1
00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:05,080
Speaker 1: Welcome back to a Numbers Game with Ryan Gruduski. Thank

2
00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:07,200
Speaker 1: you all for being here yet again. I want to

3
00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:11,160
Speaker 1: start off the show with a couple announcements. First, our

4
00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:14,440
Speaker 1: release time has changed. If you didn't know, our Monday

5
00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:18,680
Speaker 1: podcast episodes are coming out at five PM instead of

6
00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:21,439
Speaker 1: the morning release. It was a decision by management to

7
00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:24,360
Speaker 1: change the release times to try to broaden the listenership.

8
00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:26,600
Speaker 1: And I hope you will stay with the show and

9
00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:29,040
Speaker 1: listen at our new time, or listen the next morning

10
00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:31,480
Speaker 1: when you're on your way to work or school or

11
00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:34,519
Speaker 1: wherever you're listening. I'm going to continue to bring you

12
00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:37,360
Speaker 1: useful information and hope you can sit there and join

13
00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:42,000
Speaker 1: us along. Secondly, I am at the beginning stages of

14
00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:44,800
Speaker 1: setting up a video podcast for a YouTube channel. It

15
00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:46,960
Speaker 1: will be out sometime this fall, I believe.

16
00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:47,720
Speaker 2: So.

17
00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:49,800
Speaker 1: I've gotten a lot of requests asking for a full

18
00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:52,159
Speaker 1: video podcast because some of you want to watch me.

19
00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:55,640
Speaker 1: I'm not exactly sure why, but you will be able

20
00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:57,560
Speaker 1: to see it sometime this fall, and we're going to

21
00:00:57,600 --> 00:00:59,920
Speaker 1: go along and I'm very very exciting with that for that,

22
00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:03,720
Speaker 1: I'm going to tee that up when it actually happens. Lastly,

23
00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:05,680
Speaker 1: I brought this up a while ago. I don't know

24
00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:08,880
Speaker 1: who remembers and who doesn't, but I'm going to do

25
00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:14,160
Speaker 1: a special episode for the nine to eleven anniversary on

26
00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:15,400
Speaker 1: nine to eleven. It will be come out on the

27
00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:17,480
Speaker 1: nine elevens of the Thursday. This year, my podcast is

28
00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:21,640
Speaker 1: released on Thursday, so I want to bring on my

29
00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:25,319
Speaker 1: family members who worked in the World Trade Center, my

30
00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:27,600
Speaker 1: lifelong New York were born and raised and my mom,

31
00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:29,520
Speaker 1: I've talked to this before. She worked in ninety seven

32
00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:32,039
Speaker 1: floor of Tower one for Marsha mcclennan. My uncle was

33
00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:33,920
Speaker 1: a window washer. I had a lot of people who

34
00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:36,880
Speaker 1: were family members. They worked at COP as cops and

35
00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:40,920
Speaker 1: through an active luck and God's grace and everything, no,

36
00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:43,800
Speaker 1: everyone survived like it was a truly miracle. Farming people

37
00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:46,080
Speaker 1: I had in my life that were down there, they

38
00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:48,920
Speaker 1: all lived. A lot of people I knew growing up

39
00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:51,080
Speaker 1: did not have that experience. A lot of people I

40
00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:54,080
Speaker 1: knew lost a dad, especially a lot of dads I

41
00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:59,040
Speaker 1: knew were just relatives and uncles. So I am going

42
00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:00,920
Speaker 1: to do an episode on that special and I have

43
00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:05,080
Speaker 1: invited my family members to come to talk about that day,

44
00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:07,880
Speaker 1: because you know, I know it doesn't. It's so funny

45
00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:11,720
Speaker 1: and eleven feels like it's something that was like five

46
00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:14,200
Speaker 1: years ago, if unless I think about it and I

47
00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:17,000
Speaker 1: realized how long it was. I have employees that like

48
00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:21,200
Speaker 1: they weren't alive for it, or they were just born.

49
00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:24,240
Speaker 1: And the people who were there, a lot of them

50
00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:26,760
Speaker 1: are very healthy and they've got a long life ahead

51
00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:29,440
Speaker 1: of them, but they won't be around forever and for

52
00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:32,120
Speaker 1: all the coverage has ever been done a lot of

53
00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:35,640
Speaker 1: times from the perspective of leaders or Mayor Giuliani or

54
00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:38,040
Speaker 1: people who were on the ground, a lot of them

55
00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:40,960
Speaker 1: haven't been from people who were just working there, and

56
00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:42,880
Speaker 1: that was my family, and I think I could bring

57
00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:46,639
Speaker 1: an interesting conversation and perspective. They haven't all agreed yet.

58
00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:48,560
Speaker 1: I have a few held outs, but I'm trying to

59
00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:50,800
Speaker 1: convince them. But that will be out, I guess in

60
00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:54,320
Speaker 1: two weeks for a special episode. So I've mentioned in

61
00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:58,000
Speaker 1: the past, and I'm kind of figuring all other details

62
00:02:58,040 --> 00:02:59,960
Speaker 1: out of making sure they're all comfortab because they're very

63
00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:02,000
Speaker 1: private people. But I think it will be really really

64
00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:05,600
Speaker 1: nice to have that kind of conversation and very cathartic

65
00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:09,200
Speaker 1: for me. And yeah, I hope you'll be there for that.

66
00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:12,320
Speaker 1: So all right, let's get to the topic of the show.

67
00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:16,040
Speaker 1: And it is the cold war, that is the redistricting

68
00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:19,880
Speaker 1: fight that is now a full arms race across the country.

69
00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:22,320
Speaker 1: And I want to preface by starting to say that

70
00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:24,960
Speaker 1: I know I've talked about redistricting at nauseum. I know

71
00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:28,679
Speaker 1: you're probably like, I can't do one more redistricting podcast episode, Ryan,

72
00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:31,680
Speaker 1: I got you, I understand, and I put you all

73
00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:33,280
Speaker 1: through it, but this will be the last one for

74
00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:35,880
Speaker 1: a while. Like, but it needs to be said because

75
00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:38,840
Speaker 1: it is. It's now happening across the country, Like we

76
00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:41,440
Speaker 1: are at a spark point where the map is going

77
00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:45,120
Speaker 1: to look very different in multiple states in twenty twenty six.

78
00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:48,920
Speaker 1: So first Texas past their redistricted map, they have five

79
00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:53,320
Speaker 1: new Republican seats. California is going far with their new map,

80
00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:58,040
Speaker 1: which will give four new Democratic seats. In California, they

81
00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:01,560
Speaker 1: still vote for the popular vote by the people in November.

82
00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:05,280
Speaker 1: Polls show that it is favored among the people so

83
00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:07,680
Speaker 1: far by a sixteen point lead according to the New

84
00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:11,320
Speaker 1: Berkeley poll. So Republicans are spending a lot of money.

85
00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:15,520
Speaker 1: Kevin McCarthy is coming up there on Schwarzenegger's campaigning against it.

86
00:04:16,080 --> 00:04:18,159
Speaker 1: There's still time for it to go down. I mean,

87
00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:20,720
Speaker 1: poles are not predictors of the future. There are snapshots

88
00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:25,120
Speaker 1: of the present, so who knows, but right now definitely there.

89
00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:28,320
Speaker 1: The momentum is on Gavin Newsom side. Things can change

90
00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:32,600
Speaker 1: though other states, like Democrat Governor of Maryland Wes Moore,

91
00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:35,800
Speaker 1: has announced he's going to redistrict the sole Republican seat

92
00:04:35,839 --> 00:04:38,920
Speaker 1: in Maryland to a Democratic seat, so that will take

93
00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:42,719
Speaker 1: Democrats and give them another seat in Congress. Florida Governor

94
00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:44,680
Speaker 1: Ron de Santis, though, has sat there and staid that

95
00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:49,200
Speaker 1: he's preparing to redistrict Florida. Florida currently has twenty Republicans

96
00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:52,839
Speaker 1: and eight Democrats. Well, Florida has become so Republican, and

97
00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:57,120
Speaker 1: it's so balanced in their republicanness and how Republicans vote like,

98
00:04:57,160 --> 00:05:00,600
Speaker 1: it's not like it's all concentrated in one place that

99
00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:04,719
Speaker 1: Republicans could very easily draw out four or five Democrats

100
00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:10,400
Speaker 1: into Republican districts. Congressman Darren Soto, Kathy Castor, Lewis Frankel,

101
00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:14,119
Speaker 1: Jared Moscowitz, and Debbie Wasserman Schultz are all the most

102
00:05:14,160 --> 00:05:16,839
Speaker 1: likely people to end up finding themselves in a Republican

103
00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:19,279
Speaker 1: district will be very, very difficult for them to win.

104
00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:23,080
Speaker 1: People are asking me if it would be easy, especially

105
00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:25,840
Speaker 1: for Wasserman Schultz, because I mean, she was the former

106
00:05:25,880 --> 00:05:28,400
Speaker 1: spokesman for the DNC. She has a lot of hate

107
00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:31,640
Speaker 1: from Republicans, some rightfully, so if it would be easy

108
00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:33,320
Speaker 1: to redistrict her, And I'm like, it's so easy. I

109
00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:35,080
Speaker 1: could do it with a box of crayons in the

110
00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:37,240
Speaker 1: back of a TGA have Friday Kids menu, Like she

111
00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:40,160
Speaker 1: can easily be drawn into a Republican district. Trump and

112
00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:42,559
Speaker 1: Vice President of Vance have also made headway and getting

113
00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:47,160
Speaker 1: Indiana considered redistricting. Indiana easily can draw one Republican district

114
00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:49,560
Speaker 1: in the northwest part of the state. They could probably

115
00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:51,960
Speaker 1: even do two in the Indianapolis seat if they get

116
00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:55,679
Speaker 1: creative Missouri as well as considering redrawing their one seat

117
00:05:55,720 --> 00:06:00,479
Speaker 1: in western Missouri in the Kansas City area. Other states

118
00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:03,919
Speaker 1: have joined the conversation. In Nebraska Kansas, I don't know

119
00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:07,280
Speaker 1: how serious they are in that. The biggest question comes

120
00:06:07,320 --> 00:06:11,839
Speaker 1: though with the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court in will decide.

