Shows
Democratically: 2020Battle for the SoulIn this special bonus episode, 2 very exciting things happen! 1) Karin announces her new podcast, What Can You Do? This commute length podcast brings on experts in some of the biggest issues facing the world today - polarisation, the housing crisis, inequality, climate change - to get a quick briefing on the issue and point you to some practical things you can do to help. 2) Karin speaks to Edward-Isaac Dovere, political journalist for the Atlantic, about his "cracking" new book Battle for the Soul. They talk about how Pete Buttigieg got robbed of his post Iowa momentum, the tensions between...2021-07-0250 minDemocratically: 2020"I'm So Done With 2020"Karin catches up with writer and Friend of the Pod Skylar Baker Jordan to talk about Biden's cabinet nominees, including:
* the controversial appointment of recently retired 4-star General Lloyd Austin as Defence Secretary, and why this presents a threat to the principle of a civilian-led military
* Skylar's enthusiasm for Secretary of State nominee Anthony Blinken, and the respect it pays to the expertise of diplomacy
* Karin's enthusiasm for Treasury Secretary Janet Yellin, who has played a leading role in moving financial policy into a more progressive direction.
We also talked about the possibility that Pete Buttigieg might be offered a j...2020-12-121h 24Democratically: 2020Thankfully...This recording captures the live online event that took place on Saturday, November 28th and features:
* Stand up (or rather, sit-down) comedy from Erich McElroy
* A presentation by Karin digging into the turnout and persuasion performance of Democrats in Georgia this year
* A conversation between Emma and Karin about the major themes of (and future for) this podcast
* A panel and Q&A facilitated by Emma and featuring Karin as well as: Data For Progress Deputy Director for Climate Marcella Mulholland, Political strategist and Mind of State podcast co-host Jonathan Kopp and Comedian Erich McElroy.
Special thanks to Paddy Collins, a...2020-12-0100 minDemocratically: 2020The President-ElectKarin speaks to Alex Thier, is a foreign policy specialist who served with President-Elect Biden in the Obama administration and is currently working to promote Democracy overseas. Alex first appeared on this podcast during the primary, when he made the case for Joe Biden to be the nominee. In this conversation, we discuss what a Biden administration will look like, the challenges the President-Elect faces at home and abroad, and how concerned we should be about Donald Trump's refusal to concede the race. And, of course, we play the Gut Check Game!
EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT: Karin also...2020-11-1300 minDemocratically: 2020The End of the Beginning?In this final pre-election episode of the podcast, Karin is joined by frequent guest and Friend of the Pod Emma Burnell to round up the state of the race right now, consider why we all feel so anxious and traumatised despite Democrats' clear lead in the polls, and weigh the concerns about voter suppression and election related violence. They play a version of the Gut Check Game based on confronting facts that either trigger our fears or give us hope.
You can join Karin on election night (and beyond, until we have a result) for a live chat about the r...2020-11-0200 minDemocratically: 2020The Choice: Part 2It's the final weekend before election day, and Karin gives us all a bit of a pep talk, urging everyone listening to do one more thing - one extra action in support of Democratic victory. Whether that be an extra phone bank, calling friends to make sure they've voted. Giving money to causes and candidates. Whatever it you can do, please do one more thing.
After that, in the second part of this short series on the parallel lives of the two candidates, Karin is joined by the writer Skylar Baker Jorden to run through:
2008: The year Donald Trump was r...2020-10-3000 minDemocratically: 2020The Choice: Part 1In the first of a 2 part series, Karin is joined by writer and Friend of the Pod Skylar Baker Jordan for a deep dive on the parallel lives of the two men who seek the Presidency. Focussing in pivotal years that we important in defining the lives of both men, Karin covers the live of Joseph Robinette Biden, Former Vice President, Senator for Delaware, grieving husband and father, 3 time Presidential candidate, and Man on a mission...
Meanwhile, Skylar covers the live of Donald John Trump, scion of a New York real estate dynasty, "billionaire' property developer whose...2020-10-2600 minDemocratically: 2020RNC Convention WatchKarin speaks with Friend of the Pod and Partner at Brunswick Communications Marshall Manson about what happened at the RNC convention, how a typical Trump voter would view the week's actions, whether it was appropriate for the President to use the White House for this political event (spoiler: no, not at all), the structural failures and problems of US politics, and much much more. A couple articles recommended by Marshall to help understand the RNC from a conservative point of view can be found here: https://t.co/1Bgf7CG59n and here: https://www.thedailybeast.com/dont-fool-yourself-libs-trumps-show-is-a-yuge-success?ref=author
...2020-08-311h 02Democratically: 2020DNC Convention Watch! Wrap UpKarin reflects on the week's worth of Convention, gives her reaction to Joe Biden’s acceptance speech and talks to Sanders Alternate Delegate David Wenk about his experiences in this most unconventional convention.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2020-08-2333 minDemocratically: 2020DNC Convention Watch! Day 4Karin recaps the history making speech of VP nominee Kamala Harris, and the rousing call to action of former President Barack Obama, and grapples with her own emotions to the best of her ability.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2020-08-2017 minDemocratically: 2020DNC Convention Watch! Day 2Karin is joined by DNC member Frank Leone and journalist and friend of the pod Skylar Baker-Jordan to recap night 1 of the Democratic National Convention, clarify how the DNC has had to adapt its rules for the virtual convention, and look forward to the second night’s programming.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2020-08-1823 minDemocratically: 2020DNC Convention Watch! Day 1Karin previews the Democratic National Convention in the first of a daily series in which she'll recap the previous days speeches and look ahead to the next day's program. In this first episode, she reflects on the unique of a virtual convention, runs through the full week's schedule, and we hear from Friend of the Pod James O'Malley, who has a modest proposal for why he thinks Vice President Biden should make use of PowerPoint to give his speech -because everything is better with charts!
