April 10, 2024 • 54 mins
MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell parses Donald Trump’s craven attempt to play both sides of his abortion stance. Congresswoman Becca Balint examines the Comstock Act and the effect it could have on reproductive health for women across America. Congressional candidate Whitney Fox talks about her run against one of Congress's most unhinged MAGA Republicans.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, I'm Molly John Fast and this is Fast Politics,
where we discussed the top political headlines with some of
today's best minds, and Donald Trump has lost his last
ditch effort to delay the hush money trial. We have
such a great show for you today. Congresswoman Becca Balint
stops by to talk to us about the Comstock Act
(00:22):
and the effect it could have on women's reproductive healthcare
across America. Then we'll talk to Whitney Fox about her
run against one of Congress's most unhinged Maga Republicans. But
first we have the host of the Lawrence O'Donnell Show,
MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell. Welcome back to Fast Politics. Fan favorite
(00:43):
and honestly my favorite.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Laurence o'doll and survivor of the eclipse. More importantly, Yeah,
the ninety percent eclipse in New York City, which was
really great and was beyond my expectation for it. Actually
the drop in temperature that was really amazing. You certainly
(01:05):
come out of it with a newfound gratitude for the sun,
something I've avoided my entire life. The sun has been
my enemy, and I just I'm a shade seeker, but
now I'm beginning to get it. I'm beginning to understand
why the sun is there.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
So one of the things I want to talk to
you about today was, Okay, so we're now getting close
to two hundred days from this election.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
You know when I found out it's two hundred days
right now, this second, this is when I found it out.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
It's a depressing it's depressing.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Right, No, I don't find it depressing. Oh good, No, No,
I mean, look, it is a little bit of life
strategy involved, but it's mostly for you know, reasons of
real information and the way things look. But the life
strategy and this I learned this very very late in life.
And it was a movie star who taught me this lesson.
(02:07):
And so I can't say his name because it would
be too much name dropping, but and the lesson was taught.
The lesson was taught to me while we were waiting
for our cars out of la at a Hollywood party
where I had a pilot in development at a network
at the time, and I said something about, you know,
we're going to find out, you know, next week if
they want to make the pilot. Out of ten scripts
(02:29):
they make maybe you know, one or two pilots so
and I kind of left it at that, and he
said to me, well, you know, optimism is a choice.
And by the way, that that was my bad imitation
of him, so like anyone who's trying to guess so,
and I went geez, And I never it never crossed
my mind that it was a choice. I thought, you know, realism,
(02:52):
which is to say, cynicism in the culture I grew
up in, is the only reasonable position because you will
arrive first at life's recurring destination, which is disappointment. So
if you are expecting the worst, congratulations, you know you
got it. But then every once in a while you
(03:13):
don't get the worst. And so what that means is
you spent a considerable amount of time feeling the depression
of being hit by the worst, and then you didn't
get hit by it. And in fact, you know, the
network made my pilot and put it on the air.
So I feel like, if the presidential election goes in
the direction that I don't like on November fifth, I
(03:37):
will have plenty of time beginning the midnight of November
fifth to feel unbelievably depressed about it. And none of
you people who got a head start on me will
feel any less depressed than I will. Okay, so let's
wait for them. These may be the final pleasant days
(04:01):
of our lives. Let's not rush, you know, to the horror.
If someone told you, you know, you have two hundred
days of goodwill and you know goodness in your life,
and then bad stuff's going to happen. I choose to
enjoy those two hundred days.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
That's sage wisdom right there.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
I think it's the kind of wisdom you have to
age into. I was not available to that idea when
I was thirty five, Like, I was not available to it.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Yeah, no, no, I think for sure. One of the
other very smart things you've said to me was that
being an outsider to American politics and not is actually
huge advantage when you're looking at it. I wonder if
you could talk about that, especially right now.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Yeah, because unfortunately politics now has too much data, way,
way way too much data. You know. It's it's it's
like what's happened to professional baseball? You know where they
have you know the number of seconds between pitches and
the number of times this guy has hit third pitch
that has been thrown to him. And you know, when
(05:05):
I was a kid. They had batting averages and runs,
baut it in and strikeouts, and you know that was
about it, you know, and it's really all you needed
to know. I mean, if you look at the minimal
data baseball players of say the nineteen fifties, of the
you know, these Demaggio's and Ted Williams nineteen sixties, Willie
(05:26):
Mays and these people, there's no new form of data
that would increase your understanding of how great Willy Mays
was at the game of baseball in every single angle
of the game of baseball. And so that incredible limited
amount of information that fans and coaches and players had
(05:47):
and say the nineteen sixties and sport was adequate. You
don't need this extra stuff. And so we now have
this crazy amount of data, just a crazy amount, way
more data than we ever had, you know, decades ago.
So many different entities doing polls, you know, universities doing polls,
the reason they're paying money to do a poll. Let's
(06:11):
say your name is Suffolk University, and can I have
a show of hands of people who've ever who know
where Suffolk University is? Thank you? I'm the only one, okay,
because pretty much everyone in my family except me went
to Suffolk University. Suffolk University is a commuter college in downtown.
It's in downtown Boston, which, of course, as you know,
(06:34):
is Suffolk County, right. So the only reason you know
Suffolk University can be known outside of this commuter college
market that it has been in since my father went
there when he was a Boston company. He went to
College Knights. Is to do a poll, is to pay
for a poll that we then announced to the world
(06:55):
is a Suffolk University poll. Or here's another one, and
raise your hand, and I'm going to exclude one state,
but in forty nine states, if you can tell me
where Quinnipiac College is, I will buy you a car.
So you know, I you know. And I knew where
Quinnipiac College was before it started paying for polls because
(07:19):
I was working for senator representing the entire state of
New York, and so you had to know about obscure
little places like Quinnipiac College and upstate New York. These
players are in this game trying to get attention for
their schools so that kids out there applying to colleges
will go, oh, yeah, I've heard of that place. I
(07:39):
mean it's the likelihood of you applying to a college
you've never heard of is much lower than you applying
to a college you've heard of. And so when you
think about what they're trying to actually do, it's not
inform voters. No one's trying to inform voters with a pole.
They're trying to inform reporters with a pole and say
to report orders, this is the way you should think
(08:02):
about doing your horse race coverage. And in the competition
of you know, Emerson College, which is a college, okay,
I'll do this one quickly, a college in Boston, Okay,
which trains actors and musicians, and decided to get in
the business of paying for polls so that they could
(08:23):
attract more applications from you know, other places in the
world and try to compete with NYU and USC in
these places. So they're all in competition with these other
businesses called things like CBS News and the New York Times,
who also pay for polls, which is to say, they
(08:43):
purchase news stories to put in a possessive way on
the front page of the New York Times. Because the
New York Times paid for this news by paying for
the poll. So there's this poll saturation that is unhelpful.
And the more you can pull back from that and
(09:04):
ignore it, and the more you know about polls, the
more you ignore them and you start to pay attention
to them and around August of the election year, because
only then do you start to get likely voter polls,
which are the only ones that matter, and you start
to get them in the so called battleground states which
matter because you know, a pole of California doesn't matter,
(09:25):
a poll of Massachusetts doesn't matter. Because the founders, in
their infinite stupidity, which was as big as their infinite wisdom,
I'm going to grant them infinite wisdom as long as
we grant them simultaneous stupidity in creating the electoral college,
which really wasn't so stupid from their perspective, because they
(09:46):
were mostly anti democratic men. They did not believe in
democracy as we understand it. They believed in this very
select group of people choosing the people who would be
in government. And so the idea that you know, just
a giant popular vote of the whole country, of everybody
you know over a certain age who can vote, they
(10:08):
would think that was insane. They would object to that
and so many of them. If they were, you know,
back here today, they'd go, hey, we're really proud of
the electoral College because at least that is anti democratic
and that's that's working the way we wanted it to.
But you know, so polls, you know, they become interesting
when you're talking about likely voters. None of them are
likely voter polls. Now they're all registered voter polls, you know,
(10:30):
likely voter polls. Closer to the election, they become kind
of interesting. But if you've lived through Michael Ducaccus's eighteen
point lead after the convention, After both conventions in nineteen
eighty eight, Michael Ducaccus had an eighteen point lead over
George Bush, the first George Bush And there is no
(10:53):
do Caucus Presidential library because it turns out those were
useless polls and those polls were way outside the margin
of error. We have not seen a lead that big
in a presidential poll since Bill Clinton had a lead
like that over Bob Dole in the spring of nineteen
ninety six, and it narrowed, it went down. It was
(11:14):
much smaller towards the end there. But you know, you
have to know that there was not a single poll.
And now I'm teaching ancient history. What it's worth knowing
there wasn't a single poll in America that predicted that
the Republicans would win the House of Representatives for the
first time in forty years in nineteen ninety four. That
was not predicted by a single pundit or a single poll.
(11:36):
It was also not predicted at the very same time
that the Republicans would win the United States Senate, win
it back. They'd won it before, but you know, win
it back in nineteen ninety four. So that and that,
by the way, was the biggest electoral surprise of my lifetime.
Were both of those things, you know, the Republicans winning
the House, which literally had never happened in my lifetime,
and the Republicans winning the Senate. Those were much bigger
(11:59):
electoral sup eyes actually than Trump winning in twenty sixteen.
And so there's just no comfort or wisdom to be
taken in polls. And you know, if the polls, if
every single poll you simply flipped the outcome, right, if
you put the name Biden where the name Trump is,
you know, Trump is ahead by two points or something
in this poll. No one, no one rooting for Biden
(12:22):
would feel better. You know, if you think, oh my god,
Trump's going to win, where do you get that confidence
looking at the poll? Because the polls are so tight,
you know, they're just so narrow that if Biden was
on the had the higher number in these polls every
single time, no one would feel any more comfortable. You're
not going to get comfort out of polls in the
(12:45):
modern presidential election environment because they're just going to always
run way too close.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Right, And it's still within the margin of error.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Again, a note about the margin of error when someone
when you read the poll and it says the margin
of error is, let's round it up to four points,
let's call it three, which is a low margin of error.
They're usually higher. Three points means that if someone is
pulling at forty five, that person could be as high
as forty eight or as low as forty two. It's
(13:14):
actually a band of six points within which that person's
number lives somewhere same thing with the other person's number.
So pretty much every one of these polls all the
time is a tie within the margin of error.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
Yeah. One of the things, though, that Trump has definitely
seen is that a bore is that he's lising on abortion,
and that is why last night or yesterday he put
out this statement. You talked about this on your show
last night. You've talked about this really in an important
and interesting way, and you have a little bit of
(13:51):
history from your earlier career in the working in the Senate.
