Two Worlds, One Country

Shades of Gray in the White Working Class with Andy Levison

WEHC — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 09:00:00 -0400

Anthony is joined by Andy Levison, Contributing Editor to The Democratic Strategist and author of The White Working Class Today: Who They Are, How They Think and How Progressives Can Regain Their Support, as they discuss the differences withing this broad group of voters, including his distinction between “Cultural Traditionalists” and “MAGA Extremists”.

Why Long-time Dems Went for Trump with Stephanie Muravchik

WEHC — Fri, 19 Apr 2024 12:00:00 -0400

Anthony is joined by Stephanie Muravchik to discuss her book, Trump’s Democrats, which examined three communities, one rural, one a small town and the other a small city, which had voted Democratic for at least four decades but went for Donald Trump in 2016. She explores the details of why Trump appealed to these long-time Dems.

The Power of Fox and Right Wing Media - An Interview with Reece Peck.

WEHC — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 09:00:00 -0400

In this interview with Reece Peck, the author of "Fox Populism: Branding Conservatism as Working Class", Two Worlds, One Country explores how and why Fox News has built such a strong and enduring loyalty among a major segment of the American public. Hint: There's much more to Fox than what most liberals believe!

From Coal Country to Clean Energy with Heidi Binko

WEHC — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 09:00:00 -0400

Heidi Binko is Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Just Transition Fund, a funding and advocacy group dedicated to helping rural communities transition away from fossil fuels. She discusses alternatives for coal towns and centering local communities in environmental activism.

[1:14] Getting involved in clean energy

[8:02] What could a just transition look like?

[13:19] The Just Transition Fund

[19:07] What kind of funding has JTF done?

Green Energy—Building for the Future with Joe Fortier

WEHC — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 09:00:00 -0400

Joe Fortier is the owner of two construction companies in the Radford, VA area specializing in green, energy-efficient housing initiatives. He talks getting his start in green construction and how we can build a more sustainable future.

[1:31] From stay-at-home dad to small business owner

[6:07] How we can build better buildings

[12:43] Energy-efficient and hurricane-resistant walls

[19:44] The economics of green construction

[24:48] Supporting small business

Dwayne McIntyre on A Better Future for Farming—Diverse, Local, Sustainable

WEHC — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 09:00:00 -0400

Dwayne McIntyre is the owner of Goshen Homestead, a 110 acre family farm, and a friend of Anthony’s. He talks his farmstead operation, sustainable agriculture practices, and his take on federal regulations for small farmers.

[1:45] Pennsylvania Amish roots

[9:22] How Goshen Homestead is rethinking agriculture

[16:06] Mobilizing local capital—crowdfunding local business

[22:35] How the federal government can support local farming

Goshen Homestead:

https://goshenhomestead.com/

@goshen_homestead

https://www.facebook.com/goshenhomestead

What could Appalachia look like after Coal? with Brandon Dennison

WEHC — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 09:00:00 -0400

Brandon Dennison is the founder and CEO of Coalfield Development. He talks his 33/6/3 hour training model, creating sustainable businesses, and his vision for rebuilding the Appalachian economy.

[2:01] Growing up in West Virginia

[9:03] 33/6/3 model—building jobs for disadvantaged people

[15:20] Is it really true that people don’t want to work?

[19:43] Rural people don’t need handouts, they need investment

Anthony on How We Can Revitalize Rural Communities

WEHC — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 09:00:00 -0400

Anthony tackles a solo episode about Rural Urban Bridge Initiative (RUBI)’s latest projects, in particular RUBI’s joint work with the Progressive Democrats of America on the recently released Rural New Deal guidelines.

[3:23] What is the Rural New Deal?

[6:53] Rural health care needs revamping

[11:52] Farming for a better future

[18:49] Restoring American manufacturing

RUBI Directory of Rural Organizations:

https://ruralurbanbridge.org/resources

Rural New Deal:

https://ruralurbanbridge.org/rural-new-deal

Progressive Democrats of America:

https://pdamerica.org/

Moving Beyond Capitalism with Marjorie Kelly

WEHC — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 09:00:00 -0400

Marjorie Kelly is an author and Senior Fellow at the Democracy Collaborative. She talks the structure of capitalism, how we can do better, and more, from her newest book Wealth Supremacy: How the Extractive Economy and the Biased Rules of Capitalism Drive Today’s Crises.

