← Andy Beshear Podcast
Andy Beshear Podcast
Episode 4: From Sen. Chris Coons to Federal Firings—Plus, Andy Answers THAT Question
00:41:36
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- [00:08]
Andy Beshear
Welcome to episode four of the Andy Beshear Podcast. It's been another crazy week where the news seems to hit you over and over and over. People are rightfully stressed out about the economy, with businesses pausing major projects or even laying people off. They're worried about the stock market impacting their retirement. They're worried about the rule of law and whether it's going to be followed. And that's why we started this podcast, to take on these heavy issues, but in a way that hopefully not only gives you more information, but leaves you feeling a little lighter, a little more refreshed, and ready to take on the week ahead. We've got a great episode for you. US Senator Chris Coons talks about getting into politics, local politics. He talks about his faith and how it drives him. We then have a conversation with John and John about the economy, the first hundred days of this presidency, and we even get to congratulate John Rabinowitz on a great NFL draft. We then talk about my Kentucky accent and what's fired me up this week. And finally, we debut the Ask Andy segment. But Brittany is joining us, so you're going to get it straight from her. And we're going to answer some questions that you all have submitted. Very excited about this in every episode. Let's get to it. Our guest this week on the Andy Beshear Podcast is Senator Chris Coons from the great state of Delaware. Senator, welcome to the podcast.
- [01:50]
Chris Coons
Thank you, Governor. And yes, it is the great state of Delaware, not a commonwealth like Kentucky.
- [01:56]
Andy Beshear
So I want to start by talking about your background, because you have the most fascinating education that I think anybody could have ever put together. So in college, you majored in both political science, which is kind of expected. I did, too, but also chemistry. And then you went on to get not just a law degree from some university called Yale, but also a master's in divinity. Tell me how all that comes together.
- [02:31]
Chris Coons
Well, thank you. Thank you, Andy. Thanks for a chance to be on with you. Look, I'm from Delaware, and I grew up in a state where dupont was a big deal and. And lots of folks I knew, their parents were chemists or chemical engineers. My high school chemistry teacher was incredible. She had a PhD in chemical engineering and nine patents. And so I had the blessing of a lot of adults around me who were really excited about chemistry and great chemistry teachers. And when I went off to college, I found that those two disciplines helped feed the two different sides of my mind. I love debating diplomatic history or principles of political science. But then going across the quad at my little college and doing an organic chemistry lab where there is an answer. If you put in the right reagents and inputs and run the experiment right, you get a very definite answer and you either get it right or you get it wrong as you work through a chemical equation. And I liked the predictability and specificity of physical science and it was a good balance with political science. I spent three years after college doing a lot of other stuff. I was active in the anti apartheid movement on my college campus. I spent a semester at the University of Nairobi in Kenya as a junior. I had been a Young Republican my freshman, sophomore, junior years and my time in Kenya experiencing radical hospitality and living with a number of families across Kenya who were really grounded in their faith and were really remarkable and challenged a lot of my views about the world. So after college I went to Washington and I did a lot of research for a think tank and I wrote a book about South Africa. Then I went to South Africa. I worked for Bishop Tutu and the South African Council of Churches. When I got back, I got involved in the National Coalition for the Homeless. Traveled around the country advocating for affordable housing and for solutions for homelessness. Then I worked on a U.S. senate campaign and in 1988, and then I went to law school. So I'd done some hands on work around our country and around the world between college and graduate school. I had felt a calling to ministry since childhood. And I was fascinated with the balance between law and ethics, between the Constitution and Scripture, and in particular interested in sort of how the, the founders, the framers of our nation had seen those not as two completely separate and divided subjects, but as subjects that reinforce each other.
- [05:27]
Andy Beshear
So when you got into politics, you got in at the local level. And local politics is hard, it's mean, it's tough. I mean, everybody knows where you live.
- [05:37]
Chris Coons
The smaller the yard, the meaner the dog.
