Podcast Summary: The Gist Episode: The Good Fight Club, or Good Fight Club?
Date: November 8, 2025
Host: Mike Pesca (of Peach Fish Productions)
Guests: Yasha Mounk (The Good Fight), Christine Rosen (AEI), Sam Khan (Persuasion, Castalia Substack)

Episode Overview

This episode features Mike Pesca’s appearance on the “Good Fight Club,” a roundtable discussion spinning out of Yasha Mounk’s “Good Fight” podcast. The focus: dissecting the results of the 2025 off-year elections, especially Democratic successes, left vs. center divisions in the party, and the rise of Zoran Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, as mayor of New York City. The group also addresses the “one voice” policy controversy at the Heritage Foundation and its implications for political discourse on the right.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Naming Debate: The Good Fight Club or Good Fight Club?

• [06:26] Mike Pesca: Jokingly insists “the Good Fight Club” is the catchier title, likening it to 'Empire State Building vs. the Empire State Building.'
  • “I think you should be calling it the Good Fight Club, not the Good Fight Club. It’s subtle, but it’s like the Empire State Building versus the Empire State Building.”
• Tone: Lighthearted banter, setting the easy, witty atmosphere of the show.

2. Irreverent Ice-breaker: The Doodle Dog Discussion

• [06:49] Mike Pesca: Delivers a pedantic yet playful aside about ‘labradoodles’ vs. ‘goldendoodles,’ insisting the name ‘doodle’ should reflect its Labrador rather than poodle origin.
  • “When you get into the goldendoodles and the other doodles, […] you really have a golden oodle.”
• Tone: Quick detour, demonstrating the podcast’s affection for offbeat detail.

3. Election Analysis: Democrats in Array?

2025 Election Outcomes

• New Jersey, Virginia, New York City:

  • [07:57] Mike Pesca:

    • Democrats outperformed expectations in multiple races.

    • Suggested that media coverage overstated the closeness of some races.

    • Emphatically points to moderation prevailing over radicalism in most places.

    • Seattle’s mayoral race highlighted as a close call, with interest in moderate vs. left-leaning governance outcomes.

      “Dems in array. [...] Maybe we retroactively discredit some of the coverage beforehand. Well, the race looks close in New Jersey. Jack Cittarelli making inroads? Not really.” — Mike Pesca [07:57]

  • Mamdani’s win in NYC:

    • He has a mandate but only by about 10 points; this might rein him in somewhat.
    • Pesca: “There was a veering away from pure radicalism when given the choice. […] I do care about rationality and moderation.” [09:40]

Demographics and Trends

• [11:13] Christine Rosen:

  • Non-college-educated, non-white voters (formerly Trump supporters) swinging back to Dems, driven by economic issues rather than culture wars.

  • Notable increase in support among young women voters for Democrats.

  • Republicans must address their weaknesses with these groups.

  • Critiques Trump’s post-election behavior—his claims of fraud and blaming GOP losses on his absence from the ballot—which bodes ominously for the party.

    “Young women were overwhelmingly voting blue in these elections. [...] That says another thing, which is the Republican coalition is not reaching those women and they should probably think about why.” — Christine Rosen [11:13]

4. Mamdani as Mayor: Harbinger or Liability?

Perspectives on Zoran Mamdani’s Victory

• [13:41] Sam Khan:

  • Initially critical of Mamdani, but admits to being won over by his charisma in the victory speech.

  • Emphasizes the primacy of personality in modern politics over policy.

  • Regrets the defeat of Andrew Cuomo (“excellent governor” in Khan’s view), who would have signaled a return to centrist technocracy.

  • Views the NYC mayoralty as a double-edged sword: great platform for Mamdani’s brand, but dangerous focus for national opposition.

    “What matters far, far more than anything else, more than policy, is just personality, politics. [...] He has the gift, and so that it's very hard to take that away from him.” — Sam Khan [13:41]

• [15:37] Yasha Mounk:

  • Split: glad Democrats are winning but uneasy about the lessons they might draw.

  • Points out Mamdani’s policies (like city-run grocery stores) may prove ineffective or misdirected.

  • Notes Mamdani’s strength among affluent, private-market renters vs. working-class voters.

    “It’s very striking that he did extremely well in neighborhoods like Prospect Heights […] He did much worse in many of the outlying boroughs. There's an incredible crosstab from exit poll in which he does better among New Yorkers that make more than $100,000 a year than he does among New Yorkers who make less.” — Yasha Mounk [17:45]

5. The Moderate Dilemma and Democratic Futures

• [18:55] Yasha Mounk:

  • Draws contrast between Mamdani's charisma and moderates' lack of excitement (e.g., Spanberger’s “lifeless and bloodless” communication).

  • Sees risk for Dems: energetic progressives unelectable nationally; centrists fail to inspire.

  • Wonders whether Democrats could be “stuck between” a too-cool radical left and tepid centrism, both vulnerable from different flanks.

    “There’s something so lifeless and bloodless in the moderates in the Democratic Party, so scared of their own shadows.” — Yasha Mounk [18:55]

• [19:30] Mike Pesca:

  • Pushback: Mamdani has “charm but not authenticity.”

  • Asserts “a politician gets so much credit if they never have to actually put their policies into practice,” but Mamdani will have to deliver.

    “That’s where American politics are: the guy who or woman who speaks well, does well on vertical videos […] but in terms of delivering actual policies, […] that still does correlate to appeal.” — Mike Pesca [21:05]

• On the hazards of governing vs. campaigning:

  • Gavin Newsom as an example: “If Gavin Newsom didn’t have a state to run, but had a PR shop to run or had a Senate seat where we don't expect any results, he would be doing much better.” — Mike Pesca [28:56]

6. Risks, Predictions, and Political “Cycles”

• [24:53] Yasha Mounk:

  • Focus: The key to countering right-wing populism is a moderate, authentically appealing alternative.
  • Predicts that 2028 could be easily winnable for Democrats if Trump is out, but worries about “what happens in 2032.”

• [31:00] Yasha Mounk:

  • Bold prediction (with a grain of salt): Newsom/Spanberger defeat JD Vance in 2028, but become unpopular quickly, and then “Donald Trump Jr. becomes president 2032.”

    “I’m going to end this segment with the stupidest thing you can do as a commentator, which is to make a point about what’s going to happen in American politics.” — Yasha Mounk [31:00]

7. Heritage Foundation ‘One Voice’ Policy and Mainstreaming Extremism

• [33:51] Christine Rosen:

  • Criticizes Heritage Foundation’s one-voice policy, especially in context of its president defending Tucker Carlson for giving Nick Fuentes (white nationalist) a platform.

  • Argues this has allowed the mainstreaming of antisemitism and other toxic ideologies on the American right.

  • Applauds colleagues who have called out Heritage’s drift, insists free speech is not the same as institutional endorsement.

    “He [Heritage president Kevin Roberts] is giving an endorsement to Tucker Carlson, who is the preeminent launderer of toxic ideas now… He isn’t just anti Semitic, he is anti American. He is pro Russia. He is, you know, he’s pro Iran.” — Christine Rosen [34:45]

  • Expresses hope that the incident will prompt responsible policing of boundaries within the conservative movement.

• [37:58] Mike Pesca:

  • Calls the “one voice policy” fatal to authentic debate and intellectual integrity.

    “A one voice policy for a think tank makes about as much sense as a one voice policy for an opera company.”

  • Adds that declaring “no enemies to the right” or left leads inevitably to radicalization “because everyone knows there will be no opposition.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Mike Pesca [07:57]:
  “Dems in array. […] There was a veering away from pure radicalism when given the choice. I do care about rationality and moderation.”

• Christine Rosen [11:13]:
  “Young women were overwhelmingly voting blue in these elections […] The Republican coalition is not reaching those women and they should probably think about why.”

• Sam Khan [13:41]:
  “What matters far, far more than anything else, more than policy, is just personality, politics. And so, to some extent, I mean, Trump proved this, Obama proved it in a different way. If you have the gift for this, then you deserve to be the standard bearer of your party in some way.”

• Yasha Mounk [18:55]:
  “There’s something so lifeless and bloodless in the moderates in the Democratic Party, so scared of their own shadows, so incapable of actually making clear what their position is… it’s hard to cheer them on.”

• Mike Pesca [21:05]:
  “A politician gets so much credit if they never have to actually put their policies into practice like Bernie Sanders hasn’t had to. But now that Mamdani has to, we’ll get a little bit of a taste of the pudding, right?”

• Christine Rosen [34:45]:
  “He [Roberts] is giving an endorsement to Tucker Carlson, who is the preeminent launderer of toxic ideas now... He isn't just anti Semitic, he is anti American. He is pro Russia. [...] These ideas do not belong anywhere in tolerable conservative movements.”

• Mike Pesca [37:58]:
  "A one voice policy for a think tank makes about as much sense as a one voice policy for an opera company. You necessarily get a degraded product. You can't even call yourself a think tank if you have a one voice policy."

Timestamps for Main Segments

• [06:26] – Show naming debate and doodle dog riff
• [07:57] – Election overview; Democratic wins and analysis
• [11:13] – Demographics, economic issues, and Republican strategic challenges (Rosen)
• [13:41] – Debate over Mamdani, charisma in politics, Cuomo’s legacy (Khan)
• [18:55] – Moderates’ communication woes, left vs. center tensions (Mounk/Pesca)
• [24:53] – What will it take to counter right-wing populism globally? (Mounk)
• [31:00] – Speculative predictions for 2028, 2032 elections (Mounk, Pesca)
• [33:51] – Heritage Foundation controversy, one-voice policy, mainstreaming extremism (Rosen, Pesca)

Summary Takeaways

• Democrats are riding high post-2025 elections, with signals suggesting a shift away from the most radical candidates to those favoring moderation—but moderates struggle to excite voters.
• The debate over Zoran Mamdani’s mayoral win in NYC encapsulates the party’s left-center divide: charisma and big ideas vs. pragmatic governance and policy delivery.
• Republicans face critical weaknesses with key demographics, and Trump-induced turbulence continues to destabilize their coalition.
• Concerns grow over the right’s tolerance of extreme voices, with the Heritage Foundation’s “one voice” policy becoming a flashpoint for debate about internal dissent and the mainstreaming of toxic ideas.
• The roundtable is richly insightful yet irreverent, blending political analysis, ideological debate, and digressive wit.