The Foolish Optimist with Amy McDonald

Russell Cleveland running in Montana's First Congressional District joins host Amy McDonald, to discuss healthcare, Montana's history, and why Montanans are ready for change.
 
Follow along with his campaign at RussellCleveland.org
Support the podcast https://venmo.com/u/amymaccc
00:00 Montana Week Kickoff
01:41 Why Russ Is Running
03:05 Growing Up Montana
03:46 Top Issues On The Ground
07:31 Race Upended By Dropout
09:07 Montana Purple Politics
11:41 Primary Fight And Dark Money
14:50 Montana Plan Against Corruption
19:21 Libertarian Streak And Abortion
21:29 Big Family Ranch Economics
23:39 Party Disconnect And Listening
27:28 Ranked Choice Roadblocks
27:47 Primary Rules Exclude Independents
29:21 Messaging Versus Democracy
30:02 Structural Fixes Agenda
30:51 Anti Corruption Reforms
33:05 Term Limits Age Caps
34:35 Medicare For All Plus
36:17 Pedal For Prevention Tour
39:22 Insurance Denials Personal Loss
43:16 Drug Prices Rare Disease Fight
46:12 How To Support Campaign
47:24 Rapid Fire And Farewell

Integrity Alabama: Mobilizing Millennial Voters in Northeast Alabama
 
Follow Integrity Alabama on instagram at @AlexWithIntegrity, find them in the Act Blue Directory
 
If you want to support the pod, AmyMaccc on venmo is an easy way if you DON"T WANT TO SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS. :)
 
Host Amy McDonald welcomes repeat guest Alex Braswell, former Democratic nominee for Alabama House District 11, to discuss launching Integrity Alabama, a state-level PAC alliance across four Northeast Alabama counties aimed at increasing turnout and engagement among voters ages 18–50. Braswell explains what a PAC is, distinguishes small grassroots PACs from corporate and super PACs, and describes how the effort grew from her campaign experience building younger networks outside traditional county party structures. They highlight massive untapped turnout—173,000 nonvoters ages 18–50 in Alabama’s Congressional District 4—and argue that votes and grassroots organizing can overcome money in politics. Integrity Alabama’s main initiative is a free September event, “Pints and Progress,” offering voter registration and connections to local groups, while encouraging donations, social sharing, and broader statewide collaboration.
 
00:00 Welcome Back Alex
01:05 Why Integrity Alabama
01:51 Meet the PAC Team
03:15 What Is a PAC
05:19 From Joke to Launch
06:34 Community Over Infighting
09:20 Pints and Progress Event
11:55 Building Young Candidate Networks
14:04 Turnout Numbers and Flip Potential
15:45 Voter Turnout Reality Check
16:20 PAC Money and Legislation
17:54 Why Showing Up Wins
19:21 Register Vote and Pints
20:04 Doug Jones vs Tuberville Talk
20:49 Building South Alabama Alliance
22:02 Competitive Primaries Momentum
23:02 Deep Red District Organizing
26:19 Beyond Elections and Protest
26:56 Where to Find Integrity
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Vance Bostic on Running in NY-08: Public Service, Housing, and Breaking Money’s Grip on Congress
 
 
Host Amy McDonald interviews Vance Bostic, a Brooklyn-born service-industry worker and artist running for U.S. House in New York’s 8th Congressional District in 2026, who says the establishment—especially Hakeem Jeffries—has failed and that the system is “rigged” by billionaire and corporate money. Bostic recounts launching his campaign in July 2025, filing with the FEC in August 2025, and making the ballot after completing petitions. He emphasizes relatability, authenticity, and educating voters about primaries, with plans for door-knocking, campaign and policy videos, and a proposal to poll constituents on how he should vote on bills. Key issues include affordability and fear of being priced out of Brooklyn, housing as a right (including making the COVID-era eviction moratorium permanent), expanding SNAP toward UBI, taxing billionaires, and redirecting funds from wars and policing toward community investments.
 
