Local production scene on Delta College Public Media are made possible with support from viewers like you.

Thank you.

I'm Mike Redford, and this is the follow up coming up on tonight's show of The Follow Up, what our leaders in the two major political parties in Mid-Michigan doing in these last few weeks before the midterms.

What do they see as the biggest issues and how important, in their view, is campaigning on a grassroots level locally impact election outcomes?

You will hear from two of those political party leaders locally next.

But first, don't forget to help drive the conversation here on the show on our social media platforms.

And you can also engage with us on DeltaPublicMedia.org.

In addition to watching any of our past shows this past season.

Our guest tonight we have Brandell Adams.

He is the chairman of the Saginaw County Democratic Party.

He's with me in studio.

And joining us virtually is Amy Carl.

She is chairman of the Saginaw County Republican Party.

Good to have you both in.

Lots to talk about.

They they say that, the term is all politics is local, right?

Yes.

You two are both local and your respective parties.

And of course, that term has to do with at the end of the day, voters are more concerned about issues in their own backyards, I guess compared to those on a national and global scale.

So do you see that in this election cycle?

Some more local issues may be driving like data centers or, the affordability issue with high gas prices.

So having said that, do you see those kind of driving it?

There's many other issues.

Brandall.

First of all, thanks for having us both on.

Yes, absolutely I think there are several, local issues that are, animating this election cycle or get people excited, turning people out, as we're making phone calls, as we're knocking doors, as we're communicate with folks across the community.

One of the main, things that we're hearing is, concern around affordability, whether it's, you know, gas prices or the cost of living, grocery prices, folks mortgage costs going up.

People are very concerned about, the affordability issue, the cost of living issue and what issues locally and nationally may be feeding into that issue.

Yeah, we talk pocketbook issues at the end of the day, right, Amy, are you seeing that and your base as well is the affordability.

Gas prices is kind of the number one right now.

I would say so.

And that they want to they're afraid to they're going to lose their health insurance.

So they want to keep what they have.

I hear that every day.

So, I would say that it is, those top issues, the ones that Brandall said and and keeping their health care.

So do you see immigration, Ice enforcement which we've had some issues here in Mid-Michigan.

We also see an issue of more candidates with more of an extreme liberal socialist views like maybe EL-Sayed we're also hearing sort of with with President Trump sort of favorability ratings kind of on the wane or some people saying, I'm going to vote anti-Trump no matter what any of those resonating with any of you, Amy.

And you know for sure.

Yeah.

Oh, for sure.

You know, the the Donald Trump Derangement Syndrome is alive and well.

And so, we have to refocus and we have to keep looking for the future.

We, you know, he's term limited.

And so, you know, we have to keep looking forward and making progress that way.

I think Amy is right.

And and see, the thing is, is, you know, these things are like spot fires, you know.

they rile up, you know, when we first started the war in Iran, that was heavy on folks minds, maybe that start to retreat a little bit.

You know, a few weeks ago when there was, ice, enforcement happening right here in our local community that riled people up.

You saw folks on our respective sides of the aisle getting out, communicating what their views were on that, whether that was on social media or out on the street corner protesting.

Or just having conversations with their friends and family about it when that riled up, that was the key issue.

But it seems to to boil back to what Amy was saying is that affordability, it's health care.

It's, you know, whether I'm going to still get help with my food.

You know, that's really the undercurrent under all of our contemporary politics.

So, Amy, I have to ask you.

So President Trump has been stumping all across the country on a, barnstorming a little bit.

He's telling his base, hey, act like I'm on the ballot.

Yeah, and now I'm hearing even today that it looks like he may stump in Michigan for Rogers in the next week or two weeks.

Given his sort of, sort of declining numbers, do you see that as a good move?

Is he energizing the base?

What do you think?

I still get the calls.

When is Trump coming?

You know, when will he be in our area?

I still get the calls and still fires up the base.

Okay.

Still.

And Brandell I'm going to come to you because in the next two weeks, President Obama.

Yeah, he's going to come in and stump from Abdul El-Sayed down in the Detroit area.

What do you make of that?

And having said that, EL-Sayed has not been so complimentary of the president in the past.

I guess all is forgiven.

And that's politics.

So what do you make of him coming in?

I think it's a good thing when you have national figures like, you know, President Trump or like President Obama coming into Michigan, what it does is it highlights that Michigan is important to the national conversation.