So I'm curious what your take on this is. It's
like nineteen seventy three again, right, yeah, Well.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
You know, Trump has never understood abortion politics since he
became a candidate. And because he never understood anything about it,
he just adopted the Republican position word for word in
his first run for the presidency, and he understood by
the way that he absolutely had to do that in
(14:24):
order to get the nomination. And Mitch McConnell had to
combine with him to produce a list of judges that
he would nominate. Now, no one's ever done that before
in the history presidential campaign saying here's the list of
people I will nominate to the Supreme Court, if you know,
with the vacancy that was being held open for him,
(14:44):
and that list, of course, Trump didn't know a single name, Honor,
He didn't know anything about it. It's just like, this
is what I have to do, so I have to
do to get the nomination, then to hold onto those votes,
I'll do it. And now he's discovering the challenge because
he thinks, you know, he's a moron. Of course, so
he thinks he's found a solution that can work for
(15:06):
the Republican candidate, and of course it doesn't because he
has now embraced as right and just every single abortion
in the biggest abortion state in the Union, which is
of course California, because it is the biggest state for everything,
including agriculture and every other thing that begins with a
(15:27):
California or any other letter, California has the most of it.
So Donald Trump is saying, you know what, it's up
to the states, So every single abortion in California is
one hundred percent fine with me. And he's also saying
at the very same time that the Idaho law that
sentences you to prison for five years for involvement in
(15:48):
an abortion is also totally fine with Trump. And so
one of the reasons why Donald Trump would be very
afraid of a presidential debate, which I suspect has a
strong chance of not happening and I hope doesn't, because
they're not debates, and they're just stupid exercises. But the
problem for him in a debate where he can't escape
(16:10):
being confronted with certain things being said to him is so, Donald,
you approve of the five year prison sentence in Idaho.
You think that is correct, that states should be allowed
to do that, and he has to say yes or
no to that. Of course, he wouldn't say yes or
no to it. He would just run around in crazy
verbal circles. And at the same time, you can say, Tom,
you approve of every abortion in California and New York, Right,
(16:31):
you approve of all of those. And so that's the
crazy box. You know that he has put himself in,
and he's a known liar. Trump voters know he's a liar, right,
and so everyone on every side of the issue knows
he's trying to lie his way through it. That's what
he's trying to do now, while, of course, because he
(16:54):
has no other accomplishments, werowdly taking credit for overturning roversus way,
you know, just proudly taking credit for it as something
that is opposed by a very very large majority of
the voters.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Yeah, that video was so incredible because he's like, I
did that, And then he's like, but, by.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
The way, can I say a word about the video
because I do this this thing on my show that
for the first time last night, after the show, I
began to second guess. I won't give Trump the whole screen, right,
because it's just too repulsive in every way to have
him on the screen. But when we have to see
him say something, I give him half the screen and
then I occupy the other half. Or if I have guests,
(17:36):
I give him a small amount of the screen and
we all occupy the screen so that you at home
will not be alone with Donald Trump on your screen.
And however, after the show last night, so I see
a tiny image of Trump because I'm looking at it
in this tiny monitor during the show when we do
those shots, right and after the show, I see the
full screen video. Stephanie Rule runs the full screen video
(17:59):
of him saying the same stuff, and I couldn't believe
what was on his face. There was some unbelievably strange
bronze mud, someone who like someone who grabbed some forty
year old bronzer, and just he looked like a monster
to anyone who was looking at that, and You've got
(18:22):
to wonder like the people working for him. I guess
they're so terrified. None of them consider him mister president,
which is what they have to call him a person.
The shit on your face really is a bad idea,
you know? Or are they just doing us the favor.
Are they sitting there going, you know what hey like
in their memoirs and then go, yeah, I'm the guy
who made sure Trump look really awful in his videos.
(18:44):
You know, thirty years from now, that's that's going to
be their big reveal. I just couldn't believe what he
looked like.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
I too had that same thought. Thank you so much,
Lawrence for joining us. I hope you will come back.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Always a pleasure. Thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
Spring is here and I bet you are trying to
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(19:22):
Becca Blind represents Vermont's Soul congressional district. Welcome back, Congresswoman.
Speaker 3 (19:30):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
One of the things that's so exciting about you is
that you are young. You represent Vermont's only congressional district. Yes,
the stuff that is high on your agenda is the
kind of really smart stuff that I too care passionately about.
So let's talk about the Comstock Act. When did you
(19:53):
learn about this act from more than one hundred years ago?
Speaker 4 (19:58):
Yeah, So it's like a undred and fifty year old
misogynistic law, right design role women, one hundred and fifty years.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
Created to prevent pornography from being sent in the mail.
Speaker 4 (20:10):
Right, Well, yes, pornography, but also anything.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
That was considered obscene, a corruption of.
Speaker 4 (20:19):
Morality, and it criminalized sending contraception, anything related to abortion
through the mail.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
And it was not exclusively that.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
There were also some parts of Comstock that were about
male scams basically. But that we're most concerned about, of course,
is the fact that this was essentially criminalizing women's bodies.
And so it is so outrageous and ridiculous that we're
even having to talk about this now.
Speaker 3 (20:49):
But this is the playbook.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
It's from eighteen seventy three. It was an anti obscenity
law that banned the mailing, sale, advertisement, or distribution of
any drug or implement that can be used to cause
an abortion. When did you realize that Republicans were cooking
up a plan for this.
Speaker 4 (21:07):
I was in the state legislature before I was in Congress,
and we saw so much in the playbook that the
Republicans were using in state legislatures, and they really signaled
to us it wasn't just that they were going to
try to make abortion difficult. They wanted to completely ban it.
Speaker 3 (21:26):
So we in.
Speaker 4 (21:27):
Vermont we said about codifying reproductive rights in statute and
then in our state constitution. But I don't know if
you know this about me. I have a master's in history,
so you actually knew about those, yes, And when you
think about you know, here's this man who was a
Union Army veteran who essentially went from his place in
Connecticut to New York City and felt like, oh, you know,
(21:50):
New York City is a denisin. We have to control
these licentious women. And so it also got to the
point of ridiculousness. I was telling my staff earlier. He
would also try to ban the showing of Bodicelli's The
Birth of Venus in New York. So it was Sweeten
really sweeping what he considered to be obscene, and so
(22:10):
it's shocking to think that this is what the Republicans,
in the MAGA movement, in the Trump movement, what they
want to do is bring us back to that time
when women don't just have access to their own bodies
and making sure that we have a right to a
full range of reproductive health, including abortion. They want to
bring us back to a place where contraception is also
(22:33):
called into question whether we have a right to that.
It is absolutely about controlling women's bodies and dragging us
all back to the eighteen seventies. Think about that.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
When I listened to these oral arguments and I heard
a Leado and Thomas talking about the Comstock Act, what
I thought was really interesting was they didn't refer to
it by the name. They referred to it by the number.
And I think that was very intentional because they knew.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
But they're sneaky right.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
Leto said telling effective, well, that's a widely known do
you come in do run into interference with the widely
known and commonly used you know? And he didn't say
Comstock Act, he said you know two three four seven
or something, And I was like, oh shit, they're really
going to use the Comstock Act to try to ban
(23:22):
sending stuff.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
In the mail exactly.
Speaker 4 (23:25):
We heard them say, quote, this is a prominent provision.
It's not some your sub section of a complicated obscure law. Right.
Every field knew about it, So they're they're breathing more legitimacy.
Back to the Concept Act, which has been considered dead
law for a long time. I want to bring up
(23:45):
for listeners that if you haven't taken the time to
go back and look at what project twenty twenty five
is all about. And Jonathan Mitchell, who is one of
the lead architects, he is this extremist attorney who he's
always looking for loopholes and he's looking for workarounds. He
does not want the Supreme Court to have jurisdiction authority
(24:07):
over these issues, and so he's trying to do an.
Speaker 3 (24:10):
And run around it.
Speaker 4 (24:11):
He was the one with the mastermind behind the creepy
provision in the Texas law that said Americans could spy
on each other and turn.
Speaker 5 (24:20):
In bounty hunters, right xactly exactly, And so he said, quote,
there's this smortgash board of options available to us because
comstock is still on the books.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
That's what we're dealing with now.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
Right, I remember that. And what's interesting I think about
SBA was SBA really was the was the precursor to
grow A full year before the Supreme Court was able
to overturn Roby Wade. With Dobbs, they had really pretty
much outloud abortion in Texas. It's just a little like
(24:56):
bit of trivia. Comstock Anthony Comstock was actually ultimately later
in his life became Bruce Choice.
Speaker 4 (25:04):
Yeah. But what happened in all of the years of
his crusade is he actually delighted in the fact that
he was terrorizing women who he saw as not upholding
morality and had him in several instances floating about the
fact that he pushed women to suicide over the issue
(25:26):
of contraception and abortion. It's so important for us to
understand that things that we think are absolutely beyond the
pale and crazy and would never happen. That's what they're
planning for right now. That's what they want. They absolutely
want us to lose the ability, not again, not just
(25:47):
to lose our ability to have.
Speaker 3 (25:48):
Access to abortion.
Speaker 4 (25:50):
They are entertaining the fact of not giving people access
to a full range of contraception, and they also want
to bring back felony punishment that is part of the
Constack Act. They want to punish women for making decisions
about our own bodies.
Speaker 3 (26:06):
Right, These are not misdemeanors.
Speaker 4 (26:08):
It's shocking that so many Americans thought that Republicans were
not focused on over turning Roby Wade, because they they
absolutely signaled that that is exactly what they've been working
on for so so long, which is why we have
to think really carefully about all the different things that
we can put into place, you know, considering overturning Comstock
(26:32):
being one of them. We were talking earlier today, my
staff and I about how they're going to try to
moderate their views because they've been caught saying the quiet
stuff out loud. And so you've got a situation where
Carrie Lake made a statement today saying that Trump didn't
speak for her when it came to abortion, because they're
(26:53):
realizing now that he didn't speak for her, and also
that the Arizona decision was going to be politically damaging,
and so we can't be fooled. You've got Trump himself
has changed his position on abortion thirteen times in the
last twenty five years, so he can't believe anything that
(27:13):
he says he, you know, he and those like him,
they push forward anything that's politically convenient. So what we
need to look at is the playbook that they're all following,
which is the Project twenty twenty five playbook reinstituting comstock,
controlling women's bodies, and beyond that, criminalizing our decisions about
our own bodies.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
The Arizona judiciary, right their Supreme Court allowed the reinstatement
of a law from eighteen sixty four, so right around
just you know, one hundred and sixty years ago, but
who's counting. So now you cannot get an abortion. A
doctor who helps perform an abortion could go to jail
(27:55):
from two to four years.
Speaker 4 (27:57):
And no exceptions for rape and incess It is clear
that when you say there will only be exceptions for
the life of the mother, that is so ill defined.
You've got doctors right now living in fear that they're
going to be prosecuted or locked up.
Speaker 3 (28:14):
And so this this is terrible for women.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
And girls in Texas right now, excuse me, well in
Texas too, but in Sona.
Speaker 3 (28:23):
Basically, if you look at when that law was.
Speaker 4 (28:26):
Passed in eighteen sixty four, okay, women weren't allowed to
vote right, slave right, exactly right. They couldn't own property
if they were married, they couldn't sign contracts, and so
this is essentially again when we say they want to
bring us back one hundred and fifty years, it's no joke,
like it's not hyperbole. We need to understand that these
(28:49):
these attorneys, these conservative attorneys and all their apologists in Congress,
they want a national band in.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
Every possible the way. And the reason why they want.
