Podcast Summary: The Find Out Podcast

Episode: "A Blue Tsunami Is Forming"

Date: December 4, 2025
Hosts: Luke, Tim, Chris, Zach, Equipment Guy

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the surprising implications of the recent Tennessee 7th congressional district special election, where Democrat Afton Bain dramatically closed a massive Republican gap. The hosts break down what this means for Democrats nationwide, speculate about a possible "Blue Tsunami" in the upcoming midterms, and discuss Trump’s increasingly erratic behavior during his second term. The conversation weaves through electoral strategy, healthcare failure, economic populism, and the right’s messaging and missteps. As always, the tone is irreverent, honest, and bitingly funny.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Tennessee 7th Congressional District Special Election

• Afton Bain’s Strong Showing

  • Democrat Afton Bain lost by eight points in a +22 Trump district—a result far better than expected.
  • Her openly progressive campaign, with endorsements from the Democratic Socialists of America and AOC, outperformed historical Democratic runs in the district.
  • Chris highlights rural voters’ disengagement:

    "Typically what this kind of thing looks like is... you get somebody who can put their name on the ballot, and they do that and they go through the motions... That this ever became a thing... is only because of how effective Afton Bain was in making the case." [01:06]

• Electoral Implications

  • Luke explains the broader impact:

    "If those numbers hold next year in the midterms, this will be a bigger Democratic wave than we saw in 2018." [03:51]

  • The GOP was forced to spend millions to defend a safe seat, stretching their resources thin and possibly prompting more retirements.

2. Republican Weakness and Strategic Toll

• Resource Drain

  • The GOP had to spend disproportionate amounts to defend reliably red seats, while the Democrats spent less.
  • Chris:

    "They spent $5 million to defend it 12 months later in a special election. If they're spending $5 million to DEF seats in Tennessee... this is not sustainable." [06:06]

• Low Turnout & Leaking Support

  • Van Epps (GOP) saw a stunning 92% drop in turnout in Nashville’s Davidson County compared to Trump’s 2024 numbers, indicating waning enthusiasm for Republicans. [14:29]
  • Independents are moving away from Trump in droves, as Zach notes:

    “His numbers of independents are fucking atrocious. Like mid-20s, terrible… now he would get just obliterated.” [15:20]

3. Policy Realities: Healthcare and Economic Headaches

• Healthcare Catastrophe

  • ACA plans in Tennessee saw massive price hikes ($16,000 per person annually), placing healthcare out of reach for rural families.
  • Chris:

    "It's unspeakable. I mean, you just don't get it. You just don't have health insurance, right?" [10:33]

  • Skepticism about insurance and unions is widespread among rural working-class voters, feeding Republican narratives.

• Affordability Crisis & Tariff Nonsense

  • Trump’s supposed plan to replace income tax with massive tariffs is lampooned:

    “Federal income tax is going to be gone. He’s going to pay for it with... tariff income.” [12:42-12:49]

  • The group points out that real solutions to inflation (unlike GOP talking points) are hard and require wage growth, not fantasy policies.

4. Trump’s Erratic Behavior and GOP Chaos

• President’s Meltdowns

  • Trump is described as fluctuating between denial, rage, and disengagement amidst poor polling and media scrutiny, with the hosts painting a picture of a president out of touch and increasingly unmoored.
  • Chris, about Trump's late-night posting:

    "If they posted 150 times on the Internet at one in the morning, I would immediately call a doctor and say that you are not well." [18:32]

• Failed Messaging

  • Trump's contradictory claims on affordability and feeble economic boasts draw ridicule.

5. The Broader Picture: Populist Shift and 2026 Midterm Prospects

• Momentum for Progressivism

  • Hosts agree that the electorate is primed for economic populism: universal healthcare, progressive taxation, and government intervention.
  • Luke:

    “…the path for Democrats to have a tsunami in the midterms next year is economic populism.” [36:14]

• Winning Outside the Cities

  • Special elections like Tennessee's show progressives can make gains everywhere, not just in urban strongholds.
  • Downballot effects—flipping state legislature and local seats—are just as critical as House races.

6. Foreign Policy & Right-Wing Fantasies

• Venezuela War Talk

  • The hosts joke darkly about the administration’s saber-rattling towards Venezuela and the right-wing conspiracy theories tying mineral grabs, immigration scare tactics, and outright racism.
  • Discussion of anti-war sentiment among MAGA voters, and the limitations it might place on Trump’s hawkish tendencies.

• Absurd Conspiracy Theorizing

  • Elon Musk’s viral claim that Obama air-dropped 80,000 Somali immigrants to help Ilhan Omar win in Minnesota becomes a running gag.
    • Luke mocks the scenario:

      “So Barack Obama… decided that there was a district, a congressional district in Minnesota that just… wasn’t blue enough. And his idea was to go to Somalia… and said, all right, guys, we’re going to Minnesota. And they just like all run in, and then…they give them parachutes and just like, shove them out in the middle of the night…” [43:05]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the surprise Tennessee result:
  • “She's even endorsed by the DSA, which is kind of crazy.” – Luke [03:33]
• On GOP resource drain:
  • “They can’t go out and drop five times the normal spend on every seat to defend it next year.” – Chris [06:44]
• On healthcare in rural America:
  • “You think they’ve got $40,000 laying around so they can have a $5,000 deductible plan? It’s so fucked insane.” – Chris [10:46]
• On Trump's social media activity:
  • “If they posted 150 times on the Internet at one in the morning, I would immediately call a doctor…” – Chris [18:32]
• Mocking right-wing conspiracy:
  • “Barack Obama… got a bunch of, what, like, cargo jets and said, all right, guys, we’re going to Minnesota. And they just, like, all run in, and then… they give them, like, parachutes and just, like, shove them out in the middle of the night…” – Luke [43:05]
• On economic populism and Democrats’ message:
  • "This is the way. There's no other way. You have to pivot hard this direction because it's right." – Zach [37:38]
• On American political memory:
  • "Because people do have the memory of a goldfish, we will be able to exploit that at least in the first round… in the next big election." – Chris [28:59]

Important Timestamps

• 00:33 – Start of Tennessee 7th District special election discussion
• 01:06 – Afton Bain’s campaign and why her showing matters
• 03:51 – Possible size of a coming Democratic wave
• 06:06 – GOP’s unsustainable campaign spending
• 10:33 – ACA cost explosion in Tennessee
• 14:29 – GOP turnout collapse in Davidson County
• 15:20 – Trump’s loss of independents
• 17:00 – Trump’s disengaged schedule, cabinet meeting anecdotes
• 18:32 – Trump’s social media meltdowns
• 24:49 – Discussion of tariffs and pricing illusions
• 36:14 – Shift to economic populism as Democratic strategy
• 43:05 – Satirical breakdown of right-wing conspiracies about Somali immigrants in MN

Episode Tone & Style

The episode is relentlessly conversational, blending political analysis with biting sarcasm and plenty of expletives. The hosts roast both Republicans and the limitations of current Democratic messaging, but always circle back to the idea of tactical hope—and a specific vision for a more progressive future.

For Listeners Who Missed It...

This episode is both a breakdown of a surprising, under-the-radar special election and a freewheeling discussion of the current state of US politics. The hosts argue that major shifts are underway—Democrats are gaining ground in improbable places, and the right is flailing. While there’s plenty of gallows humor, the message is clear: we’re living through a potential political realignment.