And it's important for either of our parties to win Michigan, to be able to win power in DC, and so, it's good that we are getting that, that focus from these national, leaders.

I think it's, I think it's a beautiful thing, you know, with Obama coming into town, people are fired up.

There's already a wait list for his event.

And, I tell you what, whether we're going to be, you know, setting up tents outside the event and grilling dogs or what have you folks are going to get down to that event and see President Obama.

And the same thing with President Trump, right, Amy?

Wherever he comes, same thing.

You're going to see he's going to generate.

Line up the night before and camp out and.

Stand in the rain or snow or whatever.

So I have to go back down memory lane for you two, there is a connection, 2015 You've got something going on.

Right.

Amy, you want to talk about what happened in 2015?

Oh my yeah, we had Trump who was running for president.

He had just announced 2015.

And we so we had the event, Saginaw County Republicans had the, Birch Run Expo event, which was about 4000 attendees, and Brandall was outside on the opposite side.

You know, it's amazing you that that really is probably the formative event.

As far as my political engagement, you know, when when Amy and the Republican Party brought, President Trump, in 2015, you know, one of my former political mentors, Cheryl Hansel, she was the county commissioner.

She says, hey, the Democrats are rallying and, Birch Run, Trump's coming.

And, we're going to protest outside and, we're going to give him a hard time.

Come on out.

And, so I came out and became engaged and met everyone.

And I've been involved ever since.

Really, what it is, it's cool.

When you have those national leaders come in because it gets people involved that may never have ever gotten involved.

I was a very, very young person.

I've stuck around because of that.

And so it's a it's a really cool thing to me brand.

It all because of me Brandell.

Thanks Amy.

So when we look at the two parties, the two major parties, Democrat and Republican, fundamentally, when it comes to issues, what are the differences that you could possibly highlight?

Is it ideology?

Are the fundamental issues?

Yeah, I mean, I you know, I think the Republican Party, really likes to focus on, tradition and what they say are our family values or family values, as opposed to maybe how the Democratic Party looks at it, whereas the Democratic Party, and especially today is a very, progressive, maybe forward looking party, you can respect Republicans because what they're saying is they want to protect the way that we've that we've done things you know, the foundation of this country.

I have a respect for Democrats because they're saying, you know, you don't always do things the same way.

Is there a way that we can improve the system?

Is there a way that we can expand the franchise, this American experiment to more people?

And I think that's what the fundamental differences between our two parties.

Amy, how to how do you see?

Yeah, I would agree with that.

I mean, I can speak personally of how I was raised.

I came from a small town.

My dad had a farm, his dad had a farm, and we were raised very traditionally, you know God and country then family And, you know that has stuck with me.

And my dad said when I graduated from high school, you're going to go and get a job and you're going to you're going to pay all your bills on your own and all that kind of stuff.

You know what I mean?

So it it was, I found the traditional path.

Okay.

Speaking of sort of the parties, there's been a little bit of divisiveness I guess, and that's what we sort of hear nationally.

The Democratic side.

You have this trend toward candidates, as I said before, with maybe saw more extreme sort of socialist views, if you will, resonating with the voting public.

They've had some success there.

versus the more mainstream traditional Democrats.

On the Republican side, you have still have the Trump MAGA movement, versus those GOP supporters who are looking to maybe move away, from the MAGA movement and Trump's polls, numbers are reflecting that.

So what do you guys see as sort of the current state of the major political parties, both nationally filtering down to you and sort of what the future looks like?

I think first of all, I think, you know, what's important for for our leaders of both parties, Amy and myself and beyond is, you know, set ideology down for two seconds and study.

What is it that is animating people?

You know, the Trump the MAGA movement is excited a lot of Americans and turn them out and got them engaged in a way that maybe we haven't seen in a generation or longer.

Abdul El-Sayed, on my side of the aisle, you know, it's really exciting and animates animating our base.

You've got young people, from many different backgrounds, folks that do not look, look alike.

They don't come from, the same demographic.

They're they're coming, and they're getting involved in our party.

They're turning out.

They're knocking doors.

They're making phone calls.

They're figuring out how to move this democracy forward.

And so it's incumbent upon us to to figure out what is working.

Why are these messages, why are these leaders resonating with our people?

And we need to to get them engaged for for the long term.

You know, my side of the aisle, we are having a conversation.

