:30:42,960 --> 00:30:47,800 Speaker 4: Calendar, which is tomorrow hour. Well, well, yeah, it's tomorrow. 583 00:30:48,160 --> 00:30:51,600 Speaker 4: But everything's iffy because we've moved into a flow motion 584 00:30:51,720 --> 00:30:54,160 Speaker 4: where the rules that are suspended. 585 00:30:53,880 --> 00:30:56,640 Speaker 5: And we speed up. Everything could be anytime. 586 00:30:56,720 --> 00:31:00,000 Speaker 1: Really, Jesse made me watch a video, a local news 587 00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:04,440 Speaker 1: video about the Tennessee State House. Uh huh, our producer, 588 00:31:04,520 --> 00:31:08,000 Speaker 1: because he's mean, there is a lot of really and 589 00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:10,080 Speaker 1: we're not on cable television so I can say this 590 00:31:10,400 --> 00:31:13,520 Speaker 1: fucked up stuff that's going on over there. Can you 591 00:31:13,880 --> 00:31:20,000 Speaker 1: explain members can in fact do crazy stuff with bills? Right? 592 00:31:20,400 --> 00:31:23,640 Speaker 4: Oh, they absolutely do crazy stuff. You probably watched the 593 00:31:23,680 --> 00:31:27,760 Speaker 4: Phil Williams interview with me and Rep. Dixie Yes, And 594 00:31:27,800 --> 00:31:30,960 Speaker 4: they do this all the time. We in the Senate 595 00:31:31,400 --> 00:31:33,440 Speaker 4: they have roll call votes. In the House, we have 596 00:31:33,560 --> 00:31:38,160 Speaker 4: voice votes. So many times we will take a voice 597 00:31:38,200 --> 00:31:40,640 Speaker 4: vote and the and the ya's or the na's are 598 00:31:40,720 --> 00:31:43,400 Speaker 4: clearly louder, and they'll call it the other way they'll 599 00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:45,480 Speaker 4: call the chairman will call it the way they want 600 00:31:45,480 --> 00:31:48,920 Speaker 4: to call it. Okay, And you know, there's nothing you 601 00:31:48,960 --> 00:31:51,880 Speaker 4: can do because you can't request a roll call vote 602 00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:56,160 Speaker 4: after the vote's been taken, right, And if we if 603 00:31:56,200 --> 00:31:58,840 Speaker 4: you want to request a roll call vote, you have 604 00:31:58,880 --> 00:32:02,640 Speaker 4: to have three people raise their hand in the committee. 605 00:32:02,760 --> 00:32:05,040 Speaker 4: If someone in the committee wants to request a roll 606 00:32:05,120 --> 00:32:08,880 Speaker 4: call vote, three people have to raise their hand. We 607 00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:14,560 Speaker 4: only have two sometimes one Democrat in certain committees, so 608 00:32:14,760 --> 00:32:16,800 Speaker 4: we can't even get to three to ask for a 609 00:32:16,880 --> 00:32:20,160 Speaker 4: role call vote. And if you're a member, you and 610 00:32:20,200 --> 00:32:22,760 Speaker 4: you're bringing your bill and you want a role call vote, 611 00:32:23,240 --> 00:32:25,760 Speaker 4: you have to say it before you say anything else, 612 00:32:26,280 --> 00:32:28,320 Speaker 4: because if you say anything else, they say no, you 613 00:32:28,400 --> 00:32:31,560 Speaker 4: already started talking. You can't get a roll call vote. However, 614 00:32:31,640 --> 00:32:33,880 Speaker 4: one of their members will walk up and it's a 615 00:32:33,920 --> 00:32:38,400 Speaker 4: different story. Adding untimely filed amendments. If we have an 616 00:32:38,480 --> 00:32:43,440 Speaker 4: untimely filed amendment, it's likely they will refuse to hear it. However, 617 00:32:43,520 --> 00:32:46,600 Speaker 4: if they do they hear it, they are Speaker has 618 00:32:46,680 --> 00:32:50,160 Speaker 4: instituted a new rule this session this year for the 619 00:32:50,160 --> 00:32:53,280 Speaker 4: one hundred and thirteenth that we only have five minutes 620 00:32:53,320 --> 00:32:56,360 Speaker 4: to debate a bill, like if when I have questions 621 00:32:56,400 --> 00:32:59,160 Speaker 4: for the spot of a bill, I have five minutes 622 00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:02,160 Speaker 4: and what that means. And this happened multiple times last night. 623 00:33:02,440 --> 00:33:05,320 Speaker 4: I might ask a thirty second question and then the 624 00:33:05,400 --> 00:33:08,560 Speaker 4: member will read the entire bill or something and eat 625 00:33:08,640 --> 00:33:10,680 Speaker 4: up the other four and a half minutes, and then 626 00:33:10,720 --> 00:33:13,120 Speaker 4: the discussion is over and they don't even answer the 627 00:33:13,200 --> 00:33:15,000 Speaker 4: question part of it most of the time. 628 00:33:15,240 --> 00:33:18,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean that is not great. 