1 00:00:08,880 --> 00:00:11,800 Speaker 1: Hey, everybody, Michael Steele here. Now. I know you're waiting 2 00:00:11,839 --> 00:00:16,079 for the next big episode, but in the meantime, give 3 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:18,879 a listen to this Michael Steele podcast quick Take. 4 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:19,879 Speaker 2: What up? 5 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:24,839 Speaker 1: Everybody? Welcome to this quick take on the November elections 6 00:00:24,879 --> 00:00:28,079 that just happened. Yeah, all the crazy that was Tuesday. 7 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:31,519 Guess what, we got a way of breaking this down, 8 00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:35,399 and we've got one of the best out here to 9 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:37,119 kind of give us her thoughts on it. And we 10 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:39,679 got a little bit of surprise because we got another 11 00:00:39,719 --> 00:00:42,039 one of the best. This is a twofer. I'm loving this. 12 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:46,000 I'm a happy boy today. Happy boy. Joining us is 13 00:00:46,039 --> 00:00:50,320 Maria Cardona, seasoned public policy advocate and political strategists with 14 00:00:50,439 --> 00:00:54,560 more than two decades of experiencing thement, government, politics, and 15 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:58,600 public relations, and her partner because they got their own 16 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:01,000 podcasting going on. So this is why this is cross 17 00:01:01,159 --> 00:01:05,280 cross branding. It's just so much fun. Uh. Is Alice Stewart, 18 00:01:05,359 --> 00:01:07,799 who I've known for many years and our in our 19 00:01:07,879 --> 00:01:10,920 work in the in the minds of the Republican Party. 20 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:15,000 She's an American political commentator for CNN. She's worked on 21 00:01:15,079 --> 00:01:20,159 numerous Republican political campaigns and brings a wealth of experience. 22 00:01:20,439 --> 00:01:23,079 So ladies, I'm just I'm so happy this. 23 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:26,200 Speaker 2: S Michael. 24 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:26,840 Speaker 3: I love it. 25 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:31,719 Speaker 1: This is good. This is so good. So Okay, what 26 00:01:31,760 --> 00:01:35,040 the hell happened on Tuesday? And why are people overreacting 27 00:01:35,079 --> 00:01:35,359 to it? 28 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:41,439 Speaker 2: You know, that is a very good question, So I think. 29 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:44,560 And I did a column for Real Clear Politics, uh, 30 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:47,760 with my take. Alice did a column for CNN with 31 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:50,799 her take. But I think, you know what, I end 32 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:53,439 my column with Michael, and I think that this this 33 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:56,439 is important to keep in mind is while there are 34 00:01:56,480 --> 00:02:00,319 certainly lessons to be learned for Democrats in term of 35 00:02:00,319 --> 00:02:06,599 what happened in the elections this past week, it's not everything, right, 36 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:09,639 So it doesn't mean nothing, but it doesn't mean everything. 37 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:12,759 And what I mean by that is everyone is talking 38 00:02:12,759 --> 00:02:15,319 about the demise of the Democrats. Oh my god, what 39 00:02:15,319 --> 00:02:18,039 are they going to do in the midterms? What's that forward? 40 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:23,039 And look, we have to take lessons about messaging first 41 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:27,400 and foremost for what people need, what they want out 42 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:35,080 of their leaders. Democrats were exhausted, Independence were frustrated because 43 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:39,240 both of those groups gave their votes and their confidence 44 00:02:39,319 --> 00:02:43,120 to Joe Biden and the Democrats a year ago, and rightly, 45 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:46,319 so they were hoping that at this point they were 46 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:50,360 going to see big things done. Now, big things have 47 00:02:50,439 --> 00:02:55,280 been done, right, the American Rescue Plan, the COVID money, 48 00:02:56,599 --> 00:03:00,479 the vaccinations, all of that. But as you know, in politics, Michael, 49 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:03,759 it's what have you done for me lately? And I 50 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:07,680 feel like a lot of voters because of the pandemic 51 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:12,560 and because the economy surged, but then with the delta variant, 52 00:03:12,759 --> 00:03:16,080 you know, things really just got a lot more complicated. 