Democratically: 2020

This week, Karin interviews Margo Miller, a friend and supporter of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, about the New York Senator's campaign. She also responds to Joe Biden's entry into the 2020 race, and of course we play the Gut Check game, this time responding to some candidate quotes from the She the People Forum and around the campaign trail.

This week we check in with Denise Baron, an organiser for Pete Buttigieg. Denice is coming to us direct from South Bend Indiana, where she's helping to prepare for Mayor Pete's big campaign launch event this Sunday. We talk about why the Mayor seems to be breaking through into the top tier of candidates, about his "gosh shucks" midwestern enthusiasm, about what it means to be a gay candidate and about why this kind of breakout success seems to be harder for female or minority candidates. We also play the Gut Check game, testing our reactions to some quotes tweeted or spoken by the candidates this week. 

This week, Karin reports back from the 2 very different types of organizing meetings she attended this week and thinks through the difference between the work of a political organization trying to operate effectively and a campaign or movement trying to activate and excite. She also does a news roundup covering Beto O'Rourke's entry into the race and Congress's rebuke to Trump's emergency powers declaration. Plus, as always, we play the Gut Check game.

This week, Karin talks to strategic marketing consultant Rob Blackie about how to build an effective political brand, we talk about some of the more clever and innovative ads of the 2018 midterms and we reflect on how the 2020 candidates can create a distinctive and engaging political brand. Also, we do a recap of the week's news, including the announcements that Mike Bloomberg and Sherrod Brown will NOT be running, and the heated debate about Freshman Representative Ilhan Omar and allegations of anti-semitism. 

This week, Karin talks to Betty Teng, co-host of the Mind of State podcast about the psychological aspects of running for office. Can you be mentally healthy and run for President? What does a toxic political environment such as the one we live in now do to the mental health of candidates and the electorate? How can we keep ourselves health in the midst of the deluge of hostility, toxicity, and partisan rancour? Also this week, Karin does a quick news roundup covering Elizabeth Warren's announcement that she won't hold high dollar fundraisers, Beto O'Rourke's decision, and Trump's terrible week - including Michael Cohen's House testimony and Trump's granting Jared and Ivanka security clearances over the objections of his own Chief of Staff.