- [05:39]
Andy Beshear
And so I'm wondering, how do your experiences there either prepare you for the U.S. senate or, or how different are they?
- [05:49]
Chris Coons
Well, so in between the nonprofit work I did and going into local government, I spent eight years for a global manufacturing company that's headquartered here in Delaware. And I gradually got more involved, more engaged in the Democratic Party here in Delaware and was recruited to run for county council president partly because there was a real ethics meltdown going on in county government. And my master's in div school really focused on ethics. And I had worked as an ethics officer, ethics trainer for the company I worked for on County Council when I was county council president. I wrote a new ethics code and was involved in a number of public integrity and ethics issues. I represented half a million people. And our county here, New Castle county, is mostly unincorporated. So the county government provides police, fire, paramedics, land use, sewer zoning, housing, libraries for about 400,000 people. And it was a very challenging environment, a great learning opportunity. My wife and I had infant twins who were born in 99. I was elected in 2000 and our youngest child was born in 2001. So as a brand new county council president with one staff person representing roughly half a million people with three kids. Three kids. I had three kids under two years old. And I had two full time jobs because I was still in house lawyer for that manufacturing company. It was crazy. I barely remember the first four years I was elected. But to your point, representing local government in the community where I grew up was both wonderful because I had a chance to really have an impact on the people I'd grown up with and to have an impact on housing and libraries and paramedic and police response time and disaster preparedness and all that stuff. But you know people and they know, they know you and they know how to get you and they know your mom and they know your brother in law and they, you know, they know you. And that's what's great about local government, and that's what's hard about local government.
- [08:03]
Andy Beshear
I also, Brittany and I also had our two kids within a year and three days as we were trying to build out at least my professional career. And I'd also say I know what it's like when people try to lobby your parents about your decisions. So you got to follow Joe Biden in this Senate seat and that had to be pretty special. But also, I have to think that you thought a lot about getting into it because Joe Biden was seemingly the US Senator from Delaware since the founding of the country.
- [08:43]
Chris Coons
At least since Kentucky.
- [08:44]
Andy Beshear
Became a Commonwealth, 1792.
- [08:49]
Chris Coons
Joe had been senator from Delaware for 36 years and was an institution. Everybody has Joe Biden stories here. I mean, Delaware is just a million people and I routinely still run into people who volunteered on his first campaign in 72. In fact, the person who was my secretary when I was county executive in 2010 had been Joe Biden's secretary his very first year as a practicing lawyer.
- [09:20]
Andy Beshear
So. So I remember President Biden came in after our 2022 floods and showed such kindness to the people of Kentucky who'd been through so much. We were waiting to have this event in one of our elementary schools. And he was telling stories to some of the teachers backstage. And I'll never forget, he told the story of how he was convinced to run for U.S. senator. All of these statesmen and women had brought him in and told him about all the history and then asked him to run. And then he turned to me and he said, what got you to run for governor? And I said, Mr. President, my pollster said, I was Kentucky's Luke Skywalker. I was our last and only hope. Did you have one of those stories, I guess, that got you in at the very beginning, that recruiting?
- [10:12]
Chris Coons
Well, I'll tell you, one of the things Joe Biden said to me when I told him I was going to run for County Council president was he said, you know, everybody who comes to meet with me talking about running for office, they all know what they're running for. He said, I want to hear what you're willing to lose your office over, what you're willing to lose an election over, what are your core principles? What are the things that you're not willing to compromise on? And we had a long conversation about the importance of family, of faith, of respecting constituents of all backgrounds, of not getting too far either way in terms of being partisan, and of remembering and respecting the people of Delaware. When his son, Attorney General Beau Biden, decided not to run late in the 2010 cycle, and then Vice President Biden called me and said, I'd really like you to run for my seat. I said to him, it's an uphill climb, and you know that. And he said, yes. And I'm convinced you're the only one who can win. And you can win because I've seen you speak, I've seen you preach, I've watched how you've conducted yourself as county executive. And I think people have come to see you as a person of integrity and who can lead and make tough decisions and who isn't too partisan.