Speaker 4 (29:01):
To rein state essentially comstock is because two thirds of
all abortions right now.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
Are the pills that come in the mail, and they're
trying to get around sending stuff for the mail, and
you won't be able to get birth control pills in
the mail.
Speaker 3 (29:16):
Either, exactly.
Speaker 4 (29:17):
And as I was talking with an attorney friend of
mine who works in this space, and she said, they're
also concerned that if you have a sweeping interpretation of comstock,
that means also you can't send medical gloves through the mail,
you can't send anything that could possibly be used within
an office for abortion right. So it's absolutely would bring
(29:42):
it to a nationwide band, and they could do it
by simply bringing back into use this archaic one hundred
and fifty year old law.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
It was originally a morality law for a different time.
One of the things I'm struck by is, you know,
there's this new byn ad where you have this woman
in Texas who's so brave and really these women who
have come forward, you know, they've had these terrible, tragic
situations and then they've had to go in front of
(30:16):
people and to share one of the most personal, devastating
things that can happen. But during this ad she narrates
that she had to carry it. You know, she was
a human coffin until she was allowed to give birth
to a dead baby. And one of the things that
I'm struck by is like, better legislation, more clear legislation
(30:37):
would have prevented. It's one thing to want to ban abortion.
It's another thing to give so little of a shit
that you don't write the laws in order for them
to be enacted. And you have women as collateral damage
throughout the country, and now you have all of these
women living in states where they can't have abortions. So
(30:58):
talk to me about like legislative you serve with some
of these people, you're in committees with them. I mean,
do they just not give a fuck, or are they
just stupid?
Speaker 4 (31:08):
I'm sorry, that was many of them believe, and they
show this through their actions. They believe women are second
class citizens. They do, and they legislate that way, you know,
and they have candidates running on the GOP ticket this
year who said women shouldn't.
Speaker 3 (31:21):
Be allowed to vote.
Speaker 4 (31:22):
Like they're saying the quiet part out loud, that is
they absolutely they want to control us, they want to
take away our rights. They do not believe that we
should be treated as full citizens. I honestly believe that
based on what I'm seeing and what's interesting too, Molly
So having worked so hard on reproductive issues in my
(31:43):
home state, which is, you know, a very left leaning state, Vermont, right,
even among some of my Democratic male colleagues, they would
say to us, you know, in caucus.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
Why are we working on this?
Speaker 4 (32:00):
Why aren't we working on something that really impacts people,
And of course the women in the caucus, you know,
we would be absolutely furious.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
But that is this idea that is still.
Speaker 4 (32:14):
Very much in I think the minds of Americans, an
American men in particular, even if they see themselves as
being supportive, being pro choice, they do not understand that
this issue is not just about abortion. It's about the economy.
It's about women's autonomy. It is about our ability to
(32:37):
control when and how we have children. It is our
ability to not, as you said, carry a dead fetus
in our because some men don't actually even understand how
the women's reproductive systems work.
Speaker 3 (32:51):
And I have been on multiple call in shows in my.
Speaker 4 (32:54):
Time as a politician talking about these issues. When I
would get callers and I would be so it was
so clear to me they didn't understand women's bodies, and
ultimately they believed it was the woman's responsibility to manage
whether they got pregnant or not. And you know, and
since we're you know, we're being real with each other.
(33:15):
One of the things that I would say to constituents
if it was a male caller saying it was all
the women's responsibility, I would ask them straight up on
live radio, have you always used protection when you had sex?
Speaker 3 (33:26):
And they would sort of you know, well.
Speaker 4 (33:30):
No, no, no, no, for real, like if you are
policing my body, let me reflect back to you know,
a logical conclusion there, And we have to have full
roaded allies in this. And yes, women need to show
up at the ballot box on mass this November.
Speaker 3 (33:49):
But dan it, we need our allies.
Speaker 4 (33:52):
We need all of the people who love and support
the folks that will be impacted and are impacted by
these laws to stand up and to not make women
have to once again do the work that benefits all
of us.
Speaker 1 (34:10):
I mean, it's funny because it's like, I think so
much about when SBA passed and everyone was saying, me,
you're crazy, this is not going to be the end
of Row. And even when Roe was overturned, you had
people like Rich Lowry and Sarah Igris Flores writing abeds
saying that Roe was baked in voters don't care about Row,
(34:34):
And I mean, how much do women have to die
before anyone gives a shit about them? And it really is,
you know, we're half the population here. Guys like so
crazy and just infuriate into me.
Speaker 4 (34:48):
It is, it's infuriating, and we have to turn that
fury and that anger into action because, as I said,
we know the playbook, we understand what it is that
they're trying to to do, and I strongly believe that
it is absolutely about controlling women's bodies and their minds.
Speaker 3 (35:07):
Our ability to vote.
Speaker 4 (35:08):
These folks are not trustworthy partners in government.
Speaker 1 (35:12):
Okay, that's the understandment of the year, right.
Speaker 4 (35:15):
Yeah, it's interesting though, as you say that, they say, oh,
Roe is not going to be overturned. I got that
as well when we were codifying it in our statute
in Vermont and in our Constitution. I definitely heard that
you are reacting. You're hysterical, you're over the top. This
isn't going to happen. And here we are not just
with Roe overturned, but with these sick conservative attorneys trying
(35:39):
to bring back into play one hundred and fifty year
old misogynistic law.
Speaker 3 (35:45):
It is a desperate attempt to try to control us.
Can't let them.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
Thank you for joining us.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
Really appreciate you, Oh appreciate you.
Speaker 1 (35:55):
Whitney Fox is a candidate in Florida's thirteenth congressional distract.
Become to Fast Politics. Whitney Fox, thank.
Speaker 3 (36:03):
You so much for having me, Mollie, happy to be here.
Speaker 1 (36:05):
So tell me what district are you running in and
tell us a little bit about your race.
Speaker 6 (36:11):
Sure, yes, I'm running in Florida's thirteenth congressional district. It's
the Saint Petersburg Clearwater area of Florida, and I'm running
against Anna Paulina Luna, who you might know.
Speaker 3 (36:22):
As a podcast.
Speaker 1 (36:24):
Yes, tell us a little bit about what your district
is like.
Speaker 6 (36:29):
Sure, So my district is a very moderate, pragmatic district.
It's Charlie Chris Old seat previously.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (36:38):
A third of our voters are independence and a lot of.
Speaker 6 (36:42):
Our district they really pride themselves on their independence here
in Nllis County. So it's a great little place here
in Florida, and they are fired up and ready for November.
Speaker 3 (36:56):
Let me tell you that.
Speaker 1 (36:57):
Anna Paulina Luna, I think of her like Marjorie Taylor Green,
but not as famous.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
Right, That's exactly right.
Speaker 6 (37:05):
And it's interesting because this is not a Marjorie Taylor
Green or Matt Gates district, Molly. This is a like
I said, very moderate district of thoughtful voters and they
are eager for new leadership. They are shocked that Luna one.
Speaker 1 (37:20):
How did they lack that person?
Speaker 3 (37:23):
Yes, you might know.
Speaker 6 (37:24):
Twenty twenty two was a rough year across the board
in Florida. I mean, voter turnout was quite low and
for Democrats it was it was a pretty tough year,
so that she won with just fifty three percent of
the vote in twenty twenty two.
Speaker 3 (37:38):
So for her, this is her first term in office.
Speaker 1 (37:41):
She's done a lot of crazy stuff. Talk to me
about sort of her a little bit about sort of
what she's famous for.
Speaker 6 (37:48):
Yes, well, I think that she's most famous for really
being focused on chasing culture war headlines, and you know,
then she is addressing everyday issues of Americans.
Speaker 3 (37:58):
She's concentrated on you foes.
Speaker 6 (38:00):
She's written a children's book about how the election was stolen,
So I mean it was, you know, a children's book,
like a banana that looks like Biden and an oran
that looks like Trump, and the banana cheats to win
a foot race.
Speaker 3 (38:17):
So these are the tides.
Speaker 6 (38:19):
Of things she is concentrating on, I mean, And every
chance she gets, she's calling to defund government agencies whenever
they don't give her what she wants. She tries to
shut down the government every chance she gets. Impeachment's ousting
any speaker if they have a conversation with a Democrat.
So she's just in DC, causing chaos and doing nothing
(38:39):
for her constituents, which is part of the reason why
I'm running.
Speaker 1 (38:42):
What is your story in Florida and how did you
get there?
Speaker 6 (38:47):
Well, I was born and raised here in the Tampa
Bay Area. This is where I grew up. I'm now
raising two little girls of my own, a four year
old and a two year old, and my parents live here.
And I've been working for our district and public transportation.
Most recently so I was the director of Communications and
marketing and working on legislative priorities at our Panela Sun
(39:08):
Coast Transit Authority. And you know, really seeing the people
who rely on public transportation and how it connects us
to everything from affordable housing and food of course, are
to jobs or medical appointments, and really a lot of
people are struggling here in the district. But what really
fired me to run for office was, I'll be very
(39:29):
honest with you, was having a baby. The medical bills,
the lack of paid parntal leave, the lack of affordable childcare.
Speaker 3 (39:37):
I couldn't believe that.
Speaker 6 (39:39):
This is how we start families in America and that
we aren't in the streets screaming about it. Because I
think it's so important that we care for people from
the very start. And you know, so many other countries
have figured out how to take better care of their people,
and I think that we could be doing a much
better job.
Speaker 1 (39:57):
What would that look like in your mind?
Speaker 6 (40:00):
I think it really starts with focusing on the issues
that people care about, right, like the affordability crisis that
we're facing here, especially in Florida are.
Speaker 3 (40:09):
I mean, our inflation.
Speaker 6 (40:10):
Is two times higher than the rest of the country,
and people are really struggling with skyrocketing insurance and you know,
not finding affordable housing. So I think that that's something
that we definitely need to address. You know, I think
about when I grew up also, I remember, you know,
I was raised by my single mother here in Tampa Bay,
(40:30):
and we used to kind of every Sunday, we have
an activity of clipping coupons out of the Sunday paper
and organizing them in her coupon box before we'd go
grocery shopping. And I know what it's like to grow
up with, you know, a single mother and making sure
that we're making ends meet. And I know that a
lot of families are struggling with that today as well.
(40:50):
And even more so, we also have a lot of
seniors in our district and they're scared of losing their
Social Security and Medicare and worried about boarding prescription drugs
and especially on their fixed incomes. But really it's just
a we're focusing on taking care of people, and people
are tired of the polarizing politics and they just want
(41:14):
a functioning government so that they can make, you know,
put food on the table, roof over their head, and
work one job and you know, get their basic needs met.
And I think that of course, a big one for
us is it's going to be fighting for reproductive rights.
I mean, that's a.
Speaker 3 (41:29):
Huge issue here in Florida.
Speaker 6 (41:31):
As I'm sure you're well aware with everything that's going
on in the state of Florida with when it comes
to abortion and the new six week band that's going
to be going into effect and the ballot measure that's
going to be on you know, on the ballot this November.
That's going to be a big point that we're talking
about on this race.
