The night the “blue shift” never showed up still sits heavy—the 4 a.m. doom-scroll, the Barbie Land coping, the dread that followed. This week, the vibe flipped. We felt a real surge of hope as wins rolled in across New York City, Virginia, Pennsylvania, California, and more. While these wins reignite feelings of hope, we must not to confuse good news with a done deal. The heartbeat here is simple and urgent: celebrate the victories, then turn them into a plan.
We get honest about skepticism. Politicians promise change; voters get whiplash. So we draw a line between step one—elect leaders—and step two—hold them to it. That means receipts, not vibes: tracking votes, showing up to hearings, organizing transportation to polls, and translating legal jargon into real-world stakes like SNAP benefits and school meals. We also tackle a tough question: what do we do with people who fueled harm and are only now waking up? The answer isn’t easy or cute. Grace is earned through action—canvassing, persuading family, and doing the unglamorous work between elections.
We also unpack power mechanics that shape outcomes: why Article II, Section 4 and impeachment are process-heavy, why majorities decide who gets a hearing and who gets a pass, and why midterms are not optional. Control of the House and Senate means control of oversight. If we want accountability, we need numbers on the board. That’s the throughline: hope backed by a checklist—confirm your registration, set reminders, map your polling place, plan childcare or a ride, and plug into local organizers who know your district’s swing precincts.
If you felt the spark this week, protect it. Momentum grows when feelings become steps and steps become wins. Hit play, share this with a friend who votes with you, and drop your midterm plan in the comments. If this moved you, subscribe, leave a review, and tell us one action you’ll take before the next election.
Episode Transcript
Is this thing on?
Hello, hello.
Uh-oh.
Another yucker with a mic.
Hello everyone, and welcomeback to the Napkin in Between
Podcast.
I am your host, Daijne Jones.
I hope everyone's been having agood week except for that
(00:21):
orange rink lady.
Of course.
I have a reignited feeling ofhope this week because Zoro
Mimdani is my mayor.
Like that.
Zoro Mamdani is my mayor.
I know people have been sayingthat and then being like, oh, I
live in Sweden.
Oh, I'm in Texas.
Oh, I've never even been to theUS.
I live in New York City.
(00:41):
When I say Zoro Mamdani is myand not to brag, okay, because
he's everyone's mayor.
I get it.
However, Zoro Mamdani is mymayor.
I live in New York City.
Like I voted for him and he'smy fucking mayor.
unknown (00:57):
Bitch.
Speaker (00:58):
I'm better than you else.
No, I'm just kidding.
I'm just kidding.
I'm just kidding.
But I feel so excited.
I feel so hopeful.
I genuinely have not felt thisamount of hope in a year.
In a year.
I can remember.
I was talking with Talia and myroommate about, you know, how
we feel right now compared tolast year.
(01:19):
I remember the night of theelection, Talia and I were in
our living room and we were justsitting there.
We were watching the electionresults come in.
And we just kept tellingourselves, like, oh, like the
blue wave, it's coming.
You know, the blue wave, it'scoming.
They're they still have tocount all the votes.
You know, it's the blue shiftthat's coming.
It's it's the red, what do theycall it?
(01:39):
The red, the red mirage, Ithink is what they call it.
Because so many of like thelittler states that are always
gonna be red, like they cancount their votes quicker
because who the fuck lives therebut people who fuck their
cousins?
And so it's always looking veryred in the beginning, but then
the blue shift comes when theystart to count the bigger
states' votes and the biggercities' votes and things like
that.
So we just kept trying toconvince ourselves like the the
(02:01):
blue shift is coming, the blueshift is coming.
Like we we literally soundedlike fucking Paul Revere.
Like, the British are coming,but we were like, the blue shift
is coming, like don't worry,it's it will it'll happen.
And the more and more we satthere and blue didn't show up
for her shift, bitch, no call,no showed.
We just like the dread and thisthe despair that came over us,
(02:23):
we were just so fucking sad.
