Clusterf*cked

Episode 46 - Thoughts on the Election

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 14:24:00 +0000

In an abbreviated special episode, Host Roger King gives his thoughts on a very disappointing Presidential election result for Democrats and addresses some of the theories as to what happened.

Episode 45 - Michael McDonald, Founder of The United States Election Project and the Early Vote Tracker

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 19:58:00 +0000

Through his early vote tracker, University of Florida Political Science Professor Michael McDonald tracks and analyzes the early vote data for all 50 states.

He and Roger discuss what we are seeing in the early vote, particularly in the swing states, as 50 million Americans have already voted in the 2024 election.

Episode 44 - Natalie Jackson, Fmr. Sr. Polling Editor, HuffPost & VP, GQR Research

Thu, 18 Jul 2024 20:19:45 +0000

Natalie Jackson has been a professional pollster for 20 years. She and Roger have a calm & rational discussion about the actual status of the Presidential election race, the problems with polling alternative Dem nominees to Biden, whether Trump's polling numbers are accurate, and more.

Episode 43 - Steve Schale, former Florida State Director for the Obama campaign

Fri, 17 May 2024 17:45:33 +0000

Steve Schale ran President Obama's two Florida victory campaigns and he knows Florida politics inside and out. He and Roger discuss whether Florida is in play for the Biden campaign, how Democrats can reassemble the Obama coalition, the Florida Senate race, the latest on the Florida abortion ballot amendment, and more.

Episode 42 - Anderson Clayton, Chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 13:46:00 +0000

Anderson Clayton is the youngest state party Chair in the United States. She and Roger discuss North Carolina politics: how it's a key target for the Biden campaign to flip in November, her efforts to attract more rural voters, the issues that will play with young voters in the state, changing demographics of the NC electorate, and more.

Episode 41 - Simon Rosenberg, Democratic strategist & founder of New Democrat Network

Sat, 30 Sep 2023 09:17:06 +0000

Simon Rosenberg has been involved in Democratic politics for three decades, first with the Clinton campaigns, as an adviser to the Obama Administration and the founder of the New Democratic Network (NDN) think tank. He was one of the few analysts who did not believe there would be "a red wave" in 2022. He & Roger discuss Democratic over performance in recent elections, 2024 Presidential polling & the Biden campaign, why Democrats are in a good demographic position, and more.

Episode 40 - Special Midterms 2022 Preview, with Reuben Rodriguez (aka The Latino Centrist)

Wed, 02 Nov 2022 18:40:00 +0000

Special guest co-host Reuben Rodriguez, a self-described Latino Centrist, returns to the podcast in a special extended episode as he & Roger preview the upcoming 2022 midterm election. Including an overview of the U.S. political climate, analysis of the early vote, a preview of the key Senate races, and more!

Episode 39 - Tom Bonier, CEO of Target Smart

Fri, 21 Oct 2022 13:48:00 +0000

Tom Bonier has been a consultant to Democratic campaigns, including Senators Cory Booker and Elizabeth Warren, as well as President Obama's 2008 Presidential campaign. He is now CEO of the Democratic data firm Target Smart and he joins Rogers to discuss the upcoming midterm elections: what the polling is saying, early voting data, the surge in women voters, and more.

Episode 38 - Ashley All, Spokesperson for Kansans for Constitutional Freedom

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 19:48:10 +0000

This summer, Kansas voted NO on a state Constitutional amendment that would have banned abortion. Ashley All, Spokesperson for Kansans for Constitutional Freedom, joins Roger to discuss how her group mobilized voters in a deeply conservative state to show up to protect abortion rights and what kind of messaging will work best with red state voters in this November's midterms.

Episode 37 - Robin Johnson, Host of the Heartland Politics podcast

Mon, 25 Jul 2022 13:54:42 +0000

Robin Johnson, along with Representative Cheri Bustos, former Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, put together a research project about how Democratic representatives in 10 midwestern states won in districts carried by Donald Trump. Roger & Robin discuss those findings, how Democrats can rebound with rural voters and midterm election politics in Iowa & Illinois.

Episode 36 - Tom Winter, Montana Democratic Congressional Candidate

Fri, 18 Mar 2022 18:54:27 +0000

Tom Winter, a former state representative, is now running for U.S. Congress in Montana's newly created 2nd Congressional District. He joins Roger to discuss how to run & win as a progressive in Montana, the population growth in the state and who the new arrivals are politically, running against a former member of Trump's cabinet, and more.

Episode 35 - Josh Marshall, Founder and Publisher, Talking Points Memo

Mon, 17 Jan 2022 17:04:42 +0000

Talking Points Memo founder Josh Marshall joins Roger to discuss how the mainstream media is set up in a way that gives Republicans the advantage, the reasons Democrats have a harder time with campaign messaging, why Democrats should make the 2022 midterms about Trump, and more.

Episode 34 - Special 2021 Recap with Reuben Rodriguez (aka The Latino Centrist)

Wed, 29 Dec 2021 18:41:54 +0000

Special guest co-host Reuben Rodriguez, a self-described Latino Centrist, joins Roger to recap the political year of 2021 and preview what to expect in 2022. They discuss the reasons for Biden's approval rating, the politics of COVID, the Latino vote, how the 2 parties should approach the 2022 midterms and more.

Episode 33 - Joe Kennedy, Former Massachusetts Congressman and Founder of Groundwork Project

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 16:46:50 +0000

Joe Kennedy, a member of the legendary Kennedy political family, served 4 terms in Congress but left government this year to form Groundwork Project, a grassroots organization that supports and invests in community organizers in red state America. Roger & Joe discuss how Democrats can win back rural voters and what it takes for Democrats to be competitive long-term in red states.

Episode 32 - Poppy Northcutt, former NASA Engineer & Texas women's rights attorney

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 16:06:26 +0000

Poppy Northcutt was the first woman ever to work in NASA's Mission Control. Her work in the space program made her acutely aware of women's rights issues and she eventually became an attorney who has been on the front lines of abortion rights activism since the days of Roe v Wade. She & Roger discuss the current Texas abortion law, the strengths & weaknesses of the Pro-Choice movement and Texas politics.

Episode 31 - Filmmaker Todd Drezner & Former WV Senate Candidate Bo Copley

Thu, 11 Nov 2021 14:21:10 +0000

After an in-person encounter with Hillary Clinton, unemployed coal industry worker Bo Copley decided to run for the Republican Senate nomination in West Virginia. New York filmmaker Todd Drezner followed Bo's Senate campaign and the result is the documentary, The Campaign of Miner Bo. Todd & Bo join Roger to discuss what it's like for outsiders in politics and what a liberal filmmaker learned about red state America.

Episode 30 - Former Republican Congressman Joe Walsh

Fri, 06 Aug 2021 16:39:06 +0000

Former Republican Congressman Joe Walsh started off as a Trump supporter but began to sour on him quickly. In the end, he not only turned on Trump but ran against him in the 2020 Republican primaries. Roger and Joe discuss Joe's regrets in helping to create the Republican Party that exists today, where Trump voters are at now and whether they can be reached, Joe's advice for Democrats, and more.

Episode 29 - Comedian Steve Hofstetter

Sat, 29 May 2021 23:21:43 +0000

Comedian Steve Hofstetter is back on tour for the first time since the pandemic started and checks in with Roger from the road. They discuss comedy & politics: the difference in performing in red vs blue states, responding to hecklers & harassers, whether comedy can persuade people politically and more.

Episode 28 - Author/Journalist Ross Benes

Mon, 05 Apr 2021 16:04:17 +0000

Ross Benes grew up in small town Nebraska, surrounded by Republicans. Now he lives in Brooklyn. His book "Rural Rebellion: How Nebraska Became a Republican Stronghold" details Nebraska's move rightward but is also a personal story about understanding both rural and urban cultures, and how to bridge that divide. Ross and Roger discuss the misconceptions about rural voters and how Democrats can be competitive in Nebraska again.