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2020-08-1715 minDemocratically: 2020Kamala!In the week Joe Biden announced California Senator Kamala Harris as his chosen running mate, Karin shares her feelings about the pick (unexpectedly excited!) and talks to Lucina Di Meco, a researcher leading the She Persisted Inititiative, about the special challenges of running as a woman in national politics.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2020-08-1431 minDemocratically: 2020How to Vote (by Mail)!Karin talks to the Co-Chair of the Democrats Abroad UK Voter Registration team about how to vote by mail, how you can make sure you get your ballot in, what are the benefits and pitfalls of mail in voting, and why you shouldn't believe ANYTHING the President says about this safe, secure and convenient way to vote. Also: we cover the ongoing issues both Parties are having with firming up their convention plans, this week's primary elections in Missouri, Michigan and Kansas, and of course we play the Gut Check game reacting to some of the President's more outrageous lies...2020-08-0739 minDemocratically: 2020Black Voters MatterThis week, Karin speaks to LaTosha Brown, Co-Founder of Black Voters Matter about the lessons we can all learn from the lives of Civil Rights heroes like John Lewis and CT Vivian, the importance of joy and celebration to running an effective movement, and whether Biden should choose an African American woman as his running mate.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2020-07-3133 minDemocratically: 2020Person! Woman! Man! Camera! TV!Karin is joined by friend of the Pod Emma Burnell for a round up of the week's news. They discuss the life and legacy of the Congressman and civil rights hero John Lewis, Trump's attempt too militarise the streets of America's cities by deploying unidentified Federal agents against protestors (is this the authoritarian takeover we've been fearfully waiting for?), and we discuss Biden's durable lead in the polls. And of course, we play the Gut Check Game.
Also, Karin announces the creation of the Democratically: 2020 Victory Fund - an chance to donate to the Biden campaign, the top Senate races, a...2020-07-241h 02Democratically: 2020The Air WarThis week, Karin talks to politcal ad makers Shannon Fitzgerald and Tim Lim of the Hooligans Agency about campaign ads. Campaigns spendvast sums of money on TV, radio and online advertising. But how effective are these ads at actually influencing voters? Why do political ads look so different than ads for products? And what techniques do the makers of these ads use to try and get their point across?
We look at a selection of pro-Biden and pro-Trump ads to unpack the strategy of each, and how effectively they bring this strategy to life.
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Send in a voice message: h...2020-07-1044 minDemocratically: 2020Swing States!Karin is joined by friend of the pod and journalist Skylar Baker-Jordan to celebrate Hamilton day, and discuss everything from the Biden campaign's good fundraising quarter to Skylar's perspective as a Kentuckyan on Amy McGrath winning the Kentucky Senate primary. And we assess which states are currently swing states, where the Biden campaign should putting its resources, and which Democratic leaning states we should worry about losing if the race tightens, and which Republican leaning states we might pick up if the race gets even more favourable for Biden.
Plus, we play the Gut Check game, reacting to quotes from...2020-07-031h 15Democratically: 2020The Hardy ReportKarin's interview with the Hardy Report podcast covers a range of issues, from Black Lives Matter to how Joe Biden is a pretty good listener to how Republicans are not operating in good faith.
Before that, Karin also catches you up on some of the other big news of the week, including President Trump's failure to fill an arena in Tulsa Oklahoma, and the primary election battles between establishment and more progressive candidates in Kentucky and New York.
You can hear more from the Hardy Report podcast here: https://anchor.fm/thehardyreport
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm...2020-06-2643 minDemocratically: 2020No Pants Wetting!This week, Karin is joined by Friend of the Pod Emma Burnell to talk about all the news that's fit to speak:
Biden's surge in the polls and why Democrats still engage in pants wetting anxiety even when we're ahead.
Trump campaign's push to have 4 instead of the usual 3 Presidential debates - should Biden accept this offer?
The movement to Trump's nomination speech to Jacksonville Florida
Trump's racially inflammatory rally planned for Tulsa, Oklahoma
Two Supreme Court decisions this week that helped protect vulneerable communitieis - a ruling on LGBT workplace disicrimination and preventing the Trump administration from cancelling the D...2020-06-191h 04Democratically: 2020Defund the Police?This week, Karin is joined by friend of the pod and Mid Atlantic podcast host Roifield Brown to talk about Black Lives Matter. Roifiled shares his personal experience of interacting with the police as a black man in the UK and the US, and they discuss the types of reform that might be effective in solving the problem of police violence.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2020-06-121h 14Democratically: 2020Joe TrippiThis week Karin speaks to veteran Democratic campaigner Joe Trippi about his work for Alabama Senator Doug Jones' reelection campaigns, how to effectively run a digital and grassroots campaign in 2020, and of course about the widespread protests against police violence that have broken out around the country.
We also take a moment to pay homage to some of the lives lost to police violence: remembering not just the deaths but also the lives of
George Floyd
Breonna Taylor
Tamir Rice
Philando Castille
Sandra Bland
And many more black American citizens who have been taken from us by the very people who we...2020-06-0456 minDemocratically: 2020Trump V TwitterThis week, Karin speaks to Jiore Craig, a VP at Greenberg Quinlan Rosner and expert on digital campaigning and online public sentiment. Together, they process the series of news events this week in which the President 1) had Twitter apply a fact check warning applied to his tweet spreading false fears about postal voting. 2) Retaliated against the platform by issuing un executive order of questionable legality and unclear impact 3) Then posted a tweet seeming to call for violence against protestors in Minnesota, which was restricted by Twitter under violence prevention rules.