Speaker 1 (41:46):
You have a maga governor who has really not spent
much time worrying about what's happening in Florida because he's
been busy trying to run for president. Now that dream
is dead. You have inflationary problems you have. Your insurance
premiums are crazy. Talk to me about the flood insurance
(42:08):
climate staff in your state.
Speaker 6 (42:10):
That's probably one of the number one issues that we're
hearing about when it comes to insurance. I mean, everyone's
feeling that it's a huge issue in Florida and people
are struggling, and I know that that's something that we
are A lot of people will say, oh, that's an
issue that's going to be addressed or needs to be
addressed at a state level, but we're not taking that
as an answer. We are looking into what can be
(42:32):
done at a federal level and what actions can we
take to help people, whether that's making sure that they
have proper incentives to make upgrades to their homes and
really investing in infrastructure right because we want to make
sure that we are investing in the right infrastructure to
make sure that when these storms hit, when hurricanes even comes,
that people are prepared, that our infrastructure is prepared. One
(42:56):
dollar spent in prevention is we're fixed dollar and recovery.
So instead of waiting until a storm hits or where
there's flooding and you know, fixing it afterwards, we need
to make sure that we're putting the proper things in
place beforehand to be prepared for those types of things.
Speaker 1 (43:12):
So one of the major conversations that everyone has been
having with me, the sort of like annoying behind the
scenes conversation that people keep having, is people in the
pundent industrial complex keep saying Florida does not really imply.
It's nice that Biden thinks Florida's employed, but he doesn't
really think for Florida's implay. So is Florida implay?
Speaker 6 (43:35):
Well, I definitely think it is, especially I mean even
before the ballot measure, but now even more so, I
mean our race specifically with you know, Anna Pauline A
Luna in District thirteen. We know that this is the
most flippable congressional seat in the state of Florida, and
it's because of how extreme Anna Pauline Aluna is and
(43:55):
that is not aligned at all with the people here
in this district.
Speaker 3 (43:59):
And we know that people are.
Speaker 6 (44:01):
Just tired of the red versus Blue, the Democrat versus Republican,
and they want a functioning government and things have just
gone too far in Florida and too extreme. And thinking
about the fact that Anna Paulina Luna supports a national
abortion ban without exceptions of rape, invest or life of
the mother, that she has these extreme stances of wanting
(44:25):
to shut down the government focusing on all these other issues.
Speaker 1 (44:27):
That bring back family separation right exactly.
Speaker 6 (44:31):
So we know that a lot of people are feeling
that it's just gotten too extreme. I mean I have
moderate Republicans in our district reaching out to.
Speaker 3 (44:39):
Me saying, what can I do to help you? She
has got to go.
Speaker 6 (44:42):
So we think that it's very true that things have
just gotten too extreme in Florida and people are tired
of it.
Speaker 1 (44:48):
Clardik was sort of known as a safe haven for
abortion in the South. Really do you think now you
have a six week fan and you're as extreme as
any other Southern state? I mean you as a Florida resident,
someone who grew up there. I mean, are people kind
of shocked by that?
Speaker 4 (45:05):
Well?
Speaker 6 (45:06):
Yes, well, and I think my heart is broken for
what this is going to do for.
Speaker 3 (45:11):
Women, for families. I mean this is huge.
Speaker 6 (45:14):
I mean recently I volunteered as an escort at a
women's clinic, escorting women from their cars to the clinic.
And they need these escorts because there are protesters who
are just shouting the most violent things at these poor
women as they are looking for just contraception or a
(45:35):
well women visitor, reproductive healthcare. And a lot of the
women I escorted were from outside of Florida, were from
neighboring states. And to think that now Florida is joining
in these neighboring states and that there is no access
anywhere in the southeast of the country, this is dire.
Speaker 3 (45:52):
Women will die, I mean, doctors will leave the state.
Speaker 6 (45:55):
There will be a chilling effect on women seeking medical
help for SEE related issues. And then what's next, Florida
will be investigating miscarriages as potential felonies.
Speaker 1 (46:06):
Well, that's happened in Ohio. I mean remember the Brittany
Watts case where Brittany was actually had to sit and
wait to find out if she was going to be
indicted for what was it called mishandling a corpse and
she had gone to the hospital twice for this miscarriage.
I mean, these are women having miscarriages being arrested.
Speaker 6 (46:27):
It's terrifying because I mean I myself had a miscarriage
and it was a frightening experience.
Speaker 1 (46:33):
I mean mine, Yes, yeah, if you're over the age
of thirty and you're trying to get pregnant, you know
you're more likely. I mean, yeah, go.
Speaker 6 (46:40):
On, Well, good for you to go through that emotional
roller coaster and that you know, traumatizing experience of having
a miscarriage and now having to be afraid of, you know,
obviously a third degree felony if they're going to investigate you,
if they think it could have been an abortion or
not seeking the care that you need. It's heartbreaking to
(47:01):
think that women will be afraid to seek the care
that they need if they do have a miscarriage.
Speaker 1 (47:05):
It's just completely disturbing. So what are you hearing from voters?
What are they saying? What's your sounds?
Speaker 6 (47:13):
Most of the voters that we are talking to, whether
they are Democrat, independent, Republican, they believe that women should
have the freedom to make these decisions themselves without government overreach.
I mean, the people in my district feel very strongly
that government should not be reaching into this issue. They
should not be in their bedrooms, they should not be
(47:34):
in the doctor's offices, and they are fired up and
they are ready to go to war because I mean,
I have had many conversations with older women who've said, we've.
Speaker 3 (47:44):
Already fought this fight. We thought this was settled.
Speaker 6 (47:47):
We know what it's like to not have access to
reproductive health care.
Speaker 3 (47:51):
We're not going through that again.
Speaker 6 (47:53):
And they are very fired up. And then of course
we have many people who are upset about all the
issues about IBF as well. I mean people who are
struggling to have families and want to go to process.
I mean, that's really raised a lot of eyebrows with
especially moderate Republican women who are very upset about what's
(48:14):
happening with that, you know, not potentially having access to IBF.
Speaker 1 (48:19):
I mean, that's a legislative thing that could have also
been avoided. But I think what's so interesting about that
one is that you had Republicans, you know, they had
this quest for embryonic personhood and they had been working
behind the scenes to do this for a while. Like
(48:39):
with so many of these reproductive health laws that Republicans
have passed, they're so badly thought out. Like IVY is
an enormous business, right, Doctors make a lot of money.
It's super expensive. Yeah, what did they when they you know,
they closed down They end up closing down all the
iView clinics in Alabama, right, because nobody put together that
(49:04):
embryonic personhood would then shut down IVF. And furthermore, like
when they legislated it, they just decided they would indemnify
the clinics instead of actually creating you know, some kind
I mean, like is this there are still very much
on this embryonic personhood gig right.
Speaker 6 (49:24):
Right well, and like you said, I mean, all of
this is just unnecessary and could have been avoided. I mean,
it's the natural consequence of you know, life begins at
conception laws, and they just didn't care what the consequences were.
And I think that especially with the Republican Study Committee's
budget that they just put out, I mean, which Ana
Paul Lena Luna is obviously a.
Speaker 1 (49:45):
Part of eighty percent of the Republicans.
Speaker 6 (49:47):
Yeah, so, I mean, which endorses legislation that would threaten
IVF nationwide and backs the Life at Conception Act granting
will rights to like you said, to embryos from the
moment of fertilization. So it's terrifying what it is, and
we have a lot to fight for. And trust me,
this is a These are bipartisan issues that people feel
(50:08):
very strongly about in my district. Especially you know, having
these conversations with both women and men and families, and
the story that I've heard and that they've told me,
it's heartbreaking and they are scared, especially with the six
week band going into effect and you know, become.
Speaker 1 (50:24):
All all of this.
Speaker 6 (50:25):
I mean, Florida is now the primary battleground for abortion
rights here in America, especially being the third largest state.
Speaker 1 (50:33):
Yeah. I mean that's the other thing I think with
this abortion ban is that the numbers in Florida, I
mean are humongous. So now you'll have women and all
of these southern states who will have you know, miles
and miles and miles. I'm wondering, what are you doing.
You're talking to people in your district. You're out there,
(50:53):
You're doing town halls. Tell me how you're campaigning.
Speaker 6 (50:57):
Yes, I mean we are talking. We're going to different
community events, of course, talking to voters. And one thing
that is really important to me, especially you know, being
a mom of two little ones, is meeting voters where
they are and we are even you know, going to
playgrounds to talk to families and having playground meetups. We're doing,
you know, going to different community events and organizational events
(51:20):
to make sure that we are out talking to voters.
We're having even a mother's Day event where we're saying,
come and you know, we'll have activities for your spouse
and the.
Speaker 3 (51:31):
Kids while you come. Come in and hang out and have.
Speaker 6 (51:35):
You know, a relaxing mother's day, and we'll talk about
the issues. There's not really not been much of a focus,
especially from a mother's perspective, I think in Congress. I mean,
I recently learned that I think it's less than seven
percent of members of Congress or mother's with young children.
So I'm making sure that we are tapping into these
different voters that maybe don't get a chance to have
(51:55):
their voices heard or have these conversations. So definitely making
sure that we are getting out to speak with the
people in the district and hear what issues are most
concerning to them.
Speaker 1 (52:06):
Yeah, and I think that's really a good point. I mean,
this is a flippable seat, and Florida's a different state
than it was two years ago or four years ago.
Speaker 3 (52:16):
It truly is.
Speaker 6 (52:17):
And I think that that's what's so interesting, you know
about this race, is because a lot of people are
feeling hopeless this election year, and then they are having
a hard time knowing what they can do and feeling
all they can do is vote. But our race, we
are getting a lot of feedback that people are saying
that we are inspiring hope, and this is a race
(52:39):
where you can actually make a difference by you know,
supporting our race, supporting my candidacy, or this being not
just the most livable seat in the state of Florida,
but our shot of getting a one of the most
conservative far right extremists and Freedom Caucus members out of Congress.
So you know, investing in a race like ours can
actually make it a difference and supporting us and people
(53:01):
of lives, especially on these issues like abortion when Anna
Pauline de Luna is the supporter of a national abortion band.
Speaker 1 (53:09):
Thank you so much, Whitney Fox.
Speaker 3 (53:11):
Of course, thank you so much for the time. I
really appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (53:13):
Molly No Moment, Jesse Cannon, Molly John Fast.
Speaker 7 (53:22):
We often joke about how the MAGA people say the
choi a part out loud that they shouldn't be saying.
But then what it's funny is when the MAGA people
have their Venn diagram overlap with the RFK people because
they are one in the same.
Speaker 1 (53:34):
RFK is New York. I don't know she works for
his campaign.
Speaker 7 (53:39):
She's a ballad expert.
Speaker 1 (53:40):
Oh even better, and she has said she has said
the choir part loud. She said that basically the only
reason he's running is to make Biden lose. These people
are not smart, and thank god they're not, because this
is one of the most important elections, probably the most
important election we'll ever and they're not smartness. They're saying
(54:03):
the quiet part loud is our moment of fuck right.