121
00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:14,600
Speaker 1: I think it's in December or is October rather in

122
00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:17,680
Speaker 1: October will have a side on Section two of the

123
00:06:17,760 --> 00:06:20,120
Speaker 1: Voting Rights Act. The Section two of the Voting Right

124
00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:25,240
Speaker 1: Rights Act forces states to draw congressional districts where minorities

125
00:06:25,320 --> 00:06:28,320
Speaker 1: will get proper representation and a vote for people that

126
00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:31,480
Speaker 1: represent them, i e. Other minorities. Like they say, unless

127
00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:33,200
Speaker 1: the district will vote for a black person in a

128
00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:35,560
Speaker 1: black majority district, then it's not really Then it's an

129
00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:38,240
Speaker 1: interruption of the Voting Rights Act. So the court is

130
00:06:38,279 --> 00:06:41,840
Speaker 1: having this big fight over Louisiana. Louisiana was forced to

131
00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:45,760
Speaker 1: draw a second black majority district in the state, and

132
00:06:45,839 --> 00:06:48,440
Speaker 1: Alabama is as well. But the Louisiana cases going to

133
00:06:48,480 --> 00:06:51,919
Speaker 1: the Supreme Court. If the Court sits there and says,

134
00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:54,679
Speaker 1: not only does Louisiana not have to have a second

135
00:06:54,839 --> 00:06:58,320
Speaker 1: black majority district, but the entire Section two of the

136
00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:01,800
Speaker 1: Voting Rights Act is no longer constitutional. It extends from

137
00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:05,200
Speaker 1: the nineteen sixties. We don't have the same we don't

138
00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:07,520
Speaker 1: have the same barriers to voting that they did back then.

139
00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:09,920
Speaker 1: Jim Crow is obviously not a thing anymore, neither are

140
00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:13,640
Speaker 1: poll taxes. Well, then if that happens, if Section two

141
00:07:13,720 --> 00:07:20,120
Speaker 1: is stricken down. It is going to be craziness because Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi,

142
00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:23,320
Speaker 1: South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia are all going to

143
00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:27,120
Speaker 1: start redistricting. Those are nine House seats that Democrats have

144
00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:30,000
Speaker 1: in those very very red states or purple states in

145
00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:32,280
Speaker 1: Georgia states. But in the very red states and the

146
00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:35,840
Speaker 1: rest of the country where they could easily draw out

147
00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:39,080
Speaker 1: Democratic districts like Jim Cliburn will be gone, like you

148
00:07:39,120 --> 00:07:41,280
Speaker 1: will have no chance of reelection if they strike down

149
00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:44,080
Speaker 1: the Voting Rights Act because his district is very easy

150
00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:46,720
Speaker 1: to draw into a very Republican district. Same thing in Alabama,

151
00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:49,680
Speaker 1: same thing for the two Democrats in Alabama, same thing

152
00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:53,400
Speaker 1: for the one Democrat, Bounty Thompson in Mississippi. In Georgia,

153
00:07:53,400 --> 00:07:56,000
Speaker 1: you could draw out two Democrats. It is going to

154
00:07:56,080 --> 00:08:00,760
Speaker 1: be crazy how quickly it could happen, really redistrict the

155
00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:04,800
Speaker 1: last Democrats of the Deep South. So and there's also,

156
00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:07,480
Speaker 1: by the way, there's Ohio. Ohio is considering redistricting now

157
00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:10,720
Speaker 1: three Democrat seats into Republican seats. So for those who

158
00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:15,880
Speaker 1: are counting with me, in just Indiana, Ohio, Texas, and Florida,

159
00:08:16,040 --> 00:08:20,480
Speaker 1: Republicans have the ability to really draw fourteen new Republican

160
00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:24,120
Speaker 1: seats if the Voting Rights Act is struck down, which

161
00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:26,000
Speaker 1: I don't know is I mean, the Supreme Court does

162
00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:28,400
Speaker 1: what they want to do. If it is struck down,

163
00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:31,840
Speaker 1: that number goes to twenty two, twenty two or twenty three,

164
00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:33,839
Speaker 1: whether or not North Carolina can pass it because I

165
00:08:33,880 --> 00:08:35,520
Speaker 1: don't think they have the super majority anymore, so it's

166
00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:38,280
Speaker 1: probably not, But twenty two twenty two seats can be

167
00:08:38,360 --> 00:08:44,000
Speaker 1: drawn for Republicans. Even with California and Maryland redistricting. For Democrats,

168
00:08:44,080 --> 00:08:47,440
Speaker 1: that number for how things have changed goes to plus

169
00:08:47,480 --> 00:08:53,319
Speaker 1: seventeen for Republicans. That seventeen more Republican districts, even when

170
00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:56,319
Speaker 1: you subtract what's what will likely be lost in California

171
00:08:56,400 --> 00:09:01,360
Speaker 1: and Maryland, that is really big. I mean, Democrats have

172
00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:04,040
Speaker 1: just won another court case in Utah where they have

173
00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:06,959
Speaker 1: to draw Salt Lake County into one seat, which is

174
00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:10,160
Speaker 1: a very democratic part of Utah. Even with that, they

175
00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:14,440
Speaker 1: will still have Republicans will still netted sixteen seats, not

176
00:09:14,559 --> 00:09:17,040
Speaker 1: on top of the majority of they have. It becomes

177
00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:20,320
Speaker 1: much harder for Democrats than to sit there and to

178
00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:25,040
Speaker 1: win the House in the midterms not impossible. Still not impossible.

179
00:09:25,080 --> 00:09:30,080
Speaker 1: Anything can happen, but it becomes much more difficult because

180
00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:33,600
Speaker 1: these House seats are so Republican or so Democrat that

181
00:09:33,640 --> 00:09:35,760
Speaker 1: they're not competitive. The number of competitive seats is like

182
00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:40,360
Speaker 1: a dozen, so it becomes extremely difficult for Democrats. And

183
00:09:40,679 --> 00:09:44,319
Speaker 1: President Trump and Vice President Bands are really working hard

184
00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:49,400
Speaker 1: to convince legislators to go over the line redistrict and

185
00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:52,559
Speaker 1: give the Republicans as many safe seats as humanly possible

186
00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:56,320
Speaker 1: going to this election. Democrats are in this position where

187
00:09:56,320 --> 00:09:58,600
Speaker 1: they don't have as many states to work with because

188
00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:02,239
Speaker 1: they already jerrymannered the first time in places like Illinois,

189
00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:06,040
Speaker 1: in places like Oregon and Connecticut and Massachusetts and New Jersey,

190
00:10:06,040 --> 00:10:09,080
Speaker 1: which New Jersey is a quote unquote independent commission, but

191
00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:12,959
Speaker 1: let's be honest, it is a Democrat jerrymander. There are

192
00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:15,640
Speaker 1: districts in Connecticut that are joined by the water. There's

193
00:10:15,679 --> 00:10:19,040
Speaker 1: no land masks or bridge to connect them. So Republicans

194
00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:22,880
Speaker 1: really have this ability to sit, they're and change ahead

195
00:10:22,880 --> 00:10:27,040
Speaker 1: of the midterms. What I think is at stake long term,

196
00:10:27,120 --> 00:10:30,120
Speaker 1: which no one's talking about and no one's even thinking about,

197
00:10:30,280 --> 00:10:33,839
Speaker 1: is that we are only two election cycles out till

198
00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:36,000
Speaker 1: twenty thirty, which I know twenty thirty seems like it's

199
00:10:36,040 --> 00:10:38,400
Speaker 1: a million years away, but it's not. And then the

200
00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:41,920
Speaker 1: census comes out and states start redistricting, and in the

201
00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:45,560
Speaker 1: twenty thirty census, it is extremely likely that states like

202
00:10:45,600 --> 00:10:49,000
Speaker 1: California and New York and Illinois and Rhode Island are

203
00:10:49,080 --> 00:10:53,120
Speaker 1: all losing congressional districts. Early estimates say that California will

204
00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:56,199
Speaker 1: lose three, Illinois will lose one, and New York will

205
00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:58,600
Speaker 1: lose two. I've heard that New York might lose one

206
00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:01,160
Speaker 1: and Illinois will lose two, back and forth, but it's

207
00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:06,360
Speaker 1: six overall. By jerry mandering ahead of time in places

208
00:11:06,360 --> 00:11:09,040
Speaker 1: like Illinois and in California. New York is not as

209
00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:12,679
Speaker 1: gerrymandered as those two states, but in Illinois and in California,

210
00:11:12,840 --> 00:11:16,280
Speaker 1: Democrats are setting themselves up in a position where they're

211
00:11:16,280 --> 00:11:19,840
Speaker 1: going to force Democrats to go at each other because

212
00:11:19,840 --> 00:11:23,000
Speaker 1: they've already lumped every republic possible Republican voter in the

213
00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:24,640
Speaker 1: same district, so it's not like they can take out

214
00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:27,079
Speaker 1: many more Republicans. They're going to sit there and have

215
00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:29,560
Speaker 1: to take out their own, and they're putting their own

216
00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:34,680
Speaker 1: Democrats in very uncomfortable positions just four years out, where

217
00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:37,880
Speaker 1: you'll see incumbents having to face off each other if

218
00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:41,960
Speaker 1: they want to keep the level of democratic districts that

219
00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:44,840
Speaker 1: are uncompetitive so high, they can make competitive districts that

220
00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:47,240
Speaker 1: they wanted to but they don't want to. And with

221
00:11:47,360 --> 00:11:50,560
Speaker 1: President Trump aggressley working to deport illegal immigrants and the

222
00:11:50,720 --> 00:11:55,280
Speaker 1: foreign born population shrinking this year, who knows how that's

223
00:11:55,280 --> 00:11:58,040
Speaker 1: going to shake up California and Illinois. New York depend

224
00:11:58,160 --> 00:12:00,960
Speaker 1: on immigrants. I've talked with this a lot in this podcast.