We explore what the Biden campaign should be doing to ge...2020-05-2939 minDemocratically: 2020The State of the Race...This week, Karin takes you through the current state of polling and democratic prospects at every level of the election, including the Presidency, the Senate, the House and state and local races. Friend of the Pod Emma Burnell joins as well to give her take on the races.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2020-05-2246 minDemocratically: 2020How to Beat Trump...This week, Karin is joined by the Washington Post Columnist, political scientist, and author Brian Klaas to talk about how Donald Trump's poor response to COVID has driven a wedge between two key parts of Trump's electoral coalition - older voters now fearful of their health and business voters who just want to reopen business at all costs. They also discuss fears that Trump might reject the outcome of the election, concerns about voter suppression, and what the Federal prosecutors decision to drop charges former National Security Advisoor Mike Flynn had already pled guilty tells us about the politicisation of...2020-05-1538 minDemocratically: 2020Good News, Bad NewsThis week, Karin talks to Mark Pack, the President of the UK's Liberal Democrat Party, a writer commentator, communications advisor, and the author of the books Good News: What the Headlines Don't Tell Us and 101 Ways to Win an Election. They discuss the ways in which the media's decisions often misinform or confuse the public, the ways that election coverage is often driven by the wrong things, and what this all means for the race between Biden and Trump. We also play the Gut Check game, in which Mark responds to some headlines from today's US news and tells us...2020-05-081h 02Democratically: 2020Elevator PitchKarin is joined by the American expat comedian Erich McElroy to discuss the news of the day, dig into the allegations made by former Biden staffer Tara Reade against the Vice President, and finally to make the best 60 second pitch they can for voting for Democratics, voting against Donald Trump, and voting for Joe Biden. They also play the Gut Check game...
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2020-05-0159 minDemocratically: 2020The Common GoodThe former Primarily: 2020 has now been renamed and relaunched. In the first episode of the new Democratically: 2020, We speak to journalist and Editorial Board founder John Stoehr about the Democrats' chances in November, Biden's strengths and weaknesses relative to Hillary Clinton in 2016, and the major theme that underpins so much of our politics - the divide in America between the traditions based on the common good (originating in the Northeast), limited democracy for the powerful (a more Southern tradition), and the idolisation of individual liberty (associated more with the midwest).
Karin also does a lightening round of the Gut Check G...2020-04-2441 minDemocratically: 2020All the Feels..This week, Karin talks to Psychoanalyst and co-host of the Mind of State podcast Betty Teng about the complicated psychology of campaigns during a time of pandemic. How can we recreate the value of face to face voter interactions when in person contact is not possible? Will the virus make people want to vote for conservative politicians out of fear? Will it make them value government services more? How can we guard against despair and disengagement? Plus, we play the Gut Check game, reacting to quotes about current political news stories such as the Wisconsin election outcome, the endorsements of...2020-04-171h 08Democratically: 2020It's All Over But the Shouting!This week, Joe Biden became the presumptive nominee, as his last remaining opponent - Senator Bernie Sanders - announed he would halt his campaign. Friend of the Pod Emma Burnell joins Karin to discuss the challenges Biden will face campaigning in the pandemic era, how we can protect the vote in November, Biden's (surprisingly?) resilient campaign, Senator Sanders' impact on Democratic politics and much more.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2020-04-1153 minDemocratically: 2020Milwaukee in... August?This week, Karin catches up with Friends of the Pod Emma Burnell and Skylar Baker-Jordan about the latest primary news, including: The DNC Convention has been postponed until mid August, the Wisconsin primary is still taking place this Tuesday, despite the pandemic. And: Trump's approval rating seems to have gone up during the crisis, but his head to head polling against Biden has not improved - what does it all mean. PLus, we do a Gut Check Game using quotes from named and anonymous Sanders advisors as reported in a long Huffington Post article about the campaign's struggles and failures.
...2020-04-0343 minDemocratically: 2020Corona Chaos!This week, Karin catches up with political modeller Rachel Bitecofer of the Nixkanen Center to find out how the Corona epidemic is likely to affect the election November, what Trump's strategy is to divide Democrats, whether Bernie Sanders still has a path to winning the nomination (spoiler alert: no.) and who Biden should pick as VP to give Democrats their best chance in November. We'll also play the Gut Check Game, testing our reactions to some of the possible scenarios that we might see in November. Will Trump cancel the elections outright? Will states fail to hold viable elections? Will D...2020-03-2733 minDemocratically: 2020Dream Team!This week, Karin pulls together a panel of people who originally supported a wide array of candidates to talk about the campaign ahead and the possibility of a Biden administration. She welcomes:
Longstanding Biden supporter, and foreign policy specialist Alex Thier
Former Mike Bloomberg supporter, former congressional candidate and gun reform activist Khary Penebaker
Former Andrew Yang supporter and technologist, Chuck Smith, and
Former Elizabeth Warren supporter and Ada's List Founder Merici Vinton
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2020-03-2055 minDemocratically: 2020You Might Also Like...This week, Karin is joined by free lance journalist and friend of the pod James O'Malley, to talk through the impact that the global COVID-19 pandemic will have on the election, the results in last Tuesdays vote, the prospects for Bernie Sanders to stage a comeback, and how Joe Biden win over his supporters if he does NOT stage a comeback.
