1 00:00:02,920 --> 00:00:06,240 Speaker 1: You're listening to Waiting on reparations, a production of I Heartry. 2 00:00:07,080 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: Get out the way, Mitch, get out the way, like 3 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:12,680 Speaker 1: move Mitch, get out the way. Get out the way, 4 00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:15,760 Speaker 1: mich get out the way. Like move bitch, get out 5 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 1: the way. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Twenties in the past 6 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:21,959 Speaker 1: made the good guy young. It's a new day and 7 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:24,240 Speaker 1: for now the good guys one. We made Georgia blue 8 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:26,640 Speaker 1: and Republicans mad the shortest suit and we can't rest 9 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:28,560 Speaker 1: on our laurels now because there's more to do, because 10 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 1: we got to senate in the House to tell Mitch 11 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:33,320 Speaker 1: McConnell not a word out his motherfucking mouth. They don't 12 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 1: like democracy to go in another route. So in about 13 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:38,040 Speaker 1: two years, yeah, we gotta shut them out. But now 14 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:40,520 Speaker 1: we stopped with the preaching the choir. Then go Biden 15 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:42,760 Speaker 1: by the arms, hold his feet to the five war knock. 16 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:44,880 Speaker 1: Did this thing something we should have mind? But y'all 17 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:47,199 Speaker 1: get primaried. If you see you would lie, you will 18 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:49,880 Speaker 1: need to retire. You receiving the ire we was calling 19 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:52,240 Speaker 1: the truth because the situation was dire. You was thinking 20 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 1: of sweet and that's something really yush out. They said, 21 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:58,040 Speaker 1: y'all radical I want to see what they're talking about. Hey, 22 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:02,760 Speaker 1: my name's Dope Knife Franca and we are waiting on reparations. 23 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:10,840 Speaker 1: So we won. Yeah, okay, it was a little bit 24 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:15,559 Speaker 1: of background on like the last couple of days for me. Um, 25 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:19,240 Speaker 1: Monday night, myself and Paul will be joining us later 26 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:21,640 Speaker 1: a little later on the show. I met up in 27 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:26,160 Speaker 1: Atlanta and got in the car and proceeded to drive 28 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 1: around the state of Georgia for twelve hours putting up 29 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 1: yard signs and then like five different countries and so 30 00:01:35,959 --> 00:01:38,240 Speaker 1: and then I went we went back to Atlanta and 31 00:01:38,319 --> 00:01:43,040 Speaker 1: I had just like a normal work day. Um, I'm 32 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:47,039 Speaker 1: completely dead signed very excited that Mitch McConnell is going 33 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:51,080 Speaker 1: to be sen minority leader and that we have two 34 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:53,240 Speaker 1: senators elect here in Georgia that we will be able 35 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:56,600 Speaker 1: to push towards things like universal health care and ending 36 00:01:56,640 --> 00:02:00,000 Speaker 1: the world on drugs by ending betteral funding for UM 37 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:02,480 Speaker 1: narcotic task forces and things like that. Well, I was 38 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: just about toside, So I just want to make that 39 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:06,920 Speaker 1: clear from the top. Well, I was about to ask 40 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:08,799 Speaker 1: you about that. Don't worry, We're gonna We're gonna take 41 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:11,160 Speaker 1: it easy on you today because like one of the 42 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 1: whole things about this episode is like shining a light 43 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:16,000 Speaker 1: on some of the work that you've been doing. You know, 44 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 1: I'm getting sworn into my second term as commissioner at 45 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:22,639 Speaker 1: four thirty today, so it's just like, see, see your 46 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:26,359 Speaker 1: girl is out there working hard jobs. So okay, well, 47 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:29,360 Speaker 1: I mean today we're gonna be you know, just getting 48 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:33,240 Speaker 1: some insight from Mariah with on the work that she 49 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:36,200 Speaker 1: did in this campaign, some of her feelings about how 50 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:39,640 Speaker 1: it's turned out, and by campaign, you know, for you know, 51 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:42,519 Speaker 1: just for the sake of due diligence. I'm talking about 52 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 1: the recent Senate elections as well. We're also going to 53 00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:49,880 Speaker 1: be talking to the deputy campaign manager for Daniel Blackman, 54 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:54,520 Speaker 1: who was running for public service public service commissioner. Yeah, 55 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:57,720 Speaker 1: the yeah, candidate for Public Service commissioner. Candidate for Public 56 00:02:57,720 --> 00:02:59,959 Speaker 1: Service commissioner. We're gonna be just getting little inside in 57 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:02,600 Speaker 1: how that campaign went and everything like that. But um, 58 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:06,639 Speaker 1: with this win for Warnock and us, of the apparent 59 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:08,440 Speaker 1: win for us of if I don't want to jump 60 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:12,360 Speaker 1: the horse, what does that mean for Democrats and like 61 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:16,200 Speaker 1: how can progressives eventually leverage that? Well, what it means 62 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:18,360 Speaker 1: for Democrats is they don't have any excuses for not 63 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 1: getting anything done. As you know, they tried to under 64 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 1: Obama when they you know, in his first two years, 65 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 1: had the House, in the Senate and the Executive and 66 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:32,440 Speaker 1: like all we got was like the A C. A. 67 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:35,640 Speaker 1: When we could have been tackling climate change like ten 68 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:40,200 Speaker 1: years ago. Uh, you know, could have done so many 69 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:42,760 Speaker 1: things and didn't because no one was paying attention. But 70 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:46,160 Speaker 1: now we are. And so, um it means that the 71 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:49,800 Speaker 1: sky is theoretically a little bit. I think this is 72 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 1: where social movements then come in to create a clear mandate, 73 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:58,800 Speaker 1: like for what the people need. Um, and uh, making 74 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:03,240 Speaker 1: it clearer that we were watching. Um. It is exciting 75 00:04:03,280 --> 00:04:06,400 Speaker 1: that we have senators elect that we can actually hold 76 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 1: accountable like Kelly Left. I wasn't accountable to ship like 77 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 1: David Purdue. Are you kidding? Um? And so I'm very 78 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:18,880 Speaker 1: very very very excited to fight the Democrats and other Republicans. Finally, So, um, 79 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:20,960 Speaker 1: I mean it means to you know, two thousand checks. 80 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:24,160 Speaker 1: Hopefully that is now the floor. We can make that 81 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:33,720 Speaker 1: recurring and retroactive to last March. Um, things like marijuana legalization. Um. Yeah, 82 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 1: there's no excuse for them to not just go ahead 83 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:37,560 Speaker 1: and get these don then, in fact, it would behoove 84 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:40,280 Speaker 1: them to do so, because treading lightly when you have 85 00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:43,360 Speaker 1: such a narrow margin of victory as these gentlemen had, 86 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:47,160 Speaker 1: is it easy way to lose? I think, Um, who 87 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:49,320 Speaker 1: see it is? It is up in like two years? 