Natalie Kenoyer - The Midterms (and Saving America from the Republican Threat)

Deep Dive with Shawn C. Fettig

Regardless of whether someone agrees with the policy positions of the Republican Party (of which, frankly, it’s difficult to ascertain), you have to ask yourself, in this election, when you cast your vote, if you can support a Party that poses such a threat to your country. And, I mean this, today’s Republican Party is an existential threat to the United States and its people. This is a party that advocates overthrowing the government, that openly states that America is not a democracy and actively takes measures to strip democratic governance from our society, and targets traditionally underreppresented groups for, not just derision, but violence – queer folks, folks of color, women, immigrants.

The polls are all over the place, but a few things suggest that Republicans may be in good shape to take Congress. First, history tells us that the president’s party loses seats in the first midterm after taking office. Additionally, the economy is lagging – with high gas prices, high inflation, slowing home sales. While this is all related to external factors outside the direct control of president (and here I’m talking about Putin’s war in Ukraine driving up the prices of food, oil, and gas; remnants of the botched response to the pandemic that is still dragging on the economy), people still hold the party in power accountable. So, this suggests that Republicans should do well.
But, this is muddied by a few things this year – one, Republicans have chosen a uniquely awful – unqualified, Mega MAGA, conspiracy-driven slate of candidates up, down, and across tickets nationwide; two, the overturning of Roe v. Wade animated people against Republicans and their anti-choice agenda in a way that a court opinion hasn’t done in recent memory; and three, polls have been really poor at gauging voter intent when anything related to Donald Trump is involved.

So, first I make a closing argument, not just for for Democrats, but for democracy and the United States, and also against political violence that is becoming a hallmark of the Republican Party.
And, I’m also talking to Natalie Kenoyer – president of the College Democrats of Washington about what she’s hearing from the people she’s engaging – college Democrats AND folks she’s working to convince to turn out for Democrats. And we talk about what issues seem to matter to voters on the ground, the threat that Republicans pose to the country, how she and her friends think about going to red states after Roe was overturned, what a Republican win this year might mean for the future of the country and, especially, her generation, how young Democrats feel about an aging Democratic leadership, and how people can register and vote in Washington state.
Resources:
College Democrats of America
Voter Registration Information
More Voter Registration Information
Washington State Registration and Election Information
Washington State Voter Protection Hotline
Protect the Vote

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