Start Me Up with Kimberley A. Johnson – Details, episodes & analysis

Greg Olear is back! He's the author of Rough Beast, PREVAIL columnist & podcaster, and co-host of The Five 8 on YouTube.

Topics: We discussed our concerns about the current political climate, including the potential threat to Social Security and Medicare, and the importance of a shift in the political landscape. We also discussed the potential impact of a general strike on February 28th and the need for continued efforts to raise awareness and possibly impact politicians. The conversation also touched on the importance of self-care, the power of individual resistance, and the potential for change in the political landscape.

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Writer/Director Jay Arnold is back! He directed and wrote the original screenplay for the 2023 award-winning romantic drama “Shoulder Dance.” Jay’s first Documentary “Sergio Dondoli’s Happy Life” releases in Spring 2025.

Topics: First, we talked about his upcoming documentary and then chatted a bit about self-care. Then we got into politics: Musk hacking into major government websites, how systemic racism affects all of us, fighting back against fascism and we end with what we have to be hopeful about.

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D. Earl Stephens is the author of "Toxic Tales: A Caustic Collection of Donald J. Trump's Very Important Letters."  He's the former managing editor of Stars & Stripes, a Navy vet, and a prolific writer.

Topics: With a little over a week away from Election Day, Earl and I weigh in on what we think the results will be and we specifically talk about Texas, Florida, and Wisconsin; will Gen Z show up this year; Trump and MAGA Republicans are embracing Hitler's ideology; Trump is clearly in mental decline; legacy media is a disaster, but the early vote numbers are encouraging.

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Writer/Director Jay Arnold is back on Valentine's Day! Topics: GOP has been wanting to phase out Social Security for decades; Democrats are following Biden's lead on the SS debate; Dems are finding their stride; there are a number of young Democrats who will stand the test of time; Spoutible is getting easier and easier to use and Jay and I describe our experience on the site. All that and more!

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Ben Cohen of The Banter Substack is back! Topics: The impact of MAGA behavior over the next two years; Biden is incredibly impressive; GenZ will save democracy; new social media sites are popping up and we discuss the possible impact of moral, fair social media CEOs and more!

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Simon Rosenberg was the lead strategist for the DCCC when Democrats flipped the House in 2018. He is the founder of New Democrat Network (NDN.org) and the New Policy Institute, a liberal think tank, and advocacy group based in Washington DC. Topics: Simon encourages all of us to be information warriors--that we shouldn't wait for anyone else to counter the right's extremist BS. He describes us as a family and when we organize and focus *primarily* on what Democrats have accomplished, not only for America but for the world, we are stronger than they are. So much good in this episode.

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Cliff is back! Topics: George Santos' (name unconfirmed) connection to a Russian oligarch leads us to believe he is bought and paid for by those who want to kill democracy and fascist GOP does nothing; Republican leaders are literally wishing Donald would drop dead because they're too cowardly to do anything change the party; Nikki Haley is running in 2024 lol, and Trump might run third party if he doesn't get the GOP 2024 nom!

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Steph is back! Topics: The brutal killing of Tyre Nichols is a tragic reminder we have to overhaul the system; gun culture; some personal stuff and Spoutible is almost here!

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Cheri Jacobus is back and after we talk about our love for Sex And The City, we launch into a conversation about politics: Garland; rule of law; the extreme right members of Congress; McCarthy is weak but dangerous; new Twitter alternative is coming (Spoutible), and much more!

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Rachel Vindman is an American-based writer and the co-host of the "Suburban WOmen Problem" podcast She's married to Alexander Vindman, retired U.S. Army, Lieutenant Colonel, and she's an all-around cool person. Topics: George Santos (if that's his real name) stole money from a veteran who was crowdfunding money to care for his sick dog (the dog died), pictures are surfacing of George (name unconfirmed) dressed up as a drag queen Brazil; Fascist GOPers are hellbent on doing as much damage as they can to blame Biden; what will happen to the debt ceiling; many voters are not always up-to-speed on what the debt-ceiling is and that's okay; what it means if Donald is not legally held accountable and what voters can do to secure democracy again in 2024.

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