225
00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:04,320
Speaker 1: They depend on immigration, both legal and illegal, to bolster

226
00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:10,920
Speaker 1: lower levels of domestic migration of American citizens wanting to

227
00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:13,320
Speaker 1: move to their states because it's so highly regulated in

228
00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:15,760
Speaker 1: so many taxes, and so expensive to live in and

229
00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:18,680
Speaker 1: also it's woke as hell in some parts of the state.

230
00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:22,960
Speaker 1: I think that in less places like North Carolina or

231
00:12:23,080 --> 00:12:28,240
Speaker 1: Georgia or Arizona take hard turns to the left, which

232
00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:33,120
Speaker 1: maybe Georgia will. We're going to see ourselves in the

233
00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:37,320
Speaker 1: twenty thirties go to a place where Democrats can't win

234
00:12:37,360 --> 00:12:39,880
Speaker 1: on the White House unless they win Georgia, unless they

235
00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:43,600
Speaker 1: win all the Blue Wall states, unless they win Arizona again,

236
00:12:44,559 --> 00:12:46,360
Speaker 1: it will become very difficult for the win the House

237
00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:49,520
Speaker 1: because of this, like Democrats are putting themselves in the

238
00:12:49,520 --> 00:12:54,120
Speaker 1: position long term that makes the twenty thirty decade a

239
00:12:54,360 --> 00:12:59,600
Speaker 1: very tough decade for them. And I think that what's

240
00:12:59,640 --> 00:13:02,719
Speaker 1: the law in this entire conversation are states that are

241
00:13:02,720 --> 00:13:07,719
Speaker 1: not talked about, right Michigan, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, They all

242
00:13:07,720 --> 00:13:12,400
Speaker 1: have democratic governors. Why aren't they in the middle of

243
00:13:12,480 --> 00:13:16,040
Speaker 1: this redistricting fight where all these people are Gavin Newsom

244
00:13:16,080 --> 00:13:19,800
Speaker 1: is launching a presidential race to facto by redistricting. He

245
00:13:19,920 --> 00:13:22,520
Speaker 1: is saying, I am the great resistor, I will fight Trump.

246
00:13:22,559 --> 00:13:27,720
Speaker 1: He's using very involuntary, like very violent language. Why is

247
00:13:27,920 --> 00:13:30,280
Speaker 1: why aren't like Tim Walls. Tim Wats wants to run

248
00:13:30,320 --> 00:13:32,560
Speaker 1: for president, He would love to be a presidential figure.

249
00:13:32,960 --> 00:13:36,439
Speaker 1: Why is he not doing this well? Because he can't

250
00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:40,640
Speaker 1: because he lost the state legislature. Because Arizona State Legislature,

251
00:13:40,679 --> 00:13:43,080
Speaker 1: despite them having a Democratic governor, have two of the

252
00:13:43,080 --> 00:13:46,320
Speaker 1: Republican State Senate and the Republican State House. Republicans of

253
00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:49,120
Speaker 1: the State Senate in Pennsylvania, Republicans of the State House

254
00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:55,200
Speaker 1: in Michigan, it's so important that in these blue and

255
00:13:55,320 --> 00:14:00,280
Speaker 1: purple states, Republicans have managed to gain an iota of

256
00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:04,080
Speaker 1: political power and iota of a presence that stops these

257
00:14:04,080 --> 00:14:08,640
Speaker 1: Democratic governors from doing to their states what Gavin Newsom

258
00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:11,440
Speaker 1: is and Wes Moore in Maryland are trying to do

259
00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:14,200
Speaker 1: to their states. That make sure is that the entire

260
00:14:14,640 --> 00:14:19,520
Speaker 1: electorate isn't fixed against Republicans nationwide. And that's what I

261
00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:22,560
Speaker 1: want to talk about for this upcoming interviewing for this thing.

262
00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:25,720
Speaker 1: Is it worth Republicans? I know I have a lot

263
00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:29,120
Speaker 1: of Republicans who listen to this podcast in blue states.

264
00:14:29,280 --> 00:14:33,080
Speaker 1: Is it worth staying in your blue state and fighting?

265
00:14:33,520 --> 00:14:36,320
Speaker 1: The answer is obviously yes to a certain degree. I mean,

266
00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:37,920
Speaker 1: it depends on whether the state is, but the answer

267
00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:40,960
Speaker 1: is obviously yes. Because if it were not for those

268
00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:44,680
Speaker 1: Republicans who stayed in Michigan when Gretchen Whitmer was going

269
00:14:44,760 --> 00:14:49,120
Speaker 1: full tilt boogie on COVID that won the state House back,

270
00:14:49,160 --> 00:14:52,520
Speaker 1: well Michigan will very well maybe the next California. Same

271
00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:54,760
Speaker 1: thing with the Democrat Republicans who stayed in Minnesota year

272
00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:57,680
Speaker 1: after year after year after year. And what we've seen

273
00:14:58,240 --> 00:15:01,240
Speaker 1: in a lot in the last election or Republicans. They

274
00:15:01,280 --> 00:15:04,560
Speaker 1: gained a lot in state legislators across the country, in California,

275
00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:09,240
Speaker 1: in Hawaii, in Vermont, in Colorado, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico,

276
00:15:09,280 --> 00:15:13,160
Speaker 1: all these blue and purple states. Republicans gained not enough

277
00:15:13,200 --> 00:15:15,720
Speaker 1: to flip, even though they got very close in Vermont

278
00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:18,520
Speaker 1: and Maine, not enough to flip the legislature, but they

279
00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:21,880
Speaker 1: gain significant amount. Had they done the job of flipping

280
00:15:21,880 --> 00:15:25,040
Speaker 1: the legislature, well, we mean a completely different conversation. Had

281
00:15:25,080 --> 00:15:28,400
Speaker 1: Republicans won the state House or state Senate in Vermont

282
00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:31,080
Speaker 1: and I think, sorry not Vermont, California and they won

283
00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:35,400
Speaker 1: I think four seats total. Have they done that? Well,

284
00:15:35,440 --> 00:15:37,480
Speaker 1: Gavin Newson wouldn't have the ability to do this. He'd

285
00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:40,800
Speaker 1: just be you know, screaming, you know, on MSNBC or

286
00:15:40,840 --> 00:15:42,800
Speaker 1: CNN or Fox or something like that. He wouldn't have

287
00:15:42,800 --> 00:15:44,440
Speaker 1: the ability to sit there in redistrict.

288
00:15:44,880 --> 00:15:45,880
Speaker 2: That's why.

289
00:15:47,480 --> 00:15:49,320
Speaker 1: You know a lot of pundits that they're in site.

290
00:15:49,400 --> 00:15:52,200
Speaker 1: Just leave your blue state. Just get out of New Jersey.

291
00:15:52,520 --> 00:15:54,440
Speaker 1: Just go out of New Jersey and get to Florida,

292
00:15:54,480 --> 00:15:57,280
Speaker 1: and we'll all live in Florida together and we'll you know,

293
00:15:57,320 --> 00:15:59,800
Speaker 1: sing Kumbaya and dance in a circle and just embrace

294
00:15:59,840 --> 00:16:02,000
Speaker 1: this on and I get the appeal of that. However,

295
00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:05,400
Speaker 1: we are coming to a place in so many of

296
00:16:05,440 --> 00:16:07,720
Speaker 1: these states where it is possible, and we've seen this

297
00:16:07,760 --> 00:16:11,800
Speaker 1: in the voter registration numbers. It's possible to win a governorship,

298
00:16:11,880 --> 00:16:13,680
Speaker 1: to win a state Senate, to win a state house,

299
00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:18,240
Speaker 1: to affect change on a national level by winning locally.

300
00:16:19,160 --> 00:16:21,720
Speaker 1: It's really important to put yourself in that context of

301
00:16:21,880 --> 00:16:24,080
Speaker 1: how close we've gotten in a number of these big

302
00:16:24,080 --> 00:16:27,239
Speaker 1: blue states, and how we have done successfully in Minnesota

303
00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:30,480
Speaker 1: and Michigan and Pennsylvania to keep them from going full

304
00:16:31,160 --> 00:16:37,200
Speaker 1: full tilts California. States can change. I think that it's

305
00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:39,920
Speaker 1: important to realize states can change. West Virginia was one

306
00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:43,040
Speaker 1: of the bluest states in this country from the thirties

307
00:16:43,480 --> 00:16:47,440
Speaker 1: to the nineteen nineties, right the legislator was Democrat. To

308
00:16:47,520 --> 00:16:51,280
Speaker 1: the twenty tens, New Jersey was a so solidly red state.

309
00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:55,280
Speaker 1: What I think that it's important to think of is

310
00:16:55,400 --> 00:17:01,920
Speaker 1: that politics isn't permanent in any place. Republicans, even though

311
00:17:01,920 --> 00:17:04,159
Speaker 1: it could seem so dark in some areas and so

312
00:17:04,480 --> 00:17:10,159
Speaker 1: lost and so unbelievably not possible it is even to

313
00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:14,320
Speaker 1: gain one foothold of power somewhere, it is possible for

314
00:17:14,359 --> 00:17:17,679
Speaker 1: Republicans to win with me this week. My guess is

315
00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:21,359
Speaker 1: as a Republican who's walked the walk, he's ran for

316
00:17:21,440 --> 00:17:23,960
Speaker 1: office in a deep blue area, he's won his seat

317
00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:26,119
Speaker 1: in a deep blue area, and now he's running for governor,

318
00:17:26,119 --> 00:17:29,119
Speaker 1: and he's saying to a Republicans, stay and fight with me,

319
00:17:29,720 --> 00:17:32,880
Speaker 1: and let's sit there and take the seat of power

320
00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:36,000
Speaker 1: for common sense and quality of life and everything that

321
00:17:36,040 --> 00:17:38,600
Speaker 1: he believes in in a deep blue state, and let's

322
00:17:38,600 --> 00:17:40,480
Speaker 1: see if that will affect the country as a whole.

323
00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:46,399
Speaker 1: That entry's coming up right after this. Ryan Fazio is

324
00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:49,639
Speaker 1: a state center from Connecticut's thirty sixth district, which is,

325
00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:51,119
Speaker 1: if you're looking at a map, as the air of

326
00:17:51,119 --> 00:17:54,320
Speaker 1: a Greenwich, New Canaan, North Stanford. Ryan is having a

327
00:17:54,440 --> 00:17:56,919
Speaker 1: very busy summer. On August tenth, he announced he's engaged.

