Cactus Crossfire

Sisto Abeyta & Eddie Ableser
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Politics
  • Updated Semiweekly

Spicy takes, prickly debates and sharp Southwest flavor—Cactus Crossfire dives into politics, culture, and the issues shaping our region and beyond. Whether you agree, disagree, or want to add your own perspective, we want to hear from you. Join the conversation & let's get prickly! Shoot us an email (info@cactuscrossfire.com), or visit www.cactuscrossfire.com to stay in the loop on future episodes. Catch more insights on our blog: https://www.cactuscrossfire.com/blog Sign up for exclusive updates: https://www.cactuscrossfire.com/contact-8 Follow us: YouTube: www.youtube.com/@CactusCrossfire TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cactuscrossfire Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cactuscrossfire/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cactuscrossfire Hosts: Sisto Abeyta, Tri-Strategies | NM Eddie Ableser, Tri-Strategies | UT, NV & AZ www.tri-strategies.com Producer: Mandi Nunez, Tri-Strategies | NM www.tri-strategies.com Auto Engineer & Editor: Gabe Narcisco Baca, eightySIX88 Studios | Albuquerque, NM www.8688.productions

  1. 3d ago

    🌵❌🔥 NCSL Summit Wrap Up: CACTUS CROSSFIRE Live from Chicago

    🌵❌🔥 NCSL Summit Wrap Up: Live from Chicago 🌵❌🔥 Eddie Ableser and Sisto Abeyta recorded episode live from Chicago during the National Conference of State Legislators summit. They break down what NCSL looks like at ground level: legislators, staff, and policy groups in one place having organic conversations, comparing notes, and building relationships across state lines. They also talk about how the exhibit hall is evolving beyond vendors into a real policy arena, with organizations focused on issues like voting rights and energy. From there, the episode moves into the bigger political headlines they were tracking from the floor, including the Michigan Democratic Senate primary and what it says about money, messaging, and base turnout. Eddie Ableser and Sisto Abeyta also dig into leadership and transparency questions around aging elected officials and the culture that can push staff to protect titles instead of confronting reality. They close with thoughts on Dr. Fauci’s testimony and why so much of today’s political theater feels designed for gotcha moments instead of learning. Have a take? Send it in. Do you disagree with us? Great. Tell us why. That's the whole point. 🌵❌🔥 👇 Watch, listen, and join the debate: - YouTube: https://youtu.be/NCVMTN2WOdY - Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cactus-crossfire/id1859717200?i=1000780025357 - Website: https://www.cactuscrossfire.com - TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cactuscrossfire - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cactuscrossfire/ - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cactuscrossfire #CactusCrossfire #NCSL #Chicago #StatePolitics #PoliticalNews

    🌵❌🔥 NCSL Summit Wrap Up: CACTUS CROSSFIRE Live from Chicago

  2. 3d ago

    🌵❌🔥Big Tent or Discipline Tent? The Democratic Party’s Identity Fight

    In this episode, Eddie Ableser and Sisto Abeyta take a no fluff look at what is happening inside the Democratic Party. They start with a simple question that turns into a bigger argument about power. Who decides which candidates are “serious” and which ones get a late red card. Red flags, late red cards, and the candidate problem: Eddie argues the party keeps learning the same lesson the hard way. If you do not vet candidates early, the scandal hits late, momentum collapses, and the party is left scrambling. Sisto agrees the collapse is predictable but says the real story is how candidates get built in the first place. He points to the role of political consultants, fundraising networks, and movement driven recruiting that can turn a compelling story into a national machine before the basics are fully checked. Coalitions inside the tent From there, the conversation moves to the bigger fight. Eddie calls out the Democratic Socialists of America for pulling the party toward purity tests and away from coalition building. Sisto frames it as a repeating pattern in American politics. Movements that feel locked out build their own power, then demand control of the tent. The result is a party that spends more time policing its own people than persuading the voters it needs to win. Why am I a Democrat, really The most personal part of the episode comes when Eddie asks why he is still a Democrat. Eddie ties his answer to civil liberties, equal rights, and the idea that America is worth defending. He also says he is frustrated by what he sees as a growing culture of disrespect toward national pride inside his own political ecosystem. Sisto pushes back with a reminder that defending freedom means defending speech you hate, and that social media outrage is not the same thing as the values of a party. Three questions for you: Do you think campaigns should be big tent or discipline tent Is the Democratic fight about ideology or incentives and attention Should coalition parties police factions harder or absorb them and move on 👇 Watch, listen, and join the debate: YouTube: https://youtu.be/cASu1hLC2dg Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cactus-crossfire/id1859717200?i=1000780017684 Website: https://www.cactuscrossfire.com TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cactuscrossfire Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cactuscrossfire/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cactuscrossfire