That's it for this episode of Fast Politics. Tune in
every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to hear the best minds
in politics makes sense of all this chaos. If you
enjoyed what you've heard, please send it to a friend
and keep the conversation going. And again, thanks for listening.
Hi, I'm Molly John Fast and this is Fast Politics,
where we discussed the top political headlines with some of
today's best minds, and Donald Trump has lost his last
ditch effort to delay the hush money trial. We have
such a great show for you today. Congresswoman Becca Balint
stops by to talk to us about the Comstock Act
(00:22):
and the effect it could have on women's reproductive healthcare
across America. Then we'll talk to Whitney Fox about her
run against one of Congress's most unhinged Maga Republicans. But
first we have the host of the Lawrence O'Donnell Show,
MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell. Welcome back to Fast Politics. Fan favorite
(00:43):
and honestly my favorite.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Laurence o'doll and survivor of the eclipse. More importantly, Yeah,
the ninety percent eclipse in New York City, which was
really great and was beyond my expectation for it. Actually
the drop in temperature that was really amazing. You certainly
(01:05):
come out of it with a newfound gratitude for the sun,
something I've avoided my entire life. The sun has been
my enemy, and I just I'm a shade seeker, but
now I'm beginning to get it. I'm beginning to understand
why the sun is there.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
So one of the things I want to talk to
you about today was, Okay, so we're now getting close
to two hundred days from this election.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
You know when I found out it's two hundred days
right now, this second, this is when I found it out.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
It's a depressing it's depressing.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Right, No, I don't find it depressing. Oh good, No, No,
I mean, look, it is a little bit of life
strategy involved, but it's mostly for you know, reasons of
real information and the way things look. But the life
strategy and this I learned this very very late in life.
And it was a movie star who taught me this lesson.
(02:07):
And so I can't say his name because it would
be too much name dropping, but and the lesson was taught.
The lesson was taught to me while we were waiting
for our cars out of la at a Hollywood party
where I had a pilot in development at a network
at the time, and I said something about, you know,
we're going to find out, you know, next week if
they want to make the pilot. Out of ten scripts
(02:29):
they make maybe you know, one or two pilots so
and I kind of left it at that, and he
said to me, well, you know, optimism is a choice.
And by the way, that that was my bad imitation
of him, so like anyone who's trying to guess so,
and I went geez, And I never it never crossed
my mind that it was a choice. I thought, you know, realism,
(02:52):
which is to say, cynicism in the culture I grew
up in, is the only reasonable position because you will
arrive first at life's recurring destination, which is disappointment. So
if you are expecting the worst, congratulations, you know you
got it. But then every once in a while you
(03:13):
don't get the worst. And so what that means is
you spent a considerable amount of time feeling the depression
of being hit by the worst, and then you didn't
get hit by it. And in fact, you know, the
network made my pilot and put it on the air.
So I feel like, if the presidential election goes in
the direction that I don't like on November fifth, I
(03:37):
will have plenty of time beginning the midnight of November
fifth to feel unbelievably depressed about it. And none of
you people who got a head start on me will
feel any less depressed than I will. Okay, so let's
wait for them. These may be the final pleasant days
(04:01):
of our lives. Let's not rush, you know, to the horror.
If someone told you, you know, you have two hundred
days of goodwill and you know goodness in your life,
and then bad stuff's going to happen. I choose to
enjoy those two hundred days.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
That's sage wisdom right there.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
I think it's the kind of wisdom you have to
age into. I was not available to that idea when
I was thirty five, Like, I was not available to it.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Yeah, no, no, I think for sure. One of the
other very smart things you've said to me was that
being an outsider to American politics and not is actually
huge advantage when you're looking at it. I wonder if
you could talk about that, especially right now.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Yeah, because unfortunately politics now has too much data, way,
way way too much data. You know. It's it's it's
like what's happened to professional baseball? You know where they
have you know the number of seconds between pitches and
the number of times this guy has hit third pitch
that has been thrown to him. And you know, when
(05:05):
I was a kid. They had batting averages and runs,
baut it in and strikeouts, and you know that was
about it, you know, and it's really all you needed
to know. I mean, if you look at the minimal
data baseball players of say the nineteen fifties, of the
you know, these Demaggio's and Ted Williams nineteen sixties, Willie
(05:26):
Mays and these people, there's no new form of data
that would increase your understanding of how great Willy Mays
was at the game of baseball in every single angle
of the game of baseball. And so that incredible limited
amount of information that fans and coaches and players had
(05:47):
and say the nineteen sixties and sport was adequate. You
don't need this extra stuff. And so we now have
this crazy amount of data, just a crazy amount, way
more data than we ever had, you know, decades ago.
So many different entities doing polls, you know, universities doing polls,
the reason they're paying money to do a poll. Let's
(06:11):
say your name is Suffolk University, and can I have
a show of hands of people who've ever who know
where Suffolk University is? Thank you? I'm the only one, okay,
because pretty much everyone in my family except me went
to Suffolk University. Suffolk University is a commuter college in downtown.
It's in downtown Boston, which, of course, as you know,
(06:34):
is Suffolk County, right. So the only reason you know
Suffolk University can be known outside of this commuter college
market that it has been in since my father went
there when he was a Boston company. He went to
College Knights. Is to do a poll, is to pay
for a poll that we then announced to the world
(06:55):
is a Suffolk University poll. Or here's another one, and
raise your hand, and I'm going to exclude one state,
but in forty nine states, if you can tell me
where Quinnipiac College is, I will buy you a car.
So you know, I you know. And I knew where
Quinnipiac College was before it started paying for polls because
(07:19):
I was working for senator representing the entire state of
New York, and so you had to know about obscure
little places like Quinnipiac College and upstate New York. These
players are in this game trying to get attention for
their schools so that kids out there applying to colleges
will go, oh, yeah, I've heard of that place. I
(07:39):
mean it's the likelihood of you applying to a college
you've never heard of is much lower than you applying
to a college you've heard of. And so when you
think about what they're trying to actually do, it's not
inform voters. No one's trying to inform voters with a pole.
They're trying to inform reporters with a pole and say
to report orders, this is the way you should think
(08:02):
about doing your horse race coverage. And in the competition
of you know, Emerson College, which is a college, okay,
I'll do this one quickly, a college in Boston, Okay,
which trains actors and musicians, and decided to get in
the business of paying for polls so that they could
(08:23):
attract more applications from you know, other places in the
world and try to compete with NYU and USC in
these places. So they're all in competition with these other
businesses called things like CBS News and the New York Times,
who also pay for polls, which is to say, they
(08:43):
purchase news stories to put in a possessive way on
the front page of the New York Times. Because the
New York Times paid for this news by paying for
the poll. So there's this poll saturation that is unhelpful.
And the more you can pull back from that and
(09:04):
ignore it, and the more you know about polls, the
more you ignore them and you start to pay attention
to them and around August of the election year, because
only then do you start to get likely voter polls,
which are the only ones that matter, and you start
to get them in the so called battleground states which
matter because you know, a pole of California doesn't matter,
(09:25):
a poll of Massachusetts doesn't matter. Because the founders, in
their infinite stupidity, which was as big as their infinite wisdom,
I'm going to grant them infinite wisdom as long as
we grant them simultaneous stupidity in creating the electoral college,
which really wasn't so stupid from their perspective, because they
(09:46):
were mostly anti democratic men. They did not believe in
democracy as we understand it. They believed in this very
select group of people choosing the people who would be
in government. And so the idea that you know, just
a giant popular vote of the whole country, of everybody
you know over a certain age who can vote, they
(10:08):
would think that was insane. They would object to that
and so many of them. If they were, you know,
back here today, they'd go, hey, we're really proud of
the electoral College because at least that is anti democratic
and that's that's working the way we wanted it to.
But you know, so polls, you know, they become interesting
when you're talking about likely voters. None of them are
likely voter polls. Now they're all registered voter polls, you know,
(10:30):
likely voter polls. Closer to the election, they become kind
of interesting. But if you've lived through Michael Ducaccus's eighteen
point lead after the convention, After both conventions in nineteen
eighty eight, Michael Ducaccus had an eighteen point lead over
George Bush, the first George Bush And there is no
(10:53):
do Caucus Presidential library because it turns out those were
useless polls and those polls were way outside the margin
of error. We have not seen a lead that big
in a presidential poll since Bill Clinton had a lead
like that over Bob Dole in the spring of nineteen
ninety six, and it narrowed, it went down. It was
(11:14):
much smaller towards the end there. But you know, you
have to know that there was not a single poll.
And now I'm teaching ancient history. What it's worth knowing
there wasn't a single poll in America that predicted that
the Republicans would win the House of Representatives for the
first time in forty years in nineteen ninety four. That
was not predicted by a single pundit or a single poll.
(11:36):
It was also not predicted at the very same time
that the Republicans would win the United States Senate, win
it back. They'd won it before, but you know, win
it back in nineteen ninety four. So that and that,
by the way, was the biggest electoral surprise of my lifetime.
Were both of those things, you know, the Republicans winning
the House, which literally had never happened in my lifetime,
and the Republicans winning the Senate. Those were much bigger
(11:59):
electoral sup eyes actually than Trump winning in twenty sixteen.
And so there's just no comfort or wisdom to be
taken in polls. And you know, if the polls, if
every single poll you simply flipped the outcome, right, if
you put the name Biden where the name Trump is,
you know, Trump is ahead by two points or something
in this poll. No one, no one rooting for Biden
(12:22):
would feel better. You know, if you think, oh my god,
Trump's going to win, where do you get that confidence
looking at the poll? Because the polls are so tight,
you know, they're just so narrow that if Biden was
on the had the higher number in these polls every
single time, no one would feel any more comfortable. You're
not going to get comfort out of polls in the
(12:45):
modern presidential election environment because they're just going to always
run way too close.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Right, And it's still within the margin of error.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Again, a note about the margin of error when someone
when you read the poll and it says the margin
of error is, let's round it up to four points,
let's call it three, which is a low margin of error.
They're usually higher. Three points means that if someone is
pulling at forty five, that person could be as high
as forty eight or as low as forty two. It's
(13:14):
actually a band of six points within which that person's
number lives somewhere same thing with the other person's number.
So pretty much every one of these polls all the
time is a tie within the margin of error.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
Yeah. One of the things, though, that Trump has definitely
seen is that a bore is that he's lising on abortion,
and that is why last night or yesterday he put
out this statement. You talked about this on your show
last night. You've talked about this really in an important
and interesting way, and you have a little bit of
(13:51):
history from your earlier career in the working in the Senate.
So I'm curious what your take on this is. It's
like nineteen seventy three again, right, yeah, Well.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
You know, Trump has never understood abortion politics since he
became a candidate. And because he never understood anything about it,
he just adopted the Republican position word for word in
his first run for the presidency, and he understood by
the way that he absolutely had to do that in
(14:24):
order to get the nomination. And Mitch McConnell had to
combine with him to produce a list of judges that
he would nominate. Now, no one's ever done that before
in the history presidential campaign saying here's the list of
people I will nominate to the Supreme Court, if you know,
with the vacancy that was being held open for him,
(14:44):
and that list, of course, Trump didn't know a single name, Honor,
He didn't know anything about it. It's just like, this
is what I have to do, so I have to
do to get the nomination, then to hold onto those votes,
I'll do it. And now he's discovering the challenge because
he thinks, you know, he's a moron. Of course, so
he thinks he's found a solution that can work for
(15:06):
the Republican candidate, and of course it doesn't because he
has now embraced as right and just every single abortion
in the biggest abortion state in the Union, which is
of course California, because it is the biggest state for everything,
including agriculture and every other thing that begins with a
(15:27):
California or any other letter, California has the most of it.
