Democracy in Color with Steve Phillips

Political journalist and host of Vox’s America, Actually, Astead Herndon, returns for a conversation about the midterms, Trump’s waning credibility, and the tensions shaping the Democratic Party’s future. He explains how Democrats can address the cost of living while confronting corruption and holding Trump accountable. He also shares what the 2024 election reveals about voters’ priorities and how the party can move beyond symbolic representation to deliver tangible improvements in people’s lives. REFERENCES:  Astead Herndon - @AsteadWH Vox: America, Actually Substack: The Midterms, Actually

Yasmin Radjy, executive director of Swing Left, joins us to discuss why Democratic campaigns need to build trust earlier, reach voters often overlooked, and invest in long-term organizing, not just focus on the next election.  She explains how voter files are leaving a quarter of the electorate behind and where grassroots efforts can make the biggest difference for the upcoming midterms as we head into Election Day, and beyond. REFERENCES:  Yasmin Radjy - @yasminradjy Swing Left - @swingleft Swing Left Take Action

Election Day is 40 days away. Political Director of the California Donor Table Michael Gomez Daly discusses the upcoming midterms and the 862 votes that defied political consultants polling data and flipped a long-held Republican seat in California’s Central Valley during the 2018 election.  He shares what that race can teach us about organizing in 2026, the limits of voter-propensity models, and why local, relationship-based organizing still matters in an era of increasingly sophisticated campaign data. REFERENCES: California Donor Table California Donor Table LinkedIn

With the 2026 midterms less than eight weeks away, we sit down with veteran Democratic strategist and political data expert Tom Bonier to take a closer look at what the numbers are telling us about the electorate. Tom is CEO of the TARA Group and a senior adviser and former CEO of TargetSmart, one of the country’s leading Democratic political data firms. He has also taught political science at Howard University. Together, we dig into the battle for Congress, what Democrats’ performance among Black and Latino voters could mean in November, the changing electoral map, and why Bonier says we should take the polls with a grain of salt. Plus, Bonier shares what he’s watching most closely in the final stretch and where the data may be telling a different story from the conventional wisdom. REFERENCES: Tom Bonier - @tbonier

Mila Atmos, host and executive producer of the new podcast series Occupy! An Unfinished Uprising, joins us to discuss the lasting legacy of Occupy Wall Street and how many of the ideas once considered radical have moved into the political mainstream. She points out the through-line from Occupy’s “99 percent” movement, which started 15 years ago in September 2011, to Bernie Sanders and today’s progressive resurgence, as well as the movement’s shortcomings around race and the racial wealth gap. Mila also reflects on what Occupy can teach today’s organizers—and the Democratic Party—as the struggle over the party’s future continues.   REFERENCE: Mila Atmos - About Future Hindsight - Podcast Site Occupy! An Unfinished Uprising - Podcast Site