    🌵❌🔥Big Tent or Discipline Tent? The Democratic Party’s Identity Fight

  3. 3d ago

    🌵❌🔥The Middle Isn’t Dead: Primaries, Power, and the Voter Backlash

    🌵❌🔥S2E13: Are American voters done with the extremes or are the parties just getting louder? In this episode, Eddie Ableser and Sisto Abeyta break down what the June primaries revealed about the fight for the middle and who is really shaping the nominees. From progressive wins in safe Democratic districts to Republican voters quietly pulling back from ideological chaos, this episode tracks the “rubber band” effect across the country and asks the big question: is balance possible again in American politics? Topics we cover: New Jersey and the national trend of highly mobilized progressive primary machines Iowa and the surprise strength of pragmatic, solutions first candidates California’s jungle primary and what it signals about moderation New Mexico’s semi open primary and how independents shifted the trajectory Maine’s candidate vetting meltdown and what it says about party integrity Have a take? Send it in. Do you disagree with Eddie? Great. Tell us why. That's the whole point. 🌵❌🔥 👇 Watch, listen, and join the debate: YouTube: https://youtu.be/Cyt3Fp2X3ik Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cactus-crossfire/id1859717200?i=1000780033075 Website: https://www.cactuscrossfire.com TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cactuscrossfire Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cactuscrossfire/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cactuscrossfire #CactusCrossfire #NewMexicoPolitics #PrimaryElections #PoliticalDebate #Election2026

    🌵❌🔥The Middle Isn’t Dead: Primaries, Power, and the Voter Backlash

  4. Jun 8

    🌵❌🔥Interview with Darren Grubb: Predictable Care, Real Benefits: Protecting Medicare Advantage

    In this short, focused interview, our host, Eddie Ableser sits down with Darren Grubb, spokesperson for Medicare Advantage Majority, to break down what a new CMS final rate ruling could mean for seniors, people with disabilities, and the providers who serve them, especially in rural and remote communities across the West. Darren explains why Medicare Advantage matters to more than half of Medicare eligible Americans, and why predictable funding is not an abstract policy debate. It directly affects access to doctors, stability in benefits, and whether plans can keep offering the kinds of services many seniors rely on. In this episode, we cover: -What the CMS rate notice is, and why reimbursement rates shape access and affordability -Why a flat proposed increase created alarm, and what the final increase means -How underfunding can reduce provider participation, especially in rural areas -Why Medicare Advantage often includes benefits traditional Medicare does not, including vision, dental, hearing, prescription drug coverage, and a cap on out of pocket expenses -Why seniors view Medicare Advantage funding as both a healthcare issue and a cost of living issue Learn more about Medicare Advantage Majority:  https://medicareadvantagemajority.org  👇 Watch, listen, and join the discussion: YouTube:  https://youtu.be/YAG5wX3ky94  Apple Podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cactus-crossfire/id1859717200?i=1000771789350  Website:  https://www.cactuscrossfire.com  TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@cactuscrossfire  Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/cactuscrossfire/  Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/cactuscrossfire  Sisto Abeyta on Instagram: @sistoaabeyta Sisto Abeyta on TikTok: @sisto.abeyta Eddie on Instagram: @ezableser Eddie on TikTok: @eddie.ableser Reach us on socials or email  info@cactuscrossfire.com

    🌵❌🔥Interview with Darren Grubb: Predictable Care, Real Benefits: Protecting Medicare Advantage