328
00:17:56,960 --> 00:17:59,119
Speaker 1: In August thirteenth that he was running for governor of

329
00:17:59,119 --> 00:18:01,359
Speaker 1: the state. That's a lot in seventy two hours, Ryan,

330
00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:03,560
Speaker 1: So thank you for being here. I know you are

331
00:18:03,600 --> 00:18:05,320
Speaker 1: a busy guy.

332
00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:08,000
Speaker 2: Yeah, Well, compared to that week, this feels like nothing.

333
00:18:09,480 --> 00:18:11,840
Speaker 1: So Ryan, you first ran for office when you're thirty

334
00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:14,480
Speaker 1: years old in twenty twenty. What made you decide to

335
00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:17,520
Speaker 1: get involved in running for office at a relatively young age.

336
00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:19,840
Speaker 3: You know, it was just something that was so in

337
00:18:19,920 --> 00:18:22,560
Speaker 3: my heart and in my gut. I grew up in

338
00:18:22,600 --> 00:18:25,080
Speaker 3: the district that I represent now in the state Senate.

339
00:18:25,520 --> 00:18:28,640
Speaker 3: I grew up in Connecticut, and I just look at

340
00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:31,280
Speaker 3: the state. I think it's a great place with great people,

341
00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:35,320
Speaker 3: but like many other high tax blue states, it's been

342
00:18:35,400 --> 00:18:39,400
Speaker 3: suffering economically. It's too expensive to live here. I care

343
00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:42,720
Speaker 3: a lot about economic policy. I care a lot about

344
00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:46,560
Speaker 3: making sure the American dream is accessible to all people,

345
00:18:46,600 --> 00:18:49,439
Speaker 3: regardless of their station in life. And I thought that

346
00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:52,399
Speaker 3: if I wanted a job done right or better, that

347
00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:55,680
Speaker 3: ultimately had to do it myself. So I resigned from

348
00:18:56,080 --> 00:18:59,439
Speaker 3: the job I was in and ran for the state Senate.

349
00:18:59,520 --> 00:19:02,040
Speaker 3: And you know, I've been in the state Senate for

350
00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:05,880
Speaker 3: now three terms, about four or five years, and it's

351
00:19:05,920 --> 00:19:08,000
Speaker 3: been a great experience. But I think there's more that

352
00:19:08,040 --> 00:19:11,000
Speaker 3: the state government needs to do, far more, and that's

353
00:19:11,080 --> 00:19:15,560
Speaker 3: why I've ultimately chosen to to run for higher office.

354
00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:18,159
Speaker 1: Well, you lost your first rates in twenty twenty and

355
00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:21,159
Speaker 1: then won the following year in a special election, and

356
00:19:21,240 --> 00:19:23,560
Speaker 1: you've been a prime target for Democrats in the state. They'

357
00:19:23,560 --> 00:19:25,600
Speaker 1: spent a lot of money against you. Every year you've run,

358
00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:30,000
Speaker 1: your district has voted consistently Democrat at the federal level

359
00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:32,000
Speaker 1: that Kamal Harris want to buy sixteen points in the

360
00:19:32,040 --> 00:19:35,199
Speaker 1: same year you want it by three points. So describe

361
00:19:35,400 --> 00:19:39,560
Speaker 1: a Harris Fasio voter, like, how do you reach people

362
00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:42,199
Speaker 1: who vote for Democrats federally? Because I think that's a

363
00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:45,359
Speaker 1: lot a big question. A lot of Republicans stress what

364
00:19:45,400 --> 00:19:47,560
Speaker 1: they say. How do I reach voters who, you know,

365
00:19:47,840 --> 00:19:49,919
Speaker 1: they either don't like Trump, or they like the Democrats,

366
00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:51,919
Speaker 1: or they agree with them on this issue or that issue,

367
00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:54,720
Speaker 1: but they you know, understand that there's a common sense

368
00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:56,879
Speaker 1: or quality of life issue that you could talk to

369
00:19:56,880 --> 00:19:57,359
Speaker 1: them about.

370
00:19:58,160 --> 00:20:02,159
Speaker 3: I think it's a few things. First, you got to listen.

371
00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:05,680
Speaker 3: You know, so much of politics these days is who

372
00:20:05,680 --> 00:20:08,680
Speaker 3: can talk the loudest. But I think listening is very important.

373
00:20:08,720 --> 00:20:11,719
Speaker 3: And I don't mean that in a cliche sense. You know,

374
00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:15,359
Speaker 3: we do still have a democracy. People still do choose

375
00:20:15,760 --> 00:20:19,199
Speaker 3: what they prefer, maybe not what they like, but what

376
00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:22,399
Speaker 3: they prefer and in order to really understand what they prefer,

377
00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:25,199
Speaker 3: you do have to listen to them. And then I

378
00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:27,280
Speaker 3: think you have to work really hard. You have to

379
00:20:27,359 --> 00:20:30,920
Speaker 3: try to, you know, acquaint yourself with as many people

380
00:20:31,280 --> 00:20:33,879
Speaker 3: who you're trying to represent as possible, So hard work.

381
00:20:34,040 --> 00:20:36,000
Speaker 3: I think on a state senate level, certainly on a

382
00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:39,200
Speaker 3: state representative or a first selectman or a city council level,

383
00:20:39,359 --> 00:20:41,520
Speaker 3: how many doors you knock is going to be very important.

384
00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:43,199
Speaker 3: Once you get to the state senate, it's kind of

385
00:20:43,240 --> 00:20:45,320
Speaker 3: in between. I do knock on a lot of doors,

386
00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:47,560
Speaker 3: but then once you get to the congressional level or

387
00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:50,479
Speaker 3: the goubmnatorial level, then you have to find a way

388
00:20:50,560 --> 00:20:52,080
Speaker 3: to press flesh in different ways.

389
00:20:52,760 --> 00:20:54,240
Speaker 2: But I would say working hard.

390
00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:56,280
Speaker 3: To try to acquaint yourself with as many people as possible,

391
00:20:56,440 --> 00:20:58,879
Speaker 3: and then focusing on the issues that matter to the

392
00:20:58,920 --> 00:21:02,280
Speaker 3: most number of people, prioritizing those. For us in Connecticut,

393
00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:05,639
Speaker 3: it's the high cost of electricity, it's the high taxes,

394
00:21:06,680 --> 00:21:11,399
Speaker 3: it's other kind of idiosyncratic issues like whether decisions can

395
00:21:11,440 --> 00:21:15,399
Speaker 3: be made locally or at the state level regarding development

396
00:21:15,480 --> 00:21:16,240
Speaker 3: and other things.

397
00:21:17,200 --> 00:21:20,880
Speaker 2: Maybe public safety is fourth. So I would say it's.

398
00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:23,879
Speaker 3: Listening then focusing on the issues that the most people

399
00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:27,560
Speaker 3: care about religiously, and then working really hard to acquaint

400
00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:30,280
Speaker 3: yourself with as many people you're trying to represent as possible.

401
00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:32,760
Speaker 1: Connecticut it's an interesting state because I grew up in

402
00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:36,600
Speaker 1: New York and in when I was young, Connecticut was

403
00:21:37,119 --> 00:21:38,800
Speaker 1: considered an ideal It was much safer for the New

404
00:21:38,880 --> 00:21:40,679
Speaker 1: York City was certainly in the early nineties when I

405
00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:43,000
Speaker 1: was growing up. It had no income tax until nineteen

406
00:21:43,040 --> 00:21:46,920
Speaker 1: ninety one. And Republicans had the governorship for a long time.

407
00:21:46,960 --> 00:21:49,120
Speaker 1: They had they were at least competitive at the state

408
00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:51,600
Speaker 1: legislative level. They had the state centered a few times

409
00:21:51,600 --> 00:21:53,399
Speaker 1: in the eighties and nineties, and they were tied in

410
00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:56,160
Speaker 1: twenty seventeen, and then it just takes this very sharp turn.

411
00:21:57,760 --> 00:22:02,040
Speaker 1: How as governor, if you that role, would you be

412
00:22:02,200 --> 00:22:06,080
Speaker 1: able to make Connecticut more affordable and ideal location, especially

413
00:22:06,080 --> 00:22:08,280
Speaker 1: for people from Massachusetts and New York or like, I

414
00:22:08,280 --> 00:22:10,080
Speaker 1: got to get out of here, but I have to,

415
00:22:10,119 --> 00:22:11,960
Speaker 1: like live somewhere close by. I have a relative, I

416
00:22:11,960 --> 00:22:14,280
Speaker 1: have a job, whatever, but I don't. I can't walk

417
00:22:14,320 --> 00:22:16,399
Speaker 1: to Florida, but I want to. I got to get

418
00:22:16,400 --> 00:22:18,000
Speaker 1: out of where I am right now. How do you

419
00:22:18,040 --> 00:22:19,600
Speaker 1: make a Connecticut more affordable with that?

420
00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:22,760
Speaker 3: Well, as you said, Connecticut is a really great place.

421
00:22:22,800 --> 00:22:23,760
Speaker 3: You've got really great people.

422
00:22:23,800 --> 00:22:26,240
Speaker 2: There's so much working in its advantage.

423
00:22:27,119 --> 00:22:30,439
Speaker 3: You know, it's why people move out here like almost

424
00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:33,960
Speaker 3: like as a right of passage. You know, they age

425
00:22:33,960 --> 00:22:36,280
Speaker 3: out of New York City, they come they look to Connecticut.

426
00:22:36,440 --> 00:22:39,720
Speaker 3: Fewer people are doing that because it is so expensive

427
00:22:39,720 --> 00:22:41,760
Speaker 3: and the opportunity is lesser than it used to be.

428
00:22:42,280 --> 00:22:43,080
Speaker 2: But you don't need to.

429
00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:45,679
Speaker 3: Make it the most affordable place in the country. I mean,

430
00:22:45,720 --> 00:22:46,920
Speaker 3: that would be difficult to do.

431
00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:47,880
Speaker 2: You just need to.

