S7: Episode 5 - Nomiki Konst

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola are joined by Nomiki Konst, who is the host of the recently , "The Nomiki Show." Nomiki was part of the Unity Reform Commission that reformed several processes in the Democratic primary. She also is in a PAC called Matriarch that was founded to help working class women get elected to Congress. We begin the show with some background on the Unity Reform Commission and how recommendations changed the Iowa Caucuses. She addresses the changes that affected superdelegates. Nomiki talks about what unfolded with the Iowa Caucuses and how states determine whether to hold a caucus or a primary. She highlights one particular smear campaign that was fueled by Neera Tanden and Joy Reid. Throughout our conversation, Nomiki consistently emphasizes that Democrats are fighting over conflicts of interests. They are fighting over the budget. They are fighting over who gets money and who doesn't. Battles over money carry more significance than ensuring superdelegates have influence on the party. Later in the show, Nomiki discusses what fractures the centrist wing of the Democratic Party. What policies proposed by Senator Bernie Sanders terrify them the most? We talk about DNC Chair Tom Perez and how he lobbied for the Iowa Democratic Party to use the app from Shadow. We dig into the cronyism plaguing our elections, and we look ahead to New Hampshire and the rest of the primary, getting Nomiki's views on Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, and Mike Bloomberg.