The Find Out Podcast: Brian Tyler Cohen Joins Us to Announce a Major New Project

September 4, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode features Brian Tyler Cohen, a prominent progressive YouTuber and commentator, joining the Find Out Podcast crew to announce and unpack “FAFO 50” (Fuck Around, Find Out 50), a sweeping campaign centered on fighting Republican-led gerrymandering with an unprecedented, aggressive maneuver in California. Together, the panel dives deep into the stakes of this initiative, the new breed of Democratic activism, generational change in the party, and the growing importance of grassroots organizing.

Main Theme: FAFO 50 & A Progressive Power Play on Redistricting

• Announcement: FAFO 50 is a campaign to pass a California ballot referendum (yes on 50) that would temporarily amend the state constitution to disband or sideline California’s independent redistricting commission.
• Purpose: This is positioned as a direct response to Republican-led gerrymandering, especially after Texas redrew House maps at Trump’s request, grabbing five seats.
• Broader Vision: FAFO 50 is meant to signal that Democrats are ready to fight fire with fire—and to encourage other blue states to do the same if the GOP continues to game the system elsewhere.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Context: Why FAFO 50, Why Now?

• Brian Tyler Cohen contextualizes the need (00:48):

  “This is our answer to push back against what Republicans in Texas are doing by redrawing their maps mid cycle because Donald Trump felt entitled to five seats...I think this is the first time I've ever seen a Democratic governor or Democratic state actually fight back with something other than a strongly worded letter.”

• The Referendum Mechanism:

  • If passed, it allows Democrats in California to “fight dirty” if Republicans continue to do so in states like Texas—a direct “if/then” approach (04:44).

2. Facing the Gerrymander Reality

• On moral high ground vs. power (02:59):

  “You can say, we're never going to gerrymander, even though the other side is. And you can kind of enjoy your moral high ground from the permanent minority... But that's not going to get you anywhere.” — Brian Tyler Cohen

• Hypocrisy and the Fallout Quote (02:06):

  • Panelist shares a quote from Fallout: “Hypocrisy is a lot like violence. If we only let the bad guys use it, then we lose.”
  • Meaning: Democrats may need to temporarily suspend certain principles to win existential fights.

3. Republican Pushback & Messaging Battles

• The Charles Munger Jr. Opposition (04:44):

  • Munger (son of Warren Buffett’s longtime business partner) is pouring money into an opposition campaign, framing the initiative as a Democratic “power grab” and flooding the state with leaflets.

• The Vacuum Fallacy (05:00):

  “It’s so interesting how all of this, as far as the Republican talking points are concerned, it's like it's happening in a vacuum. It's like Texas doesn't exist.” — Brian Tyler Cohen

4. FAFO 50 Event Details & Grassroots Mobilization

• Big online launch event (06:34):

  • Scheduled for Wednesday, Sept 10
  • Will feature Gov. Newsom, elected officials, celebrities, influencers.
  • Purpose: Inject the message into the broader zeitgeist, energize the base, combat GOP disinformation, and raise grassroots funds to counter billionaire-backed opposition.

• Polls & Uncertainty (09:09):

  “We also haven't ever contended with anything like this. So we don't know, we don't really have a good sense of how people are going to go on this.” — Brian Tyler Cohen

5. Broad Stakes and Political Implications

• Why GOP cares (10:18):

  “If they can score a symbolic victory over Newsom in his home state, they will have saved well, not saved. They will have prevented additional losses in the House while also doing maybe irreparable damage at a critical time in momentum for the leading voice for Democrats.” — Panelist

• National ripple effect: A loss in California weakens not just the local Dem power, but the entire Democratic Party’s response to GOP gerrymandering—and could wound Newsom’s (currently leading) 2028 presidential prospects.

6. The Democratic Awakening

• New Democratic “fight back” posture (12:56):

  • Brian Tyler Cohen recounts urgent conversations with governors in Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, and beyond. Some, like Pritzker and Wes Moore, “get it,” while others are lagging.

• Generational shift:

  • Old-guard figures like Jerry Nadler are stepping aside (23:32, 30:01), with grassroots, nontraditional, and angry new candidates (e.g., Graham Platner in Maine) stepping up.

7. The Power of Local Politics and Grassroots Media

• Panel critiques Democratic “top-down” mentality (16:04):

  “There is like a very top down approach that Democrats take to their politics and, and that is completely backwards... We need to take a bottom up approach. And that starts at like these state legislatures and understanding, and understanding the significance they have in terms of being able to redraw their maps.” — Brian Tyler Cohen

• Role of influencers and digital organizing:

  • The FAFO 50 initiative showcases the value of content creators and digital communities in pushing progressive priorities.