It's, one would wish that it would be internal and familial.

It's, bubbled over and become public.

But we have, moderate Democrats that are used to doing things a certain way.

And you have the progressive wing that, they seem to be, on the march.

That's where the energy in the party is right now.

Like I said, young people are engaged now.

Like they haven't been, in a generation, maybe since, when Barack Obama first showed up on the stage.

We need to study that as a, as a party and figure out how we can capitalize on that and grow our party and move our party forward.

Amy, what do you think?

Are you seeing divisiveness?

A bit of a split within the Republican Party.

Are people talking about it in Saginaw County and elsewhere?

A little bit, you know, I think Brandall's right.

I think they're turning more to the left.

And I think that there is a little bit of a shift in our party as well.

Where you're not seeing so many MAGA as you did before.

So I don't know if that's really more to the middle or to the right.

There is a little bit of a shift too, as well.

You know, if I may, I will say, one of the key things I noticed about Trump's, initial MAGA movement and maybe about, the current Abdullah EL-Sayed movement is that these folks were not traditional politicians.

You know, these are not folks that that were rank and file Republican for Trump rank and file Democrat for Abdul.

You know, you know, they came from a wing of the party.

That may not always been the more vocal or the gravity of the party.

When you have, income inequality like it hasn't been maybe in 100 years.

We're facing some very unique, issues.

People are looking for solutions that maybe the the stablish wind of our respective parties has an offer.

They want to hear someone that is offering solutions.

Trump was saying something new.

He was saying something exciting.

Abdul is saying something new.

He's saying something exciting.

And what we have to do is figure out how to come together and provide policy that is going to move this country forward and uplift our people.

Yeah, I agree.

I think that's really important.

I think that it's that's very important what you're saying Brandall.

And I think that we can get there if we keep working together on a local level.

Yes, absolutely.

So you had said to me, you think that's, Brandall, drawing more young people into your party.

They're looking for change.

They're looking for younger and a jack of difference.

And Abdul EL-SDayed, whether you agree with them or not.

Is that what they're saying?

Somebody new and some fresh ideas?

Yes.

Absolutely.

I mean, whether it was, you know, Bernie Sanders in 16, or, Abdul now, for young people on my side of the aisle where the engagement, where the excitement is behind Abdul, he's saying things that maybe folks in my party have been, afraid to say for a long time.

You know we used to be a working class, party that represented working people.

We were always looking for solutions to help uplift Working people.

There have been accusations that we've moved away from that in the past generation or so, that we've become a corporate party.

We've been, an establishment party used to being in part, used to being in power.

And you kind of you drift away from the thing that motivated you originally.

After some time, Abdul is maybe getting us back to that working class focus, that affordability issue, making sure that people can afford to live and to work and play.

You know, so we're excited about that.

Of course, the other side, the Rogers folks, the John James folks, well, we'll say we'll point more to this extreme liberal socialist view.

And that term, socialism is thrown a lot.

I think people are well, they're not sure what that really means.

So Amy if you want to touch that on behalf of the Republican Party, I think that's the message.

They're out there saying, hey, we're not we're not ready for this.

This is maybe too extreme.

Yeah, I think like I said earlier, I think the worry is that they'll lose their health care.

I have two kids, grandkids and parochial school that they're they're afraid that they won't be able to attend those, that they'll close those, that they'll, you know, take over their property, different things like that, that they're truly concerned about.

Because we've seen it in other countries when you know, you hear that word socialist and you see it in other countries and you think it's coming here.

When the economy is, is not working for everybody, you know, when, when it seems like the wealthier keep getting wealthy, when rich folks and corporations are not being taxed, at a certain level and, you know, the average citizen is seeing their basic services cut.

They don't know how they're going to eat.

Like Amy said, they're concerned about, the direction of their health care.

Prices keep elevating, you know, just like the country was 100 years ago with, you know, inequality is the gap that, we're seeing right now.

You're going to see candidates take what people would presume to be more extreme positions, to try to address that issue.

You know, make America Great again, you know, harkening back to a generation in America where we were investing in roads and bridges and infrastructure, we are investing in people where we were paying for health care, where they were food programs, where education was paid for.

Well, the truth of the matter is, and we were able to afford those sorts of services for the people in this country, was at a time when we were taxing people and corporations at a higher rate.