- [11:35]
Andy Beshear
I think you said something so important in that answer, and that's some things are worth losing over. And the moment that you don't have that principle that's worth losing over, you've either lost yourself or you've lost what the job is supposed to be about.
- [11:53]
Chris Coons
One of the things I've admired about you, Governor, and your record in Kentucky, you're elected in a deep red state. I know both your senators and your congressional delegation is significantly to the right of you. Yet my impression is you all have worked well together to deliver resources to help address flooding and tornadoes, to help rebuild bridges, and to help invest in combating addiction and overcoming the opioid crisis. That's the kind of leadership that I look to for folks who I want to be friends with and want to learn from. Because at the end of the day, our country is so divided that most people who I meet traveling around our country say, why can't we work together more than we are right now in Washington? We are very divided. And part of what compelled me to want to do more was the early experiences I had in county government where we, we got past the politics and we solved local problems.
- [12:55]
Andy Beshear
We are always reminded of our humanity and that it's not Democrat or Republican. In the midst of very trying times after natural disasters, facing the deaths of so many of our family and friends due to the opioid epidemic, you're right. Those are the areas where we've been able to push out the noise and the politics and to get things done. But I know you're dealing with a lot of noise and a lot of politics right now in Washington with what seems like a full scale attack on some really important programs that help the people of Kentucky and every other state. I'm thinking about the possible cuts to AmeriCorps, the elimination of it, when there are AmeriCorps volunteers throughout Eastern Kentucky and the rest of Kentucky doing such special work.
- [13:50]
Chris Coons
One of the things I'm really frankly upset about is that in recent weeks there seems to be a move to try and get into and shut down the AmeriCorps program nationally. Everybody who was involved in direct response to natural disasters in the AmeriCorps NCCC program has just been laid off. They've just been relieved of their opportunities to serve. And part of why I've always loved AmeriCorps is it gives tens of thousands of young people every year a chance to find themselves in service to others, to earn money for college, to build their skills. But more than anything, to help communities address issues, whether it's helping veterans or building affordable housing or addressing the opioid crisis or responding to natural disasters. To cut that off, this bipartisan program that's enjoyed support for decades, I think is cruel and frankly, wasteful and. And it destroys part of what brings us together and helps make us special as Americans. That centuries old commitment to volunteerism and to service in our communities, and it's.
- [14:55]
Andy Beshear
Hard to know where it comes from because AmeriCorps touches all of those core needs of our families that they don't view as partisan. The education of their children, safety in their communities, responding and recovering from those natural disasters, health care in Some rural areas where you might not otherwise get it. This is going to have serious impacts on people of all parties, but especially in rural areas of America, and regardless of how they voted, it's going to hurt.
- [15:36]
Chris Coons
And that's. Look, part of what I'm struggling with about what's going on in D.C. right now is the number of programs from Meals on Wheels to Head Start, from Food stamps or what's now called snap to AmeriCorps, that help people, that help connect communities, that help address basic human needs. And I'm just seeing program after program after program cut to the core. I'm doing an event tomorrow at the Wilmington Public Library to protest the cutting off of funding for libraries. Cutting that off just strikes me as.
- [16:14]
Andy Beshear
I know that it hurts you as a senator who has sworn to uphold the Constitution, but also as a person of faith. And so many of the teachings in our Bible seem to be impacted and impacted negatively by these actions. You think about the fishes and the loaves and cutting SNAP benefits. You think about the parable, the Good Samaritan picking up that person who's different from you and not kicking them while you're down. So how do you bring your faith to this job? How does it help you make decisions? And maybe how does it keep you going when things are tough?
