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Left Out Loud is a progressive political podcast breaking down the biggest stories shaping our democracy. From up-to-the-minute political news and midterm election coverage to in-depth interviews with grassroots Democratic candidates, the show spotlights the voices and movements fighting for real change. Smart, informed, and unapologetically loud, Left Out Loud pairs sharp analysis with humor and plain-spoken commentary, cutting through the noise to focus on what actually matters. If you care about elections, organizing, and the future of the Democratic Party—and you like your politics with a little personality—this is the podcast for you.
All right, Andrew Rice,
welcome to Left Out Loud.
Hello there.
How's it going?
I'm so…
Great.
How are you doing?
In the car collecting signatures, I see.
In,
in the car collecting signatures,
and minus the fascism,
everything's going well.
Always the fascism.
We can't escape it.
Um, so you're running for Congress
in Connecticut's 3rd District.
Correct.
We just had another guest running in
a different district who talked to
us about how absolutely insane, um,
getting on the ballot is in Connecticut.
How are you doing so far with
your signature collecting?
How's that going?
It is a laborious process.
Mm-hmm.
Um, and we have… I think we have,
like, 30 to 40 volunteers signed up.
Okay.
Do they all… Um, you know,
some of them have been very, you
know, go-getters, getting out
there and getting the signatures.
Some of them, you know, just
haven't had as much time as they
thought it, uh, they would have.
Right.
Um, but, you know, there's also, you
know, keeping track of 30 people,
getting their numbers reported,
and so it's, it's a lot of work.
I think we're about halfway there
and we have five days left to go.
Mm-hmm.
Um, so it- if we make it,
it is going to be close.
Yeah.
But the system is just
completely, completely broken.
Well, no, it's not broken.
It's corrupt.
Um…
Yeah, I mean, it seems like the
deck is stacked against, um, non
sort of legacy candidates when it
comes to getting on the ballot.
Yes.
Y- so they are very, very
protective of their incumbents here.
Mm-hmm.
And so there are two ways
of getting onto the ballot.
The first way is at a district
convention where a group of
delegates decide who the endorsed
candidate and, um, nominees will be.
Uh, then there's the petition route,
which is 2% of registered Democrats
within a 42-day window, and two weeks of
that window come before the convention.
So it kind of… So at the convention,
you're, uh, you can convince delegates
to put you on the ballot if you get
15% of the- Mm-hmm … delegation
to put you on the ballot.
At our convention, we had 45
votes and we needed 51 votes.
We were six votes shy of getting
ballot access, and then the Democratic
Party broke their own rules- Ugh
broke convention rules to deprive us
of the opportunity to flip those six
delegates to get onto the ballot.
We contested the results, filed a
complaint, um, which you can only do
within the state party- Mm-hmm … because
it, it's a private institution.
And they admitted that there were
procedural flaws that should've been,
you know, noticed or something, but that
there was not enough proof to suggest
the outcome would've been any different.
And I'm just, it's just like, wow, okay.
Um, not to mention that there are
rumors, uh, and I, I'm tending to believe
them- Mm-hmm … that supposedly people
in Rosa DeLauro's camp would call up
delegates and tell them You know, if you
vote for Andrew, that funding package
that you want might not come through.
And it's just like- No
okay, wow.
Dirty, dirty tricks.
So you're leveraging your constituents
against a delegate because they might
want… Not even, like, s- um, well,
so the, the whole thing is c- and I,
I'm honestly heavily thinking that
I might write a book- … about all
of this, because there's just- It-
… there's not enough time in a podcast.
It's deep,
yeah.
It's, it is deep.
Yeah.
Down to the level of… 'Cause like
there were some delegates that told
me that they didn't realize that
if they voted for me, that Rosa
wouldn't be deprived of ballot access.
There were delegates that, um, were,
you know, had to get a proxy, and they
were never told that they could choose
their own proxy, and assumed that
they, the chair had to choose them.
So a couple of my proxies, you
know, were made Rosa supporters.
Mm-hmm.
Um, there were, you know, heavy
behind the scenes pressure campaigns.
Not of just like a, "Oh, these are
the reasons why you should vote for,
like, you know, Rosa. These are the
merits." They're like, "No, no, no."
Right. "We'll, we're going to, you
know, we're not gonna fund this project.
You're not gonna ever be
a delegate again." Yeah.
"You're gonna have issues, uh, working
with the DTC, and no one's wanna, you
know, no one's gonna, you know, work
with you to help your constituents." A-
the DTC is the lowest level of elected
office, and I got into… And I did this
all on email, 'cause it's funny watching
these people leave a paper trail- Mm-hmm
of stupidity.
And this woman goes-
That should be the name of your
book . The A Paper Trail of Stupidity.
That, I, you
know
what?
That's actually a really good contender.
Um, A Paper Trail of Stupidi-
You know, I'm actually gonna, I
actually wanna write that down.
Um, Paper Trail of Stupidity.
I, I d- I actually have to remember that.
Um, but yeah, she says, um, she was
all mad 'cause I emailed her something.
And she's like, "Lose my email."
