Independent Voter Podcast

Olas Media
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Tired of being told what to think by partisan gatekeepers? So are we.The Independent Voter Podcast brings you conversations that challenge the two-party echo chamber and reject the false binaries dominating today’s political narratives. We focus on two things: (1) Election reforms that increase real competition and voter choice, and (2) Policy issues that defy the black-and-white frameworks set by national party agendas. We’ve been called everything: liberals, undercover Republicans, progressives, socialists, libertarians—even anarchists. And depending on the article, they’re all true.We are open to any voice that follows our simple etiquette. If you believe political independence is a mindset, not a middle ground, you’re in the right place.This the Independent Voter Podcast..

  1. How Gavin Newsom’s Prop 50 is Reshaping California - For Better or For Worse

    12/19/2025

    How Gavin Newsom’s Prop 50 is Reshaping California - For Better or For Worse

    Prop 50 is redrawing California’s political battlefield, sparking new fears of gerrymandering, backroom mapmaking, and voters losing their voice. We cut through the spin to explain what’s really changing, who benefits, and what it could mean for competitive elections, election reform, and independent voters. Plus, Independent CA-40 candidate Nina Linh joins us to spell out how Prop 50’s map shifts are already reshaping her district - and her race. Listen to more episodes and join the conversation at IVN.us  Chapters: 00:00:00 – When Voters Decide and Politicians Push Back 00:01:13 – Missouri’s Gerrymandering Fight and Citizen Power 00:03:20 – The Games States Play to Block Reform 00:06:12 – Maine’s Ranked Choice Battle: A Warning Story 00:09:21 – Why Both Parties Fear Competition 00:11:16 – Inside the Largest Independent Voter Survey Ever 00:12:56 – Cannabis, Fox News, and the Regulation Irony 00:16:26 – Meet Nina Linh: From Democrat to Independent Candidate 00:21:43 – Affordability, Trust, and Why Voters Are Exhausted 00:27:48 – Gerrymandering, Voter ID, and What Comes Next   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    39 min
  2. Trump, Cannabis & the Progressive Left’s Freakout Over the Marijuana Issue

    12/11/2025

    Trump, Cannabis & the Progressive Left’s Freakout Over the Marijuana Issue

    Host Chad Peace and co-host Cara McCormick dive into the left’s political freak-out over Trump potentially rescheduling cannabis — and what it exposes about a system that weaponizes even 80/20 issues. With guest Adam Swart of Crowds on Demand, they go from weed reform to immigration to gerrymandering asking: Can independents help drag politics back to common sense solutions? Listen to more episodes and join the conversation at IVN.us and olasmedia.com Chapters:00:00:00 – This Week’s Viral IVN Stories00:01:20 – Trump and the Reclassification Shockwave00:03:07 – When Politics Becomes Credit-Claiming00:05:06 – Immigration, Extremes, and the Reality Most Americans Agree On00:08:11 – Why Our Election System Fuels Division00:10:15 – The Gerrymandering Bill Everyone Supported00:13:30 – Why Good Ideas Don’t Win in Today’s Politics00:15:39 – Trust, Representation, and What Voters Actually Want00:21:33 – Meet Adam Swart: Inside the Business of Paid Protests00:30:11 – Protest, Legitimacy, and Who Gets a Voice00:40:58 – Takeaways and What’s Coming Next See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    43 min
  3. The Games Politicians Play After Voters Pass Election Reforms

    12/04/2025

    The Games Politicians Play After Voters Pass Election Reforms

    Pro-democracy activists don’t just need to win reforms at the ballot box; they have to stay in the battle to keep their initiatives from being torn apart the morning after. On this week’s Independent Voter Podcast, Chad Peace and Cara McCormick lament the quiet persistence of partisan political sabotage: the delays, rewrites, and procedural tricks that greet any changes to the status quo, even when voters overwhelmingly approve. For anyone wondering why popular reforms like RCV and Open Primaries are so hard to pass and protect, this episode offers at least one answer: power never yields without sustained resistance, so reformers survive by comparing notes, learning from one another, and sticking together. Listen to more episodes and join the conversation at IVN.us and olasmedia.com Chapters: 00:00:00 – Kicking Off: What Journalists Keep Missing 00:00:32 – Snowstorms, San Diego Dreams & Reform Roots 00:03:40 – The Reform Playbook Only Insiders Know 00:06:13 – D.C.’s Top-Five Win… and the Political Bait-and-Switch 00:10:24 – Why Every Reform Fight Starts to Look the Same 00:11:06 – Inside D.C.’s Battle to Delay Ranked Choice Voting 00:14:23 – Power Players Will Always Use Every Tool They Can 00:17:14 – Exposing the Firms Profiting Off Disabled Veterans 00:22:11 – Who Actually Helps Veterans — and Who Pretends To 00:24:17 – Holidays, Kids, and a Warm Wrap to the Episod See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    27 min
  4. Betting on Democracy: Prediction Markets, Polls & the Independent Voter Uprising

