Claim OwnershipDemocrats Abroad: The Blue Vote Café
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Every American living abroad can vote in the U.S., and can engage politically back home through Democrats Abroad, an official arm of the Democratic Party.
Brought to you by David Schellenberg and Rachel Eugster (co-chairs of the Canada's Capital Region chapter of Democrats Abroad) this podcast is about Americans living outside the U.S.--who we are, what we stand for, how to get engaged back home, and how to make sure your vote is counted, Because when Democrats vote abroad, Democrats at home win.
For more info: democratsabroad.org
To register and request your ballot: votefromabroad.org
Brought to you by David Schellenberg and Rachel Eugster (co-chairs of the Canada's Capital Region chapter of Democrats Abroad) this podcast is about Americans living outside the U.S.--who we are, what we stand for, how to get engaged back home, and how to make sure your vote is counted, Because when Democrats vote abroad, Democrats at home win.
For more info: democratsabroad.org
To register and request your ballot: votefromabroad.org
144 Episodes
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Kate Barr discusses how to lose an electoral race in the loudest, most impactful way possible. She explores why America isn't as polarized as we’re led to believe, the critical difference between representatives choosing their voters versus voters choosing their representatives, and the urgent need for fair maps. She also introduces the Can't Win Victory Fund (https://www.cantwinvictoryfund.com/).Find the full library of Blue Vote Café episodes at http://bluevotecafe.com. Remember to register and request your ballot every year at https://www.votefromabroad.org/.
From MAGA to Democrat: Pamela Hemphill opens up about her journey, including her experience on January 6 and her time in prison. She reveals what broke the spell of the lies and offers strategies for talking to those still in the Trump cult. Pamela also reads a personal letter from Mike Pence and discusses why she embraces Democrats as the "party of love."Find the full audio library of Blue Vote Café episodes at http://bluevotecafe.com.Register and request your ballot every year at https://www.votefromabroad.org/.
Terry Watkins checks in from Democrats Abroad China. The conversation explores the nuances of racism around the world—specifically in China and Chile—as well as the information vacuum in China and the challenges of freely conversing with fellow DA members there. We also discuss the need to combat apathy and the frustration of sloganeering instead of focusing on our common goals.Find the full audio library of Blue Vote Café episodes at http://bluevotecafe.com. Register and request your ballot every year at https://www.votefromabroad.org/.
Campaign consultant Eva Posner of Evinco Strategies (https://www.evincostrategies.com/) digs deep into the big questions: what's toxic in our political system, why the Democrats aren't better liked, and how having an agenda is a good thing. She talks about how our political system is upside-down, what's really needed to win races, and the need to certify and regulate political consultants. She also dips into how where we are now is the logical conclusion of our country's never having finished Reconstruction, the role of local campaigns in fighting Trumpism, and the strategy behind the cruelty of deportations. On a more positive note, she also shares the triumph of helping Monica Montgomery Steppe (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monica_Montgomery_Steppe) achieve office, and the positive results that can be traced back to her first win. Find the full audio library of Blue Vote Café episodes at http://bluevotecafe.com. Register and request your ballot every year at https://www.votefromabroad.org/.
Kathleen Minor began her political journey in 2008, helping her mother work for Obama in Marjorie Taylor Greene's congressional district. She shares what inspired her to get involved again in 2020, discussing the role of hope, inspiration, and the power that lies in the hands of little people—"two guys on a bridge." She offers her recipe for winning: from listening to inspiring others. And she's job hunting! If you have an opening in the political communications sphere, act fast before someone else snaps her up! For more information: https://yourvoiceisaweapon.com/#CrookedConFind the full audio library of Blue Vote Café episodes at http://bluevotecafe.com. Register and request your ballot every year at https://www.votefromabroad.org/.
Adam Gurri, editor in chief of Liberal Currents https://www.liberalcurrents.com/ talks about this new media company's broad span of investigation, from the foundational work of defining liberalism and the reasons for defending it, to itemizing existing institutional levers that can help resist authoritarianism. Would Trump have been impeached in 2021 if the Senate rules had specified a vote by secret ballot? What if state bar associations deemed any law firm that caved in to the administration's demands to be violating their oaths? Adam outlines an upcoming project of gathering experts to explore how to build back to something better than what existed before, and talks about the GoFundMe that will allow Liberal Currents to hire staff: https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-liberal-currents-startup-fund Find the full audio library of Blue Vote Café episodes at http://bluevotecafe.com. Register and request your ballot every year at https://www.votefromabroad.org/.
