Politics Between Us

Politics Between Us
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Politics
  • Updated Monthly

Two Generations. One running conversation about politics, purpose and how to live a good life. A political dialogue across a thirty-year age gap. politicsbetweenus.substack.com

Episodes

  1. Oct 15

    What It Takes to Win an Election at 25

    Chloe Maxmin has spent her life challenging assumptions about rural America, progressive politics, and what it takes to win elections. At 25, she flipped a Republican-held seat in the Maine House, then went on to defeat the Republican leader in the State Senate. But after four years in office, she walked away from elected politics to return to organizing. Today, she is the co-founder of Dirtroad Organizing, helping candidates and communities across rural America build political power. This week, Luca is joined by a special guest co-host, Lucas St. Clair — public lands advocate, former congressional candidate, and Season 1 guest — for a conversation with Chloe about what rural America can teach us about politics, and what Democrats keep getting wrong. Chloe takes us inside her unlikely victories in conservative Maine, where she knocked on more than 20,000 doors and discovered that voters who disagreed with her politics often shared her deepest values. We talk about the pressure to fall in line with your party, the tension between moral clarity and political compromise, and why she ultimately decided she could make a bigger difference outside the State House. Background Reading Dirtroad Organizing Politics Between Us Politics Between Us is created by Alison Beyea and Luca DeAngelis. This episode is hosted by Luca DeAngelis and special guest co-host Lucas St. Clair. Produced by Carlos Cuellar. Research by Jeff Sanders. This Substack is a personal project. Alison and Luca are both employees of Colby College, but the views and opinions expressed here are entirely our own and do not represent those of Colby College or any other institutions with which we are affiliated. This publication is not produced, sponsored, or endorsed by the College. Keywords: Chloe Maxmin, Lucas St. Clair, Dirtroad Organizing, Maine politics, rural America, rural voters, Democratic Party, rural Democrats, grassroots organizing, positive politics, political polarization,, 2026 midterms, youth activism, political burnout, campaign strategy, state legislatures, rural political power, political organizing Get full access to Politics Between Us at politicsbetweenus.substack.com/subscribe

    What It Takes to Win an Election at 25

  2. Sep 9

    Rage Against the Party Machine

    We’re kicking things off with Tyler Austin Harper, staff writer at The Atlantic and one of the sharpest, most wide-ranging observers of culture and politics today. Tyler interviewed Graham Platner multiple times and watched his campaign up close from the beginning. So, we start where Season 1 left off: debriefing the implosion of Platner’s campaign and thinking about what the national postmortem has gotten wrong. From there we have a wide-ranging conversation. Is anger a legitimate organizing force in politics, or does it just wear people out? Why do so many well-off, college-educated professionals find themselves drawn to socialism, and is that hypocrisy or insight? And who, if anyone, is positioned to lead the Democratic Party out of the wilderness by 2028? Along the way: a friendly disagreement about whether anger helps or hurts, a shared conviction that Maine voters are a lot smarter than the national media gives them credit for, and a hot take on the Obamas that Alison is still recovering from. Background Reading Politics Between Us Why Do Rich Kids Love Socialism? (Tyler Austin Harper) How ‘Big Tent’ Are Democrats Willing to Go? (Tyler Austin Harper) All Men Are Created Complicated: Graham Platner on Running as Himself (Season 1 finale) Politics Between Us is created by Alison Beyea and Luca DeAngelis. Produced by Carlos Cuellar. Research by Jeff Sanders. This Substack is a personal project. Alison and Luca are both employees of Colby College, but the views and opinions expressed here are entirely our own and do not represent those of Colby College or any other institutions with which we are affiliated. This publication is not produced, sponsored, or endorsed by the College. Keywords: Tyler Austin Harper, Graham Platner, Troy Jackson, Susan Collins, Maine Senate race, 2026 midterms, Janet Mills, Zohran Mamdani, Democratic Socialists of America, professional managerial class, anger in politics, Gen Z voters, Joe Biden, Michelle Obama, Maine politics, populism Get full access to Politics Between Us at politicsbetweenus.substack.com/subscribe