- [16:53]
Chris Coons
Well, thank you for the question, because it's harder. It's been harder this year than it's ever been for me. Actually, looking out my window right now, I can see my church, first and Central Presbyterian here in. In Wilmington. And I. I try. There's. Nope, it's over here. I've got something on the wall behind me. It's Micah 6, 8, which is one of my favorite, most concise passages from the Old Testament. And it. It is a reminder that we are called to. To do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God. I try to start with humility, to say that everyone I'm interacting with is a child of God. And they may have different understandings or interpretations than I do of what we're called to do. But if you do justice and love kindness, you're on the right track. Look, the Bible, the Gospel in particular, is not a political pamphlet. It doesn't say exactly what we ought to do. It doesn't say we need more tax cuts or we need more health care. But there are 2,000 specific references to the poor. And I think if you. If you look at when Jesus speaks for the very first time, he stands up in his home synagogue and he recites a scripture passage from Isaiah 60:1. This happens in Luke 4, and where he says, the spirit of the Lord is upon me. He has anointed me to teach good news to the poor. If you read that passage at the very beginning of Jesus's public ministry, I think it's hard to reach the conclusion that he doesn't want us to principally focus on the outcast, the widow, the orphan, those in prison, those who are poor, that that is something we are called to do. And look, I represent a million people. Not all of them are people of faith. Not all of them are Christians. Folks from many different backgrounds are part of my state. And I try to be mindful of the gap between what I believe and the scripture that I read and what may be the common interests of the million people I represent. But, Andy, every faith has the golden rule. Do unto others as it would have them do unto you. And the things we've been talking about, addressing the opioid crisis, helping people with affordable housing, responding to natural disasters, and doing it in a way that puts volunteerism and community service first. That strikes me as being right in line with what the Gospels call us to do.
- [19:31]
Andy Beshear
Amen. We like to typically end with something a little bit fun. I read that you founded the Senate Chicken Caucus. Is that accurate? I did. You got to tell me, what is the Senate Chicken? Chicken Caucus? Are we talking hot chicken?
- [19:50]
Chris Coons
So one of my best friends in the Senate was Johnny Isaacson of Georgia. Just a great. A great man, a great and generous and fun man. We did a lot of traveling and working together in his home state of Georgia, is one of the biggest chicken producers in the country. And Sussex County, Delaware, is one of the biggest counties in chicken production in the country. And one of Johnny's favorite sayings was, life is about friends and future friends. And you don't have to agree with each other on everything. You just have to agree with each other on one thing. And so as we were getting to know each other, we realized that we had chicken in common, that both Delaware and Georgia really cared about growing our chicken exports. And so we went to a number of foreign countries together. South Africa, I remember, in particular, where we were trying to promote American chicken exports, and we were trying to grow the markets for the fabulous, healthy, tasty protein that we were both growing in in Georgia and in Delaware in our chicken farms. Southern Delaware is dominated by chicken agriculture. It really is the center of agriculture in Delaware. And, you know, we have events every year where we always serve chicken, and it's a. It's a great Opportunity for me to work across the aisle with senators from other states, from Arkansas and Mississippi and North Carolina and Georgia as Johnny was, and focus on what we have in common in the interests of our rural areas and our agricultural sector. So that's the history of the Chicken Caucus. And yes, it is a little funny, but we had a great time doing chicken wing contests and talking about how we could help promote chicken agriculture in the United States and around the world.
- [21:40]
Andy Beshear
Well, thank you to Senator Chris Coons, a man driven by his faith, fighting for what he believes is right in D.C. one of the founders of the Chicken Caucus, but maybe just as interesting, someone who was recruited into politics because of his ethics. Thanks for joining us. Now is the part of the podcast where we talk about the issues of the past week and of the coming week with my friends John Rabinowitz and John McConnell. We have to start this week with the economy because people are reeling. Families are worried about how to pay the bills. Large businesses are stopping certain investments and small businesses have even started laying off. For the first time in a long time, we've seen the stock market and the bond market both hit at the same time and the value of the dollar even struggling. This is a really concerning situation that I think Kentuckians and Americans are all feeling.
