Hey everyone. It's John faroe dropping into share another episode of the wilderness season. Three in this episode, I'm taking you to them well grand state of virginia to find out why so many Biden voters supported a republican for governor in two thousand and twenty one and how Democrats can win them back in two thousand and twenty two. I hope joy, listening and to hear more, the serious you can subscribe to the wilderness feed where you can listen to episode. Three right now will also be dropping the serious here each week, but some into the wilderness. Feed is the only way to get early access new episodes. Every monday, you have a kind of blue america that is about. Thirty, two percent of the country- and you have read america- that's like thirty, eight percent pro crop and you have the seven it states that are in the middle and that's where america looks like civil war when Joe Biden, one virginia by ten points and twenty twenty. I thought there was a chance. It would stop me.

one of those civil war states, Michael Podhoretz, or talks about Biden, be trump, thereby nearly twice as much as Hillary Clinton did, and twenty sixteen and twenty seventeen, democrats want the governess raised by the largest margin in decades. Twenty Teens blue wave gave Virginia democrats a record number of seats in congress and the state legislature, reflection of an electric that had become more diverse and where a lot of highly educated, suburban aids had drifted away from a republican party. They viewed as to extreme the time twenty twenty rolled around neither presidential camp, in sovereign junior as much of a battleground, then came twenty twenty one. What had been planned? the typical school board meeting in virginias, wealthy loud and county this week devolved. two pandemonium. The althea school board, has managed to turn our once prestigious public schools in the mediocre publicly funded politically motivated private schools

ray stereo greece. There are lots of security ideology, tarragon regime, its absurd, no more for teachers to call boys, girls and girls boy. My children are being told untruth devoutly that all the problems in this country, where their fault, if you believe in crisis believe in the constitution. If you believe in america, do not let this country ball. Things got so he did that the board members eventually walked out, leaving the police to deal with the unruly crowd to people left in handcuffs. a lot of things that have happened in last two years are just beyond Kabul. engine beyond what I heads Considered was even in the realm of possible. This is the insurrection who became co, chair of the loud and county school board in january of twenty twenty, a wealthy district just an hour outside Washington dc the unexpectedly came ground zero for america's culture war over schools,

we ve had death threats, We ve had things that are even worse than death threats. I had to shut down. My social media presents for a wild when I had people saying my my daughter should be raped, said I would know what it felt like This is what family should of had to bear and had to deal with, over the last few years. None of this is why I ran for the job. America has always grappled with the threat of political violence. It's clearly gotten worse in the trump era, especially since the mega movement has wage battles over issues of race, gender, political identity and democracy itself in virginia. The fight was about everything, from critical race theory to transgender rights, to covered restrictions, right wing activists, many from out of state it had teachers in school administrators

but they're real audience was parents who, after more than a year of school closures and zoom classes or tired and pretty pissed. So, of course this, because an issue in the governance race. Between Democrat terry MC and republican glennie uncle on lightning rod issue has emerged public school. Very the revolt against the way our schools have been managed and critical race theory is a big part of that. I will issue an order banning the teaching of critical race theory and democrat Mccullough, a former governor vows to raise teacher pay and expand squeaky programs, but something else he said about education at a debate has haunted him. I don't think parents should be telling schools what they should teach you know I get really tired. young and went on to defeat mc, the first republican too, statewide election in virginia since two thousand nine, a swing of twelve points from binds victory in twenty twenty.

so what happened all those virginians who voted for Joe Biden just one year earlier, did they stay home or did they vote for Glenn young? serious analytics, adapt affirm whose founders help Iraq obama, when two presidential campaigns run a detailed and a of the race based on census, info and vote history, they found the while many biden, voters did stay home, eagerly younger voters and voters of color eighty son, of the shift away from the Democrats between twenty twenty and twenty twenty one was because voters who switched parties. People who voted for Joe Biden decided to cast their ballot for Glenn young and the big question is why Certainly, the media took interest in the culture war narrative, the demo if you're going to have to come face to face with this issue of workers, and tonight is a victory for critical race. There are radical. Progressive left has really taken over their party politico reported that the democratic congressional campaign committee has internal