  3. May 28

    Graham Platner on Running as Himself

    Welcome to the final episode of the first season of Politics Between Us. Today, we’re joined by one of the most talked-about political candidates in the country: Graham Platner, who is running for U.S. Senate in our home state of Maine. We get into the contradictions people keep trying to pin on him — and why he thinks those questions say more about the limits of our political imagination than they do about him. We also dig into what “political revolution” actually means to him, why his anger comes from love, and what it has felt like to discover that simply being a genuine person in politics is somehow shocking to the people who cover it. Finally, we have an honest conversation about gender: Betsy Sweet ran for U.S. Senate in Maine on nearly identical politics and got called a witch, while Platner became a national phenomenon. And we even talk about Governor Janet Mills — but you’ll have to listen to hear that yourself. Subscribe for free and join the Politics Between Us conversation: Background Reading Politics Between Us Substack Maybe the Witch Was Right: Betsy Sweet on Love & Politics in the Maine Senate Race I’ve Got Your Back Politics (Luca DeAngelis) Graham Platner’s Bet on Horizontal Power Time Magazine Cover Politics Between Us is created by Alison Beyea and Luca DeAngelis. Produced by Steven Jackson. Research by Jeff Sanders. This Substack is a personal project. Alison and Luca are both employees of Colby College, but the views and opinions expressed here are entirely our own and do not represent those of Colby College or any other institutions with which we are affiliated. This publication is not produced, sponsored, or endorsed by the College. Keywords: Graham Platner, Susan Collins, Maine Senate race, 2026 Senate primary, Janet Mills, Marine Corps, populism, political revolution, gender and elections, authenticity in politics, community organizing, labor movement, civil rights, women’s suffrage, Maine politics, campaign finance reform, Betsy Sweet, Bernie Sanders. Get full access to Politics Between Us at politicsbetweenus.substack.com/subscribe

    Graham Platner on Running as Himself

  4. May 20

    Maybe the Witch Was Right: Betsy Sweet on Love & Politics in the Maine Senate Race

    Welcome back to Politics Between Us and Episode 5 of Mud Season. This week, we’re joined by Betsy Sweet, an important Maine political activist and human rights advocate, two-time candidate for statewide office, and friend of presidential candidate Marianne Williamson. When Betsy ran for the U.S. Senate in 2020 on a platform of healthcare for all, campaign finance reform, and heart-centered politics, Chuck Schumer’s operation went around Washington calling her a witch. A reporter actually called her to ask if it was true. Her response: “If I am, I’m a very bad one — I would’ve taken care of this a long time ago.” Now Graham Platner is running on almost the exact same platform — and he’s on MSNBC. And no one is calling him a witch. That tension is at the heart of this conversation. We get into what it means to be a woman in politics, and what the electorate might be ready for now that it wasn’t ready for in 2020. We cover what the media keeps missing about Platner’s campaign and why Betsy is one of his loudest champions. Plus: we explore why a message of love and empathy might be exactly what this moment calls for, even if it takes a while for people to take you seriously. Stick around for AGEBAIT, where Luca brings Alison a clip of James Talarico — the Democratic Senate candidate in Texas making waves talking about religion, meaning, and community. Is a turn toward faith what the left needs to make sense of these incoherent times? Background Reading Politics Between Us Substack “I’ve Got Your Back” Politics (Luca DeAngelis) All You Need Is Love (Alison Beyea) Witches at the Polls (Marianne Williamson) James Talarico on Religion Politics Between Us is created by Alison Beyea and Luca DeAngelis. Produced by Steven Jackson. Research by Jeff Sanders. This Substack is a personal project. Alison and Luca are both employees of Colby College, but the views and opinions expressed here are entirely our own and do not represent those of Colby College or any other institutions with which we are affiliated. This publication is not produced, sponsored, or endorsed by the College. Keywords: Betsy Sweet, Graham Platner, Susan Collins, Maine Senate race, heart-centered politics, women in politics, gender and elections, civil rights, Marianne Williamson, James Talarico, religion and politics, populism, Maine politics, community organizing. Get full access to Politics Between Us at politicsbetweenus.substack.com/subscribe

    Maybe the Witch Was Right: Betsy Sweet on Love & Politics in the Maine Senate Race

