Truth in the Barrel

Episode: Devil's Cut | How To Build A Bigger Tent
Date: September 2, 2025
Host(s): Amy McGrath, Denver Riggleman
Guest: Lauren Harper Pope, Co-founder of Welcome PAC

Overview

This episode centers on how the Democratic Party can expand its electoral appeal by building a “bigger tent”—welcoming moderates, independents, and even disgruntled Republicans. Amy McGrath interviews Lauren Harper Pope, co-founder of Welcome PAC, a centrist group focused on fielding competitive Democratic candidates in right-leaning districts where the party has traditionally underperformed. They explore the barriers to entry for moderate candidates, the risks of ideological purity tests, and tangible strategies for winning back the House of Representatives. The conversation is candid, personal, and packed with practical political insights.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Lauren Harper Pope’s Background and Motivation

• Roots & Early Political Journey
  • Lauren grew up in South Carolina, attended the University of South Carolina, and briefly lived in Texas before returning home.

    “Texas was way too hot for me. So we came right back home shortly after we got married.” (02:36)

  • Her political path started unintentionally through public service and government internships.

    “I was like, do I want to just go make some company money or do I want to do something that I think is going to genuinely add value to the world around me? And I thought that public service would be the right way to do it." (03:37)

The Welcome PAC’s Mission & Research Approach

• Not a Third Party; a More Welcoming Democratic Party
  • Lauren stressed that the Welcome Party is not aiming to be a new third party, but rather to reform and broaden the Democratic coalition.

    “We are not Elon Musk trying to make some new party… we are trying to make a more welcoming Democratic Party.” (04:26)

• Data-Driven Candidate Recruitment
  • Welcome PAC prioritizes open primaries and focuses on reaching untapped, less ideological voters.
  • Their Congressional Competitive Index identifies the most winnable districts and neglected races. For example, CA-41 (Ken Calvert) and Lauren Boebert’s district.

    "Democrats are actually conceding democracy to these MAGA Republicans because they're not actually putting up a race against them.” (07:16)

• Aggressively Centrist Democrats
  • The PAC seeks “aggressively centrist” Democrats who can challenge deeply entrenched MAGA incumbents.

    "We're finding places that are opportunities for Democrats to truly compete and running what we call aggressively centrist Democrats against those Republicans." (09:20)

Building a Welcoming, Fun, and Empathetic Brand

• Rebranding the Democratic Party
  • The name ‘Welcome’ reflects their goal: making centrists, moderate Republicans, independents, and moderate Democrats feel at home.

    “Democrats are...the approval ratings in the gutter, and people perceive us as just this elitist, out of touch, unfun paw monitor party...when you think about a brand, you want someone who’s going to be like, I want to go to their tailgate." (10:12)

  • Focus on welcoming Democrats who feel alienated by progressive drift, especially conservative-leaning voters, people of color, and young voters.

Party Infrastructure and the Role of “Partisan Centrists”

• Staying in the Party to Influence It
  • Lauren argues for reforming parties from within rather than defecting to become independents.

    “If you stay within your party infrastructure, you're forcing the mechanisms of this party to take you seriously...” (13:25)

  • Quote from researcher Didi Kuo: Instead of leaving, be “an independent-minded person within a party” to add “flavor” and “robustness.” (12:40)

The Dangers of Ideological Purity Tests

• Purity Tests Alienate Potential Winners
  • Democratic infrastructure has defaulted to a “check a box” mentality, leading to a “Build-a-Bear party” that misses real voter connection.

    “You are checking all these boxes but completely missing the point...not actually able to relate to voters.” (16:59)

  • Welcome PAC does not use questionnaires or pledges, opting for authentic conversations with candidates—focusing on differentiation and genuine policy positions.

The “Depolarizer” Concept

• What Makes a Candidate a Depolarizer?
  • “Depolarizers” are politicians who can win over a spectrum of voters, often by breaking with their party to prioritize local, place-based issues. Example: Marie Gluesenkamp Perez voting with her district over national party lines.

    “Depolarizers are not always rewarded with, you know, fun hugs and kisses on Twitter… but they are rewarded by her getting reelected this past cycle.” (15:45)

Center-Left Faction-Building and Welcome Fest

• Welcome Fest & Building the Centrist Faction

  • Welcome PAC hosts “Welcome Fest,” a growing annual convention for centrist Democrats and their allies (Blue Dogs, New Dems, Third Way, etc.).

    “Welcome Fest was awesome… last year we had about 300 folks. This year we had 600 folks. And it was just incredible.” (22:48)

  • Focus on responsibility to win and sharing best practices for outperforming expectations, especially in swing and red-leaning districts.

• Moderates Overperform

  • Research presented at Welcome Fest shows moderate candidates consistently outperform the party baseline—sometimes more than progressives with higher media profiles.

    “If you look at the explicit data on overperformance, Janelle Stelson is actually a bigger overperformer than AOC… because she’s more moderate.” (23:54)

Reframing Messaging and Voter Perceptions

• Meeting Voters Where They Are
  • Democrats often have a messaging gap, with voter perceptions not matching actual party priorities. There’s a need to talk about what really matters, district by district.

    “Let’s just be genuinely authentic and let’s be with voters on the issues. Let’s care about what they care about.” (24:15)

  • Importance of reframing:

    “If someone doesn’t want to come to your table, tailgate, and associate with you, that’s a big problem.” (27:04)

Actionable Takeaways & Resources

• How to Learn More or Support Welcome PAC
  • Check out their Substack (welcomestack.org) and learn about the ‘Win the Middle’ slate—seven handpicked candidates for 2026 in competitive districts.

    “I always tell people, be the change that you want to see… don’t perpetuate bad habits." (26:32)

  • Drive for authenticity and “winning the middle,” not just running generic Democrats.

Closing: The Stakes for Democracy

• The Urgency of the Moment
  • Amy emphasizes the essential need to provide an electable, values-driven alternative to what she calls the anti-democratic drift of the GOP.
  • Lauren’s parting charge:

    “We must. If we care about this country the way we say we do, we must.” (28:58)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Branding the welcome PAC:

  “We want to be wanted. We want to be welcoming, we want to be empathetic and we want to be fun.” — Lauren Harper Pope (10:12)

• On being a “partisan centrist”:

  “Instead of becoming an independent, why don’t you become just a more independent-minded person within a party?...The party has more flavor, more robustness.” — Lauren Harper Pope referencing Didi Kuo (12:40)

• Why purity tests are harmful:

  “I call it like the Build-a-Bear party. Like, we’re literally just trying to build people who can check all these boxes… and you’re completely missing the point.” — Lauren Harper Pope (16:38)

• On depolarizers:

  “Depolarizers are not always rewarded with… fun hugs and kisses on Twitter… but they are rewarded by her getting reelected this past cycle.” — Lauren Harper Pope on Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (15:45)

• Call to action:

  “Be the change that you want to see…if you’re frustrated about something, don’t perpetuate bad habits.” — Lauren Harper Pope (26:37)

• The mission in a divided America:

  “If we care about this country the way we say we do, we must.” — Lauren Harper Pope (28:58)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Lauren’s political journey: 02:36 – 03:57
• Welcome PAC mission & research: 04:26 – 07:46
• Identifying competitive races & “conceding democracy”: 07:15 – 09:29
• Branding the “welcome” approach: 10:12 – 13:24
• Partisan centrism & party reform from within: 12:40 – 14:43
• Depolarizers explained & examples: 14:43 – 16:00
• Against purity tests & the case for authentic candidacies: 16:18 – 21:14
• Welcome Fest and building a centrist community: 21:32 – 24:15
• Reframing Democratic messaging: 24:33 – 25:14
• How to connect/support welcome PAC: 25:48 – 26:45
• Final call to action for democracy’s sake: 27:14 – 28:58

Episode Takeaways

• Centrism isn’t a compromise, it’s a strategy for majorities—and requires authentic, locally rooted candidates unafraid to buck their own party.
• Purity tests and rigid checklists are a losing strategy in swing and center-right districts.
• Democrats must rebrand themselves as relatable, fun, welcoming, and genuinely connected to local values and concerns.
• Protecting democracy will require building a bigger tent—one that includes moderates, independents, and even voters disillusioned by the current Republican trajectory.

For more information or to support the Welcome PAC: Visit welcomestack.org