The Catturd Deficit

“We're trying to win an election, and the right is trying to seize power by any means necessary.” Melissa Ryan helps people, policymakers, and institutions combat disinformation; you can see why. She has a clarity that comes from more than a decade in national politics and a coolness that comes from either some really good nature or nurture, probably both. And you can get that calming clarity she offers every week in her newsletter Ctrl Alt Right Delete. This is a quick interview, by our standards, that sprints point-by-point through some of the trickiest issues democracy faces now, with some excellent advice about what we, as earlyworms, can be doing now. She also makes a point that helps explain why this race is so close, though we all lived through the misery of Trump’s presidency. Our brains are begging us to go back to our last normal week. Catch up on all the episodes of “How are you feeling about democracy?” here. If you want to be a supporter this podcast, please join the earlyworm society – free or paid, your support matters.

Who can explain why Elon Musk is? A.R. Moxon can. Because A.R. Moxon could explain your nose to your face. His words levitate us over our sleeping bodies so we can see reality with a clarity life generally lacks. His new book of essays VERY FINE PEOPLE follows his critically acclaimed debut novel THE REVISIONARIES. And everything he writes dances off the page and into your consciousness. We wanted to talk to him about how Donald Trump became the law, square dancing, and what it was like to grow up among the very fine people. Catch up on all the episodes of “How are you feeling about democracy?” here. If you want to be a supporter this podcast, please join the earlyworm society – free or paid, your support matters.

What are the Americans who will decide the 2024 election thinking? Anat Shenker-Osorio is a legendary messaging expert and the host of the fantastic Words to Win By podcast. And she’s constantly in focus groups with the “double hater” and “disaffected swing” voters who will decide if this republic will embrace fascism.  So, she has a good idea of the challenges that Joe Biden, democracy, and we all face. Making the threat of Trump feel real somehow remains a real obstacle. But the good news is that the more voters know, the more they tend to lean Biden.  We spoke to Anat about embracing “freedom,” how to talk about the best jobs market of our lifetime without telling people to “Quit yer bitchin,” and why talking about Trump’s felonies is far better politics than imitating Trump at “the border.” Catch up on all the episodes of “How are you feeling about democracy?” here. If you want to back this podcast, please join the earlyworm society – free or paid, your support matters.

Ohio Republicans are clinging to gerrymandering like their extremism depends on it. Because it does. You’re probably not following the details of the fake controversy Ohio’s Republicans have generated around Joe Biden appearing on November’s ballot. And you shouldn’t be. That’s David Pepper’s job. The former chair of Ohio’s Democratic Party is now working with Blue Ohio to make sure Democrats show up everywhere in the state.  He gives us a brief on the current controversy and connects it to the bigger picture: Ohio’s Republicans are terrified of letting democracy work in the state. They don’t want to get new maps the way Michigan and Wisconsin have. They want to pick their voters, not the other way around. Because otherwise, they might lose. After listening to this episode, you’ll be convinced that Ohio’s GOP may be the most anti-democratic force in any swing state. And you’ll know at least one way to fight back. Catch up on all the episodes of “How are you feeling about democracy?” here. If you want to back this podcast, please join the earlyworm society – free or paid, your support matters.

Charles Gaba is not a Super PAC, but he and his site Blue24.org could be.  Since the founder of ACAsignups.net added political fundraising to his activism in 2018, he has raised over $8 million to back Democratic candidates. That’s more than many PACs; the big difference between Charles and a PAC is that he takes nothing. You can support his efforts. But if you give at Blue24.org the money goes directly to the candidate or committee you’re backing minus any transaction fees. And that’s not what PACs do! Charles epitomizes the earlyworm ethic that we think can help save democracy. He turned his passion for democracy into action. That helps other earlyworms take action and invite other earlybirds and normal people to do a little more to fight for our freedoms. He’s even helping us raise money for State Supreme Court races, which will only become more money in the Dobbs era. Not everyone can be Charles, and not everyone needs to be. Thanks to his efforts, he makes what we all want for democracy a little easier. He inspires us with his commitment and by revealing how many people out there want to do more if they’re just given a chance. Catch up on all the episodes of “How are you feeling about democracy?” here. If you want to back this podcast, please join the earlyworm society – free or paid, your support matters. You can also show your support with a one-time gift or by sharing this with anyone who cares about democracy. **********

Project 2025 is a religious document. It was written by a bunch of fanatics who will do anything to make sure you have the right to practice their religion and only their religion. This 1,000-page plan for a full rollout of fascism developed by the elite of the Republican establishment isn’t just corporate authoritarianism laundered as “small-government conservatism.” It’s a messianic mission statement. And you can’t understand just how overwhelming and ominous that mission is unless you’ve been reading Andra Watkins.  Andra’s Substack, “How Project 2025 Will Ruin YOUR Life,” delves into this document's Biblicaly-coded dictates to show how it intends to dominate our lives.  Even more importantly, she shows how it’s already happening.  We spoke to Andra to get her personal perspective on the Christian Nationalist mindset behind Project 2025 and how she escaped it herself. You can also help expose Project 2025. This new tool, “Project 2025: Not on Our Watch,” developed by Stop the Coup 2025, Democracy Labs, and Andra, allows you to help document specific examples of Project 2025 in the wild. Dig deeper into Project 2025 and help spread the word about this existential threat to democracy at Project2024.info. Catch up on all the episodes of “How are you feeling about democracy?” here. If you want to back this podcast, please join the earlyworm society – free or paid, your support matters. You can also show your support with a one-time gift or by sharing this with anyone who cares about democracy.