So Donald Trump is saying, you know what, it's up
to the states, So every single abortion in California is
one hundred percent fine with me. And he's also saying
at the very same time that the Idaho law that
sentences you to prison for five years for involvement in
(15:48):
an abortion is also totally fine with Trump. And so
one of the reasons why Donald Trump would be very
afraid of a presidential debate, which I suspect has a
strong chance of not happening and I hope doesn't, because
they're not debates, and they're just stupid exercises. But the
problem for him in a debate where he can't escape
(16:10):
being confronted with certain things being said to him is so, Donald,
you approve of the five year prison sentence in Idaho.
You think that is correct, that states should be allowed
to do that, and he has to say yes or
no to that. Of course, he wouldn't say yes or
no to it. He would just run around in crazy
verbal circles. And at the same time, you can say, Tom,
you approve of every abortion in California and New York, Right,
(16:31):
you approve of all of those. And so that's the
crazy box. You know that he has put himself in,
and he's a known liar. Trump voters know he's a liar, right,
and so everyone on every side of the issue knows
he's trying to lie his way through it. That's what
he's trying to do now, while, of course, because he
(16:54):
has no other accomplishments, werowdly taking credit for overturning roversus way,
you know, just proudly taking credit for it as something
that is opposed by a very very large majority of
the voters.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Yeah, that video was so incredible because he's like, I
did that, And then he's like, but, by.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
The way, can I say a word about the video
because I do this this thing on my show that
for the first time last night, after the show, I
began to second guess. I won't give Trump the whole screen, right,
because it's just too repulsive in every way to have
him on the screen. But when we have to see
him say something, I give him half the screen and
then I occupy the other half. Or if I have guests,
(17:36):
I give him a small amount of the screen and
we all occupy the screen so that you at home
will not be alone with Donald Trump on your screen.
And however, after the show last night, so I see
a tiny image of Trump because I'm looking at it
in this tiny monitor during the show when we do
those shots, right and after the show, I see the
full screen video. Stephanie Rule runs the full screen video
(17:59):
of him saying the same stuff, and I couldn't believe
what was on his face. There was some unbelievably strange
bronze mud, someone who like someone who grabbed some forty
year old bronzer, and just he looked like a monster
to anyone who was looking at that, and You've got
(18:22):
to wonder like the people working for him. I guess
they're so terrified. None of them consider him mister president,
which is what they have to call him a person.
The shit on your face really is a bad idea,
you know? Or are they just doing us the favor.
Are they sitting there going, you know what hey like
in their memoirs and then go, yeah, I'm the guy
who made sure Trump look really awful in his videos.
(18:44):
You know, thirty years from now, that's that's going to
be their big reveal. I just couldn't believe what he
looked like.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
I too had that same thought. Thank you so much,
Lawrence for joining us. I hope you will come back.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Always a pleasure. Thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
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(19:22):
Becca Blind represents Vermont's Soul congressional district. Welcome back, Congresswoman.
Speaker 3 (19:30):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
One of the things that's so exciting about you is
that you are young. You represent Vermont's only congressional district. Yes,
the stuff that is high on your agenda is the
kind of really smart stuff that I too care passionately about.
So let's talk about the Comstock Act. When did you
(19:53):
learn about this act from more than one hundred years ago?
Speaker 4 (19:58):
Yeah, So it's like a undred and fifty year old
misogynistic law, right design role women, one hundred and fifty years.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
Created to prevent pornography from being sent in the mail.
Speaker 4 (20:10):
Right, Well, yes, pornography, but also anything.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
That was considered obscene, a corruption of.
Speaker 4 (20:19):
Morality, and it criminalized sending contraception, anything related to abortion
through the mail.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
And it was not exclusively that.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
There were also some parts of Comstock that were about
male scams basically. But that we're most concerned about, of course,
is the fact that this was essentially criminalizing women's bodies.
And so it is so outrageous and ridiculous that we're
even having to talk about this now.
Speaker 3 (20:49):
But this is the playbook.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
It's from eighteen seventy three. It was an anti obscenity
law that banned the mailing, sale, advertisement, or distribution of
any drug or implement that can be used to cause
an abortion. When did you realize that Republicans were cooking
up a plan for this.
Speaker 4 (21:07):
I was in the state legislature before I was in Congress,
and we saw so much in the playbook that the
Republicans were using in state legislatures, and they really signaled
to us it wasn't just that they were going to
try to make abortion difficult. They wanted to completely ban it.
Speaker 3 (21:26):
So we in.
Speaker 4 (21:27):
Vermont we said about codifying reproductive rights in statute and
then in our state constitution. But I don't know if
you know this about me. I have a master's in history,
so you actually knew about those, yes, And when you
think about you know, here's this man who was a
Union Army veteran who essentially went from his place in
Connecticut to New York City and felt like, oh, you know,
(21:50):
New York City is a denisin. We have to control
these licentious women. And so it also got to the
point of ridiculousness. I was telling my staff earlier. He
would also try to ban the showing of Bodicelli's The
Birth of Venus in New York. So it was Sweeten
really sweeping what he considered to be obscene, and so
(22:10):
it's shocking to think that this is what the Republicans,
in the MAGA movement, in the Trump movement, what they
want to do is bring us back to that time
when women don't just have access to their own bodies
and making sure that we have a right to a
full range of reproductive health, including abortion. They want to
bring us back to a place where contraception is also
(22:33):
called into question whether we have a right to that.
It is absolutely about controlling women's bodies and dragging us
all back to the eighteen seventies. Think about that.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
When I listened to these oral arguments and I heard
a Leado and Thomas talking about the Comstock Act, what
I thought was really interesting was they didn't refer to
it by the name. They referred to it by the number.
And I think that was very intentional because they knew.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
But they're sneaky right.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
Leto said telling effective, well, that's a widely known do
you come in do run into interference with the widely
known and commonly used you know? And he didn't say
Comstock Act, he said you know two three four seven
or something, And I was like, oh shit, they're really
going to use the Comstock Act to try to ban
(23:22):
sending stuff.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
In the mail exactly.
Speaker 4 (23:25):
We heard them say, quote, this is a prominent provision.
It's not some your sub section of a complicated obscure law. Right.
Every field knew about it, So they're they're breathing more legitimacy.
Back to the Concept Act, which has been considered dead
law for a long time. I want to bring up
(23:45):
for listeners that if you haven't taken the time to
go back and look at what project twenty twenty five
is all about. And Jonathan Mitchell, who is one of
the lead architects, he is this extremist attorney who he's
always looking for loopholes and he's looking for workarounds. He
does not want the Supreme Court to have jurisdiction authority
(24:07):
over these issues, and so he's trying to do an.
Speaker 3 (24:10):
And run around it.
Speaker 4 (24:11):
He was the one with the mastermind behind the creepy
provision in the Texas law that said Americans could spy
on each other and turn.
Speaker 5 (24:20):
In bounty hunters, right xactly exactly, And so he said, quote,
there's this smortgash board of options available to us because
comstock is still on the books.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
That's what we're dealing with now.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
Right, I remember that. And what's interesting I think about
SBA was SBA really was the was the precursor to
grow A full year before the Supreme Court was able
to overturn Roby Wade. With Dobbs, they had really pretty
much outloud abortion in Texas. It's just a little like
(24:56):
bit of trivia. Comstock Anthony Comstock was actually ultimately later
in his life became Bruce Choice.
Speaker 4 (25:04):
Yeah. But what happened in all of the years of
his crusade is he actually delighted in the fact that
he was terrorizing women who he saw as not upholding
morality and had him in several instances floating about the
fact that he pushed women to suicide over the issue
(25:26):
of contraception and abortion. It's so important for us to
understand that things that we think are absolutely beyond the
pale and crazy and would never happen. That's what they're
planning for right now. That's what they want. They absolutely
want us to lose the ability, not again, not just
(25:47):
to lose our ability to have.
Speaker 3 (25:48):
Access to abortion.
Speaker 4 (25:50):
They are entertaining the fact of not giving people access
to a full range of contraception, and they also want
to bring back felony punishment that is part of the
Constack Act. They want to punish women for making decisions
about our own bodies.
Speaker 3 (26:06):
Right, These are not misdemeanors.
Speaker 4 (26:08):
It's shocking that so many Americans thought that Republicans were
not focused on over turning Roby Wade, because they they
absolutely signaled that that is exactly what they've been working
on for so so long, which is why we have
to think really carefully about all the different things that
we can put into place, you know, considering overturning Comstock
(26:32):
being one of them. We were talking earlier today, my
staff and I about how they're going to try to
moderate their views because they've been caught saying the quiet
stuff out loud. And so you've got a situation where
Carrie Lake made a statement today saying that Trump didn't
speak for her when it came to abortion, because they're
(26:53):
realizing now that he didn't speak for her, and also
that the Arizona decision was going to be politically damaging,
and so we can't be fooled. You've got Trump himself
has changed his position on abortion thirteen times in the
last twenty five years, so he can't believe anything that
(27:13):
he says he, you know, he and those like him,
they push forward anything that's politically convenient. So what we
need to look at is the playbook that they're all following,
which is the Project twenty twenty five playbook reinstituting comstock,
controlling women's bodies, and beyond that, criminalizing our decisions about
our own bodies.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
The Arizona judiciary, right their Supreme Court allowed the reinstatement
of a law from eighteen sixty four, so right around
just you know, one hundred and sixty years ago, but
who's counting. So now you cannot get an abortion. A
doctor who helps perform an abortion could go to jail
(27:55):
from two to four years.
Speaker 4 (27:57):
And no exceptions for rape and incess It is clear
that when you say there will only be exceptions for
the life of the mother, that is so ill defined.
You've got doctors right now living in fear that they're
going to be prosecuted or locked up.
Speaker 3 (28:14):
And so this this is terrible for women.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
And girls in Texas right now, excuse me, well in
Texas too, but in Sona.
Speaker 3 (28:23):
Basically, if you look at when that law was.
Speaker 4 (28:26):
Passed in eighteen sixty four, okay, women weren't allowed to
vote right, slave right, exactly right. They couldn't own property
if they were married, they couldn't sign contracts, and so
this is essentially again when we say they want to
bring us back one hundred and fifty years, it's no joke,
like it's not hyperbole. We need to understand that these
(28:49):
these attorneys, these conservative attorneys and all their apologists in Congress,
they want a national band in.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
Every possible the way. And the reason why they want.
Speaker 4 (29:01):
To rein state essentially comstock is because two thirds of
all abortions right now.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
Are the pills that come in the mail, and they're
trying to get around sending stuff for the mail, and
you won't be able to get birth control pills in
the mail.