And finally: as the campaign winds to a close, there are so many other important races to be looking at. So Karin suggests some down-ballot Senate and Congressional candidates who you might also like if your preferred candidate is n...2020-03-1347 minDemocratically: 2020The Black Vote?This week, Karin speaks to the noted playwright, novelist, critic and broadcaster Bonnie Greer about the relationship between African American voters and the Democratic Party. Bonnie recalls the days when she was teargassed at the 1968 Democratic convention and how her approach has changed since then. We talk about the meaning of the Jim Clyburn endorsement for Biden in South Carolina, and the Jesse Jackson endorsement of Bernie in Michigan. We discuss what held Kamala Harris and Cory Booker from earning more support from African American voters, and what a Biden cabinet might look like.,
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Send in a...2020-03-1058 minDemocratically: 2020The Party Decides?This week Karin recaps the dramatic events of the past week, with Journalist and fervent Buttigieg supporter Skylar Baker-Jordan. They start by discussing Joe Biden's massive win on Super Tuesday, and then talk through the departure from the race of, respectively, Butttigieg, Klobuchar, Bloomberg and Warren. And, of course, they play the Gut Check Game
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2020-03-0656 minDemocratically: 2020Who I am voting for...In this episode Karin decides at long last who she will vote for on Tuesday. You need to listen to this one RIGHT to the end because it takes quite an unexpected journey of twists and turns. Karin explains how she thinks about each of the candidates in the race, how she has been torn between two particular candidates, both of whom she admires, and she makes her choice between them. Eventually!
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2020-03-0142 minDemocratically: 2020The Case for... Mike BloombergKarin speaks to gun control advocate, former Congressional candidate and friend of the Pod Khary Penebaker about his support for former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2020-02-2847 minDemocratically: 2020The Case for... Pete ButtigiegToday, Karin speaks to fellow US expat Beth Massa, who votes in Amsterdam but grew up in South Bend, Indiana - and is very excited to vote for South Bend's own Pete Buttigieg. Beth talks about why she thinks Mayor Pete is a brilliant and admirable leader with vast potential. She explains who her mom's enthusiasm for the young mayor first got her attention, and we talk about everything from the generational attitudes to politics to what it means to have LGBTQ+ representation in the presidential race.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2020-02-2446 minDemocratically: 2020Debate Watch 8: What Happened in Vegas?This week, Karin and Emma recap the fiesty Primary debate held in Las Vegas Nevada on February 19th. This was the first debate for former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, and possibly the last chance for candidates to make an impact before the field starts to narrow. Karin and Emma look forward to the Nevada primary coming up this Tuesday, assess the state of the race, and of course they play the Gut Check game with quotes heard in the debate.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2020-02-2152 minDemocratically: 2020The Case for... Bernie SandersThis week, Karin speaks to Travis Mooney about why he strongly supports Bernie Sanders for the Democratic nomination. They talk about why Medicare for All makes people more free to choose their work and live their lives, about Travis's work organising Bernie canvassers to hitting the streets in London, and Bernie's relationship with the Democratic Party. We also play the Gut Check Game, testing our reactions to some Bernie quotes from throughout his career.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2020-02-1858 minDemocratically: 2020New Hampshire! Math!In this episode, Karin catches us up on the fast moving events of the campaign following the New Hampshire primary. The field is now reduced to 8 candidates, and front runners are starting to emerge - meanwhile, Mike Bloomberg has not yet competed in any race. Karin runs through each candidates' chances. Karin also has a lot of feelings about the race, so she checks in with friend of the pod Betty Teng, who is a psychoanalyst and the host of the Mind of State podcast, about the pain of hopefulness. Also: although Andrew Yang has left the race...2020-02-1556 minDemocratically: 2020The Case for... Joe BidenIn the second of this series hearing from supporters of each candidate, Karin speaks to foreign policy expert and Scranton Pennsylvania native Alex Thier about why he strongly supports Joe Biden for the nomination.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2020-02-1043 minDemocratically: 2020Oh, Iowa...In this special episode, Karin reports back on the Iowa caucuses to do a recap of the results from the first state to express a Presidential preference. She covers the debacle that was the failed election process, and runs through who won and who lost on the night. She also interviews friend of the pod James O'Malley from the ground in Iowa where he was enjoying the nerdiest trip in the world, attending as many candidate events as he can squeeze in.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2020-02-0751 minDemocratically: 2020Iowa: WTF?Karin records a special mini-episode to update folks on the Iowa caucuses reporting failure.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2020-02-0406 minDemocratically: 2020The Case for... Elizabeth WarrenThis week, Karin speaks with Matthew McGregor, the former head of the Obama campaign's digital rapid response team and current Campaigns Director for Hope Not Hate about why he supports Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren. This is the first in a series of episodes speaking to some interesting people about why they support each of the Democratic candidates.