629 00:33:18,720 --> 00:33:19,040 Speaker 5: Yeah. 630 00:33:19,080 --> 00:33:21,760 Speaker 4: And one year, a couple of years back, there was 631 00:33:21,800 --> 00:33:24,120 Speaker 4: a particularly heinous I think it might have been the 632 00:33:24,120 --> 00:33:27,360 Speaker 4: Heartbeat Bill, total of ban on abortion, and I stood 633 00:33:27,400 --> 00:33:29,800 Speaker 4: on the House for for forty five minutes with my 634 00:33:29,840 --> 00:33:31,520 Speaker 4: hand raised, and they never call them. 635 00:33:31,640 --> 00:33:34,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, And part of that is a function of them 636 00:33:34,120 --> 00:33:35,880 Speaker 1: having the super majority. 637 00:33:35,800 --> 00:33:38,400 Speaker 4: Right they can vote and pass anything if we're not there. 638 00:33:39,040 --> 00:33:41,280 Speaker 4: You know, technically they don't have to let us talk. 639 00:33:41,320 --> 00:33:43,680 Speaker 4: But I mean, it's what are they so afraid of 640 00:33:44,040 --> 00:33:47,280 Speaker 4: by doing some in depth debate on their legislation, on 641 00:33:47,320 --> 00:33:50,200 Speaker 4: their policies. You know, when I bring a bill, I'm 642 00:33:50,240 --> 00:33:53,800 Speaker 4: proud of the policy and I'll stand up and talk 643 00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:55,760 Speaker 4: about it for days if you want to. You know, 644 00:33:55,800 --> 00:33:58,480 Speaker 4: I'm not afraid of hard questions. I will answer them. 645 00:33:58,840 --> 00:34:02,040 Speaker 4: But they seem terrified to debate the issues they bring 646 00:34:02,080 --> 00:34:02,760 Speaker 4: to the floor. 647 00:34:03,080 --> 00:34:07,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, just insane. Gloria, thank you so much 648 00:34:07,160 --> 00:34:09,040 Speaker 1: for joining us. I hope you will come back. 649 00:34:09,280 --> 00:34:09,520 Speaker 5: Oh. 650 00:34:09,560 --> 00:34:13,000 Speaker 4: Absolutely, I appreciate you having me on, and I just 651 00:34:13,080 --> 00:34:15,799 Speaker 4: hope we can keep this issue of gun violence in 652 00:34:15,800 --> 00:34:20,680 Speaker 4: the forefront because it is terrorizing children, is terrorizing communities, 653 00:34:20,680 --> 00:34:22,920 Speaker 4: and we are the only nation in the world with 654 00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:25,440 Speaker 4: this problem, and we can fix it if we have 655 00:34:25,520 --> 00:34:25,960 Speaker 4: the will. 656 00:34:26,120 --> 00:34:31,000 Speaker 1: Thank you, Gria. Amy Walter is the editor in chief 657 00:34:31,040 --> 00:34:37,400 Speaker 1: of The Cook Political Report. Welcome to Ask Politics, Amy. 658 00:34:37,160 --> 00:34:39,520 Speaker 6: Walter, thank you for having me. 659 00:34:39,800 --> 00:34:42,200 Speaker 1: I am very excited. We were on a panel together 660 00:34:42,560 --> 00:34:46,240 Speaker 1: on a TV show and I thought, oh, she's so smart, 661 00:34:46,360 --> 00:34:48,160 Speaker 1: and I want to ask I want to get to 662 00:34:48,160 --> 00:34:51,520 Speaker 1: ask her questions. So I was really excited to get 663 00:34:51,560 --> 00:34:52,120 Speaker 1: you on here. 664 00:34:52,320 --> 00:34:53,520 Speaker 6: You're very kind. Thank you. 665 00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:56,319 Speaker 1: It's true I wanted to start by talking to you 666 00:34:56,800 --> 00:35:03,239 Speaker 1: about this interesting twenty twenty four contest. Let's just get 667 00:35:03,320 --> 00:35:05,600 Speaker 1: right into it. Twenty four. We could talk about the 668 00:35:05,600 --> 00:35:08,959 Speaker 1: Mississippi governor's race if you want, right that's twenty twenty three. 669 00:35:09,280 --> 00:35:12,880 Speaker 6: Yeah, we could talk about Kentucky governor's race. That's actually interesting. 670 00:35:12,880 --> 00:35:15,640 Speaker 6: But you're right, where most people are focusing on is. 671 00:35:15,600 --> 00:35:16,359 Speaker 5: Twenty twenty four. 672 00:35:16,480 --> 00:35:17,479 Speaker 6: Sure, I get it. 673 00:35:17,400 --> 00:35:20,080 Speaker 1: But let's just for one second talk about that Mississippi 674 00:35:20,080 --> 00:35:22,719 Speaker 1: governor's race. Because James Carvo was on our last episode 675 00:35:23,080 --> 00:35:26,560 Speaker 1: and he was saying that there's a real dem pickup opportunity. 