Claim OwnershipCrashing The Political Party
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Crashing the Political Party is a podcast for curious but busy people who feel let down by the current political system and are looking for something different. Each episode features conversations with, or about, alternative political candidates, topics, and ideas you won’t hear about on mainstream news. If you're ready to explore fresh voices and real options beyond the usual talking heads and cable news shouting matches, this podcast is for you.
39 Episodes
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In this episode, AJ talks with Chicago Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez about his independent campaign for 4th congressional district in Illinois, why he's running as an independent, challenges he's faced going that route, his policy priorities, vying for voter attention in a five way race, what his governing experience in Chicago has taught him, what his children have taught him about governing, books that have influenced him, and more!If you like what you hear please rate, review and subscribe!Join on us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/cppshowAnd for more updates check out our website: https://www.crashingpod.com/
In episode three of season five, AJ sits down with Rich Whitney, chair of the recently formed Independence Party. They talk about who the party is, what some of their policy priorities are, what it looks like to start a new party, issues around collecting voter signatures, lessons learned from Rich's prior experiences in alternative politics, convincing voters to support a new party, and more!
In this episode, AJ talks with Todd Achilles, a former state representative turned independent candidate for the U.S. senate election there. They talk about Todd's background, why he's running as an independent as opposed to one of the major or alternative parties, his policy priorities, what he hopes to achieve in the senate, and how he might try to work with both Democrats and Republicans to get things done.
In this season five premiere, AJ sits down with Justin Magill, Chairman of the Constitution Party. They talk about who the party is, some of their policy priorities, where they've had electoral success, what some of their goals are for 2026, strategies for growing the party, barriers to alternative party successes, what a chairman does exactly, and, of course, books!If you like what you hear please rate, review and subscribe!Join on us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/cppshowAnd for more updates check out our website: https://www.crashingpod.com/
In this bonus kick-off episode, Crashing The Political Party shares expectations for our new super-sized season, as well as some exciting things happening on Patreon. To hear the entire conversation join us over at our Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/c/CPPShow/home
In this season four finale, AJ is joined by Dr. Richard Gilman-Opalsky (RGO), a political philosophy professor and expert on Marxist thought. RGO teaches us the differences between Democratic Socialism and Communism, including some important historical debates that matter.
Continuing our conversation on the challenges facing American agriculture, AJ is joined by farmer Greg Gunthorp. They discuss the challenges facing farmers who raise livestock, regenerative farming, meat processing, how farming consolidation has hurt farmers and consumers, supporting independent farmers, and book recommendations!
In this episode, AJ is joined by Sarah Carden of Farm Action. They talk about why independent farmers are struggling, how these issues hurt consumers, what policy changes are needed, her experiences as a farmer, and more.
This week, AJ talks with Ben Sooy. Ben is a musician, member of A Place for Owls, and founder/president of the musician-support nonprofit Holy Fool. They get into the band’s backstory, the real challenges new artists are facing right now, how Holy Fool hopes to help working musicians survive, the importance of community, why DIY has become the new normal for many bands, and of course… book recommendations.
For our second episode of Season Four, AJ sits down with Sean Park of the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs to talk about community owned grocery stores. They discuss the different types of stores, why communities in food deserts are turning to them, why we're seeing the need for them in both rural and urban communities, how Sean got involved in establishing them, the connection between community owned stores and community owned agriculture, and, of course, book recommendations!
In this season four premiere, AJ is joined by labor journalist, historian, and troublemaker Kim Kelly. They talked about how she got into covering the labor movement, the history of Illinois as a labor hotbed, shifting attitudes towards labor and unions, recent wins for the labor movement, Kim's books Fight Like Hell and Fight to Win, and additional book recommendations!If you like what you hear please join us over at our Patreon:patreon.com/cppshowAnd our website:https://www.crashingpod.com/
Today on a special unlocked Patreon “Office Hours” episode, AJ sits down with producer Kylan and Brittany, owner of our partner bookstore, Tropes. They swap favorite book recs from the season, reveal where you can find a handy list of them all, and look back on Season 3, complete with some of Kylan’s burning questions for AJ.Check out the list of all the book recommendations we received this season! https://bookshop.org/lists/cpp-book-recommendations
And now for something completely different. In this Season Three finale, we debut our first-ever “Hidden in Plain Sight” episode. Instead of interviewing a politician, we spotlight a news story you may not be hearing elsewhere.To kick things off, AJ is joined by Basel Musharbash to discuss corporate consolidation. They unpack what a monopoly is, why Basel became an anti-monopoly lawyer, how monopolies impact public safety through something as basic as firetrucks, and how they’re reshaping American agriculture. They also explore potential solutions, and of course get some book recommendations for listeners who want to dig deeper into the issue.
In this episode, AJ sits down with Michael Gainer, an independent candidate for mayor of Buffalo, New York. They dive into Michael’s background and professional experience, his decision to shift from Democrat to independent, and his vision for the city. Michael shares his top policy priorities, why he believes he can win, and the one idea he hopes will carry forward even if he doesn’t. The conversation also explores the role of mentors (and their books that shaped him), and why holding onto joy matters in today’s often dark political climate.
This week, AJ is joined by Mississippi State Rep. Shanda Yates. They talk about her surprise victory over a long time incumbent Republican, her decision to switch from being a Democrat, some of her major policy priorities and wins, how she as an independent is able to get leadership positions, how she navigates being an independent in a heavily partisan environment, her love of Southern gothic literature, and why bubble baths and a glass of wine are a good way to end a stressful day.
AJ is joined by Vic Kaplan, the Libertarian Party’s 2025 candidate for Governor of New Jersey. They discuss his campaign policies and slogan “Freedom and Empathy,” the federal government’s role in immigration, and how alternative party candidates can achieve policy successes even if not electoral success. The conversation also covers lighter topics like Vic's enjoy ment of Taylor Ham, plus Vic’s recommendations, including the Season 3 history episode on Eugene Debs and some books!
In this episode, AJ talks with independent Donna Charles, who is running in the 2025 Virginia Governor election. They talk about her decision to run as an independent, her solutions to issues facing Virginia, what makes her different than the two major party candidates, how voters have reacted to her, elected officials she respects, book recommendations, and, of course, her love of the game Mortal Kombat!
This week, AJ is joined by Maine independent state representative from Bill Pluecker. They talk about Bill's background as a farmer, why he is an independent, some of his policy priorities, how to support independent and resiliant farming (where AJ makes a Lord of the Rings reference), what it's like to campaign (and win) as an independent, being an independent in a closely contested legislature, forever chemicals, and Bill teaches AJ about a giant festival held in Maine every summer!
In this episode, AJ is joined by Dr. Lee Drutman, an expert on electoral reform and American politics. They talk about the "two party doom loop", why it's bad, how American voters actually more resemble a six party system, why we have a two party system, and how changing our electoral system to one with multimember districts and proportional representation may transform America into a multiparty system. If you ever wanted to hear AJ really nerd out with someone, this episode is for you.
In our Season 3 Time Machine episode, AJ is joined by Allison Duerk, direct of the Eugene V Debs Museum to talk about who Debs is, the previous strength of the Socialist Party in America, why support for the party collapsed, what it was like for Debs to run for president from jail, why there has been increased interest in Debs in recent years, and what new research tells us about the importance of Kate Debs to Eugene and the Socialist Party.
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