Speaker 3 (29:16):
Either, exactly.
Speaker 4 (29:17):
And as I was talking with an attorney friend of
mine who works in this space, and she said, they're
also concerned that if you have a sweeping interpretation of comstock,
that means also you can't send medical gloves through the mail,
you can't send anything that could possibly be used within
an office for abortion right. So it's absolutely would bring
(29:42):
it to a nationwide band, and they could do it
by simply bringing back into use this archaic one hundred
and fifty year old law.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
It was originally a morality law for a different time.
One of the things I'm struck by is, you know,
there's this new byn ad where you have this woman
in Texas who's so brave and really these women who
have come forward, you know, they've had these terrible, tragic
situations and then they've had to go in front of
(30:16):
people and to share one of the most personal, devastating
things that can happen. But during this ad she narrates
that she had to carry it. You know, she was
a human coffin until she was allowed to give birth
to a dead baby. And one of the things that
I'm struck by is like, better legislation, more clear legislation
(30:37):
would have prevented. It's one thing to want to ban abortion.
It's another thing to give so little of a shit
that you don't write the laws in order for them
to be enacted. And you have women as collateral damage
throughout the country, and now you have all of these
women living in states where they can't have abortions. So
(30:58):
talk to me about like legislative you serve with some
of these people, you're in committees with them. I mean,
do they just not give a fuck, or are they
just stupid?
Speaker 4 (31:08):
I'm sorry, that was many of them believe, and they
show this through their actions. They believe women are second
class citizens. They do, and they legislate that way, you know,
and they have candidates running on the GOP ticket this
year who said women shouldn't.
Speaker 3 (31:21):
Be allowed to vote.
Speaker 4 (31:22):
Like they're saying the quiet part out loud, that is
they absolutely they want to control us, they want to
take away our rights. They do not believe that we
should be treated as full citizens. I honestly believe that
based on what I'm seeing and what's interesting too, Molly
So having worked so hard on reproductive issues in my
(31:43):
home state, which is, you know, a very left leaning state, Vermont, right,
even among some of my Democratic male colleagues, they would
say to us, you know, in caucus.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
Why are we working on this?
Speaker 4 (32:00):
Why aren't we working on something that really impacts people,
And of course the women in the caucus, you know,
we would be absolutely furious.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
But that is this idea that is still.
Speaker 4 (32:14):
Very much in I think the minds of Americans, an
American men in particular, even if they see themselves as
being supportive, being pro choice, they do not understand that
this issue is not just about abortion. It's about the economy.
It's about women's autonomy. It is about our ability to
(32:37):
control when and how we have children. It is our
ability to not, as you said, carry a dead fetus
in our because some men don't actually even understand how
the women's reproductive systems work.
Speaker 3 (32:51):
And I have been on multiple call in shows in my.
Speaker 4 (32:54):
Time as a politician talking about these issues. When I
would get callers and I would be so it was
so clear to me they didn't understand women's bodies, and
ultimately they believed it was the woman's responsibility to manage
whether they got pregnant or not. And you know, and
since we're you know, we're being real with each other.
(33:15):
One of the things that I would say to constituents
if it was a male caller saying it was all
the women's responsibility, I would ask them straight up on
live radio, have you always used protection when you had sex?
Speaker 3 (33:26):
And they would sort of you know, well.
Speaker 4 (33:30):
No, no, no, no, for real, like if you are
policing my body, let me reflect back to you know,
a logical conclusion there, And we have to have full
roaded allies in this. And yes, women need to show
up at the ballot box on mass this November.
Speaker 3 (33:49):
But dan it, we need our allies.
Speaker 4 (33:52):
We need all of the people who love and support
the folks that will be impacted and are impacted by
these laws to stand up and to not make women
have to once again do the work that benefits all
of us.
Speaker 1 (34:10):
I mean, it's funny because it's like, I think so
much about when SBA passed and everyone was saying, me,
you're crazy, this is not going to be the end
of Row. And even when Roe was overturned, you had
people like Rich Lowry and Sarah Igris Flores writing abeds
saying that Roe was baked in voters don't care about Row,
(34:34):
And I mean, how much do women have to die
before anyone gives a shit about them? And it really is,
you know, we're half the population here. Guys like so
crazy and just infuriate into me.
Speaker 4 (34:48):
It is, it's infuriating, and we have to turn that
fury and that anger into action because, as I said,
we know the playbook, we understand what it is that
they're trying to to do, and I strongly believe that
it is absolutely about controlling women's bodies and their minds.
Speaker 3 (35:07):
Our ability to vote.
Speaker 4 (35:08):
These folks are not trustworthy partners in government.
Speaker 1 (35:12):
Okay, that's the understandment of the year, right.
Speaker 4 (35:15):
Yeah, it's interesting though, as you say that, they say, oh,
Roe is not going to be overturned. I got that
as well when we were codifying it in our statute
in Vermont and in our Constitution. I definitely heard that
you are reacting. You're hysterical, you're over the top. This
isn't going to happen. And here we are not just
with Roe overturned, but with these sick conservative attorneys trying
(35:39):
to bring back into play one hundred and fifty year
old misogynistic law.
Speaker 3 (35:45):
It is a desperate attempt to try to control us.
Can't let them.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
Thank you for joining us.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
Really appreciate you, Oh appreciate you.
Speaker 1 (35:55):
Whitney Fox is a candidate in Florida's thirteenth congressional distract.
Become to Fast Politics. Whitney Fox, thank.
Speaker 3 (36:03):
You so much for having me, Mollie, happy to be here.
Speaker 1 (36:05):
So tell me what district are you running in and
tell us a little bit about your race.
Speaker 6 (36:11):
Sure, yes, I'm running in Florida's thirteenth congressional district. It's
the Saint Petersburg Clearwater area of Florida, and I'm running
against Anna Paulina Luna, who you might know.
Speaker 3 (36:22):
As a podcast.
Speaker 1 (36:24):
Yes, tell us a little bit about what your district
is like.
Speaker 6 (36:29):
Sure, So my district is a very moderate, pragmatic district.
It's Charlie Chris Old seat previously.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (36:38):
A third of our voters are independence and a lot of.
Speaker 6 (36:42):
Our district they really pride themselves on their independence here
in Nllis County. So it's a great little place here
in Florida, and they are fired up and ready for November.
Speaker 3 (36:56):
Let me tell you that.
Speaker 1 (36:57):
Anna Paulina Luna, I think of her like Marjorie Taylor Green,
but not as famous.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
Right, That's exactly right.
Speaker 6 (37:05):
And it's interesting because this is not a Marjorie Taylor
Green or Matt Gates district, Molly. This is a like
I said, very moderate district of thoughtful voters and they
are eager for new leadership. They are shocked that Luna one.
Speaker 1 (37:20):
How did they lack that person?
Speaker 3 (37:23):
Yes, you might know.
Speaker 6 (37:24):
Twenty twenty two was a rough year across the board
in Florida. I mean, voter turnout was quite low and
for Democrats it was it was a pretty tough year,
so that she won with just fifty three percent of
the vote in twenty twenty two.
Speaker 3 (37:38):
So for her, this is her first term in office.
Speaker 1 (37:41):
She's done a lot of crazy stuff. Talk to me
about sort of her a little bit about sort of
what she's famous for.
Speaker 6 (37:48):
Yes, well, I think that she's most famous for really
being focused on chasing culture war headlines, and you know,
then she is addressing everyday issues of Americans.
Speaker 3 (37:58):
She's concentrated on you foes.
Speaker 6 (38:00):
She's written a children's book about how the election was stolen,
So I mean it was, you know, a children's book,
like a banana that looks like Biden and an oran
that looks like Trump, and the banana cheats to win
a foot race.
Speaker 3 (38:17):
So these are the tides.
Speaker 6 (38:19):
Of things she is concentrating on, I mean, And every
chance she gets, she's calling to defund government agencies whenever
they don't give her what she wants. She tries to
shut down the government every chance she gets. Impeachment's ousting
any speaker if they have a conversation with a Democrat.
So she's just in DC, causing chaos and doing nothing
(38:39):
for her constituents, which is part of the reason why
I'm running.
Speaker 1 (38:42):
What is your story in Florida and how did you
get there?
Speaker 6 (38:47):
Well, I was born and raised here in the Tampa
Bay Area. This is where I grew up. I'm now
raising two little girls of my own, a four year
old and a two year old, and my parents live here.
And I've been working for our district and public transportation.
Most recently so I was the director of Communications and
marketing and working on legislative priorities at our Panela Sun
(39:08):
Coast Transit Authority. And you know, really seeing the people
who rely on public transportation and how it connects us
to everything from affordable housing and food of course, are
to jobs or medical appointments, and really a lot of
people are struggling here in the district. But what really
fired me to run for office was, I'll be very
(39:29):
honest with you, was having a baby. The medical bills,
the lack of paid parntal leave, the lack of affordable childcare.
Speaker 3 (39:37):
I couldn't believe that.
Speaker 6 (39:39):
This is how we start families in America and that
we aren't in the streets screaming about it. Because I
think it's so important that we care for people from
the very start. And you know, so many other countries
have figured out how to take better care of their people,
and I think that we could be doing a much
better job.
Speaker 1 (39:57):
What would that look like in your mind?
Speaker 6 (40:00):
I think it really starts with focusing on the issues
that people care about, right, like the affordability crisis that
we're facing here, especially in Florida are.
Speaker 3 (40:09):
I mean, our inflation.
Speaker 6 (40:10):
Is two times higher than the rest of the country,
and people are really struggling with skyrocketing insurance and you know,
not finding affordable housing. So I think that that's something
that we definitely need to address. You know, I think
about when I grew up also, I remember, you know,
I was raised by my single mother here in Tampa Bay,
(40:30):
and we used to kind of every Sunday, we have
an activity of clipping coupons out of the Sunday paper
and organizing them in her coupon box before we'd go
grocery shopping. And I know what it's like to grow
up with, you know, a single mother and making sure
that we're making ends meet. And I know that a
lot of families are struggling with that today as well.
(40:50):
And even more so, we also have a lot of
seniors in our district and they're scared of losing their
Social Security and Medicare and worried about boarding prescription drugs
and especially on their fixed incomes. But really it's just
a we're focusing on taking care of people, and people
are tired of the polarizing politics and they just want
(41:14):
a functioning government so that they can make, you know,
put food on the table, roof over their head, and
work one job and you know, get their basic needs met.
And I think that of course, a big one for
us is it's going to be fighting for reproductive rights.
I mean, that's a.
Speaker 3 (41:29):
Huge issue here in Florida.
Speaker 6 (41:31):
As I'm sure you're well aware with everything that's going
on in the state of Florida with when it comes
to abortion and the new six week band that's going
to be going into effect and the ballot measure that's
going to be on you know, on the ballot this November.
That's going to be a big point that we're talking
about on this race.
Speaker 1 (41:46):
You have a maga governor who has really not spent
much time worrying about what's happening in Florida because he's
been busy trying to run for president. Now that dream
is dead. You have inflationary problems you have. Your insurance
premiums are crazy. Talk to me about the flood insurance
(42:08):
climate staff in your state.