Elections always have consequences. But few have suffered as consequences as personal as Professor Robert Mann. Bob is author of several books including Kingfish U: Huey Long and LSU and he recently launched a Substack called Something Like the Truth.  He was the Manship Chair in Journalism at the Manship School of Mass Communication at Louisiana State University when Jeff Landry was elected governor of Louisiana. And that was the night he decided to step down. The state of Louisiana has taken a bleak turn under Landry, who is following in the path of his fellow Southern demagogues Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott. But the new governor has a distinctive passion for putting people in prison. We spoke to Bob about his decision to leave LSU, why civility is a trap, and what the last dictator in America could teach us about the man currently running to be dictator. And you should definitely check out his Last Lecture at LSU. Catch up on all the episodes of “How are you feeling about democracy?” here. If you want to back this podcast, please join the earlyworm society – free or paid, your support matters. Or you can show your support with a one-time gift or by sharing this with anyone who cares about democracy.

Eva Burch is a fantastic anomaly in American politics.  Instead of a lawyer who thinks he's a gynecologist, she's a nurse practitioner with a career of actual medical experience that she has brought into government service. You probably first heard about this rising star in the Democratic Party, a State Senator from Arizona, this March when she rose to make a speech on the floor of the Arizona State Senate. This was almost certainly the first time in American history that a member of a legislature stood to announce that the member was about to have an abortion. It was an incredible speech and we’re including the entirety of it at the end of this podcast because it’s that important. History is often shaped when a perfect person hits an imperfect moment. And this is a very imperfect moment. And we wouldn't say that Senator Burch is perfect. But who she is and what she represents is so badly needed at this time that  just in her existence speaks for tens of millions of us who are sick of lawyers who minored in gynecology.  She also epitomizes why we're so excited about the change that could happen if Democrats win in Arizona in 2024. It could transform millions and millions of lives.  And she’s helped inspire us to raise our goal to raise $20,024 to help flip both of Arizona’s statehouses this November. We invite you to join our Giving Circle. We honestly believe this is the best way to spend any extra time and money we have as we fight back against the attacks on our freedom this November.

If we're talking about Dobbs and democracy, there's no one better to talk to than Jessica Valenti, who writes the newsletter “Abortion, Every Day.” She's also the author of a book that you should pre-order called “Abortion: Our Bodies, Their Lies, and the Truths We Use to Win.”  Her invaluable reporting and commentary make the case that if you’re talking about “Dobbs and democracy,” you don’t need the word “and.” Every day, Dobbs makes the case that democracy matters. Every day, we see the horrors that happen when people lose the right to be treated as full human beings. Every day, we're inspired by people who stand up and say, “Hey, I don't care what state I live in. I'm not gonna let anyone be denied rights that I was born with.” Listen and let us know what you think about Dobbs/democracy. Catch up on all the episodes of “How are you feeling about democracy?” here. If you want to back this podcast, please join the earlyworm society – free or paid, your support matters.

If your number one goal is to survive 2024 without too many regrets about what you did to help save democracy, this podcast is for you. Melissa Walker is the Head of Giving Circles at the States Project. She makes a powerful case that the best way for individual citizens to make the best use of their time, energy, and resources to avoid regret is by focusing on America’s statehouses.  And she believes the best way to do that is through Giving Circles, where you engage your friends and family to elect majority-making candidates who will shift the balance of power in a state legislature. AND she has the stats to back up how focusing on the right races at the right time can make massive differences to tens of millions of Americans, like the 63 votes that helped shift the Pennsylvania House and elect the first Black Speaker of the House in the state’s history. ¡AND! she makes a convincing case that by supporting top-notch down ballot candidates who are properly funded and guided to research-backed best practices, like knocking on doors instead of ringing up out-of-state-donors, you can also help elect great candidates at all levels of government in the nation’s tipping point states, while possibly helping prevent Donald Trump from stealing the presidency. She’s so convincing that we’ve started our own Giving Circle “Flipping Arizona” to help win the four seats that will create a Democratic trifecta in the Grand Canyon state. You’re welcome to join us there. Please do. We need your help. Or, if you want to really burn off some regrets, start your own Giving Circle. The democracy you save may be your own. Catch up on all the episodes of “How are you feeling about democracy?” here. If you want to back this podcast, please join the earlyworm society – free or paid, your support matters.