And I s- I, uh, write back to her,
"You're an elected representative.
Your email is public record." And she
goes, "I'm not an elected representative.
I'm a member of the DTC."
And I respond, "The DTC is
the lowest level of elected
office." Right. And she responds,
"I'm no one's lowest level.
You should just be a Republican.
The Democrats are beneath you."
And I'm like- Ugh … I'm like,
"I think you meant to say that I'm
beneath the Democrats," but- Right
…
y-
I was like, "Okay." Wow.
Um, a paper trail of stupidity.
Love it.
I mean, it works.
Um- You're the first person running
for Congress that we've had on
the show that is a scientist.
So you have a background in cellular
and molec- and molecular biology.
Yep.
Um, wow, I really miss science, Andrew.
What happened?
We really don't seem to care about
science now that Trump is back in office.
I can't imagine what you and people
in the scientific community must be
feeling, uh, with Maha and RFK Jr.,
and resurgences of diseases that
were completely preventable and
almost entirely eradicated, right,
before we got another Trump.
Just talk to me about how, how
you're feeling as a scientist.
So
I got into science because of Star Trek.
Oh, I love that answer.
And,
uh, because in, in Star Trek, you know,
you… the, the blue shirts always,
you know- Mm-hmm … healed people,
and they were the doctors, and the
medicine, um, and the researchers.
And so I was like, I…
that I wanna do that.
Um, so I got into science thinking
that I was making a difference.
Mm-hmm.
And one day I came to realize that whether
it's Trump, or Biden, or Obama, at the
end of the day, we really fundamentally
don't do science in this country.
We do capitalism.
Mm-hmm.
Because science is only accepted when
it advances capitalist interests.
Mm-hmm.
And so, you know, my research
is… I don't have a PhD or
anything, so I don't- Right
I don't wanna oversell myself.
Sure.
Um, I have a master's, so I help
manage, you know, what the PhDs, you
know, the infrastructure that the PhDs
need to, to conduct their studies.
Um, but in science, we are, we are
trained more to treat something
than we are to cure or prevent.
You know,
the- The money is in the
treatment, not the cure.
Yep, yep.
Yeah.
So it's basically a
subscription to your health.
I'm like, "This feels icky." Mm-hmm.
And then also I was like, even if my
work did contribute to a treatment,
only people with health insurance
would have access to that treatment.
That's the other layer.
And that is-
That's the other layer
completely antithesis to what-
Yeah … I believe in as a scientist.
As a scientist, the k- knowledge
of, the knowledge of human,
it's… belongs to everyone.
Mm-hmm.
That knowledge belongs to
everyone, especially since
most of it is publicly funded.
It does kill me that, you know,
that funding is being taken
away, but also my experiences
at places like Yale University,
'cause I used to work for Yale.
Yeah.
I, um-
One of my, my PIs, um, knew
that a student was abusing mice-
Mm … to get research data.
And that research data was
highly flawed, if not fabricated.
And she didn't care because she
wanted a paper, she wanted a grant.
Right.
And so when people s- don't trust
science Being at Yale makes me understand
why people stop trusting science.
Mm-hmm.
Because at the end of the day, science
isn't here for us, it's here for profit
because of the system we live in.
Yeah.
And that is why I, you know, I would
like to see a cultural shift towards
something more like Democratic socialism-
Mm-hmm … where the primary driving
force of a human's motivation is
not just the pursuit of profit and
money, but a pursuit of something that
either fulfills you or is a genuine
progression of the human condition.
Right.
Yeah.
I would love to see us get to that place.
And you're right.
It isn't specific to Trump.
We've seen a degradation, uh,
publicly of believing in science under
Trump, um, and I think that's unique
to him, but you're 100% correct.
You know, science has been built
around capitalism for generations.
Mm-hmm.
And it's really unfortunate.
And if you're, you know, lucky enough
to potentially benefit from a treatment
rather than dying without a treatment,
then you face the challenges of the,
the associated costs of that treatment.
And will your insurance cover it, or
you know, will you be left with debt
that could potentially bankrupt you?
So it's a really layered,
multi-layered, complex relationship
that we have to science and health
in the country, and it's, it's sad.
And I, I think you're right.
Democratic socialism I think is the only
way to maybe get out of, um, our current
mindset around science and health.
Um, you mentioned your incumbent earlier,
Rosa DeLauro, and you had a confrontation
with her I read about on your website.
So um, and it was about Gaza.
So can you talk to me and the audience
about how that played out, what happened?
W- Um,
so it was on July 25th of last year,
and I remember the date specifically
'cause it was Christmas in July
and I'm a big Christmas freak.
Mm. Um,
and it was several days after the UN
had declared that the two million Gazans
were approaching stage five famine.
Mm-hmm.
And so there was, uh, an event
called Make Noise for Palestine,
and only like three of us showed up.
And the corner where we were, you know,
where the event was held was actually,
there was a, a whole street market.
Um, and this was, this
was all in New Haven.
And so, um, I have a flag, a
bullhorn- Mm-hmm … and my two
friends have like pots and pans.
