2020 Election – Podcast September 7, 2020

09/07/20 • 44 min

Previewing The Presidential Election. Three of the Democratic Perspective contributors analyze the upcoming election. Steve Williamson discusses the possibilities of Arizona turning blue in November. Klaus von Stutterheim discusses the various scenarios of what could happen if the election is close or the outcome is unclear, as well as what could happen if Trump narrowly loses but refuses to leave. And Gary LaMaster discusses the situation in Minnesota which has been targeted as a key swing state by the Trump campaign after losing the state by only 2 percentage points to Hillary Clinton in 2016.

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Schaitberger Interview – Podcast August 31, 2020

One Nation Indivisible Against Trump. Democratic Perspective welcomes Sharli Schaitberger, a member of the steering committee for Indivisible Arizona in Phoenix. She recalls that Indivisible was begun by a couple of former congressional staffers who wrote a guide to help counter Trump. It took off after the 2016 election. By early 2017, before Trump was even inaugurated, there were thousands of volunteers for Indivisible nationwide.

Schaitberger notes it was a grassroots organization that grew from the bottom up, saying, “At first it was just friends who gathered in their living rooms. The began by showing up at representative’s town halls and asking questions. The group now numbers more than a million members nationwide and about 400 in Phoenix of which about 40 are very active.

Given the increasing number of lies from Trump, Schaitberger reports that Indivisible has formed a truth brigade. “We use every way possible to put out the truth,” she says. “We’re continuing to send letters and make phone calls. She also says, “We send postcards to voters,” noting that most of the postcards are to get people to sign up to vote.

To learn more about Indivisible and to find a chapter near you, visit Indivisible.org. You can also check out the new book, We Are Indivisible: A Blueprint For Democracy After Trump.

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French Interview – Podcast September 14, 2020

Focus On Accountability. Democratic Perspective welcomes Felicia French, LD6 candidate for the Arizona State Senate. French is a veteran of the Army and the Arizona National Guard serving as a nurse and reaching the rank of full colonel. During her 32-year career, she served as a commander for seven years and earned the Legion of Merit, a Bronze Star, two Humanitarian Service Medals, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and the Expert Field Medical Badge.

Even after her retirement, French has continued to serve the public as a volunteer with the Civil Air Patrol, Tonto Rim Search and Rescue, Community Emergency Response Team, and Sierra Club. As a nurse, she has also volunteered with hospice military veterans, disaster relief efforts in the Bahamas, and most recently with the Navajo Nation.

It is in that same spirit of public service, French is running for public office. Her top issue is accountability, especially fiscal accountability. Other issues French considers priorities are making affordable quality healthcare available to all Arizonans, improving public education, protecting scarce water resources, and expanding the availability of broadband.

On the latter issue, she notes, “Twenty-two percent of Arizona does not have broadband.” She explains that expanding broadband could have a huge impact on education in the age of Covid-19, as well as making telemedicine more available, in addition to helping small businesses. “Expanding access throughout the state is a win, win, win,” she says.