676 00:35:26,640 --> 00:35:29,440 Speaker 1: There is that wishful thinking. What do you think? 677 00:35:29,680 --> 00:35:33,879 Speaker 6: Look, I think this is a state that, not surprisingly 678 00:35:34,280 --> 00:35:39,760 Speaker 6: has a pretty significant divide when it comes to race. 679 00:35:40,120 --> 00:35:44,880 Speaker 6: And in this state, if you are able to mobilize 680 00:35:45,200 --> 00:35:48,640 Speaker 6: African American voters as a Democrat and win over a 681 00:35:49,200 --> 00:35:53,600 Speaker 6: smallish percent of white voters, there's a path, but it's 682 00:35:53,640 --> 00:35:56,560 Speaker 6: a very very narrow path. And I would say, you know, 683 00:35:56,600 --> 00:35:58,920 Speaker 6: you can see the pathway to getting to like forty 684 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:03,040 Speaker 6: seven percent, maybe even forty eight. Getting to fifty is 685 00:36:03,080 --> 00:36:06,719 Speaker 6: a lot harder. I think what Democrats were hoping is 686 00:36:06,800 --> 00:36:12,120 Speaker 6: that the current governor would have a serious primary, or 687 00:36:12,160 --> 00:36:15,040 Speaker 6: maybe he would be dragged into a runoff. That's what 688 00:36:15,120 --> 00:36:19,640 Speaker 6: happened in his first campaign. That's not happening now. But 689 00:36:20,120 --> 00:36:22,920 Speaker 6: you know, look, having the last name Presley, living in 690 00:36:22,960 --> 00:36:27,239 Speaker 6: a time we're in where things are so intense and 691 00:36:27,320 --> 00:36:33,520 Speaker 6: so intensely polarized, motivating voters in a state that has 692 00:36:33,600 --> 00:36:39,240 Speaker 6: been afflicted by a number of issues, especially along racial lines. 693 00:36:39,280 --> 00:36:40,520 Speaker 1: If you think about. 694 00:36:40,520 --> 00:36:44,360 Speaker 6: Jackson and the water crisis and medicare the refusal to 695 00:36:44,400 --> 00:36:47,640 Speaker 6: expand medicare right, yep. But if I were to say 696 00:36:48,080 --> 00:36:52,759 Speaker 6: what would be for Democrats, probably the more important and 697 00:36:52,920 --> 00:36:58,839 Speaker 6: impressive race would be in Kentucky, where you have a 698 00:36:58,880 --> 00:37:02,560 Speaker 6: Democratic governor, again in a state that nobody would call blue. 699 00:37:02,920 --> 00:37:08,560 Speaker 6: Right now, he's favored for reelection, and looking at how 700 00:37:08,680 --> 00:37:12,760 Speaker 6: Governor Basher is able to hold on to a red state, 701 00:37:12,920 --> 00:37:16,560 Speaker 6: I think becomes an important playbook. Now, it's not going 702 00:37:16,600 --> 00:37:19,560 Speaker 6: to work everywhere or for everyone. In the same way 703 00:37:19,600 --> 00:37:23,120 Speaker 6: that Glenn Youngkin is trying to sell his experience of 704 00:37:23,160 --> 00:37:26,799 Speaker 6: winning in a blue state like Virginia. The difference with Younkin, though, 705 00:37:27,560 --> 00:37:30,840 Speaker 6: is well, he can't run for reelection, so you do 706 00:37:30,920 --> 00:37:33,000 Speaker 6: it one time but you don't get to your proof 707 00:37:33,040 --> 00:37:38,360 Speaker 6: of concept, right is hard. But for Basher, winning a 708 00:37:38,480 --> 00:37:42,279 Speaker 6: reelection in this really red state with a Democrat in 709 00:37:42,320 --> 00:37:44,759 Speaker 6: the white House, that's not an easy thing to do. 710 00:37:45,160 --> 00:37:48,719 Speaker 6: And if he does continue to lead and then ultimately 711 00:37:48,760 --> 00:37:51,760 Speaker 6: win reelection, he's going to be talked about a lot. 712 00:37:51,840 --> 00:37:54,240 Speaker 6: When we go to the who's in the next tier 713 00:37:54,320 --> 00:37:58,719 Speaker 6: of potential Democratic candidates for president, he'll be right up there. 714 00:37:59,239 --> 00:38:03,120 Speaker 1: He can have the experience of being heavily scrutinized and 715 00:38:03,280 --> 00:38:07,360 Speaker 1: you know, I mean not perhaps not careful what you 716 00:38:07,400 --> 00:38:10,200 Speaker 1: wish for. Let's get to the brass tags here of 717 00:38:10,239 --> 00:38:15,200 Speaker 1: twenty twenty four, because they don't seem to do things 718 00:38:15,280 --> 00:38:20,279 Speaker 1: that look like they are caring too much about getting elected, right, Like, 719 00:38:20,760 --> 00:38:26,239 Speaker 1: they seem to go in on unpopular ideas, if that 720 00:38:26,280 --> 00:38:29,040 Speaker 1: makes sense, without much care one way or the other. 