Enjoy your summer listening to What the Gerrymander's best episodes!
Enjoy your summer listening to What the Gerrymander's best episodes!
That’s a Wrap! The first season of “What the Gerrymander?” is in the can and the team is at work booking guests for the second season, when we’ll also have a new name! We had so many great conversations and and learned so much from national and Hoosier guests. Please help us keep the podcast going by donating to Hoosier Victory Alliance. We’ll be creating a Patreon in the fall as well where you’ll be able to access bonus content.
Here’s some of what we discussed this season:
As messaging genius Anat Shenker-Osorio called out, Indiana is a “rigged state, not a red state.” And Democratic strategist Simon Rosenberg reminded us that hope with a plan will help us all create improved outcomes for everyone. As he likes to say, “with Democrats things get better!” And of course Ryan Busse, former executive of Kimber Guns, and author of Gunfight: My Battle Against the Industry that Radicalized America clearly points out MAGA is at war against all of us, particularly our kids. They will stop at nothing to roll back the 20th century. And view gun violence victims as acceptable collateral damage. Wow!
Summer is here, but we can’t take our foot off the accelerator. Every election matters and we have our work cut out for us for the municipal elections in November. Summer is also a time to rest and recharge. While you may find yourself taking that long drive, jumping on a plane to visit family and friends, or lounging in the backyard with a cold beverage this is a great time to catch up on Season 1 of the podcast. As you listen to the episodes, we ask that you challenge yourself to commit to getting involved this fall…democracy only works when we all participate.
Below is a list of all the episodes with a brief description. Stay tuned for season two. We welcome suggestions for upcoming the season. Email ideas to Stephanie@hoosiervictoryalliance.org or respond to this email.
Anat Shenker-Osorio: Founder of ASO Communications and Democratic Messaging Genius
Anat Shenker-Osorio is owner of ASO Communications and host of the podcast Words to Win By. She has been my messaging guiding light since I became aware of her work 2 years ago. I first heard her on a podcast talking about how the MAGA faction was the same White Supremacist, anti-democratic faction that had been a part of American society since before the founding. This reframing of MAGA blew my tiny little mind and realigned my thinking about Trump and MAGA in one moment. Since then, I’ve attended the movement briefings with the Research Collaborative and integrated their recommendations into all my work, including on Heidi Beidinger’s campaign.
Anat’s skill at reframing narratives and making voters into protagonists gives us great tools as we work on building power in MAGA-captured America. As she notes in the first few minutes, Indiana—and Ohio, Missouri, and all MAGA-captured states—aren’t red states, they’re rigged states. Her most important message remains “say what you’re for, say what you’re for, say what you’re for”, even when we’re in a deeply disturbing moment in history. I hope you listen to our conversation and come away with values-driven ways to discuss the moment with people you talk to, whatever their political leanings. We all have a lot of work to do together to protect our freedoms, and I think she gives us some great tools for claiming the moral high ground and reaching people where they are.
Sheila Kennedy: Former ED of IN ACLU, Former Republican, Emerita Law Prof IUPUI
Sheila Kennedy is a former ED of the Indiana ACLU, Emerita Professor of Law and Public Policy at IUPUI. Sheila’s journeyed from being a liberal republican to leaving the Republican party in 2000 after it had moved irreversibly to the Right. She currently works in democratic circles for democracy and freedom, and against gerrymandering and voter suppression. She writes a daily blog at https://sheilakennedy.net/
Simon Rosenberg: Hopium Chronicles and Democratic Strategist
"It's time to go on offense." Simon Rosenberg has been a top Democratic operative for a long time. He founded NDN, a democracy research and advocacy group in 1996. Recently, he started to believe that the United States is entering a new political era that requires new strategies and approaches. He created a new project, Hopium Chronicles, as a way to tout positive messaging about Democrats and the United States. One Hopium’s projects is called “Get to 55.” that starts a big conversation in Democratic and pro-democracy circles about how to grow the current Democratic coalition from Biden’s 51.4% in 2020 to 55% in 2024 and keep it there for a while. He joins us as part of his efforts to educate the grassroots on the economic successes of the Democratic party and his mission of creating a grassroots army to fight MAGA.