  5. Jun 4

    🌵❌🔥The Middle Isn’t Dead: Primaries, Power, and the Voter Backlash

    🌵❌🔥Are American voters done with the extremes or are the parties just getting louder? In this episode, Eddie Ableser and Sisto Abeyta break down what the June primaries revealed about the fight for the middle and who is really shaping the nominees. From progressive wins in safe Democratic districts to Republican voters quietly pulling back from ideological chaos, this episode tracks the “rubber band” effect across the country and asks the big question: is balance possible again in American politics? Topics we cover: New Jersey and the national trend of highly mobilized progressive primary machines Iowa and the surprise strength of pragmatic, solutions first candidates California’s jungle primary and what it signals about moderation New Mexico’s semi open primary and how independents shifted the trajectory Maine’s candidate vetting meltdown and what it says about party integrity Have a take? Send it in. Do you disagree with Eddie? Great. Tell us why. That's the whole point. 🌵❌🔥 👇 Watch, listen, and join the debate: Website: https://www.cactuscrossfire.com TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cactuscrossfire Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cactuscrossfire/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cactuscrossfire #CactusCrossfire #NewMexicoPolitics #PrimaryElections #PoliticalDebate #Election2026

    🌵❌🔥The Middle Isn’t Dead: Primaries, Power, and the Voter Backlash

  6. May 28

    🌵❌🔥Rural Roots, Real Power: Rep. Gail Armstrong on Balance, Family, and Legacy

    🌵❌🔥In this episode, host Sisto Abeyta sits down with Representative Gail Armstrong, New Mexico House Minority Floor Leader and the show’s first Republican guest, for an honest conversation about rural leadership, political balance, and the kind of legacy that lasts beyond any election cycle. Rep. Armstrong shares what shaped her leadership style, including the influence of former Speaker Don Tripp, and why relationships still matter in a state where many communities are measured in miles, not blocks. This episode also gets personal in the best way. Rep. Armstrong talks about why family is not a side note to public service, it is the root of it. The reason she shows up. The standard she tries to live up to. And the future she is fighting for, for her children and grandchildren. This is a conversation about balance About rural leadership measured in miles About telling the truth and keeping your word And about family as the root, the reason, and the legacy Have a take? Send it in. Do you disagree with us? Great. Tell us why. That’s the whole point. 🌵❌🔥 👇 Watch, listen, and join the debate: YouTube:  https://youtu.be/w0zfdo_D8xg Apple Podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cactus-crossfire/id1859717200?i=1000770071911 Website:  https://www.cactuscrossfire.com TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@cactuscrossfire Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/cactuscrossfire/ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/cactuscrossfire  Sisto Abeyta on Instagram: @sistoaabeyta Sisto Abeyta on TikTok: @sisto.abeyta Reach us on socials or email  info@cactuscrossfire.com

    🌵❌🔥Rural Roots, Real Power: Rep. Gail Armstrong on Balance, Family, and Legacy

  7. May 21

    Eddie Solo: Integrity Over Party🌵❌🔥

    Eddie Ableser goes solo from 8688 Studios while Sisto Abeyta is working in the field in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Eddie responds to a question listeners have asked for years: Why is Eddie a Democrat? Eddie shares Eddie’s political background, including Eddie’s time as a registered Republican at Arizona State University and the moment Eddie switched parties after watching how Pat Tillman’s death was used in national politics. Eddie then breaks down what Eddie is seeing in municipal and primary elections across the country, including the impact of low turnout races and the rise of ideological extremes. Eddie also addresses antisemitism and Islamophobia, calls for higher standards across both parties, and argues that voters should prioritize integrity over party labels. Eddie closes with the Cactus Crossfire three question segment: Tell Me Something 🌶️ Spicy, 🌵 Prickly, and 🕐 Quickly. Have a take? Send it in. Do you disagree with Eddie? Great. Tell us why. That's the whole point. 🌵❌🔥 👇 Watch, listen, and join the debate: YouTube: https://youtu.be/1XDm8Why9TU Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cactus-crossfire/id1859717200?i=1000774317468 Website: https://www.cactuscrossfire.com TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cactuscrossfire Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cactuscrossfire/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cactuscrossfire Sisto Abeyta on Instagram: @sistoaabeyta Sisto Abeyta on TikTok: @sisto.abeyta Eddie on Instagram: @ezableser Eddie on TikTok: @eddie.ableser #CactusCrossfire #SouthwestPolitics #PoliticalPodcast #IntegrityOverParty #Elections