53 00:03:16,759 --> 00:03:22,120 People are scared, they are tired of being indoors, They 54 00:03:22,319 --> 00:03:25,919 are worried about their kids, you know, having to close 55 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:29,479 down schools again. All of these frustrations they took out 56 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:33,360 on the Democratic candidates, and many of the Democratic candidates, 57 00:03:33,479 --> 00:03:38,360 especially Terry mcculluff, we're not able to message a positive, hopeful, 58 00:03:38,439 --> 00:03:43,719 and frankly credible message to these voters. And there were 59 00:03:43,759 --> 00:03:47,599 some very specific things that happened, especially in the Virginia 60 00:03:47,639 --> 00:03:51,560 gubernatorial race, that are not going to happen in the midterms, 61 00:03:51,639 --> 00:03:53,080 or at least we hope are not going to happen 62 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:55,759 in the midterms. The midterms are a year away. The 63 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:59,639 midterms have will have very different candidates. Glenn youngkin I 64 00:03:59,639 --> 00:04:03,439 think was brilliant. And how he what I call he 65 00:04:03,599 --> 00:04:08,360 danced to this pernicious two step of messaging with a 66 00:04:08,439 --> 00:04:12,919 wink and a nod to Trump's base on critical race theory, 67 00:04:13,159 --> 00:04:19,720 on election integrity issues, and at the same time talking 68 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:25,519 about broadly education and the economy to independence, which is 69 00:04:25,519 --> 00:04:28,519 what they wanted to hear the candidates. I'm sorry, just 70 00:04:28,519 --> 00:04:32,759 one last thing. I know, the candidates that are going 71 00:04:32,879 --> 00:04:35,639 to be running in the mid terms, at least many 72 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:38,279 of them across the board for the House in the Senate, 73 00:04:38,639 --> 00:04:41,959 are not Glenn Youngkin's. They're more like many Trumps. And 74 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:44,439 so what Democrats have to do is they have to 75 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:48,199 take a look at what their own situations are in 76 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:52,639 their own races and continue to do messages about what 77 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:55,000 Democrats are going to be doing. You know, today you 78 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:57,160 see that hopefully there's going to be a vote on 79 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:02,319 these aid bills, reconciliation and the infrastructure package, and we 80 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:05,519 need to talk about those, not calling them infrastructure bill 81 00:05:05,639 --> 00:05:09,199 or reconciliation, but what will they actually do for voters. 82 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:12,279 Speaker 1: I take to heart a lot of what you said 83 00:05:12,279 --> 00:05:14,639 because I think it's it's right on the money, and Alice, 84 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:18,879 you have been on the podcast before, and we've kind 85 00:05:18,879 --> 00:05:22,800 of you know, sat sat in the corner so cringing 86 00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:25,519 about some of the crazy going on inside our party 87 00:05:26,639 --> 00:05:28,959 and trying to sort of pull it back into that 88 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:32,519 sane lane. Young Cain seem to have done that in 89 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:35,480 many respects. You know. Yeah, he did the sort of 90 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:38,199 winking nod to the Trump base, did the Heisman maneuver 91 00:05:38,279 --> 00:05:41,399 with Trump himself, you know, kind of creating that distance. 92 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:45,439 But there is some value to what he did, I mean, 93 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:48,560 what he said to voters. He you know, he he 94 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:51,959 came off normal sound of mind. He had, you know, 95 00:05:52,079 --> 00:05:54,839 proposals that you know, people could debate, but they were 96 00:05:55,079 --> 00:05:59,560 solid proposals, like, for example, eliminating the tax on groceries, 97 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:04,160 particularly as we're now, you know, realizing the effects of 98 00:06:04,879 --> 00:06:07,360 you know, the mini inflation that we're seeing that could 99 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:10,360 grow into a larger problem, uh in the first quarter 100 00:06:10,439 --> 00:06:13,480 of next year. How do you how do you assess 101 00:06:13,839 --> 00:06:18,759 how Youngkin positioned himself and and too to the point 102 00:06:18,759 --> 00:06:23,079 about you know, what candidates are going to look like 103 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:27,240 in the primaries next year. There is some truth that 104 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:30,360 they're going to be very different looking in that regard. 