88 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:52,880 Speaker 1: I think it's a yeah. So like if they sit 89 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:55,159 Speaker 1: around and do nothing for two years, like he's gone, 90 00:04:56,800 --> 00:05:00,280 Speaker 1: it's gone, and so like it's it, behooves the go 91 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:03,279 Speaker 1: ahead and get done. You know, double the minimum wage, 92 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:08,400 Speaker 1: legalize it, um uh, you know, close private prisons, like 93 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:10,160 Speaker 1: let's really do this, Like sure they might not be 94 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:11,800 Speaker 1: even for better care for all, but let's go ahead 95 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:15,480 Speaker 1: and get steps towards expanding, protecting the a C A UM, 96 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:17,359 Speaker 1: getting a public option. Just like, go ahead, do that 97 00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:21,120 Speaker 1: this year to set the stage for truly universal health 98 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:25,360 Speaker 1: care and years to come, so that in four or whatever, 99 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:28,599 Speaker 1: I don't know, I don't know what year it is, 100 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:31,960 Speaker 1: I don't know what year be. Um. So when you 101 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:34,240 Speaker 1: come back around after everybody's votes again, you can tell 102 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:37,839 Speaker 1: give them clear like, yo, we did it, and we 103 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:42,000 Speaker 1: couldn't because you know, inter mcconnwell or anything. There's no 104 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:45,920 Speaker 1: reason why there's no reason why they could. Can't you 105 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:49,920 Speaker 1: gotta have like tangible benefits, you know what I mean, 106 00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:52,159 Speaker 1: and and changes to their lives for all the work 107 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:54,880 Speaker 1: that is, get the Party of Working people fucking show 108 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:59,080 Speaker 1: us like doing and if you don't, and if you don't, fine, 109 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 1: if you really don't, too fine, But like that's the end. 110 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:07,600 Speaker 1: I mean, primary motherfucker's or you know, get ring choice 111 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:10,640 Speaker 1: voting passed in places like Georgia, where Republicans now see 112 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:15,479 Speaker 1: the dangers of a runoff challenging their you know, uh 113 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:20,400 Speaker 1: they're lies like grip on our government structures. And I 114 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:23,839 Speaker 1: just thought about popping like, yeah, let's do this. So 115 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:29,920 Speaker 1: now after the presidential election and then these Senate elections, 116 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 1: like Georgia is like officially blue now, so I mean, 117 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:38,560 Speaker 1: we still have a Republican control legislature. Um. I would also, 118 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:40,480 Speaker 1: I mean, to me, the local is very important, and 119 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:43,040 Speaker 1: so I would also look at the makeup of our 120 00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:47,320 Speaker 1: county commissions. It's not like you know, l A or 121 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:52,400 Speaker 1: Detroit or Chicago where it's like democratic controlled like local 122 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:56,480 Speaker 1: governing bodies either U And so like that's really important 123 00:06:56,520 --> 00:06:59,080 Speaker 1: for things like well, since that's what you're like, I know, 124 00:06:59,160 --> 00:07:01,400 Speaker 1: that's that's something that you really care about. Like what 125 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:05,479 Speaker 1: can be done to like to make that the case? Like, 126 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:09,040 Speaker 1: how can we start getting people more engaged for you know, 127 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:13,280 Speaker 1: in the elections that aren't having five hundred million dollars 128 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 1: spent on them, to outside of elections that have half 129 00:07:17,640 --> 00:07:20,080 Speaker 1: a billion dollars spent on them? Yeah, Like what what 130 00:07:20,080 --> 00:07:22,120 Speaker 1: what can we do to get people more engaged in 131 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:24,480 Speaker 1: their local and to care about the local makeup, you know, 132 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:26,840 Speaker 1: because I mean if people were a little if people 133 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:29,680 Speaker 1: were burnt out after the presidential election and we had 134 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:32,360 Speaker 1: to like get on people's asses and you know, you 135 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 1: were out there doing the work that we're about to 136 00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 1: get into to like get people to to actually be 137 00:07:38,120 --> 00:07:41,720 Speaker 1: engaged with the smaller election in this this past center election, 138 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:43,920 Speaker 1: than it's like, how do we get people even further 139 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:46,960 Speaker 1: engaged and less burnt out to where they're being involved 140 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:52,120 Speaker 1: in their local politics and stuff? Yeah? Well, I mean 141 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:56,080 Speaker 1: I believe Charline Caruthers put it that, uh, you know, 142 00:07:56,360 --> 00:08:01,040 Speaker 1: good leaders in good movements create new leaders. That's the goal. 143 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:03,760 Speaker 1: And so through my work, which I'll talk a little 144 00:08:03,760 --> 00:08:06,480 Speaker 1: bit more about in the second but like my general 145 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:09,160 Speaker 1: principle for like the way I moved through the political 146 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:12,680 Speaker 1: world is that like you bring people in at the 147 00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:17,920 Speaker 1: ground level to teach them the mechanics of organizing such 148 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:20,000 Speaker 1: that they learn how they learn how to work, like 149 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:25,040 Speaker 1: how to get to build coalition, to build support for ideas, 150 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:28,200 Speaker 1: to learn to talk about ideas, and then learn how 151 00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:31,680 Speaker 1: to talk about process such that they then have the 152 00:08:31,720 --> 00:08:35,319 Speaker 1: tools themselves to run for something like county commission, um, 153 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:38,280 Speaker 1: to run for statehouse or to you know, to go 154 00:08:38,360 --> 00:08:41,280 Speaker 1: from being just a canvas where we're paying to knock 155 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:45,000 Speaker 1: on doors this time around, to being a field manager 156 00:08:45,120 --> 00:08:49,960 Speaker 1: for someone statehouse campaign or congressional campaign and so um, 157 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:52,480 Speaker 1: I think that a lot of people that like might 158 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:57,040 Speaker 1: vote reliably democratic previously, but like, given the fervor around 159 00:08:57,040 --> 00:08:59,760 Speaker 1: this election cycle, might have hit the pavement for the 160 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:03,360 Speaker 1: stime knocking down doors or text banking or you know, 161 00:09:03,640 --> 00:09:08,000 Speaker 1: whatever forms of get out the vote they participant in. Like, 162 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:10,520 Speaker 1: now they know how to do that, and now they 163 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:13,080 Speaker 1: can be the one that's leading that effort and bringing 164 00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:14,840 Speaker 1: new folks, and now they get are the ones that 165 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:19,120 Speaker 1: can be putting that expertise to work in winning running 166 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:21,439 Speaker 1: and winning their own campaign. So that's at least my 167 00:09:21,520 --> 00:09:26,440 Speaker 1: hope for like the broader win out of all of this, um, 168 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:28,000 Speaker 1: as well as just like what I try to do 169 00:09:28,040 --> 00:09:31,480 Speaker 1: all time. Word. Okay, so we're gonna get into the 170 00:09:31,559 --> 00:09:47,360 Speaker 1: specific work that you were doing after the bump. Alright, 171 00:09:47,440 --> 00:09:52,880 Speaker 1: So Mariah, so just pretend that somebody is listening to 172 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:55,920 Speaker 1: the show for the first time and they don't know 173 00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:59,280 Speaker 1: exactly what it is you do other than host this podcast, 174 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:02,200 Speaker 1: Like explain to then what is your position in the 175 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:05,240 Speaker 1: city of Athens, Georgia, and then how did that extend 176 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:08,160 Speaker 1: into the work that you were doing for the elections 177 00:10:08,240 --> 00:10:11,240 Speaker 1: this past few months. Yeah, I am Athens, Georgia's scariest 178 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:15,480 Speaker 1: radical liberal. Uh. I can't wait for the day that 179 00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:17,439 Speaker 1: I ran for some runs for something bigger and they 180 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:20,080 Speaker 1: like make my skin look darker in the in the 181 00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:24,120 Speaker 1: attack ads like they did like left warded for warnock um. 182 00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:26,640 Speaker 1: But no, like someone kind commissioner have been since to 183 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:31,320 Speaker 1: thousand eighteen UM. But outside of that, like, uh, I 184 00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:34,840 Speaker 1: you know I got my start in uh politics, I 185 00:10:34,920 --> 00:10:38,040 Speaker 1: am I hold office now because someone tapped me to 186 00:10:38,400 --> 00:10:41,800 Speaker 1: run their campaign and I learned how to um do 187 00:10:41,880 --> 00:10:44,720 Speaker 1: that and talk about policies such that I was like, 188 00:10:44,920 --> 00:10:46,840 Speaker 1: oh I can do this like I'm gonna run dropics. 