    Eddie Solo: Integrity Over Party🌵❌🔥

  8. May 10

    Interview with Deb Haaland: Be Fierce About Families, Safety, and Schools

    Deb Haaland on what New Mexicans are asking for right now On this episode of Cactus Crossfire, Sisto Abeyta sits down with former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, now a Democratic candidate for Governor of New Mexico. Eddie Ableser is out for this one, but the conversation stays sharp and personal, rooted in the kind of organizing stories that built New Mexico politics long before social media ever did. Haaland says the number one issue she hears across the state is affordability. In her words, New Mexicans need a raise. She connects the dots between wages, health care, and stability for families, arguing for stronger supports like the child tax credit and working families tax credit and a public option for health care that could also help small businesses cover employees. From green chile stew to running a federal department One of the most memorable parts of the conversation is how Haaland describes organizing in Indian Country and across New Mexico. She talks about registering voters at Pueblo feast days, visiting Navajo Nation chapters, and yes feeding people because in New Mexico food is community. The stories aren’t just nostalgia. They’re her argument that the work has to be grounded and that leadership means doing whatever the moment requires. Haaland also shares her background growing up in a military family, moving schools often, and learning how to stretch a dollar. She talks about raising her daughter as a single mom and starting a salsa business when child care wasn’t available. That experience becomes her case for universal child care as an economic driver and a real life difference maker for working parents. Safety, behavioral health, and rebuilding CYFD Public safety comes up fast and Haaland frames it as both enforcement and systems. She talks about giving law enforcement the tools and technology they need to address violent crime and illegal drugs, while also creating an Office of Community Safety that can route non crime calls to behavioral health professionals instead of police. On CYFD, she doesn’t tiptoe. Haaland says it needs to be rebuilt from scratch, staffed up, and stabilized with consistent leadership. She also emphasizes recruiting foster parents and restoring morale for state workers doing difficult work under intense pressure. Education that actually inspires kids Haaland’s education priorities are practical and specific. She wants kids reading sooner, reading coaches in classrooms, and more listening to teachers about which students need one on one attention. She also lays out an Every Child Outdoors vision that treats New Mexico’s landscapes as part of the classroom, plus a major push to bring trades back into schools starting in middle school and leading into paid apprenticeships after graduation. Immigration enforcement and transparency Sisto shares a personal story about being detained by ICE as a teenager, and Haaland responds with a clear stance. She argues New Mexico should require transparency from any law enforcement operating in the state, including visible identification and clarity about who they’re targeting and why. She says fear based enforcement in schools, hospitals, and courthouses is wrong and that New Mexico should push back. The closing message Haaland ends with a simple claim: a better New Mexico is possible. She points to her experience managing a large federal department and implementing laws she helped pass, and she says she’ll hold the federal government accountable to its obligations to New Mexico. If you have a take on what you heard, send it in. Disagree with us? Great. Tell us why.

    Interview with Deb Haaland: Be Fierce About Families, Safety, and Schools
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Spicy takes, prickly debates and sharp Southwest flavor—Cactus Crossfire dives into politics, culture, and the issues shaping our region and beyond. Whether you agree, disagree, or want to add your own perspective, we want to hear from you. Join the conversation & let's get prickly! Shoot us an email (info@cactuscrossfire.com), or visit www.cactuscrossfire.com to stay in the loop on future episodes. Catch more insights on our blog: https://www.cactuscrossfire.com/blog Sign up for exclusive updates: https://www.cactuscrossfire.com/contact-8 Follow us: YouTube: www.youtube.com/@CactusCrossfire TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cactuscrossfire Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cactuscrossfire/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cactuscrossfire Hosts: Sisto Abeyta, Tri-Strategies | NM Eddie Ableser, Tri-Strategies | UT, NV & AZ www.tri-strategies.com Producer: Mandi Nunez, Tri-Strategies | NM www.tri-strategies.com Auto Engineer & Editor: Gabe Narcisco Baca, eightySIX88 Studios | Albuquerque, NM www.8688.productions

Information

  • Creator
    Sisto Abeyta & Eddie Ableser
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    Cactus Crossfire