105 00:06:30,399 --> 00:06:33,160 So you have this everybody's about all this pathway that 106 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:36,639 young has created. But you've got a lot more Marjorie 107 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:39,800 Taylor Green's running in twenty twenty two than you have 108 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:41,360 Glenn Younkins. 109 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:44,519 Speaker 2: Great to be with you, Michael. 110 00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:48,360 Speaker 3: I think the key is the key to Glenn Youngkin's 111 00:06:48,399 --> 00:06:51,639 success is that he was a youngin Republican and not 112 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:56,240 a Trump Republican, and so many people in the Democratic 113 00:06:56,279 --> 00:06:58,959 side tried to tie him into Trump. What he did, 114 00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:02,759 I like to call call it. He took the Goldilocks 115 00:07:02,759 --> 00:07:06,439 approach to Trump in terms of it wasn't too closed, 116 00:07:06,480 --> 00:07:09,240 it wasn't too far. It was just the right distance 117 00:07:09,879 --> 00:07:13,279 from Trump in order to keep Trump space, not poke 118 00:07:13,319 --> 00:07:16,720 the bear, but also set himself aside as a candidate 119 00:07:17,079 --> 00:07:20,120 who focused on policies that unite us and not the 120 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:23,879 personalities that divide us. And he focused on the policies 121 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:29,399 from day one. He was focused on jobs, the economy, 122 00:07:29,399 --> 00:07:35,279 of pocketbook issues, public safety, and education. And when he's 123 00:07:35,319 --> 00:07:38,879 talking about pocketbook issues, he takes it down to issues 124 00:07:38,879 --> 00:07:42,079 that are of importance to Virginia voters like you say, 125 00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:45,839 he's going to repeal the grocery tax on day one, 126 00:07:45,959 --> 00:07:49,000 as he said, he will also suspend the gas tax 127 00:07:49,079 --> 00:07:52,480 on day one. Given the supply chain crisis and increasing 128 00:07:52,519 --> 00:07:56,560 gas prices that we have, he will also roll back 129 00:07:56,639 --> 00:07:59,000 taxes in the state. Those are the kind of things 130 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:02,560 that people want to hear from their leaders that will 131 00:08:02,759 --> 00:08:08,120 do something to impact their daily lives and kitchen table issues. 132 00:08:08,759 --> 00:08:13,319 But education and parental choice was a key issue for him. 133 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:13,920 Speaker 2: From the beginning. 134 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:18,879 Speaker 3: But what happened was Terry mcculluff making I think a 135 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:22,439 fatal flaw in the debate where he said that parents 136 00:08:22,439 --> 00:08:25,439 should not be involved in their child education. And he 137 00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:27,360 can come out of that afterwards and say it was 138 00:08:27,399 --> 00:08:30,759 taken out of context, but he said the words, and 139 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:35,039 the Youngin campaign was able to recognize the fact that 140 00:08:35,039 --> 00:08:38,360 that hit a nerve with a key voting block in Virginia. 141 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:41,840 And the key voting block is not Republican, Democrat or Independent. 142 00:08:42,159 --> 00:08:45,360 That voting block is parents. And when parents are told 143 00:08:46,039 --> 00:08:49,360 that they are going to be sidelined in silence in 144 00:08:49,360 --> 00:08:53,480 their kids' education, then that's a problem. And that got 145 00:08:53,559 --> 00:08:56,879 a lot of parents involved in the Youngin campaign. And 146 00:08:56,919 --> 00:08:59,919 he also did a good job of appealing to women 147 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:03,679 and appealing to African Americans and Latinos, which is a 148 00:09:03,799 --> 00:09:08,120 key aspect for his victory, and those were key factors 149 00:09:08,120 --> 00:09:12,360 in Younkin's success, and he managed to navigate the type 150 00:09:12,399 --> 00:09:16,159 rope with Trump. He didn't ignore any voting block that 151 00:09:16,240 --> 00:09:19,600 he thought was not within