    11/26/2025

    Betting on Democracy: Prediction Markets, Polls & the Independent Voter Uprising

    In this episode of the Independent Voter Podcast, Chad and Cara dive into the exploding world of political prediction markets with special guest Chris Gerlacher of Prediction News—unpacking how platforms like Kalshi and crypto-based markets are reshaping how insiders gauge races from California governor to New York City mayor. Chad and Cara also highlight Shawn Griffiths’ latest election reform roundup at ivn.us, covering new signature drives in Oregon, Nevada, and Oklahoma to end taxpayer-funded closed primaries and expand rights for independent voters, as well as the gritty reality of signature gathering and ballot access. Plus, Cara breaks down a Politico gerrymandering poll that ignores independent voters and shares how unlikely allies—from Democrats to MAGA Republicans—can find common ground on fixing the system, even in a hyper-polarized era. Listen to more episodes and join the conversation at IVN.us and olasmedia.com 00:00:00 - Welcome Back & IVP Updates 00:01:29 - Introducing Chris Gerlacher & Prediction Markets 00:03:34 - How Prediction Markets Outperform Polls 00:04:14 - California Governor Odds: Swalwell, Porter, Steyer 00:06:21 - How Political Trading Works 00:09:32 - Gambling Concerns, Safeguards & Forecasting Value 00:13:27 - When Candidates Bet on Themselves 00:19:19 - Independent Voter Growth & State Reform Movements 00:32:14 - Signature Gathering, Costs & Citizen Power 00:43:18 - Cross-Ideology Dialogue & Closing Reflections   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    48 min
  5. Ballrooms, Ballots, and a Three-Way Fight for New York

    10/29/2025

    Ballrooms, Ballots, and a Three-Way Fight for New York

    Is New York about to elect a “communist,” or just a democratic socialist with better ground game?  Cara McCormick and Chad Peace rip into a wild week in politics: the three-way brawl for NYC mayor, California’s ballot language that literally tells you it’ll cost “a few million dollars,” Maine’s voter ID wordplay, and the gerrymandering arms race both parties pretend they aren’t running.  Listen to more episodes and join the conversation at IVN.us and olasmedia.com Chapters:00:00:00 - Welcome to the Independent Voter Podcast00:01:25 - Country Before Party00:03:11 - The White House Ballroom Controversy00:03:52 - Ballot Language and Political Manipulation00:04:25 - Gerrymandering: A Nonpartisan Battle00:08:10 - Fear, Authoritarianism, and Hyperbole00:10:19 - What Democratic Socialism Really Means00:11:55 - Why Ranked Choice and Open Primaries Matter00:17:07 - Gerrymandering and the Fight for Fair Elections00:18:16 - From Breakdowns to Breakthroughs See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    21 min
  6. Missouri Voted for Legal Cannabis. Now Gas Station Weed Is Undermining the Whole System

    10/23/2025

    Missouri Voted for Legal Cannabis. Now Gas Station Weed Is Undermining the Whole System