  5. May 8

    Why Faiz Shakir Thinks Graham Platner Can Win in Maine — 'Mud Season' Episode 4

    Welcome back to Politics Between Us and Episode 4 of Mud Season. This week, we’re joined by Faiz Shakir — longtime political strategist, Founder of More Perfect Union, former ACLU National Political Director, and Campaign Manager for Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign. Faiz has spent more than two decades thinking about what American politics gets wrong — and what it might still be capable of getting right. His starting point was the Iraq War, but his deeper frustration is with the gap between ordinary people and the politicians that claim to represent them. In this episode, we talk to Faiz about class consciousness, why the Democratic Party can feel like a closed club, and what it would mean to actually open the doors. That takes us from Bernie Sanders to Zohran Mamdani, and then of course, to Graham Platner and the U.S. Senate race in Maine. With Janet Mills out of the primary, the Maine Senate race has changed fast. Faiz makes the case for why Platner can beat Susan Collins — not by running to the middle, but by running directly against money in politics, private equity, corporate power, and the feeling that Washington has stopped listening to working people. Plus: Is this really a generational fight? Faiz isn’t so sure. He argues the real divide is between politicians who have been captured by corporate interest and politicians who are still listening and connected to regular people. Stick around for Agebait, where Luca usually brings Alison a piece of internet culture to test her knowledge. This week, we switch things up: Alison brings something to the table — the idea that younger men increasingly want to date older women. Background Reading Why I Am Running For DNC Chair Janet Mills drops out of race for US Senate Why Young Men Want to Be With Older Women Politics Between Us is created by Alison Beyea and Luca DeAngelis. Produced by Steven Jackson. Research by Jeff Sanders. This Substack is a personal project. Alison and Luca are both employees of Colby College, but the views and opinions expressed here are entirely our own and do not represent those of Colby College or any other institutions with which we are affiliated. This publication is not produced, sponsored, or endorsed by the College. Keywords: Faiz Shakir, Bernie Sanders, More Perfect Union, ACLU, Graham Platner, Susan Collins, Maine Senate race, Zohran Mamdani, money in politics, Democratic Party, working-class politics, economic justice, populism. Get full access to Politics Between Us at politicsbetweenus.substack.com/subscribe

    Why Faiz Shakir Thinks Graham Platner Can Win in Maine — 'Mud Season' Episode 4

  6. Apr 13

    “That Sounds Like An Endorsement” — 'Mud Season' Episode 3

    Welcome back to Politics Between Us and Episode 3 of Mud Season. This week, we’re sitting down with Lucas St. Clair — conservationist, foundation leader, and former congressional candidate. Lucas’ story is unlike anyone else in Maine politics. He grew up off the grid in rural Piscataquis County, watched his mom build Burt’s Bees on a wood stove in a one-room schoolhouse, and spent years winning over deeply hostile communities to turn 87,000 acres of northern Maine into a national monument. Then he ran for Congress. We get into all of it: what it actually felt like to walk into communities that despised him, how he turned opponents into allies one kitchen table at a time, and what he thinks about politicians going negative. We also dig into the question Alison and Luca keep coming back to: who gets to define your identity? Lucas has a lot to say about the attacks on Graham Platner’s biography because he lived a version of the same story. And after dancing around it, he comes pretty close to an endorsement….but you should hear that for yourself. Plus, is Lucas considering running for office again? Maybe. Or maybe there’s more power in staying outside. Then stick around for Agebait, where Luca introduces Alison to looksmaxxing, mogging, and a whole online universe of scary extreme ideas. Join the Politics Between Us Community: Background Reading Katahdin Woods and Waters ‘Looksmaxxing’ Reveals the Depth of the Crisis Facing Young Men Musings on the political and Graham Platner: Reflections on a conversation, Part 1 Clavicular Looksmaxxing Interview Politics Between Us is created by Alison Beyea and Luca DeAngelis and produced by Steven Jackson. This Substack is a personal project. Alison and Luca are both employees of Colby College, but the views and opinions expressed here are entirely our own and do not represent those of Colby College or any other institutions with which we are affiliated. This publication is not produced, sponsored, or endorsed by the College. Keywords: Lucas St. Clair, Katahdin Woods and Waters, Maine Senate primary, Graham Platner, Janet Mills, rural Maine, identity politics, class and authenticity, looksmaxxing, Gen Z, negative campaigning, happy warrior, 2026 Senate race. Get full access to Politics Between Us at politicsbetweenus.substack.com/subscribe

