On this special “New Voices” episode of the Chuck ToddCast, political strategist Lucy Caldwell joins Chuck to reflect on her journey from running Joe Walsh’s anti-Trump Republican campaign to registering as a Democrat. She discusses the fractures within the conservative movement, the erosion of space for moderates, and why independent efforts like the Forward Party struggle to gain traction. Lucy and Chuck explore how partisan incentives discourage compromise, why the best candidates often emerge from nonpartisan races, and how her personal battle with cancer reshaped her perspective on healthcare policy. It’s a candid look at what it means to be politically homeless in today’s polarized landscape.
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Timeline:
00:00 Lucy Caldwell joins the Chuck Toddcast
00:45 Experience of running Joe Walsh’s campaign
02:00 Walsh’s campaign was meant to be a “path back” for Republicans
02:45 Trump is not a small government conservative
04:15 Feeling politically homeless on the right
06:00 There are many fractures within the Never Trump Republicans
08:00 There used to be at least some common cause across the aisle
10:00 The incentive structures don’t reward moderates or compromise
12:00 The threat of MAGA is so great Lucy registered as a Democrat
14:00 Why independent movements struggle to get off the ground
15:00 Independents struggle to build general excitement
16:00 Independent candidates can vary wildly in their politics
17:30 The Forward Party struggles to find an identity & platform
19:00 Rob Sand ran as a Democrat because it’s only viable option
20:45 Races without partisan primaries produce better candidates
21:45 Executives need different skill sets than legislators
22:30 Which past president would you clone and bring back?
23:45 Our great presidents still have complicated legacies
24:45 Any interest in running for office?
25:30 There has to be something wrong with you to run for office
27:15 The draw of running for office?
29:30 Lucy’s cancer battle informed her views on healthcare policy
31:30 MAHA embraces messaging they priorly rejected
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