    Missouri voters approved legal cannabis twice - first for medical use, then for recreational use in 2022. But as Dave Craig, VP of Marketing for legal cannabis brand From the Earth, explains to host Cara McCormick, an unregulated shadow market is undermining everything voters intended. While legal dispensaries test every product and have already paid $245 million in state taxes to benefit veterans and schools, gas stations and unlicensed dispensaries are selling untested, intoxicating hemp products, some found to be laced with dangerous chemicals. This episode unpacks the loopholes, the need to protect public health, and what happens when following voter-approved rules makes you uncompetitive in your own market. Listen to more episodes and join the conversation at IVN.us and olasmedia.com. Chapters: 00:00:00 - The Unfair Fight Begins 00:01:00 - How Missouri Became a Cannabis Success Story 00:04:10 - The Rise of Unregulated Gas Station Weed 00:06:00 - Farm Bill Loopholes and Dangerous Products 00:09:00 - What Legal Cannabis Testing Really Means 00:15:00 - An Unfair Playing Field for Legal Operators 00:20:00 - Federal Taxes and the Need for Rescheduling 00:23:00 - Lawmakers Struggle to Close the Loophole 00:30:00 - Can Missouri’s Legal Market Survive? 00:39:00 - Fairness, Safety, and What Comes Next   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    41 min

  7. 10/16/2025

    California Democrats and Texas Republicans Keep Copying Each Other

    Breakdown: The rules of American democracy continue to bend toward partisan agendas. In California, independent redistricting commissioner J. Ray Kennedy, a Democrat, says the politicians effectively “starved” its independent commission long before the midterm map fights began in Texas. Hosts Chad and Cara then discuss the Texas Republican Party’s lawsuit against the Lone Star State to try to end its century-old open primary system. While speaking about Attorney General Ken Paxton’s refusal to defend the state, they revisit Thurgood Marshall’s 1944 case that struck down Texas’s whites-only primaries. They also break down Fox News’ distorted reporting on cannabis, Trump’s hints from the White House that he may finally reschedule marijuana, and a debate that went viral on the Independent Voter Facebook page. Listen to more episodes and join the conversation at IVN.us and olasmedia.com. Chapters: 00:00:00 - A New Era of Independent Voter News 00:00:45 - The Redistricting Battle Royale 00:02:14 - J. Ray Kennedy Exposes California’s “Illusion” of Independence 00:06:10 - Gerrymandering Games Across the States 00:07:25 - Texas Republicans Move to Close Primaries 00:09:30 - Ken Paxton’s Legal Twist Against Open Elections 00:13:25 - Lessons from Thurgood Marshall and the White Primary Case 00:17:09 - The Fight for Independent Voter Rights Continues 00:25:14 - Fox News, Cannabis, and Media Propaganda 00:32:01 - Should Trump Win the Nobel Peace Prize? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    36 min
  8. Beyond the Viral Katie Porter Clip: What California’s Governor Race Says About Voter Choice

    10/09/2025

    Beyond the Viral Katie Porter Clip: What California’s Governor Race Says About Voter Choice

    Hosts Chad Peace and Cara McCormick use the viral Katie Porter clip as a case study in how election rules shape campaigns and coalitions in California. They unpack why the moment struck a nerve, then explain the incentives of the Top Two primary and what a Final Five model - with an open top-five primary and a ranked-choice general - could change, drawing lessons from Alaska. Along the way, they note recent shifts in the 2026 field and connect the conversation to a timely Supreme Court fight over counting properly postmarked mail ballots after Election Day - clear, voter-first context beyond the outrage cycle. Listen to more episodes and join the conversation at IVN.us and olasmedia.com. Chapters:00:00:00 – Welcome to the Independent Voter Podcast 00:01:37 – California Governor’s Race and Katie Porter Interview 00:05:18 – Expanding Top-Two to Top-Five Elections 00:09:26 – Party Division and Candidate Behavior 00:11:11 – National Guard, Governors, and Political Power Plays 00:12:33 – Origins of Ranked-Choice Voting Advocacy 00:18:17 – Supreme Court Cases and Independent Voter Rights 00:29:04 – California’s Prop 50 and the State of Democracy 00:33:26 – Closing Reflections and Call to Action   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    36 min
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About

Tired of being told what to think by partisan gatekeepers? So are we.The Independent Voter Podcast brings you conversations that challenge the two-party echo chamber and reject the false binaries dominating today’s political narratives. We focus on two things: (1) Election reforms that increase real competition and voter choice, and (2) Policy issues that defy the black-and-white frameworks set by national party agendas. We’ve been called everything: liberals, undercover Republicans, progressives, socialists, libertarians—even anarchists. And depending on the article, they’re all true.We are open to any voice that follows our simple etiquette. If you believe political independence is a mindset, not a middle ground, you’re in the right place.This the Independent Voter Podcast..

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