189 00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:50,319 Speaker 1: What's up? And so the idea behind this project I've 190 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:52,280 Speaker 1: been working on for the last like six weeks Athens 191 00:10:52,280 --> 00:10:55,880 Speaker 1: Progressive Canvasing Corps. Mary's the need for that sort of 192 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:59,480 Speaker 1: entry level experience building among just folks that are underrepresented 193 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:03,000 Speaker 1: in politics. UM, understanding of just like what wins elections, 194 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:05,840 Speaker 1: which is just face to face voter contact and it's 195 00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:09,040 Speaker 1: easiest to reach people at their homes. Um. And the 196 00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:13,040 Speaker 1: fact that people are fucking broke right now because they 197 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:15,319 Speaker 1: gave us a hundred dollars like eight months ago, when 198 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:19,080 Speaker 1: we're like, good luck with your eviction and stuff, and 199 00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:21,720 Speaker 1: so wanting to pay people a living wage to do 200 00:11:21,760 --> 00:11:25,840 Speaker 1: this work because as local elected officials, our hands have 201 00:11:25,880 --> 00:11:28,880 Speaker 1: been very tied by state statutes preventing us from providing 202 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:31,800 Speaker 1: direct relief to our constituents. So it's like, all right, 203 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:34,040 Speaker 1: I can't just cut you a thousand dollar check if 204 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:35,959 Speaker 1: I can pay you a thousand dollars if you are 205 00:11:36,040 --> 00:11:38,600 Speaker 1: out of work, and I want to just like walk 206 00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:41,439 Speaker 1: around your neighborhood and talk to people about uh, you know, 207 00:11:41,640 --> 00:11:44,920 Speaker 1: where they can go vote. And so we recruited a 208 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:48,360 Speaker 1: bunch of people, very diverse coalition of like students, like 209 00:11:48,400 --> 00:11:52,880 Speaker 1: working class folks of color UM, some season organizers, some 210 00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:55,320 Speaker 1: that were very very new to this had no idea 211 00:11:55,360 --> 00:11:58,560 Speaker 1: what canvasing even was when they started. UM folks you 212 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:03,280 Speaker 1: know on the brink of eviction, experience in food and security, 213 00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:07,280 Speaker 1: like got kids at home that just like needed needed 214 00:12:07,559 --> 00:12:09,839 Speaker 1: work to do and needed it before the pandemic, that 215 00:12:10,120 --> 00:12:13,160 Speaker 1: thing like needed it before all of this. UM. And 216 00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:15,520 Speaker 1: so like bringing those folks in because they're probably not 217 00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:17,520 Speaker 1: paying attention to what's going on in the County Commission, 218 00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:22,079 Speaker 1: not because they're dumb, but because like there were then 219 00:12:22,120 --> 00:12:25,199 Speaker 1: trying to you know, teach their fourth grader math at 220 00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:29,400 Speaker 1: like ten o'clock at night, like I wouldn't either. So UM, 221 00:12:29,480 --> 00:12:32,160 Speaker 1: so we hired on a team. I think it's about 222 00:12:32,200 --> 00:12:36,280 Speaker 1: ended up being about twenty like core canvassers UM to 223 00:12:36,480 --> 00:12:39,400 Speaker 1: go out into their own neighborhoods and knock on nors 224 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:42,480 Speaker 1: and talk to people about the importance of this election. UM. 225 00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:45,959 Speaker 1: We raised about twenty five dollars UM big shout out 226 00:12:45,960 --> 00:12:48,720 Speaker 1: of the proggressive Campaign Change colition. They ran a fundraiser 227 00:12:48,760 --> 00:12:51,400 Speaker 1: for US and raised about for US in addition to 228 00:12:51,960 --> 00:12:54,120 Speaker 1: what we were able to get through our own campaign 229 00:12:54,120 --> 00:12:58,120 Speaker 1: networks hour being myself to other county commissioners are mayor 230 00:12:58,200 --> 00:13:02,440 Speaker 1: and our Statehouse representative Spencer Fry and so um. Over 231 00:13:02,480 --> 00:13:05,400 Speaker 1: the course of the last six weeks, we went out 232 00:13:05,400 --> 00:13:08,800 Speaker 1: and knocked on about thirty two doors all around Athens, 233 00:13:08,880 --> 00:13:12,120 Speaker 1: which is interesting because thirty thousand is almost exactly the 234 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:16,680 Speaker 1: number of votes that war knock us off and black 235 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:19,439 Speaker 1: men were able to get out of our city. Well, 236 00:13:19,480 --> 00:13:23,559 Speaker 1: you don't win an election this close without those margins 237 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:25,960 Speaker 1: actually mattering. You know what I'm saying. It's it's not 238 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:28,079 Speaker 1: like this is a blow at or anything. So every 239 00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:30,760 Speaker 1: bit of it matters. I mean, do you look back 240 00:13:30,760 --> 00:13:33,760 Speaker 1: at it now. I mean, obviously they won, so it's 241 00:13:33,800 --> 00:13:35,599 Speaker 1: a success in that way, but do you see it 242 00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:39,439 Speaker 1: as something that like you can break out again for 243 00:13:39,520 --> 00:13:43,000 Speaker 1: more elections? Yeah? Now, I know Hobby, who is the 244 00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:45,640 Speaker 1: you know Oberlin student who was home from Athens, born 245 00:13:45,640 --> 00:13:48,959 Speaker 1: and raised here, would never participated in electoral politics before, 246 00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:51,200 Speaker 1: who knows how to talk policy at the door and 247 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:53,880 Speaker 1: knows how to work the minivan app and like knows 248 00:13:53,880 --> 00:13:57,120 Speaker 1: who her commissioners are, and so like next time around, 249 00:13:57,320 --> 00:13:59,920 Speaker 1: when like a commission race comes up in her disc 250 00:14:00,679 --> 00:14:02,480 Speaker 1: like we got somebody on the ground that can train 251 00:14:02,520 --> 00:14:06,920 Speaker 1: new volunteers to do this work. Um uh, we got 252 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:11,199 Speaker 1: you know, James and Elena and Eric who were in 253 00:14:11,280 --> 00:14:13,360 Speaker 1: the fresh out of high school, born and raised in 254 00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:15,800 Speaker 1: Athens that knocked on I think when I saw them 255 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:17,600 Speaker 1: on one day, it was like one day at two pm, 256 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:19,960 Speaker 1: and they knocked on two doors that morning, a bunch 257 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:22,400 Speaker 1: of like seventeen and eighteen year olds. Like what they're 258 00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:24,720 Speaker 1: gonna be doing in ten years? Like think about that? 259 00:14:25,240 --> 00:14:28,200 Speaker 1: So like and so that to me, like like it's 260 00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:30,480 Speaker 1: important that everyone to get two thousand dollar checks and 261 00:14:30,520 --> 00:14:33,320 Speaker 1: like hopefully we can like get if not a green 262 00:14:33,360 --> 00:14:37,240 Speaker 1: new deal, like a substantial infrastructure slash climate like plan 263 00:14:37,400 --> 00:14:42,480 Speaker 1: out of these people. But um, but we don't get 264 00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:44,800 Speaker 1: there if we don't train new people to like be 265 00:14:44,880 --> 00:14:48,960 Speaker 1: a part of the of like continuous sustaining pressure of 266 00:14:49,120 --> 00:14:53,000 Speaker 1: helping build additional power through other offices that like help 267 00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:55,520 Speaker 1: support that work, you know. So I don't know, Like 268 00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:58,960 Speaker 1: it's great that we won, but it's not about that 269 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:02,320 Speaker 1: for me to be comple on us. I organized pretty 270 00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:05,880 Speaker 1: hyper locally in the grand scheme of state. Uh here 271 00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:07,920 Speaker 1: in Athens, but there's a lot of great work being 272 00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:10,320 Speaker 1: done by folks who go