Hot Mic'd: The Mary-Kate & Ashley to diplomatic careers pipeline

Something in politics this week that gave nightmare fuel energy was… oh you know the fact that there were 64,500 rape-related pregnancies across the 14 states that banned abortion post-Roe. Just going to ask everyone to turn and look at Governor Abbott who claimed rape exceptions to abortion bans weren’t necessary because “he was going to eliminate rape” - meanwhile there have been as estimated 26,000 rape-related pregnancies in Texas since he made this statement in 2022… -SK

On the flip, something in politics that gave me hope… you’re going to be like WTF at this, but Trump saying that any/all Nikki Haley donors will be banned from camp MAGA, and the response being this. What this tells me is that in a Biden v Trump match up, there is a willingness amongst cardholding Republicans to vote for Biden to protect democracy. Could I be extrapolating too far? Maybe? But this gives me hope that people can make tough decisions. -SK 

A 2024 concern that I have is…voters and nonvoters are struggling to connect the dots between abortion bans and restrictions being passed and who is responsible for them (Trump x the SCOTUS he lined up). Because Roe v. Wade was struck down during the Biden admin, there seems to be quite a bit of confusion about who is responsible for that result. We need to work on clearing that up for people first of all, and second making civic education in this country a priority so that things like this aren’t confusing. -SK 

An eppy of the pod I’d recommend sending to a friend is… all of them?? Okay, but if I have to pick in this very exact, specific moment it would be… it would be our 2024 election prep guide episode with Rudy Garrett. We’re already in the midst of election szn, and the sooner people are prepped, the better. -SK 

For the besties that are interested in working in politics, a rec… come get styled by moi! If you’re just starting out and don’t know what to stock your closet with, hop in, we’re going shopping!! -SK 

My latest TikTok follow is… Allie Phillips who is running for state House in TN and also suing the state over their abortion bans. A queen, an icon, a legend, and now on TikTok. -SK 

Something in politics this week that gave nightmare fuel energy was… The Ohio state leg overriding the governor’s veto on gender affirming care for children in the state, effectively banning life saving treatment for kids. Heartless, cruel, and chilling. -MM

On the flip, something in politics that gave me hope… Here’s the thing, there are so many heinous bills being introduced right now because so many state legislatures are back in sesh. It feels honestly a little overwhelming. However, the one leader that’s really given me hope is Big Gretch. If you know us, you know we’re big fans here. But regardless, watch her recap of her State of the State address (that’s like the state version of the ‘state of the union address’ a president does), it not only shares good common sense policy, but it reminds you that there are leaders out there championing good policy and making it a priority even if it’s a tough road to achieving it. -MM

A 2024 concern that I have is… that people are so focused (and rightfully so) on the presidential race, and are forgetting about all of the insanely critical down ballot races. I hate the term down ballot, but what else do we call them?? Taking ideas. Whether it’s state leg, attorneys general, judicial, or any of the loads of other races on the ticket, they’re all so important and are the building blocks for protecting democracy at every level. -MM

An eppy of the pod I’d recommend sending to a friend is… This is such a pick your favorite child question. Hmmm… I’m going to go with our epi with Lauren Baer at Arena on training the next generation of campaign staff (hint hint that could be you!). Good training is so key for actually winning campaigns and this episode really underscores that. -MM

For the besties that are interested in working in politics, a rec… send thank you notes to everyone that you meet with when networking. Even if it’s super brief, that’s fine, just going that extra mile of thanking someone for their time goes a long way. This also goes for job interviews in any industry. You should ALWAYS send a thank you note post-interview. -MM

My latest TikTok follow is… Iowa State Rep. Molly Buck is now on the clock app! She’s been sharing behind the scenes content that helps viewers understand the process behind making laws and also stopping laws. -MM