Speaker 6 (42:10):
That's probably one of the number one issues that we're
hearing about when it comes to insurance. I mean, everyone's
feeling that it's a huge issue in Florida and people
are struggling, and I know that that's something that we
are A lot of people will say, oh, that's an
issue that's going to be addressed or needs to be
addressed at a state level, but we're not taking that
as an answer. We are looking into what can be
(42:32):
done at a federal level and what actions can we
take to help people, whether that's making sure that they
have proper incentives to make upgrades to their homes and
really investing in infrastructure right because we want to make
sure that we are investing in the right infrastructure to
make sure that when these storms hit, when hurricanes even comes,
that people are prepared, that our infrastructure is prepared. One
(42:56):
dollar spent in prevention is we're fixed dollar and recovery.
So instead of waiting until a storm hits or where
there's flooding and you know, fixing it afterwards, we need
to make sure that we're putting the proper things in
place beforehand to be prepared for those types of things.
Speaker 1 (43:12):
So one of the major conversations that everyone has been
having with me, the sort of like annoying behind the
scenes conversation that people keep having, is people in the
pundent industrial complex keep saying Florida does not really imply.
It's nice that Biden thinks Florida's employed, but he doesn't
really think for Florida's implay. So is Florida implay?
Speaker 6 (43:35):
Well, I definitely think it is, especially I mean even
before the ballot measure, but now even more so, I
mean our race specifically with you know, Anna Pauline A
Luna in District thirteen. We know that this is the
most flippable congressional seat in the state of Florida, and
it's because of how extreme Anna Pauline Aluna is and
(43:55):
that is not aligned at all with the people here
in this district.
Speaker 3 (43:59):
And we know that people are.
Speaker 6 (44:01):
Just tired of the red versus Blue, the Democrat versus Republican,
and they want a functioning government and things have just
gone too far in Florida and too extreme. And thinking
about the fact that Anna Paulina Luna supports a national
abortion ban without exceptions of rape, invest or life of
the mother, that she has these extreme stances of wanting
(44:25):
to shut down the government focusing on all these other issues.
Speaker 1 (44:27):
That bring back family separation right exactly.
Speaker 6 (44:31):
So we know that a lot of people are feeling
that it's just gotten too extreme. I mean I have
moderate Republicans in our district reaching out to.
Speaker 3 (44:39):
Me saying, what can I do to help you? She
has got to go.
Speaker 6 (44:42):
So we think that it's very true that things have
just gotten too extreme in Florida and people are tired
of it.
Speaker 1 (44:48):
Clardik was sort of known as a safe haven for
abortion in the South. Really do you think now you
have a six week fan and you're as extreme as
any other Southern state? I mean you as a Florida resident,
someone who grew up there. I mean, are people kind
of shocked by that?
Speaker 4 (45:05):
Well?
Speaker 6 (45:06):
Yes, well, and I think my heart is broken for
what this is going to do for.
Speaker 3 (45:11):
Women, for families. I mean this is huge.
Speaker 6 (45:14):
I mean recently I volunteered as an escort at a
women's clinic, escorting women from their cars to the clinic.
And they need these escorts because there are protesters who
are just shouting the most violent things at these poor
women as they are looking for just contraception or a
(45:35):
well women visitor, reproductive healthcare. And a lot of the
women I escorted were from outside of Florida, were from
neighboring states. And to think that now Florida is joining
in these neighboring states and that there is no access
anywhere in the southeast of the country, this is dire.
Speaker 3 (45:52):
Women will die, I mean, doctors will leave the state.
Speaker 6 (45:55):
There will be a chilling effect on women seeking medical
help for SEE related issues. And then what's next, Florida
will be investigating miscarriages as potential felonies.
Speaker 1 (46:06):
Well, that's happened in Ohio. I mean remember the Brittany
Watts case where Brittany was actually had to sit and
wait to find out if she was going to be
indicted for what was it called mishandling a corpse and
she had gone to the hospital twice for this miscarriage.
I mean, these are women having miscarriages being arrested.
Speaker 6 (46:27):
It's terrifying because I mean I myself had a miscarriage
and it was a frightening experience.
Speaker 1 (46:33):
I mean mine, Yes, yeah, if you're over the age
of thirty and you're trying to get pregnant, you know
you're more likely. I mean, yeah, go.
Speaker 6 (46:40):
On, Well, good for you to go through that emotional
roller coaster and that you know, traumatizing experience of having
a miscarriage and now having to be afraid of, you know,
obviously a third degree felony if they're going to investigate you,
if they think it could have been an abortion or
not seeking the care that you need. It's heartbreaking to
(47:01):
think that women will be afraid to seek the care
that they need if they do have a miscarriage.
Speaker 1 (47:05):
It's just completely disturbing. So what are you hearing from voters?
What are they saying? What's your sounds?
Speaker 6 (47:13):
Most of the voters that we are talking to, whether
they are Democrat, independent, Republican, they believe that women should
have the freedom to make these decisions themselves without government overreach.
I mean, the people in my district feel very strongly
that government should not be reaching into this issue. They
should not be in their bedrooms, they should not be
(47:34):
in the doctor's offices, and they are fired up and
they are ready to go to war because I mean,
I have had many conversations with older women who've said, we've.
Speaker 3 (47:44):
Already fought this fight. We thought this was settled.
Speaker 6 (47:47):
We know what it's like to not have access to
reproductive health care.
Speaker 3 (47:51):
We're not going through that again.
Speaker 6 (47:53):
And they are very fired up. And then of course
we have many people who are upset about all the
issues about IBF as well. I mean people who are
struggling to have families and want to go to process.
I mean, that's really raised a lot of eyebrows with
especially moderate Republican women who are very upset about what's
(48:14):
happening with that, you know, not potentially having access to IBF.
Speaker 1 (48:19):
I mean, that's a legislative thing that could have also
been avoided. But I think what's so interesting about that
one is that you had Republicans, you know, they had
this quest for embryonic personhood and they had been working
behind the scenes to do this for a while. Like
(48:39):
with so many of these reproductive health laws that Republicans
have passed, they're so badly thought out. Like IVY is
an enormous business, right, Doctors make a lot of money.
It's super expensive. Yeah, what did they when they you know,
they closed down They end up closing down all the
iView clinics in Alabama, right, because nobody put together that
(49:04):
embryonic personhood would then shut down IVF. And furthermore, like
when they legislated it, they just decided they would indemnify
the clinics instead of actually creating you know, some kind
I mean, like is this there are still very much
on this embryonic personhood gig right.
Speaker 6 (49:24):
Right well, and like you said, I mean, all of
this is just unnecessary and could have been avoided. I mean,
it's the natural consequence of you know, life begins at
conception laws, and they just didn't care what the consequences were.
And I think that especially with the Republican Study Committee's
budget that they just put out, I mean, which Ana
Paul Lena Luna is obviously a.
Speaker 1 (49:45):
Part of eighty percent of the Republicans.
Speaker 6 (49:47):
Yeah, so, I mean, which endorses legislation that would threaten
IVF nationwide and backs the Life at Conception Act granting
will rights to like you said, to embryos from the
moment of fertilization. So it's terrifying what it is, and
we have a lot to fight for. And trust me,
this is a These are bipartisan issues that people feel
(50:08):
very strongly about in my district. Especially you know, having
these conversations with both women and men and families, and
the story that I've heard and that they've told me,
it's heartbreaking and they are scared, especially with the six
week band going into effect and you know, become.
Speaker 1 (50:24):
All all of this.
Speaker 6 (50:25):
I mean, Florida is now the primary battleground for abortion
rights here in America, especially being the third largest state.
Speaker 1 (50:33):
Yeah. I mean that's the other thing I think with
this abortion ban is that the numbers in Florida, I
mean are humongous. So now you'll have women and all
of these southern states who will have you know, miles
and miles and miles. I'm wondering, what are you doing.
You're talking to people in your district. You're out there,
(50:53):
You're doing town halls. Tell me how you're campaigning.
Speaker 6 (50:57):
Yes, I mean we are talking. We're going to different
community events, of course, talking to voters. And one thing
that is really important to me, especially you know, being
a mom of two little ones, is meeting voters where
they are and we are even you know, going to
playgrounds to talk to families and having playground meetups. We're doing,
you know, going to different community events and organizational events
(51:20):
to make sure that we are out talking to voters.
We're having even a mother's Day event where we're saying,
come and you know, we'll have activities for your spouse
and the.
Speaker 3 (51:31):
Kids while you come. Come in and hang out and have.
Speaker 6 (51:35):
You know, a relaxing mother's day, and we'll talk about
the issues. There's not really not been much of a focus,
especially from a mother's perspective, I think in Congress. I mean,
I recently learned that I think it's less than seven
percent of members of Congress or mother's with young children.
So I'm making sure that we are tapping into these
different voters that maybe don't get a chance to have
(51:55):
their voices heard or have these conversations. So definitely making
sure that we are getting out to speak with the
people in the district and hear what issues are most
concerning to them.
Speaker 1 (52:06):
Yeah, and I think that's really a good point. I mean,
this is a flippable seat, and Florida's a different state
than it was two years ago or four years ago.
Speaker 3 (52:16):
It truly is.
Speaker 6 (52:17):
And I think that that's what's so interesting, you know
about this race, is because a lot of people are
feeling hopeless this election year, and then they are having
a hard time knowing what they can do and feeling
all they can do is vote. But our race, we
are getting a lot of feedback that people are saying
that we are inspiring hope, and this is a race
(52:39):
where you can actually make a difference by you know,
supporting our race, supporting my candidacy, or this being not
just the most livable seat in the state of Florida,
but our shot of getting a one of the most
conservative far right extremists and Freedom Caucus members out of Congress.
So you know, investing in a race like ours can
actually make it a difference and supporting us and people
(53:01):
of lives, especially on these issues like abortion when Anna
Pauline de Luna is the supporter of a national abortion band.
Speaker 1 (53:09):
Thank you so much, Whitney Fox.
Speaker 3 (53:11):
Of course, thank you so much for the time. I
really appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (53:13):
Molly No Moment, Jesse Cannon, Molly John Fast.
Speaker 7 (53:22):
We often joke about how the MAGA people say the
choi a part out loud that they shouldn't be saying.
But then what it's funny is when the MAGA people
have their Venn diagram overlap with the RFK people because
they are one in the same.
Speaker 1 (53:34):
RFK is New York. I don't know she works for
his campaign.
Speaker 7 (53:39):
She's a ballad expert.
Speaker 1 (53:40):
Oh even better, and she has said she has said
the choir part loud. She said that basically the only
reason he's running is to make Biden lose. These people
are not smart, and thank god they're not, because this
is one of the most important elections, probably the most
important election we'll ever and they're not smartness. They're saying
(54:03):
the quiet part loud is our moment of fuck right.
That's it for this episode of Fast Politics. Tune in
every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to hear the best minds
in politics makes sense of all this chaos. If you
enjoyed what you've heard, please send it to a friend
and keep the conversation going. And again, thanks for listening.
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