Stuck in Vermont during the pandemic with his partner stranded across the border in Quebec, playwright Terry Allison was inspired to write about the repercussions at the family and small-town level of separation enforced by an invisible line. Terry talks about language as a fundamental part of our history, about the challenges of writing comedically for a different culture, and about borders as places where people can come together and collaborate to solve problems. Terry also addresses love as a theme of the play, the role of art in politics, and Kristi Noem's dramatic gesture at the Haskell Free Library and Opera House. Find the full audio library of Blue Vote Café episodes at http://bluevotecafe.com. Register and request your ballot every year at https://www.votefromabroad.org/.
Democrats Abroad member Bob Vallier explains what a party platform is, what it does, how it's made, and Democrats Abroad's new efforts to ensure proper platform planning. He discusses how preparing a party's platform can stimulate the grassroots at the local level, leading to member engagement and volunteer recruitment. DA members should watch for opportunities to participate and engage others in this process. Bob also shares tales of doing stand-up in the Netherlands and France, and of the philosophy podcast he co-hosts, Hotel Bar Sessions. Find the full audio library of Blue Vote Café episodes at http://bluevotecafe.com. Register and request your ballot every year at https://www.votefromabroad.org/.
Kalere Payton visits the cafe from Iceland to tell a tale of racial trauma and healing. Payton speaks to what her mother's story has to teach about perseverance, about what it means to be an ally and to use whatever privilege you have to address injustice. She talks about raising children who will stand in the gap, particularly in a time when there is so much hurt in the world. Visit https://www.thefaithofthedreamerfilm.com for more information about the documentary directed by Payton's brother Khary Payton. Follow @the.faithofthedreamer.film for news about when it will be available to screen. Find the full audio library of Blue Vote Café episodes at http://bluevotecafe.com. Register and request your ballot every year at votefromabroad.org.
Rachel made a new friend at the inaugural Crooken Con. Christian Ortega dives into what it was like to attend. The conversation ranges from Obama's surprise appearance and feeling startstruck by the speakers and panelists; to billionaires; AI; corporate overlords; notable points made by conference speakers such as Simone Snaders Townsend, Hasan Piker, and Lina Khan; and what it's like to feel seen.Find the full audio library of Blue Vote Café episodes at http://bluevotecafe.com. Register and request your ballot every year at votefromabroad.org.
Andrea Miller and Judith Bolker from the Center for Common Ground give an on-the-ground picture of working to educate and empower voters of color in voter suprpession states. Based in Virginia, Andrea talks ensuring that t information reaches people whose circumstances don't give them access, and that people understand why voting makes a difference. Based in the U.K,, Judith talks about Andrea's inspirational leadership, and shares some concrete examples. Andrea offers a poignant reason for why it doesn't matter where in the world your phonebanking call comes from.F ind the full audio library of Blue Vote Café episodes at http://bluevotecafe.com. Register and request your ballot every year at votefromabroad.org.
Photographer and videographer Liana Miuccio (https://www.lianamiuccio.com/) talks about practicing art as activism, and describes some of her projects focusing on migration, identity, and memory. She speaks about her family's history in Rome, Sicily, and New York, and her distress at shifts in immigration policies. The conversation touches on the photographs everyone has on their phones standing in as video diaries, and how the phone camera is an important tool for activism.Find the full audio library of Blue Vote Café episodes at http://bluevotecafe.com. Register and request your ballot every year at votefromabroad.org.
Erica Gibson and David Morse, chair and vice chair of Democrats Abroad Norway talk about their new radio show, U.S. Politics in Plain English. https://www.drammenunlimitedradio.com/ They share tales about the world's shittiest secretary, Mary Lou Retton's father-in-law, the contrast between Lincoln's oratory and Trump's, how David Morse contributed to Biden's decision not to run for a second term (https://www.nydailynews.com/2024/07/14/an-arrogant-old-man-wont-stop-joe-biden-must-learn-jack-javits-lesson-and-step-away/), and their "Do Something" campaign. Tips for dealing with fruit flies, and a selection of songs to pair with talking about American politics. Find the full audio library of Blue Vote Café episodes at http://bluevotecafe.com. Register and request your ballot every year at votefromabroad.org.