Follow along with his campaign at VANCEBforNY8.com 
 
01:59 Why He’s Running
04:06 Campaign Launch Timeline
05:41 Service Industry Politics
09:25 Ground Game Strategy
11:35 Answering Cynicism
12:43 Vision and Platform Basics
13:34 Housing and Survival Needs
16:17 UBI and Paying for It
20:58 District Priorities on the Ground
22:31 Brooklyn Vibes and Voter Chats
23:49 Primary Access Gameplan
24:34 Campaign Video Plans
24:53 Door Knocking In Brooklyn
26:02 Let Voters Guide Votes
26:57 Fighting Apathy Together
29:22 Coalitions And Accountability
30:26 Fake News And Public Records
32:32 New Voices In Government
34:24 History Backlash And Racism
38:43 Where To Find Vance
39:36 Rapid Fire Favorites
43:35 Coney Island Love
44:34 Final Thanks And Wrap

Heidi Schmidt on Running for Maryland Delegate District 31: Local Solutions, Transparency, and Defending Human Dignity
 
Follow along with Heidi's campaign at voteheidischmidt.com
 
On the Foolish Optimist Podcast, host Amy McDonald interviews Heidi Schmidt, a mom, small business owner, community advocate, and candidate for Maryland House of Delegates in District 31. Schmidt explains why she’s running now, arguing that electing the same officials yields the same results, and describes District 31’s makeup and needs, including roads, traffic, and community investment through legislative bond initiatives. The conversation covers state-level responsibilities such as balanced budgeting, education policy, labor rules (including strike penalties), and concerns about vouchers, “legislated bullying” of transgender students, and political decorum. Schmidt discusses AI’s uses and impacts, Maryland’s appointment process for legislative vacancies and calls for more transparency, and why state government will be central to protecting voting rights and democracy amid federal overreach.
 
00:26 Show Intro Heidi
01:39 Bios And ChatGPT
04:52 Why Run For Delegate
05:29 District 31 Priorities
09:20 Taxes And Accountability
11:40 Education Vouchers Fight
12:19 Culture Wars And Bullying
15:11 Appointed Delegates Explained
17:53 Legislator Pay And Access
21:34 What States Actually Do
24:43 Nothing Changes Message
26:42 Wave Year Politics
27:06 Young Challengers Rising
28:23 Building a Party Bench
29:56 Democratic Infighting
31:22 Core Values and Dignity
32:38 Party Realignment Ahead
33:56 States Defend Democracy
36:56 Early Political Career
39:57 Fear Based Fundraising
43:35 Local Fixes Mountain Road
47:15 Campaign Links and Donations
49:39 Rapid Fire Wrap Up

Salaam Bhatti on Medicare for All, Uncapping the House, and Taxing Billionaires in Virginia’s 1st
 
On the Foolish Optimist Podcast, host Amy McDonald interviews Salaam Bhatti, a public interest lawyer running for Virginia’s 1st Congressional District in 2026 against Rep. Rob Wittman. Bhatti shares how growing up with immigrant parents and relying on WIC, free school meals, public libraries, and SNAP shaped his commitment to government programs now being cut, and highlights his work expanding SNAP, WIC screening tools, free school meals, and TANF in Virginia. He argues poverty is manmade and campaigns on Medicare for All, taxing billionaires, and campaign finance reform, including “uncapping the House” to dilute donor influence. They discuss the for-profit insurance model, workforce needs for universal healthcare, term limits, banning stock ownership for members of Congress, data centers in Virginia, Project 2025, and the need for grassroots involvement and small-dollar donations.
 
Follow Salaam's campaign at SalaamForVA.com
Find the Civic App in the App Store or Google Play Store
 
00:00 Welcome and guest intro
02:28 Why run in 2026
04:03 Programs under threat
05:31 Investments not handouts
07:56 Medicare for all path
12:06 Beyond the status quo
14:14 Primary and redistricting
17:45 Family sacrifice story
20:02 Term limits talk
21:03 Campaign finance fixes
22:21 Uncapping the House
24:00 Supreme Court reform
24:19 Expand The Supreme Court
25:25 Money And Stock Bans
26:36 Taxing Billionaires Now
29:23 Data Centers And AI
32:40 Awe And Existential Grief
35:54 Project 2025 And Democrats
38:00 How To Pressure Officials
41:05 Donate Volunteer Organize
46:12 Rapid Fire And Farewell

NY-11 Candidate Mike DeCillis on Grassroots Organizing, Democracy, and a “Hard Reset” in Government
 
Find Mike and his campaign at Decillisforcongress.com 
 
Find the Civic App in the google play store or apple app store.
 