And we're going up and down the crowd,
like saying to people like, "Hey,
you know, we're sorry to disturb you,
but- Have, have you ever wondered what
you would be doing in 1938 and 1939?
You're doing it right now
Exactly
And we were trying to appeal
to people's, like, humanity.
A couple people, you know, were like
cautiously like, like, like n- Yeah
they didn't wanna be too supportive, but
like they wanted- Right … some people
are like, "Fuck you." And I'm like- I'm
like, "Okay, cool, cool." And then in
the corner of my eye, I see a woman with
bright purple hair, and I'm like- Ooh
… "Is that Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro?
No fucking way.
It is." And I'm just furious right
now because my tax dollars are being
used to pay for a genocide- Mm-hmm
while the people committing that
genocide have free healthcare and
free education, and our people don't.
Right.
So I don't just confront
her, I accost her.
I will not, I will not sugarcoat this-
Mm-hmm … even though I love sugar.
Um.
I,
I was like, "Rosa DeLauro, how,
why do you keep funding a genocide?
How did you give $500 million
to Israel for genocide?
How can you protect people like
me if you won't protect innocent
Palestinians?" Um, and at one point I
say, "Why can't you call this a genocide?
Why can't you call this a genocide?
How do you sleep with yourself at night?"
Mm-hmm.
And she immediately returns, um,
responds with a, "Very well, thank
you." And I'm like, "Oh my God." I
was like, "That's quite
an answer." The, I mean, the, the
audacity of saying that, right?
And being so flippant about
something so catastrophic.
That's unreal.
I, I wish you had film of that.
I do.
You do?
I do.
I do.
That's so good.
That's how, that's so
that's how this all started.
I put that onto social media, and then
a member from the Hamden Democratic
Town Committee approached me and
said would I be interested in trying
to mount a challenge against her.
Mm-hmm.
And at the time I, I, I already didn't,
I already had a really like, didn't
really like Rosa DeLauro, um, from
early on 'cause in 2011 Hurricane
Irene decimated the area I lived in.
Mm-hmm.
And she was not around to
coordinate a federal response.
Right.
She was in Italy vacationing, and
then she was like, "Oh, I tried-"
Mm. She didn't come back until like
five or six days after the storm,
um, passed, and I'm pretty sure she
left- By the time, like, we knew it
was gonna be, like, pretty bad- Yeah
I think she was leaving.
And she's like, "Well, I deserve a
vacation." She pulled, she pulled a
Ted Cruz.
Yes.
Yeah.
Yeah.
She pulled a Ted Cruz.
She got an F, um, rating for a
response, and ever since then she
always rubbed me the wrong way, 'cause
I was just like that… I get, I get
you want a vacation, but that's part
of what it is to be a congressperson.
Absolutely.
If your people are suffering, you're there
for them.
Yeah.
You have to, like, sacrifice
your personal stuff, especially
in a situation like that, right?
Yes.
You know that there's, um, if, if you
know that there's dangerous storms that's
going to hit your district, um, you
know, put your plans off a little bit.
You can do that.
Mm-hmm.
And then, and then at one point she
was saying like, "Oh, it, uh, we,
we just couldn't get a, a flight
back to the United States." I'm
like, "You're the congresswoman
of the United States." Right.
Like, you're a congresswoman.
You fly up there.
One phone call
and you're on a plane.
Or go… Or even if, even if you have
to go into, like, you know, Chi- Chicago
O'Harere and then fly over- Mm-hmm
to Scranton and then drive to New Haven.
Right.
You do that.
Yeah.
That's what you do for your people.
Yeah.
Um, so that always
rubbed me the wrong way.
Then the whole Palestine thing, I…
There's a quote by, uh, Ta-Nehisi
Coates, and he says, "If you…"
Um, I might butcher it a little bit.
"If you can't stand against di-
uh, a genocide, how do we expect
you to stand up for democracy?"
Mm-hmm.
And so I'm like, yeah, how can you
pretend like you care of anything about
democracy if you are going to allow our
tax dollars to directly fund the weapons
that are being used in a genocide?
That makes us all accountable.
Yeah.
And then I started looking into her
more, and I was like, oh, she is not
as progressive as people think she is.
And- Is she part of the
progressive caucus?
She founded the progressive caucus.
She
did.
She did.
Wow.
But, I mean, like, just because
you call yourself something
doesn't mean you're that.
Mike Johnson calls himself
straight, so- Sure.
… you know, there, there's that.
Andrew.
I'm dead.
Wow.
That's- Yeah, I mean, that's such
a jux- juxtaposition to be the
founder of the progressive caucus,
I didn't realize that that was Rosa-
Mm … um, and to, you know, be
supporting what's happening in Gaza.
That's wild.
Um, and unfortunately
she's not alone in that.
There are other people in the caucus
that are, um, shy or quiet or,
you know, not voting in ways that
are consistent with, um, being…
You know, taking a strong sort of
anti-genocide position in Gaza.
It's a shame.
Yeah.
And-
And that is why we're, we're probably
gonna lose the 2028 elections.
Oh, God, I hope not.