everywhere, who go to the 273 00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:13,880 Speaker 1: places like where know that everyone counts out UM to 274 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:18,800 Speaker 1: like help build organizing infrastructure there, to help elevate organizers 275 00:15:18,800 --> 00:15:21,560 Speaker 1: into candidates and who have been doing the work for 276 00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:23,640 Speaker 1: far longer than I have. And so I'm really stoked 277 00:15:24,040 --> 00:15:27,440 Speaker 1: to have one of those people with us today. Uh 278 00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:31,520 Speaker 1: Paul Glaize, deputy campaign manager for the Daniel Blackman campaign 279 00:15:31,520 --> 00:15:34,200 Speaker 1: for a Public Service Commissioner UM, to talk a little 280 00:15:34,240 --> 00:15:37,920 Speaker 1: bit about what he did both in this race before 281 00:15:38,160 --> 00:15:41,640 Speaker 1: and shout out some of our colleagues within the Georgia 282 00:15:41,680 --> 00:15:44,440 Speaker 1: political ecossystem UM that we got to hang out with 283 00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:46,960 Speaker 1: last night as we watched the results come in. So yeah, 284 00:15:47,120 --> 00:15:49,240 Speaker 1: we'd love to get your take. Thanks for being here. 285 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:53,600 Speaker 1: I'm okay, I'm I'm it's it's it's a very there's 286 00:15:53,600 --> 00:16:00,600 Speaker 1: a lot of emotions today and I think that honestly, 287 00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:04,320 Speaker 1: I'm just really happy that Georgia showed up. I'm really 288 00:16:04,360 --> 00:16:09,320 Speaker 1: happy we do have uh, I guess control of the Senate, 289 00:16:09,520 --> 00:16:13,280 Speaker 1: I think is the best way to say that. UM. 290 00:16:13,320 --> 00:16:16,720 Speaker 1: And it was after having just spent so you gotta 291 00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:21,400 Speaker 1: understand that, like this is my fifth election night this year. Like, 292 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:26,560 Speaker 1: if you count this little bit of the end of UM. 293 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:34,320 Speaker 1: I worked three different campaigns and two of them had runoffs. UM. 294 00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:36,800 Speaker 1: And when you do a statewide race, you get to 295 00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:38,880 Speaker 1: organized with so many people. I was like me and 296 00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:41,160 Speaker 1: I was just mentioning. UH. And it's really one of 297 00:16:41,360 --> 00:16:46,280 Speaker 1: the gifts that electoral politics can give you as an organizer. UM. 298 00:16:46,400 --> 00:16:48,160 Speaker 1: It's the ability to go to a lot of different 299 00:16:48,160 --> 00:16:51,680 Speaker 1: communities UM and meet the people who care UM and 300 00:16:51,720 --> 00:16:55,080 Speaker 1: who are fighting fighting for stuff. UM. So right now 301 00:16:55,160 --> 00:16:57,320 Speaker 1: that network has been strengthened a lot. So I think 302 00:16:57,400 --> 00:16:59,880 Speaker 1: even if we had lost a lot of people on 303 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:05,480 Speaker 1: the ground, but actually still feel pretty good about this cycle. UM. Definitely. Yeah. 304 00:17:05,520 --> 00:17:07,159 Speaker 1: I mean like because and then and that's a real thing. 305 00:17:07,240 --> 00:17:10,240 Speaker 1: Sometimes whole cycles go by and no good Like it's 306 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:11,879 Speaker 1: it's this one period of time where all of your 307 00:17:11,920 --> 00:17:15,399 Speaker 1: actions get a lot higher return on investment, and so 308 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:18,560 Speaker 1: you have an ethical responsibility to use that intentionally. UM. 309 00:17:18,600 --> 00:17:20,800 Speaker 1: And there's whole cycles where people don't even care enough 310 00:17:20,840 --> 00:17:25,120 Speaker 1: to try. So like the regardless we did that successfully, 311 00:17:25,440 --> 00:17:29,520 Speaker 1: everyone feels pretty good about it. UM. Daniel. However, UM 312 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:33,199 Speaker 1: is still in the throes of wondering when we're going 313 00:17:33,280 --> 00:17:36,320 Speaker 1: to find out the results. UM. Right now, Bubba McDonald 314 00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:39,640 Speaker 1: is ahead, UM. And in fact, he has more votes 315 00:17:39,720 --> 00:17:43,280 Speaker 1: than both of the Republican Senate candidates, UM, and all 316 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:47,840 Speaker 1: of UM. I'm pretty sure, maybe not Warnock. I can 317 00:17:47,880 --> 00:17:51,199 Speaker 1: look that up real fast. UM, but he has I 318 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:54,280 Speaker 1: think the most votes of anyone. Oh no, yeah, no, 319 00:17:54,359 --> 00:18:02,840 Speaker 1: he beat out everyone except for Warnock. So how why 320 00:18:02,840 --> 00:18:08,080 Speaker 1: did he overperform the other Republicans? That is the million 321 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:12,879 Speaker 1: dollar question? And I actually that you know that he 322 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:15,280 Speaker 1: didn't hitch his wagon to Trump, and so for some 323 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:18,720 Speaker 1: that have become disolution with the new direction of the party, 324 00:18:18,800 --> 00:18:21,679 Speaker 1: like he seemed like a you know, a solid Republican 325 00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:26,800 Speaker 1: to get behind. Uh. Sexism, you know, people who voted 326 00:18:26,800 --> 00:18:31,879 Speaker 1: for Purdue and McDonald but not Kelly Leffler because they 327 00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:36,640 Speaker 1: hate women, which I whoops, I don't know. I don't 328 00:18:36,640 --> 00:18:38,760 Speaker 1: know for sure, but like, I think these things are 329 00:18:38,800 --> 00:18:42,640 Speaker 1: interesting and probably work together. I don't think I think 330 00:18:42,640 --> 00:18:46,359 Speaker 1: we can roll out the Trump theory M because about 331 00:18:46,359 --> 00:18:50,680 Speaker 1: what McDonald was co chair of Donald Trump's campaign. UM, 332 00:18:50,720 --> 00:18:53,440 Speaker 1: so of the people that pay And now that being said, 333 00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:57,639 Speaker 1: there's a whole subset I think of Trump's voting populace, 334 00:18:58,160 --> 00:19:01,640 Speaker 1: UM that really don't pay attention like they're they're they're 335 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:04,040 Speaker 1: they've had an emotional draw he's gotten them. He like, 336 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:07,920 Speaker 1: he's they are an audience for him now for his brand. UM. 337 00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:11,080 Speaker 1: But they're not necessarily political people, which is really normal. 338 00:19:11,160 --> 00:19:17,720 Speaker 1: We we you know, kind of derisively refer sometimes to like, uh, 339 00:19:17,920 --> 00:19:22,560 Speaker 1: certain types of soccer moms UM that you know, gung 340 00:19:22,600 --> 00:19:26,520 Speaker 1: ho for democrats, UM will wave the flag, will you know, 341 00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:29,320 Speaker 1: get out there and put their sign their yard proudly, um, 342 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:33,960 Speaker 1: and yet still harbord deep resentment towards people of other races, 343 00:19:34,960 --> 00:19:36,600 Speaker 1: you know, Like that's a that's a phenomenon that we 344 00:19:36,640 --> 00:19:39,760 Speaker 1: know on our side, uh exists. And so I do 345 00:19:39,880 --> 00:19:43,920 Speaker 1: think maybe that group of people you're thinking, like disaffected 346 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:47,479 Speaker 1: white guy is like mid thirties trying to grapple with 347 00:19:48,480 --> 00:19:50,600 Speaker 1: the fact that he has no opportunities in his town 348 00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:53,920 Speaker 1: and feels like he can't ever achieve his life dream. 349 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:57,719 Speaker 1: Like that set of people, I can definitely see um, 350 00:19:57,760 --> 00:20:00,359 Speaker 1: you know, being you know, being drawn to that. But 351 00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:02,679 Speaker 1: the people that pay attention would all know that this 352 00:20:02,720 --> 00:20:07,040 Speaker 1: guy literally co chaired the campaign for Georgia. UM. So 353 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:11,280 Speaker 1: we still have a problem. We still have a problem there. UM. 354 00:20:11,320 --> 00:20:14,200 Speaker 1: I do think that there's a lot of people that 355 00:20:16,920 --> 00:20:20,479 Speaker 1: really are inspired more by a UM, you know, a 356 00:20:20,480 --> 00:20:24,200 Speaker 1: local candidate that's talking to the scale of the actual issues. UM, 357 00:20:24,280 --> 00:20:26,320 Speaker 1: someone that they are familiar with, someone who has spent 358 00:20:26,440 --> 00:20:28,679 Speaker 1: years coming to their community, and how as local community 359 00:20:28,680 --> 00:20:31,560 Speaker 1: members to vouch for them. UM. You know, when we 360 00:20:31,560 --> 00:20:34,359 Speaker 1: look at these numbers, it's pretty easy to you know, 361 00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:38,480 Speaker 1: it's it's easy to get down to yourself about a loss. UM. 362 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:46,040 Speaker 1: But as of right now, Daniel has just under votes 363 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:49,560 Speaker 1: less than David Purdue. So when you think about the 364 00:20:49,560 --> 00:20:52,560 Speaker 1: money that Daniel spent and you think about the money 365 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:57,960 Speaker 1: that was spent on David Purdue, the fact that those 366 00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:06,959 Speaker 1: have parody proves a lot about the strength of organizing here. UM. 367 00:21:07,119 --> 00:21:10,560 Speaker 1: But you know, it's hard sometimes to know if there's 368 00:21:10,600 --> 00:21:15,120 Speaker 1: like analogous situations on the Republican side, UM, because by 369 00:21:15,160 --> 00:21:20,040 Speaker 