[1:52] Why capitalism is so crazy

[6:22] No amount of wealth is ever enough

[11:30] What happens when workers own the companies?

[18:02] Can we really democratize the economy?

More about Marjorie:

https://marjoriekelly.org/

https://marjoriekelly.org/wealthsupremacy/ Buy the book!

https://www.facebook.com/MarjorieKellyPage

@marjorie_kelly

The Original Community Works Project with Thomas Bates

WEHC — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 09:00:00 -0400

This is the third part in our three-part series on Community Works. Thomas Bates is an ex-federal prosecutor and the founder of Democrats Work, a precursor to Community Works. He discusses Democrats Work’s experiment with a service-based approach to politics and the path forward he sees for Democratic politics today.

[1:29] Getting his start in campaign politics

[4:36] How do bake sales win elections?

[10:35] Democrats Work: proving that service-based politics work

[20:11] Voters can be persuaded

[34:15] Does the Democratic party have a future in America?

More about Thomas:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/batesthomas/

https://cssp.org/team/thomas-bates/

Get involved with Community Works:

https://ruralurbanbridge.org/our-work/community-works

Implementing Community Works with Skip Halpern

WEHC — Mon, 25 Sep 2023 09:00:00 -0400

This is the second part in our three-part series on Community Works. Skip Halpern is an author, ex-lawyer, and chair of the Page County Democratic Committee. He talks why he moved to rural Virginia, his take on the rural-urban divide, and the work he’s doing with RUBI’s Community Works program.

[2:34] Skip’s background in financial law

[6:14] Why is Page County so red?

[11:01] Why Page County got involved with Community Works

[16:30] Giving scholarships, tutoring, partnering with civic organizations

[25:50] So is Community Works working?

Politics Based on Doing Stuff with Meredith Dean

WEHC — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 09:00:00 -0400

This is the first part in our three-part series on Community Works. Meredith Dean is Executive Director of Community Works at RUBI as well as the founder of both Healthy Floyd and Appalachian Women of Action. Meredith talks her background in organizing, breaking down liberal stereotypes of rural people, and Community Works—which encourages Democrats to, as Anthony says, “shut up and do stuff.”

[1:56] Intro and work with Appalachian Women’s Alliance

[6:53] What is Community Works?

[12:56] When liberals rethink rural stereotypes

[15:42] Community Works examples from local Democratic parties

[26:54] Get involved in your own community!

More about Meredith:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/meredithadean/

meredith@ruralurbanbridge.org to contact her!

More about Community Works:

https://ruralurbanbridge.org/our-work/community-works

Small Businesses in Rural Areas with Kimber Lanning

WEHC — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 09:00:00 -0400

Kimber Lanning is an entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Local First Arizona, an organization that supports local entrepreneurs and economies. She talks her background in arts entrepreneurship, the mission of Local First Arizona, and how small business can help rural economies.

[3:22] Developing Phoenix’s arts district

[8:11] Can entrepreneurship help the world?

[13:50] Local First Arizona develops local small business

[18:12] Supporting rural and Latino entrepreneurs

[25:38] Why are rural small businesses so important?

Dan Shea on Rural Identity

WEHC — Mon, 24 Jul 2023 09:00:00 -0400

Dan Shea is a professor of Government at Colby College and the author of many books, most recently The Rural Voter: The Politics of Place and The Disuniting of America. Dan talks campaign consulting in upstate New York, the largest survey of rural voters ever done, and why conspiracy theorists aren’t as common as you might think.

[3:30] Starting out incampaign consulting

[8:40] Rural didn’t used to equal Republican

[12:52] How rural voters think about the places they live

[21:35] Rural rabble rousers are not as prevalent as you think

Stacy Mitchell on Anti-Trust Laws and Monopoly Politics

WEHC — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 09:00:00 -0400

Anthony and Stacy Mitchell (Co-Executive Director for the Institute for Local Self

Reliance) continue their discussion from part one. They dive into why the right

is now the party of small business, the exploits of super-duo Lina Khan and

Jonathan Kanter, and how big business robs autonomy and dignity from

democracies.

[1:42] Why

small businesses matter

[9:08] North

Dakota is the only state in the union that outlaws chain pharmacies

[14:01] The

left used to be about labor and small business

[20:52] What

have Biden’s anti-trust appointees done? Lots

[25:40]

Monopolization creates powerlessness in rural areas

A Re-Introduction to Walmart and Amazon with Stacy Mitchell

WEHC — Thu, 15 Jun 2023 09:00:00 -0400

Stacy Mitchell is Co-Executive Director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and author of the

book Big Box Swindle, as well as articles for The Atlantic, New York Times, and more. Stacy

talks how Walmart and dollar chains took over, how Amazon dwarfs them all, and ILSR’s work

to stop monopoly power both locally and nationally.

[1:35] Growing up in the north vs. the south

[4:45] Big Box Window—writing about Walmart and big retail

[11:20] Dollar chains and food deserts

[14:30] Amazon’s dominance

[22:10] Institute for Local Self-Reliance—local organizing + big picture

More about Stacy:

ilsr.org

@stacyfmitchell

https://stacymitchell.com/front-page/ to buy Big Box Swindle

Can government work for the people? with Luke Mayville

WEHC — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 09:00:00 -0400

Luke Mayville is the founder and director of Reclaim Idaho, a grassroots organizing movement

with a history of spearheading successful ballot initiatives in Idaho. Luke talks growing up in an

evangelical small town, Reclaim Idaho’s grassroots organizing, and their current voting reform

project.

[1:53] Growing up evangelical, getting a PhD in philosophy

[9:58] How ballot initiatives support direct democracy

[16:01] Grassroots organizing for Medicaid expansion from the bottom up

[22:58] Reclaim Idaho’s Open Ballot Initiative for voting reform

Progressive Journalism for Rural Audiences with Lark Corbeil

WEHC — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 09:00:00 -0400

Lark Corbeil is an experienced journalist and the founder of Public News Service, which reaches roughly 50 million people per week through news services in 37 states, as well as the non-profit Media in the Public Interest. Lark talks growing up in two different worlds, getting her start in journalism, and founding the biggest non-profit news service you’ve never heard of.

[2:04] Growing up between Idaho and California

[5:07] Getting into news business

[7:15] Moving into activism and the start of Public News Service

[13:00] What does PNS do?

[18:32] How Lark got rural, conservative stations to run PNS

[23:12] Stories that work: making the local global and vice versa

[25:25] How PNS has made a difference

More about Lark:

@PNS_News

www.publicnewsservice.org

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lark-corbeil-3347b54/

Organizing in Working-Class America with Matt Morrison

WEHC — Thu, 25 May 2023 09:00:00 -0400

Matt Morrison is the Executive Director of Working America, the largest non-union labor group in the country fighting for workers’ rights and a fair economy. Matt talks about growing up as a journalist’s kid, race and labor rights in St. Louis, and strategies for results-based organizing in working-class America. Originally aired May 25, 2023, WEHC 90.7.

[0:43] Introduction

[4:05] College and coming of age in ’90s St. Louis

[8:53] Working in politics in DC

[11:04] Results-focused organizing and Working America

[19:12] Typical progressive movement recruitment vs making space for working people

[21:25] Canvassing + data

[25:03] Results in Arizona, Pennsylvania 2022

[27:07] Community Works: building local communities with RUBI

[28:18] Moving forward

Find more about Matt:

workingamerica.org

@workingamerica

https://feeds.captivate.fm/two-worlds-one-country/

Richard Moyer

WEHC — Thu, 18 May 2023 09:00:00 -0400

Richard Moyer is a full-time organic farmer and part-time professor of biology at King University in Bristol, VA. In this episode, Anthony and Richard talk farming and its challenges, efforts to be more self-sufficient in our homes and communities, and what seems to work to help build trust and begin to overcome the divide. This originally aired on WEHC 90.7 on May 18, 2023.