When Stewart Johnson staged a one-man No Kings Day protest in front of the U.S. Embassy in Estonia, his image went viral. Stewart tells the story, and paints a picture of the country he's fallen in love with. He also discusses government by oligarchs, the Singing Revolution, humor as an educational tool, and spins tales of being the first person to ever do stand-up comedy in a country. The creator of Estonia's first cancer comedy and first movie in English ("The Chuck Band Show"), Stewart is also the author of the book Tales from Estonia. Find the full audio library of Blue Vote Café episodes at http://bluevotecafe.com. Register and request your ballot every year at votefromabroad.org.
Robin Roberts (https://www.yourtherapistabroad.com/) shares insights from her ten years of practice as an American therapist living abroad. Noting an increase in anxiety and depression among her clients, she discusses how to deal with the consequences of living in these challenging times, how to draw boundaries, and deal with family you don't agree with--or family you do agree with but who live far away. With a little discussion of Canadian Thanksgiving, typical Amsterdam fare, and Dutch culture. Find the full audio library of Blue Vote Café episodes at http://bluevotecafe.com. Register and request your ballot every year at votefromabroad.org.
What do you need to know when you cross the border into the U.S.? Attorney Natasha Esponda answers many of the questions that are on the minds of Americans living outside the country--about where searches and seizures can take place, when warrants are required, where your phone can and cannot be searched, and the rights of non-citizen family members. With nods to a favorite criminal procedures professor and the ACLU, and to joy as an act of resistance. Find the full audio library of Blue Vote Café episodes at http://bluevotecafe.com. Register and request your ballot every year at votefromabroad.org.
1Pulitzer prize--winning biographer and historian T.J. Stiles offers his view of where we are now, as he speaks about the dismantling of institutions, what a post-Trump world might look like, the daunting fiscal challenges ahead, the factors that lead to violence, and on what might happen rather than Civil War. Plus a brief rant against the fool who stepped on the butterfly and sent us into this timeline. Find the full audio library of Blue Vote Café episodes at http://bluevotecafe.com. Register and request your ballot every year at votefromabroad.org.
The guest in the Café is Benjamin Gorman, publisher at Not a Pipe Publishing, and author of Dear America, a Break-up Letter. Benjamin relates the dramatic story of his family's flight from the U.S. in the wake of Donald Trump's 2024 electoral victory, describes the craziness of some of the hatred directed at him and Not a Pipe, discusses the messaging received by young cis white men, and outlines how fascists exploit anger within the electorate, and why they never make people's lives better.Find the full audio library of Blue Vote Café episodes at http://bluevotecafe.com. Register and request your ballot every year at votefromabroad.org.
Keith Brannum and Hope Mandel visit the cafe to talk about Democrats Abroad's newest country committee: DA Turkiye, which they lead as chair and vice chair. The two talk about the steps involved in bringing the committee to viability, from the earliest phone calls to existing members, to recognition at Democrats Abroad's most recent annual meeting. They share impressions of Istanbul, their ongoing conversation about contacting existing members vs finding new ones, and how they'll go about getting out the vote among Americans living in Turkiye. The conversation also touches on Turkish pastries, the need for a podcast on Turkish men, and a vision of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney dancing to the Pogues at a summer music festival. Find the full audio library of Blue Vote Café episodes at http://bluevotecafe.com. Register and request your ballot every year at votefromabroad.org.
David and Rachel are joined by Robert E. Friedman, founder of the international development nonprofit Prosperity Now, who visited three ICE detention centers in Louisiana in August 2025. Bob speaks of the numbers of people in detention, the conditions and deprivations, the absence of due process, and of individuals he was able to speak to. He notes that while videos of arrests are widely available, no one sees what happens after that to the people who are detained. He speaks of a metastasizing system of concentration camps that are operating in our name, and reminds us to review the language of the Fourteenth Amendment, which guarantees that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. Find the full audio library of Blue Vote Café episodes at http://bluevotecafe.com. Register and request your ballot every year at votefromabroad.org.
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