How To Not Lose Your Sh!t

If you listen to this podcast, you know that suburban women are a key voting bloc coming into the midterm elections. And they are fired up – about abortion rights, about their kids’ schools, about voting rights, and so much more. So this week, we’re taking a moment to talk about what exactly is on suburban women’s minds right now. One of our favorite organizers, Julie Womack, drops by the pod to discuss what she’s been hearing on the ground. Rachel adds what she’s been hearing from women on her Troublemaker Tour, and Jasmine and Amanda talk about what they’ve been hearing in their communities. Everyone agrees that pundits and the media get a lot wrong about suburban women, like the idea that we’ll “forget” about reproductive rights, or that we’ll just vote with our husbands. (If anything, it’s the other way around! Republicans are starting to have not just a Suburban Women Problem, but a Dad Problem as well.)Rachel then sits down with Sarah Longwell of The Focus Group podcast. Sarah recently ran a focus group with suburban women and she shares those findings with Rachel. She also chats about her “flippers” – women who voted for Trump in 2016 and Biden in 2020 – and how she thinks they’re likely to vote this year.Finally, Amanda, Jasmine and Rachel raise a glass to working parents, attending the Congressional Black Caucus conference, and to Amanda’s daughter getting to see the White House in this episode’s “Toast to Joy.”With the election just around the corner, it’s time to organize... like a woman! That means digging deep, getting vulnerable, and finding our courage. On Monday, October 10, Abbi Jacobson from A League of Their Own and Piper Perabo from Yellowstone are joining forces with Red Wine & Blue because they believe in the power of women supporting women. You can find out more about this exciting virtual event at redwine.blue.For a transcript of this episode, please email theswppod@redwine.blue.For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSAFacebook: @RedWineBlueUSAYouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

Welcome to the first episode of our brand-new bonus series “Kitchen Table Conversations”!Rachel Vindman is on Red Wine and Blue’s first-ever Troublemaker Tour, chatting with suburban women at kitchen tables in Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. This week, she’s in Rochester Hills, MI - a suburb of Detroit. She sat down with Kathy, Sujata, and Ebonei to talk about what issues are important to them coming up to the midterms, what they’re hearing from others in their community, and how they can’t believe their daughters and granddaughters will have fewer rights than they do. And in an unfortunately all-too-real situation for moms across America, Kathy’s children’s school was in lockdown during this conversation - but we want our listeners to know that everything turned out fine.Thanks for listening to Rachel’s Kitchen Table Conversations! New episodes every Saturday. For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSAFacebook: @RedWineBlueUSAYouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

This week on the pod, we’re talking about the power of women coming together to get stuff done. Some midterm elections could be won or lost by only a few hundred votes, so you and your friends could literally be the difference between pro-choice candidates and dangerous extremists. If each one of us gathers just a few of our friends to talk about how important the upcoming elections are, and those friends go out and talk to some friends, we can build a movement that will change the course of history.The hosts are joined by Renee Sekel and Tonya Martin, two regional organizers with Red Wine and Blue. Renee and Tonya talk about what got them involved in politics and the issues they care about in their state of North Carolina. You can check out Renee’s education podcast “Advocacy Bites” here and learn more about both Tonya and Renee’s work at redwine.blue.Jasmine then sits down with Joanne Carducci, who you might know on Twitter as JoJoFromJerz. Jasmine and Jo chat about how Trump’s election changed the course of their lives and sparked their activism, along with what it was like to meet Joe Biden at the White House this month. Jo also offers her expert advice on how to effectively use social media to fight for democracy. Finally, Amanda, Jasmine and Rachel raise a glass to new beginnings, fun neighborhood events, and to winning an exciting award in this episode’s “Toast to Joy.”If you’re ready to join the Great Troublemaker Turnout, please sign up here! Talking to the people in your network is the most impactful way to influence voters, and Red Wine & Blue is committed to providing everything you need to tap into this super power: training, tools, community, and support. Suburban women are taking a stand - join us!For a transcript of this episode, please email theswppod@redwine.blue.For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSAFacebook: @RedWineBlueUSAYouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

This week, we’re very excited to welcome Dr. Allison Gill to the show! Allison is a military veteran who created the incredibly popular podcast Mueller She Wrote and is now co-host of the women-led news podcast The Daily Beans.Our hosts Rachel Vindman, Jasmine Clark, and Amanda Weinstein chat with Allison about her military service, including her thoughts about abortion access for service members, what made her decide to start Mueller She Wrote, and what it’s like hosting a political podcast with other talented women (something we know a little bit about!). She also tells us what we need to know about the Mueller Report, the documents found at Mar-A-Lago, the January 6 hearings coming back to primetime TV this month, and whether Trump will ever actually be charged with a crime. Finally, Allison and our hosts raise a glass to surviving a trip to Six Flags with teenagers, a visit to Vienna, an incredible interaction with Elizabeth Warren, and to all the women out there fighting for democracy in this week’s “Toast to Joy.”If you’re ready to join the Great Troublemaker Turnout, please sign up here! Talking to the people in your network is the most impactful way to influence voters, and Red Wine & Blue is committed to providing everything you need to tap into this super power: training, tools, community, and support. Suburban women are taking a stand - join us!For a transcript of this episode, please email theswppod@redwine.blue.For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSAFacebook: @RedWineBlueUSAYouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