721 00:38:29,560 --> 00:38:32,799 Speaker 1: But this map is not a great map for Democrats. 722 00:38:32,840 --> 00:38:33,680 Speaker 6: It's not a great map. 723 00:38:33,800 --> 00:38:34,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's right. 724 00:38:35,400 --> 00:38:40,040 Speaker 6: It's a pretty terrible map actually for Democrats. And remember 725 00:38:40,120 --> 00:38:43,279 Speaker 6: the twenty twenty two map was just great for Democrats. 726 00:38:43,280 --> 00:38:47,120 Speaker 6: So I'm not taking anything away from the success that 727 00:38:47,520 --> 00:38:51,439 Speaker 6: those incumbent Democrats had and holding on in a tough year, 728 00:38:52,840 --> 00:38:55,600 Speaker 6: you know, certainly the headwinds of the economy and an 729 00:38:55,680 --> 00:39:01,280 Speaker 6: unpopular president. But at least they were in bluish purplish states. 730 00:39:01,600 --> 00:39:04,400 Speaker 6: You know, Shared Brown and John Tester and Joe Manchin 731 00:39:04,440 --> 00:39:07,319 Speaker 6: have to run in red states and then pretty deep 732 00:39:07,360 --> 00:39:11,880 Speaker 6: red states, and then we've got you know, Pennsylvania, Michigan, 733 00:39:12,400 --> 00:39:17,719 Speaker 6: and Wisconsin. Look all of those incumbents. Obviously there's not 734 00:39:17,719 --> 00:39:20,680 Speaker 6: an incumbent in Michigan, but in the other two states, 735 00:39:20,760 --> 00:39:25,480 Speaker 6: Casey and Baldwin pretty good track record of success. But Arizona, 736 00:39:26,080 --> 00:39:26,800 Speaker 6: you tell me. 737 00:39:26,800 --> 00:39:29,840 Speaker 1: Who even knows what's going to happen there too, because 738 00:39:30,280 --> 00:39:34,920 Speaker 1: there's kind of a lawlessness with the Republican Party, I 739 00:39:34,960 --> 00:39:36,080 Speaker 1: mean whatever that looks like. 740 00:39:36,400 --> 00:39:40,520 Speaker 6: Yeah, who comes out of a primary on the Republican 741 00:39:40,560 --> 00:39:43,680 Speaker 6: side and do Cinema run for reelection? Those will tell 742 00:39:43,760 --> 00:39:46,400 Speaker 6: us we've got to sort of wait until we know 743 00:39:46,480 --> 00:39:51,000 Speaker 6: those things before we can at all even slightly confident 744 00:39:51,040 --> 00:39:54,360 Speaker 6: about predicting what's going to happen. But the map itself 745 00:39:54,480 --> 00:39:57,600 Speaker 6: even just so take out Arizona. Just look at West 746 00:39:57,640 --> 00:40:03,000 Speaker 6: Virginia and Ohio and Montane. Those are the three biggest 747 00:40:03,440 --> 00:40:06,800 Speaker 6: challenges for Democrats right now, and those are three places 748 00:40:06,840 --> 00:40:10,840 Speaker 6: where you could argue that having a candidate who wins 749 00:40:10,840 --> 00:40:15,640 Speaker 6: the primary who's kind of outside the mainstream or seen 750 00:40:15,680 --> 00:40:19,200 Speaker 6: as you know, maybe not the strongest candidate is not 751 00:40:19,800 --> 00:40:25,480 Speaker 6: necessarily a recipe for losing. Jadie Vance still won by. 752 00:40:25,320 --> 00:40:29,920 Speaker 1: About six points, right, but doctor Oz did not correct. 753 00:40:30,200 --> 00:40:33,480 Speaker 6: So it matters in Arizona. I would say, it matters 754 00:40:33,480 --> 00:40:37,040 Speaker 6: in Pennsylvania, it matters in Wisconsin. It matters and places 755 00:40:37,040 --> 00:40:40,759 Speaker 6: that are really really evenly divided, in states that have 756 00:40:40,880 --> 00:40:44,000 Speaker 6: a pretty strong tilt one way or the other. It's 757 00:40:44,000 --> 00:40:46,920 Speaker 6: just getting harder to call out your opponent as being. 758 00:40:46,760 --> 00:40:50,680 Speaker 1: Too extreme right, which is pretty scary stuff if you 759 00:40:50,719 --> 00:40:54,040 Speaker 1: think about it. Ultimately, Can you just do another minute 760 00:40:54,320 --> 00:40:58,000 Speaker 1: for me on In my mind, West Virginia looks like 761 00:40:58,080 --> 00:41:03,360 Speaker 1: the worst of those states Democrats because it's so rad 762 00:41:03,440 --> 00:41:08,200 Speaker 1: and also because it's so provincial and strange in certain ways, 763 00:41:08,760 --> 00:41:12,680 Speaker 1: like their governor switch parties. It seems like the normal 764 00:41:12,760 --> 00:41:15,760 Speaker 1: rules don't necessarily apply there. Do you agree, and what's 765 00:41:15,800 --> 00:41:17,280 Speaker 1: your take on West Virginia. 