Host Amy McDonald interviews Mike DeCillis, a Staten Island–Brooklyn candidate for Congress in New York’s 11th District, about why he’s running in 2026 and what he’s hearing from voters. DeCillis describes organizing Medicaid and immigration town halls and “No Kings” protests that grew from 120 attendees to NYPD-estimated 2,000, arguing the district has an appetite for grassroots engagement beyond the usual political echo chamber. He says voters care about the economy, affordability, immigration, and the collapse of democracy, and emphasizes NY-11’s diversity and immigrant communities. DeCillis calls for a “hard reset” in governance, including reversing Citizens United, raising corporate taxes, closing loopholes, and rebuilding public institutions with accountability, while also urging Democrats to show more moral courage. He highlights his public-service résumé and invites listeners to volunteer and donate at DeCillisForCongress.com.
 
00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
01:28 Why 2026
02:34 Grassroots Protests Surge
06:25 What Voters Care About
09:42 Campaigning and Accessibility
11:11 Beyond Trump The Broken System
14:18 Hard Reset Policy Agenda
20:05 Democrats Need Backbone
22:18 Two Americas No Accountability
23:45 Accountability and ICE
25:13 Coalitions and Candidates
25:52 Why I’m Qualified
27:58 From 9/11 to NYPD
29:23 Teaching and Policy Work
32:07 Structural Change Agenda
35:53 Billionaire Anger Rising
37:02 How to Support Campaign
39:55 Ground Game Beats Money
41:22 Representation in Staffing
42:16 Rapid Fire Round
44:30 Final Thanks and Voting Info

Civic Road Show Crossover: Mutual Aid, Activism, and Sustained Civic Engagement
 
Host Amy McDonald welcomes Kelly, founder of the Civic Road Show, for a crossover episode focused on spotlighting grassroots candidates, activists, and organizers and helping people plug into existing civic work rather than “reinventing the wheel.” Kelly shares tour updates from Chicago, discusses Minnesota as a standout stop, and describes mutual aid as a daily practice built through small, consistent actions. They critique hyper-individualism and the framing of poverty, sickness, and marginalization as moral failings, and discuss housing and eviction crises, local government failures, and the limits of one-off actions. They also address algorithm suppression, risks to organizers, misinformation, and the need for in-person community building. Kelly urges listeners to do more than comment online—donate, protest, attend meetings, support bail funds—and shares ways to contact and fund the tour.
 
00:30 Welcome and Crossover
00:52 Meet Kelly 
02:09 Chicago Campaign HQ
02:45 Bus and Cadillac Tangent
05:30 What Is Civic Roadshow
07:05 Avoiding Activist Burnout
09:35 Mutual Aid Daily Practice
11:43 Share Your Spinach
14:58 Minnesota Helper Story
18:10 Housing Crisis and ICE
24:40 Where the Tour Goes Next
27:47 Co Hosts and Algorithms
31:15 Hate Comments and Shadowbans
34:50 Creator Audacity and Misogyny
36:32 Risk and Real World Activism
37:53 Divesting From Whiteness
39:31 Who Really Pays Attention
40:31 Drowning Man Warning Signs
44:14 Normalization And Boiling Pot
45:45 Systemic Failures And Grifts
48:39 Media Blind Spots And Lawsuits
52:01 Power Players And Propaganda
56:52 Billionaires And Bullying Back
59:16 Campaign Trail Plans
01:05:35 Try Again And Organize
01:07:45 Where To Donate And Connect
01:08:42 Rapid Fire Wrap Up
01:15:12 Final Thanks And Signoff

Bri Woodson on Running for GA-12, Rural Affordability, Mental Health Policy, and Fighting the “Old Guard”
 
Follow Bri's Campaign at https://www.briwoodsonforcongress.com/.
Download the Civic App in the Apple or Google Store
Support our podcast on venmo at amymaccc or by liking and sharing it
 
Host Amy McDonald welcomes Bri Woodson, a therapist in residency, organizer, and Democratic candidate for Georgia’s 12th Congressional District, to discuss why she’s running in 2026 amid frustration with worsening systems, the Trump administration’s actions, and what she calls a decade of underrepresentation under Rep. Rick Allen. Woodson highlights district concerns including affordability, clinic and hospital closures, food deserts, limited small-town opportunity, and the need to invest in local economies through support for small businesses, apprenticeships, and internships. Drawing on her substance-use therapy work and her personal recovery from addiction and surviving trafficking, she emphasizes mental health as central to policy and communication, critiques political division and the “old guard,” and argues for stronger Democratic messaging. She notes her May 19 primary, focus on young voters, progressive stances including abolishing ICE, and her commitment to staying grounded in marginalized communities.
 