1: and large, we you know, we're we're a party if 370 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:24,040 Speaker 1: you like, if you're looking at Democrats, we are the 371 00:21:24,080 --> 00:21:26,280 Speaker 1: party where the vast majority of people of color are. 372 00:21:28,040 --> 00:21:32,520 Speaker 1: And simple, this is kind of the and it's gross 373 00:21:32,560 --> 00:21:34,840 Speaker 1: to say, like we sometimes it used to be like 374 00:21:34,880 --> 00:21:36,400 Speaker 1: a couple of years ago, you would bring this up 375 00:21:36,640 --> 00:21:39,720 Speaker 1: even if you've got you know, tiptoed towards it, people would, 376 00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:43,359 Speaker 1: um would start to get offended. But this is the 377 00:21:43,560 --> 00:21:50,600 Speaker 1: literal structural and Democrats are not involved in rural hit communities, 378 00:21:51,880 --> 00:21:55,760 Speaker 1: Like this is what it looks like once the impact happens, 379 00:21:56,040 --> 00:21:59,040 Speaker 1: and you don't have to prioritize them. But if you're 380 00:21:59,080 --> 00:22:01,760 Speaker 1: not even in them credibility, then you don't really know 381 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:03,359 Speaker 1: what's going on. So now we're you know, now we 382 00:22:03,359 --> 00:22:05,360 Speaker 1: have to have this whole conversation trying to piece out 383 00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:06,840 Speaker 1: I mean, this is gonna be a question for the 384 00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:12,040 Speaker 1: next four months. People right now are being paid mountains 385 00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:16,719 Speaker 1: of money to answer that question. Um, it really and 386 00:22:16,760 --> 00:22:19,160 Speaker 1: like honestly, I feel like just us sitting here talking 387 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:21,639 Speaker 1: are gonna get closer to the truth. And typically that 388 00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:24,119 Speaker 1: has proven right in my in my organizing. And then 389 00:22:24,160 --> 00:22:26,879 Speaker 1: it always frustrates people that spend lots of money on 390 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:31,040 Speaker 1: on other people, um, that they could have just had 391 00:22:31,119 --> 00:22:35,639 Speaker 1: good conversations and probably gotten pretty close to there. Um. 392 00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:37,159 Speaker 1: So I don't know that that might have been a 393 00:22:37,240 --> 00:22:39,439 Speaker 1: rambling answer to your what we were talking about, But 394 00:22:39,720 --> 00:22:41,120 Speaker 1: I do think we can rule the Trump one out, 395 00:22:41,280 --> 00:22:43,760 Speaker 1: There's there's a lot of stuff there though. I'm definitely 396 00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:49,560 Speaker 1: with Mariah on UM We're about to see a wave 397 00:22:49,600 --> 00:22:54,480 Speaker 1: of white feminist organizing around the issue of uh, sexist 398 00:22:54,560 --> 00:22:58,080 Speaker 1: Republican men who wouldn't vote for Leffler. It's gonna be 399 00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:00,720 Speaker 1: a conversation under the like under you know, conversations like 400 00:23:00,760 --> 00:23:04,000 Speaker 1: this that don't like, you know, like don't always like 401 00:23:04,960 --> 00:23:07,440 Speaker 1: have the have the virtue of being on a podcast 402 00:23:07,480 --> 00:23:13,399 Speaker 1: on I heart media, you know. And I guess with 403 00:23:13,480 --> 00:23:16,359 Speaker 1: the vote still, I mean with the counts still, you know, 404 00:23:16,880 --> 00:23:19,600 Speaker 1: out what is what do you envision like your next 405 00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:25,880 Speaker 1: few days looking like? UM, mostly I'm trying to do 406 00:23:25,920 --> 00:23:28,560 Speaker 1: the normal things, which is um, like make sure my 407 00:23:28,600 --> 00:23:32,000 Speaker 1: people are paid, make sure you know all bills that 408 00:23:32,040 --> 00:23:33,159 Speaker 1: need to be paid, you know, I mean, like just 409 00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:35,919 Speaker 1: like the normal business side of things. UM, that's all 410 00:23:35,920 --> 00:23:40,000 Speaker 1: got to get handled. And UM, I like to try 411 00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:42,760 Speaker 1: and be the person that does that because it gives 412 00:23:42,840 --> 00:23:48,800 Speaker 1: people who are incredibly tired a moment. I wanted to breathe. UM. 413 00:23:49,119 --> 00:23:53,679 Speaker 1: For many people, including our campaign manager Ian. We've been 414 00:23:53,720 --> 00:24:01,040 Speaker 1: doing this straight all year, like and for years, I 415 00:24:01,040 --> 00:24:03,640 Speaker 1: mean like all year in terms of like on these 416 00:24:03,640 --> 00:24:09,199 Speaker 1: particular projects. But like it also because the only way 417 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:10,639 Speaker 1: you can keep doing it is if you just commit 418 00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:12,680 Speaker 1: to making it a significant portion of your life and 419 00:24:12,720 --> 00:24:15,800 Speaker 1: structuring your life around it. Um. Like you have to. 420 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:18,040 Speaker 1: It's the only way because in so many way it's 421 00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:19,840 Speaker 1: such a time commitment and so much of your thought 422 00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:22,240 Speaker 1: goes into it, um, trying to be good at it 423 00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:23,919 Speaker 1: because you know, for good reasons, you want to represent 424 00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:26,119 Speaker 1: yourself well. Um, and even if you don't want to 425 00:24:26,119 --> 00:24:29,320 Speaker 1: represent your community, you always represent your community. There's not 426 00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:34,119 Speaker 1: that's not a There are so many people that do 427 00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:37,680 Speaker 1: politics that don't have a sense of community that like 428 00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:40,080 Speaker 1: you can get it's easy to get caught up in 429 00:24:40,280 --> 00:24:43,240 Speaker 1: kind of like playing living your life in a way 430 00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:49,200 Speaker 1: that makes sense dealing with them. Um. But the truth 431 00:24:49,320 --> 00:24:53,760 Speaker 1: is that everyone else, whether you're you know, we moved 432 00:24:53,800 --> 00:24:55,560 Speaker 1: around so much when I was a kid, Like I 433 00:24:56,000 --> 00:25:00,720 Speaker 1: never really got to have like like a hometown until uh, 434 00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:04,119 Speaker 1: I don't know, like preteen years. Like before that, we 435 00:25:04,160 --> 00:25:06,399 Speaker 1: lived in like five or six different places. Um, And 436 00:25:06,440 --> 00:25:09,120 Speaker 1: I love all those places. Um. But you know, you gotta, 437 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:12,040 Speaker 1: you gotta The older you get, the more you appreciate 438 00:25:12,359 --> 00:25:15,200 Speaker 1: how short of time you know five or ten years 439 00:25:15,280 --> 00:25:18,760 Speaker 1: is um and it means something. I don't know if 440 00:25:18,760 --> 00:25:21,040 Speaker 1: this is going to be a working segway. There's also 441 00:25:21,119 --> 00:25:25,000 Speaker 1: piggybacking off of like when you asked me earlier, Mac, 442 00:25:25,160 --> 00:25:28,240 Speaker 1: like what I do and so and I also wanted 443 00:25:28,280 --> 00:25:31,000 Speaker 1: to talk about last night, so um, you know, we 444 00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:33,960 Speaker 1: were rolled up with the black Man campaign to this 445 00:25:34,200 --> 00:25:39,199 Speaker 1: bar in on Beifford Highway in Atlanta, UM to celebrate 446 00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:43,000 Speaker 1: what we're looking like hopeful returns with some organizers that 447 00:25:43,040 --> 00:25:44,439 Speaker 1: we know from all around the state who would come 448 00:25:44,440 --> 00:25:47,680 Speaker 1: together to watch the results come in. And so hanging 449 00:25:47,680 --> 00:25:50,920 Speaker 1: out with come not click that's he lives in Athens, clead, 450 00:25:51,040 --> 00:25:55,760 Speaker 1: what's luck? Could he last name? Oh? Wait? No, oh, 451 00:25:55,760 --> 00:25:59,440 Speaker 1: I'm thinking okay, sorry, but click Comeau who's been heading 452 00:25:59,480 --> 00:26:03,840 Speaker 1: up our revel Lucian's efforts here in in in Marina, 453 00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:07,960 Speaker 1: a little bits out of Atlanta, UM. Michelle Sanchez, who 454 00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:10,239 Speaker 1: has done a lot of organizing in North Georgia and 455 00:26:10,520 --> 00:26:14,199 Speaker 1: done a lot of work around uh Latina's mobilization for 456 00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:20,600 Speaker 1: this electionated campaigns director for it. Yeah, and I just 457 00:26:20,600 --> 00:26:22,560 Speaker 1: want to talk about this particular moment that I think 458 00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:25,720 Speaker 1: is like very like speaks very much like my brand 459 00:26:25,760 --> 00:26:28,200 Speaker 1: of politics and like what I think like the future 460 00:26:28,240 --> 00:26:30,600 Speaker 1: needs to look like of politics. So like we were 461 00:26:30,640 --> 00:26:32,840 Speaker 1: all of this bar and like most people were watching 462 00:26:33,040 --> 00:26:36,040 Speaker 1: like a football game, and then like the TV right 463 00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:37,960 Speaker 1: above our heads was tuned in the CNN and watching 464 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:40,440 Speaker 1: the election results come in, and when it flipped, when 465 00:26:40,440 --> 00:26:43,000 Speaker 1: it when Warnock took the lead, when as Off was 466 00:26:43,040 --> 00:26:45,560 Speaker 1: tied with pur New, our little section of the bar, 467 00:26:45,680 --> 00:26:49,320 Speaker 1: everybody started like cheering and like dancing and hugging, and 468 00:26:49,359 --> 00:26:51,240 Speaker 1: like all the other people in the bar kind of 469 00:26:51,280 --> 00:26:53,800 Speaker 1: like looked over, like what's going on and all