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2020-01-3055 minDemocratically: 2020Who's Most Electable!?This week, Karin checks in with Dr. Rachel Bitecofer of the Niskanen Center to find out what her political model has to tell us about the strengths and weaknesses of different candidates, whether impeachment is good for Donald Trump (spoiler - no it's not), why whoever is the nominee ought to pick Stacey Abrams as their VP, and much, much more. We also play the Gut Check game, testing our thoughts about each candidates' argument for their electability from last week's debate. In the news roundup, we also cover Bernie's improvement in the polls, the commencement of the Impeachment trial a...2020-01-241h 22Democratically: 2020Debate Watch 7! Warren V Sanders?In a story of 2 halves, first Karin and Emma recap the last Democratic primary debate before the Iowa caucuses and discuss how it came across to them, then we check in with Kellan Terry from the social media listening company Brandwatch to see how it looked to the rest of the world. This debate featured the culmination of a running fight between Sanders and Warren about whether Sanders told Warren privately that he didn't think a woman could win. In the news roundup, Karin covers this story, plus the departure from the race of Cory Booker and Marianne Williamson...2020-01-171h 07Democratically: 2020But... their emails!This week, Karin speaks to Aimin Walsh, creator of the But Their Emails blog, about her project analysing all the emails sent by every Democratic candidate. We discuss the extent to which the candidates' personalities come through in their supporter communications, who emails the most (and least) often, how effective email is as a campaign tool, and how it has changed her view of the race. We also play an email themed version of the Gut Check game, and of course Karin does a News Roundup covering Julian Castro's endorsement of Elizabeth Warren, Tom Steyer's qualification for next week's debate...2020-01-1159 minDemocratically: 2020Finally: 2020!In this special New Year's episode, Karin is joined by Friend of the Pod Emma Burnell to talk about how we can have healthy and constructive political behaviors this year. We also have a lot of news to cover, including the Q4 fundraising announcements, Julian Castro's departure from the race, Marianne Williamson firing all of her staff, and the (I suspect slim) possibility that Joe Biden might choose a Republican Vice Presidential running mate. Plus! We play a fun round of the Gut Check game, matching candidates with some New Year's resolutions.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.f...2020-01-0348 minDemocratically: 2020Ask Me Anything! The Christmas Mailbag EditionThis week, Karin answers your questions - tackling some challenging issues like, who would make a good VP pick for each of the top candidates? What comes next if we lose in 2020? Are Democrats smart to hold back the impeachment referral from the Senate? Has the online vitriol crept into real life in the UK as it has in the US? How to organise overseas voters to get on the Dems Abroad Primary ballot?
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2019-12-2737 minDemocratically: 2020Debate Watch 6! Impeachment! Christmas Treats!This week, Karin is joined by journalist and Friend of the Pod Emma Burnell for yet another debate watch, this one taking place in the same week that the House voted to impeach Donald Trump. We discuss why we like it when Bernie gets funny, how excellent Amy Klobuchar's hair looks, the clash between Buttigieg and Warren on campaign funding, and much more.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2019-12-2040 minDemocratically: 2020Britain TrumpThis week, Karin looks at the UK elections, and Boris Johnson's "stonking majority" to try and understand what happened in the UK and whether there are any lessons to be learned for Democrats in terms of the challenge of running against Trump in November, and what kind of candidate the left should be nominating in an age of right wing populism such as Johnson seems to represent. She's joined by her colleague James Morris, MD of Edelman Public Affairs in London who talks us through what he learned about voters' mindset from conducting focus groups all over the country during...2019-12-1344 minDemocratically: 2020Iowa!This week, Karin speaks to Pat Rynard, Managing Editor of the Iowa Starting Line blog, about what is happening on the ground in this vital state. He'll give us a sense of what the candidate rallies and events feel like on the ground, why some candidates seem to be taking off there while others are slow to catch fire, and talk us through the pluses and minuses of having Iowa go first in the first place.
Also this week, we'll cover the primary news, paying particular attention to the exit of Kamala Harris from the race, and asking where her s...2019-12-0642 minDemocratically: 2020Don't Blame the Messenger!This week, Karin speaks to Joseph Marks, a Doctoral Researcher in behavioural economics at University College London about his research showing what kind of people make compelling messengers. Joe explains the difference between hard messenger characteristics like status, dominance, attractiveness and competence, and softer messenger attributes like warmth, trustworthiness and charisma. And, he reveals to listeners the findings of his original research looking specifically at the 2020 Primary candidates - so do stay tuned for the 2nd half of the interview to findout which candidate is underperforming on competence, which one is seen by people as clearly the most attractive, and...2019-11-291h 13Democratically: 2020Debate Watch 5! (The Birthday Episode)On the week that marks the 1 year anniversary of creating the podcast, Karin sits down with Journalist and longstanding friend of the pod Emma Burnell to recap the 5th Democratic Primary debate. We check in with some former guests throughout the episode sending their birthday wishes to the podcast. And, of course, in the News Roundup we cover this week's historic impeachment hearings and much more.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2019-11-221h 03Democratically: 2020The Perfect Candidate!This week, Karin is joined by comedian Erich McElroy, who helps her run through all the candidates currently in the race to pick the best attributes of each and assemble the theoretically best candidate available. In the News Roundup this week, Karin talks you through the first week fo the impeachment hearings in the House, the possible entry of Mike Bloomberg into the race and the certain entry of Deval Patrick, and she discusses the LA Time's misquote in a Pete Buttigieg interview.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2019-11-151h 04Democratically: 2020Crystal Ball! One Year To Go...One year out from election day in 2020, Karin catches up with Nicky Woolf, Editor of the New Statesman America to catch up on all the primary news, including:
* This Tuesday's state and local elections, with big victories for Democrats in the Virginia State legislature and in the Kentucky Governor's race
* Beto O'Rourke's departure from the race
* Some troubling swing state polls for Democrats from the New York Times
* The Liberty and Justice Dinner in Iowa, where all the candidates spoke.
