Episode 49: “A Renaissance of Liberalism.” MAGA’s meltdown. Celebrating immigration, peaceful protest and banjos! Starting out the new year with special guest Schuyler Windham, Chair of the Nebraska Liberal Party, the Commonwealth Classical Liberal Podcast discussed the internal divisions within the Republican party regarding immigration and visa policies, confusion among Democrats, and discussed Liberal Party USA as the pro-immigration party, with a focus on the importance and value of immigration for the economy and American culture. The team also reflected on the political violence of the January 6th riots and emphasized the need for a more peaceful and constructive dialogue in politics. The pod closed with some parting thoughts and Schuyler’s passion for Bluegrass and Newgrass music and emphasized the importance of immigration as a key issue for the Liberal Party, U.S.A. and its state affiliates.

Special Guest, Schuyler Windham! Schuyler Windham is a small business owner, lawyer, and musician out of Weeping Water, NE. She was raised in Beatrice and Lincoln, attending Lincoln Southwest High School and then UNL for a BA in Global Studies and Religious Studies. She graduated from Nebraska College of Law in 2018 studying Constitutional Law, International & Human Rights Law, and National Security Law. She served as a staff attorney at a nonprofit working on immigration law and policy issues for several years and drafted the Sexual Assault Protection Order in 2017 which was passed unanimously by the Nebraska Unicameral. Schuyler focuses on marketing and policy to help recruit and elect Liberal candidates to office. In her spare time she likes singing and playing the banjo, hiking in nature with her dog, reading, writing, and going to the range with her husband.

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Episode 48: 2024 ends with a couple wins and a couple losses – from cutting red tape to sinking the Press Act. The team met for the last podcast of 2024, discussing a couple of wins and more frustration with Virginia’s Governor Youngkin. On a positive note, Virginia Senator Mark Warner helped bring some wins by reducing health care reporting requirements. In another win, President Biden announced clemency for nearly 1,500 Americans, many involved in non-violent crimes. In frustrating news, Virginia’s Governor joined other Republican governors advocating for National Guard and law enforcement involvement in President-Elect Trump’s mass deportation plans. Chris shared some thoughts on Tom Cotton and his sinking of the Press Act, and the team recognized D17, the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. Advocating for a free press and free speech, the guys ended looking forward to a holiday break and returning in 2025.

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Episode 47: Living life liberally at the Liberal Party USA National Convention and the Press Act: Now or Never? The team discussed the recent Liberal Party USA National Convention in Houston and the growing momentum and community moving towards 2025. Then they moved to the Press Act, expressing their support for this legislation and hopes that it may pass in the Senate. Wrapping up, the team emphasized the importance of freedom and open markets, and looking forward to Virginia’s annual Lobby Day for General Assembly. The conversation ended with expressions of excitement and optimism for the future, as well as gratitude for the support received.

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Episode 46: Bring on the immigrants! Pass on tariffs and trade wars, but an order of privacy rights, please. The team returned from the Thanksgiving break to discuss how the CLPVA and Liberal Party USA differ from the big two political parties, emphasizing their support for immigration, the free movement of people, and open markets and free trade, and criticized the restrictionist policies of both major parties. As they advocated for open markets, open minds, and free people, the team argued for enhancing democracy, not eternalizing the duopoly. “We start with what’s good for the individual. They start with what’s good party.” They also discussed the negative impact of tariffs and trade restrictions on the economy and individual freedoms. The team also discussed a new Institute for Justice lawsuit in Virginia, as they articulated their concerns about the violation of privacy rights due to the use of automatic license plate readers and reiterated their support for privacy, encryption and digital rights.

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Episode 45: Looking back, looking forward. Republicans roll, Kamala krashes, choice wins, but is liberty losing? The team took a look at their election predictions and considered some national level takeaways from the 2024 elections, including an interesting look at the total vote counts for the two leading candidates in 2020 and 2024 as Donald Trump’s overall votes were rather consistent but with a big drop-off in votes between Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. They also discussed the seeming inconsistency of many voters as they gave the GOP a strong victory and also tended to support more liberal stances on abortion and drug rights. The conversation ended with a discussion on the potential political landscape in the US for the next year, in Virginia and more broadly, and closed with continued calls for more options and more freedom. The pod is on break till after Thanksgiving.

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Episode 44: Wednesday’s Headlines: Harris Wins, Congress divided! Trump says election stolen! Voters want better candidates. The team discussed their thoughts and concerns about the upcoming US Presidential election, focusing on the potential for election violence and the expectation of misinformation. They also predicted the outcomes of the federal elections, including the potential for improvements in abortion rights and the passage of marijuana legalization measures. The conversation ended with a call to action, encouraging individuals to engage in dialogue, think for themselves, and to consider alternative solutions for the future. And a reminder that a lot of our current concerns have long been a part of this country. “Complaints are every where heard from our most considerate and virtuous citizens, equally the friends of public and private faith, and of public and personal liberty, that our governments are too unstable; that the public good is disregarded in the conflicts of rival parties; and that measures are too often decided, not according to the rules of justice, and the rights of the minor party, but by the superior force of an interested and overbearing majority.” - James Madison, of Virginia, on the dangers of elections resulting in overbearing majorities who respect neither justice nor individual rights, Federalist 10 (1788)

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Episode 43: Virginia’s voter purge. Will liberals and libertarians be King (or Queen) makers? The team looked at the Supreme Court’s support of Governor Youngkin’s Virginia voter purge and the broader meaning of this effort. Then, they reviewed some recent perspective from Shikha Dalmia on Libertarian-MAGA alignment, how some small “L” libertarians are looking at the 2024 election, the possible disrupting effect of Chase Oliver, and the potential impact of third-party voters on the election. In closing, they discussed the complexities of the 2024 US Presidential election, the Democratic party's strategy and messaging, and the importance of local elections and initiatives.

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Episode 42: Left, Right, or Down: Elections, lies, 3rd parties and MAGA fever. The team discussed the issue of excessive government spending and its potential consequences, expressing concern over the spending plans of both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump and the negative impact it would have on future generations. They also discussed the upcoming Senate race in Virginia, the potential for a third-party write-in vote, and the influence of the "big lie" both in Virginia and nationally.

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Episode 41: Available, Affordable Housing - Supply, Demand and why the Vice-Presidential nominees are wrong. In this week’s episode, Brian, Chris and Andy focused on the issue of affordable housing, looked at comments made on housing at the recent Vice-Presidential Debate and discussed why both candidates were off the mark. They also discussed the economic implications of government subsidies and market distortions on the housing market and they touched on various topical issues, including Oklahoma's seeming intent to use government money to buy tens of thousands of copies of the Trump Bible, the recent dock workers strike, fighting against automation to protect jobs but maybe failing the people, and the inevitability of technological advancements. They closed with some parting thoughts.

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Episode 40: Extremism, coalitions, and the democratic benefits of ending the duopoly. Brian and Andy looked at recent elections in France and Austria, and how their multi-party systems led to some interesting coalitions and outcomes. Coming back across the pond, they considered those as they discussed multi-party representation and ballot access reform in Virginia and the United States. The discussion also touched on the devastating effects of Hurricane Helene in Southwest Virginia and the ongoing recovery efforts, and, looking past the seemingly endless 2024 election season, highlighted the importance of Virginia as a bellwether for national trends in the upcoming 2025 elections.

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