Episode 27 - Author/Journalist Alec MacGillis

Mon, 15 Mar 2021 16:46:15 +0000

Journalist Alec MacGillis often writes about inequality in the U.S., including a New York Times article that led to the launch of this very Clusterfucked podcast. His new book, Fulfillment: Winning & Losing in One-Click America, looks at winners and losers in different regions through the lens of Amazon. Roger and Alec discuss the book, how the pandemic has affected liberal clustering and more.

Episode 26 - Ben Wikler, Chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 17:56:15 +0000

Wisconsin Democratic Chair Ben Wikler joins Roger to discuss Wisconsin politics: how Biden beat Trump in the state, the 2022 campaign to defeat Republican Senator Ron Johnson, how candidates can win regularly in Wisconsin, and more.

Episode 25 - Senator Heidi Heitkamp (North Dakota) and Alabama Minority House Leader, Anthony Daniels

Mon, 08 Feb 2021 17:48:01 +0000

Former Senator Heidi Heitkamp (North Dakota) and first ever African-American Alabama Minority House Leader Anthony Daniels join Roger for a lively discussion on what Democrats need to do to reach out to rural voters, particularly in deep red states.

Episode 24 - Ashley York, Director of the documentary film, Hillbilly

Fri, 22 Jan 2021 22:45:40 +0000

A California filmmaker goes back to where she grew up in small-town Kentucky to find out why her relatives support Trump and to explore the cultural stereotyping of the people of Appalachia.

Roger and Director Ashley York discuss her film Hillbilly, the conditions that led to the politics of the region and the surprising progressive community in Kentucky and surrounding red states.

Episode 23 - David Shor, Former Data Analyst for Obama For America/Obama's 2012 re-election campaign

Thu, 17 Dec 2020 20:20:11 +0000

At 20 years old, David Shor was hired by Obama for America and was a key data analyst & forecaster for Obama's 2012 re-election campaign. David and Roger discuss the polling problems with the 2020 election, who non-voters really are, myths about which issues are actually popular with voters, and more.

Episode 22 - Bill Kristol, Editor of The Bulwark and Founding Director, Republican Voters Against Trump

Fri, 04 Dec 2020 16:18:07 +0000

Bill Kristol had long been one of the most well-known Conservatives in the country - until Trump. Bill & Roger discuss what the election results tell us about the Republican party, whether the GOP will ever quit Trump and how Democrats can keep voters like him and the rest of the Never Trump movement.

Special Episode - 2020 Election Preview

Mon, 02 Nov 2020 22:42:21 +0000

Host Roger King gives his quick overview of what to expect on election night, including key swing states to watch and the differences in the polls between 2020 and 2016.

Episode 20 - Hassan Martini, Executive Director, No Democrat Left Behind

Tue, 13 Oct 2020 15:53:24 +0000

No Democrat Left Behind is a one-of-a-kind grassroots movement dedicated to getting Democrats running in deep red districts into Congress. Hassan and Roger discuss the coalition of candidates they are running in November and the strategies for Democrats being competitive in these red districts.

Episode 19 - LaTosha Brown, Co-Founder of Black Voters Matter

Tue, 08 Sep 2020 17:06:21 +0000

Black Voters Matter works to increase power in marginalized, predominantly Black communities. LaTosha and Roger discuss the impact of the race protests in the wake of the George Floyd murder, the untapped potential to motivate rural black voters in Southern red states, Voter ID laws and more.

Episode 18 - Joe Trippi, CNN Commentator and Strategist for Senator Doug Jones

Wed, 19 Aug 2020 13:48:09 +0000

Joe Trippi is a well-known Democratic strategist who has worked with/for Howard Dean, Ted Kennedy, Walter Mondale, Jerry Brown and Alabama Senator Doug Jones, among many others. Joe and Roger discuss Joe's legendary career, the Jones re-election campaign, money in politics and how Democrats can win across the country in November.

Episode 17 - Sherrie Matula & Diana Patino from Sisters United Alliance

Tue, 04 Aug 2020 17:13:44 +0000

Sisters United Alliance (SUA) specifically targets Texas women who have registered in the past but did not vote. Roger talks with Sherrie & Diana from SUA about how they target these women, their success in getting them out for the 2018 midterms and whether Texas can turn blue in November.