- [22:46]
John Rabinowitz
Yeah. And I'll tell you, Andy, and it hits me personally, my mother in law who's in her 70s, just sold her house, has no idea where to put those funds. She doesn't know, do we put it in the stock market? Is that too risky? Is it safe to put it in the bond market in risk of recession? It's really unclear where she's going to go and what others are going to do.
- [23:10]
Andy Beshear
And so as seniors are trying to make these decisions about how to have enough dollars, then also think about folks on a fixed income that are trying to take the same amount of money as things are costing more and more and more. It's a challenge for everyone. And John, that's even before the people we see that are, that are losing their jobs.
- [23:32]
John McConnell
Right. And I know a lot of the conversations I had over the weekends are a lot of friends who are seeing, they're really worried that there is the chance out there depending on what happens with the tariffs, you know, are they still going to have the materials that they're selling? What is that going to look like on the retail side? I mean, if retail sales start to slump, that could leave some shelves empty in some places. So how do you deal with that with your dollar being worth less?
- [24:01]
Andy Beshear
And I Think there's at least three factors that are causing this. Number one is this tariff policy that is so misguided and just wreaking havoc across the economy to just about every business and family. And then there's the uncertainty, the chaos, the on again, off again, on again, off again tariffs and how they switch from across the board to reciprocal, to industry wide, to maybe against this country or that country. And then there are attacks on institutions like the Federal Reserve, like the Fed and Jerome Powell that we saw that also created real problems, not just in the market, but in the broader economy.
- [24:44]
John Rabinowitz
And I think he backed away a little bit from that at the end. But it did have CEOs probably up in arms. I mean, the unclear messaging really is.
- [24:53]
Andy Beshear
Hurting businesses and I think that ends up hurting families. The idea that your, your stroller is going to cost that much more, your car seat is going to cost that much more, your, your home is going to cost that much more, and how do you finance it with all these challenges?
- [25:12]
John Rabinowitz
You, you know, specifically and I, we had talked about this earlier Derby week, Churchill Downs, probably one of our largest employers, had huge projects set up. And I just saw they hit pause on that project. Is that because of this messaging or what's going on with the economy?
- [25:28]
Andy Beshear
And that project was almost a billion dollars. And so think about all the construction that was going on. And the CEO was very direct. It was because of the tariffs and the uncertainty it created as to the, to the cost of the actual project. So here you have something directly connected to the upcoming Kentucky Derby that was impacted. That means that a ton of construction jobs that would have been created and more dollars would have flown, flowed into the community is not happening.
- [25:59]
John Rabinowitz
And it's interesting to hear Mitch McConnell, I think last week up in Northern Kentucky, say that it's hurting Kentucky more than most other states because of how much we're relying on exporting.
- [26:11]
Andy Beshear
I'll give him credit. He and Rand Paul are the two Republican senators who have both spoken out against tariffs. And they've been very specific. They say they are attacks on the American people. And I fully agree with them. And I think you got to give credit where credit's due. They cross party lines, but basically just stood up for the truth. When we talk about facts are facts and no debating reality, well, they live that out on the floor of the Senate even though they could easily get attacked.
- [26:41]
John McConnell
And when you look at the tariffs, you've got a lot of people out there who work for small businesses, which you mentioned earlier, and those small business owners, whether they've got 20, 50 employees are looking right now at what's this going to do to their business, having conversations in rooms about, are we going to be able to keep everyone employed? And they're really looking at these next probably 30 to 60 days to see what that's going to look like.
- [27:05]
Andy Beshear
The amazing part of this to me politically is I can never remember seeing something so damaging to the economy that could all be traced back to the decisions of one individual who's owned it, and that's the president. And so President Trump has now hit his first hundred days, and what we see are numbers plunging, making him the least popular president after the first hundred days. I think since modern polling came about.
- [27:36]
John McConnell
Yeah, the worst hundred days since 1974.
- [27:39]
Andy Beshear
That's before all of us. Even. Even John.
- [27:42]
John Rabinowitz
Even John.
- [27:43]
Andy Beshear
Yeah, you're right.
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John McConnell
Even me. You're right. I had to think about it.
- [27:45]
John Rabinowitz
Well, listen, I always want to support sitting presidents, regardless of party, and it has been a short window of time, only the 100 days, albeit the worst hundred days. But I feel like we're in the middle of a trade war with no end in sight and no direction. And that's very alarming to small business owners like myself and everyday people.
- [28:11]
Andy Beshear
I think that point is so important because when a president of any party succeeds and makes good decisions, the American people succeed. And we've talked so much on, on this podcast about how the most important things aren't political. Well, trade policy certainly isn't and shouldn't be Democrat or Republican. Unfortunately, right now, I think it's the difference between smart, which it's not, and dumb, which it is. I mean, it is hitting people in so many different ways, and I think it's reflected. But I also think the chaos of the decisions and how aggressive some of the policies have been also have the American people saying, wait a minute, because on every major issue right now, this president is underwater. And I think the people are saying, we expect you to follow certain rules. We expect the rule of law to be followed. And we're watching and we're concerned.
- [29:12]
John McConnell
A president who is elected largely on I'm going to make your day better, I'm going to make the economy better. I am going to lift us back up, you know, and talk about inflation and continue to build. And really, when you look at the leadership that is out there right now, we're not leading through this. It's just hit or miss every day, depending on what comes out in the media.
- [29:34]
Andy Beshear
And I think part of it is also how he communicates I think we want a president that, whether we agree or disagree with them, tries to speak to and lead the entire American population. And while this flooding the zone idea, and maybe that's just what POLITICO's made up, that they try to throw so much out every day that it's hard to follow, I think it's taking a toll on the American people, having to check the news nine or ten times a day. And I think people feel that stress, which, of course, is one of the reasons we started this podcast.
- [30:09]
John Rabinowitz
You know, and I mentioned this in earlier episodes. I have many friends that voted for Donald Trump. And what I would tell you is some of those voters now feel like they're alienated from what's going on. Like they really, they said he was going to be a steward of the economy. That's right now the biggest concern of small business owners and people that voted for him. And not to mention what's going on with being a defender of the border and immigration. I mean, that appears to be a mess.
- [30:41]
Andy Beshear
When we have a conversation between friends, we switch topics a lot, but we also like to celebrate together. In our very first episode, John Rabinowitz talked about being a sports agent and he talked about a quarterback he had coming up in the NFL draft. Look at here, chosen in the second round. Congratulations.
- [31:07]
John Rabinowitz
Yes. Listen, was there a draft? I wasn't really sure.
- [31:12]
Andy Beshear
How did it feel watching your player pick?
- [31:14]
John Rabinowitz
We're so proud of him. And he couldn't have ended up in a better spot, to be honest with you. He's going to go in right away, compete for a job, make that team better. And I mean, he worked so hard to get where he's at. His family was behind him the whole way. And also look at what it's going to do for the University of Louisville with Brian and Jeff. I mean, the quarterback whispers. It's, you know, really a great, great. It was a great day Friday, and we couldn't be happier for him.
- [31:44]
Andy Beshear
So my closing question is, are your hometown Tampa Bay Buccaneers ever going to forgive you for when they watch this podcast?
- [31:53]
John Rabinowitz
Listen, probably not. And now we have to buy all new swag. So, listen, we're just so excited about it, proud of him, and he's going to do great down there.