reach. They did very well 152 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:22,639 with independence, which is a key to their success. Those 153 00:09:22,639 --> 00:09:26,840 are I think how Glenn Younkin managed to come out 154 00:09:26,879 --> 00:09:29,639 on top because and he also worked really hard. He 155 00:09:29,679 --> 00:09:32,519 had a huge successful bus tour at the end, and 156 00:09:32,559 --> 00:09:35,440 he had momentum at the right moment, which is key. 157 00:09:35,639 --> 00:09:38,000 But if I can follow up on one thing that 158 00:09:38,039 --> 00:09:41,600 Maria said, and I'll hand it back. She talked about 159 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:45,240 a lot of the outside influences that impacted Terry mcculloff's race, 160 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:49,080 the dysfunction in Washington as well as the inability to 161 00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:54,200 have progress. I think those are important factors. But also 162 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:57,399 there are self inflicted wounds on part of mccauluff. The 163 00:09:57,759 --> 00:10:02,240 statement about parents being signed an education that I think 164 00:10:02,480 --> 00:10:04,759 was one that they will always go back to as 165 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:07,720 this is where the air went out of the tires, 166 00:10:08,120 --> 00:10:13,159 and also putting putting so much emphasis on Donald Trump, 167 00:10:13,519 --> 00:10:16,519 Donald Trump, Donald Trump, who is not on the ticket. 168 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:20,600 He's not running and Glenn Younkin was not closely tied 169 00:10:20,639 --> 00:10:23,600 with him. So I think when they do their post mortem, 170 00:10:23,799 --> 00:10:26,080 they're after action item report, they're going to look at 171 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:30,399 we shouldn't have focused on Trump and we should have 172 00:10:30,399 --> 00:10:33,799 walked back that education comment sooner, Maria. 173 00:10:35,639 --> 00:10:40,600 Speaker 1: What Alice has put out here actually sets up very nicely. Uh. 174 00:10:40,639 --> 00:10:46,080 The other twin problems that the Democrats encountered on election. 175 00:10:46,600 --> 00:10:49,679 The other the first was the Minneapolis voters, I mean 176 00:10:50,159 --> 00:10:55,679 soundly rejecting the idea of defunding the police. Can we 177 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:59,000 can Democrats finally put that ish to bed and move 178 00:10:59,080 --> 00:11:02,759 on and create a better narrative on that front? And 179 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:07,480 two New Jersey. No one saw New Jersey coming. No, 180 00:11:07,559 --> 00:11:09,360 I mean, I don't anyone out of saying, oh yeah, 181 00:11:09,559 --> 00:11:11,840 I predicted New Jersey would be close. No, you didn't 182 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:15,279 just stop lines shut up because you didn't, because no 183 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:20,039 one saw the Republicans performing the way they performed in 184 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:25,000 New Jersey. Was that was that more about the national 185 00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:31,600 angst that Americans have about Democrats generally, or was that 186 00:11:31,799 --> 00:11:36,440 something where Republicans, you know, just had a better game 187 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:39,799 plan on the ground to turn out their vote. 188 00:11:40,159 --> 00:11:44,720 Speaker 2: So let me first address the the defund the police, 189 00:11:44,759 --> 00:11:47,399 which is that's that's sort of where you're getting out here. 190 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:50,559 So I hope, so, Michael, I hope that the Democrats 191 00:11:50,559 --> 00:11:53,480 can just put that aside. It doesn't mean that they 192 00:11:53,559 --> 00:11:59,080 have to stop talking about, you know, criminal reform, police reform. No, 193 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:02,080 we need to be talking about that, but we need 194 00:12:02,120 --> 00:12:06,039 to be talking about it in a manner that actually 195 00:12:06,080 --> 00:12:09,919 doesn't scare people. And that's what happened, and we actually 196 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:12,919 gave the tools to the other side to talk about 197 00:12:12,960 --> 00:12:16,120 it and use it against us. We let them weaponize 198 00:12:16,120 --> 00:12:20,200 that issue, and I'm hoping that we are now able 199 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:24,039 to just take that off the table. In terms of 200 00:12:24,039 --> 00:12:26,159 New Jersey, you know, if you had actually talked to 201 00:12:26,559 --> 00:12:29,960 people who Democrats who were on the ground in New 202 00:12:30,039 --> 00:12:34,120 Jersey a couple of weeks before the election, they were saying, hey, 203 00:12:34,120 --> 