This week on the pod, hosts Jasmine Clark, Amanda Weinstein, and Rachel Vindman talk about trolls. It’s not just bots or anonymous accounts on Twitter anymore - in many places, the trolls are actually running for office. So many right-wing extremists don’t have real policy positions anymore, they’re just running on fear and personal attacks. But suburban women know better!The hosts are joined by Lindsay Mahaffey and Christine Kushner, two school board members in North Carolina. They’ve been dealing with their own trolls, facing name-calling at school board meetings and on the campaign trail. Christine and Lindsay are so passionate about the teachers and students in their district… we’re lucky to have women like them standing up for our kids.Then Rachel shares her interview with Amanda Marcotte, a senior politics writer at Salon and the author of "Troll Nation.” They chat about how the Republican party has been steadily losing support for their policies so instead, they’ve turned to “revenge politics”... leaning into fear, rage, and name-calling instead of coming up with new policies that speak to American voters. Amanda and Rachel also discuss the importance of women talking to the men in their lives about the issues that affect them, like reproductive rights.Finally, Amanda, Jasmine and Rachel raise a glass to birthdays, investing in our communities, and Rachel’s upcoming Troublemaker Tour in this week’s “Toast to Joy.”We talk a lot on this podcast about how important the upcoming midterm elections are. But not enough people talk about how politics can also be fun! So on Thursday September 15, we're holding a special Troublemaker Training with First Lady of Pennsylvania Gisele Fetterman, who knows just how important it is to have a little fun while we're fighting for democracy. To sign up for this very special Troublemaker Training, you can visit redwine.blue.For a transcript of this episode, please email theswppod@redwine.blue.For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSAFacebook: @RedWineBlueUSAYouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

This week on the pod, hosts Jasmine Clark, Amanda Weinstein, and Rachel Vindman talk about voting “down ballot.” That just means voting for local candidates! Because as important as it is to have good people representing us in Washington, local elections have even more of an impact on our day to day lives.The hosts are joined by Kate Nazemi, a mom in Pennsylvania whose school board has been infiltrated by extremists. Central Bucks school board now has two members of Moms for Liberty and one member who even believes in QAnon, and they’re enacting harmful policies like banning books, rainbow flags, and sex ed. Kate talks about how this extremist school board got elected in the first place and why it’s so important to engage in local politics.  Then Jasmine sits down with Yasmin Radjy, the new Executive Director of Swing Left. Jasmine is a Swing Left endorsed candidate, so this conversation is a match made in heaven. Jasmine and Yasmin talk about the important work Swing Left is doing to mobilize voters, how we can do a better job of talking up all the recent Democratic victories, and the power of suburban women. They even find a little time to chat about cute babies and Gossip Girl.Finally, Amanda, Jasmine and Rachel raise a glass to labor unions, fun campaign events, and fighting for democracy in this episode’s “Toast to Joy.”If you’re listening to this podcast, you know the importance of the upcoming elections and you want to turn out all your friends to vote. But you might still want a little help having effective and persuasive conversations. Join us on Thursday September 8 for a special Troublemaker Training with Jess McIntosh. You can sign up for Messaging 101 here.For a transcript of this episode, please email theswppod@redwine.blue.For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSAFacebook: @RedWineBlueUSAYouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

This week on the pod, we’re continuing our back-to-school conversation. There’s so much for parents to worry about: school shootings, Covid, book bans, teacher shortages, and more. But before we get to all that, our hosts Amanda Weinstein, Jasmine Clark, and Rachel Vindman talk about Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan.  They discuss how frustrating it is to hear wealthy Republicans complain about $10,000 loan forgiveness when so many of them had PPP loans forgiven… but what’s NOT frustrating is the White House’s response! We’re so glad Biden and his team are fighting back against misinformation.The hosts are then joined by Pam Crossman, a high school teacher in Ohio. Pam talks about how hard it is to be an educator right now, with her curriculum being questioned by extremists at the same time as they expect her to be the first line of defense against an active shooter. Pam also discusses her husband Jeff, who’s running for Attorney General right now to stand up against corruption and extremism in Ohio.Amanda then interviews Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, best known online as “Your Local Epidemiologist.” Dr. Katelyn is a science communicator who specializes in gun violence, but became famous for her daily Covid updates. She and Amanda discuss the causes of our gun violence epidemic and some potential solutions - along with Dr. Katelyn’s thoughts about Covid and vaccines as kids go back to school.Finally, Amanda, Jasmine and Rachel raise a glass to the first week of classes, birthdays, and to everyone out there who keeps fighting against extremism in this episode’s “Toast to Joy.”On September 1st, Red Wine & Blue will be hosting a virtual Troublemaker Turnout event with Heather Cox Richardson. Come learn, get inspired, and commit to doing the MOST impactful thing you can do in the 2022 election to help protect our rights, freedom, and democracy. You can learn more and sign up here.For a transcript of this episode, please email theswppod@redwine.blue.For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSAFacebook: @RedWineBlueUSAYouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