Episode 16 - Aaron Kleinman, Director of Research, Future Now

Tue, 14 Jul 2020 19:37:23 +0000

Future Now gets progressive candidates elected at the state level but they are also an advocacy organization that helps those elected candidates enact their agenda once in office. Aaron and Roger discuss the key states for the 2020 election, the issues that will help Dems win at the state level, and more.

Episode 15 - Sarah Longwell, Strategic Director, Republican Voters Against Trump

Mon, 22 Jun 2020 16:55:27 +0000

Republican Voters Against Trump (RVAT) collects video testimonials from Republicans across the country who do not support Trump. Sarah Longwell co-founded the group. She and Roger discuss why Trump is losing support from Republicans; the $10 million RVAT anti-Trump ad campaign in swing states; why Biden is winning these voters, and more.

Episode 14 - Amanda Litman, Executive Director of Run For Something

Wed, 27 May 2020 18:11:23 +0000

Amanda Litman is the Executive Director of Run For Something, which recruits and supports young progressives running for office at all levels across the U.S. Roger and Amanda discuss how she went from being Hillary Clinton's email Director (not those emails!) to launching Run For Something the day after Trump's inauguration; how the organization finds candidates and decides which ones to endorse; successful candidates they have backed in red states, and more.

Episode 13 - David Weissman, former die-hard Trump supporter turned Democrat

Fri, 01 May 2020 16:24:10 +0000

David Weissman was a right wing Republican and die-hard Trump supporter. A self-described troll, he was part of the MAGA army on social media and built up a Twitter following of over 100,000. A chance Twitter encounter with comedian Sarah Silverman got him rethinking his beliefs and eventually led to him regretting his support for Trump. David and Roger discuss his journey from the MAGA cult (as he calls it) to becoming a Democrat.

Episode 12 - Rick Wilson, Former Republican Strategist and well-known Never Trump Conservative

Tue, 11 Feb 2020 15:57:55 +0000

Rick Wilson is one of the most well-known Never Trump Conservatives in the country, through his many TV appearances and NY Times best-selling book, "Everything Trump Touches Dies". Rick and Roger discuss his new book "Running Against The Devil", which gives advice to Democrats on how to beat Trump. Rick gives his take on the Dems chances in key red states, evaluates the pluses and minuses of the remaining Democratic Presidential candidates, and more.

Episode 10 - Jonathan Rodden, Author of "Why Cities Lose" and Professor of Political Science, Stanford University.

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 17:22:55 +0000

Why Cities Lose traces the deep roots of the Urban-Rural divide in the U.S. and shows that geography is the main reason the left loses many key elections. Roger and Jonathan discuss how Democrats are making inroads with suburban voters and which states that is happening in the most; the changing nature of college educated voters; how housing costs in major urban places may be unintentionally helping Democrats, and more.

Episode 11 - Rachel Bitecofer, Asst. Dir. of the Wason Center for Public Policy at Christopher Newport University

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 17:19:34 +0000

Rachel Bitecofer predicted the exact number of House seats the Democrats would win in the 2018 midterms before any other political analyst and she is already on the record as saying Trump will lose in 2020. Rachel and Roger discuss why Trump won in 2016 and why he likely won't in 2020; why the Democrats won in 2018 (it's not the reason many Democrats think); the truth about independent voters, and more.

Episode 9 - Sacha Haworth, Political Director of American Bridge Super PAC

Fri, 22 Nov 2019 16:34:50 +0000

American Bridge is the largest research, video tracking and rapid response organization in Democratic politics. They find what Republicans are hiding and make sure voters hear about it. Sacha and Roger discuss how American Bridge tracks Republicans and what they do with the video or info when they find something; how, according to their polling, Trump is vulnerable with his own voters; their $50 million campaign to flip Trump voters in key swing states, and more.

Episode 8 - Charlie Sykes, Co-Founder of The Bulwark and MSNBC/NBC contributor

Mon, 28 Oct 2019 18:31:57 +0000

Charlie Sykes is one of the most well-known Never Trump conservatives. Roger and Charlie discuss whether Charlie considers himself a Republican anymore; whether the conservative movement can survive Trump; the issues Democrats should run on in 2020 to persuade moderate voters; Wisconsin as the key swing state and more.