766 00:41:17,480 --> 00:41:20,719 Speaker 6: That's a good question. And you can look at this 767 00:41:20,800 --> 00:41:23,040 Speaker 6: two ways. One you look and you say, well, Jill 768 00:41:23,040 --> 00:41:28,120 Speaker 6: Mansion has gotten elected here, not once, not twice, but 769 00:41:28,200 --> 00:41:33,160 Speaker 6: three times yea, and so he and he was the 770 00:41:33,200 --> 00:41:37,160 Speaker 6: former governor. So to the provincial part he has there's 771 00:41:37,239 --> 00:41:41,040 Speaker 6: evidence that he has a base there that is sort 772 00:41:41,040 --> 00:41:46,520 Speaker 6: of impervious to national political trends and wins. At the 773 00:41:46,560 --> 00:41:50,040 Speaker 6: same time, I think about somebody like high high Camp 774 00:41:50,520 --> 00:41:56,080 Speaker 6: in the twenty eighteen midterm election, where she too was 775 00:41:56,120 --> 00:42:00,520 Speaker 6: a statewide elected official. She too won in an overwhelmingly state, 776 00:42:00,880 --> 00:42:04,319 Speaker 6: but at some point, even though she was well liked, 777 00:42:04,480 --> 00:42:08,800 Speaker 6: the partisanship of the state catches up with you. And 778 00:42:09,400 --> 00:42:11,440 Speaker 6: I think there were a lot of voters who voted 779 00:42:11,840 --> 00:42:16,680 Speaker 6: for her Republican opponent who would tell pollsters, yeah, sure 780 00:42:16,840 --> 00:42:19,200 Speaker 6: I would like Heidi high Camp. Yeah, I don't have 781 00:42:19,200 --> 00:42:20,839 Speaker 6: a problem with her, but I do have a problem 782 00:42:20,880 --> 00:42:23,919 Speaker 6: with Democrats or we need to support Trump. And that's 783 00:42:24,000 --> 00:42:27,880 Speaker 6: where you get into some real challenges with Mansion, right, Like, 784 00:42:28,280 --> 00:42:32,640 Speaker 6: it's not just he's got to outperform Biden in the 785 00:42:32,680 --> 00:42:36,480 Speaker 6: state by six or seven points, he has to outperform 786 00:42:36,560 --> 00:42:44,240 Speaker 6: him forty points. That is that is really really hard. 787 00:42:44,440 --> 00:42:46,960 Speaker 6: Now he is getting some help, as you pointed out, 788 00:42:47,239 --> 00:42:51,400 Speaker 6: from the fact that Republicans are fighting amongst themselves. We 789 00:42:51,440 --> 00:42:55,560 Speaker 6: have a club for growth versus that whatever the other 790 00:42:55,640 --> 00:42:58,320 Speaker 6: forces on the other side, whether it's Mitch McConnell's super 791 00:42:58,360 --> 00:43:03,680 Speaker 6: pac or the established at Rhinos or whatever. But Justice 792 00:43:03,920 --> 00:43:06,279 Speaker 6: I think will be the nominee. But in the case 793 00:43:06,320 --> 00:43:10,000 Speaker 6: that he's not, well, that's a probably good news for Mansion, right. 794 00:43:10,400 --> 00:43:11,719 Speaker 5: So that is just tough. 795 00:43:11,760 --> 00:43:14,759 Speaker 6: And as I said, it's getting harder and harder to 796 00:43:14,840 --> 00:43:19,440 Speaker 6: win in a presidential year if you are a candidate 797 00:43:19,960 --> 00:43:23,640 Speaker 6: that is from a different the state is voting for 798 00:43:23,680 --> 00:43:28,040 Speaker 6: a different party for president than your party. So Susan 799 00:43:28,080 --> 00:43:31,799 Speaker 6: Collins was the only one, the only Senator to win 800 00:43:31,880 --> 00:43:34,480 Speaker 6: in a state that the presidential nominee if your own 801 00:43:34,520 --> 00:43:37,680 Speaker 6: party didn't carry since twenty sixteen. So in twenty sixteen, 802 00:43:37,960 --> 00:43:40,239 Speaker 6: every state voted for the Senate the same way they 803 00:43:40,360 --> 00:43:43,719 Speaker 6: voted for president twenty twenty, every state. But main is 804 00:43:43,760 --> 00:43:46,200 Speaker 6: it going to be John Pester? Could it be Shared Brown? 