Stay ConnectedPolitical power: Who wants it? Who wields it? And why? Through compelling conversations with power players, newsmakers, and experts, The X-Ray answers these questions, providing listeners with insightful analysis of the biggest issues facing our democracy at home and abroad.
The X-Ray is brought to you by Issue One, producers of the Swamp Stories podcast.
Copyright: © 2021 Issue One 349910
During the 2022 midterm elections, in many of the most competitive, high-profile races, Americans rejected election denialism. But it’s also still true that many people have lost trust in our elections. That is because former President Trump and his allies have spent more than two years spreading lies that the 2020 election was “stolen.” Upon its release in May 2022, a film entitled “2000 Mules” became a dangerous new catalyst for spreading lies about that election.
In the latest “Swamp Stories,” Weston analyzes the film — which has been highly effective at spreading election conspiracy theories — and shows why the film is misleading, false, and holds no merit.
Guests:
This year, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has spent millions of dollars boosting election denier candidates in GOP primaries across the country in the gamble that they will be easier for Democrats to beat this November.
Many have denounced this tactic as dangerous, including some Democratic Party members, former elected officials who are bucking their party and condemning the practice.
On episode 44 of “Swamp Stories,” Weston chats with two co-chairs of Issue One’s ReFormers Caucus, former Amb. Tim Roemer (D-IN), who recently spoke out with an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, and former Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN) about their thoughts on the tactic.
Further Reading:
In the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election, it became clear that the Electoral Count Act of 1887, the legislation that provides the framework governing the casting and counting of electoral votes, needed updating because of its arcane language and ambiguities that could be exploited by bad actors willing to overturn the will of the people
In stepped a bipartisan group of senators, and, after months of negotiating, a deal was struck. Last month, the Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act was introduced by Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) along with eight other Republican cosponsors and seven Democratic cosponsors, to update the antiquated Electoral Count Act of 1887.
On this special episode of Swamp Stories, Weston spoke with former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-MS) about the bipartisan group of senators that helped drive the effort, the implications for public confidence in our system, and why the bill needs to pass this year.
Want to learn even more about the Electoral Count Act of 1887 and why it needs to be updated? Listen to episode 31, “Regularly Given.”
Election officials and poll workers are our friends, family, and neighbors. They are dedicated workers who manage a vital part of our democratic infrastructure.
But because of a massive election disinformation campaign led by former President Trump and his allies, they have become the target of threats, intimidation, and harassment — adding to their already challenging job.
“Swamp Stories” host Weston Wamp sat down with a few of the election workers — local election officials and a poll worker from both parties — participating in our Faces of Democracy campaign to discuss building trust in our election processes, protecting elections workers from threats and harassment, and much more.
Issue One launched Faces of Democracy to amplify the voices of election workers. The campaign aims to educate the public about how our elections work, as well as advocate for the necessary improvements to our elections — like regular and sufficient funding from Congress for state and local election administration, and increased protections for election workers and their families from violent threats.
Learn more about our Faces of Democracy campaign.
The 2020 election season, while carried out successfully by dedicated election officials and poll workers, exposed one glaring problem with the U.S. system of elections: it is chronically underfunded.
Though Congress allocated $400 million for election assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was far short of what experts and election administrators said was needed to pull off an election in a pandemic. Private philanthropy, from folks like Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, stepped in to help fill the gap. These investments didn’t come without scrutiny.
In episode 41, Weston speaks with members of the nonprofits that distributed grants to election departments around the country in both red and blue states to set the record straight about the role private philanthropy played in the 2020 election, and the need for increased federal investment in our nation’s election infrastructure.
Guests:
The episode also features interviews Issue One conducted with Republican election officials, including:
Over the next few weeks, the bipartisan House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol is holding a series of historic hearings to shed light on the events leading up to and on January 6, 2021.
During the hearings, we are hosting a special series of “Swamp Stories” to bring listeners in-depth analysis by some of the country’s leading political experts on what we are learning and how the country is reacting.
In the third episode of the series, host Weston Wamp talks with former Philadelphia City Commissioner Al Schmidt, who testified before the January 6th Committee during its third hearing.
Over the next few weeks, the bipartisan House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol is holding a series of historic hearings to shed light on the events leading up to and on January 6, 2021.
During the hearings, we are hosting a special series of “Swamp Stories” to bring listeners in-depth analysis by some of the country’s leading political experts on what we are learning and how the country is reacting.
In the second episode of the series, host Weston Wamp talks with Reid Ribble, former Republican congressman from Wisconsin, and member of Issue One’s ReFormers Caucus and the National Council on Election Integrity.
Over the next few weeks, the bipartisan House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol is holding a series of historic hearings to shed light on the events leading up to and on January 6, 2021.
During the hearings, we are hosting a special series of “Swamp Stories” to bring listeners in-depth analysis by some of the country’s leading political experts on what we are learning and how the country is reacting.
In the first episode of the series, host Weston Wamp speaks with Dick Gephardt, former House Majority Leader from Missouri, and member of Issue One’s ReFormers Caucus and the National Council on Election Integrity.
In episode 40 of our “Swamp Stories” podcast, Weston talks with former Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) — who currently sits on the board of directors of Issue One and is a member of Issue One’s National Council on Election Integrity and ReFormers Caucus — about how he became involved in politics, pushing back against lies that the 2020 election was stolen, and why standing up for the rule of law, our elections, and democratic institutions matters.
This is the seventh episode in our periodic series of longform conversations between host Weston Wamp and elected leaders, activists, and experts from across the political spectrum on how to fix America’s broken political system.
To learn more about Village SquareCast, another show in the Democracy Group podcast network, visit: https://www.democracygroup.org/shows/village-squarecast
Social media has become a part of our daily lives, as we scroll endlessly through curated feeds. But it’s clear that these platforms are having a negative impact on our lives and our society in ways we never imagined.
Platforms that were once a way to connect people have become a place where disinformation flows freely, controversy and division turns a profit, and people are pushed into echo chambers where everyone believes the same things and get fed disinformation that amps up their views.
In episode 39, Weston unpacks social media’s psychological and cultural ramifications, but also its impact on our democracy and politics — looking at where we can go from here and discussing the need for increased transparency and accountability.
Guests:
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