Andy Beshear Podcast – Episode 20: Harry Sisson

Date: August 21, 2025
Host: Andy Beshear
Featured Guest: Harry Sisson (Political Commentator, Influencer)
Notable Segments: The Johns (John Rabinowitz & John McConnell), "In My Kentucky Accent", Throwback: Gen Z lingo ("skippity")

Overview:

This milestone 20th episode centers on the power and perspective of young adults in American politics. Andy welcomes Harry Sisson—one of the nation's most influential Gen Z political creators—for an honest, wide-ranging conversation about activism, messaging, and the unique pressures facing younger generations. The episode also features the regular check-in with "the Johns" on recent current events (particularly the Trump-Putin Alaska summit), personal stories about launching kids to college, and the ever-popular Kentucky-flavored wisdom and throwback Gen Z lingo lesson.

Main Interview: Andy Beshear & Harry Sisson

(00:08–30:06)

Harry’s Origin Story and Motivation

• Getting Started Online:

  • At 17, Harry was working in local politics before the COVID shutdowns cut short his internships. Feeling the urge to contribute, he noticed other young people posting political content and decided, “I feel like I could do this, too… to really get involved and hopefully spread factual information in a time when misinformation was really on the rise.” (B, 02:29)
  • Began with a daily video; following grew quickly—now at 2 million TikTok followers.

• Harry’s 'Why':

  • Personal values rooted in caring for people, not just political views; humanist focus.
  • “I really care about people. I really want to make this country better. And my care and concern for people doesn't stop at political views.” (B, 03:25)
  • Experience as a U.S.-born student in Ireland observing U.S. politics during the 2016 election inspired a call to action based on seeing painful statistics: “Everybody around you in your community, no matter where you are, they're going through something and they could use some help from somebody.” (B, 04:51)

Connecting with Young and Diverse Audiences

• Authenticity as Strategy:
  • “My mission and my goal…is just be as authentic as I can be, be as honest as I can be. Don't just say something because it's in line with my party… I hope, at least I'd like to believe, that authenticity is something that has stretched through the screen and brought people into following me.” (B, 06:32)

Key Political Messaging for Reaching Young White Men

• The Challenge:
  • “That's the question of the day. There’s no one easy answer…” (B, 07:14)
• Building Coalition:
  • Democrats, Harry says, must address economic and social anxieties as well as ensure messaging about women's issues (like reproductive rights) also speaks to men: “A lot of young men… feel that when Democrats talk about reproductive rights, we're only focused on women. I say to them… this issue affects you… address these issues from two different perspectives.” (B, 07:18)
  • Importance of honest, inclusive storytelling—inviting everyone to tell their story and recognizing shared trauma.
• Social Media/Digital Edge:
  • Democrats need to “advance that message” by investing in content creators and matching Republicans' outreach efforts, who "have gained a significant advantage… since, I'd say, around 2018, 2020.” (B, 08:43)

Storytelling and Broad Appeal

• Grasping the Power of Personal Narrative:

  • Andy highlights a campaign story featuring a couple affected by Kentucky's abortion law: “Each of them talked about how excited they were… but now the trauma… at least that ad, that story, recognized that both people are going through that trauma.” (A, 09:03)

• Winning in Red States:

  • Harry notes, “Getting elected in Kentucky as a Democrat is hard. And the lessons that you've discussed here… I just hope that Democrats are listening to on a national level.” (B, 10:52)

Building a Big Tent and Economic Focus

• American, Not Partisan, Issues:
  • “We've got to be the party of jobs, of health care, of infrastructure, of public safety and public education… those programs help everyone.” (A, 11:34)
  • Harry riffs on James Carville’s classic line: “It’s the economy, stupid… If we just take the it’s the economy stupid argument going into 2026 and 2028, especially with Trump's tariffs… I think we’ll be very successful.” (B, 12:21)

Behind-the-Scenes: The Reality of Content Creation

• The Grind:
  • “Every day, myself and my peers, we wake up, we are constantly glued to the news… It’s a constant thing… it's like staying consistent even when it's not great.” (B, 14:03)
  • Discusses the emotional toll of online negativity: “Especially on a platform like Twitter, which is very right wing, very MAGA… Negativity. That's a nicer word than I was going to use.” (B, 14:37)
• Digital Infrastructure Disparity:
  • GOP creators get real organizational support (editors, studios, contracts). “We don’t have anything like that on the left… we're playing catch up.” (B, 15:04)

Notable Quote

“There's not a moment where I'm not thinking about this.”
— Harry Sisson (B, 14:03)

Policy & Current Events: Trump-Putin Alaska Summit

(16:17–23:03 and 30:14–40:25, including Johns segment)

• Media Optics & U.S. Image:

  • Andy: “The look of those two leaders walking together… was a bad look for the United States.” (A, 16:47)
  • Harry: “It was a really embarrassing day… welcoming Putin, who has been indicted for war criminals… Trump welcomed him with glee.” (B, 17:00)
  • Describes images of U.S. soldiers laying out a red carpet, Trump 'clapping like a trained seal,' and an overall celebratory tone.