- [32:11]
Andy Beshear
And now in my Kentucky accent, where I talk about what's really burnt me up in the last week, what's on my mind, what fires me up right now, Today, I want to talk about these mass firings from the federal government and how they are making us less safe. The firings at the CIA mean we have fewer analysts. I lost a classmate in 9 11. I know how important their work is. Fewer FBI agents means we have fewer people chasing child predators. As a dad, that really concerns me. Fewer meteorologists at the National Weather Service means we're less likely to get that information ahead of the next natural disaster, something that I've seen over and over and over and will cost lives. Listen, there's nothing wrong with wanting to fix the federal government, with believing it's too big, with believing there are too many regulations. But what we're seeing now is an attempt to break it. And what it's going to do is harm the American people. I worry about that senior whose Social Security office closes down and they have to drive hours just to see someone, but they don't bring the right documents because they shut down the call center just to make it harder on that person who's paid in all those years. The job of government is to serve the American people. And yes, it can do it more efficiently, yes, it can do it more effectively, but not if we let this administration break it. That's in my Kentucky accent. Our final segment on this week's podcast is called Ask Andy, except today we've added Brittany. So you get both Andy and Brittany. This is where our listeners can submit questions, and we'll answer them on the podcast. So hopefully your question gets asked today. Our interrogator of the day is Breland Tilford. He's our producer for Media Pros in Louisville, Kentucky. Welcome to the podcast.
- [34:21]
Breland Tilford
Thanks for having me. So, first question, what's your advice for young Democrats in red states like Kentucky who want to be in politics at the state level?
- [34:31]
Andy Beshear
So my suggestion is that folks first find their why. Not just that they want to get into politics, but why they want to get into politics. That's one of our rules on the podcast, especially if you want to get into politics in a state that is dominated by the other party. You're going to face a lot of challenges. You're going to face a lot of impediments. I know that we have. And so what drives you so much that you're willing to get up every morning and run through that brick wall knowing there's another one waiting for you? For me, it's my faith. It's my kids. It's believing that my kids and everyone else's deserve a better world. But people need to find their authentic why. And then I still believe that the core concerns of all Americans are nonpartisan and are the same. That's Your job. That's your next doctor's appointment. The roads and bridges you drive, the school your kids go to, and whether you feel safe in your community. So if you find your why and what you work towards helps everyone. I think there's opportunity for people of any party in any place.
- [35:40]
Breland Tilford
I like that. My next question is from the chat. Who's the better cook?
- [35:46]
Brittany
Oh, okay. This is. This is. Depends. So Thanksgiving turkey. Andy's your guy.
- [35:52]
Andy Beshear
My secret superpower. It is.
- [35:54]
Brittany
If he was in the Mr. America pageant, his talent would be cooking the Thanksgiving turkey.
- [36:00]
Andy Beshear
Yeah, you could tell I'd win.
- [36:04]
Brittany
I'm not saying you'd win. I'm just saying it's your talent.
- [36:06]
Andy Beshear
Yeah. Useful. One day a year.
- [36:09]
Brittany
Yes. I really like baking with our daughter in particular. So the baked goods, you know, there are times when they are rolling out of the oven.
- [36:20]
Andy Beshear
So. So I would say grilling me. Everything else. Her. Which means her.
- [36:24]
Breland Tilford
So who's the better dancer to.
- [36:27]
Brittany
I think me.
- [36:28]
Andy Beshear
I think her.
- [36:29]
Brittany
Except maybe Winnie. Caveat. Anytime Andy and I actually dance together, I think that I don't follow your lead very well.
- [36:41]
Andy Beshear
That's not just dancing.
- [36:43]
Brittany
Maybe you don't follow my lead very well.
- [36:45]
Andy Beshear
That's probably true.
- [36:46]
Brittany
But.
- [36:46]
Andy Beshear
But we figured out we do.
- [36:48]
Brittany
We do. So maybe.
- [36:50]
Andy Beshear
Yeah, she's the better dancer.
- [36:52]
Breland Tilford
Okay. Bachata. Any. No.
- [36:54]
Brittany
Anybody?
- [36:55]
Breland Tilford
Bachata. Salsa.
- [36:56]
Andy Beshear
Oh.
- [36:56]
Brittany
Oh.
- [36:56]
Andy Beshear
Yes. See? Not. Not a good enough dancer to even go remotely close to that. I take it that requires rhythm. A little bit.
- [37:02]
Breland Tilford
What do you think Democrats in other states, Washington. Have to learn from the work you've done in Kentucky?
