February 13, 2024
Episode 3 of “Break Fake Rules” Digs Into Democracy, Trumpism, and Philanthropy’s Role in Supporting Pro-Democracy Coalitions
Welcome back for a new episode of “Break Fake Rules,” a new limited series hosted by our CEO Glen Galaich that explores rules that are better off broken and what becomes possible when we do things differently. Once you begin to look for them, you soon find fake rules exist everywhere—in philanthropy, government, media, and more—but perhaps nowhere more rampantly than politics. This month, we’re turning our focus to democracy to discuss how we move forward against powerful political forces driving us apart.
We are nine agonizing months out from a seemingly inevitable rematch between President Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Ahead of the election that will have profound impacts on the communities and causes we care about, Glen met with Sarah Longwell, a leading Republican strategist and longtime Trump opponent. As a rare rule-breaker in the Republican party, Sarah’s work focuses on defending American democracy from the authoritarian threat she sees Trump posing. In her work as publisher of The Bulwark and host of “The Focus Group” podcast, Sarah has conducted hundreds of focus groups, and she leads campaigns aimed at reaching voters and building broad pro-democracy coalitions. Tune into their conversation below.
Meet Sarah Longwell
Sarah Longwell is a Republican political strategist whose work focuses on defending American democracy from the authoritarian threat that Donald Trump poses. She has conducted hundreds of focus groups and leads campaigns aimed at reaching voters with messages anchored around bedrock American values.
As the head of the Republican Accountability Project and Republican Accountability PAC, Sarah supports Republicans who stand up for democracy and works to hold election deniers accountable. She founded Defending Democracy Together in 2018 with Bill Kristol to defend America’s democratic norms and is publisher of The Bulwark and host of the podcast “The Focus Group.”
Episode 3: “Bridging the Divide” with Sarah Longwell
Listen to the full episode wherever you get your podcasts.
In Sarah’s discussion with Glen, she questions several fake rules plaguing not only the Republican party but American democracy as a whole. “How do we defend democracy in the face of an acute threat? How do we educate voters? How do we bring swing voters into the pro-democracy coalition? And most importantly, how do you build a big broad pro-democracy coalition that spans from Liz Warren to Liz Cheney?”
Whether you’re a funder, an organizer, or a concerned citizen, this is an episode you won’t want to miss. Tune in to hear Sarah’s ideas for how philanthropy can support efforts to build coalitions to restore trust in American democracy so we can create transformational policies that will last.
“It’s not just a problem for Republicans, right? It’s an American problem, so it’s got to be one of these things we all work to solve together.”
Sarah Longwell
What’s Next
Let’s make this election year one where we reject divisive partisanship, work together to bridge the divide, and move our country forward.
Which fake rules are you questioning, and how can we break them together? Share your thoughts with us on YouTube, subscribe to Glen’s Substack for more insights, and join the conversation with Glen on LinkedIn.
Stay tuned for when new episodes drop monthly by following “Break Fake Rules” on your favorite podcast platform and subscribing to Stupski Foundation’s YouTube channel to watch abbreviated versions of each episode.
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