And so I think at least from the left, that is how we're trying to answer that question.

How can we have a more equitable system that's taking care of everyone across the spectrum.

And the question a lot of ask is, okay, well, how do we pay for these health, some universal health care, universal day care, all of that.

And I think the concern is, okay, how do we how do we pay for that?

Yes, yes, you know, there are varying answers in my party on that.

Abdullah's not saying the same thing as Bernie Sanders.

Bernie Sanders is not saying the same thing is, you know, say, you know, Vice President Harris.

So there there are different policy prescriptions across the spectrum in what we need to do is get on the same page about how we solve that.

And I'm hopeful that after this election cycle, we will have a unified message and a unified vision on how to answer that, that key question.

Anything else on that?

Amy?

I think that that is a big concern with the, the members of our party as well as how that will be funded.

You know, I mean, we all hate our taxes and we don't want them to go out.

And so I think that's right.

That's the top.

That's the top ticket right there.

Let's talk a little bit, here in the last third of the show tonight about, what might happen in the next couple weeks and your particular camps.

What's led up to this?

You're seeing a lot more people come into your camps as volunteers.

What do you attribute that to?

And also, what do you have them doing in the next couple of weeks?

Yes.

I mean, I, I will give, President Trump credit.

You know, typically after our presidential election, our volunteer base for about six months, they they drift away a little bit, they recharge, you know, and as we get closer to the election cycle, they kind of filter back in to, you know, to the to our headquarters and get back involved in the work.

This past cycle, we saw a continued level of engagement, you know, whether it was folks coming into the headquarter seeking how to get involved, whether it was, you know, knocking doors about local issues or getting on the phones, got a lot of protesting around.

A lot of protesting folks have remained engaged as we get closer to these these final weeks, these last days of the election, the the message is to get out and vote.

We have the early vote center, in Saginaw County, 111 Cass Street, you know, so you can go and vote.

The 90s and early voting.

You can go to your local clerk's office and vote your ballot.

You can, vote, via mail, your absentee ballot and of course, show up to Election Day and vote like your life depends on it.

Bring your friends, bring your family, and communicate.

You know what your perspective is, who you want to see in office, and let us know, what kind of country you want to see.

That's right, that's right.

Brandell.

And and we haven't seen that the phones are ringing off the hook.

The office is very busy.

We have a huge event in Birch Run on on Saturday, so everybody come on out at 2:00.

You have to RSVP for that.

Brandon has a couple.

He has a couple events going on, too, but there's there's no shortage of ways to get involved.

So, a lot more people are voting earlier.

Yeah, because they can, I think it's nine days of early voting, absentee mail and you name it, same day registration.

Yes.

A lot more work for the clerks, but, they say bring it on.

Any sense?

I think it was 125,000 people to date already here in Michigan have have voted already.

And we're three weeks out.

Yes.

Does that tell you guys anything?

Do you have any kind of history and is it more Democratic voters or is it more Republican voters?

We have no idea.

I think I think voters on both sides of the aisle are getting out and voting earlier because there's a bit of convenience.

There's like, we're trying to meet voters where they're where they are, you know, for a couple cycles there, we were starting to see, those voter voter numbers trend, downward.

I mean, in the last presidential cycle, you had maybe a third of America folks that didn't vote for either of the major candidates or the major parties.

So we're we're leaving, folks.

Disenfranchized, and so, you know, whether it's early voting, whether it's voting absentee, we're extending that franchise to people where they are, you know, whether they, you know have busy lives because they're working all day or they're raising a family and they cannot, cannot get out and vote, you know, the day, voting, we're extending that franchise.

You know, we're giving them the opportunity to sit down with our ballot, research the candidates, research the issues, and feel like, informed and engaged citizens again.

And so, however folks are voting, we are excited about those numbers.

Yeah, that that's true.

Yes, we are too.

And I don't really have a sense of what that means.

If it's either one way or the other I don't really know.

And I'll address this really quickly.

And there's a lot still.

So these election deniers, people say the integrity of our elections are at stake, that the more early voting we have, the more mistakes we can make.

Would you both agree that it's it may be a small percentage of folks that we have problems.

By and large, it's probably a better system than it's ever been.

Yeah, I think we have a very robust, voting system.

I think that, we have clerks and AGs are, definitely here in Michigan across the country that are enforcing the laws around elections.

We have, very responsible citizens.

