Democrats Abroad: The Blue Vote Caf‪é‬ Democrats Abroad

In one of our most wonk-ish episodes ever (complete with a cat!), mathematician Max Dunitz of DA France explains an intriguing situation that arose for the four or five states that used ranked choice voting in their 2020 presidential primaries.

Because the Democratic National Committee restricts the awarding of delegates to candidates that garner 15% of the votes, a hybrid version of ranked choice had to be devised, creating an interesting (and difficult) mathematical problem.

You can hear Max explaining it to Rachel and David, and you can read his paper on the subject on the SSRN (Social Science Research Network): https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4839562

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Find the full audio library of Blue Vote Café episodes at http://bluevotecafe.com

David and Rachel sit down with DA's International Chair and Vice Chair to talk about their first year on the job.

Martha McDevitt-Pugh and Steve Nardi share some of the triumphs from the year, touch upon some of the challenges, and outline the work ahead of us in 2024.

Register and request your ballot every year at votefromabroad.org

Find the full audio library of Blue Vote Café episodes at http://bluevotecafe.com

Amanda Klekowski von Koppenfels joins David and Rachel to talk about her research into what motivates American citizens living outside the country to become politically engaged.

As the title of her most recent academic paper puts if, "Democrats abroad: What motivates core activists to engage in political transnationalism?"

Amanda confirms some of the speculation that has been bruited about the cafe since its founding, including the primary reason people move to a different country.

But you'll have to listen to learn what that is.

Register and request your ballot every year at votefromabroad.org.

Find the full library of Blue Vote Café episodes at http://bluevotecafe.com.

David and Rachel are joined by leaders from Democrats Abroad's newest country committee, DA Kenya. Robyn T. Emerson (Chair) and Mohamed Ahmed (Treasurer) share the stories of how each connected with DA, and the founding of DA Kenya.

The discussion turns to a population unique to the "A" of DA's Europe-Middle East-Africa region: Americans of African descent; and touches on Mohamed's first votes as a person who has not yet turned 20; the importance of youth activism, particularly in addressing gun violence; and what it feels like to volunteer to help hold up the Democratic tent.

Mentioned in the episode: the Gun Violence Prevention Action Team Lauch with Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost.

Ken Martin, Chairman of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Pary, President of the Association of State Democratic Committees, and a Vice Chair of the Demcratic National Committee, joins David and Rachel in the café, substantiating his claim that he will accept any invitation to talk where there are at least two Democrats.

Quoting LBJ, Ann Richards, Margaret Mead, Ayanna Pressley, and Confucius, Ken discusses the importance of the vote from abroad, and its majority Democratic comosition.

Outlining the incredible story we have to tell about Biden and Harris's achievements to date, he urges Democrats to stop agonizing and start evangelizing.

While acknowledging that you don't have to love someone to vote for them, Ken shares compelling personal reflections on both Biden and Harris, as well as on his home state of Minnesota.

Rachel and David's guest in the café is longtime Democratic strategist Simon Rosenberg, who gained notoriety in 2022 for calling the election right when everyone else had it wrong.

Simon talks about the weakness of the GOP's position, with a candidate diminished in multiple ways and a crazy, ideologically unhinged politic, the 6 factors that will impede Trump in 2024, and about the Hopium Chronicles community that he founded with the watch words, "Do more, worry less."

With a reference to diapers and pictures you might not want to look up, and a resounding endorsement of FDR's four freedoms.

For more information, visit https://www.hopiumchronicles.com/.

Register and request your ballot every year at votefromabroad.org.

Find the full library of Blue Vote Café episodes as bluevotecafe.com.