Find Hopium Chronicles here:
Ben Railton: American Studies Prof, Competing Ideas of Patriotism and Who is American
Ben Railton teaches American Studies of Fitchburg State University in MA. He is author of six books on American identity, national narratives, and collective memory, most recently Of Thee I Sing: The Contested History of American Patriotism (2021). He writes the daily American Studier blog, contributes the bimonthly Considering History column for the Saturday Evening Post, and is a frequent public scholarly tweeter @AmericanStudier. His work explores the connections between America’s past and present.
Most recent book: Of Thee I Sing
Brynn Tannehill: Author, Trans Activist, Combat Vet
Brynn Tannehill is a graduate of the U. S. Naval Academy and the Air Force Institute of Technology with degrees in Computer Science and Operations Research. She is a Naval Aviator who did four deployments to locations such as the Adriatic, Middle East, and the North Atlantic. After leaving active duty she has continued to work in defense research, while as an advocate, writer, and researcher on LGBT civil rights issues and policy. She currently works at a think-tank in the Washington D.C. area as a senior analyst, where she lives with her wife and three children.
She co-authored the 2020 Biden campaign’s policy agenda for LGBT service members and veterans.
Links to Brynn's writing:
Everything You Wanted to Know About Trans...But Were Afraid to Ask (2018)
The End of Trans America Comes Into Focus (The New Republic 4/24/2023)*
* This is the basis for our discussion. It is DARK, but given the current moment, the logical conclusion to the anti-trans violence MAGA-captured America is perpetrating.
Jess Craven: Chop Wood, Carry Water
Jessica Craven is a community organizer, activist, mom, and elected member of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party. She’s also the author of "Chop Wood, Carry Water," a daily actions e-mail that’s been published five days a week since November of 2016. She’s a member of the CADem Environmental Caucus, a climate activist, and a grassroots volunteer who has knocked doors, phone-banked, fundraised, texted, and postcarded for hundreds of progressive candidates. Jessica has made it her mission to get regular people more involved with politics on both a federal and local level, and conducts “Activism 101” workshops to groups all over the country. She also does this on TikTok, where she’s a political content creator. You can find her newsletter, "Chop Wood, Carry Water" at chopwoodcarrywater.substack.com
Sam Goldman: Refuse Fascism Podcast Host
Sam Goldman is the host of the podcast Refuse Fascism and is on the editorial board of refusefascism.org.
Send any questions to stephanie@hoosiervictoryalliance.org. Please help What the Gerrymander and subscribe wherever you're listening to this pod.
Haley Bash: Founder, Donor Organizer Hub
Haley Bash (she/they) is the founder of Donor Organizer Hub. Their style of donor organizing is having one-on-ones with friends and sending out BCCed emails to a list of 150 people 2-3 times per year. Haley is passionate about helping each donor organizer find their preferred method of doing this work to raise for under-funded progressive causes!
https://www.donororganizerhub.org/
Jonathan Zucker: Founder of Every State Blue
Jonathan Zucker, founder of Every State Blue, Is a political technology entrepreneur and campaign finance attorney. He was the first COO and second CEO of ActBlue.
He talks to Heidi and Stephanie about the idea behind Every State Blue (Blue Missouri, Blue Ohio, Blue Texas, and hopefully Blue Indiana). The goal is to crowdfund money to provide to candidates for every single state legislative race in the state. In this way, we can provide a choice for voters in red states and in places where many state legislative seats are uncontested. While many of these candidates won't win immediately, they'll be able to start reaching voters who haven't had a democrat on their ballots for years. Listen for more of why funding every state legislative candidate is a winning long term strategy.
Heidi Beidinger: Former Candidate IN Statehouse, Board of Health Member, Professor
Heidi Beidinger and Stephanie Gerber Wilson discuss how Heidi's worldview shifted after our interview with Ryan Busse, which was recorded the day before we recorded this episode (that's why you hear Heidi say we talked to him yesterday.) Heidi and Stephanie discuss what it really means to be in a war with MAGA Republicans who want to take power and create a white Christian authoritarian state. We both have a lot to say about how we turn the tide in Indiana, and we hope you'll discover actions you want to take.