And I remember we were tryingto like keep up good spirits,
and so we put on the Barbiemovie, and we were watching this
movie, and I think it low-keymade it worse because we were
like, This is how we should feelright now.
We should be living in Barbieland, but unfortunately the cans
have taken over, and so thatdidn't help us feel any better.
(02:45):
We literally stayed up untillike 4 a.m.
I I got like two hours of sleepthat night because I just I was
tossing and turning, and I justfelt so just so like uh like
y'all really let racism andmisogyny dictate who you voted
for.
Cause if you really looked atwhat Trump was saying he was
(03:05):
gonna do if he got back inoffice, like I you can't
convince me that anyonegenuinely thought that he would
be better for the country.
Like you can you just can'tfucking convince me.
People voted for him becausethey couldn't bring themselves
to vote for a black woman.
Like that you'll never convinceme that that's was not like the
main thing that they went intothat voting booth with.
(03:28):
So we were just reminiscing onhow we felt last year compared
to how we feel right now, and wejust feel like a reignited
feeling of hope.
And I'm just so proud, not onlyof New York City, and because
we really fucking did that, butthe elections like all over.
There were so many big wins.
Like Virginia's blue and theyjust elected their first woman
(03:50):
governor, New Jersey is blue,Detroit just elected their first
woman mayor, um, Mississippi,they they just ended the state
senate supermajority, andDemocrats won every special
election in Mississippi.
There was big wins in Georgia,there was big wins in Colorado.
They just taxed wealthy so thatthere can be free meals in
(04:12):
schools.
Prop 50 in California passed,Pennsylvania had some big wins.
Like, there was just so manybig wins this past election.
And it just makes me so happy.
It just makes me so hopefulthat people are waking up.
Like, woke is back.
Woke is back.
I said that I was gonna goschedule 27 abortions.
I shouldn't have said that.
(04:33):
I shouldn't have said that.
Why the fuck would I everschedule an odd number of
abortions?
Let's let's just go for 30.
Let's just go for the why notround up.
I'm scheduling 30 abortions,who wants to come?
My mom can drop us off if yourmom can pick us up.
Like, oh, I just feel sohopeful.
Woke is back, people are wakingup, and woke is back.
And this is obviously not thefix, like, we have a long way to
(04:54):
go, and we'll talk about thatlater on in the episode.
But this has been the peak ofmy week is just seeing people
show up and vote, and it justgives me so much hope.
And I also understand peoplewho, you know, might feel
hopeful but also skepticalbecause I that is so valid, I
feel that way a little bit aswell.
Because at the end of the day,we don't have the best track
(05:14):
record with politicians, right?
Like they say they're gonna dosomething and then they don't,
you know, they make all thesepromises and you know they don't
keep them.
And so I can understand ifpeople are like, yeah, I feel a
little bit hopeful, but alsolike, is it really gonna be
change?
And that's what I want to talkabout today.
Because again, this is just thestart, right?
The first step is trying to getthem in office.
(05:36):
The second step is for them todo the things that they said
that they were gonna do and forus to hold them accountable of
doing the things that they saidthat they're gonna do.
What we need to continue to dovoting, see what happens when we
come out and vote, see what,see what we can do when we come
together and vote.
And you know, I've I've beengoing back and forth with this
because I'm like seeing all theelections this week and seeing
(05:59):
how much like Democrats justwhooped fucking ass in all of
these elections, it makes mecurious.
Did that happen because peoplehave seen what's happened in not
even a year of Trump'spresidency and seen just like
how shit everything is, and sopeople were like, okay, damn,
like we need to go out and vote.
Or because I'm still there, Iyou'll never convince me that he
(06:24):
won this election fair andsquare.
Did he cheat on the electionlast year?
I'm I'm inclined to think maybeit's a little mix of both, but
I'm inclined to think that hedid not win that election fair
and square.
You'll never convince me thathe actually won that election
fair and square.