started 470 00:26:53,880 --> 00:26:57,240 Speaker 1: cheering too. They're like oh cool, yeah, like they didn't 471 00:26:57,280 --> 00:26:59,760 Speaker 1: give a ship, but like first they saw that we 472 00:26:59,760 --> 00:27:02,080 Speaker 1: were really excited, and they got really excited. And I 473 00:27:02,119 --> 00:27:04,080 Speaker 1: think that is like very emblematic of what the work 474 00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:06,200 Speaker 1: is like, like when you get wins and people get 475 00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:08,840 Speaker 1: excited and want to try more. And also when you 476 00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:11,240 Speaker 1: make politics fun, when you make it like a party, 477 00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:14,160 Speaker 1: when you make an average people like hanging out eating 478 00:27:14,160 --> 00:27:18,320 Speaker 1: wings and drinking like uh cocktails, um at a bar 479 00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:22,600 Speaker 1: on Buford Highway, like people find an easy entry into 480 00:27:22,640 --> 00:27:26,119 Speaker 1: it and so um, Like I think that that is 481 00:27:26,160 --> 00:27:29,159 Speaker 1: also what I do and a lot of what you know, 482 00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:31,080 Speaker 1: a lot of what Michelle was doing with like Sada 483 00:27:31,119 --> 00:27:33,560 Speaker 1: to the polls, getting like d days out and like 484 00:27:33,760 --> 00:27:36,359 Speaker 1: food and like just kind of like block party vibes 485 00:27:36,920 --> 00:27:38,960 Speaker 1: um is like really essential to this work. But I 486 00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:40,640 Speaker 1: don't know, Paul, if you wanted to speak more about 487 00:27:40,680 --> 00:27:42,440 Speaker 1: your relationship with these folks and the work that they've 488 00:27:42,440 --> 00:27:44,280 Speaker 1: been doing in the state over the last couple of years, 489 00:27:44,359 --> 00:27:47,440 Speaker 1: because it has been a long time coming, and I 490 00:27:47,520 --> 00:27:50,439 Speaker 1: think in this moment there's certain faces that are rising 491 00:27:50,480 --> 00:27:54,920 Speaker 1: to the top of our like liberal media um narratives 492 00:27:54,960 --> 00:27:56,840 Speaker 1: that like they did a lot of work, but like 493 00:27:57,240 --> 00:27:59,840 Speaker 1: there's so many other people that also get zero shined 494 00:28:00,119 --> 00:28:03,879 Speaker 1: because uh, the work we do is so thankless and 495 00:28:03,960 --> 00:28:07,120 Speaker 1: like menial seeming at times of just like actually going 496 00:28:07,160 --> 00:28:09,760 Speaker 1: and knocking on the doors and like st no blade 497 00:28:09,760 --> 00:28:12,000 Speaker 1: and driving around the state putting up the signs, etcetera. 498 00:28:12,119 --> 00:28:13,520 Speaker 1: So I just wanted to give you a chance to 499 00:28:13,600 --> 00:28:15,679 Speaker 1: like chatlet's folks. I'll talk a little bit about how 500 00:28:15,680 --> 00:28:17,800 Speaker 1: you know that what they do. Yeah, thank you so much. 501 00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:23,320 Speaker 1: And also I uh really grateful to that bar because 502 00:28:23,320 --> 00:28:26,639 Speaker 1: it was it was a great environment um obviously for 503 00:28:26,680 --> 00:28:30,600 Speaker 1: those of you who don't um live in Atlanta. Um, 504 00:28:30,840 --> 00:28:37,440 Speaker 1: Bufford Highway has the best um like food of every culture. 505 00:28:38,240 --> 00:28:40,840 Speaker 1: Like it's a it's a very long road and pretty 506 00:28:40,920 --> 00:28:44,600 Speaker 1: much if you want the best Cambonian food, Thai food, 507 00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:52,240 Speaker 1: Indian food, um, uh food from any of the Latin countries, 508 00:28:52,280 --> 00:28:57,680 Speaker 1: I am sure like Central and South America. Um, you 509 00:28:57,760 --> 00:29:01,040 Speaker 1: go there. Um and it's and it's important. So when 510 00:29:01,040 --> 00:29:05,400 Speaker 1: our revolution wanted an election night live stream, UM, that 511 00:29:05,440 --> 00:29:07,080 Speaker 1: goes you know, that's that's one thing that goes on 512 00:29:07,080 --> 00:29:09,360 Speaker 1: their Facebook page. That's like but you know usually there's 513 00:29:09,360 --> 00:29:12,160 Speaker 1: like five people watching and their Facebook pages five people. 514 00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:16,440 Speaker 1: So we need people like Mariah in office. Um, we 515 00:29:16,520 --> 00:29:20,040 Speaker 1: need people uh like you dope knife to step up 516 00:29:20,960 --> 00:29:25,320 Speaker 1: because we lookn't know, just for the listeners, his face 517 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:28,720 Speaker 1: got like like his eyebrows crunched all the way down 518 00:29:28,720 --> 00:29:32,480 Speaker 1: to his nose when that we don't get them one 519 00:29:32,520 --> 00:29:34,360 Speaker 1: day though, we don't get them in there. Um yeah, 520 00:29:34,400 --> 00:29:36,280 Speaker 1: I don't think. I don't think i'd let you have 521 00:29:36,360 --> 00:29:38,920 Speaker 1: the hook on that. Yeah. I'm I'm now your Jewish 522 00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:43,200 Speaker 1: mother in politics, I'm constantly going to be questioning your ambitions, um, 523 00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:47,080 Speaker 1: and whether or not they're high enough, but it wasn't. 524 00:29:47,160 --> 00:29:49,120 Speaker 1: You know, it's important to us to make sure that 525 00:29:49,440 --> 00:29:53,040 Speaker 1: whenever we have resources whenever, so like, let's an easy 526 00:29:53,080 --> 00:29:57,000 Speaker 1: resources like our revolution letting us to a live stream 527 00:29:57,040 --> 00:29:59,320 Speaker 1: on their Facebook and sitting out an email to tell 528 00:29:59,320 --> 00:30:03,080 Speaker 1: people to tune in. That's a huge opportunity. So our 529 00:30:03,160 --> 00:30:07,480 Speaker 1: people are the people that ran the Coordinated Campaign's Latino outreach. UM. 530 00:30:07,520 --> 00:30:11,000 Speaker 1: That's Maria do Rosario Palacios, who is the person who 531 00:30:11,040 --> 00:30:15,880 Speaker 1: got me into community organizing. UM when I was in college. UM, 532 00:30:15,920 --> 00:30:18,080 Speaker 1: I don't need to talk for people listening like that 533 00:30:18,120 --> 00:30:23,160 Speaker 1: way forever ago because that wasn't UM. But when I 534 00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:27,880 Speaker 1: was like twenty, UM, Maria and I were in college, 535 00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:31,280 Speaker 1: UM at Gainesville State College, home of the Fighting Geese. 536 00:30:31,320 --> 00:30:33,840 Speaker 1: That was actually our mascot. But luckily we were so 537 00:30:33,960 --> 00:30:36,640 Speaker 1: small and for we didn't have a football team, so 538 00:30:36,720 --> 00:30:38,960 Speaker 1: no one had to honk and stands as their you know, 539 00:30:38,960 --> 00:30:45,160 Speaker 1: as their school spirit. UM. But basically, the Dreamer generation, 540 00:30:45,200 --> 00:30:50,000 Speaker 1: the Decca kids of Gainesville came of age and it 541 00:30:50,080 --> 00:30:53,440 Speaker 1: was very important to them on a basic honorable level 542 00:30:54,720 --> 00:30:59,280 Speaker 1: to be civically engaged. They felt a very strong, they 543 00:30:59,280 --> 00:31:04,800 Speaker 1: still feel a very strong UM commitment to that this 544 00:31:04,880 --> 00:31:08,520 Speaker 1: is what their parents, this is what their parents earned, 545 00:31:09,920 --> 00:31:13,200 Speaker 1: and they needed to validate that. UM. And we had 546 00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:16,160 Speaker 1: a multicultural student affairs office in the college that needed 547 00:31:16,160 --> 00:31:19,440 Speaker 1: that wanted a media person, and I was in school 548 00:31:19,520 --> 00:31:23,080 Speaker 1: for theater and film. I was in a film class department. 549 00:31:23,080 --> 00:31:25,400 Speaker 1: Sent down an email like, hey, there's this there's this 550 00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:30,040 Speaker 1: opportunity for team fifty an hour, fifteen dollars an hour, um, 551 00:31:30,040 --> 00:31:32,680 Speaker 1: which you know, to a college kids, you're sitting there 552 00:31:32,680 --> 00:31:35,560 Speaker 1: going like, hell, yeah, fifteen dollars an hour, and they 553 00:31:35,600 --> 00:31:38,800 Speaker 1: get to like help people, great, sign me up. UM. 554 00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:42,720 Speaker 1: And I get over there and this woman, I swear 555 00:31:42,760 --> 00:31:45,320 Speaker 1: to guy that I take almost every opportunity I can 556 00:31:45,920 --> 00:31:52,880 Speaker 1: to lionize this woman because it is mind blowing, uh 557 00:31:52,920 --> 00:31:57,959 Speaker 1: to see the amount of work she does. Um. This 558 00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:02,880 Speaker 1: woman will keep working, honestly until it could like potentially 559 00:32:02,880 --> 00:32:05,960 Speaker 1: start to hurt her. And then you have to like 560 00:32:05,960 --> 00:32:08,520 Speaker 1: like but tell her like, hey, it's it's good. You 561 00:32:08,520 --> 00:32:13,400 Speaker 1: know you've done enough. Um. But basically, Maria Um was 562 00:32:13,440 --> 00:32:18,320 Speaker 1: a working mother of a young kid in school. Twins 563 00:32:18,360 --> 00:32:22,520 Speaker 1: on the way and the act of kids have to 564 00:32:22,520 --> 00:32:26,360 Speaker 1: pay out of state tuition, which makes even this community 565 00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:30,720 Speaker 1: college cost prohibitive, but these kids felt honor bound and 566 00:32:30,760 --> 00:32:33,239 Speaker 1: so they all took two three jobs over they had 567 00:32:33,280 --> 00:32:37,960 Speaker 1: to do. UM. And while she's doing that and organizing 568 00:32:37,960 --> 00:32:42,320 Speaker 1: with the students, like Maria and I basically created a 569 00:32:42,360 --> 00:32:47,920 Speaker 1: student activism UM environment at our school. One had not existed. 570 00:32:48,640 --> 00:32:53,480 Speaker 1: Every once in a while, this one club would do something. UM. 571 00:32:53,520 --> 00:32:56,000 Speaker 1: But we managed to get that going UM an even 572 00:32:56,080 --> 00:33:00,440 Speaker 1: like wildly successful. I mean like for like for what 573 00:33:00,480 --> 00:33:04,600 Speaker 1: it was. UM. We actually got our school on Bill 574 00:33:04,680 --> 00:33:09,320 Speaker 1: Maher once UM where he said new rule, Uh, the 575 00:33:09,400 --> 00:33:11,320 Speaker 1: University of North Georgia has to change its name to 576 00:33:11,320 --> 00:33:15,360 Speaker 1: Cracker State and the home of applying the mullets. And 577 00:33:15,400 --> 00:33:17,080 Speaker 1: it was our it was our night Hawk with with 578 00:33:17,360 --> 00:33:21,800 Speaker 1: Joe Dirt mullet UM, and they sold hoodie. UM. So 579 00:33:21,840 --> 00:33:23,560 Speaker 1: those are the people that got me in the community organizing. 