00:15 Welcome and Guest Intro
01:55 Pets on the Campaign Trail
02:37 Why Run in 2026
04:12 District 12 Top Concerns
06:36 Jobs Without College Debt
08:29 Mental Health in Policy
10:27 Old Guard vs New Guard
14:51 Surviving Addiction and Trafficking
17:18 Affordability and Rent Reality
19:29 Healthcare Insurance and Parity
22:43 Political Extremism Goes Viral
25:12 Racism Goes Mainstream
26:26 Administration Fuels Supremacy
27:00 Accountability for Nazis
27:37 America and Jim Crow Roots
28:10 Education Under Attack
29:22 Fear Politics and Brains
30:19 250 Year Empire Theory
31:56 Democracy Must Be Fought For
34:28 Campaign and Primary Strategy
36:43 No More Playing Nice
39:47 Democrats Need Backbone
41:51 Candidate Values and Identity
43:27 Rapid Fire and Wrap Up
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Independent Candidate Christopher Ajluni on Ballot Barriers, Dark Money, and Common-Sense Reform in Arizona CD1
 
Host Amy McDonald speaks with Christopher Ajluni, an independent candidate for Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, about the hurdles independents face, including moved filing deadlines, high signature requirements, and lawsuits aimed at keeping politics a two-party system. Ajluni, in DC with an Independent Candidate Network, argues both parties are captured by legalized corruption and donor influence, citing AIPAC money and the broader effects of dark money after Citizens United. He discusses major issues for Arizonans such as humane but effective immigration enforcement, fiscal waste, universal healthcare, term limits, and procedural House reforms, while criticizing US spending on wars and foreign policy tied to Israel and Iran and warning about China’s rising global influence. Ajluni asks for volunteers and signatures via Arizona’s E-Qual system at christopherforcongress.org.
 
00:48 Meet The Independent
01:16 DC Museums And History
02:16 Why History Gets Erased
03:48 Independent Network In DC
04:28 Breaking With Democrats
06:24 Money In Politics
08:00 Vote Splitting Debate
12:40 Ballot Access Barriers
17:20 Where He Fits Ideologically
18:18 Arizona Issues Immigration
21:32 War Spending And Corruption
23:08 Netanyahu Trump And The Bill
24:15 Campaign Money Madness
24:45 Micro Investments That Work
25:53 Social Media Transparency
26:23 Oligarchy And Pay To Play
27:58 Gen Z And Millennial Fix
29:17 Citizens United Crackdown
30:32 Procedural Reforms And Term Limits
35:15 Ballot Signatures And Volunteering
38:05 AI Profits And Four Day Week
38:43 China Rising And US Decline
41:48 Rapid Fire And Wrap Up

Jeromie Whalen on Running for Congress in MA-01: Medicare for All, Abolish ICE, AI Misinformation, and People-Powered Politics
 
On the Foolish Optimist podcast, host Amy McDonald interviews Jeromie Whalen, a former teacher running for Massachusetts’s 1st Congressional District in 2026, a district spanning 83 cities and towns across western and central Massachusetts. Whalen says he’s running because he’s “sick of the bullshit,” arguing Democratic leadership failures helped normalize Trump-era politics and that policies often labeled radical—like Medicare for All—are practical and common elsewhere. He criticizes corporate influence in Congress, calls for worker protections, and discusses Western Mass economic challenges tied to deindustrialization, population decline, and healthcare access. He supports abolishing ICE as currently structured, immigration reform focused on courts and due process, and stronger AI regulation amid misinformation. He shares campaign details, including volunteer canvassing and where to donate.
 
00:16 Introduction
01:13 The District & Massachusetts Politics
04:56 Why Running in 2026
05:40 Trump Era & Democratic Party Failures
09:11 Progressive Policies & Healthcare
16:29 Immigration & ICE
24:28 AI & Misinformation
28:14 District Economics & History
31:28 Work Culture & Worker Rights
36:11 Contact Info & Rapid Fire
50:29 ‌Final Thoughts