I'm so sorry.
They didn't even try to make itlook like they didn't cheat.
(06:48):
Winning all seven swing states,come on.
You'll you'll never and thepopular vote?
Yeah.
Nah.
Nah, you'll never reallyconvince me that he he really
won everything.
But I do also like to thinkthat maybe there are people who
are finally waking up, maybepeople who voted for him last
year and are now like, oh shit,I shouldn't have done that.
(07:10):
And it's like better late thannever, I guess, but like bitch,
what the fuck?
And I'm saying people be like,oh, we have to give people
grace.
Like, some people may havevoted for Trump, and now they're
finally seeing and they'recoming to to the realization
that they fucked up.
Like, let's give them grace.
Sorry, we're all out of grace.
(07:31):
Actually, like I can't find mygrace for them.
I'm so sorry.
Actually, I'm not sorry at allbecause I don't feel that I need
to give them anything.
Honestly.
I I think that I did my part inthe group project as a part of
the 92%.
I did my part, they didn't dotheir part, and now all of a
sudden they want to give a fuckor they want to care because
(07:54):
it's affecting them.
When they thought that itwasn't gonna affect them, they
didn't give a fuck whathappened.
They didn't care.
They skipped happily on the oneand three beat to go vote for
that man.
So why the fuck should I givethem grace?
Am I am I happy that they'refinally waking up?
Yes, but I'm not about to sithere and call to them and be
like, oh, it's okay, you didn'tknow.
Uh, like, I'm happy you're no,I'm not doing that.
(08:17):
Because the thing is, like,people are like, oh, they were
bamboos, well, they didn't knowwhat was gonna happen.
Trump was clear as fuck aboutwhat his plans were.
Clear as fuck.
All you had to do was research.
And the fact that you weregoing in to vote for who was
going to be president, thehighest office in this fucking
country, and you didn't do anyresearch, or maybe you did
(08:40):
research and you were like, oh,this won't affect me, so
whatever.
Like, I I don't have grace foryou.
I don't have grace for you.
In fact, I think you shouldgive me grace.
You should understand where I'mcoming from and how I'm not
just here waiting with open armsto coddle you and be like, oh,
you're it's okay.
It's not okay.
And not only should they begiving us grace and
(09:02):
understanding as to why we'renot here ready to accept them
with open arms, they should bethe ones on the front lines.
They should be the onescanvassing, they should be the
ones going on in the community,they should be the ones talking
to their families to try to helptake this fucking country back
from the wannabe dictator.
Because y'all got us into thismess.
Y'all got us into this mess, soit should be y'all who are
(09:24):
fighting the hardest to get usout of it.
Hot take, unpopular opinion,maybe.
I don't know.
I don't really give a fuck.
That's how I feel.
I don't have grace for you.
I don't have anything for youuntil you show me, not just with
your words, not just with a oh,I'm sorry, show me some action.
Show me some action,reparations, bitch.
Get out there on the frontlines and fight to get this
(09:46):
country back.
Once I see you maybe putting insome work and doing something
more than just an onlineapology, then maybe we'll see.
But as for right now, I don'thave grace for someone who's
just like, oopsie, I'm sorry, Imade an oopsie.
Bitch, fuck you.
Fuck yourself right up youranal cavity with a spiked bat
and dip it in sriracha first,actually.
(10:07):
And don't get me wrong, I'mhappy that they're waking up.
Like I'm happy that people arerealizing, oh, I fucked up.
But I also can't ignore thefact that it took you to feel
yourself for you to finally wakeup.
Like I that saying, those whodon't hear must feel.
Okay, you're feeling, but I'vehad to feel too, and other
(10:28):
people have had to feel too, andwe didn't vote for this.
So no, I can't, I can't justdisregard that and be like, oh,
finally they're waking up.
Sorry, I can't.
I can't.
I'm happy about it, but I'malso just like, bitch, what the
fuck took you so long?
