On today's show, we're
revealing open secrets
about our political climate.
Let's talk about the only thing
politicians value from you:
grassroots donations.
And our guest is a former
presidential candidate.
You'll have to stay
to find out who,
or read the show description--
yet another open secret
the world now knows!
This is The Liberal Conspiracy.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
TLC is shot entirely on Qanon
5G cameras, the only DSLR
with built-in
image stabilization
that also spreads COVID-19.
We'll be looking at the
most expensive House
campaign in history,
have a correspondent dive
into strange fundraising
emails, and reveal the candidate
with the best mustache.
And truly, you're going to
want to see that mustache.
Let's get started.
Fundraising: the reason
you ignore emails
from former presidents.
People ask me more
often than anything,
"where do I donate
my time and resource
to make the most impact?"
And to provide a
firm, vague answer,
let's take it back to Georgia
in the wake of 11.9.2016.
Never forget.
We were all crestfallen.
We needed a win.
And due to the president's
first very fine, short-lasting
cabinet choice,
Democrats had a shot
at picking up a
seat in Congress.
Jon Ossoff, fresh off playing
Abe Lincoln in the high school
play, was our chosen champion.
Jonny "Blue Wave" Tsunami was
running a special election
in a very Republican
Georgia district
with a longshot at winning.
A thirst trap for our desires
to right the wrongs of 2016,
this race ended up
raising $30 million.
Now, we should want
to win everywhere,
but as political
consultants made
it rain for the
first-time candidate,
they seized on
national feelings,
and shared donor pool,
and sucked it pretty dry.
This is less problematic
than his opponent's ads.
But donor fatigue
should be a concern
for the donee and the donor-er.
To discuss, co-conspirator
Esteban Gast
visited his inbox
to dramatically read
real fundraising headlines.
Thanks, Josh.
And hey, Lizard People.
You know, me and my
interns have gotten
a lot of political
emails, especially when
it comes to fundraising.
In fact, that may be like
the only emails we get.
[MELODRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING]
Hey, Esteban,
humbly asking you--
that's great.
Esteban.
We need you.
Can we talk, Esteban?
Everything has changed.
Heartbreaking news.
We're losing.
This is my final request.
Esteban, are you online?
Please read.
DO NOT DELETE.
Can we talk?
Esteban, did I make you proud?
[INAUDIBLE] Am I worthy of love?
Esteban, do you know shame?
All is lost.
If you want to prove
once and for all that
you didn't peak in high school.
One hour.
Thirty seconds.
Too late.
You let us down.
On your deathbed, when
your children ask you
what you did to save
democracy, will you
tell them that today you
donated five dollars?
Sending four emails
a day to their lists,
hammering your Inbox
Zero without consent,
it's not like most people
choose between the seven
sky-is-falling emails
and donate to four.
When they pile up from every
campaign, at some point,
we're being treated like
an ATM, you tap out.
So Ossoff lost.
Democrats lost.
Lots of small donors lost.
The only winner after
$24 million was spent?
The campaign email consultants,
who took in a rake of, like,
three million dollars.
That's the deal you
give a mediocre agent
if you're trying really hard
to make it in Hollywood.
And for the record,
I'm interested.
Consultants can make millions
in profit for losing.
The campaigning industry
needs new models
that reward good work
and, like, winning.
But even stronger
tactics are not enough
if individuals ignore that
their strategies do not
exist in an isolated ecosystem.
Last cycle, a talented friend
made the most badass trailer
for a candidate, Randy
Bryce, the Iron Stache,
redefining the game.
Iron Stache was the
perfect heel to Paul Ryan
and pressured the GOP
leader to ultimately not run
for re-election.
Mission: Accomplished.
But the Stache
campaign kept growing.
They had that sexy trailer.
And it played so well in
New York and Hollywood.
In Q1 of the midterms, the
only race that outspent him,
Doug Jones, an
active Senate race.
That is insane.
When Iron Stache lost,
where did all that money go?
Media buyers.
So when asked to support,
my answer every time
is invest in infrastructure.
It's not the flashy
candidate that
delivered their entire
stump speech in one
take while skydiving, but if
you want more Iron Stashes,
give to the Wisconsin
State Party,
and help assemble the whole
Wisconsin Avengers, Captain
Ashwaubenon, Brat
Widow, The Bubbler.