00:12:35,960 by the way, this is going to be a lot 204 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:38,799 closer than people think. They were saying that we just 205 00:12:38,919 --> 00:12:42,279 no one was paying attention. And so, yes, that it 206 00:12:42,399 --> 00:12:44,799 ended up being a surprise. But let's also remember that 207 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:49,600 both in New Jersey and in Virginia, it was always 208 00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:55,200 historically from a historic standpoint, an uphill battle for Democrats 209 00:12:55,360 --> 00:12:58,720 as well as you know, both in New Jersey and 210 00:12:59,240 --> 00:13:02,440 in Virginia, and in Virginia. As you know, it is 211 00:13:02,879 --> 00:13:07,559 normally always right the party that is out of power 212 00:13:07,639 --> 00:13:12,039 that wins. Terry mccaulluffe was the only one that has 213 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:14,759 in the past been able to capture lightning in a 214 00:13:14,799 --> 00:13:18,320 bottle and win that, and it was gonna be tough 215 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:21,080 for him to do that twice, no matter what. In 216 00:13:21,080 --> 00:13:24,679 New Jersey, same thing. You know, a Democrat has not 217 00:13:24,919 --> 00:13:27,840 been re elected for a second term in I don't 218 00:13:27,879 --> 00:13:32,399 know how many decades and so again, but that doesn't excuse, right, 219 00:13:32,679 --> 00:13:35,240 what happened. I agree with Alice in terms of what 220 00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:40,080 happened to Terry. His fatal mistake was making a comment 221 00:13:40,159 --> 00:13:43,039 about education. Though I just I have to say this 222 00:13:43,200 --> 00:13:47,279 because and not to excuse it, because I think the 223 00:13:47,360 --> 00:13:50,799 Youngkin campaign was brilliant in how they took that comment, 224 00:13:50,879 --> 00:13:53,600 and they did take it out of context, and they 225 00:13:53,679 --> 00:13:56,279 did attribute to him something that he did not say. 226 00:13:56,759 --> 00:14:03,320 But Terry never walked it back. Yeah, exactly. 227 00:14:04,919 --> 00:14:05,440 Speaker 1: Context. 228 00:14:07,639 --> 00:14:10,679 Speaker 2: You're absolutely right, that is that is politics. But but 229 00:14:10,879 --> 00:14:14,200 you know, I will say this, you know, on the 230 00:14:14,240 --> 00:14:16,799 one hand, you know sort of what Terry was trying 231 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:20,799 to say, and he's right about this is that uh, 232 00:14:20,960 --> 00:14:25,559 you know, Glenn Youngkin's closing ad was that wacky woman saying, 233 00:14:25,720 --> 00:14:28,679 you know, talking about banning Tony Morrison's book Beleve. 234 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:33,720 Speaker 1: Because their son was traumatized from reading Tony Morrison English 235 00:14:34,159 --> 00:14:35,080 for God's sake. 236 00:14:35,039 --> 00:14:38,960 Speaker 2: Exactly exactly so so so me, as a mother of two, 237 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:45,000 don't I don't want that woman anywhere near anything having 238 00:14:45,039 --> 00:14:49,080 to do deciding what my kids, you know, are are 239 00:14:49,120 --> 00:14:51,679 taught in school. Right, So that's that's the other side 240 00:14:51,679 --> 00:14:55,879 of this. But Terry never explained it that way, right Terry. 241 00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:58,720 What he said was that was that parents should not 242 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:02,840 decide what is tawn in schools, and he's right about that, 243 00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:07,519 but then he didn't explain it when the issue started exploding, 244 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:12,120 right and so and so, Also, as a mother who 245 00:15:12,679 --> 00:15:16,399 was very involved in her children's education, you know, my 246 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:18,679 husband and I essentially were their teachers for a year 247 00:15:18,679 --> 00:15:22,919 and a half, I can understand why the Youngin campaign 248 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:25,000 took that and ran with it, because then if you 249 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:28,720 hear as a parent who has been teaching your kids 250 00:15:28,720 --> 00:15:30,360 for a year and a half, the last thing you 251 00:15:30,399 --> 00:15:33,159 want to hear is that this other politician doesn't want 252 00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:36,519 you to be involved in your in your child's education. Right, So, again, 253 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:40,679 brilliant on their on the Youngkins campaign, behalf stupid on 254 00:15:40,679 --> 00:15:44,639 the mcculluffs campaign, behalf for not having cleaned that up 255 00:15:44,759 --> 00:15:48,559 immediately afterward, because if he had done that, I you know, 256 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:50,360 we might be in a different situation today. 