But now that you're finallyhere, and now that we're
finally, you know, it seems likewe're waking up and blue, the
(10:49):
blue is shifting.
I feel like we gotta keep thismomentum.
We gotta keep this momentum,especially into the midterm
election.
Because I've been doingresearch because I at this point
I'm fucking tired of of thebullshit.
I'm tired of Trump still beingthis fucking president and doing
all this bullshit.
So I'm like, how the fuck do weget not only him but his whole
(11:11):
his whole cabinet out of office?
Because I hear people alwaystalking about the 25th Amendment
and removing Trump from officeunder the 25th Amendment.
However, if that if we justremove Trump from office, then
it goes to JD Vance, whohonestly, I don't think that
MAGA would follow JD Vance asstrongly as they follow Trump.
(11:33):
I don't think JD Vance has thecharisma and the the oomph for
that.
However, JD Vance is worse thanTrump simply because he's
smart.
You know what I mean?
Like he actually has a littlebit of sense, whereas Trump is
just like a fucking idiot.
However, I was doing someresearch this week and again,
I'm key words.
I just started doing thisresearch.
(11:53):
So I'm still learning a lotabout this myself.
So please do not just take thisand run with it.
Let's all do our own research.
If anyone has any informationthat you can add to the comments
so that more people are, youknow, educated on this.
Let's do that.
I I don't know everything, I'mstill very new.
This is all very fresh.
So take all of this with agrain of salt.
(12:14):
And if you have any additionalinformation to add, please put
it in the comments.
But I found that Article 2,Section 4 of the Constitution is
a way to impeach the presidentand all of his cabinet members.
Now you have to obviouslythere's still like a trial and
there's still a process to it,but it talks about in Article 2,
(12:35):
Section 4, impeaching thepresident and all of his cabinet
members for things liketreason, bribery, or other high
crimes and misdemeanors, which Ifucking hate that language.
It literally says other highcrimes and misdemeanors.
So it's like, what the fuck,what's what's that other?
What does that actually mean?
I like I hate the the vaguenessof it.
(12:57):
However, I I didn't know thatthis even existed, and so that's
why I wanted to talk about it alittle bit.
And again, I'm just now findingout that this exists, so please
do your own research on it.
But this is a way to remove notonly the president but his
entire cabinet.
The thing is though, at thecurrent moment, I don't think
that this could work.
I don't even think justimpeaching Trump would work
(13:20):
because Republicans have themajority in the House and the
Senate.
So the first step, of course,would be to try to flip the
majority to the Democrats.
And that's where the midtermelections come in.
Next year in November, are themidterm elections.
We have to show out and vote inthose midterm elections.
(13:42):
We have to get a Democratmajority so that I hope someone
will finally do something andstart the impeachment process
and we can get him out of officebecause there's no way that he
can do all the things that he'sdoing and like nobody stops him.
It's it's getting to the pointwhere he was court-ordered.
Several courts have ordered himto give people their snap
(14:05):
benefits for the month ofNovember.
And this man is tweeting thathe or not tweeting true social
and whatever the fuck.
I don't, it doesn't matter tome.
But he's talking about notgiving people their snap
benefits until the Democratsopen the government.
Mind you, again, Democrats havethe majority nowhere.
Not in the House, not in theSenate.
He stacked the Supreme Court,Republican president, but of
(14:29):
course the shutdown is theDemocrats' fault.
Anyway, I don't understand howhe can just openly and blatantly
disregard court fucking ordersand like nobody does anything.
And it's I think it's it mostlybecause the Republicans have
the majority everywhere.
So even if, you know, theDemocrats and the minority voted
(14:52):
to impeach him, they're notgonna get the enough votes to
actually, you know, it's atwo-step process.
Impeachment starts in theHouse, they draw up the articles
of impeachment, and then it hasto go to the Senate for the
trial, and they need two-thirdsvote in the Senate in order to
actually impeach the president.