Jess Piper: Exec Director Blue Missouri
Jessica Piper ran for office in 2022 for State Representative in Northwest Missouri. She was not successful, but used the experience to organize progressives in rural Missouri.
She is now is the Executive Director for Blue Missouri and hosts a weekly podcast called “Dirt Road Democrat” which can be found wherever you listen to podcasts. is a mother to five and grandmother to three and lives on a small farm on the Missouri/Iowa border.
She was born and raised in rural America. She earned degrees in English and Teaching from the University of Arkansas and was a high school American Literature teacher for 16 years. After the 2016 election of Trump, Jess became politically active.
Ryan Busse, Fmr Firearms Executive: Author of Gunfight
Ryan Busse, author of Gunfight: My Battle Against the Industry that Radicalized America, joins us to discuss the NRA and MAGA's culture wars to build power and wealth, and to turn the country into an autocracy. Listen to a discussion of whether "it can happen here," and how Heidi wants to understand responsible gun owners. Busse tells us how we can turn the culture war around.
Veronica Pejril: Only Elected Trans person in IN, City Council Member Greencastle IN
Veronical Pejril, is a city council member in Greencastle, IN and the only elected transgender individual in Indiana. Veronica is also an assistant professor in DePauw University’s School of Music, where she teaches courses in music technology and provides leadership for the university’s instructional technology team. She’s a member of Hoosier Women Forward, a board member of Indiana Stonewall Democrats, and also serves on the board of Indiana Youth Group, a nonprofit organization that works to ensure positive outcomes for LGBTQ+ Hoosier youth. She plays jazz/blues piano with her church community and in Putnam County’s music scene. She is a proud parent of two Purdue graduates and a resident of rural Greencastle since 2006.
You can find out more about her at www.pejril.com
Kimberly Allen: Founder Power the Vote and ExecDir Blue Texas
Kimberly Allen is founder of Power the Vote and Blue Texas. She joined Power the Vote from Covington & Burling LLP, where she was Special Counsel in the Commercial Litigation group. During the 2020 election cycle, Kim was Deputy Director of Voter Protection at the Democratic Party of Georgia, where she led the ballot monitoring program. She started the voter protection program with Power the Vote in Texas after the 2020 election.Power the Vote: https://powerthevote.org/index.html; Blue Texas: https://bluetexas.org/
Josh Lowry: Fmr Candidate for Indiana State Senate (and current candidate for Indiana State House)
Josh Lowry ran for Indiana state senate in 2022. He is a lawyer, former Assistant AG, and a foster parent. Josh and his wife Alexis, who is running for city council in Westfield, Indiana, have fostered 11 kids, 4 of whom they adopted. When not driving one of his children to practice or work, Josh is a competitive natural bodybuilder and plays recreational soccer. Our wide-ranging conversation today not only talked about the bills up in Indiana’s general assembly, but how democrats can change the minds of the people around us by showing up and proving that we can be good people too.
Nick Roberts: Gen Z candidate for Indianapolis City Council
Nick Roberts is the 22 year old, Gen-Z Democratic nominee for Indianapolis City-County Council District 4. He has been involved in politics for years, which has included much work during 2021's redistricting around the state. His campaign is focusing on infrastructure, public safety and mental health. You can learn more about him on Twitter: www.twitter.com/nickroberts317. You can donate to his campaign at https://secure.actblue.com/donate/nick-roberts-for-indy.
David Pepper: ED Blue Ohio and Author of Laboratories of Autocracy
David Pepper, author of Laboratories of Autocracy, joins us to discuss gerrymandering, voter suppression, and how the MAGA GOP has used these strategies to capture statehouses and pass extreme policies in Indiana, Ohio, and many other Red States. His next book is how everyday people can take action to save Democracy, and he previews this, telling us that every community organization, mayor, and business need to take responsibility for democracy and provide their citizens and patrons the opportunity to register to vote everywhere. HVA: Donate to bring Blue Indiana to Hoosiers: https://contribute.everystateblue.org/blue_indiana/contribute