You want to help Ossoff
win the Senate in 2020,
and a bonus Stacey
Abrams in the next cycle?
Donate to the
Georgia State Party.
State parties have never
had enough resources
to help all their candidates.
Yet every campaign expects
them to be the cavalry.
Imagine if an influx
of $50 million
lasted past one November
to train, employ, and keep
a staff beyond a
single sprint, building
tools and institutional
knowledge for all
the candidates.
So do donate to
individual campaigns
when you're excited
about the candidate.
But this is all
to say, don't only
chase the bright shiny things.
You might love their style
or hate their opponent,
but also consider
diversifying your portfolio.
That's my hot stock tip
before America's looming
economic downfall.
And for more on that, we bring
one of our favorite politicos,
Tori Taylor, Executive
Director of Swing Left.
Tori, thanks for joining us in
the final sprint before E-Day.
Tell us what Swing Left is doing
to help all these grassroots
donors moneyball their
$3 contributions.
We actually launched a
product earlier this year
called Blueprint.
We really provide portfolio
for donors to give a donation.
And we really work
with them to create
a custom dynamic portfolio
where their money will go
to the races that matter most.
They want to invest
in voter registration
and invest in some long
term, power building
work on the ground in
some of these states.
You know, we have a slate of
community-based organizations
that are doing
incredible work building
long-term progressive
political power.
I will say, when I
heard about Blueprint,
I thought it was
absolutely brilliant.
To give the Charles
Schwab treatment
to grassroots fundraising
and have a financial advisor,
essentially, is really something
unique and something new
and a service that I don't
think enough people are
talking about or using.
A lot of people want to
just defeat McConnell,
people want to kick
out Lindsey Graham.
We both love us
some Jamie Harrison.
But can you explain
a bit more about why
there is such an
advantage to doubling down
on North Carolina?
Totally.
Well, there is going to be no
bigger advocate of Democrats
pressing the bounds of
where we're playing offense.
You know.
Where are the
races that we think
are going to be won or
lost on the margins,
and where is that dollar or
that door knock or phone call
or text can really
make a difference
and flip that chamber on a dime.
No matter how things
shake out in November,
there will be some fatigue.
And there'll be a whole
lot more work to do.
So what do you want to
be working on in 2021?
We're at the start of a sprint.
Electoral politics
is a means to an end.
I really hope that we
all are internalizing
some of the moments that we're
in right now so they never
happen again.
You know, politics
is a knife fight.
And I've been hearing a lot
of rumors behind your back
that you are absolutely
wonderful to work with and one
of the good ones.
So thank you so much
for joining the program.
Oh, yeah.
Thanks for having me.
Did I mention fundraising
sucks for the candidates, too?
And that's their primary job,
thanks to Citizens United.
For a firsthand look,
we turn to comedian
and former presidential
candidate, Ben Gleib.
Ben Gleib, thanks so much
for coming on the program.
Yes, sir.
You pull off the
blazer real well.
Thank you very much.
I asked you if you were
going to be wearing a blazer.
You said, yes.
I can't be the former
candidate and be underdressed.
First off, tell us
about your experience
on the campaign trail.
Yeah, very, very challenging.
How much of your time was
actually spent on fundraising?
They really want me to do five
hours every day of "Call Time."
It's really hard to do anything,
courtesy of Citizens United,
as much as we want
grassroots candidates.
Well, it's weird now, when
everybody's on Zoom all day
to expect people to pay a
premium to still be on Zoom.
As much as I do believe
that Zoom can replicate
in person life
pretty well, I just
hate how much it is about money.
And it's insane that dollars buy
you access to the leaders that
need to be helping
moreso the people that
don't have the dollars.
Major senators will make house
calls for a new Honda Accord,
right?
Like, if they know
that there is going
to be $30,000 waiting
in this backyard in LA,
they're going to plan an
entire trip around it.
They train you and they teach
you, keep the calls quick.
Get to your ask within five
minutes, if not three minutes.
And I wouldn't do
that well, either,
because I'm a human
being with feelings
who wants to connect with my
old friend and not say, "hey,
I'm running for president.
So [INAUDIBLE]
could you possibly
give us a "double max
out contribution?"
They would, generally
speaking, be down to help.
People feel almost
touched to be asked.
But it doesn't make me
feel good and makes me
feel touched, like a bad touch.
You know what I mean?
So that's not the type of
"Tight Five" you're down for?
No.
So as somebody
who is politically
active in Hollywood, in the
comedy scene, I'm sure you get
asked a lot, where
should I put my money?
Or where should I put
my time and resource?
Right now, I tell people just
donate to the Democratic Unity
Fund.
We just need all
of our resources
to go towards winning up and
down the ballot, from the White
House to the state house.
And I can't believe I sound
like a politician right there.
But White House to
the state house!
I'm keeping my hands down
because I have a dog in my lap.
So it's keeping me
from doing this.
I never did this.
My move was more like this.
And it was friendly and it
didn't seem intimidating.
Senate to dog catcher.
Right.
You caught one right
there with you.
I feel like we're at
a time in the world
right now when we
don't need to be extra
funding the dog catcher.
Let's make sure we don't lose
the concept of democracy,
truth, climate, and the ability
to know our left from our right
before it all goes
down the drain.
I'm down with some random
dogs in the street, Josh.
Defunding dog catchers.
You want to defund dog catchers.
On this show, you're
going to announce
that that is your new platform.
One hundred percent.
How has comedy been
for you since you ran?
I didn't immediately feel
like I was as welcomed back.
But that was probably
largely in my head.
And almost on cue,
somebody's arm
leans through and
hands me a joint.
And it's Dave Chappelle.
All these great people
hanging out there,
and I went up and
watched Dave kill
for two hours and 45 minutes.
I was challenging him on
some political things,
encouraging him to put his
money where his mouth is
and to get more involved.
Not two or three weeks
later did he finally
come out and support Andrew
Yang and did events with him.
And he'd never done
something like that.
I don't know if I had something
to do with spurring that on,
but maybe.
I want to be silly
again and light again.
The world is so nuts.
Well, I can certainly
empathize with that.
I can't quit you.
I still want democracy to work.
But there are many,
many battles to come.
There are going to be
so many people who've
been campaigning for
500 days straight
and will have nothing
left in the tank.
And the work just begins
after the election.
There is fatigue out there, even
for the most important election
of our lives.
People are inundated.
They're tired.
I just hope that people, in the
most important, most basic way,
convince everybody
they know to vote.
And just fight very hard
against even the slightest
smell of impropriety
with this election.
Don't let up!
We're in the fight
for our lives!
There's also a viral disease
going around right now
that seems to be--
Oh, yeah!
Systemic problem.
Right.
I've heard about that.
Yeah.
And misinformation
coming from the very top
on that and no effort to stem
it and no plan to stop it.
Nail him!
Pin him down!
And that's what Biden has
to do in these debates.
It's all about making him
look foolish and weak and
unpatriotic and disloyal
to this country.
You run over the time.
You don't care about the
minute and 20 seconds
you're allotted in the debate.
You say no!
The life of our country and
our planet is on the line.
I'm going 30 more seconds.
Answer the question, sir!
Well, the note for Joe
to go over his time
and really just
hammer in and dig
into some of these
major grievances
that he keeps sliding
away from is definitely
the best thing a master
debater and heckler-in-chief
would be able to handle.
I've been home
with nowhere to go.
So I've had a lot of
time for master debating.
Do you turn your little squishy
Trump the other direction
when you do that?
Or--
I regret the last 30
seconds of my life so much.
Don't feel like you can't
enjoy life during this process.
We've seen people in the
greatest battles of all time,
in the middle of wars, would
retire at the end of the night
and get drunk in their
caverns and their taverns,
and click their glasses.
And wake up and fight
again the next day.
So find your entertainment.
Truly, you know, there's a
ceiling to happiness right now.
When you're laughing,
you're not afraid.
That's a Colbert quote
that I really like.
A quotation that I love
a lot is "if you're
going to speak the
truth, make them laugh
or they'll kill you."
Where's that one from?
Might have been Voltaire.
But I'm not positive.
You should own it.
You know, that's the
internet these days.
That's your quote now.
I'm one of the great
quote givers of all time.
A lot of people are saying it.
A lot of people are saying it.
Thanks for watching.
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