that shows republican culture more attacks are working, but is that would really happened or mega republicans winning the code? wars. Did they persuade enough Biden voters in virginia? The Democrats are just two woke two out of step with the valley, of most americans and if they were same play in the mid term. Will it work tram when Anne can either from Virginia, who spent the campaign knocking on doors and talking to voters isn't social. It only takes you now. one journalists to cover one aspect of the election and others pick up on that becomes what the races about. Even That's not the reality that those of us on the ground are experiencing wanted to learn a little bit more about that reality. For a few reasons. First, the bridge you gubernatorial was the country's biggest and most competitive election between twenty twenty in the upcoming midterms, that doesn't mean the results are predictive of what will happen in november, but they soon

represent a larger and more definitive sample size than any pull. Second, if we want to keep twenty two pro democracy coalition. Together we have to figure out how to prevent Biden, voters from casting their ballot for republicans, like lincoln, don't get me wrong. We also went by and voters from your staying home, which will focus on the next couple. Episodes. but when you look at virginia and see that eighty percent of the shift away from Democrats came from Biden, young can voters. The math is clear if that low, of party switching happens in the mid terms, republicans will win. for our first focus group. I talked to nine voters in virginia some whose which parties in the last election others who might which in the future five or biden young converters forward Biden, MC caully voters, but only one person in the group identified themselves as a strong democratic. The rest said they were weak democrats, independence or weak republicans. I also get to go

with a group of campaign, strategies and organizers to chat about what we heard from these voters. Why they the way they did and what Democrats can do to win over people like them. I'm not shrink rosato, I'm a researcher and communication strategist, I'm based in plunder and I'm the principle of air so communications. I'm serological friendly, never jumper. I m the publisher of the bulwark and I also run a sea forkel defending democracy together, notably, Our biggest project is the republican accountability project. I am when I'm co executive director of new version, the majority life on virginian been doing politics here for what seems like a lifetime. After the break will hear from an ox tram and nine virginia voters. The wilderness is brought by stamps dot com. If your small business You know how important it is to be ready for the insane holiday season. Likely stamped outcome is everything

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it, but I wanted to start with a question for each of you. What are some of your best guesses as to why voters in virginia decided to support glenn yanking tram. You worked on this raises a grassroots organizer, What do you think I pay while a lot of folks nationally? They virginia the solidly great stayed for those of us who live in Virginia. I think we have a different reality right. The always been a little bit about purply swings day, and we ever take our elections were granted, so I'm actually not surprised that there were Biden. Voters voted for you, sir. You do focus groups with sweet voters all the time. What's your sense. yeah. So I'm cheating on this one a little bit cause. I I focus group the heck out of that race and I'll, tell you what I heard at the time. A lot of it was covered and kids not being in school like there was this big bowl of kind of woke.

that people sort of identified, but it was mainly especially with these backsliding Biden. Voters around my kids were not in school, terry, mccoy, if said parents should be involved in school. I have been homeschooling my kids, you know for for almost two years the difference between republicans who could not wait to go out and vote for any living, breathing republican. versus the democratic coalition, which I would describe scientifically is feeling incredibly blah. At that moment, I think led to a pr storm. That saw a twelve points way about. What do you think I can do better than gas actually ran? a field experiment in virginia- and here I am echoing Sarah's, very scientific description of law. I think that what mccall, if attempted to do, was make this, A further repudiation of trump and I think, on the heels of what had happened, not In november, but in the prolonged horrible period that ended with the sir action and then eventually the swearing,

of Biden. I dont think people wanted to hear that, and so I dont think that he drew the contrast he needed to with his actual opponent, who was young, can. Let's hear from some other Biden, young can voters in her group about why they chose Glenn young. Let's face it. I think we had bad choices and virginia governor. I I didn't like either, but I I thought nothing of this last year, two evils? Michael both of the candidates said, I had four options which bill either one of them with all that I stand, I just went towards yanking because there are some things, I recall it had done that I thought were not the best choices when terry was here, he didn't do anything that was worthwhile in my opinion, so I did not like them as a candidate. He didn't do a great job the first time. So why am I going to elect him again or if it was simplistic,

view where one party gets power, all the time or as too much power that can get kind of full of themselves and they're going to you know, do whatever they want. I kind of like to have a balance. I guess so. I voted for Duncan. He seemed like he was going to be kind of moderate and doesn't seem like he's actually that moderate, while my primary mutant, lizard repeal the grocery tax, my shyness hasn't happened yet you know, because virginia is one of the few states that taxes crash I voted for Glenn young man and I primarily like democratic most cases, but in this situation that was nowhere could deal with the policies of the Democrats. Virginia, the previous administration Norton not handled things well, when it came to his lack of support for police departments and what he put a lot of those officers through, and I had voted for terry mccall. Previously,

Do you think there are larger lessons? Democrats can learn from them kinds of voters ahead of the twenty two minutes or was this just an off your election about these specific candidates and this state specific issues now, let's start with you on this one, what I hear from those voters is, first of all the judgment now not an immediate incumbent, but a person who had been governor before and a feeling of sort of the devil. You know over Is the devil you dont know, and Some amount of belief that young can was this different kind of Republican that he was going to be moderate. I think that that just under scores of failure of properly contrasting mccall off with what he was actually confronting, it needs to be clear to people exactly how extreme and exactly how out of touch and

exactly how much this essentially authoritarian faction of trump republicans, not all republicans, very specifically, trump republicans or health bent on taking away our freedoms in every dimension, tram, what'd, you think Bring from those voters. Does that sound familiar to you at all? From from your time on the ground in Virginia, I mean I agree with a lot right: Harry ran a donald trump like referendum campaign, he's a total, wannabe donald trump. He said so much of the reason he's running for governor his quote is because of donald trump. He is bought, paid for by donald trump? He wants staggering dot economic style politics virginia or he is Tromp he's, but endorse seven times. That's what you get with Glenn trumpet and the voters that we spoke to him when we were on the doors on the phones, the contrast that we drew wasn't about necessarily terry mcauliffe as governor and what he did in his first term, because, let's be real,

what in the whole got there was achieved and that first term, you know there was no trifecta. There was a republican how legislature they blocked all of these things that we are trying to make progress on. However, Democrats did make progress on medicate expansion and on criminal justice reform and on immigrants an environmental justice and all of these things, the tarried even talk about in that raids raid and the media are actually define that raised around police? Ass would be funny, If the police ended up being a thing and then the grocery tax, because yunque and ran a lot of ads around that and that hits at people like bread and butter issues right that their pocket book and they were hurting, Sarah any lessons Democrats can learn from these voters or other swing. Voters that you ve talked to and Virginia yeah, I mean look, think that you shouldn't run the same person again. The virus is: why is this guy? adding another term than that's bad for you, because my college did go so

hard on the I'm gonna try young into tromp. I had a bunch of swing of voters who are ultimately voted for young again but who were Biden. Voters say when I heard that I was not going to vote for you. but then I started to look at young again and I saw him in the debates and he didn't seem like trump at all, and I actually think that the candidates that are running in twenty twenty, two or extremely trump candidates, that is different than young young kid- was a nice dad in a zip up tech vest who looked not trompe at all and kept trump at arm's length, and I think that a referendum on trump is not about them. Tying. The national party trump, not a bad thing,. It will not work on certain candidates and young and is one of those candidates. So it's important not to over learn the lessons of a klingon can raise. Who may be seen little bit more like mitt romney than donald trump, I, what

to find out what issues these voters were most concerned about. Obviously we heard a lot about education in the virginia race, particularly Glenn young kids complaint at critical race. There is being taught and public schools these voters actually weren't buying it even the ones who voted for young. Can I made out of fake their teaching critical race theory but every it's just too it's an easy thing. The latch onto there was a math but ban because it had illustrations of black and white children. Now it's a math book but big ass. They had black children in there they were trying. you say that we were trying to teach critical is there if there math book, that's crazy to me a lot of these voters. did say that education was an important issue to them, but their problem wasn't critical race theory. This is what I heard from two young can voters, I meant to say this- earlier one more on conjunction source news on education are definitely concern with that. I was before I voted for him to get. My wife

each man. I've been in educated myself. So I'm well aware of the problems in that its insistence that individual teachers have to deal with low pay and so forth below funding for resources, its very big problem. I think Early, there needs to be a lot more focus on education. We ve always put our money and defend, and into international affairs, and the pandemic was fiercely something that took up a lot of money? So it would be great if we could just Investing in education as a change, sarah, how much and what have you heard from swing voters about critical Theory swing. Voters dont care about it so much it is a base. Tromp play it, but the thing that plenary

condemn there's a in important strategy? The republicans are employing. I call it the parallel universe strategy, where you could talk about c r, t to trump based voters, and you can talk about education, broadly speaking, to swing voters and sort of normal voters, and you can hear people want education, to be top of mind, it matter to them both because their kids they're not in school, because people were trying to the schools to do different things around covered on, but also because people care about education, big issue for people and so, as a result, Glenn young kids able to talk about security but the base. But then the normal kind of just to your education, education, education, I care about education and what they heard was tearing mccall of saying parents don't belong in the decision making process around schools. Train we're your organizers hearing this when they went order. The two issues, We keep hearing on the doors of health care and education, but critical race theory did not come up rain and

It was really more about what parents were hearing and the issues around like princelings eighty, and when it came to education, kids were at home, they were home schooling and then, when schooled, open, backed up like our my kids, gonna be save masked policies. Like all of you, think, that's a lot of parents that we spoke to. What education, as their number one issue said? I know critical race theory isn't taught in the schools and I don't actually have a problem with that. But if this candidate is going to actually you know give lip service and give some airtime to this bogus issue. Then my legitimate issues right may actually get some airtime too, and maybe it will finally address. You know our public education crisis. It really was the number one issue that voters talked about on the doors are not how do you think

Democrats should handle these kinds of attacks going forward. Ignore them take them on what should they set yeah? So I don't think we have the choice to ignore them, and so the way that we deal with it is first and foremost say what your force say, what your force they, what you're? For. So you say no matter what we look like where we come from a water zip code. Most of us want our kids to have the freedom to learn the truth of our history, so they can understand our past reckon with our present and create a better future. Then you draw the contrast, naming villains, but today, Glenn young can or but today fast forward to whoever that actually is wants to divide us from each other. Inventing the lies about what is taught in our schools and attempting

to silence the truth of our past. So you actually both dairy. What they're doing and you ascribe motivation. You explain the reason that there are peddling these false claims. The and why they want to ban books, but allow bullets, for example, is because they are hoping that if they can feed this distraction and keep their base engaged and enraged that we won't notice, while they vote to eliminate the funding, the resources, the programmes, this after all of us want, and then you encourage that widest possible coalition of voters, the swing and the democratic base to join together and vote for real leaders who believe in the free to learn for every one of our children after the bridge. We hear from these virginia voters about the economy and abortion rights.

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this and most watch newsmagazine on television, getting the real story on america's most prevalent issues. Now episodes of the hit news programme are available for your ears as upon podcast, follow, along with your favorite CBS news correspondence, as they contribute on topics like hard news coverage to politics, lifestyle pop culture and more listen to sixty minutes. Wherever you get your pockets, Welcome back when we recorded this focus group in may, we wanted to learn about. The only twenty one gubernatorial race in virginia, but we also wanted to get sense of where these voters whereat heading into this year's election and well has changed since may. One thing has stayed the same people's feelings about the economy. Education was in a very important these voters. Of course, the issue that came up the most by far was the economy and especially inflation, which of course matches all the polling take a lesson we ve been spending billions and billions and billions of dollars in ukraine. I mean you now. What are we going to deal? I mean it's like

