The PoliticsGirl Podcast

Episode: How Do You Fix a Broken System: A Conversation with Yasmin Radjy
Host: Leigh McGowan (Meidas Media Network)
Guest: Yasmin Radjy, Executive Director of Swing Left and Ground Truth
Date: December 9, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode explores the crisis and potential renewal of American democracy through a candid, solutions-oriented conversation with Yasmin Radjy. Radjy shares her experience leading two key initiatives—Swing Left and the newly launched Ground Truth pilot program—both of which aim to rebuild trust between the Democratic Party and voters through active listening, early engagement, and genuine human connection. The discussion covers the structural problems facing Democrats, the atrophied "muscles" of listening and curiosity in our politics, and how grassroots organizing can inspire hope and pragmatic progress.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Exhaustion of the Current Political Moment

• Political Burnout & Disconnection: Both Radjy and McGowan describe a sense of exhaustion among voters and activists, stemming from continual outrage cycles, negative partisanship, and the overwhelming complexities of American politics.

  "We want to just be with the people that we love and not just be replicating Twitter conversations at dinner tables ... those are muscles [listening and curiosity] that have atrophied." — Yasmin Radjy [00:00]

• Recognizing Shifting Moods: The political climate of 2025 is distinguished from earlier cycles, particularly 2018, by a deeper cynicism and anxiety.

  “We thought Trump was an aberration... here we are all these years later, and he has taken over the entire Republican Party.” — Yasmin Radjy [00:49]

2. Listening as a Prerequisite for Persuasion

• New Philosophy at Ground Truth: Before Democrats can persuade, they must listen—really listen. The pilot program aims not to just speak at voters, but create space for them to be truly heard, even when uncomfortable.

  "Before Democrats can persuade anyone, they have to listen. And sadly, that feels like something the Democrats haven't been so great at over the years, particularly in leadership." — Leigh McGowan [03:34]

• Admitting Past Failures: Radjy is blunt about Democratic shortcomings:

  "Structurally, we as Democrats have not done enough work to listen. When we don't listen, we lose trust with people, whether in our personal relationships or in our politics." — Yasmin Radjy [05:17]

• Localized Campaigning Is Essential: Citing Seeing Like a State, Radjy argues that local expertise is irreplaceable—candidates must understand the specific concerns of their constituents, not simply echo national message discipline.

  "If you want to win an election, you gotta understand your district." — Yasmin Radjy [09:21]

3. Deepening Engagement Through New Strategies

The Ground Truth Pilot: Tactics and Lessons Learned

[14:54–28:42]

• Early and Inclusive Organizing: Unlike traditional campaigns that start outreach just months before elections, Ground Truth began canvassing in September, focused on swing congressional districts.

• Qualitative Conversation Over Quantity: Traditional canvassing pushes for many brief encounters; instead, Ground Truth seeks deep, 10–20 minute conversations, often with people who aren't on standard Democratic lists.

  "I don't remember a really meaningful 30 second conversation I've ever had." — Yasmin Radjy [14:54]

• Universal Outreach: Canvassers knock on every door, not just presumed Democratic ones, and ask open questions like, “How do you feel about the direction of our country?”

  “Any human being in the United States, including probably like small children, can answer that question.” — Yasmin Radjy [24:27]

• Recording & AI Synthesis: After each conversation, volunteers record detailed, nonjudgmental notes. AI (with human review) then aggregates this data to summarize district-wide sentiments and specific concerns.

• Why This Stands Out:

  • Single-issue framing is insufficient. The prevailing feeling uncovered is that “the system is broken.”
  • Building trust cannot be reduced to a data point, and must come from nuanced, multi-layered stories.

4. The Emotional Reality of Division and Rebuilding Trust

• Stories of Connection: A volunteer describes a moving encounter with a veteran who burst into tears over division with her family—illustrating the deep relational wounds of polarization.

  "She burst into tears talking to our volunteer about how much she misses her sisters." — Yasmin Radjy [48:21]

• Empathy Over Persuasion: The conversations reveal that even strong Republicans may be open to change if they feel truly listened to—one in three “solid Republican” voters expressed disappointment in their party and openness to Democrats.

  "One in three of those Republicans is disappointed with the Republican Party and is open to voting for a Democrat for the House." — Yasmin Radjy [32:16]

5. Implications for the Democratic Party & Ecosystem

The Role of Structure and Incentives

• Legal/Structural Breakthroughs: Recent changes in federal election law allow Ground Truth to coordinate and share insights directly with Democratic campaigns—filling a gap identified for years but previously blocked by legal walls.

  "Because of a new federal election rule...every single thing that we're doing... is coordinated directly with campaigns." — Yasmin Radjy [51:22]

Long-Term, Community-Based Rebuilding

• Power and Pragmatism:

  “We are ruthlessly pragmatic. The only ticket out of this mess is the Democratic Party.” — Yasmin Radjy [12:16]

• Winning Is Step One: Reclaiming power is necessary to enact change, but not sufficient; ongoing communal effort and listening are key to maintaining hope and generating lasting progress.

  “Hope is a muscle. It's a muscle that we have allowed to atrophy, and we've got to keep on exercising that muscle.” — Yasmin Radjy [45:41]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the absurdity of modern politics:

  “We have to keep the shenanigans in our periphery and focus on the things we can actually do...” — Leigh McGowan [01:54]

• On Democratic mistakes:

  "Too often, we have made people feel stupid and that is moving them away from us." — Yasmin Radjy [24:27]

• On hope and agency:

  “Who am I to fix them, right? If the leaders of the Democratic Party can't fix these problems, who am I as someone who works full time or someone who's working two jobs or someone who's a mom..." — Yasmin Radjy [12:36]

• Reframing Political Conversations:

  “It's curiosity rather than need. Connection rather than transaction.” — Leigh McGowan [50:29]

Important Timestamps

• Introduction, political context: [00:00–03:30]
• Defining Ground Truth & philosophy of listening: [04:00–06:50]
• Problems with traditional Democratic campaigns, need for local expertise: [06:50–13:29]
• Ground Truth pilot methods & tech: [14:54–28:43]
• Reports on conversations and AI analysis: [24:27–28:43]
• Effect on volunteers; hope as muscle: [31:22–37:03, 45:41]
• Divisions in families and the emotional toll of polarization: [48:11–50:26]
• The new legal framework, sharing data with campaigns: [51:22–54:13]
• Call to action, how to get involved: [55:30–56:25]

Summary and Call to Action

Yasmin Radjy, through Swing Left and Ground Truth, argues that the only way to fix a broken system is from the ground up—by rebuilding trust, fostering curiosity, and empowering ordinary people to listen deeply and act locally. The results from their pilot program are hopeful: real conversations, even with ideological opponents, can shift perspectives and revive the collective hope necessary for a better democracy.

“Building community is not just the strategic thing to do. It is the only way we are going to stay sane for the long fights ahead and to continue to have joy in these moments of tremendous heaviness as well.” — Yasmin Radjy [56:51]

To get involved:
Visit swingleft.org/groundtruth to learn more, sign up for trainings, or join the community of volunteers dedicated to listening and building the future of American democracy.

Theme Recap:
Radjy and McGowan urge listeners to “rebuild the muscle of listening” in our personal and civic lives. Only through honest, ongoing, and hopeful engagement can Americans close the distance between what the country is and what it could be. The message is clear: hope is a muscle, and it’s time to use it.

End of Summary