The Foolish Optimist with Amy McDonald

The Foolish Optimist: Effie Philips Staley, New York's 17th Congressional District

Effie Philips Staley on NY-17: People-Powered Progress, Healthcare, and Ending U.S.-Funded Human Rights Abuses   https://effieforcongress.com/ [https://effieforcongress.com/]    Host Amy McDonald interviews Effie Phillips Staley, a Tarrytown trustee and nonprofit executive running for Congress in New York’s 17th District, about why she’s challenging Mike Lawler and Democratic establishment politics she says prioritize donors over working families. Staley outlines a progressive platform including Medicare for All, major homebuilding, abolishing ICE, and “block the bombs” legislation, and emphasizes refusing corporate PAC and AIPAC money. They discuss affordability, housing, healthcare, and mistrust of government, arguing tax dollars are diverted to foreign wars and harmful systems while Americans lack basic care; Staley cites U.S. funding of Israel’s actions in Gaza and describes witnessing “apartheid conditions” during a February trip to the occupied West Bank. The conversation also covers private detention abuses, accountability, voter power, and Staley’s June 23 Democratic primary, with a call to donate and volunteer at effieforcongress.com.     00:20 Welcome and Guest Intro 02:01 Why Effie Is Running 05:26 Working Class Roots 07:41 Affordability and Trust 11:41 Investing in People 14:15 War Spending vs Needs 16:28 Healthcare System Failures 21:54 District 17 Priorities 23:50 Gaza and Party Silence 25:01 West Bank Witness Trip 27:05 US Leverage and Sanctions 28:17 Witnessing Gaza Trauma 29:28 West Bank Village Susya 30:57 US Money And Justice 32:21 Domestic Violence By Neglect 33:15 ICE And Private Prisons 35:29 Survivor Story Accountability 36:48 Hope Midterms Reform 39:00 People Powered Campaign 42:25 Moderation Myth In NY17 44:12 AIPAC Dark Money Pressure 46:29 Donate Volunteer Primary Date 48:15 Rapid Fire Get To Know 51:09 Why NY17 Matters 53:20 Final Wrap And Thanks

The Foolish Optimist: Hanieh Jodat, political strategist

Hanieh Jodat on Anti-War Politics, Sanctions, and Building Progressive Power   Host Amy McDonald interviews political strategist Hanieh Jodat about her path from an Iranian immigrant household and nonprofit work with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to organizing after Trump’s election, including leadership with Women’s March Los Angeles and serving as a 2020 Bernie Sanders delegate. Jodat explains delegates’ platform-writing role and describes building the Muslim Delegates and Allies coalition to push progressive policy language on healthcare, education, and foreign policy. She discusses working with left candidates Hartzell Grey (MO-4) and Rose Penelope Ye (CA-02), emphasizing coalition building, mutual aid, and an anti-war through line that redirects resources from Pentagon spending to domestic needs. The conversation critiques sanctions as “silent” violence that harms civilians, arguing Iran sanctions weakened civic society and empowered the regime, and links U.S. foreign policy, Gaza, and Democratic Party leadership and accountability, ending with advice for immigrants and women of color to enter politics now.   00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 02:26 Finding a Path to Politics 03:48 Trump Era Awakening and Women’s March 05:58 Becoming a Bernie Delegate 06:45 What Delegates Actually Do 08:04 Why Foreign Policy Hits Home 10:25 Working With Left Candidates 14:51 Red Lines and Values in Strategy 17:47 Paying for Progress at Home 23:12 Pentagon Spending and Endless Wars 24:08 Sanctions as Silent Violence 27:18 Iran War Talk and Regional Fallout 32:33 Gaza, Imperialism, and a New Wave 35:11 Impeachment Push 35:53 JD Vance Scenario 36:38 Nuclear Fears 37:59 Inside Party Fights 41:02 Kamala Strategy Critique 42:51 Racism Sexism Palestine 45:22 Billionaire Brain Freeze 48:31 Epstein Watergate Parallels 50:23 Donors Aging Leadership 52:39 Soft Republicans Debate 54:58 Rapid Fire Wrap Up 59:27 Run For Office Now 01:01:06 Final Thanks Credits

The Foolish Optimist: Alani for Montana, US Senate

Montana Month: Alani Bankhead on Accountability, Housing, Healthcare, and Taking the Fight to Washington   Follow along with Alani's campaign at AlaniforMT.com   Host Amy McDonald interviews Alani Bankhead, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and supervisory special agent running for U.S. Senate in Montana, about why she entered politics in 2026 after seeing “Montana and the country burning” and believing democracy is at stake. Bankhead describes her counterintelligence and child exploitation work—operations on six continents and hundreds of arrests—arguing that government obstruction and lack of accountability are major problems, and calling for stronger oversight, town halls, and ending dark money. On the campaign trail, she says Montanans’ top concerns are housing and healthcare, driven by income inequality, rising costs, and out-of-state wealth reshaping land and communities. She emphasizes bipartisan, service-oriented “Montana values,” grassroots power, and rejecting culture-war distractions in favor of protecting vulnerable people and rebuilding trust.   00:00 Welcome to Montana Month 01:35 Why She Is Running 03:27 Hope Plus Action 06:25 Special Agent Background 07:48 Accountability in Congress 10:44 Dark Money Reality Check 13:45 Housing Crisis Stories 18:19 Leadership and Responsibility 22:33 What Montanans Want Most 23:50 Montana Purple State Power 30:41 Grassroots Against Abuse 34:05 Culture Wars vs Real Needs 35:41 Mission Focus Leadership 36:47 Accountability and History 40:36 Montana Values to DC 42:55 Breaking Senate Gridlock 45:08 Influence for Good 48:55 Child Exploitation Reality 54:24 Grassroots Campaign Push 55:46 Rapid Fire and Montana Love 59:56 Preserving Old Montana