that can continue forever. Well, I would say: inflation and the rising food cause. That's you right now, just doin there. Your story. I found a receipt from it. months ago to complete the difference in the cost the by quickly groceries, which party do you trust more too to handle inflation That's a big everybody when demanded when they go work as just goin up rapidly high rate salaries. inevitable republican charge. They kept duly bay are in open and taught my leads to bathe star. so Sarah awhile back katy porter gave a speech about inflation afterward. She said it felt like the first time. It really sank in with some of your colleagues, one of whom came up to her and said? It's not an issue that is coming up in the polls is even possible about what that oil. But every focus group are the same question. How do you think things are going in the country,

roads like inflation, is really bad. Inflation is really bad. I was out there is not keeping up with the costs my grocer bills going up like they say exactly the things you here. In fact, I sort of play a game with myself. All the time is like when did you play a section of clubs and not know whether it is a democratic group were able publicly we're talking and right now, you could do that with inflation. If you just listen to both groups, they would sound exactly the same. They would be talking about how the cancun into homes, how the rent is really high. Just everything about costs also. Do me the pollster, to tell you what information that eight percent that, like that's a problem for people, if I talk to people about like that authoritarian menace of the republican party. While they are trying to game out how far they can drive on the money that they have like you are not having a conversation on the same. Like frequency it was interesting to note that no one blamed Biden than the democrats for inflation

No one was happy about it either if you're the party that controls washington. What do you do about the fact that the voters biggest concern is something you can probably do very little about gas? So the first thing- and here I'm just echoing in agreeing with sarah- is that it's a terrible idea to attempt to argue people. out of their feelings. That is both a politics lesson, and that is a if you would ever like to be a new relationship with another human being. So what do you do when you are the

already in power. You try to shift at a frame level from. Why is stuff so expensive to. Why are you so broke notice? I'm not saying pretended not expensive pretend it's not a big deal, but if you can shift their thinking and the way that you frame the conversation to, why are you so broke, then what you can bring into? That is the things that we care most about and that cost, the most child care health care, higher education, housing over and over Democrats have put forward proposals to support you to bring this to you to help you and a handful of republicans have blocked the way you can use populist anger to actually make people understand that some of this is deliberately caused and its deliberately caused by people who work in

actually profiting off this pandemic. Every single person in this focus group, which again was conducted shortly after the draft Scotus opinion overturning roe v wade, leaked brought up portion. Even the young can voters, and this is what they all said. I think I'm a martian rights would be fun mental. In my voting I mean abortion needs to be legal online, but a boy the government should be getting involved in work Women should be doing with their bodies. Obviously that's a big issue for me. As a woman, I had some other ethical issue, I'm catholic and get the help, my rules there and I believe that a woman has the right to have an abortion. That's her choice. I don't get to tell you at the religious person. You do. So I have a major issue where the governor

would come in and try to me and data on out of her Democrats message this issue a dozen different ways: what's the most effective frame not only to sort of get majority support, but also to increase the salience of the issue to voters yeah, I'm glad you asked and I'm biased here, because you know this is part of an approach that I helped generate, that we've started putting out is to simply say someone you love will need an abortion someday. It may be your sister, it may be your neighbor. It may be your colleague your best friend. None of us can predict the future, and we don't know that Half a pregnancy will take someone, you love, we'll need abortion terror and what will they do then? The other thing that we have to do in this echoes. What has already been said is that this extreme missed position on abortion has to be roped into and painted as of a peace and part of,

this broader overall extremists agenda, which is about taking away our freedoms in every dimension, taking away our free with vote taking away, are freedom to learn, taking away our freedom I'd whether and when we grow our families, that basically there is the authoritarian faction. There are these trump republicans or mega republicans, who are determined to claim and hold power, no matter what the will of the people Well, it's really by telling the story of republican extremism is what I'm hearing both in the types of candidates there nominating and the positions they ve taken in the policies there proposing. I also wanted to know what these twenty twenty

swing voters thought about Joe Biden and democrats in congress as we head into two thousand and twenty two here's what they said about Biden. I like gabbidon, a lot as a person, and I think he tried really hard, but I mean it just seems like whenever he does justice making. Three men are makes things worse. He can't really blame a lot of jobs because he's clean up the masses are what happened the previous couple years. I see that it is not true. I by he's not sleepy jail or whatever, and here's what both the macaulay and can voters had to say about Democrats in congress. My work, but Democrat, I think I try it. I just think they got people that are so moderate and is this trying to be in the limelight because I think they have agendas down a line personally, but I do see the effort and try the current them it's that our own congress, it's kind of similar with the republicans tubes, their career politicians. They just want to make sure they ve got their job

and they're the ones that actually care about issues that concern the general public. For I believe some minority just to serve themselves. Sarah. What do you think what have you been hearing from voters about Biden than the Democrats? I get a lot, especially from the dam. groups and then sort of from the swing voters. You get a kind of like you know he's either Sky any sees triumph, but you know he's really all. When I do republican focus groups, I say who do you want to run twice toy for more than half, usually say trump We say: okay, trump's not run. Who do you want to run? They say the santas talker kristi Noem, a tim Scott they've got a bunch of people that they would like to see run in two thousand and twenty four. If you ask a group of Democrats, would you like to see Joe Biden run again in two thousand what the answer is absolutely not, they do not want to see Joe run again in twenty to a war. If you say who would you like to see run they just stare at you and there's just like a a blank

look of. I don't know, I'm not sure I can name anybody. I like that much, unlike usually what happens if they it's for a name. They know what they say like air sea and then the other half. The group goes no there's not this bench where people can look in say. Oh, this is the first, the democratic party? I understand where we're going here, whereas on the right they can freak you out who they're reaching for but like they got a bench, they got a group of people. They'll want to see the thing. Cited about yeah, that's what you said earlier words just like blah from their so obviously Not Democrats want this election to be a choice between their vision and the republican vision. Publicans want this election, be a referendum on binding the democratic control congress. That's clearly lot of others think, especially in a mid term. How did democrats answer the concerns that we just heard from those voters and sort of flip the frame, so we generally tend to think that a mobilization message is some permutation of either here is my dad's, their grey or here's ira

other than through terrible there's a third option, which is a voter agency message. The voter agency message is something like in twenty eighteen and twenty twenty. We turned out in record numbers. We voted to deliver vaccines. We voted to create infrastructure. We voted to send packing a handful of politicians who wanted to divide us against each other and there is a whole lot more work left to do. Because, ultimately, we need to remember that voting as a behavior. We need people to engage in its, not a belief. We need them to hold Interestingly, one member of congress was mentioned quite favourably by two participants, one of whom voted for young and, let's listen. I went back there's somebody like abigails bamberger was a moderate democrat that, with a lot of integrity and she's, not

the lawyer I mean she's basque political servant that I've ever been associated with and she's great I filed politicians were like her there, only an issue with congress. I agree. abigail is awesome, and I think there are some others that are as well, sir. It seems like that the challenge is always a series of moderate democrats who are attracted, to a lot more moderate voters who you think could really when the little drier and then the really spiralling democrats tend to appeal more to the base. I don't this something that I'm just seeing or what wait? What do you think even candidates likes bamberger could go pretty far, but here's the thing the first time I engaged we're in my life on behalf of Democrats was in twenty eighteen, and I myself look around at all of these women. All these female candidates who were helicopter

What's an cia analyse, they talked about their coolly I am being mounted their military service and they won a one. They want and they were moderate talking about kitchen table issues. They ran on the republic is trying to repeal certain healthcare visions, and I thought that was the stuff like that. For me, I was like this is winning formula. I dont think that the base is these progressive activists. I think the progressive activists are the ones message everything up and tell them to do things that are just poisoning them with these swing. Voters so If you are farmers asking me out to get your moderate females out their elevated and get ready for the national stage I'm not. How do we square the circle, because I have always had like look that the coalition that one in twenty twenty spans from a yo see fans to Joe mansion fans to Sarah and or crack re like we have a very big coalition now that we actually have to hold together. What do you think about?