I mean, and, and so this, this kind of
dovetails with my next question, right?
Um, we see candidates that come in
with s- under that p- progressive
banner and, you know, they may end
up in the progressive caucus- Hmm
and then they end up moving more
and more towards the center.
So, you know, you and people like you
that we interview on the podcast would be
considered sort of insurgent candidates.
Mm-hmm.
Um, how do you, how do you avoid…
Let's say you get elected and you go
to Congress, how do you avoid becoming
the thing that you're running against?
Yes.
Right?
Yes.
This, this is the question that, um,
I wanna say keeps me up at night, but
no, I, I like- Mm-hmm … my sleep
too much to be kept up at night.
Um, it's a great question
because I don't know.
Yeah.
I don't know what happens when people
get in there and suddenly it's like
w- yeah, what the fuck happened?
Where did all of your morals go?
Mm-hmm.
And so the one thing I do try
and reiterate to people is that
getting elected is not the end goal.
That's the beginning goal.
Yeah.
You have to stay engaged.
You have to, uh, you know, you
have to hold me accountable.
Mm-hmm.
You always have to, like,
you always have to…
You should always question everything
I do and everything I say, and if I
can't give you an answer, then I've
changed, and y- you should primary me.
Right.
If you cannot, if you cannot
give an answer, no matter how
uncomfortable it is, then you
don't deserve to represent people.
Yeah.
I agree.
I think, I think you're right.
Is that- I think you're right.
I think v- getting, getting voted
in should not be the end goal.
And also, as voters, seeing your
person win should not be the end of
your involvement with that candidate.
You should be watch… You know, this
show, people always ask, like, "What
are you gonna do after the midterms?"
We're gonna follow everybody that
got elected in the midterm cycle.
I wanna see if they make good on
the promises that they're making to
their constituents, whether they're
an incumbent, whether they're,
you know, someone that challenged
the incumbent and, and won.
Um, this is the problem.
We've gotten so lazy when it comes to the
sort of participatory side of politics.
Um, so I, I completely agree.
Voting, getting voted in is
not the end of the story.
It should never be the end of the story.
Um, okay.
And then, and then the other
thing is, um, follow the money.
Yeah.
Always.
Always follow the money because, you
know, these people can hire- All the,
you know, all the staff and all the
consultants and all the things- Mm-hmm
with,
you know, their millions of dollars from
corporate PACs and super PACs and, you
know, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos and- Ugh
… Ellison and- Yeah … these are literally
people that give Rosa DeLauro money.
Um, and she thinks she's progressive.
Um-
How is that even possible?
That is wild.
So I, I,
I didn't even know myself.
I, I just knew that she wasn't
there during Irene and that she-
Mm-hmm … sucked on Palestine.
And then when someone said, "Would you
challenge her?" I was like, I mean,
I… Palestine is a huge issue for
me, but it's not everyone's issue.
I understand it's not everyone's
issue- Mm-hmm … because,
I mean, for me it was…
it's almost like a, it's kind of a
privilege that I can have, you know, such
a, um, a focus on Palestine, 'cause I had
healthcare and I had- Yeah … housing.
Well, I have housing still.
I'm- Yeah … I have COBRA.
Um, I quit my job to do this.
That was a fun choice.
Oh, wow.
Um, I, I just exhausted all
my life savings, and I just
removed, uh, money from my 401.
And both… saying both of
those statements in itself is
a huge amount of privilege.
Um- Exactly.
This should be publicly funded.
We say that every, every
week almost on the show,
right?
Yes.
We need, yes, public funded elections.
Um, and I mean, also the biggest
expense for me right now is maintaining
my health insurance through COBRA.
Mm-hmm.
Because… And people are like, "Well,
go to the ins- the insurance markets
and look." The insurance markets,
I'm like, it's just as expensive.
I may as- Yeah … well
keep the healthcare that I know, and
that way I don't have to worry about
is this in network, out of network?
Is it, like, you know, having to
find new doctors because suddenly,
you know, this health insurance
company doesn't cover that doctor
or they don't accept the insurance.
Right.
Um, and so if we had something like a
Medicare for all program, it would be
easier for, you know, me to do this
because I won't be spending- Mm-hmm
what is it, like $1,100 a month.
There really is a barrier to- For
health insurance … people running
for, uh, public service, right?
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
The… There shouldn't
be a barrier, you know.
That this is why we have the
types of politicians that we have.
I'm going t- I'm going to push
back on that just a little bit.
Mm-hmm.
There should be… Okay, in, in
science there's something called
activation energy, and it's
something… it's the amount of energy
you need for a reaction to occur-
Mm-hmm
…
before it gives, before
it like re, um- You
get a response
…
before you get, yeah, you get the response
and before you, you know, get the, the
full energy release from that reaction.
Uh, it's like seriousness of intent.
Mm-hmm.
There should be some sort of
barrier that you at least meet
some sort of seriousness of intent.
Sure.
But the, the, the, the petition
thing, like I could even see 1,000
signatures Over the period of like
three months Mm-hmm Because unless
you are able to get… So like again,
I, we don't have a lot of money.