Content warning: this episode contains frank discussions about abortion and the loss of a child. Ever since the fall of Roe v Wade - or actually, ever since the Supreme Court opinion leaked - we’ve been talking about abortion. But so far we haven’t done a deep dive into one of the most controversial aspects: late term abortion. So that’s exactly what we’re doing today.Late term abortion isn’t actually a medical term, it’s a political term used to scare people, and you’ll hear more about that in today’s interview. But before that, Rachel Vindman, Jasmine Clark, and Amanda Weinstein are joined by Ashley All. Ashley is the Communications Director with Kansans for Constitutional Freedom, one of the organizations that made this month’s abortion victory in Kansas possible.Rachel then sits down for a very honest and meaningful conversation with Robin Utz. Robin is a mom, a storyteller, and an abortion advocate. She started a website to share her own later-term abortion story and to encourage open-minded and compassionate discussions about infertility and abortion. Robin shares the circumstances of her own abortion, the disconnect between right-wing politicians and most Americans’ views on abortion, and what we can do to help stand up for reproductive freedom. You can learn more at Robin’s website, DefendingGrace, or at WhoNotWhen. Finally, Amanda and Jasmine raise a glass to the weather holding out for Girl Scouts and a great campaign video, and Rachel toasts to the brave women of Ukraine in this episode’s “Toast to Joy.”On September 1st, Red Wine & Blue will be hosting a virtual Troublemaker Turnout event with Heather Cox Richardson. Come learn, get inspired, and commit to doing the MOST impactful thing you can do in the 2022 election. You can learn more and sign up here.For a transcript of this episode, please email theswppod@redwine.blue.For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSAFacebook: @RedWineBlueUSAYouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

This week on the pod, we’re talking about running for office. When women run, especially women of color, it’s undeniable that they’re held to a different standard than their white male counterparts. Jasmine Clark tells co-hosts Amanda Weinstein and Rachel Vindman about how her validity as a candidate has been questioned all along the way, even after winning her race in 2018.The hosts are joined by Mari Manoogian, the youngest woman currently serving in the Michigan State Legislature. Mari discusses her experience running for office as a young woman of color and about how the voters in Michigan want to elect leaders who fight for reproductive justice and stand up against extremism.Jasmine then interviews A’shanti Gholar, the president of Emerge, an organization dedicated to recruiting and training Democratic women to run for office. Jasmine and A’shanti chat about what got her first interested in politics, the uphill battle that women face when they run for office, and what we can do to support them… not just as candidates but also as human beings.Finally, Amanda, Jasmine and Rachel raise a glass to solidarity and the rising Blue wave, to kids connecting to their culture at camp, and to listeners who are maintaining their hope despite living in red districts in this episode’s “Toast to Joy.”If you’re ready to join the Great Troublemaker Turnout, please sign up here! Talking to the people in your network is the most impactful way to influence voters, and Red Wine & Blue is committed to providing everything you need to tap into this super power: training, tools, community, and support. Suburban women are taking a stand - join us!For a transcript of this episode, please email theswppod@redwine.blue.For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSAFacebook: @RedWineBlueUSAYouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

It’s hard to believe, but the summer is winding down and kids are starting to go back to school. But extremism didn’t take a summer break - and as students return to classrooms, parents are having to fight again for safety, equity, reasonable class sizes, and so much more.But first, our hosts celebrate all the legitimately good news out there: Congress passing the Inflation Reduction Act and PACT Act, Kansas voters standing up for reproductive freedom, and Alex Jones finally being held accountable for his lies about the tragedy at Sandy Hook.Then we’re joined by Tamsen and Amanda, two moms in Pennsylvania who became friends last year when they realized they both wanted to fight for Covid safety in their kids’ school. Since then, they’ve attended school board meetings and advocated for LGBTQ+ kids and students of color in their school district. It’s easier to get involved when you’re fighting alongside your friends!After that, the hosts chat with Dr. Carlee Simon, a mom in Florida who was fired from her job as superintendent when she dared to stand up to Governor DeSantis on masks in schools. Dr. Carlee chats with us about what happened to her, teacher shortages, how right-wing extremists are trying to destroy public education, and more. She’s currently running a PAC called Families Deserve Inclusive Schools - you can find out more here.And finally, our hosts raise a glass to Kansas voters and to meeting listeners in this episode’s “Toast to Joy.”The midterm elections are now only 13 weeks away! If you’re ready to join the Great Troublemaker Turnout, please sign up here. Suburban women are taking a stand - join us!For a transcript of this episode, please email theswppod@redwine.blue.For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSAFacebook: @RedWineBlueUSAYouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA