Podcast Summary: “The Big Blue Wave”

Podcast: The Find Out Podcast
Date: November 6, 2025
Guests: Amanda (Amanda’s Mild Takes), regular “Find Out” hosts
Theme: A celebratory, candid roundup and analysis of the massive Democratic wins in the previous night’s elections, their implications, and what comes next for the left.

Episode Overview

This electrifying post-election episode captures the hosts and guest Amanda riding the high of a Democratic sweep across the country. They break down key wins, analyze what the “big blue wave” means, and dissect shifts in political culture, media, and activism. The tone is irreverent, thoughtful, and laced with inside jokes and raw honesty—typical of “Find Out.”

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The “Big Blue Wave” and What It Means

• The episode opens with jubilation: Dems didn’t just win—they “won big everywhere.”
• “We won everywhere. And it wasn’t just that we won everywhere. We won big everywhere.” (Host 2, [01:13])
• Major victories: Abigail Spanberger’s landslide in Virginia, Mikie Sherrill’s strong win, progressive legislative wins in Maine and Mississippi, and Maine’s passage of a red-flag gun law.
• The sense of doom and resignation that’s gripped the left for nearly a decade finally lifts.

Memorable moment:

“I opened the bottle of champagne that I did not get to open on election night 2024. I opened it last week.”
—Amanda [02:27]

2. What Made This Wave Happen?

• No single type of winner: Successes ranged from moderates to progressives, all sharing locally resonant messaging and a focus on affordability.
• “They won on the things their electorate cares about, and they wrapped that in messaging that resonated.” (Amanda, [03:26])
• Key insight: Stop searching for ‘the face’ of the Democratic Party or a singular left-wing Joe Rogan; the party’s mosaic is its strength.

Quote:

“It’s not two equal things on opposite sides of a spectrum…it’s crystallized things on the left and absolute fucking mayhem on the right.”
—Host 1 [04:37]

3. Are Free and Fair Elections Dead? Amanda’s History Lesson

• Amanda delivers a nuanced take: America has never had purely free and fair elections—fights about the franchise are constant.
• “We have never in the history of this country had free and fair elections. Literally, not ever.” (Amanda, [05:11])
  • Referencing historic exclusions, modern voter suppression, and the need for constant vigilance.

Quote:

“The franchise is something we have been fighting for for 250 years. And that fight did not end just because you can walk into your polling place with ease…That doesn’t mean it has been easy or free or fair for other people. And that is still the case.”
—Amanda [06:38]

4. Republican Panic & the Shifting Electorate

• Rural backlash against MAGA: Even deep-red rural regions underperformed for Trumpist candidates.
• Latino swing: GOP’s gains among Latinos from 2024 have evaporated.
• Suburbs in Virginia swung sharply left (“Glenn Youngkin…won Chesterfield County by five points in 2021. Abigail Spanberger won it last night by 17 points.” —Amanda, [10:27])
• Republican figures (like Marjorie Taylor Greene) are scrambling to rebrand.

Quote:

“20 and 30 point swings to the left… all of the things [Republicans] prayed would hold are now not true.”
—Host 1 [08:01]

5. Rise of Alternative Media & Political Influence

• Traditional media is barely reaching voters under 50; podcasts and leftist influencers are driving turnout and awareness.
• “Viewership of the main cable news networks is down. It falls every year…the bottom is falling out.” (Amanda, [15:04])
• Direct engagement by candidates with digital creators proved pivotal (e.g., Amanda’s work with Spanberger’s campaign).
• Digital natives like Zoran Mamdani succeed on the strength of social media, not legacy press.

Quote:

“The voices of people making content about politics on the left are becoming more influential than mainstream media, if they aren’t already.”
—Amanda [15:37]

6. Generational Change and the “Next Wave”

• The success of young, progressive candidates signals a new era; “now is the time” for nontraditional contenders.
• “There are people who are going to be in that [2028 presidential] race whose name you don’t know.”

—Amanda [21:53]

• Encouragement for anyone, even in red areas: “Run. Just do it.” (Host 2, [22:11])

7. The New York City Case Study: Zoran Mamdani

• Mamdani, a digital native democratic socialist, clinched a broad mandate using savvy social campaigning, not just old-school politicking.
• The turnout in NYC was the highest since the 1960s—“without an international conflict” ([19:25])
• Discussion on what Mamdani needs to deliver—universal childcare, affordable housing, etc.—to keep momentum and counter any red-baiting or Islamophobia from opponents.

8. GOP Civil War and MAGA Identity Crisis

• Deepening splits between the “culture warrior” and “mainstream” factions.
• The right, especially high-profile figures like Trump and Stephen Miller, is doubling down on nativism and explicit bigotry (with a sidebar on Trump’s anti-Semitic and anti-immigrant rhetoric).
• Vivek Ramaswamy’s failed attempts to court the GOP base despite bigotry toward him as a Hindu candidate ([44:58]-[45:53]).
• Ongoing in-party feuds could deliver more Democratic opportunities in “red” states like Ohio.

9. What Should Democrats Do Next?

Amanda’s strategic advice:

• NO uncontested races, anywhere (“No dog catchers, no fucking milkmen, no uncontested races anywhere. I don’t care if it’s a holler in West Virginia. We need to be running people.” —Amanda, [48:06])
• Begin recruiting for the 2026 cycle now—primaries are the opportunity for progressives.
• Local power structures are key: “Power structures are built at the municipal level.” ([51:44])
• Build “the base, a feeder system essentially, for candidates” (Host 2, [22:11])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We’re entering the find out season.” ([11:33])
• “I think that [the Republican Party has] forgotten fundamentally what the American culture is, which is defined science. That’s American culture.” —Amanda, [39:12]
• “Maybe instead of doing like a half ass remodel of the kitchen, we just do it, right? Like, what if we just rebuilt a better thing?” —Host 1, [20:15]
• On the mainstream media’s decline: “People who want background noise. Like, that’s what the mainstream media is really turned into.” —Guest 2, [17:46]

Important Segment Timestamps

• [01:13] — Election results roll call and emotional reactions
• [03:26] — Amanda on lessons learned: tailored campaigns, not one face of the party
• [05:11] — “Free and fair elections” discussion & historical context
• [08:01] — Republican panic and shifting turnout
• [15:37] — Alternative media’s impact and digital organizing
• [19:25] — NYC turnout and generational change
• [22:11] — “Just run!” and running candidates everywhere
• [32:33] — Trump’s anti-Semitic attacks and GOP politics in NYC
• [39:12] — Amanda on GOP’s cultural misread
• [48:06] — Amanda’s advice: run everywhere, focus on primaries

Closing Thoughts & Takeaways

• The left’s “doom spiral” mindset is finally breaking as evidence mounts: They can—and did—win big.
• Success is coming from diverse candidates focused on affordability and local needs, not ideological purity or celebrity endorsements.
• Alternative, independently produced content is shaping turnout and awareness much more than traditional avenues.
• The Democratic Party must seize this momentum, aggressively contest every office, and continue engaging media-savvy, nontraditional candidates.

Final motivational note:

“Enjoy this victory, take a little break, and then it’s a sprint to 2026.”
—Host 2 [51:47]

For leftwing listeners worn down by the Trump era, “The Big Blue Wave” is both a celebration and a call-to-arms: Stay fighting, stay connected, and recognize your power—especially at the local level—matters now more than ever.