Also this week, Karin and Nicky gave their predictions for the race - who did we guess would win Iowa a...2019-11-081h 33Democratically: 2020The Facebook Fight! The Twitter Troll!This week, Karin interviews digital and social media expert Mat Muir about the raging debate over Facebook's political ads policy. This week, a group of Facebook employees published an open letter to Mark Zuckerberg calling on him to reverse his policy of allowing false information in political ads, and setting out some suggestions for how they could better manage political ads on the platform. We talk through each of their suggestions and explore the legal and technical mine field of political ads on social media, including Twitter's decision to terminate political advertising on the platform altogether.
In a fully packed n...2019-11-011h 04Democratically: 2020It's All About Turnout!This week, Karin speaks to Alex Morgan, Executive Director of the Progressive Turnout Project, and gets some organiser training directly from Regional Field Director Alicia Stott. We get a sneak peek at how left leaning PACs are trying to combat Trump's $100Million cash on hand by getting organized early to get our voters to the polls. In the News Roundup, we also take a look at the current polls, recap the spat between Tulsi Gabbard and Hillary Clinton, roll our eyes at Republican House members storming a secure hearing room, and much more.
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Send in...2019-10-281h 12Democratically: 2020Debate Watch 4!This week, Emma and Karin take a wine-filled tour through the 4th Democratic primary debate, exploring Warren’s new status as the joint front runner, whether Tulsi Gabbard and Tom Steyer deserve their newfound slots on stage, what the impact of Sanders’ recent heart attack has been, and much, much more (including some random Buffy related fan girling at the very end).
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2019-10-171h 16Democratically: 2020Trump is the WorstThis week, Karin is joined by author, Sarah Churchwell in an attempt to pin down exactly why Donald Trump is unfit for office. Also this week, we play the Gut Check Game, checking in on our visceral reaction to some of the things Trump says, and of course there's a news roundup covering Warren's fundraising, Sanders' health and the updated polls.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2019-10-111h 07Democratically: 2020Corps StrengthThis week, Karin speaks to Rachel Haltam-Irwin, about the DNC's grassroots recruitment initiative. Organizing Corps works to recruit and trin on the ground organizers across the country in advance of the 2020 election. Also, in this week's News Roundup, we've added a new segment to the podcast - Poll Watcher - in which we quickly round up the state of the polls over the week. We also cover Bernie Sanders heart pains, the Q3 fundraising numbers, Trump's attempt to collude with the Chinese government on camera from the front lawn of the White House, and much more.
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Send in a vo...2019-10-0431 minDemocratically: 2020BONUS: Inside Trump's Facebook CampaignIn this special bonus episode, Karin talks to journalist Judd Legum about his research into the wierd world of pro-trump activity on Facebook. He has discovers that a huge Facebook group with over a million followers recently began resharing pro-Trump content. And the owners of that page were based in... Ukraine. Listen to find out what happened when he actually was able to interview these guys.
We also take a look this week at the dodgy Facebook ads being run by Donald Trump - and compare it with what's the major Democratic candidates are doing. 2019-10-0238 minDemocratically: 2020ITMFA!This week, Karin does an epic news roundup with Emma Burnell, discussing impeachment, the role of the Biden family in Ukraine, Elizabeth Warren't steady rise in the polls, COry Booker's fundraising gambit, Bill De Blasio's departure from the race, the LGBTQ forum, the Iowa Steak Fry and so much more! Warning, includes random Hamilton singing at intervals. And as always, we play the Gut Check Game - testing our reaction to quotes and comments from US politics over the past week.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2019-09-271h 17Democratically: 2020Debate Watch: Third Debate!This week, Karin recaps the third Democratic Primary debate with lawyer and friend of the pod Asha Subas and journalist, Pod Delusion podcaster and Trumps Alerts bot creator James O'Malley.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2019-09-141h 08Democratically: 2020Why can't we all just get along?This week, Karin talks to Ali Goldsworthy, founder of the Depolarization Project, about why our politics has become so polarized and what we can do about it. Why can't we seem to talk to people from "the other side" anymore? Should we worry that the Democratic Party itself will be divided and polarized after a hard fought primary? Why is that that the data suggests liberals are actually the least likely to befriend people on the the other side? Why is it actually smart politics to exacerbate polarization? Also this week: A news roundup covering the Republican candidates running...2019-09-061h 06Democratically: 2020Report from the DNC...This week, Karin speaks to Democrats Abroad Global Chair Julia Bryan about the DNC meeting in San Francisco last week. She also does a news roundup, covering the serveral candidates that have recently withdrawn from the race (Jay Inslee, Kirsten Gillibrand, Seth Moulton) and reflects on her observations from her vacation in Oregon and California.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2019-08-301h 00Democratically: 2020Report from the FarmKarin checks in from her vacation in Oregon to do a news roundup on Hickenlooper’s exit, the weakening economy and Trump’s apparent desire to buy Greenland (?). She also gives folks a bit of a pep talk on what is possible, wise and helpful in dealing with life in the Trump era.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2019-08-1714 minDemocratically: 2020Vote for Your Lives!This week, in the wake of two devastating mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton, Karin talks to former Congressional Candidate, DNC member and gun violence survivor Khary Penebaker about why and how Democrats can get serious about ending gun violence in America.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2019-08-0840 minDemocratically: 2020Debate Watch: Round 2, Night 2Emma and Karin watch the second night of Presidential debates. We discuss everything from Tulsi Gabbard's strange background in the anti-gay marriage movement to Cory Booker's potential as a TV talk show host to Joe Biden's technology flubs. And as always, we play the Gut Check game testing our reactions to this things said in the debate.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2019-08-0354 minDemocratically: 2020Debate Watch! Round Two: Day OneIn the first of 2 episodes recapping the 2nd round of Democratic debates, Karin is joined by friend of the pod and frequent guest Emma Burnell. We discuss everything from Pete Buttigieg's military service to Bernie's finger wagging to Elizabeth Warren't school teacher aspirations. And of course we play the Gut Check game testing our reactions to some quotes spoken during the debate.