257 00:15:50,559 --> 00:15:54,080 Speaker 1: Final question, both of you and the real quick who 258 00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:57,639 has the edge going into twenty twenty two. Right now, 259 00:15:57,799 --> 00:15:59,799 the momentum seems to be with. 260 00:16:01,240 --> 00:16:04,480 Speaker 2: I think it's with the Republicans right now, and we 261 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:07,919 and Democrats need to need to act like that is 262 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:10,639 the case, whether they think that's the case or not, 263 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:15,240 because that is going to make sure that we get 264 00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:17,600 it right. Make sure that we talk about, you know, 265 00:16:17,799 --> 00:16:21,279 our our wins, what we're going to be able to 266 00:16:21,559 --> 00:16:24,919 do for the American people if this, you know, these 267 00:16:24,960 --> 00:16:28,320 packages passed, What does that mean. If I'm a single mom, 268 00:16:28,360 --> 00:16:29,759 I'm going to be able to go to work and 269 00:16:29,799 --> 00:16:33,080 have my kids cared for. If I am caring for 270 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:35,440 an elderly parent, I'm going to have help with that 271 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:40,240 child tax credit, climate change, if that's your issue, you know, 272 00:16:40,320 --> 00:16:43,039 all of these great things that we're going to be 273 00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:47,559 able to talk about in that way in terms of 274 00:16:47,679 --> 00:16:50,799 being able to do what they were elected to do. 275 00:16:51,120 --> 00:16:54,120 And so we need to think Democrats need to think 276 00:16:54,159 --> 00:16:57,639 that this is an uphill battle because it is right again, historically, 277 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:01,600 we are not in a good position and our margins 278 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:05,160 are razor thin. We can't we have nothing to be 279 00:17:05,279 --> 00:17:08,200 able to. We don't have any buffer here, right, So 280 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:10,160 we have to get it right. And in order to 281 00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:12,240 get it right, you have to be running scared. 282 00:17:12,680 --> 00:17:18,480 Speaker 3: Alice are absolutely and I think it's Republicans. It's Republicans 283 00:17:19,519 --> 00:17:22,759 races to lose in twenty twenty two. And I do 284 00:17:22,880 --> 00:17:28,319 believe the Glenn Younkins strategy of addition is the way 285 00:17:28,319 --> 00:17:31,880 to go. And I say addition in terms of politics 286 00:17:32,039 --> 00:17:34,960 is the game of addition. You keep Trump's base, but 287 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:38,599 you also broaden it out to the disaffected Republicans and 288 00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:41,279 the independents who were put off by the tone and 289 00:17:41,359 --> 00:17:45,319 tenor of Trump. And you cannot be the Marjorie Taylor 290 00:17:45,359 --> 00:17:48,559 Greens and going into this midterm and expect to come 291 00:17:48,559 --> 00:17:52,160 out victorious. We learned that with the Georgia Senate races. 292 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:55,519 We lost two key Senate races because they were too 293 00:17:55,519 --> 00:17:59,880 trumpet and look, I support the former president's policies, but 294 00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:02,160 under his leadership, we lost the House. 295 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:03,920 Speaker 2: The Senate and the White House. 296 00:18:04,200 --> 00:18:08,240 Speaker 3: And if you know, I play enough athletic sports to realize, 297 00:18:08,240 --> 00:18:10,359 if you lose your zero for three, you use a 298 00:18:10,359 --> 00:18:12,839 new playbook. I think the youth in Playbook was the 299 00:18:13,400 --> 00:18:17,119 right strategy to do. And one other issue I just 300 00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:21,119 want to point out moving forward is let's focus on 301 00:18:21,160 --> 00:18:23,519 the policies. There are so many issues with the Democrats 302 00:18:23,559 --> 00:18:28,400 we can point to with regard to the economy, with 303 00:18:28,440 --> 00:18:33,039 a supply chain crisis, with Afghanistan, with COVID. Let's just 304 00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:35,920 focus on policy and show the contrast. And I also 305 00:18:36,039 --> 00:18:40,720 have another suggestion, Michael, that you may remember this was 306 00:18:40,759 --> 00:18:46,440 a very successful strategy from the Republican Playbook twenty ten. 307 00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:50,400 This very smart Republican named Michael Steele, who was