• Diplomacy & Policy:

  • U.S. now seemingly taking the Russian position in negotiations—“Trump is saying no sanctions, no relief, no ceasefire. … He just continues to align himself with the Russians, which is making Reagan roll in his grave right now.” (B, 18:34–19:32)
  • The Johns echo the sentiment: “Our president is going to be delivering Russia's demands, and obviously we can't negotiate for them, so it's just going to be repeating what they want to the other side.” (D, 33:28)

Key Issues for Young Voters in the Midterms

(21:28–24:06)

• The Economy Remains Central:

  • Harry: “The economy… if Democrats run with a message of, look what Trump has done so far… he promised he’d eliminate inflation… the reality: inflation continues… These tariffs are destroying American industry…” (B, 21:47)
  • Housing challenge: Trump "has provided no comprehensive policy yet on how we get young folks into a home." (B, 22:32)

• Need for Positive Opposition:

  • Beshear: “We've got to be more than just against someone. We've got to be for something.” (A, 23:03)
  • The American dream is “just incredibly difficult” for young people to attain now due to wages, education, housing, etc. (B, 24:06)
  • Juxtaposes political class's affluence versus rural suffering: “It's just gross to me to watch these folks in Congress… have these lavish parties… while… the people that elected them… are suffering.” (B, 24:06)

Lightning Round: Getting to Know Harry

(27:04–29:53)

• Favorite Food: Italian, especially pasta (B, 27:22)
• Dream Vacation: The beach, “turn off my phone for a little bit and hopefully swim in the ocean.” (B, 27:50)
• Hair Regrets: A “worse looking mohawk” from his Ireland days (B, 28:29)
• To Online Haters: “There's actually a human… You should maybe think, would I say this in person?” (B, 29:18)
• Beshear’s Perspective: “Mine is I'm not reading your comments, so go right ahead.” (A, 29:14)

The Johns: College Send-offs, Current Events, and TikTok Dads

(30:14–40:25)

On the Trump-Putin Summit

• Visual Optics:
  • John R.: “They both come down from their respective planes… a red carpet… jets flying overhead. It was quite a bit of pomp and circumstance.” (C, 31:12)
  • John's and Andy’s take: the U.S. looked deferential and got little concrete in negotiations.

Policing & Public Safety in D.C.

• Discussion on the challenges of sending National Guard troops from other states to D.C., tradeoffs between security and civil liberties, and the optics of a “military presence in the nation’s capital” (A, 37:23).

Family Moment: Dropping Daughters at College

• John R.: “I had the surreal experience…of dropping my oldest daughter off to college yesterday.” (C, 38:07)
• Viral TikToks ensue, dads follow daughters to campus: “My parents moved four hours with me… She didn’t get away.” (D, 39:41)
• Andy: “You set up the dorm room and you do a TikTok with your kiddo.” (A, 38:45)

Sports Update

• Previous guest Tyler Shuck started in a football game and performed well.

In My Kentucky Accent: Listening to Young Adults

(40:25–43:33)

• Theme: Generational challenges are greater than ever, and policymakers must truly listen.
  • “If we haven’t been through what they’re going through, we don’t know what it feels like.” (A, 41:31)
  • Social media amplifies pressures and negativity for young people.
  • “If we want to do this right, let's make sure everyone can speak their mind, everyone can be a part. And when we do that, we don't move to the right or left, we just move forward for everyone.” (A, 42:19)

Throwback Thursday: Gen Z Lingo – "Skippity"

(43:33–46:54)

• Andy’s son Will teaches the meaning of “skippity” (“good, not great”) vs. “fire” (“really good”).
  • Will: “Skippity, basically, is another word for saying something is good.” (E, 43:40)
• Andy and friends hilariously fumble using it in sentences.
• Bonus: Quick emoji etiquette lesson—thumbs up emoji may be “passive aggressive” (E, 46:37).

Key Quotes & Highlights

“There's not a moment where I'm not thinking about this.”
— Harry Sisson on the demands of being a political creator (14:03)

“We don’t have to speak to one group at a time...those aren’t left or right issues, those are just American issues.”
— Harry Sisson (12:21)

“If we want to do this right, let's make sure everyone can speak their mind...we just move Forward for everyone.”
— Andy Beshear (42:19)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |---------------------------------------------|-------------------| | Introduction & episode overview | 00:08–02:11 | | Harry's origin story & motivation | 02:11–06:32 | | Reaching young men, Democratic messaging | 07:03–09:48 | | Campaign narratives, Kentucky context | 09:48–11:34 | | Issues that unite Americans | 11:34–13:11 | | What goes into content creation | 14:03–15:54 | | Social media, digital disparities | 15:04–16:17 | | Trump-Putin Alaska summit analysis | 16:17–19:32 | | Redistricting and state politics | 19:32–21:28 | | Key young voter issues for 2026 midterms | 21:28–24:06 | | Rural America, hospital closings | 24:06–25:48 | | Lightning round: food, vacation, haters | 27:04–29:53 | | The Johns: college send-offs, TikTok dads | 38:07–39:45 | | "In My Kentucky Accent" - inclusion | 40:25–43:33 | | Throwback Gen Z lingo: “skippity” | 43:33–46:54 |

Episode Tone and Style

Friendly, honest, conversational, and deeply human—focused on bridge-building, empathy, and listening across generations. Andy and Harry balance serious policy critique with personal storytelling and good-natured ribbing, especially in lighter segments like the Gen Z slang lesson.

Final Thoughts

Who should listen: Anyone curious about how young adults view politics, the nuts and bolts of digital activism, and how to foster real conversations beyond partisan divides. The show excels at weaving in real life, humor, and a humility that makes complex political issues relatable and hopeful.

“You’re important, we care about you, and we can’t wait for you to tune in for the next episode.”
— Andy Beshear (47:18)