Episode 7 - Jane Kleeb, Chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party. aka "The Keystone Killer".

Fri, 18 Oct 2019 10:06:06 +0000

Roger & Jane discuss how she organized rural conservatives in Nebraska to oppose the Keystone Pipeline (Rolling Stone magazine called her "The Keystone Killer".) They also discuss how Democrats can persuade rural voters; her rise from progressive organizer to Nebraska Democratic Party Chair; whether Dems can win in Nebraska in 2020 and more.

Episode 6 - Bill Scher, Contributing Editor to Politico Magazine and writer for Real Clear Politics

Wed, 02 Oct 2019 15:36:56 +0000

Bill and Roger discuss key things liberals might find surprising: that virtually everything Obama signed into law got Republican votes; the NRA donating to politicians is not the real source of their power; that the Democrats may be making a political mistake pursuing single payer healthcare, and more.

Episode 5 - Jason Marsden, Executive Director of the Matthew Shepard Foundation

Wed, 11 Sep 2019 12:50:45 +0000

Matthew Shepard was brutally murdered in a hate crime 21 years ago this October, in Laramie, Wyoming. His death was a galvanizing moment for the LGBTQ community across the U.S. Jason Marsden was a friend of Matthew's and is now the Executive Director of the Matthew Shepard Foundation.

In this episode, Roger and Jason discuss the mission of the foundation; Jason's decision to come out in the media right after Matthew was murdered; what it was like to be gay in red state Wyoming; Jason's husband running for Mayor in Casper, Wyoming; the current LGBTQ community in Wyoming and more.

Episode 4 - Pam Keith, Florida Democratic Senate and Congressional Candidate. Former JAG and Attorney.

Mon, 12 Aug 2019 18:03:24 +0000

In this episode, Roger and Pam discuss Florida politics: why it is a red state at the moment, her idea for the Democrats to start a campaign to get people to move there for political reasons, the parts of her gun control and health care platform that appealed to Republicans and more.

Note: Though it was eventually corrected, this episode was initially labelled as Episode 3 for iTunes subscribers. You may want to go back to Episode 3 to hear the one you missed.

Episode 3 - Paul Chabot, President and CEO of Conservative Move

Fri, 26 Jul 2019 16:26:25 +0000

In this episode, Roger and Paul discuss Paul's company Conservative Move, a Texas-based real estate company that helps conservatives move out of blue states and into red ones. They discuss why conservatives want to move, where they are moving to and which political issues are animating his clients. They also discuss Paul's past teenage drug abuse, his work in law enforcement & in the Clinton administration, and more.

Episode 2 - Dean Ferguson, Executive Director, Democratic Party of Wyoming

Thu, 13 Jun 2019 21:41:30 +0000

The guest is Dean Ferguson, Executive Director, Democratic Party of Wyoming. Former Executive Director, Idaho Democratic Party.

In this episode, Roger and Dean discuss how few votes it takes to win a Senate election in Wyoming and the low cost to run a campaign there; the issues Democrats can run on in Wyoming to attract Republican votes; what happened when Obama held a rally in Boise, Idaho; how a fringe movement of people moving to Idaho helped Republicans, and more.

Episode 1 - Matthew Dowd

Sun, 19 May 2019 16:00:00 +0000

Matthew Dowd was Chief Strategist for the Bush-Cheney 2004 election campaign and held that same role for California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006. He is now Chief Political Analyst for ABC News.

In this episode, Roger & Matthew discuss why he parted ways with Bush and supported Obama; strategies for Democrats/progressives to win in red states; Can Texas become a blue state; what campaigns would be like if the electoral college was abolished and we moved to a popular vote system...and more.

Intro Episode: This is Clusterf*cked.

Sun, 12 May 2019 16:00:00 +0000

In an abbreviated 10 minute episode, host Roger King gives an overview of the CF podcast concept and how with just a bit of (literal) movement, liberals could turn more of the U.S. map blue.