The Foolish Optimist: Voices of Resistance, Los Angeles

Follow @CatieLaffoon and @AlexandriaAugustine_ to keep up with what is happening on the ground in Los Angeles    Get involved with Rae Huang's campaign at RaeForLA.com    Boots on the Ground in LA: May Day Crackdowns, ICE Collaboration, and the LA Mayoral Race Host Amy McDonald interviews Los Angeles activists Catie Lafoon and Alexandria Augustine about recent protests and the escalating police response in LA. They describe May Day actions that began peacefully in support of unions and mutual aid before LAPD formed skirmish lines, blocked access near City Hall and the Metropolitan Detention Center, declared an unlawful assembly, dispersed crowds, and assaulted, kettled, and detained members of the press, which they say is minimized or misrepresented by mainstream coverage. Alexandria recounts separate arrests by LAPD and DHS and discusses how police react to speech and public accountability. The guests argue LA is a “beta test” for a broader police-state model, citing surveillance and alleged LAPD–ICE collaboration. They connect domestic repression to Palestine and policing tactics. They criticize performative politics and discuss the LA mayoral race, urging support for Rae Huang in the June 2 jungle primary.   00:27 Meet the LA Activists 01:47 May Day Protest Recap 02:58 Skirmish Lines Explained 05:34 Press Targeted and Kettled 07:04 Rights, Permits, and Compliance 08:07 Arrests on the Front Lines 13:14 Voices as a Threat 15:59 LA as Police State Beta Test 21:08 Radical Solutions on Housing 23:50 Haunted LA and Palestine Link 28:04 IDF Training and Coming Snapback 28:51 Surveillance And Public Apathy 29:52 Voting Rights And Slow-Motion Rollback 30:37 Constitutional Convention Alarm Bells 31:39 Neuralink Money And Conspiracy Becoming Real 33:31 White Women Patriarchy And Solidarity 35:08 ICE Detention And Child Trafficking Claims 37:02 Masculinity Homophobia And Calling It Out 38:28 Hillary Kamala And The Establishment Machine 43:00 LA Mayoral Race Who’s Running 46:51 Policing Budgets Debt And Olympics Incentives 51:17 Vote Rae Huang Primary Dates And Wrap-Up

The Foolish Optimist: Sylvia Wright for South Carolina

Sylvia Wright on Expanding Pre-K, Reforming Testing, and Rebuilding Trust in South Carolina Schools   Follow along with Sylvia Wright's campaign at https://www.wright2026sc.com/ [https://www.wright2026sc.com/]  Donate to the pod at https://venmo.com/u/amymaccc [https://venmo.com/u/amymaccc]    On the Foolish Optimist podcast, host Amy McDonald interviews Sylvia Wright, a Charleston-born educator and candidate for South Carolina State Superintendent of Education in 2026, about why she’s running and her plan to improve a system ranked 43rd and in the bottom 10 for 20 years. Wright says a leadership and respect problem is pushing teachers out, argues for universal pre-K for all 4-year-olds, and describes shifting away from traditional standardized testing toward Florida’s progress-monitoring model to better identify strengths, weaknesses, and interventions. She also advocates revamping K–12 to increase career exposure and pathways, listening to teachers, parents, and students through town halls, and addressing rural neglect by rebuilding trust. The conversation touches on vouchers, public education narratives, campaign challenges related to race and funding, and where to donate or volunteer. 00:00 Welcome to Foolish Optimist 00:42 Meet Sylvia Wright 01:53 Why She’s Running 03:32 Universal Pre-K Vision 07:20 Beyond Test Scores 08:25 Florida Model Inspiration 09:38 Career Exposure Pathways 11:09 Relationships and Waste 13:30 Reading for Life 15:44 Microschools and Innovation 17:54 Progress Monitoring Testing 18:48 SC Rankings and Change 20:48 Service Over Power 23:20 From State to National Impact 23:56 Campaign Hurdles and Bias 26:33 Degrees vs Classroom Experience 26:56 Leadership and Teacher Retention 27:34 Reframing Public Education 29:08 Vouchers and Funding Drain 31:39 Listen to Teachers Locally 33:15 Winning Rural Trust 34:44 Donate Volunteer and Vote 37:03 Rapid Fire Favorites 39:30 Why South Carolina Matters 41:03 Final Thanks and Call to Action