805 00:43:46,640 --> 00:43:49,520 Speaker 6: Could it be Joe Mansion? Sure, all three of them. 806 00:43:49,800 --> 00:43:53,480 Speaker 6: That would be pretty remarkable. Not saying it can't happen, 807 00:43:53,600 --> 00:43:57,320 Speaker 6: but it's that's going against some pretty low nods. 808 00:43:57,760 --> 00:44:01,160 Speaker 1: Democrats have a real opportunity. What happened in New York 809 00:44:01,520 --> 00:44:04,719 Speaker 1: and in California to a lesser extent was that the 810 00:44:04,760 --> 00:44:08,279 Speaker 1: Democratic State Party really I want to say something mean, 811 00:44:08,360 --> 00:44:12,440 Speaker 1: but I'm going to say underperformed. Perhaps because of the 812 00:44:12,480 --> 00:44:18,719 Speaker 1: governor's foibles, perhaps because of the state party chairs incompetence, 813 00:44:19,160 --> 00:44:23,600 Speaker 1: but whatever the reason. There are a number of seats 814 00:44:23,640 --> 00:44:26,879 Speaker 1: in New York that are occupied by Republicans but were 815 00:44:27,440 --> 00:44:29,879 Speaker 1: won by Joe Biden. Can we talk about that, one 816 00:44:29,920 --> 00:44:33,480 Speaker 1: of which is now occupied by the one, the only 817 00:44:34,320 --> 00:44:35,360 Speaker 1: George Santos. 818 00:44:35,719 --> 00:44:38,399 Speaker 6: Yeah, didn't he just win an Academy award the other 819 00:44:38,440 --> 00:44:39,320 Speaker 6: month for something? 820 00:44:39,520 --> 00:44:42,439 Speaker 1: Yeah? Yeah, you know. The thing that strikes me about 821 00:44:42,520 --> 00:44:46,240 Speaker 1: him is I can't forget the time when the reporting 822 00:44:46,239 --> 00:44:49,400 Speaker 1: about him yelling at an aid about how he shouldn't 823 00:44:49,400 --> 00:44:54,759 Speaker 1: get the cheap botox that anyway, so talk to us 824 00:44:54,800 --> 00:44:55,279 Speaker 1: about that. 825 00:44:55,440 --> 00:44:58,360 Speaker 6: To me, the biggest question is can he survive a primary? 826 00:44:58,719 --> 00:45:02,640 Speaker 6: And as you know, there's already one. Well maybe I 827 00:45:02,640 --> 00:45:05,120 Speaker 6: shouldn't assume this. I'm the dowork that knows these things. 828 00:45:05,200 --> 00:45:10,480 Speaker 6: There's already one candidate who's announced on the Republican side 829 00:45:10,520 --> 00:45:14,120 Speaker 6: that he'll challenge Santos. I guess the question is how 830 00:45:14,160 --> 00:45:18,200 Speaker 6: many candidates ultimately jump in? But boy, I just don't 831 00:45:18,239 --> 00:45:22,160 Speaker 6: know that there's a path for Santos even through a primary, 832 00:45:22,600 --> 00:45:25,520 Speaker 6: but I can't remember. Is it still a late primary. 833 00:45:25,760 --> 00:45:27,120 Speaker 1: It's a D plus two. 834 00:45:28,200 --> 00:45:32,160 Speaker 6: Oh no, but the primary used to be in September, 835 00:45:32,200 --> 00:45:34,560 Speaker 6: but I don't I don't know if that's the case. 836 00:45:34,760 --> 00:45:37,000 Speaker 6: Whatever it is, it might be a while before we 837 00:45:37,640 --> 00:45:39,360 Speaker 6: know who the nominee is going to be. So if 838 00:45:39,400 --> 00:45:42,439 Speaker 6: you're a Democrat here, you have to be someone who 839 00:45:43,080 --> 00:45:47,160 Speaker 6: is running not just as a oh look, I'm running 840 00:45:47,200 --> 00:45:51,000 Speaker 6: against the serial fabulous George Santos, but can be a 841 00:45:51,040 --> 00:45:54,920 Speaker 6: candidate that would win in a race that didn't feature 842 00:45:55,200 --> 00:45:59,600 Speaker 6: Santo's right, because as you said, D plus two, that's 843 00:46:00,200 --> 00:46:04,000 Speaker 6: that's officially a Biden seat, but that's not like a 844 00:46:04,760 --> 00:46:09,040 Speaker 6: overwhelmingly Democratic seat as we saw with Trump in the past, 845 00:46:09,080 --> 00:46:11,920 Speaker 6: Like Long Island is a pretty good it's pretty good 846 00:46:11,960 --> 00:46:15,120 Speaker 6: Trump territory. So I when it put that one in 847 00:46:15,160 --> 00:46:18,920 Speaker 6: the bag, especially if Santos is not the nominee. But 848 00:46:19,080 --> 00:46:21,840 Speaker 6: you know, you've got those upstate districts that were also 849 00:46:22,239 --> 00:46:26,799 Speaker 6: Biden districts, like the one that Sean Patrick Maloney, the 850 00:46:26,840 --> 00:46:29,920 Speaker 6: former d triple seat chair, moved into lost that seat. 851 00:46:30,760 --> 00:46:35,000 Speaker 6: So you've got that one and then the other Long 852 00:46:35,040 --> 00:46:38,440 Speaker 6: Island seat that is even much more democratic. 853 00:46:38,480 --> 00:46:39,799 Speaker 1: I think the Hampton's right. 