Finding 46

Chris Liddell-Westefeld joins us to talk about his new book, They Said This Day Would Never Come: Chasing the Dream on Obama's Improbable Campaign. In it, he tells the story of Barack Obama's unlikely 2008 campaign through the eyes of those who made it possible. Chris has documented this story with over 200 oral history interviews. We talk to him about what happened in 2008 and whether he has any lessons for today's candidates. 

Happy 2020! We're back and we have an interview with Senator Cory Booker's mother, Mrs. Carolyn Booker. Mrs. Booker talks to us about Cory as a kid, overcoming massive obstacles, and what Cory's candidacy means at this point in the race. 

In an end-of-year review, Kyle and Stephanie dive into who we talked to this year, where the primary race stands, what they didn't think was going to happen in 2019, and their predictions of what is yet to come.  Thank you for joining us this year and we look forward to bringing you more episodes in 2020! This is Finding 46. 

Congresswoman Veronica Escobar joins us in our studios to talk through the uphill battle that is turning Texas blue in 2020, understanding the Latino community, and how to get everyone to show up to the polls in 2020. Are we doing enough to reach people where they are? What do Dems need to do in Texas to win? Huge thanks to the Congresswoman for joining us!

Our first live episode with Georgetown University Politics Fellows, Olivia Alair Dalton and Jonathan Burks, is here! Our conversation revolves around the 2020 primary, voters' greatest fears, and who can beat Donald Trump. This is Finding 46! 

Another week, another Finding 46! We're looking ahead at the November debate, which will be moderated by an all-female panel of moderators, what we want to hear & who will be there. We're also talking about the early battleground states and how much they matter in such a dense race. Welcome back!     

As we head into the 4th debate, Stephanie and Kyle talk about some new players, impeachment, and what we're expecting from the Warren/Biden match up. Later, Stephanie interviews Juan Peñalosa, the Florida Democratic Party Executive Director, to talk about Florida's importance in the 2020 General Election. We're not going to lie, this episode is PACKED!

Steph and Kyle are back to talk impeachment, third-quarter fundraising, and new front runners. They are also joined by Herschel Fink, Executive Director of the Arizona Democratic Party, to talk about the importance of Arizona as an emerging battleground state and what its role will be in 2020.   

Kyle and Stephanie are back to help you digest the Houston debate. Were there winners? Were there losers? Tune in for a special segment from the ground in Houston as Stephanie is joined by Paola Ramos, Albert Morales & Mayra Maíces to talk about the Latino voter.  

This week Kyle and Stephanie break down all 5 hours of the second round of democratic debates - Democratic infighting, CNN’s moderating (Why did Delaney get so much time?), the value of judging candidates by debate performances, and more.

Kyle is back from "semi" paternity-leave, Stephanie joins him, and our hosts are back in full force. They are back to discuss the takeaways from the first democratic debates, which candidates will be able to keep up with an ever-climbing bar, and what we need to look for going forward. Welcome back to Finding 46!

This week Joshua Dubois, former head of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships under the Obama administration, joins Kyle and Stephanie for a conversation on the role of religion in elections, which 2020 candidates are doing well and which candidates could do better.

This week Chris Lu, former Deputy Secretary of Labor and Obama transition director, joins Kyle to discuss what goes into the transition process between administrations, the role unions play in the race, and how to stand out among 23 candidates for the 2020 Democratic nomination.

Over the weekend, Stephanie co-moderated Move On’s Big Ideas Forum with eight presidential candidates - giving her a unique perspective on some of the primary's front-runners. Join us as she and Kyle breakdown the policies the candidates presented and to understand how big their ideas really were.

This week, we kicked Kyle off the pod and replaced him with three badass women organizers who shed some light on the role of women in the 2020 race -- both as voters and as candidates.  We covered everything from media bias with women candidates to what is driving the supermajority of women voters in 2020. Listen in because you're not going to want to miss this. 

We interview Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu. Wu is Warren's close friend, former student, and employee and gives us a priceless amount of insight on what it is like to serve with and learn under Elizabeth Warren. Join us for our another dive into a 2020 presidential candidate, Senator Elizabeth Warren. 

We interview Politico's City Hall editor David Giambusso, a reporter who's been covering Newark, New Jersey, and following Cory Booker for many years. Join us for our another dive into a 2020 presidential candidate, Cory Booker. 

Kyle and Stephanie are joined by Molly Hensley-Clancy, Buzzfeed News reporter covering national politics and the Democratic party, about what Molly has seen on the campaign trail, what she's hearing from voters, Joe Biden's official entry into the race, and much more. 

Pete Buttigieg seems to be gaining steam, the first fundraising numbers have been released, and our hosts continue to navigate the field. They are also joined by Mike Greenfield, CEO of Change Research, to talk about the importance of the polls in the primaries, the general and what we learned from 2016.

Our first candidate episode! We interview San Antonio Express News' Elaine Ayala, a reporter who's been covering San Antonio and the Castro family for many years, and Congressman Joaquin Castro, Julian's twin brother. Julian's background is long and diverse. Join us for our first dive into a 2020 presidential candidate. 

The hosts talk through Beto's launch in El Paso, what the initial campaign fundraising reports are saying for various of the candidates, and they react to the current Biden situation.

Beto O'Rourke outraised Bernie Sanders. Gillibrand held her first town hall after formally announcing her run. A Biden/Abrams ticket may be in our future. And well... Stephanie has got a lot to say about all that. Kyle and Stephanie breakdown this nonstop stream of primary news and offer their takes on what candidates need to do to address ALL voters. 

Hickenlooper and Inslee are in and the candidates are slowly entering the public more and more. The hosts talk about the barrage of CNN town halls from last week, Sanders and Castro's debate over reparations, who's running and who's not. They are later joined by Ray Buckley - Chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party - in the final primary state interview to talk about what candidates need to do to win New Hampshire. 

Bernie is in. Still no word on Beto, Biden, or Brown. The hosts give an update and interview Jaime Harrison, DNC Associate Chair and Former South Carolina Democratic Party Chair, about South Carolina, a key primary state. They discuss what the voters are looking for,  why South Carolina is so important, and put a rest to the eternal South Carolina barbecue debate.

We sat down with Alana Mounce - Executive Director of Nevada State Democratic Party - to talk through a rundown of the Nevada Caucuses & how they work, what Nevada voters are looking for, and how Nevada came to be one of the first four states to vote in the primary.

Amanda Brown Lierman, former DNC political and organizing director, joins us to talk about what it will take to distinguish the truly great primary candidates in an evergrowing race, who will be able to galvanize their supporters in a way to lead an impactful campaign, and offers some advice for young organizers looking to jump on to and work for a presidential campaign. 

Today, we are joined by Paul Tewes, one the foremost political experts in the country and State Director of President Obama’s historic 2008 Iowa Caucus campaign, to understand Iowa’s importance during the primaries, what the American people are looking for in a presidential candidate in 2020, and what candidates can do to stand out against their opponents.

What makes a good President? Is it really someone you want to have a beer with? What makes a good candidate? Who will be able to become the 46th president of the United States of America? Welcome to the podcast where Kyle Lierman and Stephanie Valencia will try to answer all these questions and more. In this episode, we introduce the hosts, talk about the people we will be interviewing, and set the stage for 2020. Welcome to Finding 46!

2020 is around the corner. A new term. The promise of new leadership lingers in the air. By interviewing reporters, former staffers, campaign managers, political operatives and more, we will figure out who will be the best candidate to support in 2020, who can defeat Donald Trump, and who will ultimately become the 46th president of the United States of America. Trust us, you want to be a part of this journey. The journey of Finding 46 with Kyle Lierman and Stephanie Valencia. Welcome to Finding 46.