the 308 00:18:50,480 --> 00:18:53,200 chairman of the Republican Party, got on this big bus, 309 00:18:53,519 --> 00:18:57,200 traveled around the country the Fire Pelosi Bus Tour and 310 00:18:57,440 --> 00:19:01,319 got Republicans involved, and you said, quote, this may be 311 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:04,319 our last chance to save America. And this was in 312 00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:08,119 twenty ten August of twenty ten, and that's important. We 313 00:19:08,160 --> 00:19:11,920 need to remind people if we don't fire Pelosi, and 314 00:19:11,960 --> 00:19:16,720 we don't fire Democrats in charge, their potential for this 315 00:19:16,799 --> 00:19:22,440 progressive overhaul of government is real. So I think taking 316 00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:25,240 a page from your playbook would be a good move. 317 00:19:25,160 --> 00:19:29,319 Speaker 1: For republic And to that point, Alice, it's overhauled that 318 00:19:29,519 --> 00:19:33,200 the American voters have said they didn't bargain for when 319 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:36,400 they elected Joe Biden. And I think that that's something 320 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:41,480 that Democrats need to focus on. What Biden knows America 321 00:19:42,960 --> 00:19:48,799 can get behind. He's got nineteen Republicans who have voted 322 00:19:48,839 --> 00:19:53,960 with him on infrastructure, right, pass it, sell it, talk 323 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:59,400 about it. To Maria's point, create a new narrative around 324 00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:03,200 something other than defunding the police, and you know, a 325 00:20:03,279 --> 00:20:08,720 sort of you know, sideways wokeism that Americans don't necessarily 326 00:20:08,759 --> 00:20:12,559 want right now. They want stability in the markets, jobs 327 00:20:12,640 --> 00:20:18,400 created COVID in recession, their kids back in classrooms, safe 328 00:20:18,559 --> 00:20:22,559 and learning. And if you deliver that, Democrats, you can 329 00:20:22,599 --> 00:20:25,119 actually probably make twenty twenty two competitives. 330 00:20:25,519 --> 00:20:28,359 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's exactly right. And I think, you know, this 331 00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:30,599 goes kind of goes back to the very first point 332 00:20:30,640 --> 00:20:34,519 I make in my column, which is this that how 333 00:20:34,599 --> 00:20:36,920 much of our losses, at least I think in Virginia, 334 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:41,039 but probably across the board as well, were the political 335 00:20:41,119 --> 00:20:44,839 tectonic plates which had shifted out of position since the 336 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:49,000 election of Trump, right, simply resuming a more familiar pre 337 00:20:49,079 --> 00:20:53,200 Trump position. Right to Alice's point about how you ran 338 00:20:53,720 --> 00:20:57,799 right and other Republicans ran pre Trump, we were all 339 00:20:57,839 --> 00:21:01,759 focused on issues. When Democrats one pre Trump, it was 340 00:21:01,839 --> 00:21:05,119 on issues, and and so how much of it was 341 00:21:05,160 --> 00:21:09,519 that Democrats were woefully unprepared to fight on that terrain 342 00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:13,519 because we were so used to fighting everything having to 343 00:21:13,559 --> 00:21:16,920 do with Trump, Right, and so we need to get 344 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:20,319 back to when you and I would go on MSNBC 345 00:21:20,799 --> 00:21:22,640 and debate issues. 346 00:21:22,319 --> 00:21:24,759 Speaker 1: And debate issues right, exactly. 347 00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:28,319 Speaker 2: Exactly imagine that I wanted. That's what Democrats kept talking 348 00:21:28,359 --> 00:21:31,160 about during the Trump era. Oh my god, remember when 349 00:21:31,519 --> 00:21:34,880 we could actually focus on issues? Okay, Democrats will now 350 00:21:35,359 --> 00:21:37,559 this is our opportunity and we have to go back 351 00:21:37,640 --> 00:21:39,559 and get great at doing that again. 352 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:43,160 Speaker 1: So I'm the luckiest man in DC because I got 353 00:21:43,240 --> 00:21:47,880 I got the twofer of Maria Cardona and Alice Stewart. 354 00:21:48,359 --> 00:21:53,000 You sure to give us the breakdown on this Tuesday's elections. 