We're grassroots.
Mm-hmm.
We're, we're not gonna
accept APAC donations.
We're not gonna accept, uh, PAC donations.
We're not gonna accept
corporate donations.
Yep
Um, and- You just answered
the last question of the podcast,
so- … we can, we can skip that.
Well, so we, we, we rely
on grassroots people.
Yep.
You know, my, my parents have been, um…
you know, they maxed out on, on what
they could give, which was awesome.
But you know, they're sacrificing a
little bit of their retirement to help
their son do this, this weird thing.
Mm-hmm.
So that's another, you know,
privilege that I have- It's not
weird though- … that a lot of
people don't have … Andrew.
It's
really noble.
You know?
It's… It is.
I… Well, I don't take
compliments well, so thank you.
Sure.
Um, but, so I was at the Palestine Museum
the other day, and the two speaker…
There were two speakers, and they were
both people that went on a flotilla-
Mm-hmm
…
to try and bring, um- Humanitarian
aid … materials into Gaza.
Yep,
mm-hmm.
And to me, like that is brave, and that
is noble because you are- Oh, for sure.
But, but you know, there's, there's
levels to everything in life.
And you know, surrendering your safety,
which is your job and how you make
your money, and going on COBRA and
trying to find the money for that
and, and, you know, getting support
from your family and, um, all in
the effort to make real change for
your community is a huge sacrifice.
So it is noble.
Thank you.
It is brave.
Thank you.
In case no one's told you
that, I'll tell you that today.
I-
It, I, I don't, um… So yes, I,
I do not take compliments well.
Mm-hmm.
But I think there's also
this aspect of me that
worries that if I, that gray, that
gray area or slippery slope to
becoming like an egotistic, becoming that
monster- Yeah … that I don't wanna be
and just, you know, being so full of ego.
Mm-hmm.
'Cause that's what I see, you know,
in, in people like Rosa DeLauro.
You- Yeah.
Yes.
You are, you are the Rosa DeLauro.
You are, you know, known
throughout the country.
You are the- Mm-hmm … you are
the, probably one of the most
powerful Democrats there is.
Yeah.
The most powerful woman in, um,
the Democratic caucus, and if, if
the Democrats take the House, the
most powerful woman in Congress.
Mm-hmm.
Um, you've done wonderful
things sometimes.
Um- Yeah … you could be doing
a lot more, and you could also
be… Uh, I think one time, uh,
someone did ask her does she plan to
retire, and she goes, "Never." Ugh.
And it's like, you- Gross.
Yeah.
So I was like- What a terrible
answer … a terrible answer 'cause
I'm like… I d- I try not to make age
an issue of the campaign because there
are so many things about her that it
d- or like her age doesn't matter.
It,
but it's not about age.
Like, if you set out and say, "I am
never retiring from this position. I
will never give it up. You know, I'm here
for eternity until they put me in the
ground," that ta- that's ego, Andrew.
That is, yes.
That's- That is
ego … that is ego, right?
That is ego.
That- Because you are basically…
What you're saying, what you're inferring
is, "No one could do this as well as
me, so I'm never gonna give it up."
You know, Thomas Jefferson, this is a
weird pivot, but he, he said that the
Constitution should be rewritten every
19 years because why should we have…
Now, life expect- life expectancy was
much smaller back then, which is probably
why he chose that arbitrary number,
but you know, his position was, "Why
are we being ruled by people in the
grave that don't understand the future
generation, don't understand advancements?
You know, this should be like a
living, breathing document that
continuously evolves and changes."
And so when I hear people like
Rosa, "I'm just, I'm here forever,"
and there's so many Rosas, right?
Look at Mitch McConnell.
My God, that man can't even blink anymore.
What are you doing still being, you know,
a, an elected repres- representative?
Why are you not home enjoying
what's left of your life?
It doesn't do… It doesn't
move society forward.
It doesn't, um, it doesn't do anything
positive for the people you serve
to be holding on to power forever.
Oh, I agree.
It, it's an e- it's an ego thing
It's an ego thing.
And that's why- It has to be … and
that's why I g- that's I think
that's why, part of the reasons
why I, um, am apprehensive of
taking too many compliments.
Mm-hmm.
'Cause I'm like, is that what happens?
Is that, does it go to their head?
Does it… Do they, yeah, do they
think they're this infallible person?
I think the money goes to their head.
The money also.
And, and the power.
The money and the power.
And the sense of, you know, importance
that they get from the role.
And, and that's how you lose touch.
That's how you lose touch with the
people that voted you in there to
begin with, and we see it all the time.
And then apparently she bullies people
into- Oh, god … you know, making sure
that they don't let a, uh, a newcomer
onto the… You know, if Democrats
fought this hard against Trump as
they do against the left- On, against
themselves.
It's crazy.
I agree.
And it, it just like… And then,
you know, she is the 120th most
progressive member of Congress,
meaning 56% of Democrats are more
progressive than Rosa DeLauro.
And so she is basically
a corporate centrist.
Mm-hmm.
Like corporate center left at best.
Yep.
