Chloe Akers, Tennessee attorney and advocate for elevating voices in the middle, discusses her nonpartisan approach to re-engaging disillusioned voters in Tennessee. She shares her strategy for tackling extremism in politics through critical problem-solving and bipartisan compromise. They also discuss supporting reasonable and pragmatic candidates for the 2024 election.
Chloe Akers is creating a nonpartisan organization in Tennessee to fund and support candidates from both parties who better represent the views of the majority.
The Best of Tennessee aims to combat extremism by incentivizing and supporting incumbents who engage in bipartisan compromise and exhibit good governance.
Deep dives
The Best of Tennessee: Elevating Voices in the Middle
Chloe Akers, founder and CEO of The Best of Tennessee, is tackling the issue of political extremism in Tennessee by creating a nonpartisan organization that aims to fund and support candidates from both parties who better represent the views of the majority. Akers was motivated to take action after seeing the disconnect between laws passed by Tennessee's supermajority and the views of the majority of Tennesseans. The organization, formerly known as the Liminal Plan, aims to use a playbook of media, independent expenditures, and support for bipartisan compromise to re-engage disillusioned voters and promote good governance.
Breaking Away from Extremist Politics
The Best of Tennessee, led by Chloe Akers, is taking a different approach to politics in the state by focusing on repairing the disconnect between voters and lawmakers. The organization aims to combat extremism by incentivizing and supporting incumbents who engage in bipartisan compromise and exhibit good governance. Additionally, it seeks to re-engage disillusioned voters and highlight the importance of primary elections in eroding extremism. The organization's playbook includes utilizing a super PAC, media, and independent expenditures to shape public policy and engage with voters in the middle ground.
The Path to Success: Repairing Broken Politics
The Best of Tennessee's strategy for success involves a long-term effort to create a more effective and civil legislative environment in the state. The organization's definition of success goes beyond simply electing candidates with similar beliefs, instead aiming for a legislative session that exhibits robust debate, bipartisan compromise, and policies that reflect the majority's views. The organization plans to support candidates and incumbents through independent expenditures, highlighting their efforts in good governance and moderation. The ultimate goal is to shift the political landscape in Tennessee and provide a voice for those who feel unheard.
U.S. politics have gotten more polarized, and more extreme. Today, Tennessee attorney Chloe Akers has a new plan to do something that can feel nearly impossible: elevate thevoices in the middle. She tells Niala Boodhoo: "We're not using any other playbook to solve what we believe is the pervasiveness of extremism and how damaging that can be on the democratic process. We are creating a playbook."
One Tennessean's new solution to an old problem.
Plus, what being a moderate today really means, and a reality check on other efforts to bring people back to the middle.
Credits: 1 big thing is produced by Niala Boodhoo, Alexandra Botti, Fonda Mwangi and Alex Sugiura. Music is composed by Alex Sugiura. You can reach us at podcasts@axios.com. You can send questions, comments and story ideas as a text or voice memo to Niala at 202-918-4893.