580 00:33:23,600 --> 00:33:26,440 Speaker 1: We've our town has at large voting, so everybody can 581 00:33:26,560 --> 00:33:29,440 Speaker 1: vote for everybody in the city. UM. So literally like 582 00:33:30,800 --> 00:33:33,840 Speaker 1: they segregate the entire black community into one district. Black 583 00:33:33,840 --> 00:33:38,120 Speaker 1: community puts up a candidate. Magically, some teacher is convinced 584 00:33:38,120 --> 00:33:40,440 Speaker 1: to run, and all the white people vote for that candidate, 585 00:33:40,480 --> 00:33:44,000 Speaker 1: so that candidate wins. UM. And that's how it's always been. 586 00:33:44,280 --> 00:33:47,920 Speaker 1: And that's the fight that I was. I don't know 587 00:33:47,960 --> 00:33:51,000 Speaker 1: that I was like born into UM and from and 588 00:33:51,080 --> 00:33:57,160 Speaker 1: so she is actually now honestly, there are multiple organizations 589 00:33:57,200 --> 00:34:00,880 Speaker 1: that a lot of their ship uh to to Maria 590 00:34:00,960 --> 00:34:05,040 Speaker 1: doing things. UM. Anybody else you want to shut up? Yeah, 591 00:34:05,080 --> 00:34:07,400 Speaker 1: of course. Uh. Michelle Sanchez is a friend of ours. 592 00:34:07,600 --> 00:34:10,520 Speaker 1: She was the first Latina to run in South Hall County. UM. 593 00:34:10,680 --> 00:34:14,800 Speaker 1: She ran the Progressive Turnout Project operations for the general 594 00:34:14,880 --> 00:34:20,640 Speaker 1: election UM and is now well, I guess until whenever 595 00:34:20,680 --> 00:34:22,839 Speaker 1: this is certified, whenever this campaign has done. She is 596 00:34:22,880 --> 00:34:27,239 Speaker 1: the coordinated campaign, which is the Cynic Campaign's Latin X 597 00:34:27,239 --> 00:34:31,719 Speaker 1: outreach director. UM. And Maria backs her up on that. UM. 598 00:34:31,960 --> 00:34:35,839 Speaker 1: And then obviously Councilman Collead Um who is the head 599 00:34:35,840 --> 00:34:40,440 Speaker 1: of Our Revolution Georgia UM their efforts here UM for 600 00:34:40,520 --> 00:34:43,480 Speaker 1: the runoff. UM he and I you know went to 601 00:34:43,560 --> 00:34:46,840 Speaker 1: them and said, no, you really need to hire local organizers. UM, 602 00:34:46,960 --> 00:34:48,920 Speaker 1: we don't, you know, we shouldn't be bringing other people in. 603 00:34:49,360 --> 00:34:52,200 Speaker 1: Y'all don't know the ship like which is a case 604 00:34:52,200 --> 00:34:54,239 Speaker 1: it has to be made and then like finally someone 605 00:34:54,280 --> 00:34:55,640 Speaker 1: will come in and really get it. And then they 606 00:34:55,880 --> 00:34:58,120 Speaker 1: they're like, okay, thank you, and I'm like, I promise 607 00:34:58,160 --> 00:35:02,160 Speaker 1: you it will It'll be good. Trust us. UM. And 608 00:35:02,239 --> 00:35:05,359 Speaker 1: Khaled's running from mayor of South Fulton, which I am 609 00:35:05,480 --> 00:35:10,640 Speaker 1: lately obligated to say is the blackest city in America. UM. 610 00:35:10,719 --> 00:35:13,080 Speaker 1: And we're gonna have cleed honestly. And we've got an 611 00:35:13,080 --> 00:35:16,080 Speaker 1: interview with him like three in the morning one time 612 00:35:16,120 --> 00:35:18,480 Speaker 1: to send around somewhere. Kaled is one of the o 613 00:35:18,640 --> 00:35:20,800 Speaker 1: g s. Kaled is one of the people that showed 614 00:35:20,840 --> 00:35:23,359 Speaker 1: that you could be authentically progressive and run for office 615 00:35:23,360 --> 00:35:27,040 Speaker 1: in Georgia. UM. And I have in terms of this 616 00:35:27,160 --> 00:35:29,919 Speaker 1: what this newer definition of progressive is. And I don't 617 00:35:29,920 --> 00:35:32,120 Speaker 1: want to exclude the work of all the people that 618 00:35:32,160 --> 00:35:36,000 Speaker 1: have been doing this for decades. UM, but it's it's incredible. 619 00:35:36,040 --> 00:35:39,960 Speaker 1: So I'm excited for that. One organizing extends into the 620 00:35:39,960 --> 00:35:43,120 Speaker 1: realm of the arts earlier, not earlier this year. Last year, 621 00:35:43,239 --> 00:35:47,840 Speaker 1: you co founded the Atlanta Artists Relief Fund. Yeah. My 622 00:35:47,920 --> 00:35:50,880 Speaker 1: backgrounds mostly in the theater community with some of the 623 00:35:50,880 --> 00:35:55,440 Speaker 1: film community. UM. And it's really nice because between Daniel 624 00:35:55,480 --> 00:36:01,000 Speaker 1: and myself, UM, then we like have credibility with a 625 00:36:01,160 --> 00:36:06,279 Speaker 1: majority of the community. UM. Daniel with music UM, and 626 00:36:06,280 --> 00:36:11,719 Speaker 1: then me from the like acting performers side um technicians. UM. 627 00:36:11,760 --> 00:36:13,840 Speaker 1: I would like I've never been like a roadie, but 628 00:36:13,880 --> 00:36:16,960 Speaker 1: that is one of my jobs. Um. And we when 629 00:36:17,000 --> 00:36:19,080 Speaker 1: COVID hit, we found it an organization to start obvious, 630 00:36:19,080 --> 00:36:23,400 Speaker 1: a mutual aid effort um. And then at a certain 631 00:36:23,440 --> 00:36:26,120 Speaker 1: point people didn't want to do all the administrative work 632 00:36:26,800 --> 00:36:29,920 Speaker 1: and it was we weren't able to keep scaling in 633 00:36:30,000 --> 00:36:33,040 Speaker 1: any way. And when you have a moment like that 634 00:36:33,080 --> 00:36:35,759 Speaker 1: with COVID, that's an organizing opportunity. There's a window of 635 00:36:35,800 --> 00:36:39,400 Speaker 1: opportunity there to get in with authenticity and credibility and 636 00:36:39,440 --> 00:36:42,000 Speaker 1: do good work while people are paying attention, because they'll 637 00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:44,600 Speaker 1: stop paying attention. They always do. There's always a new 638 00:36:44,600 --> 00:36:47,080 Speaker 1: crisis UM. So you only have that window of time 639 00:36:47,280 --> 00:36:49,719 Speaker 1: to get what every funding you can and give it 640 00:36:49,760 --> 00:36:54,200 Speaker 1: to the people that are best suited to do it. UM. 641 00:36:54,239 --> 00:36:57,040 Speaker 1: So we got in there. The entire Theory community was 642 00:36:57,040 --> 00:36:58,880 Speaker 1: pretty much just like paralyzed. We were all looking at 643 00:36:58,880 --> 00:37:01,040 Speaker 1: all of our shops closing down. UM. I don't know 644 00:37:01,040 --> 00:37:03,000 Speaker 1: why I say our shops like it's a like I 645 00:37:03,040 --> 00:37:05,879 Speaker 1: owned a theater. By that all the theaters are are 646 00:37:05,880 --> 00:37:07,160 Speaker 1: in a lot of trouble all the stuff. I mean, 647 00:37:07,560 --> 00:37:13,520 Speaker 1: y'all know all the performing are performing halls and you 648 00:37:13,520 --> 00:37:18,120 Speaker 1: know everyone's hurt. Um, So we did a COVID relief effort. UM. 649 00:37:18,160 --> 00:37:20,360 Speaker 1: A woman named Bridget McCarthy who was another one of 650 00:37:20,440 --> 00:37:26,359 Speaker 1: us artist organizers that did some electoral politics. UM. She's 651 00:37:26,400 --> 00:37:28,759 Speaker 1: a writer and uh, there's a lot of work um 652 00:37:28,880 --> 00:37:34,560 Speaker 1: with incarcerated folks. UM. And she runs that organization. Now, 653 00:37:35,200 --> 00:37:40,560 Speaker 1: UM almost flipped an R plus ten house district in Connecticut. 654 00:37:41,040 --> 00:37:44,440 Speaker 1: UM and turned down going to run the second campaign 655 00:37:44,440 --> 00:37:48,000 Speaker 1: to go take it, you know, for real, Um, to 656 00:37:48,040 --> 00:37:50,120 Speaker 1: stay here and do work in Atlanta, because there's a 657 00:37:50,160 --> 00:37:52,200 Speaker 1: lot of good organizing that happens in Georgia. And she 658 00:37:52,320 --> 00:37:55,040 Speaker 1: was just excited to be in that in that space. 659 00:37:57,080 --> 00:38:00,400 Speaker 1: How can progressives like leverage the situation because out you know, 660 00:38:00,440 --> 00:38:04,799 Speaker 1: I mean, theoretically, if it's a lot, it's a lot 661 00:38:05,400 --> 00:38:07,799 Speaker 1: better of a situation. I would imagine to have to 662 00:38:07,920 --> 00:38:13,600 Speaker 1: fight against liberals than to fight against republicans and fascists 663 00:38:13,600 --> 00:38:17,040 Speaker 1: and authoritarians and stuff. So now that we can actually 664 00:38:17,880 --> 00:38:20,839 Speaker 1: have a debate theoretically, because you know what I mean, 665 00:38:21,040 --> 00:38:22,839 Speaker 1: the d n C do be on some flex too, 666 00:38:23,120 --> 00:38:26,520 Speaker 1: I said it, But like theoretically we can, you know, 667 00:38:26,560 --> 00:38:29,440 Speaker 1: at least have these debates. It's not like we're bringing 668 00:38:30,520 --> 00:38:35,200 Speaker 1: these high progressive ideals to fucking the doorstep of Trump 669 00:38:35,200 --> 00:38:38,400 Speaker 1: and Mitch McConnell anymore. So what can we do in 670 00:38:38,440 --> 00:38:41,400 Speaker 1: this in these next few years to actually take advantage 671 00:38:41,400 --> 00:38:47,160 Speaker 1: of that as progressive? Okay, on some real ship. I've 672 00:38:47,160 --> 00:38:51,279 Speaker 1: always believed that it is morally acceptable as progressives to 673 00:38:51,320 --> 00:38:54,080 Speaker 1: work with what would be considering, you know what, the 674 00:38:54,080 --> 00:38:57,880 Speaker 1: the establishment, moderates, whatever. But I think I think everyone 675 00:38:57,880 --> 00:39:00,160 Speaker 1: knows we're talking about, and I think it is import 676 00:39:00,320 --> 00:39:07,160 Speaker 1: to make a distinction between moderates and uh power. Um, 677 00:39:07,200 --> 00:39:12,040 Speaker 1: it's okay to work with power to a degree in 678 00:39:12,160 --> 00:39:20,520 Speaker 1: places like Georgia where the stakes are high, you know, 679 00:39:20,560 --> 00:39:26,560 Speaker 1: like democrats here are functionally very weak. Um. Like the 680 00:39:26,600 --> 00:39:28,120 Speaker 1: way the ship is supposed to work is like what 681 00:39:28,160 --> 00:39:32,640 Speaker 1: Mariah and Tim and Russell and Mayor Gertz did here. 682 00:39:33,040 --> 00:39:34,640 Speaker 1: And I'm sorry I just left someone out, didn't I 683 00:39:34,719 --> 00:39:41,279 Speaker 1: Maria Spencer and Spencer, Um it's supposed to work like that. 684 00:39:41,600 --> 00:39:46,480 Speaker 1: You have people that have built independent networks