https://feeds.captivate.fm/two-worlds-one-country/

Farah Stockman

WEHC — Thu, 04 May 2023 09:00:00 -0400

Farah Stockman is an award-winning journalist, a member of the Editorial Board of the New York Times, and author of American Made: What Happens to People When Work Disappears. In this segment, Farah talks about the people she came to know and what she learned from them as she explored the closure of an Indiana ball bearing factory due to off-shoring, and how that impacted the hundreds of workers left behind. This originally aired on WEHC 90.7 on May 4, 2023.

https://feeds.captivate.fm/two-worlds-one-country/

Chloe Maxmin and Canyon Woodward-part 2

WEHC — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 09:00:00 -0400

In this two-part segment, former Maine State Senator Chloe Maxmin and her campaign manager and colleague, Canyon Woodward, discuss how Chloe was able to win two elections in rural districts of Maine, and how that experience laid the foundation for their new organization Dirt Road Organizing. The first segment focuses on their respective backgrounds in rural community organizing and how that led Chloe to run for office. The second segment considers their book, Dirt Road Revival, as well as details on the training and support offered by Dirt Road Organizing.

https://feeds.captivate.fm/two-worlds-one-country/

Chloe Maxmin and Canyon Woodward-part 1

WEHC — Thu, 13 Apr 2023 09:00:00 -0400

https://feeds.captivate.fm/two-worlds-one-country/

Beth Macy

WEHC — Thu, 06 Apr 2023 09:00:00 -0400

Best selling author, Beth Macy, joins Two Worlds to discuss how being raised in poverty in a small Ohio town helped steer her into a journalism and writing career dedicated to lifting up the stories of folks who are struggling, whether due to offshoring of their jobs, the opioid epidemic or other issues

https://feeds.captivate.fm/two-worlds-one-country/

Josh Ewing

WEHC — Thu, 30 Mar 2023 09:00:00 -0400

Josh Ewing, director of the Rural Climate Initiative, joins Anthony for a discussion of how RCI approaches climate issues and problems in a way that builds support from farmers and rural people, rather than putting them on the defensive.

https://feeds.captivate.fm/two-worlds-one-country/

Winning back the Midwest with Paul Kendrick

WEHC — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 09:00:00 -0400

Paul Kendrick is a professor, author, and the Executive Director of Rust Belt Rising, an organization that trains Democrats to connect with rural and working class voters in the Midwest. He explains what Rust Belt Rising does and how he sees the Democratic party moving forward to support working-class people.

[2:01] Background in organizing for education

[6:10] So what does Rust Belt Rising do?

[11:30] Can the Democratic Party be the party of working people?

[22:49] How stories help win elections

rustbeltrising.com

paulkendrick.com

@PaulKendrick84

https://feeds.captivate.fm/two-worlds-one-country/

Engaging Rural Black/Latino Voters with Cynthia Wallace

WEHC — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 09:00:00 -0400

Cynthia Wallace is a former congressional candidate and the founder of New Rural Project, which encourages rural citizens of North Carolina to become politically active. She discusses her background in community politics, campaigning for Congress, and engaging rural Black and Latino voters at the New Rural Project.

[2:30] Growing up in rural Georgia

[6:25] Campaigning for Congress in North Carolina

[15:05] Starting the New Rural Project

[20:18] How to engage rural Black and Latino votes

@CynthiaLWallace

@newruralproject

newruralproject.org

https://feeds.captivate.fm/two-worlds-one-country/

Anthony vs. Krugman: Is Paul Krugman Right about Rural Rage?

WEHC — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 09:00:00 -0400

Anthony takes on a recent NY Times piece by Paul Krugman, entitled “Can Anything Be Done to Assuage Rural Rage?,” and similar work by liberal pundits. He discusses whether rural people are underrepresented in politics, if government assistance is unfairly concentrated in rural areas, and whether or not rural people are respected by urban elites.

[3:20] Krugman’s basic argument

[4:24] No, rural people’s real needs are not addressed by politicians

[12:08] More government money does, in fact, go to cities

[16:04] Urban and elite disdain for rural areas definitely exists

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/26/opinion/rural-voters-economy.html - the article

ruralurbanbridge.org

Deep Canvassing with George Goehl

WEHC — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 09:00:00 -0400

George Goehl is a community organizer and the founder of People’s Action. Anthony and George pick up their conversation from part 1 with a deep dive into deep canvassing.