And the issue is with theRepublicans having the majority
and them all being just like yesmen and a group of circle jerks
(15:16):
and just want to suck Trump offfor some reason, they're
they're not gonna vote toactually impeach him.
So, in order for us to have astep closer to actually getting
him removed from office and myfingers, hopefully fingers
crossed his whole cabinetbecause they're literally all
just yes men.
Even if he's removed, I feellike he would still in some way
(15:39):
find a way to pull the stringsand get whatever he wants done
through JD Vance or whoever thefuck.
So what we need is a Democraticmajority, and then even then,
I'm gonna need Democrats toactually step the fuck up and do
something because not gonnayay.
A lot of them have beenextremely disappointing in this
whole process as well.
Sometimes it really does feellike Democrats are elephants in
(16:01):
donkey clothing, which is why,again, I'm saying the first step
is getting them in office.
The second step is holding themaccountable to do the things
that they said that they woulddo.
But we have to do that firststep first.
We have to get them in office,so we have to vote.
We have to get out and vote.
I'm loving this momentum thatit seems to have started right
now.
Like blue, the blue tsunami,she ate.
(16:23):
Oh, she ate, and I'm so happyabout it.
Like, we really did that, wereally did that, and we have to
keep doing that, especially inthe midterm elections next year.
So fucking important, and Ineed y'all to to keep this
energy and get out there andfucking vote.
For everyone who voted thisyear, I'm so proud of you, I'm
(16:44):
so proud of us.
We did it, Joe.
We fucking we did it, Joe, butwe have to keep doing it.
We have to keep doing it.
So please, I I know we have ait's a year from now,
unfortunately, but maybe there'sa little light at the end of
the tunnel.
I don't know.
I feel very hopeful.
I feel very hopeful, and maybeI shouldn't have as much hope as
(17:04):
I do, given the history ofpoliticians, but I just feel
like I don't know.
I feel it in my left labia, Ifeel it in my gut that it's like
it just feels it feels real.
It feels real, and this feelingof hope is something that I
have not experienced since lastNovember, and I'm just very
hopeful.
So again, so proud of me, soproud of us.
(17:25):
We fucking did that, and wejust have to keep doing it.
So make sure you have a plan.
I know it's a year away.
I don't give a fuck, we'restarting early.
I need everyone to figure out aplan to vote in the midterms
next year.
They're so fucking important.
I cannot stress enough howimportant they are.
Please, the feeling that I haveright now, and the feeling that
(17:46):
I know so many of us have rightnow, let that be even a bigger
push for you to keep thismomentum up, to keep it going,
to vote next year.
I genuinely cannot stressenough how important the midterm
elections are.
Because we can't keep doingthis, we cannot keep going down
this path that we're going down.
So it is up to us to come outand vote, and then it is up to
(18:08):
our voted elected officials todo the work that they're
supposed to do for us.
Keep in mind the government issupposed to work to protect the
people.
Don't ever forget that.
They they work for us, right?
They're supposed to beprotecting us.
And if they're not doing thatjob, if they're not protecting
us, if they're not doing thingsin for the benefit of the
(18:30):
people, not the billionaires,but the people we gotta get them
out.
We gotta get them out, and thefirst step to doing that is
voting.
So please.
This year we ate that shit up.
Let's eat that shit up againnext year.
Vote in the midterm elections,make sure you have a plan.
Again, I know I'm a year early,I don't give a fuck.
We need to we need to be on it.
(18:52):
We need to be on our shit andvote in the midterm elections.
Very, very proud of us thisyear.
Let's keep this ball rolling.
Thank you so much for tuning into today's episode.
I hope everyone's having a goodday except for that orange
drink lady.
And I will talk to you in thenext episode.
Peace and love.
Talk to you later.
The napkin in between, hostedby Daijne Jones, produced by
Daijne Jones, post production byDaijne Jones, music by Sam
(19:16):
Champagne, and graphics by IsmaVidal.
Don't forget to like andsubscribe.
See you next episode.
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