854 00:46:39,920 --> 00:46:42,520 Speaker 6: No, the one that is closer into the city, I 855 00:46:42,560 --> 00:46:45,759 Speaker 6: think it's is it suffic Oh yeah. Part of the 856 00:46:45,800 --> 00:46:50,480 Speaker 6: reasoning here for Democrats is, look, as you said, the 857 00:46:50,520 --> 00:46:54,360 Speaker 6: governor was a big drag the local campaign, big drag 858 00:46:54,840 --> 00:46:59,040 Speaker 6: on the entire party. In twenty twenty two, twenty twenty four, 859 00:46:59,320 --> 00:47:02,520 Speaker 6: you're going to have presidential election. Turnout's going to be up, 860 00:47:02,880 --> 00:47:06,880 Speaker 6: and especially in some of these districts that have significant 861 00:47:07,320 --> 00:47:11,040 Speaker 6: black and Latino population, those voters are going to show 862 00:47:11,160 --> 00:47:15,080 Speaker 6: up they didn't show up in the last midterm. That 863 00:47:15,160 --> 00:47:19,360 Speaker 6: should help in some of those districts. But beating an 864 00:47:19,400 --> 00:47:23,600 Speaker 6: incumbent is still not easy. Yeah, just in covering the House, 865 00:47:23,640 --> 00:47:26,480 Speaker 6: I'm always amazed at party committees that say, oh, it's okay, 866 00:47:26,520 --> 00:47:28,200 Speaker 6: we lost it this time, but you know we'll get 867 00:47:28,200 --> 00:47:30,879 Speaker 6: it back next year. Well, maybe you will, And in 868 00:47:30,880 --> 00:47:33,719 Speaker 6: some cases it's true, there are times where you know 869 00:47:33,840 --> 00:47:38,360 Speaker 6: the district is just so partisan that yeah, in a fluke, 870 00:47:38,920 --> 00:47:41,480 Speaker 6: you want it, but you probably can't hold on to it. 871 00:47:41,520 --> 00:47:43,480 Speaker 6: But some of these people hold on, and they hold 872 00:47:43,520 --> 00:47:46,640 Speaker 6: on year after year after year. You can't assume that 873 00:47:46,840 --> 00:47:50,279 Speaker 6: all of those New York districts flip back. And then 874 00:47:50,320 --> 00:47:56,120 Speaker 6: there's California, which has the other tranche of Biden Republicans, 875 00:47:56,360 --> 00:47:58,759 Speaker 6: some of them who have been winning and winning and 876 00:47:58,800 --> 00:48:01,560 Speaker 6: winning even though they were supposed to be just you know, 877 00:48:01,600 --> 00:48:05,320 Speaker 6: a one or turmer when they first got the seat. 878 00:48:05,400 --> 00:48:08,919 Speaker 1: What do you think about like Gillibrand in what way? 879 00:48:09,840 --> 00:48:11,680 Speaker 1: What does that mean that A w. 880 00:48:13,440 --> 00:48:17,960 Speaker 6: What you think about goldfish crackers? What is your opinion 881 00:48:18,040 --> 00:48:19,640 Speaker 6: on them? 882 00:48:19,719 --> 00:48:24,200 Speaker 1: Do you think that GILIBRANDT could theoretically be primary or now? 883 00:48:24,440 --> 00:48:24,600 Speaker 3: Oh? 884 00:48:24,840 --> 00:48:29,400 Speaker 6: Oh, okay, I guess so. It just doesn't seem as 885 00:48:29,480 --> 00:48:33,680 Speaker 6: if there's that much energy there. This is what's really 886 00:48:33,719 --> 00:48:38,080 Speaker 6: interesting when you look at the two parties and the 887 00:48:38,120 --> 00:48:43,120 Speaker 6: ways in which they're furthest out from the center parts 888 00:48:43,120 --> 00:48:49,400 Speaker 6: of their party deal with the incumbents. Many more Republicans 889 00:48:50,000 --> 00:48:53,200 Speaker 6: went on to challenge incumbents who they saw a is, 890 00:48:53,680 --> 00:48:57,719 Speaker 6: you know, not not strong enough, not loyal enough to 891 00:48:58,320 --> 00:49:02,880 Speaker 6: Donald Trump, not loyal enough to conservatism. Remember, after the 892 00:49:02,920 --> 00:49:07,520 Speaker 6: Tea Party took power in yeah, twenty and nine and ten, 893 00:49:07,680 --> 00:49:10,040 Speaker 6: you had a lot of incumbents that got knocked off. 894 00:49:10,480 --> 00:49:14,439 Speaker 6: It has been rarer on the Democratics side. And when 895 00:49:14,440 --> 00:49:17,560 Speaker 6: it does happen. Trying to think about if there's been 896 00:49:17,600 --> 00:49:23,080 Speaker 6: a state wide race in recent memory, I'm going through 897 00:49:23,120 --> 00:49:25,040 Speaker 6: my database and I just can't find it. 898 00:49:25,160 --> 00:49:29,600 Speaker 1: So now this short answer is no. 899 00:49:29,040 --> 00:49:31,640 Speaker 6: No, And we had like a Senate came to that 900 00:49:31,800 --> 00:49:37,160 Speaker 6: lose from the left, Senate incumbent versus a Republican losing 901 00:49:37,160 --> 00:49:38,840 Speaker 6: from the right. And we can all go through a 902 00:49:38,920 --> 00:49:44,240 Speaker 6: number and Dick Luger and whoever. I remember Bennett in Utah, 903 00:49:44,800 --> 00:49:46,560 Speaker 6: Murkowski in Alaska. 