And look at what we just saw
from the centrists in, uh, in
New Jersey and, and Virginia.
Mickey Sherrill, uh, you know,
with the whole ICE debacle.
Oh, terrible.
And, you know, con- condemning
the protesters for not wanting a
concentration camp in their backyard.
Yeah.
How dare they.
Yeah.
And
then Abigail Spanberger, you know,
she was… You know, everyone was
cheering her on 'cause she was, uh,
doing the redistricting battle, and
then the Virginia Supreme Court was
like, "Nah, that ain't gonna work."
Mm-hmm.
And she's like, "I give up." And
she's like- … "O- okay." I know.
And then, you know, the unions were like,
"Let's have some bargaining rights."
And she's like, "Let's not have some
bargaining rights." And then, uh, you
know, people are like, "Let's abolish
I…" Or, um, not even abolish ICE.
It was like, "Let's put masks on," or
like, like, "Take their masks off- Yep
and identify them." She's
like, "You know what?
That's a step too far."
And then, you know- I, I
swear they're ops.
I swear these people have to
be, like, planted as Democrats
because I just don't get it.
I don't get it.
Well s- so Spanberger was a,
um, a, a former CIA agent.
Yeah.
So was Elissa Slotkin.
Right.
And they, yeah, they, they're all
these just corporate centrist Democrats
that have absolutely no sense of like
being beholden to people because they
don't, they don't need people No, no
fire in their belly.
You know what I mean?
No like, "Ugh, I'm," you know,
"I'm here to fight for the people
that elected me to this position."
That is the minimum requirement.
It should be the minimum requirement
of your role is fighting for, on
behalf of your constituents and
what's in their best interests.
And if you don't know what that is,
they will tell you if you stay connected
with them, if you hold town halls.
I mean, look at Zahra Mamdani.
He's doing, you know,
uh, what do you call it?
The, the live… He's doing like
live interactive conversations, um,
with his constituents and beyond.
Anybody can join.
Is it Twitch?
There's so many streams out there.
I don't know what they all are, but…
So I'm not saying he got this from me.
Mm-hmm.
But for the past several months,
every Sunday from 8:30 to 9:30, I
have what I call a fireside chat and
it's, uh- Okay … inspired by FDR.
FDR.
Yeah, love it.
Yep.
Where people can drop in and… I mean,
I'm not Zahra Mamdani, so I'm not-
Yes … flooded with thousands of people.
May- I, I think at best like
10 or 11 people show up.
Sure.
But I let people come.
They ask me questions.
I, there's- I think that's
fantastic … I don't have a script.
There's nothing.
'Cause I want people to always
know at this time, at this day-
Mm-hmm … they can
reach the person that well, wants
to represent them- Yeah … but
you know, would represent them.
Because you should always
be able to see me- Always
all the time.
Yes … and know that
I'm there, I'm with it.
Challenge me.
Let me know what's going on.
Like, um, and like I had this whole idea
of how we could like rebuild the DTCs
to be more responsive to the community
and help like feed more information
back up to, you know, Congress.
And you know, if there's any legislation
that is important, having, you know,
bringing it back down to the DTCs that
bring it back down to their members,
that bring it to the community and get
a more grassroots idea of how people are
actually feeling instead of hiring all
of these consultants who at the end of
the day are just there to make a profit.
Mm-hmm.
But the delegates, uh, well, no,
there are 45 very brave delegates.
Um, but a lot… Oh, God, the delegates at
the convention, they were all your, like,
milquetoast, suburban- … middle class,
upper middle class people that- Mm-hmm
… understand, like, like, like are feeling
the squeeze of a $5 gallon of gas, but
aren't feeling the stress of, am I going
to be able to afford, you know- Right
food or rent because of that.
Yeah.
So these people Understand that people
are s- no, they don't, I think they
know that people are struggling.
They don't understand exactly how
they are struggling because the
s- They don't
feel it They don't feel it.
Yeah.
The status quo has always benefited them.
And so at the convention when we, we
came up short from the 15%, um, and
there were other issues that happened.
Uh, so like for one, uh, Rosa's,
uh, speeches combined were
12 minutes and 30 seconds.
They only allowed us to speak for
eight minutes and 30 seconds, so
they got- Mm-hmm … an additional
50% time to pitch a case versus us.
Um- Yep … and people got, you know, very
upset and got really… Oh, this person's
not good with his parallel parking.
Oh, dude.
Oh, no.
You've gotta redo that.
Oh, no.
Oh.
I, oh, I think he's just delivering food.
Okay, that, that's better.
He doesn't-
Mm … I don't think
it's a permanent park job, 'cause fuck.
Okay.
I… Oh, I don't wanna
show his license plate.
If I could figure this out without showing
his license plate, but it, it's very bad.
It's just a very bad parallel parking job.
Um, sorry, that distracted me
way more than it should have.
That's okay.
That's okay.
This is what happens
in the car interviews.
You know?
Th- yes.
Um, and also there's like a bunch
of people walking about, and I love,
like, I love being a people watcher.
People watching?
Me too.
'Cause, 'cause just I just
find people- It's my favorite.