[2:15] Deep canvassing on immigration

[8:28] Do deep canvassing results stick?

[17:25] Breaking down the rural-urban divide with conversations

[24:10] George’s community organizing road trip across America

georgegoehl.org

peoplesaction.org

@georgegoehl

Fundamentals of Organizing—George’s podcast

https://feeds.captivate.fm/two-worlds-one-country/

Intro to Community Organizing with George Goehl

WEHC — Thu, 23 Feb 2023 09:00:00 -0400

George Goehl is a community organizer and the founder of People’s Action, a national progressive advocacy organization. He talks getting clean and organizing at his soup kitchen, founding People’s Action, and how rural organizing differs from urban organizing.

[7:16] From the ground up: getting clean and the soup kitchen

[11:39] So what does People’s Action do?

[19:14] Strategies for urban vs. rural organizing

georgegoehl.org

peoplesaction.org

@georgegoehl

Fundamentals of Organizing—George’s podcast

https://feeds.captivate.fm/two-worlds-one-country/

How to Communicate with Conservatives with Erica Etelson

WEHC — Thu, 16 Feb 2023 09:00:00 -0400

Erica Etelson is an activist, former lawyer, and co-founder of RUBI. She explains what she learned writing her book, Beyond Contempt: How Liberals Can Communicate Across the Great Divide, about how and why respectful communication is so important.

[4:10] Why the left needs non-defensive communication

[11:08] Listening to conservatives

[16:16] How liberal attacks push conservatives to identify with Trump

[20:23] Moving beyond the liberal bubble

[25:06] Tips for talking to people who disagree with you

How Do Democrats Succeed in Rural Areas? with Cody Lonning

WEHC — Thu, 09 Feb 2023 09:00:00 -0400

Cody Lonning is a lawyer, professor at Eastern Washington University, and a co-founder of RUBI. He discusses his path to RUBI and his work on the recent report about Democratic success in rural America.

[1:24] Growing up farming

[5:18] Getting involved with RUBI

[10:28] Why Democrats should care about rural areas

[13:28] RUBI report: “Can Democrats Succeed in Rural America?”

[18:42] So what makes a good Democratic candidate?

Middle Class, Meritocracy, and (Mis)-Education with Joan Williams

WEHC — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 09:00:00 -0400

Joan Williams is Director of the Centre for WorkLife Law, a professor at the University of California—Hastings School of Law, and author of White Working Class, among others. Joan compares America’s middle class with its elites, talks the role masculinity plays in politics, and explains the divide that college education causes.

[2:57] What middle status in America really looks like

[8:50] College-educated but not rich

[9:52] What do you value: stability or self-development?

[14:25] Blue collar vs. white collar masculinity

[16:56] John Fetterman’s success

[21:10] The diploma divide

The Other Side of the Rural Conservative with Kathy Cramer

WEHC — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 09:00:00 -0400

Dr. Kathy Cramer is co-founder of the Rural Urban Bridge Initiative, professor of political science at UW-Madison, and author of the book The Politics of Resentment. Kathy talks hearing from rural Wisconsinites in gas stations and church basements, the concentration of resources and respect in urban centers, and answers, “are rural conservatives are just racist?”

[1:18] Introduction

[5:30] Studying public opinion by listening to the people

[12:01] No fair share of resources, power, or respect

[14:55] How politicians exploit the rural-urban divide

[20:02] Are rural conservatives just racist?

[23:59} Has the rural-urban divide gotten worse?

An Intro to the Urban-Rural Divide

WEHC — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 09:00:00 -0400

Host Anthony Flaccavento is an organic farmer, writer, former candidate for Congress, and the founder of the Rural Urban Bridge Initiative. Anthony explains his own background, why he thinks America is so divided, and what Two Worlds, One Country is going to do about it.

[1:58] Anthony’s background

[7:40] An intro to the podcast

[13:55] Why are Americans so divided?

[24:01] So what can Democrats do about our divisions?

Rural Urban Bridge Initiative:

ruralurbanbridge.org

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHIxldOchOr8sJLICJ8texA

More about Anthony:

https://www.anthonyflaccavento.com/aboutanthony