355 00:21:53,319 --> 00:21:56,279 So what's tell folks youre podcast because you guys are 356 00:21:56,279 --> 00:21:58,400 going to be going into your own podcasts after we 357 00:21:58,480 --> 00:22:00,680 finish up here. What what tell us about it. 358 00:22:01,319 --> 00:22:04,599 Speaker 3: Yes, we were getting ready to record right now. 359 00:22:04,599 --> 00:22:05,200 Speaker 1: It's hot. 360 00:22:05,240 --> 00:22:07,720 Speaker 3: MIC's from left to right, and it's on all the 361 00:22:07,759 --> 00:22:11,319 podcast platforms. And we started this when covid started. This 362 00:22:11,400 --> 00:22:14,559 is because we felt there was a place a need 363 00:22:14,640 --> 00:22:19,039 for respectful conversations on the issues. And as you heard, 364 00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:22,640 Maria and I disagree on policy, but we have a 365 00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:26,160 great love and respect for each other and have conversations 366 00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:29,480 about the issues that I think are important. You know, 367 00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:32,599 neither one of us expect to change the other person's mind, 368 00:22:32,680 --> 00:22:35,839 but it's about broadening our own understanding of the issues, 369 00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:38,079 which we think is important. 370 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:41,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, and so and it's and the other thing that 371 00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:45,200 is important for us, and you know, we know that 372 00:22:45,240 --> 00:22:47,920 you are in this camp as well, is that you 373 00:22:48,039 --> 00:22:50,480 have to have these conversations with humanity, right. That's one 374 00:22:50,480 --> 00:22:53,799 of the things I think that has was sisoned out 375 00:22:53,839 --> 00:22:57,720 of our politics in the last five years, and so 376 00:22:57,799 --> 00:23:00,359 we want to remind people. And this is why I'm 377 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:02,200 so glad that we're able to do all of this 378 00:23:02,279 --> 00:23:04,240 together because we know you agree with us on this. 379 00:23:04,839 --> 00:23:08,240 You have to look at this from the lens of 380 00:23:08,759 --> 00:23:11,400 we're all humans in this, We're all in this together 381 00:23:11,480 --> 00:23:15,640 no matter where you are, and you have to be 382 00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:20,799 able to have these conversations based on policies, not personal, right, 383 00:23:20,880 --> 00:23:24,680 and so we have to continue to talk about these 384 00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:27,880 things because these are issues, as we just saw, that 385 00:23:28,079 --> 00:23:31,599 affect people's lives, and you have to You can't get 386 00:23:31,599 --> 00:23:36,119 personal about it. You can't look and talk, you know, 387 00:23:36,799 --> 00:23:38,960 across the person, but you have to talk to the person. 388 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:42,039 And so Alice and I do that on a weekly basis. 389 00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:46,240 Speaker 1: Well in the space where they get to play folks 390 00:23:46,279 --> 00:23:50,720 hot Mike from left to right with Maria Cardona and 391 00:23:50,799 --> 00:23:55,400 Alice Stewart. Like I said, I was really lucky to 392 00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:56,319 get both of you. 393 00:23:57,279 --> 00:23:59,240 Speaker 2: You were lucky. Yeah, this is fine. 394 00:23:59,440 --> 00:24:03,759 Speaker 1: This is a lot of fun podcast. Consider it done. 395 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:07,599 Consider it done. I'll make sure my producer talks to 396 00:24:07,640 --> 00:24:09,920 your producer and we make that happen because it's a 397 00:24:09,960 --> 00:24:11,160 lot of fun. 398 00:24:11,319 --> 00:24:14,119 Speaker 3: Considering that the same considering it's the same person. 399 00:24:14,200 --> 00:24:18,119 Speaker 1: That's right, it's gonna be easy, that's right. I'll have 400 00:24:18,240 --> 00:24:20,440 my people talk to your people, who are our people. 401 00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:24,519 Speaker 2: So that's right, Michael, thank you so much. This was 402 00:24:24,559 --> 00:24:25,519 such a treat for us. 403 00:24:25,720 --> 00:24:29,519 Speaker 1: Thank you guys. Be blessed out there, folks. Until next time, 404 00:24:30,079 --> 00:24:34,240 I'll be safe. Hey everybody, thanks so much for listening today. 405 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:37,039 Please go to Apple Podcasts and give us a five 406 00:24:37,079 --> 00:24:41,359 star review. That's five stars, five stars. Say it over 407 00:24:41,400 --> 00:24:43,920 and over again. Or you can catch us on stitch, 408 00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:46,799 your iHeart, tune in, or wherever you get your podcast on. 409 00:24:46,880 --> 00:24:49,680 You know how that goes. Peace out, Catch you next time. 410 00:24:54,079 --> 00:24:57,359 I'm sports psychoedist doctor Andrew Jacobs. I created the Sportsmanshipt 411 00:24:57,359 --> 00:25:00,440 Foundation to promote and educate parents and at It's about 412 00:25:00,440 --> 00:25:03,079 the role of good sportsmanship and our development. Learn more 413 00:25:03,359 --> 00:25:06,759 at winnersulimited dot com. That's winners in limited dot com.