It's my favorite thing … it's,
it's very fascinating-
Mm-hmm … um, watching, I mean,
any sort of animal behavior.
Yeah.
Like, I love, I just like loving
watching their sim- like that, sitting
there watching my dog, you know, just
do the random things and like the
way he holds things- … and the way
he sniffs and- Yes … like the way,
like he'll, you know, hear something.
Like, just I, I just love all
the little movements and stuff.
Um, so yeah.
I think there's
something to that though.
Like, I feel like that curiosity and
that interest in behavior is, I don't
know, I think there's some, there's
some element of that that makes
people really good public servants,
really good politicians, you know?
That kind of eternal curiosity
and interest in whether it be
animals, people, both, you know?
I think, uh, there's something to that.
Beware of people that have no
curiosity about the behavior of others.
Rosa?
I don't,
I don't know if she… I don't, I
don't know if she has curiosity about
anything, um, except where she is.
Mm-hmm.
So- So…
Oh, go ahead.
Well, so, um, a couple, uh, couple of
people that have signed my petition
have said that they… That she's
not as sharp as she used to be.
Mm-hmm.
And, um, it's actually odd.
The people that are… It's either really
young people or really old people that
are very quick to sign the petition.
Gen Xers, they're the ones that are,
like, the most ardent, sticking with Rosa,
won't even sign the petition type people.
Um-
I don't know why that i- I'm Gen
X, and I don't know why that is.
I think, you know, I, I've been screaming
this pretty much since we started.
To just automatically knee-jerk vote for
the incumbent, um, is so politically lazy.
You know, if you're not looking at
their voting record, if you're not
looking at who's funding them, if
you're not looking about, you know,
into things that they should be
voting against and they're staying
quiet, like, we just have to get…
This is… It's this sort of, um,
complacency, that's what gave us Trump.
You know?
Mm-hmm.
People think it's, like, messaging and
we did the, you know, the autopsy report.
It's complacency.
It's complacency of the people within the
party that are elected officials, and it's
the complacency on the part of the voters.
And I don't know how to, I don't
know how to change that, but- So-
And not all voters, by the way.
I don't wanna make blanket statements,
but, you know, when you talk
specifically about Gen X, I don't know.
Gen Xers, get your shit together.
I, I don't understand the Gen Xers,
but the, the petition process has made
me so angry with the Democratic Party
because so many people just can't…
Like, they're just like, "No, I can't
deal with the Democrats anymore." I- Yeah.
'Cause I t- I, um, I…
Today I told someone about-
What happened at convention
Mm-hmm
…
and his immediate response was, "This is
why I had to un-register as a Democrat."
Yeah.
And re, um, and register unaffiliated.
And so it, it, there's a twofold
to all of this about the voter.
Mm-hmm.
Because,
um, voters, volunteers, sometimes
I get stressed, and that stress can
sometimes, you know, border upset,
anger- Yep … that people, yeah, that
voters aren't more engaged, or that
volunteers, you know, aren't as committed.
And then I realize that I am
doing what the system wants me
to do, blame the individuals.
Mm-hmm.
And it's just like, no.
These, m- people in this system, we
are beaten down, we are tired, we are-
Yeah … stressed, we are overstimulated,
we are malnourished, we have sh- terrible
sleep patterns because we always have
to be working and working and working.
And if you're resting,
you're not being productive.
Yeah.
And if you're not being productive, you're
not earning your rent and your groceries.
And then, you know, there's climate
change, and the, you know, the seas
are gonna flood us, and the- Yeah,
it- … you know, the coral reefs are
dying, and the- Right … air you can't
breathe, and the smog from the forest
fires, and the, the heat, and the…
All of these things
just wear down on people
And so I s- I get it
Yeah
And then for me- I do too.
I do too.
But here's the thing.
There are people living in countries
that have democracies, um, that have far
worse problems, especially economically,
right, than we do here, and yet are…
seem to be more politically active.
I think, I think you're right.
I think we are inundated with, um,
just doom and gloom all the time.
And, you know, this administration
just sort of puts a magnifying
glass on all of that.
Um, but I also think it's
political exhaustion.
I do think there is… I think we
have a huge problem with political
exhaustion in the country.
So you know, maybe we
should wrap up there.
So when you're talking, when you're out
there, you're getting signatures, you're
trying to get on this ballot, I'm sure
you're encountering people like you
just mentioned, "Well, that's why I had
to leave the Democratic Party." People
that are just politically exhausted.
Um, how… What would you say
to those people that are just
like, "It doesn't matter.
Nothing's gonna change.
I'm so tired.
I've been ground down by this system for
so long." Like what makes you, Andrew,
unique, and how would you encourage people
with that mindset to jump back in for you?
Um, well, I mean, the first thing that
I say when someone says that I'm not a
registered Democrat or I'm unaffiliated
or that they've checked out, I immediately
respond with, "I don't blame you."
Mm-hmm.
'
Cause it's true.
As far as-
I think you were asking like what
sets me, what sets me apart, what-
Mm-hmm … gives people confidence that
I'm, if you're not willing to
risk something or sacrifice
something, nothing changes.