- [37:07]
Andy Beshear
Yeah, I don't think our success is a secret. I think it's based at least on three very important things. First, make sure what you're pushing for helps everybody. Those are those core areas we talk about. And you ought to spend 80% of your time on things that lift everybody up and don't pull anybody apart. When you get into this, us versus them, when you get dominated by the actual politics of it, you stop being effective, and I think you lose yourself in it. So make sure you're committed to improving people's everyday life. The second part, and it's one of our podcast rules, is you got to talk to people like they're a human being. Talk to people and not at them. Make sure you're using language that. That has emotion and values in it, because that's how people talk to each other.
- [37:57]
Brittany
And I would add that I think it's very important to be the same person. Andy doesn't change who he Is no matter what the situation is, he's just Andy. And I think that there are a lot of people, not even just in the political sphere, but will behave differently depending on who they're with or they're talking to. And it's really important to just be.
- [38:17]
Andy Beshear
Yourself and be normal.
- [38:20]
Brittany
Andy's as normal as they come.
- [38:22]
Andy Beshear
Thank you. This is a great segment.
- [38:26]
Breland Tilford
I love it. I love it. If Kentucky had a food showdown, who would win? Hot browns or fried chicken?
- [38:33]
Brittany
Oh, could it be a fried hot brown with chicken on?
- [38:38]
Andy Beshear
You might as well try.
- [38:39]
Brittany
I mean, they make everything at the state fair. You might as well make.
- [38:41]
Andy Beshear
Remember when Minnie Driver asked me the question about if you had one final meal? And I think I ended up with steak wrapped in pizza, fried. You know what's great about the hot brown is it's so connected to Kentucky. And of course, nobody makes fried chicken like us. I'm going hop round.
- [38:59]
Brittany
I don't eat dairy, so I'm gonna go fried chicken.
- [39:02]
Breland Tilford
Okay.
- [39:02]
Brittany
Yeah.
- [39:03]
Andy Beshear
A house divided.
- [39:04]
Breland Tilford
Okay. I'm. I'm team hot brown, too. I gotta.
- [39:07]
Andy Beshear
Yeah. What about hot chicken?
- [39:09]
Breland Tilford
Ooh. Now hot chicken. I love hot chicken. Like, yeah. The spice, the crispiness, all in one. It's perfect. It's great. It's great. The number one question we've been getting asked is, are you gonna run for president?
- [39:23]
Andy Beshear
You're putting me on the spot on the Andy Beshear podcast. If it were three years ago, this was something that we would have never thought about. But I'm committed to not leaving a broken country to my kids or anyone else's. Now, what that looks like going forward, I don't know. You know, my job right now is to try to lift up as many leaders as possible all across the country that are hopefully focused on the right things with the right message to re. Earn the faith of. Of the American people that that 2028 conversation will get bigger and bigger and bigger. Because what's most important to me is that we have a leader in the future that can heal this country, that can bring us back together, and that can move us forward. And I think what we've seen in the first hundred days of this current president is we need to restore our humanity. The rest of the world needs to see that. We need a lot more love and a lot more kindness and. And a whole lot less cruelty. I hope you enjoyed this episode of the Andy Beshear Podcast. We work every week to make it better and better. I hope that you were able to process some of what you're feeling and are ready for the week ahead. Remember to take care of yourself and in that mode. We want you to join us for the next episode, which is going to be really different. We're going to come to you from Churchill Downs and try to show you some of what the Kentucky Derby is all about. We'll have last year's Derby winning trainer. We'll have Eric Wood, former all Pro center for the Buffalo Bills and their current color commentator for the Buffalo Bills radio. We're going to have a gentleman you'll love named Charlie who helps run one of the biggest horses horse farms in Kentucky. And we'll have an executive from Churchill Downs to tell you what it's like behind the scenes. So join us next week for the next episode, the Derby episode of the Andy Beshear Podcast. Thanks for tuning in. Be sure to subscribe at Andy Beshear Podcast on all major social media platforms.