432
00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:53,919
Speaker 3: Make it reasonable. So, for instance, at electricity costs have

433
00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:56,560
Speaker 3: been in the news a lot recently, but they've been

434
00:22:56,640 --> 00:22:58,920
Speaker 3: top of mind in Connecticut for longer than the rest

435
00:22:58,920 --> 00:23:01,000
Speaker 3: of the country. We have the third highest electric rates

436
00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:04,719
Speaker 3: in the country. Embedded in those electric rates in Connecticut

437
00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:09,000
Speaker 3: is a twenty percent what it's called a public benefits charge.

438
00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:12,960
Speaker 3: It's really a tax to fund over fifty different government programs. Basically,

439
00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:17,000
Speaker 3: the politicians in the state government in Connecticut they exhausted

440
00:23:17,040 --> 00:23:21,520
Speaker 3: their ability to tax people's incomes and their purchases so

441
00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:24,040
Speaker 3: much in the state budget that they started taxing them

442
00:23:24,080 --> 00:23:25,280
Speaker 3: through their electric bills.

443
00:23:25,480 --> 00:23:29,119
Speaker 2: That was hidden for many, many years until.

444
00:23:28,880 --> 00:23:31,159
Speaker 3: I passed the law two years ago that requires it

445
00:23:31,200 --> 00:23:34,600
Speaker 3: be disclosed how much this public benefits charge is in

446
00:23:34,600 --> 00:23:37,800
Speaker 3: people's electric bill every month. We can cut that reduce

447
00:23:37,840 --> 00:23:40,680
Speaker 3: electric rates by twenty percent. I think that not only

448
00:23:40,680 --> 00:23:44,080
Speaker 3: makes Connecticut more affordable, for example, but it also creates

449
00:23:44,119 --> 00:23:49,840
Speaker 3: more investment and job creation, especially in heavy industry technology, manufacturing,

450
00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:54,399
Speaker 3: and so on. You just have to limit the growth

451
00:23:54,400 --> 00:23:57,280
Speaker 3: of spending in the state in order to cut taxes substantially.

452
00:23:57,640 --> 00:24:00,359
Speaker 3: I have a plan for one five hundred dollars income

453
00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:03,960
Speaker 3: tax cut for the average family, and that doesn't even

454
00:24:04,119 --> 00:24:08,240
Speaker 3: require cutting again spending, just reducing the growth of spending,

455
00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:14,000
Speaker 3: reducing debt funded spending, and then also capping property taxes.

456
00:24:14,280 --> 00:24:17,000
Speaker 3: Other states have done property tax caps. Connecticut is in

457
00:24:17,080 --> 00:24:20,480
Speaker 3: the top five for highest property tax burdens in the country.

458
00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:23,840
Speaker 3: I think there are ways to do this without too

459
00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:27,479
Speaker 3: much difficulty, to make Connecticut more affordable. And then finally,

460
00:24:27,520 --> 00:24:31,880
Speaker 3: I would say, the probability is that when I'm elected governor,

461
00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:34,600
Speaker 3: I will still have at least a state House that

462
00:24:34,680 --> 00:24:37,440
Speaker 3: is Democrat, because the state House has not been Republican

463
00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:38,399
Speaker 3: in my lifetime.

464
00:24:39,119 --> 00:24:40,440
Speaker 2: Not since nineteen eighty six.

465
00:24:41,119 --> 00:24:44,760
Speaker 3: The state Senate sometimes will catch a lightning in a bottle.

466
00:24:45,119 --> 00:24:48,520
Speaker 3: The governorship we have one of several times in my lifetime.

467
00:24:48,800 --> 00:24:51,440
Speaker 3: But it's a powerful governorship. There's a line item veto,

468
00:24:52,040 --> 00:24:54,200
Speaker 3: so there's a lot of leverage you have as governor.

469
00:24:54,240 --> 00:24:56,320
Speaker 3: Not only that, I think I have success in building

470
00:24:56,359 --> 00:24:59,679
Speaker 3: relationships with moderate Democrats to move things forward. So I

471
00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:01,720
Speaker 3: think I wouldn't do this if I didn't think it

472
00:25:01,760 --> 00:25:03,200
Speaker 3: could be done. It can be done.

473
00:25:03,640 --> 00:25:06,760
Speaker 1: You know a lot of times with blue state Republican governors.

474
00:25:06,760 --> 00:25:10,120
Speaker 1: There's two types right Like there's like Larry Hogan and

475
00:25:11,359 --> 00:25:13,879
Speaker 1: current governor of Vermont whose name just the B Scott,

476
00:25:14,680 --> 00:25:16,679
Speaker 1: Phil Scott, as I'm trying to reach it, Phil Scott

477
00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:20,400
Speaker 1: and Larry Hogan. For as much you know, bad names

478
00:25:20,400 --> 00:25:23,800
Speaker 1: as they get from national conservative outlets, they did a

479
00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:27,560
Speaker 1: lot to campaign for Republicans at the legislative level, versus

480
00:25:27,600 --> 00:25:30,120
Speaker 1: that of like a Chris Christy or Arnold Schwarzenegger who

481
00:25:30,119 --> 00:25:32,880
Speaker 1: did nothing for Republicans at the legislative level. They Chris

482
00:25:32,920 --> 00:25:34,760
Speaker 1: Christy wouldn't even let people put his name on the

483
00:25:34,760 --> 00:25:37,040
Speaker 1: ball when he was running for reelection and super popular.

484
00:25:37,680 --> 00:25:39,960
Speaker 1: What kind of approach would you take to supporting the

485
00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:43,160
Speaker 1: local and soutional Republican Party, Because that's a really big

486
00:25:43,280 --> 00:25:46,120
Speaker 1: question that a lot of a lot of I don't

487
00:25:46,119 --> 00:25:48,880
Speaker 1: want to call them ladder pullers, but there are some

488
00:25:49,040 --> 00:25:51,800
Speaker 1: like Larry Hogan worked really hard to get Republicans like

489
00:25:51,840 --> 00:25:54,359
Speaker 1: it locally, and in the last election Phil Scott almost

490
00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:56,560
Speaker 1: won the State Center in Vermont, something I did not

491
00:25:56,680 --> 00:25:59,000
Speaker 1: ever expect. Do you have an opinion about that, How

492
00:25:59,000 --> 00:25:59,840
Speaker 1: people approach that?

493
00:26:00,440 --> 00:26:02,119
Speaker 3: Well, I put it this way. I've already said this,

494
00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:04,520
Speaker 3: so I have no promise saying it again. If I

495
00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:10,439
Speaker 3: could spend an extra hour talking to voters in a

496
00:26:10,480 --> 00:26:13,160
Speaker 3: place where there is a swing state senator state House

497
00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:16,560
Speaker 3: district or not, I will do it in the swing

498
00:26:16,600 --> 00:26:20,359
Speaker 3: state senator house district. It is very important, not just

499
00:26:20,400 --> 00:26:25,600
Speaker 3: in Connecticut but anywhere to elect good Republican legislators. It's

500
00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:29,000
Speaker 3: the difference between people leaving your state in droves over

501
00:26:29,080 --> 00:26:32,080
Speaker 3: many years, like in New York or California, or coming

502
00:26:32,080 --> 00:26:34,600
Speaker 3: to your state to seek the American dream in droves

503
00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:39,440
Speaker 3: like in Florida or Texas or Tennessee. I care about

504
00:26:39,440 --> 00:26:41,280
Speaker 3: that a lot, not least of which because I served

505
00:26:41,280 --> 00:26:45,200
Speaker 3: in the legislature. These people are my friends, they care,

506
00:26:45,760 --> 00:26:46,600
Speaker 3: they're good people.

507
00:26:47,080 --> 00:26:48,120
Speaker 2: We need more of them.

508
00:26:48,320 --> 00:26:50,480
Speaker 3: There are even Democrats in the state that if you

509
00:26:50,560 --> 00:26:54,280
Speaker 3: get them, I think a few beers deep in private,

510
00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:56,480
Speaker 3: that they will say, boy, we don't need any more

511
00:26:56,520 --> 00:26:59,439
Speaker 3: Democrats in the state legislature, where it's already two to one.

512
00:27:00,040 --> 00:27:03,920
Speaker 3: Were starting to lose our minds. You know, this is

513
00:27:04,520 --> 00:27:08,000
Speaker 3: very important. It's very important we elect more Republicans to

514
00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:12,360
Speaker 3: the legislature to achieve more balance for everyone's benefit. So

515
00:27:12,720 --> 00:27:15,520
Speaker 3: I would be the type of governor and gubernatorial candidate

516
00:27:15,560 --> 00:27:16,120
Speaker 3: who would.

517
00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:20,320
Speaker 1: Prioritize that, you know, affordability. You mentioned it before, you know,

518
00:27:20,359 --> 00:27:23,400
Speaker 1: being a New Yorker Mandani, that's it was. His message

519
00:27:23,440 --> 00:27:26,159
Speaker 1: was that he was speaking to mostly progresses, but he

520
00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:27,720
Speaker 1: was speaking on an issue that people can sit there

521
00:27:27,720 --> 00:27:29,840
Speaker 1: and connect with. You know, we are several years out

522
00:27:29,880 --> 00:27:33,119
Speaker 1: of a high inflationary period. We're still in a fairly

523
00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:36,200
Speaker 1: weak job market situation where people looking for their first job.

524
00:27:36,960 --> 00:27:39,520
Speaker 1: How do you make the case as a Republican speaking

525
00:27:39,560 --> 00:27:43,720
Speaker 1: on the issue of affordability without sounding like Zoran? You know, like,

526
00:27:44,200 --> 00:27:46,120
Speaker 1: how does like what is the key issues to there?

527
00:27:46,200 --> 00:27:48,600
Speaker 1: And say, as a Republican like I want to make

528
00:27:48,680 --> 00:27:51,800
Speaker 1: life easier and more affordable to you, especially people are

529
00:27:51,920 --> 00:27:53,720
Speaker 1: age group will younger than me now because I'm like

530
00:27:53,760 --> 00:27:56,120
Speaker 1: sliding into middle age, but like people your age group

531
00:27:56,119 --> 00:27:57,639
Speaker 1: and younger who are like I want to buy my

532
00:27:57,680 --> 00:27:59,119
Speaker 1: first home, I want to get married, I want to

533
00:27:59,119 --> 00:27:59,760
Speaker 1: start a family.

534
00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:04,400
Speaker 3: I think you can't fool people. I think they can

535
00:28:04,440 --> 00:28:08,119
Speaker 3: tell if you care. Mom DOMMI believes what he's saying.

536
00:28:09,359 --> 00:28:12,560
Speaker 3: What he's saying is insane, but he believes what he's saying.

537
00:28:12,680 --> 00:28:16,000
Speaker 3: Like there's there's that sort of like credibility, like people

538
00:28:16,080 --> 00:28:19,880
Speaker 3: know Trump like believes the things he's saying. They can

539
00:28:19,920 --> 00:28:23,720
Speaker 3: also tell that you know someone like Andrew Cuomo or

540
00:28:23,800 --> 00:28:26,840
Speaker 3: Kamala Harris, they don't believe the things they're saying. Let's

541
00:28:26,840 --> 00:28:29,239
Speaker 3: start by running for office. If you actually believe what

542
00:28:29,240 --> 00:28:32,240
Speaker 3: you're saying, then let's also make sure that what you're

543
00:28:32,280 --> 00:28:34,680
Speaker 3: saying makes sense and it's not a bunch of crap

544
00:28:34,840 --> 00:28:37,399
Speaker 3: like it is with Mom Dami. I think there is

545
00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:40,520
Speaker 3: a heavy I've actually done very well with young voters,

546
00:28:41,080 --> 00:28:43,120
Speaker 3: and I've done better with them over time. I don't

547
00:28:43,160 --> 00:28:45,320
Speaker 3: think it has to think. I don't think it's necessarily

548
00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:47,800
Speaker 3: my age I think that, you know, I've been saying

549
00:28:47,840 --> 00:28:50,480
Speaker 3: the same things over and over that not everyone has

550
00:28:50,520 --> 00:28:53,080
Speaker 3: been saying all the time. You know, I focus a

551
00:28:53,120 --> 00:28:58,360
Speaker 3: lot on electric costs, utility costs, economic opportunity, and growth.

552
00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:01,320
Speaker 3: Maybe in a slightly different way than I'll do, but

553
00:29:01,400 --> 00:29:03,880
Speaker 3: I've been talking about it for years, and I've been

554
00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:05,920
Speaker 3: talking about it because I really believe it, like in

555
00:29:05,960 --> 00:29:08,840
Speaker 3: my heart of hearts, that there's these performs we can

556
00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:12,040
Speaker 3: make to make the state genuinely affordable and genuinely create

557
00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:13,680
Speaker 3: opportunity for people who.

558
00:29:13,600 --> 00:29:14,560
Speaker 2: Don't have it otherwise.

559
00:29:15,080 --> 00:29:18,560
Speaker 3: You know, my first election, the largest highs the second

560
00:29:18,640 --> 00:29:20,680
Speaker 3: largest high school in the state is Greenwich High School.

561
00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:22,520
Speaker 2: It's in my district.

562
00:29:23,040 --> 00:29:26,600
Speaker 3: They do every presidential election, they do a mock election

563
00:29:26,720 --> 00:29:29,040
Speaker 3: and it's over two thousand kids vote in that election.

564
00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:31,640
Speaker 3: So it's actually a critical, massive.

565
00:29:31,320 --> 00:29:34,000
Speaker 2: People sample size. It is a good sample size if

566
00:29:34,040 --> 00:29:34,600
Speaker 2: you're poster.

567
00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:37,120
Speaker 3: So in my first race, I lost my first race

568
00:29:37,160 --> 00:29:40,080
Speaker 3: in twenty twenty against an incumbent. I lost it by

569
00:29:40,080 --> 00:29:43,360
Speaker 3: two percent in the in the district. I lost the

570
00:29:43,400 --> 00:29:46,080
Speaker 3: mock election at Greenwich High School by over ten percent.

571
00:29:46,840 --> 00:29:49,000
Speaker 3: In my last election, I was running for reelection. I

572
00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:52,400
Speaker 3: won my district by four percent. I won Greenwich High

573
00:29:52,440 --> 00:29:54,479
Speaker 3: School is mock election by over ten percent.

574
00:29:56,040 --> 00:29:58,360
Speaker 2: So that's a shocking. I was shocked, and I was

575
00:29:58,400 --> 00:30:01,120
Speaker 2: more proud of that than it was actually winning your entire.

576
00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:04,120
Speaker 1: Disc that's how do they How do they vote in

577
00:30:04,160 --> 00:30:05,080
Speaker 1: the presidential election?

578
00:30:05,080 --> 00:30:05,520
Speaker 2: Do you remember?

579
00:30:05,760 --> 00:30:09,840
Speaker 3: It probably shifted toward the redder, but he still lost.

580
00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:12,560
Speaker 3: He still lost the price. I just watch the whole

581
00:30:12,720 --> 00:30:15,680
Speaker 3: gen Z change. Yes, that I think it's partly that

582
00:30:16,120 --> 00:30:17,400
Speaker 3: gen Z is getting redder.

583
00:30:18,200 --> 00:30:20,880
Speaker 1: I talked to a Polster. This is something complete side note,

584
00:30:20,920 --> 00:30:22,840
Speaker 1: but it's very interesting to polsting. So what is like

585
00:30:22,880 --> 00:30:24,800
Speaker 1: the main reason you see gen Z changing? And he

586
00:30:24,840 --> 00:30:27,640
Speaker 1: said because among COVID and all the things that everyone knows,

587
00:30:27,680 --> 00:30:29,360
Speaker 1: he says, something no one really thinks about is that

588
00:30:29,400 --> 00:30:33,200
Speaker 1: older gen Z still have Boomer parents. Younger gen Z

589
00:30:33,320 --> 00:30:35,720
Speaker 1: have gen X parents, and gen X is more conservative

590
00:30:35,760 --> 00:30:38,720
Speaker 1: than boomers are. Just something I think is fascinating about

591
00:30:38,760 --> 00:30:41,800
Speaker 1: all that. What. Okay, so you talk about winning your

592
00:30:42,200 --> 00:30:44,840
Speaker 1: local race, how do you win in Connecticut? I mean,

593
00:30:44,920 --> 00:30:47,240
Speaker 1: Connecticut has not voted for a republic since two thousand

594
00:30:47,240 --> 00:30:50,280
Speaker 1: and six, but they keep coming up slightly sure one

595
00:30:50,280 --> 00:30:52,880
Speaker 1: point in twenty ten two in twenty fourteen, three and

596
00:30:52,920 --> 00:30:55,200
Speaker 1: twenty eighteen. Twenty twenty two is not great, but the

597
00:30:55,240 --> 00:30:59,080
Speaker 1: governor was very popular time. But they come up such

598
00:30:59,280 --> 00:31:02,480
Speaker 1: just just missing it. How do you actually win?

599
00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:06,440
Speaker 3: In some ways it's easier. In some ways, it's more challenging.

600
00:31:06,480 --> 00:31:09,960
Speaker 3: On the executive level. Voters are more willing to split

601
00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:12,600
Speaker 3: their tickets. You know, Kansas is willing to vote for

602
00:31:12,640 --> 00:31:16,360
Speaker 3: Democrats or governor. New England states. Every New England state

603
00:31:16,400 --> 00:31:20,160
Speaker 3: has voted for a Republican governor in this century, and

604
00:31:20,280 --> 00:31:23,240
Speaker 3: Connecticut was really close in twenty ten.

605
00:31:23,160 --> 00:31:24,520
Speaker 2: Twenty fourteen, and twenty eighteen.

606
00:31:24,560 --> 00:31:27,960
Speaker 3: As you say, I think it's because voters like the

607
00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:32,000
Speaker 3: first of all, they divorced their executives on the state

608
00:31:32,040 --> 00:31:35,320
Speaker 3: and local level from kind of national partisan politics. It's

609
00:31:35,320 --> 00:31:38,360
Speaker 3: still correlated, but they they're more willing to make an

610
00:31:38,360 --> 00:31:42,120
Speaker 3: individual decision. They're more willing to vote on practical issues,

611
00:31:42,960 --> 00:31:45,720
Speaker 3: and they like checks and balances. I do not think

612
00:31:45,760 --> 00:31:48,360
Speaker 3: the voters of Connecticut want one party rule with two

613
00:31:48,360 --> 00:31:52,880
Speaker 3: to one Democratic majorities. Or they're giving amnesty to criminal

614
00:31:53,600 --> 00:31:58,200
Speaker 3: convicted felon illegal immigrants, and they are imposing the third

615
00:31:58,240 --> 00:32:01,240
Speaker 3: highest electric grades in the country, and people are leaving

616
00:32:01,280 --> 00:32:03,000
Speaker 3: the stake. I don't think they want that. I think

617
00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:05,040
Speaker 3: they want something more practical.

618
00:32:04,720 --> 00:32:05,720
Speaker 2: And more balanced.

619
00:32:06,200 --> 00:32:09,480
Speaker 3: And you know, it's a matter of time if, if,

620
00:32:09,520 --> 00:32:12,560
Speaker 3: and only if we run good campaigns focused on the

621
00:32:12,560 --> 00:32:15,560
Speaker 3: issues that people care about the most, like their cost

622
00:32:15,640 --> 00:32:19,400
Speaker 3: of living, like public safety in a religious way. You know,

623
00:32:19,760 --> 00:32:22,560
Speaker 3: over and over again, we have to be disciplined about

624
00:32:22,760 --> 00:32:25,520
Speaker 3: what our priorities are, and those are the priorities, and

625
00:32:25,560 --> 00:32:27,840
Speaker 3: we also have to have some depth. We have to

626
00:32:27,840 --> 00:32:30,400
Speaker 3: be disciplined in our messaging. But we also have to

627
00:32:30,440 --> 00:32:32,760
Speaker 3: have depth. There has to be truth to what we're saying.

628
00:32:33,200 --> 00:32:35,600
Speaker 3: We have to know the issues. There has to be

629
00:32:35,600 --> 00:32:38,480
Speaker 3: that credibility there. I think I can present that credibility

630
00:32:38,760 --> 00:32:40,200
Speaker 3: as a candidate as a governor.

631
00:32:40,840 --> 00:32:42,080
Speaker 2: So I think it's multipromped.

632
00:32:42,640 --> 00:32:45,520
Speaker 1: Yeah, do you think that that's because of your time

633
00:32:45,560 --> 00:32:47,360
Speaker 1: in the legislature and your ability to reach across the

634
00:32:47,400 --> 00:32:50,560
Speaker 1: aisle or because of your consistency what would you say

635
00:32:50,600 --> 00:32:52,320
Speaker 1: is your leverage in that area?

636
00:32:52,400 --> 00:32:53,520
Speaker 2: Then I think it's both.

637
00:32:53,560 --> 00:32:55,600
Speaker 3: I know the issues very well, both from being in

638
00:32:55,640 --> 00:32:58,200
Speaker 3: the legislature, but also because I care about these I

639
00:32:58,240 --> 00:33:00,960
Speaker 3: care about economic policy, I care about out making sure

640
00:33:01,000 --> 00:33:04,520
Speaker 3: the American dream is something that is not you know, fleeting.

641
00:33:04,520 --> 00:33:08,760
Speaker 3: It's still accessible to people, especially in Connecticut. I know

642
00:33:08,880 --> 00:33:11,360
Speaker 3: the issues as well because I've spent four or five

643
00:33:11,440 --> 00:33:14,560
Speaker 3: years or four years in the legislature. Now I've won

644
00:33:14,720 --> 00:33:18,200
Speaker 3: really tough races. I think, you know, we we had

645
00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:21,560
Speaker 3: this thing, you know, where we just kind of parachute

646
00:33:21,600 --> 00:33:25,640
Speaker 3: in a wealthy, self funding candidate. And you know, some

647
00:33:25,680 --> 00:33:27,520
Speaker 3: of those people are really good people. I know them,

648
00:33:27,560 --> 00:33:30,280
Speaker 3: they're really good people. But I think having someone who

649
00:33:30,320 --> 00:33:33,760
Speaker 3: has you know, who is the battle scars from a

650
00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:36,360
Speaker 3: really tough race. You mentioned I wanted really blue a

651
00:33:36,360 --> 00:33:40,080
Speaker 3: pretty blue district multiple times. I also defeated the most

652
00:33:40,120 --> 00:33:44,920
Speaker 3: expensive state legislative campaign in state history last year in

653
00:33:45,040 --> 00:33:47,400
Speaker 3: order to be re elected. I think those battle scars

654
00:33:47,440 --> 00:33:49,720
Speaker 3: will prove useful running a state wide race.

655
00:33:49,800 --> 00:33:51,720
Speaker 1: And your level of support has gone up every time,

656
00:33:51,720 --> 00:33:53,440
Speaker 1: and will give you the black credit because like, it's

657
00:33:53,480 --> 00:33:55,920
Speaker 1: not you, You're you had a little bit more breathing

658
00:33:55,960 --> 00:33:58,360
Speaker 1: room than you were. A zero point three percent victory.

659
00:33:58,400 --> 00:34:01,040
Speaker 1: I cannot imagine election night after the polls closed with that.

660
00:34:02,520 --> 00:34:05,280
Speaker 1: So we are five year post COVID, and that's kind

661
00:34:05,320 --> 00:34:06,560
Speaker 1: of what I wanted to bring up as I talked

662
00:34:06,600 --> 00:34:09,960
Speaker 1: about in amanalag We're five years post COVID. A lot

663
00:34:10,000 --> 00:34:13,680
Speaker 1: of people left Blue states, especially in New York, not

664
00:34:13,719 --> 00:34:16,160
Speaker 1: as much as Connecticut, but actually I move to Connecticut

665
00:34:16,200 --> 00:34:18,200
Speaker 1: because they got out of New York. But we are

666
00:34:18,200 --> 00:34:21,160
Speaker 1: five years post COVID, and a lot of conservatives in

667
00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:24,080
Speaker 1: blue states are asking themselves, do I just pack it in?

668
00:34:24,200 --> 00:34:25,920
Speaker 1: Do I just go to Florida? Do I just go

669
00:34:25,960 --> 00:34:30,040
Speaker 1: to Tennessee or Texas? And I mean I asked myself

670
00:34:30,120 --> 00:34:31,719
Speaker 1: questions like this all the time, too, So I'm not like,

671
00:34:31,920 --> 00:34:34,239
Speaker 1: it's not just a it's not just a hypothetical that

672
00:34:34,280 --> 00:34:37,080
Speaker 1: I've never thought of. Why is it worth staying in

673
00:34:37,120 --> 00:34:38,720
Speaker 1: your blue state and fighting.

674
00:34:38,719 --> 00:34:41,759
Speaker 3: I think that you know where your home is matters.

675
00:34:42,120 --> 00:34:45,080
Speaker 3: I think politics is not just about ideas, it's also

676
00:34:45,080 --> 00:34:49,560
Speaker 3: about people and places. And this is my home. You know,

677
00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:51,960
Speaker 3: it's much easier to get elected as a Republican in

678
00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:54,000
Speaker 3: other places, but this place is my home. And I

679
00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:55,960
Speaker 3: think your home is worth fighting for the people you

680
00:34:56,080 --> 00:35:01,400
Speaker 3: know that intimately are are worth fighting for. And you

681
00:35:01,400 --> 00:35:05,480
Speaker 3: know we have in modern times politics become a lot

682
00:35:05,520 --> 00:35:11,160
Speaker 3: more partisan and polarized, but place and people still matter

683
00:35:11,320 --> 00:35:15,400
Speaker 3: in politics. Some politics is still local, maybe to borrow

684
00:35:15,480 --> 00:35:19,200
Speaker 3: or phrase, but I think people in places still matter,

685
00:35:19,680 --> 00:35:23,080
Speaker 3: and the place you're from still matters, and you know,

686
00:35:23,239 --> 00:35:27,640
Speaker 3: community still matters and makes people's lives richer. And so,

687
00:35:28,440 --> 00:35:32,319
Speaker 3: you know, I think devoting yourself or dedicating yourself to

688
00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:35,760
Speaker 3: you know, a positive change, even if it's less likely

689
00:35:36,080 --> 00:35:38,879
Speaker 3: in the place that you call home is is it's

690
00:35:38,920 --> 00:35:42,400
Speaker 3: a very rewarding thing. You know, winning my home district,

691
00:35:42,600 --> 00:35:45,600
Speaker 3: representing my home district that I grew up in, which

692
00:35:45,640 --> 00:35:48,800
Speaker 3: has also gotten gone from red to blue over many years,

693
00:35:49,480 --> 00:35:50,680
Speaker 3: that's a special feeling.

694
00:35:50,920 --> 00:35:51,120
Speaker 2: You know.

695
00:35:51,480 --> 00:35:54,480
Speaker 3: Seeing people on the campaign trail are representing people, are

696
00:35:54,480 --> 00:35:58,399
Speaker 3: helping people with constituent service who you know, you don't

697
00:35:58,440 --> 00:36:01,080
Speaker 3: know well, but you've you met twenty years ago when

698
00:36:01,120 --> 00:36:04,240
Speaker 3: you were a kid. That is kind of a special

699
00:36:04,719 --> 00:36:07,800
Speaker 3: thing to me. And I think it's it's gratifying to

700
00:36:08,239 --> 00:36:11,120
Speaker 3: anyone if it's you know, if you do it. So

701
00:36:11,400 --> 00:36:13,520
Speaker 3: that's why I think it's still important. It's not worth

702
00:36:13,520 --> 00:36:16,640
Speaker 3: giving up on. And it's also I mean, if Republicans

703
00:36:16,640 --> 00:36:21,600
Speaker 3: had governorships in places like New York or even Connecticut,

704
00:36:21,960 --> 00:36:24,200
Speaker 3: a lot of these redistricting fights that we're seeing now,

705
00:36:24,239 --> 00:36:26,680
Speaker 3: I think on a national level, we would they wouldn't

706
00:36:26,680 --> 00:36:28,840
Speaker 3: be going on because they would have these It wouldn't

707
00:36:28,840 --> 00:36:31,960
Speaker 3: be a nuclear war that we're seeing with changing congressional lines.

708
00:36:32,239 --> 00:36:34,320
Speaker 3: Where can people go to read it more about?

709
00:36:34,320 --> 00:36:37,120
Speaker 1: You support? You donate to your candidacy? What do you

710
00:36:37,160 --> 00:36:38,520
Speaker 1: need from my listeners?

711
00:36:39,080 --> 00:36:42,120
Speaker 2: Ryanfazio dot com is my website.

712
00:36:42,239 --> 00:36:45,239
Speaker 3: You know, we're raising money, we're connecting with people, so

713
00:36:45,320 --> 00:36:47,479
Speaker 3: please go there to learn more.

714
00:36:47,840 --> 00:36:49,920
Speaker 2: This is a grassroots effort and we need all the

715
00:36:49,960 --> 00:36:50,680
Speaker 2: help we can get.

716
00:36:51,280 --> 00:36:53,640
Speaker 1: Last question, who is your Democratic opponent? I don't even

717
00:36:53,640 --> 00:36:56,440
Speaker 1: I know you have a primary opponent with former mayor

718
00:36:55,840 --> 00:36:58,839
Speaker 1: Aaron Aaron Stewart. I think your name is right together?

719
00:36:58,920 --> 00:36:59,360
Speaker 2: Right, Okay?

720
00:37:00,160 --> 00:37:02,600
Speaker 1: Who's your Democrat? Is the governing running for reelection?

721
00:37:02,760 --> 00:37:03,719
Speaker 2: It's to be determined.

722
00:37:03,760 --> 00:37:07,320
Speaker 3: We're waiting to see if he runs for a third

723
00:37:07,400 --> 00:37:11,080
Speaker 3: term or not. But whether it's him or another Democrat,

724
00:37:11,120 --> 00:37:13,840
Speaker 3: we're running for change and I think that's going to resonate.

725
00:37:14,239 --> 00:37:16,160
Speaker 1: All right, Well, Ryan, thank you on this podcast. I

726
00:37:16,160 --> 00:37:19,359
Speaker 1: really appreciate it. Thank you, Ryan, you're listening to It's

727
00:37:19,400 --> 00:37:21,120
Speaker 1: a Numbers Game with Ryan Gradsky.

728
00:37:21,200 --> 00:37:25,680
Speaker 2: We'll be right back now.

729
00:37:25,719 --> 00:37:28,440
Speaker 1: It's time for the ask me anything segment. This comes

730
00:37:28,560 --> 00:37:32,560
Speaker 1: from Brent from Oklahoma, and he writes, how do you

731
00:37:32,600 --> 00:37:36,680
Speaker 1: spot an accurate polster? I think he's specifically as asking

732
00:37:37,000 --> 00:37:40,399
Speaker 1: on behalf of being someone who's polled, not someone who

733
00:37:40,600 --> 00:37:45,440
Speaker 1: is like looking at a pole. So he asked specifically

734
00:37:45,480 --> 00:37:48,800
Speaker 1: about money, about fraud. Fraudulent polsters who are asking for

735
00:37:48,880 --> 00:37:51,600
Speaker 1: money at the end of their poll one. A legitimate

736
00:37:51,600 --> 00:37:54,480
Speaker 1: pollster will never tell you who they're polling for. So

737
00:37:54,560 --> 00:37:56,960
Speaker 1: if you get a call from somebody who says I'm

738
00:37:57,000 --> 00:37:59,879
Speaker 1: pulling for the Peace and Love Party or I'm pulling

739
00:38:00,120 --> 00:38:04,080
Speaker 1: for the you know, Save the Dolphins Foundation, that's a polster.

740
00:38:04,120 --> 00:38:06,520
Speaker 1: I will probably ask you for money. Polsters who are

741
00:38:06,600 --> 00:38:10,719
Speaker 1: legitimate polsters do not ask, do not give their their

742
00:38:10,760 --> 00:38:15,880
Speaker 1: clients information out. So that's a big red flag right immediately.

743
00:38:16,120 --> 00:38:17,799
Speaker 1: You can ask what a you're pulling for. If they say,

744
00:38:17,800 --> 00:38:20,120
Speaker 1: we can't tell you that information, then that's a legit polster.

745
00:38:20,960 --> 00:38:23,000
Speaker 1: You can may be able to figure it out on

746
00:38:23,040 --> 00:38:25,359
Speaker 1: your own with certain terminology that they use. If they

747
00:38:25,480 --> 00:38:28,720
Speaker 1: use a chair like a word like access to abortion,

748
00:38:28,880 --> 00:38:33,200
Speaker 1: it's probably a right wing polster. If these were like abortion,

749
00:38:33,280 --> 00:38:35,000
Speaker 1: but they use right to choose as probably a left

750
00:38:35,040 --> 00:38:37,200
Speaker 1: wing polster. You can kind of figure out the words

751
00:38:37,200 --> 00:38:41,239
Speaker 1: that they're using. That's a that's a that's a one way.

752
00:38:41,960 --> 00:38:45,600
Speaker 1: Brent also asked about selling polling data. I have never

753
00:38:45,719 --> 00:38:49,560
Speaker 1: seen that happen, and I'll tell you why. When you're

754
00:38:49,600 --> 00:38:52,400
Speaker 1: pulling a congressional district or even a state in a primary,

755
00:38:52,440 --> 00:38:54,760
Speaker 1: you're pulling five hundred people, like I did a poll

756
00:38:54,840 --> 00:38:59,120
Speaker 1: for a governor's race in a plane state a couple

757
00:38:59,160 --> 00:39:01,280
Speaker 1: of months ago, and you know, it's like seventy percent

758
00:39:01,320 --> 00:39:03,719
Speaker 1: undecided at a five hundred person pole, So it's like

759
00:39:03,719 --> 00:39:07,439
Speaker 1: three hundred and fifty people saying they were undecided. I'm

760
00:39:07,440 --> 00:39:09,919
Speaker 1: not going to benefit by selling the people information. It's

761
00:39:09,960 --> 00:39:13,000
Speaker 1: not they represent the larger population. But it's not like

762
00:39:13,080 --> 00:39:16,719
Speaker 1: those three hundred fifty people individually are going to change

763
00:39:16,760 --> 00:39:18,520
Speaker 1: the race. A million people will vote, maybe they will

764
00:39:18,520 --> 00:39:21,359
Speaker 1: if it's super close, but no one's going to hunt

765
00:39:21,360 --> 00:39:24,720
Speaker 1: those three hundred four hundred voters down. Like that doesn't happen,

766
00:39:24,719 --> 00:39:27,759
Speaker 1: So I wouldn't worry so much about selling data. And

767
00:39:27,840 --> 00:39:30,520
Speaker 1: other polsters actually, if they it's a long pole, like you,

768
00:39:31,040 --> 00:39:34,399
Speaker 1: GUV sometimes pays people to take their poll. I think

769
00:39:34,400 --> 00:39:37,480
Speaker 1: that that's an important thing. But overall, those are the

770
00:39:37,520 --> 00:39:39,960
Speaker 1: things I would look for. As far as figuring out

771
00:39:40,000 --> 00:39:45,360
Speaker 1: who who are the legitimate polsters who are not the

772
00:39:45,440 --> 00:39:48,520
Speaker 1: legitimate polsters? I would sit there and say, if they

773
00:39:48,560 --> 00:39:52,080
Speaker 1: will tell you who they're pulling for, they are not legitimate,

774
00:39:52,239 --> 00:39:54,400
Speaker 1: and if they don't tell you, they probably are legitimate.

775
00:39:54,440 --> 00:39:58,000
Speaker 1: That's the first telltale sign. My next question comes from Tristan,

776
00:39:58,040 --> 00:40:00,840
Speaker 1: who says I saw on exit some districts are illegally

777
00:40:00,920 --> 00:40:04,240
Speaker 1: drawn in the new California map and they're not compliant

778
00:40:04,280 --> 00:40:06,959
Speaker 1: with Voting Rights Act Section two. I just mentioned Voting

779
00:40:07,000 --> 00:40:09,360
Speaker 1: Rights Act at the beginning of this podcast. If the

780
00:40:09,400 --> 00:40:11,880
Speaker 1: map passes in November and gets struck down by the courts,

781
00:40:11,920 --> 00:40:14,080
Speaker 1: are the courts the ones who draw the new map?

782
00:40:14,160 --> 00:40:16,200
Speaker 1: If so, how long could it take for that to

783
00:40:16,200 --> 00:40:19,920
Speaker 1: be effective? Okay, I heard that it was VRA compliant.

784
00:40:21,239 --> 00:40:24,399
Speaker 1: I think no matter what happens, a lawsuit will happen. Right,

785
00:40:24,440 --> 00:40:27,040
Speaker 1: A lawsuit's going to happen no matter what. The courts

786
00:40:27,040 --> 00:40:30,200
Speaker 1: in California are very democratic. There's only a few Republicans

787
00:40:30,280 --> 00:40:35,120
Speaker 1: left from the Schwarzenegger era. My best bet is that

788
00:40:35,160 --> 00:40:37,280
Speaker 1: it will go to the courts no matter what happens.

789
00:40:37,320 --> 00:40:39,920
Speaker 1: And then if the complaint's legitimate and they have a

790
00:40:39,920 --> 00:40:43,000
Speaker 1: real argument for the VRA, what they will likely do

791
00:40:43,239 --> 00:40:46,280
Speaker 1: is the court will appoint somebody to redraw the maps

792
00:40:46,560 --> 00:40:50,080
Speaker 1: and who knows how that happens, like who knows where

793
00:40:50,120 --> 00:40:52,839
Speaker 1: that goes? And the last time that happened for California

794
00:40:52,960 --> 00:40:57,000
Speaker 1: was in the in nineties or the Yeah, I think

795
00:40:57,000 --> 00:40:59,400
Speaker 1: it was nineteen ninety one. I mentioned the last podcast

796
00:40:59,400 --> 00:41:04,560
Speaker 1: episode and the court appointed a judge and the judge

797
00:41:04,560 --> 00:41:07,239
Speaker 1: having to be a former Republican. I don't think we'll

798
00:41:07,239 --> 00:41:09,840
Speaker 1: get that lucky this time. But the court will appoint somebody,

799
00:41:09,880 --> 00:41:13,879
Speaker 1: probably from the Independent Commission or something, and they'll give

800
00:41:13,920 --> 00:41:18,280
Speaker 1: guidelines and guidance to the person drawing the map, and

801
00:41:18,320 --> 00:41:20,279
Speaker 1: then we really won't know what's happening. Then it will

802
00:41:20,320 --> 00:41:22,120
Speaker 1: really go into crazy town.

803
00:41:22,239 --> 00:41:23,200
Speaker 2: But I don't know.

804
00:41:23,200 --> 00:41:25,320
Speaker 1: I heard that the VRA is complying with the VRA,

805
00:41:25,560 --> 00:41:28,919
Speaker 1: so I'll have to reread that. But if I find

806
00:41:28,920 --> 00:41:31,120
Speaker 1: anything new information on it, I will talk about it

807
00:41:31,120 --> 00:41:33,600
Speaker 1: on the next episode of the podcast as well. Anyway,

808
00:41:33,760 --> 00:41:36,400
Speaker 1: that's it for this part of Ask Me Anything. If

809
00:41:36,400 --> 00:41:38,840
Speaker 1: you want to be part of Ask Me Anything, email

810
00:41:38,880 --> 00:41:42,080
Speaker 1: me Ryan at numbers Game podcast dot com. That's ryanat

811
00:41:42,160 --> 00:41:45,200
Speaker 1: numbers Game podcast dot com. Thank you for listening again.

812
00:41:45,440 --> 00:41:47,480
Speaker 1: Please join me again on Monday. I have a great

813
00:41:47,480 --> 00:41:50,840
Speaker 1: episode for you, not on redistricting. I promise I've maxed

814
00:41:50,840 --> 00:41:54,200
Speaker 1: out that story and that topic for quite sometime. Please

815
00:41:54,280 --> 00:41:57,279
Speaker 1: like and subscribing the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you

816
00:41:57,280 --> 00:41:59,480
Speaker 1: get your podcasts. Thank you and we'll see then.