How do you, sir square, that circle with candidates yeah so many things I want to say about this so. The first thing that I want to say is that we we have been doing for the last two years, two to four focus groups a week with every kind of demographic, not hard hard trump outside of that demographic, but every one else. You name it and I can tell you actually. I welcome you to gas when the question is asked what upsets you about downs or what you dislike about dams gas? How many times in all of these groups across two years any person has volunteered. They are too woke or defined. The police or any of these issues. That, supposedly are these stance as the dams have gone off the deepened and actually taken. Spoiler alert zero. That is never a volunteered answer in any of these. What upsets me?

about downs, as we have already on earth, is when we asked them for metaphors their tortoises, their slugs, their snails, any kind of animal that you can think of that doesn't move very fast and doesn't get things done, and so This argument around you know done, should be more moderate or not. I find it a very slippery thing, because, when it have he's in broader media there are these claims that there are these Democrats running on these? we must positions at in point of fact, snob relieve their. I agree, though, on outlook I was expecting to hear some of this stuff come up in this focus group in didn't you any of the woke stuff come up at all. There was one guy who said he the never ever younger was partly because of north him in the police in his position on the police or that that popped up here Sir, do you get that in your groups? The woke the? What could unquote woke stuff? You know, so I don't hear like woke so much as yours. Here's the thing that I hear, especially from swing voters, but certainly from even sort of the modern republicans nepal,

ends spend all their time because they dont have a tunnel policy, aims defining democrats. So when you say oh well, nobody actually says defend the police, and like was a lot of people. Did say it. It didn't have to be Joe Biden. You didn't have to be a lot of leftovers allotted democratic activists at it and, as a result, you know it became this thing. On an pr all the time- and I do think you can see it in the polls where it stopped a lot of the momentum for democrats when they were winning on the george flit issue. They were we on black lives matter and then turned to defend the people, he's in a lot of cities, we're getting bogged down, and I think you lost a ton of that's wing voter support that was on the table. One of the things that I dont know how to get through to people on is that these swing voters think demo That sounds like the way that they talk. They sound like aliens. It's not woke! It's that they're like what is this? What are you talking about? What the true issue like what is the pronoun thing like? What are you talking about what this with the re stuff? It's not see our tee, but

we do have this sense of races being taught differently in schools than the way I was taught it, and that makes them feel weird about it, and it goes back to vibes. Will I get that because a not has been giving us messages this entire time? From a progressive point of view that involve language, that is very broad accessible, universal and yet still progressive loser? There's a way to do this, so if only as the group, which party would they both for the four people were a bit on the fence ultimately about six of the nine said they were sure. They'd go for dems, including a few of the younger converters. None of them said they were sure, they'd vote for republicans, but three young can voters said they were still undecided. Here's why, just gonna. Do what research I can add Canada. Nature should now go play stuff when I see there You know I cut away progress, so I'm just kind of

fine with see what will happen happen next, I think a lot of things happened between now and then and that's. Why went away to me My decision of thinking minimal. You know gasoline hadn't, gotten ass in a while, and I was surprised what it cost me too the car and you know narrowing. That's all those things you think about that all add up tram, how to democratic close the deal with these, organizing one o one is you meet people where they are, and so you talk to people about the shit that they care about the things that they deeply care about, and you don't disregard those thoughts in those feeling that an not as already mentioned right and you you talk to them about that. You find a path forward. I mean it's slow, I'm an organizer work of hired you build relationships, you build trust, you dont political homes, for peace,

and so the work is long and hard. I don't know, there's a silver bullet. Folks are always looking for that silver bullet and I just think we need to get beyond that now. What do you think? I would say that what we would do with folks like damn, particularly because they have struck me as really thought fallen liberate and not kind of prone to or keen on one type of identity. We ideology is really to talk to them about who they are, what they believe and what kind of future they want for their children. For what about you? What do you think how to close the deal? I you deal things to get things especially better in the one. That's a tough one. I mean the candidates do matter and they're going to matter in twenty two and that you're going to have a runner, really bad republican candidates, and so, if you end up with a bunch of candidates like that, you can prosecute a case against them, and that is you know, that's an opportunity