And so, the thing is, is when folks are breaking the rules, when they're trying to get around the established system, I think we're catching those folks or prosecuting those folks.

By and large, we have people who are following the law, and they just want to, to vote and voice and express their opinion.

And we're excited about that.

Yeah, and our clerk and our deputy clerk, they're top echelon.

I can't say enough about them how good they are.

Agreed.

And so we're very, very fortunate, right?

We're so fortunate to have them.

And I feel fully confident in their ability.

You know, in this discussion, we haven't talked a lot about statehouse seats and state senate seats.

Are there some, state House and state Senate races that maybe should get more attention in your areas that maybe aren't getting the attention and the value of that?

Yes.

We hear so much about the US Senate race and the governor race, but what about these other statewide races?

You know, it is, sad to see a lot of times the local races get drowned out a little bit because of the larger sexier races.

So the eyeballs are on the US Senate race or, we're having conversations already about the presidential, even though we're a couple of years out.

But, you know, we had a special Senate election earlier in the year.

That was the only election at the time.

It's all the eyeballs, not only here in the community, but across the state, maybe even the country.

Focus on that 35th district Senate race.

And so, you know, our respective candidates Chedrick Green made it across the finish line.

Jason Tunney is out there doing the work, communicating, with his voters.

And so we want folks to tune in to the 35th, Senate race.

We want folks to to pay attention to the state House race.

I think we have an amazing, state representative in Amos O'Neill, in Saginaw in the, surrounding townships.

But listen, you know, you have to pay attention to those local races.

They have an immediate impact on your life.

Sometimes a lot quicker impact than a national elections.

Amy, who would you like to pitch for on your side in Saginaw County?

Who's not getting the attention that may be should, right?

Well, definitely Jason Tunney.

And he worked so hard.

I think he draws a lot of attention to our party locally because he's always working.

He's always doing doors.

He's very visible in the community.

He's he's an exciting candidate.

And aside from that, I want to mention the school board races, too.

They're really heating up, and there's a lot of excitement around those races.

And rightly so.

I mean, you think this is this, you know, every day our kids are going to school.

We want to to ensure that they're being educated properly, that they're being fed, taken care of.

And so, you know, who shapes local education policy, how your kids are taking care of, the buildings that they are spending a lot of their days in.

I mean, it's decided by the school board races.

I'm glad you mentioned that, Amy.

So important.

It's really important to our community.

And that's where you can have impact.

You run for a local school board, you run for state statehouse, you run for Senate.

You might be able to have a lot more impact in a short period of time.

As opposed to.

Absolutely, you know, elected and go to the Beltway in Washington, which, a little bit of gridlock might take some time.

Nothing happens quickly in DC.

We all know that, to our ire.

But no, you're absolutely right.

The local races have a much quicker, impact on our daily lives.

Like Amy said, the school board races, the city of Saginaw is having a conversation about whether or not to raise that tax cap that's been on since the late 70s.

And, you know, maybe enhancing their ability to, to spend on roads, on police, and so, you know, you have to pay attention to what's going on locally because you're able to shape the community around you.

And about the minute we have left, you can tell, our viewers can tell you guys play pretty well in the sandbox.

Not a whole lot of vitriol between these two major parties.

But you do work together on some community service stuff.

Yes, here...So first of all, Amy and I have a great respect for each other because the thing is, is I can say that Amy does this because her heart's in it.

She loves people.

She's been volunteering politically, not politically, for years.

And so Amy and I and our respective party leadership and volunteers are able to get together.

And whether it's serve people at the Eastside Soup Kitchen or help with the fireworks program, we do what we can.

And the nonpartizan passion.

We want people to know that we work together where there's opportunity.

Amy.

About 15 seconds.

What, would you say to wrap it up?

Well, thank you Brandell, and yes, it's a pleasure to work with you.

And it's just fun.

It's it's actually fun, too.

Yeah.

Or is that, you know, here, here.

Amy Carl, we like our work.

Yes, we do the Saginaw County Republican Party.

Brandell Adams, chairman of the Saginaw Democratic Party.

Good work.

Good luck.

These next few weeks getting people out to the polls.

You got to vote.

Thank you.

And that's The Follow Up for this week.

But be sure to join us again next time.

We'll discuss election integrity with two people who work in the front lines of the voting process.

Thanks for tuning in this time.

We'll see you next time.