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I think for a long time, Democrats have looked at the South and thought, we need to run candidates who are paler versions of Republicans in order to attract as many conservative voters as possible. But if voters have a choice between a real Republican and a Democrat who seems like a Republican, they'll go with the real thing every time. I think the future of Democratic politics in the South is represented by candidates like Andrew Gillum, Stacey Abrams, Amy McGrath, and Doug Jones. These candidates don't necessarily agree on every issue, but they're not afraid to take progressive positions when they truly believe in those positions, and they're all comfortable in their own skin. - JF

She's the loudest angel I know - JF

Thank you for a great question. Despite what some "haters" have said in the past, who know NOTHING about the REAL FACTS, Pundit is an angel and beloved wherever she goes, from Des Moines to Concord. The crowds are amazing, and she fights. -JL

Giving us insomnia: climate change

Giving us hope: the surge of activism, organizing, and first-time candidates running

Sure! It's one reason we try to focus on talking about what should happen in politics, instead of what might happen in politics. Getting out of the prediction business helps us avoid falling into some of the typical pundit traps.

The best modern political writing is every tweet we've ever read.

1. It definitely took a while for me to feel comfortable speaking my mind or criticizing things Obama said or did that I disagreed with. But the good news is there were a few years between when I left the administration and started doing the pod, so I was warmed up.
2. We made a deliberate decision to make sure our first three hires were women, and holy shit thank God we did. We never could've gotten Crooked where it is today without our head of content Tanya Somanader and COO Sarah Wick and our producer Elisa Gutierrez. They in turn have helped ensure we built out a team that's more reflective of the diversity of the country, and that we're looking to find new, different, and exciting people to partner with. TL;DR - hire great people!
3. You have no idea. She is the best. We were lucky enough to sit with her in Obama's Senate office starting in 2005, and she's been one of my favorite people on the planet since. We are so lucky to have Alyssa join us on PSA. - Tommy