The second of these two episodes will go live tomorrow - Saturday, August 3rd.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2019-08-0251 minDemocratically: 2020A New Statesman in America?This week, Karin talks to Nicky Woolf, the Editor of the New Statesman America for a general round up on the state of the race covering everything from what it's like to explain American politics to British people to why no one seems to want to run for Senate. We discuss Robert Mueller's testimony in front of Congress this week and analyse the political implications for Democrats. And we play the Gut Check game - this week, Nicky told us what story he would assign out as editor for randomly selected names pulled out of the trusty Red Sox baseball...2019-07-261h 18Democratically: 2020Allies of the People?This week, Karin explores the changing nature of the media landscape the Democratic candidates will be competing in. She speaks with Amy Bree Becker of the Department of Communications at Loyala University in Maryland about popular culture and news media, how Democrats can get their message heard over the Trumpian shouting, and what the media is doing right or wrong in covering politics in today's world. She also does a news round up covering Trump's racist attacks on female minority Congresswomen, Sander campaign staffers complaints on pay, the forthcoming Democratic debates, and Susan Collins' declining poll numbers.
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Send in a...2019-07-1946 minDemocratically: 2020Will Trump Win Reelection?This week, Karin talks to the political forecaster Rachel Bitecofer, of the Wason Center for Public Policy in Virginia. Dr Bitecofer has developed a predictive model for US politics that was exceptionally accurate in the 2018 midterms, and she is going to tell us whether she thinks the Democratic candidate, whoever they might be, is favored to win in 2020. We'll talk about the rise of negative partisanship in America, which electoral strategy Democrats should be pursuing, and what her model says makes for a stronger or weaker candidate for the Party in this cycle. We also play the Gut...2019-07-1252 minDemocratically: 2020Independence Day for Immigrants?This week, Karin is joined by Friend of the Pod Asha Subas to take a look at the politics and policy of immigration. Why does Trump think this is a winning issue for him when polls show Americans are mostly positive about immigrants? How can the Democratic candidates talk about this issue in a way that avoids polarising the country on it? What's actually in Julian Castro's and Beto O'Rourke's immigration plans? Also we play a version of the Gut Check game to check which candidate's July 4th barbecues we most want to attend.
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Send in a voice message: h...2019-07-0554 minDemocratically: 2020Debate Watch!This week we're watching and recapping the key takeaways from the first round of Democratic debates. Joining Karin on the panel is political journalist Emma Burnell and lawyer and immigration expert Asha Subas. Who broke out? Who went under? Were there winners and losers? Who was surprising? Inspiring? Authentic? Compelling? And who even managed to get heard at all?
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2019-06-291h 06Democratically: 2020Power to the People!This week, we discuss the rise of populism - its different meanings, its origins and causes, whether Trump is a populist himself, and how the critique of global capitalism and concern about inequality fits into the populist conversation. Joining Karin are political sociologist Michael McQuarrie, and financial strategist Wen Wen Lindroth. Also this week: we play the Gut Check game reacting to candidates answers to a series of questions posed by the New York Times, and discuss the news of the week, including the ongoing mistreatment of children arrested at the border and Joe Biden's remark30 about working with Segregationists...2019-06-2952 minDemocratically: 2020This is What Democracy Looks Like!Karin chats with the political scientist and Washington Post columnist Brian Klaas about the threat that Donald Trump and wider Republican voter rigging, voter suppression and election fraud presents to the future of America as a viable democracy. And on a lighter note (!), Karin explores the emotional tenor of the race by playing a special episode of the Gut Check game where she casts the candidates as family members in a fictional family reunion.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2019-06-141h 00Democratically: 2020Swing Left!This week Karin talks to Marisa Kanof, National Field Director for Swing Left about Democratic prospects for retaking the Senate and holding the House in the 2020 elections.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2019-06-0750 minDemocratically: 2020Mid Atlantic!This week's episode is a joint production between Primarily: 2020 and the Mid Atlantic podcast in which Karin chats with Mid Atlantic host Roifield Brown about the similarilities and difference between the politics of the US and the UK. Karin is a longstanding US expat based in the UK, Roifield is a UK expat based in the US. What did each of us learn about the politics of their home country from their host country, and vice versa? Why does it seem like the far right is on the rise in both countries and around the world?
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Send in a v...2019-05-311h 20Democratically: 2020Electability?This week, Emma and Karin have a free ranging conversation covering everything from the resignation of UK PM Theresa May to whether Democrats should be appearing on Fox News. But mostly, we were talking about this whole concept of electability - what does it even mean? Karin runs through her six definitions of what people might mean when they say a candidate is electable and we debate the relevance and usefulness of each. Plus, of course, we play the Gut Check Game. Warning - there's a bit more swearing than usual in this episode.