grocery sir long while tram, when thank you guys so much for joining. And lending your insights. This was this is fantastic. I really appreciate it. Thank you thanks for having me, so why did these by voters, which parties to me? It seems they weren't too happy with how things were going or how their leaders were handling the issues they care about issues like the cost of living, health care and education. They want to change. They didn't informer, governor tearing the collar represented change and they really by terry's argument that glennie uncle was a trump club may seem like there's little for democrats to learn from this specific race with these specific candidates and there if the historic pattern where the party that just won the presidency tends to perform worse in virginia's off year elections, it's part of that natural backlash. We talked about in the last episode, but I do think

a few observations from these binding young. Can voters worth thinking about as we had in november? The first and most important is that these voters are gable, They have not abandon the democratic party, forget their anxious about inflation in grumpy, about politics and really who isn't But many of them plan to vote for Democrats again in all of them or at least open to it. It's also notable that none of these voters supported Glenn young can because of his position uncritical race. There is, in fact a few voted for young can display Explicitly disagreeing with his position on critical race theory. Sarah long while said seniority, in other rightwing, obsessions tend to be based place, they fire at maggie vote who were already fired up, but there creating a lot of new republicans. If anything, there is evidence that the ec dream positions, the right has taken on issues like abortion and same sex marriage are now moving. Go away from the republican party especial

since the supreme court and republican legislatures have made some of those present. And a reality for millions. We recorded this focus group just after the leak draft of court's decision, overturning ropey, wait when the court, it's. The final ruling in june in many states, started to outlaw abortion. I wanted to check. In with one of the young can voters a woman named Christine who'd been on the fence about the midterms, I would say it would be a little more swayed towards a candidate that was more went towards one that writes my opinion abortion around fifteen weeks. I struggle with that very much though, but there are so many reasons out there why a woman would have to have one would need to have one so for that to be taken away. It is very concerning to me, because you know some day would want my grand dollars to at least go to how that choice, and if it's going to go there, but what I have to tell you that the way the states I dont want to feel even at one boat responsible for voting for someone, that's gonna, take it away.

Nearly all of the mega candidates running in those midterms wanna take that choice away and some will have the power to do so if they win already Glenn young, can has threatened to limit abortion access in virginia believe, as a pro life governor, that life begins at conception, but it's up to democrats to make sure voters know them. Harry Mccullough found out the hard way: it's not enough to call these candidates trumpet. We have to point out why their trumpery, why their extreme, We have to say it over and over again and we can give up on people like Christine just because they once voted republican or because they don't we with democrats on every issue? People are complicated and remember. Most of them are paying attention to politics merely as closely as we are in fact junior group was probably the most politically informed and engaged of all the voters I spoke to for the seas of Democrats want to win. We have reach people who are much less informed and much less engaged

who aren't even sure if they're going vote, I would argue where the numbers life. in the mid terms, are people who defected to the couch not who defected already is: what's it is ice? They out is exhausting. So how do we and people who are paying attention to politics from defect into the coach this november. Saw that nobody in western pennsylvania from the democratic party to the republican party was actually talking to people in a day to day way about what their life was like. Next week we go to pittsburgh pennsylvania to find out the wilderness, is an original podcast from crooked media season. Three is produce by dustlike productions. I'm your host John fabric from crooked media are good.

give producers are sarah geisler, katy long and me special thanks to Alison falsetto and Andy taft for production support into my foolish egg from bennigsen strategy group who helped us with our focus groups. From dust light our executive producer is measured, Youssef are when next is our. negative editor. Seventy cone is the senior producer to meagre atoms. Is the producer and Francesca ideas? Is the assistant producer this episode with sound designed by Stephanie, come valentine rivera is our senior engineer. Martin foller is the composer thanks to development and operations coordinator at dustlike, rachel, garcia into prissy marin, for archival legal review. if you want to learn more about how you can take action in the fight for our democracy head over to vote, save america, dot, com, slash, midterms,.