    “That Sounds Like An Endorsement” — 'Mud Season' Episode 3

  7. Mar 25

    Mills vs. Platner, Who’s the Real Rural Candidate? — ‘Mud Season’ Episode 2

    Welcome back to Politics Between Us and Episode 2 of Mud Season. This week, we’re continuing our deep dive into Maine’s 2026 U.S. Senate primary—but stepping back to ask a deeper question: what matters to rural voters? To help us think about this question, we’re joined by Professor Nicholas Jacobs, a leading scholar of rural politics. His work challenges one of the most dominant narratives in American politics: that rural voters are driven by irrational “rage.” Instead, he offers a more complicated argument about politics rooted in place, identity, and experience. We talk about why Democrats keep misreading rural communities, how resentment differs from rage, and why the most “authentic” rural candidate in recent memory might actually be Donald Trump. And we spend time on Maine specifically: why this state is “wonderfully weird,” why national media keeps missing the point, and why being a harbormaster might matter more than other points on a résumé. Along the way, we also get into the tension shaping this race, and American politics more broadly. Experience vs. disruption, governing vs. standing up, and whether voters today care more about who you are or whether you actually have their back. Then stick around for Agebait, our recurring segment where Luca pulls something from internet culture and tests how much Alison actually understands about the world people under 35 are living in. This week: betting, billionaires, and the odds on the Maine’s 2026 U.S. Senate Democratic primary. Join the Politics Between Us Community: Background Reading Trump’s rural voters know what they’re doing Sneering only widens the divide What Liberals Get Wrong About ‘White Rural Rage’ — Almost Everything “I’ve Got Your Back” Politics Maine Democratic Senate Primary Winner — Polymarket Politics Between Us is created by Alison Beyea and Luca DeAngelis and produced by Steven Jackson. This Substack is a personal project. Alison and Luca are both employees of Colby College, but the views and opinions expressed here are entirely our own and do not represent those of Colby College or any other institutions with which we are affiliated. This publication is not produced, sponsored, or endorsed by the College. Keywords: Maine politics, rural voters, Nicholas Jacobs, Janet Mills, Graham Platner, authenticity, resentment vs rage, 2026 Senate, political identity, rural America. Get full access to Politics Between Us at politicsbetweenus.substack.com/subscribe

    Mills vs. Platner, Who’s the Real Rural Candidate? — ‘Mud Season’ Episode 2

  8. Mar 3

    The Senate Race Everyone Is Watching — 'Mud Season' Pilot

    Welcome to the very first episode of Politics Between Us — and the launch of our limited series, Mud Season. We’re kicking things off with a conversation that gets right into the heart of Maine’s 2026 U.S. Democratic Senate primary: the race between sitting Governor Janet Mills and political newcomer Graham Platner. To help us make sense of it all, we brought in David Farmer, one of Maine’s most seasoned political strategists, with nearly 25 years of experience in the state. We get into the complicated gender dynamics at play in this race, why transgender rights have become such a defining issue in Maine politics, and what Democrats nationally keep getting wrong about political messaging. David also makes an unexpected case for Janet Mills — even while admitting he might be protecting the status quo. Then stick around for the debut of ‘Agebait’ — our segment where Luca pulls something from internet culture and tests how much Alison actually understands about the world people under 35 are living in. This week: AI-generated videos, Erika Kirk, and Alison having a lot of feelings about spectacle. This Substack is a personal project. We are both employees of Colby College, but the views and opinions expressed here are entirely our own and do not represent those of Colby College or any other institutions with which we are affiliated. This publication is not produced, sponsored, or endorsed by the College. Keywords: Maine politics, 2026 Senate, Janet Mills, Graham Platner, Democratic primary, political strategy, AI. Get full access to Politics Between Us at politicsbetweenus.substack.com/subscribe

    The Senate Race Everyone Is Watching — 'Mud Season' Pilot
  • 8 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Two Generations. One running conversation about politics, purpose and how to live a good life. A political dialogue across a thirty-year age gap. politicsbetweenus.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Politics Between Us
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    8
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Politics Between Us
  • Show Website
    Politics Between Us

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