that agree 685 00:39:46,520 --> 00:39:50,520 Speaker 1: to come literally combine their networks to raise money to 686 00:39:50,600 --> 00:39:52,960 Speaker 1: go do some good ship that we all collectively agree on, 687 00:39:53,400 --> 00:39:55,719 Speaker 1: and you earn the trust in the way you go 688 00:39:55,760 --> 00:40:00,560 Speaker 1: about the negotiations. It's okay to do that here for 689 00:40:00,560 --> 00:40:04,279 Speaker 1: the most part, that that conversation changes entirely once this 690 00:40:04,360 --> 00:40:08,640 Speaker 1: is a blue state at that point. If we do 691 00:40:08,760 --> 00:40:10,839 Speaker 1: not have the only way to do this is that 692 00:40:11,120 --> 00:40:14,919 Speaker 1: over the next two and a half three years, we're 693 00:40:14,920 --> 00:40:19,720 Speaker 1: all swirling in the current together and that wagon is circling, 694 00:40:20,719 --> 00:40:23,239 Speaker 1: and as we're circling, we decide who we're going to 695 00:40:23,360 --> 00:40:28,000 Speaker 1: join hands with. We need to have our independent power 696 00:40:28,040 --> 00:40:32,640 Speaker 1: structures in place by that time so that whoever the 697 00:40:32,680 --> 00:40:36,040 Speaker 1: person is that grabs and holds you know, holds on 698 00:40:36,080 --> 00:40:38,840 Speaker 1: with the other people um, doesn't have to rely on 699 00:40:38,960 --> 00:40:43,200 Speaker 1: them if the other person let's go. So we need 700 00:40:43,200 --> 00:40:44,960 Speaker 1: it by that time. If you don't have it by 701 00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:50,000 Speaker 1: that time, there will be just a not even need 702 00:40:50,040 --> 00:40:57,439 Speaker 1: to talk about it, subconscious cultural um confusion, and they'll 703 00:40:57,480 --> 00:41:01,399 Speaker 1: be blast ceiling and don't like there's not and there's 704 00:41:01,400 --> 00:41:03,000 Speaker 1: not gonna be there's gonna be no record of it. 705 00:41:03,080 --> 00:41:05,839 Speaker 1: There's gonna there's nothing like that. But you we just 706 00:41:05,920 --> 00:41:08,400 Speaker 1: won't be able to get past a certain point in 707 00:41:08,840 --> 00:41:10,960 Speaker 1: the tears going up, we just it's just gonna stop. 708 00:41:11,760 --> 00:41:15,279 Speaker 1: And that's the way that ship works. So like we 709 00:41:15,400 --> 00:41:18,640 Speaker 1: have to have our structures in place no later than 710 00:41:21,600 --> 00:41:23,640 Speaker 1: And when we talk about someone that's progressive having the 711 00:41:23,719 --> 00:41:26,879 Speaker 1: responsibility to run for office, whatever that office may be, 712 00:41:27,400 --> 00:41:31,440 Speaker 1: what we are talking about is that, hey, we have 713 00:41:31,560 --> 00:41:34,360 Speaker 1: this window of time. If you agree that we have 714 00:41:34,400 --> 00:41:36,560 Speaker 1: this window of time, if that's what the timeline feels 715 00:41:36,560 --> 00:41:41,239 Speaker 1: like in your soul, then someone has to do it. 716 00:41:42,640 --> 00:41:44,600 Speaker 1: And if there is like, if you can find someone 717 00:41:44,640 --> 00:41:50,319 Speaker 1: else and support them, cool, absolutely do that. If you 718 00:41:50,400 --> 00:41:57,160 Speaker 1: can't find someone else, then you have a responsibility. That's 719 00:41:57,160 --> 00:41:59,400 Speaker 1: how we get most people to run for office. That 720 00:41:59,560 --> 00:42:03,879 Speaker 1: has to happen um at the same time, though, during 721 00:42:03,920 --> 00:42:06,520 Speaker 1: these next two years, Stacey Arams is coming for the 722 00:42:06,520 --> 00:42:12,240 Speaker 1: governor's mansion and to be yeah, and to be clear 723 00:42:12,280 --> 00:42:15,320 Speaker 1: on what that means, because people seem to not I 724 00:42:16,000 --> 00:42:18,799 Speaker 1: don't know how dumb everyone else in the country must be. 725 00:42:20,280 --> 00:42:23,480 Speaker 1: But if you don't know this, if Stacy Abrams is 726 00:42:23,520 --> 00:42:26,759 Speaker 1: the governor of Georgia, Stacy Abrams functionally decides who the 727 00:42:26,760 --> 00:42:31,319 Speaker 1: next two presidents are like in terms of political credibility, 728 00:42:32,200 --> 00:42:36,640 Speaker 1: like as these Southern states go blue. The person whose 729 00:42:36,640 --> 00:42:38,960 Speaker 1: opinion is gonna matter the most is not gonna be 730 00:42:39,080 --> 00:42:44,319 Speaker 1: Jim Clyburne. And at that point in time, whoever, like, 731 00:42:44,320 --> 00:42:46,479 Speaker 1: you're gonna have to have the Southern the Southern states 732 00:42:46,480 --> 00:42:49,640 Speaker 1: and the Democratic primary to win the presidential primary, you're 733 00:42:49,640 --> 00:42:52,799 Speaker 1: gonna have to do it. Also, if we notice the 734 00:42:52,840 --> 00:42:56,279 Speaker 1: last two presidential campaigns in the Democratic primary, that's what 735 00:42:56,480 --> 00:43:01,480 Speaker 1: fucking happened. So like like with Bernie, I'm not mad 736 00:43:01,480 --> 00:43:04,880 Speaker 1: at Bernie for for any for any ability or inability 737 00:43:04,920 --> 00:43:08,640 Speaker 1: to not be himself. I'm that at Bernie because that 738 00:43:08,719 --> 00:43:14,000 Speaker 1: was an undisputed fact and he did nothing to come 739 00:43:14,040 --> 00:43:19,680 Speaker 1: and change that reality. Now, his pivot two, the first 740 00:43:19,840 --> 00:43:25,160 Speaker 1: serious presidential level, respectable engagement and investment into organizing in 741 00:43:25,200 --> 00:43:29,839 Speaker 1: the Latin X community, is incredible. So this is not 742 00:43:29,920 --> 00:43:34,360 Speaker 1: too there's there's actually a miner like political philosophical divide 743 00:43:34,480 --> 00:43:37,920 Speaker 1: professionally in politics into the kind of party politics on 744 00:43:38,080 --> 00:43:40,880 Speaker 1: that answer, and like that makes it sound sometimes like 745 00:43:41,200 --> 00:43:43,600 Speaker 1: more than what it is, but ultimately, these people are 746 00:43:43,600 --> 00:43:45,440 Speaker 1: the people to do the hiring of the firing. So 747 00:43:45,480 --> 00:43:48,120 Speaker 1: they're like minute opinion about something that they only think 748 00:43:48,160 --> 00:43:51,560 Speaker 1: about for ten seconds. If that just gets calcified because 749 00:43:51,560 --> 00:43:53,920 Speaker 1: I've never come back and think about it again later on. 750 00:43:53,960 --> 00:43:57,000 Speaker 1: It does have real impact. UM, so you have to 751 00:43:57,040 --> 00:43:59,480 Speaker 1: think about those things. So for the next two years. 752 00:44:01,560 --> 00:44:05,799 Speaker 1: First off, this state just save the goddamn country. That's 753 00:44:05,800 --> 00:44:09,640 Speaker 1: a fucking fact. And anybody who does not recognize that 754 00:44:09,920 --> 00:44:12,520 Speaker 1: will not be allowed to come to work in Georgia. 755 00:44:14,400 --> 00:44:16,520 Speaker 1: Why would we work with those people when they don't 756 00:44:16,520 --> 00:44:20,759 Speaker 1: even funk with us enough to respect us. That means 757 00:44:20,800 --> 00:44:22,920 Speaker 1: people here have more value and can step up and 758 00:44:22,960 --> 00:44:25,120 Speaker 1: do things. So, Paul, how can we keep up with 759 00:44:25,160 --> 00:44:27,840 Speaker 1: your work and the work of folks that uh you 760 00:44:28,000 --> 00:44:34,120 Speaker 1: work with? So in UM what so Councilman Colleede is 761 00:44:34,239 --> 00:44:37,600 Speaker 1: running from mayor as I said South Fulton. UM, I 762 00:44:37,600 --> 00:44:40,080 Speaker 1: pretty much wouldn't do much of anything if Kalid didn't 763 00:44:40,080 --> 00:44:44,520 Speaker 1: funk with it. UM. You can find him at colleed 764 00:44:44,760 --> 00:44:49,279 Speaker 1: Cares k H A l I d Cares dot com. UM. 765 00:44:49,360 --> 00:44:55,080 Speaker 1: Maria Dolasario Palacios runs an organization called Gainesville Familia Nidus. UM. 766 00:44:55,120 --> 00:44:58,759 Speaker 1: You can look them up online. Michelle Sanchez, you can 767 00:44:58,800 --> 00:45:02,160 Speaker 1: find all of us on so social media. UM. And 768 00:45:02,400 --> 00:45:05,160 Speaker 1: if you want to get involved anything I'm doing. UM, 769 00:45:05,239 --> 00:45:07,520 Speaker 1: this year is gonna be pretty North Georgia centric, so 770 00:45:07,680 --> 00:45:10,040 Speaker 1: just be prepared to come up. As for me, I'm 771 00:45:10,080 --> 00:45:12,440 Speaker 1: about to take a fucking break. The niggle like me 772 00:45:12,680 --> 00:45:17,759 Speaker 1: is about to check out and not follow anything election 773 00:45:17,840 --> 00:45:20,840 Speaker 1: related for at least like three or four days. I 774 00:45:20,920 --> 00:45:22,800 Speaker 1: just need to fucking break. As a matter of fact, 775 00:45:23,239 --> 00:45:26,120 Speaker 1: next week, we're going to be doing an episode that 776 00:45:26,200 --> 00:45:28,719 Speaker 1: I've been waiting for a long long time. But we're 777 00:45:28,719 --> 00:45:33,080 Speaker 1: gonna talk about black people and comic book sci fi 778 00:45:33,120 --> 00:45:35,959 Speaker 1: fantasy nerd shit. I don't even know what we're gonna 779 00:45:36,000 --> 00:45:39,560 Speaker 1: call the episode yet. I'm thinking like blurred them or 780 00:45:39,640 --> 00:45:45,040 Speaker 1: like um um black nerd them or like the Revenge 781 00:45:45,040 --> 00:45:47,120 Speaker 1: of the Blurds. I don't know. We'll figure it out, 782 00:45:47,320 --> 00:45:49,479 Speaker 1: but that's what we're gonna be doing next week. Yeah. 783 00:45:49,480 --> 00:45:52,920 Speaker 1: I'm excited to talk about some of the intersections between 784 00:45:52,920 --> 00:45:57,359 Speaker 1: like black nerdum and like black like fantasy as like 785 00:45:57,640 --> 00:46:02,520 Speaker 1: tied to after futurism and it's political implications um and 786 00:46:02,560 --> 00:46:04,919 Speaker 1: so it should be really good episode next week. I too, 787 00:46:04,920 --> 00:46:12,640 Speaker 1: am taking a weekend to sleep hard. Um. I can't 788 00:46:12,640 --> 00:46:16,120 Speaker 1: wait to not answer my phone. Ah, No one's gonna 789 00:46:16,160 --> 00:46:18,479 Speaker 1: hear from me. Everyone's gonna think I died. It's gonna 790 00:46:18,520 --> 00:46:21,239 Speaker 1: be great. Um, but yeah, we'll see you all next week. 791 00:46:21,280 --> 00:46:24,200 Speaker 1: I'm ling with Franca, I'm Dope Knife, and we are 792 00:46:24,320 --> 00:46:29,160 Speaker 1: waiting on reparations. See you next week. Waiting on Reparations 793 00:46:29,200 --> 00:46:31,920 Speaker 1: as a production of I Heart Radio. Listen to Waiting 794 00:46:31,920 --> 00:46:35,400 Speaker 1: on Reparations on the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 795 00:46:35,440 --> 00:46:36,960 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts.