Sequels are all the rage for Hollywood, and the same is true in Washington D.C. 

We’re two weeks away from the official launch of the Trump-Musk administration and even before inauguration, chaos and lies return to D.C. The chaos: an intra-MAGA war over immigration, with co-president-elect Musk raging over the possible loss of the right to import lower-wage tech support for his companies whiles MAGAs fume. And we had a messy start to the legislative session as Mike Johnson wins underwhelming but enough support for staying on as Speaker.

Topping Michigan’s political news: the state’s Democrats are uniting around Curtis Hertel Jr. as the new party chair, and the contenders for national party chair will begin their series of public debates next week in Detroit.

Some of the other stories on our radar this week:

===========================

This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA,

The two biggest stories in our opening list are Trump’s campaign of intimidating the media, which seems to be working … and the apparent ascension of the world’s richest man to the unelected position of Acting President-elect. 

Also as we recorded on Friday morning, we have:

THIS WEEK’S GUEST

Even in presidential elections, 2 in 5 American citizens choose to sit things out. It’s even worse in non-presidential election years. A veteran political consultant believes we can and should improve those numbers by embracing technology. In his book “Vote with Your Phone,” Bradley Tusk believes that allowing Americans to vote in elections from their phones would dramatically increase turnout, reduce extremism, and fix our broken politics. Beyond that, mobile voting will break down barriers that have made in-person and even mail voting inaccessible for countless Americans — younger voters, tribal voters, military voters, voters with disabilities, and many others.

Tusk is currently the Managing Partner and Co-founder of Tusk Venture Partners, the world’s first venture capital fund that invests solely in early stage startups in highly regulated industries, and the founder of political consulting firm Tusk Strategies.  He is also an adjunct professor at Columbia Business School. Earlier in his career, Bradley served as campaign manager for Mike Bloomberg’s 2009 mayoral race, as Deputy Governor of Illinois, overseeing the state’s budget, operations, legislation, policy and communications, as communications director for Senator Chuck Schumer, and as Uber’s first political advisor. 

===========================

This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA,

The best is yet to come … at least for newly anointed U.S. Ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle. The now-spurned former finance of Donald Trump Jr. is headed halfway around the world compliments of The Don, but only because “Ambassador to Mars” isn’t a thing yet. And there’s so much more:

In the world of actually governing —

Jeff Timmer is off this week, with the always lovely Walt Sorg sitting in!

===========================

This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA,

Joining us is Michigan two-term Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. She literally wrote the book on the job: “State Secretaries of State (Election Law, Politics, and Theory)”. She has been a champion for election and ethics reforms during his 6 years on the job. Previously she was the dean Wayne State University’s Law School. At the time she was the youngest woman in U.S. history to lead a top-100 law school. She’s widely considered a first-tier possible candidate to succeed Gretchen Whitmer as Governor. Welcome bacl to the podcast Jocelyn.

===========================

This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA,

On this week’s agenda — 

Winnie Brinks is the first woman to serve as Senate Majority Leader, as well as being the first woman to represent Grand Rapids in the Michigan Senate since Eva McCall Hamilton was elected in 1920.

She cares deeply about clean drinking water in Michigan and has worked tirelessly on efforts to reduce the prevalence of toxic PFAS chemicals in it. In addition to accessible, clean water, her policy passions include improving equity in maternal health care, reproductive rights, reducing prescription drug costs, and helping uplift local communities and organizations.

Before being elected to the state House, where she served three terms, Brinks was a caseworker at The Source, helping businesses and nonprofits improve workplaces and retain employees. She also worked as the director of a community-based corrections agency and as a school paraprofessional.

Brinks is a graduate of Calvin College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish with a concentration in sociology. She and her husband Steve, a Spanish teacher, live in Grand Rapids and are the parents of three daughters, Olivia, Annalise and Emma.

===========================

This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA,

In Michigan politics:

Joining the conversation is Editor in Chief of one of the nation’s fastest growing alternative media companies. Ron Filipkowski heads up Meidas Plus, the subscription-based Substack channel that has been growing exponentially. Meidas+ evolved from the original Meidas Touch network which made its name four years ago as a center, alongside the Lincoln Project, of the Never Trump movement. They provide news coverage, written commentary, videos and podcasts to subscribers. Their lead item is Ron’s daily Resistance HQ Bulletin, a concise daily update on the very bizarre incoming administration.

Filipkowski is a criminal defense attorney and former state and federal prosecutor who is known for sharing political clips and commentary on social media. Until 2021 he was a Republican, but left the party in the wake of the failed January 6 Trump insurrection. How Republican was he? His oldest son is named Ronald Reagan Filipkowski!

In his non-professional life Filipkowski has coached a Little League Baseball team, leading it to six state championships. He was named National Coach of the Year by the baseball publication Travel Ball Select.

===========================

This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA,

Let the crazy begin in earnest!

Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin called Lincoln’s cabinet the “Team of Rivals”. Aretha Franklin’s classic could well be the title of a new book about the Trump team as Trump loads up his administration with mostly unqualified toadies.

MAGAs in Florida are pushing Governor Ron Desantis to name Lara Trump as Marco Rubio’s replacement in the Senate. Really. Melania Trump, meanwhile, is carving a new path for first ladies, apparently treating the White House as her personal AirBNB and living wherever he isn’t.

In Michigan, the 2026 campaign has begun:

===========================

This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA,

In the main event, the Prosecuting Attorney loses to the convicted criminal. On the national undercard: Republicans are winning on points, with the possibility of a full takeover in Washington depending on a dozen or so congressional races.

Closer to home: Michigan provides a mixed message:

Back in 1992 James Carville famously preached during the Clinton campaign “It’s the economy, stupid”. The nation had experienced high inflation during the George H.W. Bush administration, and Carville’s mantra proved the winning strategy for Bill Clinton. Flash forward 32 years, another bout of inflation thanks to the Covid pandemic … and again, the voters punish the ruling party. It is part of the story of the Trump victory, but more complex than that. Mark and Jeff offer their thoughts on the election that turned the political world upside down.

This last week brings to mind a couple of TV shows: the mid-1960s political satire program “That Was the Week That Was”, and more recent “House of Cards.” The latter starred a criminal President who even murders his political and media opposition. Reality has now exceeded fantasy.

Next up in the bizarre world of Trump-era politics: the President-elect could be sentenced to prison for his 34 felony convictions in New York. Meanwhile, we stand by the name of this podcast: A Republic, If You Can Keep It. These days Franklin’s warning is a one-weel-at-a-time proposition. We will continue in our mission to rightsize Michigan and national politics over the coming months. Ben would have it no other way.

===========================

This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA,

We are recording on Halloween, going into the final weekend. There’s lots to unpack as candidates up and down the ballot make their final pitches…and we look forward to saying goodbye to endless text messages and breathless emails begging for money. Trump recreates a 1939 Nazi Rally at Madison Square Garden, while Kamala Harris attracts 75-thousand to the staging area of Trump’s 2021 unsuccessful insurrection. The race for the Michigan Senate is a nail-biter … as are three critical races for Michigan seats in Congress. On this week’s podcast, we look in depth at the latest Michigan polling from EPIC/MRA. We are joined by Bernie Porn about the numbers released today, and about the challenges of figuring out who will vote, how they will vote, and  why.

===========================

This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA,

 National Security Leaders for America leads a bipartisan collection of 741 former senior national security leaders supporting Kamala Harris. The organization includes 230 general and flag officers including 15 retired four-star generals and admirals, 10 cabinet secretaries, 10 service secretaries, and 148 ambassadors. They view Donald Trump as an existential threat to our national security. We are joined by two of those leaders, both former members of Congress.

===========================

This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA,