Independent Voter Podcast
Did Democrats' big midterm win just hand Donald Trump his biggest opportunity yet to actually cut deals? The blue wave might be the first time Trump will have to compromise in this second presidential term.
Chad, Cara, Shawn, and Ethan open by debating whether Trump, freed from needing his hardline base, could surprise everyone by signing reasonable legislation instead of vetoing everything Democrats send him, pointing to Maria Salazar's bipartisan Dignity Act as a real test case. Plus: Alaska's third attempt to repeal ranked choice voting just failed again, by its biggest margin yet, and an update on the New York veterans' voting rights lawsuit Chad is litigating.
This episode is sponsored by the Independent Voter Project and produced by Olas Media. Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
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Episode Highlights
On this episode of the Independent Voter Podcast, hosts Chad Peace, Cara McCormick, and Shawn Griffiths open with a provocative argument: the Democrats' sweeping midterm win may actually hand Donald Trump his best chance yet to cut real deals, since he's no longer boxed in by his hardline base or figures like Stephen Miller.
The group debates whether Trump will take that opening or default to vetoing everything Democrats send him, with Shawn warning that Washington dealmaking often just means "come to my side of the fence," not genuine compromise.
Cara points to Florida US Rep. Maria Salazar and her bipartisan Dignity Act as a real-world test case for immigration reform, contrasting it with the failed SAVE Act and the 2024 Senate immigration deal that Trump reportedly tanked to preserve it as a campaign issue.
The hosts tear into the stalled congressional stock trading ban, with Cara explaining how Democrats and Republicans each attached poison-pill provisions (the executive branch carve-out, SAVE Act riders) to guarantee failure while claiming credit for trying, with Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer singled out for leadership-style criticism.
Shawn and Chad connect this to a broader pattern of party "entitlement" after big wins, citing reports of freshman members being pressured to fall in line behind Jeffries and Schumer, and recalling how the 2024 Democratic establishment rapidly coalesced around Joe Biden after South Carolina, foreshadowing a wide-open and potentially chaotic 2028 primary.
Cara delivers the headline reform news: Alaska's third attempt to repeal ranked choice voting and its open primary system has failed again, this time by its largest margin yet, a result she ties directly to the state's heavily independent voter registration and to lessons from Maine's repeal fights.
Shawn and Cara contrast Alaska's win with reform setbacks in Massachusetts and partial progress in Florida, and Cara credits strategist Peter Ackerman for pushing to implement reforms quickly once passed, arguing that lived experience with a reform is what ultimately cements public support.
Chad closes with an update on the New York veterans' voting rights lawsuit he's litigating, noting roughly 150 veterans have now signed declarations, an amended complaint is coming to add plaintiffs including Veterans for All Voters, and summary judgment motions are expected early next year, a fitting note given the episode recorded on Veterans Day.