Yeah.
And so I think that was, to me
that was part of why I quit my job.
Mm-hmm.
Because if I'm not willing to risk
something, if I'm not willing to sacrifice
something, why should anyone trust me?
Mm-hmm.
Now, if I fail in this endeavor,
which I'm more likely to than not-
Right
…
I mean, I, I have, I have parents who
are well off enough that, you know,
I could, you know, they, they have
a condo, so I, I'm sure I could go.
They have a spare bedroom.
Mm-hmm.
I could go live with
them if I really had to.
But I do risk losing everything
that I've built for myself-
Mm-hmm
…
to do this, and so I'm hoping that people
Sorry, motorcycles.
Good.
I can't stand that noise I'm hoping
people, um, see that and are
reassured that yes, I- there, there's
a term called burning the boat.
Mm-hmm.
And a lot of people have respected
that I'm willing to do that
because I want people to have
healthcare and end the genocide.
Yeah.
I, I mean, it, there's a lot to respect,
and I know you don't take compliments
well, but I just wanna end it by saying
that, um, I think the sacrifice you're
making is remarkable and really admirable.
And, you know, for, for people that
will see this or, or hear this,
um, put yourself in that position.
What are you willing to sacrifice-
What are you-
to, to, to make a real
difference in our country?
That i- So yes, that is what
I, uh, do try and ask people.
What are you willing to risk?
What are you w- willing to sacrifice?
Yeah.
Are you willing to sacrifice
a few nights, a weekend?
Mm-hmm.
Uh, especially with the, uh,
petition period ending on Tuesday.
It's, it is still a huge task.
I can't do it by myself.
And so, you know, tomorrow I, I will
reach out to people and say, "Hey-
If you want, if you believe in this
campaign- Yeah … if you believe that I
can be a force for good, if you believe
that I'm someone that will remain true to
who I am, and you believe that I could be
a force for good in Congress, then I need
a lot of people to sacrifice a weekend.
Right.
Get out there.
It's awkward AF- Sure … going
up to a person again, saying
like, "Hey. This is crazy." Yeah.
"We just met." Yeah.
"What is your registration information?"
Um.
Um, and, a- and yeah.
And fight to, to push
back against the system.
Because it is corrupt.
It is designed- It is, yeah … to
ensure that there is no diversity of
opinion, that there is no challenging
to the status quo, that there is order.
And, uh, even, you know, MLK said
that, you know, the… I think like,
uh, I'm gonna butcher this one again.
It's okay.
But greatest threat to progress isn't
the, uh, KKK member, it's the moderate
white liberal- Yeah … who will maintain
order instead of sitting, like, with
being uncomfortable with justice.
Right.
And that is exactly what we experienced
the other day, or a couple weeks ago
at convention, is people got very
upset when we were kept off the ballot.
Mm-hmm.
I didn't realize people said some
of the things that they said.
But a lot of delegates were
like, "Oh, we, we could never
support someone like Andrew.
Listen to what his very angry supporters
said." "Because they are living in
a world that is burning while all of
you have all your material needs met.
And we are once again deprived of a
choice of someone that had anything
close to say as to what they wanted
to see for their future." Mm-hmm.
And they're also upset because the
person who's currently in office has
supported genocide, has supported ICE,
has deprived people of healthcare-
Yeah … has deprived people of education.
And s- and that- All of that
is less offensive to you than
someone saying a naughty word?
Mm-hmm.
Go take your clutched pearls back
to your ivory tower- I agree … and
let the people have a choice.
I agree.
I agree.
And let's end it there.
Andrew, this has really been a delight.
Um- Likewise … I appreciate you
taking the time from your car after
a long day of gathering signatures.
Um, you're just so kind and, and
empathic, and it radiates from you.
And again, I know you don't
take compliments well, but, uh,
you're just a great guy, and I
really enjoyed talking to you.
Likewise.
This was a lot of fun.
Thank you.
I really appreciate it.
Um- Yeah … and then the one thing
though I do like to say on these podcasts
is, um, beyond party and platform and
policy, there are two things that I
like to encourage people to remember.
In a society that is designed to
make us question ourselves and
hate ourselves, the most radical
thing you can do is self-love-
Mm-hmm … and love the neighbor.
Mm-hmm.
So self-love and love your neighbor.
And then the second thing
is fascism is exhausting.
Fascism is supposed to, it
tries to instill us with fear.
And so every day we fight, we can't
just be fighting against something,
we have to be fighting for something.
And the thing to fight for is joy and fun.
Yeah.
So I say that fun fights fascism.
Absolutely.
So self-love,
fun fights fascism.
Joy, joy is an act of, of resistance.
Absolutely.
Mm-hmm.
Love that.
We gotta remember that.
If we're gonna, if we're gonna
survive this battle, we have
to remember those two things.
Yeah.
Self-love, fun fights fascism.
Absolutely.
Thank you, Andrew.
Best of luck to you.
Stay in touch.
Let us know how things are going.
Absolutely.
I hope to see you on that ballot.