904 00:49:46,760 --> 00:49:50,879 Speaker 1: Yeah, though she ultimately had the last laugh. 905 00:49:51,239 --> 00:49:54,359 Speaker 6: She ultimately won, but she had to she did. But 906 00:49:54,880 --> 00:49:58,400 Speaker 6: you just don't have that, at least in a significant 907 00:49:58,440 --> 00:50:02,279 Speaker 6: way on the Democratics for a statewide contest. And even 908 00:50:02,320 --> 00:50:05,520 Speaker 6: at the house level. You look at the places where 909 00:50:06,080 --> 00:50:08,840 Speaker 6: those on the left have been successful, and some of 910 00:50:08,880 --> 00:50:13,080 Speaker 6: it has been as much about age versus ideology. Right, 911 00:50:13,120 --> 00:50:15,600 Speaker 6: this person's been there too long, this person isn't sort 912 00:50:15,640 --> 00:50:18,520 Speaker 6: of paying enough attention to the district versus this person 913 00:50:18,680 --> 00:50:21,000 Speaker 6: is not sufficiently liberal. 914 00:50:21,360 --> 00:50:24,120 Speaker 1: Right, But we've sort of never seen that, right. 915 00:50:24,400 --> 00:50:27,959 Speaker 6: I just cannot think of that right now. I'm sure 916 00:50:28,160 --> 00:50:31,479 Speaker 6: that I'm missing someone, but I'm old now. I don't 917 00:50:31,480 --> 00:50:32,640 Speaker 6: remember anything. 918 00:50:39,360 --> 00:50:42,680 Speaker 1: Harder and harder to please come back. 919 00:50:43,239 --> 00:50:46,480 Speaker 6: Yes, I will try. I will try if I can 920 00:50:46,520 --> 00:50:49,439 Speaker 6: remember it. This is what happens after fifty. 921 00:50:49,560 --> 00:50:51,000 Speaker 1: Everything goes everything. 922 00:50:51,960 --> 00:50:54,840 Speaker 6: Don't let anyone tell you that fifty is the new forty, 923 00:50:55,280 --> 00:50:59,000 Speaker 6: because I've been forty and this is not forty. Just 924 00:50:59,200 --> 00:51:00,880 Speaker 6: know that. Just know it. 925 00:51:04,120 --> 00:51:10,880 Speaker 3: No mo, my junk fast Jesse Cannon is fron decetis 926 00:51:10,960 --> 00:51:12,920 Speaker 3: though he hangs out with such nice people. 927 00:51:13,360 --> 00:51:15,160 Speaker 1: I mean, this is like one of these stories. It's 928 00:51:15,520 --> 00:51:18,560 Speaker 1: it's like so upsetting because it's an underage girl, but 929 00:51:18,640 --> 00:51:25,000 Speaker 1: it's also just unbelievably stupid. A major Desantist owner who 930 00:51:25,120 --> 00:51:29,520 Speaker 1: Dessant is nominated to Florida's Board of Governors, the body 931 00:51:29,560 --> 00:51:34,440 Speaker 1: which oversees the state's university system. A real shock to everyone. 932 00:51:34,040 --> 00:51:37,200 Speaker 3: Right, that guy, a guy they say kind of made 933 00:51:37,280 --> 00:51:38,600 Speaker 3: Dissentis that guy? 934 00:51:38,680 --> 00:51:41,799 Speaker 1: You probably shouldn't have that guy in your children. What 935 00:51:41,920 --> 00:51:45,000 Speaker 1: did he do? He's accused of having an inappropriate relationship 936 00:51:45,040 --> 00:51:48,400 Speaker 1: with an underage teen. His name is Kent Discermon. He 937 00:51:48,440 --> 00:51:52,560 Speaker 1: eventually killed himself after the girl's father turned down a 938 00:51:52,600 --> 00:51:56,560 Speaker 1: five figure son in hush money deal and reported him 939 00:51:56,960 --> 00:52:00,160 Speaker 1: to the police instead. He is a prominent Desander to 940 00:52:00,440 --> 00:52:04,480 Speaker 1: ally and GOP donor based in Jacksonville, Florida, of course, 941 00:52:04,760 --> 00:52:09,480 Speaker 1: and he was bribing this little girl with Taylor Swift 942 00:52:09,560 --> 00:52:13,480 Speaker 1: concert tickets if she showed him anyway, The point is 943 00:52:14,040 --> 00:52:18,600 Speaker 1: this is really these are the people who are supposedly 944 00:52:18,719 --> 00:52:23,120 Speaker 1: protecting your children and stopping grooming, but in fact every 945 00:52:23,360 --> 00:52:29,200 Speaker 1: Republican accusation is a confession. That's it for this episode 946 00:52:29,200 --> 00:52:32,800 Speaker 1: of Fast Politics. Tune in every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 947 00:52:33,040 --> 00:52:35,600 Speaker 1: to hear the best minds in politics makes sense of 948 00:52:35,800 --> 00:52:39,280 Speaker 1: all this chaos. If you enjoyed what you've heard, please 949 00:52:39,360 --> 00:52:41,880 Speaker 1: send it to a friend and keep the conversation going. 950 00:52:42,239 --> 00:52:43,920 Speaker 1: And again, thanks for listening.