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Send in a voice message: h...2019-05-241h 26Democratically: 2020It's Not Just Alabama...This week, Karin is joined by Mandu Reid, leader of the Women's Equality Party in the UK to talk about the worrying developments in Alabama and other states around the country where the a 40+ year effort by the right wing to overturn abortion rights is coming to a head as states move rapidly to pass sweeping bans on abortion. Why has this issue energized the right for so long? Why hasn't the broad pro-choice majority in America been able to stop it in its tracks or reverse it? And why are we seeing an increase in anti-abortion activism in...2019-05-1741 minDemocratically: 2020Knock Out Week!This week, Karin is joined by the American comedian and host of the podcast Pod to Be an American, Erich McElroy. Together, Karin and Erich play a knock out game to explore how they might cut the overcrowded field down to size to end up with about half the number of candidates without sacrificing the quality of the field. We also play a round of the gut check game.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2019-05-1055 minDemocratically: 2020There Is No Planet B!This week, Karin talks to Abby Smith, an engineer and renewable energy analyst about the urgency of climate change, the Green New Deal, and what we should expect from Democratic presidential candidates. We dig into the economics of carbon transformation and where the next generation of energy jobs will come from. And, of course, we play the Gut Check Game. We also catch up on the 4 newest candidates to enter the race: Eric Swalwell, Seth Moulton, Michael Bennet and Tim Ryan.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2019-05-0346 minDemocratically: 2020Kirsten! Joe!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.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2019-04-2649 minDemocratically: 2020Impeachment?This week, Karin checks in from her vacation to update on the release of the Mueller report and to debate the value of policy announcements versus storytelling at this point in the primary. Also, a quick news roundup.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2019-04-1926 minDemocratically: 2020Gut Check!This week, Karin and Emma do an episode length version of the Gut Check game, testing how we feel about every single candidate who's in the race so far - all 19 of them. Phew. We also discuss the state of the race overall and what are the Democrats chances to defeat President Trump. Brace yourself - some of this is sobering.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2019-04-0551 minDemocratically: 2020Davos ManThis week, we take a look at rising inequality and its effect on our politics and our society. Karin talks to Adrian, Monck, a Managing Director and Head of Public Engagement at the World Economic Forum about why America, like many nations, is becoming less equal and what if anything we can do about it. We also discuss the criticism of WEF itself.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2019-03-291h 01Democratically: 2020Common Ground?This week, we explore the question of whether there exists any genuine common ground between Trump resisting Republicans and Independents and Democratic voters hungry for change. Are we doomed to eternal disagreement and failures of consensus, or is there a way forward that allows for a broader coalition? Karin speaks to former Republican and current independent swing voter Marshall Manson to see if there is any common ground. Also this week, a revised version of the Gut Check game in which we are forced to choose between two names randomly drawn our of the hat. And a quick news roundup.
...2019-03-221h 05Democratically: 2020Get Organized!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.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2019-03-1548 minDemocratically: 2020Build that Brand!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.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2019-03-0853 minDemocratically: 2020Trauma Therapy!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...2019-03-0153 minDemocratically: 2020That Berning FeelingThis week, Karin is joined again by political journalist Emma Burnell as they unpack their complicated feelings about a Bernie Sanders candidacy. Also, a news roundup including vote fraud in North Carolina, William Weld enters the Republican primary, and Elizabeth Warren unveils a Universal childcare policy.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2019-02-221h 04Democratically: 2020Theories of Change...This week, Karin talks to Women's Equality Party co-founder Catherine Mayer about how we create change within the political system, the structural inequalities embedded in the US political system, and how to use the available levers of power within that flawed structure. Also, we play the Gut Check game, testing out some slogans, quotes or policies being batted around on the campaign trail, and we recap the news including Amy Klobuchar's entry to the race, Elizabeth Warren's launch event and Donald Trump's unconstitutional declaration of emergency.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2019-02-151h 02Democratically: 2020Embarrassment of Riches!This week, Karin talks to the political journalist Emma Burnell to look at the race so far, which candidates have already stepped forward and who is yet to come. Karin and Emma played a new version of the Gut Check game in which they reacted to slogans, policies and straplines that have been heard on the campaign trail, and we also here from three Democrats who have already chosen a candidate about why they are supporting, respectively, Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2019-02-0845 minDemocratically: 2020Vote for Women!This week, Karin speaks with lawyer David Schleicher about his argument that in 2020 the Democrats should aim to nominate a female candidate. We dig into the role of misogyny in voter choice, the changing role of women in the Democratic coalition, and whether we can make structural changes to support female participation at all levels. We also do a news recap including Corey Booker's entry to the race, Kamala Harris's kickoff, the independent run of former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, the end of the government shutdown and more.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2019-02-0142 minDemocratically: 2020Popularity Contest!This week, Karin talks to pollster and strategist James Morris about how candidates should be using polls, what public polls actually mean at this point in the race, and how a candidate can put across their best case to voters (spoiler alert: policies, even great policies, are not how). We also recap the news of the week, including a couple new entrants into the primary race and one firm no announcement. Also, the President's close friend Roger Stone was arrested today. So that's a thing that happened. Plus, of course, we play the Gut Check game to test our...2019-01-2538 minDemocratically: 2020Halfway There!This week we mark the 2 year anniversary of Trump's inauguration and of the Women's March by talking to Lan Wu, former Democrats Abroad UK Women's Caucus Co-Chair, about the lasting impact of the March and the growing role of women in the Democratic movement. Karin also recaps the main news of the week, including the entry of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand into the primary race, and we play a round of the Gut Check game in which a couple surprising - and one not so surprising - names come up.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2019-01-1847 minDemocratically: 2020Shutdowns and StartupsThis week, Karin covers the ongoing government shut down and its severe implications for federal workers. She addresses her profound concerns about the President's flirtation with wanting to declare a state of emergency in order to force his preferred outcome, and we use Beto O'Rourke's dental visit as an opportunity to talk about how the media gets social media-led campaigning wrong. All this, plus a roundup of the primary news - and a certain former Presidential candidate's name finally comes up in the Gut Check game.
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/democratically/message2019-01-1340 min