8. New Leaders, Authentic Voices

• On reluctant leadership (29:08):

  • The panel highlights “reluctant” leaders—those who never sought power, but stepped up out of necessity. The new movement is fueled by urgency and a sense that “no one else is going to do it.”

• Example: Graham Platner, oyster farmer/veteran (36:02, 40:03):

  • Echoes the rise of authentic, working-class leaders who resonate more with their communities over establishment resumes.

9. Hope, Anxiety & The Uncertain Road Ahead

• Potential 2010-style Tea Party for the left (16:04, 42:29):
  • The moment feels analogous to the Tea Party insurgency, but from the progressive side—angry, action-oriented, but with a distinctly smarter, more policy-savvy approach.

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• On Democratic Strategy Shift (02:59):

  “Unilaterally disarming is not going to be the avenue to get you anywhere... If figuring out some fucking way to get into power is not at top of mind every day, then really you're just, you know, content to be a person who tweets about stuff angrily on Twitter and like, that's...not good enough for me.”
  — Brian Tyler Cohen

• On ‘If/Then’ Law (04:44):

  "California is doing an if-then kind of law, right? They're saying if Texas gerrymanders their state to hell, then we will do the same. If they don't, then California doesn't.”
  — Panel

• On the Downside of Mere “Moral High Ground” (03:19):

  “You can say, we're never going to gerrymander, even though the other side is. And you can enjoy your moral high ground from the permanent minority...But that's not going to get you anywhere.”
  — Brian Tyler Cohen

• On the Stakes for Newsom and the National Party (11:09):

  “They can really kill two birds with one stone here. They can entrench permanent minority rule in the House and they can also really, really cripple...the top Democratic contender [Newsom].”
  — Brian Tyler Cohen

• On the Value of Reluctant Leaders (33:02):

  “The people who always want power, they find a way to chase power...But when we get ourselves into a time like this and the people who never wanted to be in front of a camera...are looking around, going, ‘Everyone else is fucking terrible. Nobody is saying what has to be said. I guess I have to fucking do it.’”
  — Panel (C)

• Sharp Critique of Party Reliance on Leadership Structures (16:04):

  “If we are relying on the fucking DNC to like swoop in and save us, then we are so fucked, basically, because that cannot be the answer.”
  — Brian Tyler Cohen

Important Timestamps

• 00:48: Brian Tyler Cohen announces FAFO 50 and explains its purpose
• 02:06: Fallout quote sparks discussion of Democratic hypocrisy and values in politics
• 04:44: Explanation of the “if–then” legal structure of the ballot measure; GOP messaging push
• 06:34: Details of the Sept 10th FAFO 50 event and grassroots organizing
• 09:09: Polling uncertainties and the scale of GOP financial/interference risk
• 10:18: Stakes for Newsom, the 2028 presidential field, and why Republicans care
• 12:56: Democrats’ newfound willingness to fight back—Brian’s conversations with governors
• 16:04: Deep dive on grassroots power, local organizing, and the need for a “bottom up” approach
• 21:20: How Newsom (and Dems) are learning to master the attention economy
• 29:08: Discussion of “reluctant leaders” and generational change
• 36:02: Focus shifts to Graham Platner in Maine, the new kind of candidate, and authenticity’s power
• 42:29: Parallels to the Tea Party wave—but with real policy direction and movement leadership

Summary Takeaways

• FAFO 50 represents a historic, bare-knuckle Democratic response to GOP gerrymandering. The campaign is setting a precedent—ready to suspend certain norms in defense of fundamental power and democracy.
• The Sept 10th online event will be a pivotal moment to mobilize progressive grassroots and potentially set the tone for similar action in other blue states.
• The panel and Brian Tyler Cohen are candid in their anxiety and hopes: they want to see Democrats do more than talk, finally seizing the initiative and defending democratic power.
• The generational and strategic shift in the Democratic Party is evident: away from aging, establishment figures, towards reluctant but necessary leadership rising from new voices, ordinary communities, and digital-first organizing.
• Through the lens of California, the conversation exposes the national stakes—for the House, for the 2028 presidential race, and for progressive energy everywhere.
• The episode is loaded with wit, irreverence, and a palpable sense of urgency—eschewing old-style respectability for righteous, strategic anger and grassroots agency.

How to Get Involved

• RSVP & Learn More: fafo50.com (FAFO 50 event)
• Show Support: Spread the word about FAFO 50; elevate grassroots fighters in your state; focus on local/state races and get involved.
• Podcast Community: Join the Find Out community, buy union-made merch, and subscribe on Substack for more behind-the-scenes content, organizing tips, and regular updates.