What A Day - Take It Espy

Episode Date: October 1, 2020

Former Congressman and Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy is running for Senate in Mississippi, hoping to be the first Democrat to represent the state in the Senate in over thirty years. He’s nearly tied with his opponent, incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde Smith, who’s previously joked about “public hangings” and held up the legacy of Confederate soldiers.We talk to him about his race, Trump’s refusal to renounce White supremacists, the Supreme Court, and how the pandemic is impacting Mississippians.And in headlines: California establishes path to reparations for slavery, fires in Brazil’s tropical wetlands, and Trump’s White House gives the go-ahead to cruise ships.Show links:votesaveamerica.com/getmitch

it's thursday october 1st i'm akilah hughes and i'm gideon raznik and this is what a day where we are kicking off the month by making this entire episode pumpkin flavored yeah gideon doesn't want to say this but he wanted to be candy corn and we vetoed him um yeah next time i'm winning out uh come around here on halloween and see what's up it's gonna be candy corn all freaking day. On today's show, a conversation with Mississippi Democratic Senate candidate Mike Espy, then some headlines. But first, the latest. He said that he believes that all black people think the same.

And he said, if you're not voting for him and you're black, then you ain't black. I'm not Chris Wallace. Thank you, Tim. Appreciate it. Thank you so much. President Trump refused to condemn them during the debate. Okay. So that was CNN's Jake Tapper booting Trump's campaign communication director, Tim Murtaugh, from his show after he tried to spin Trump's lack of condemnation for white supremacy at that debate we're all trying to forget from earlier this week. It's pretty, pretty gangsta. Yeah, didn't do a great job being communications director there, in my opinion, but nope. Well, on to our topic today. So a lot of the conversation specifically in recent days has naturally been about the presidential

election. But as evidenced by President Trump's ability to ram through judges, potentially including a third Supreme Court nominee, the Senate is extremely important too. And there are tons of winnable races for the Democrats this year, including in Maine, Colorado, and North Carolina. But another race that might be flying a little bit under the radar is the Senate seat in Mississippi. That's right. So the Democratic candidate in that race is Mike Espy. He's a former congressman and was actually the first black congressman to represent Mississippi since Reconstruction. He also was Secretary of Agriculture under President Clinton, and now he's running against Republican incumbent Senator Cindy Hyde Smith. In 2018, Espy also ran against her in a special election where the runoff oddly took

place at the end of November. And while Espy lost that race, he got over 46% of the vote, marking one of the closest Senate races in the state in years. Leading up to that election, Democrats thought that it was a winnable race in part because Hyde-Smith made a number of disgusting remarks, including a joke about a, quote, public hanging in a state with a dark history of racist violence and lynchings. Yeah, I wish that racism was less popular too. But historically, the South has been scapegoated as the most racist place in

the country. But things are obviously changing with a younger generation finally getting the chance to make their voices heard and vote. So with Espy's race, while the polling has been spotty, a recent poll showed him almost even with Hyde-Smith. Also, his fundraising has shot way up since the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and he recently got endorsements from Democratic nominee Joe Biden and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley. We spoke to him yesterday about how COVID-19 has impacted his state, which is currently seeing an uptick after a much bigger one this summer, as well as the Supreme Court and how he hopes to bring Mississippi together. Here's our conversation. Secretary Espy, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us today.

Glad to be with you this morning. Thank you. So Mississippi hasn't had a Democrat in the U.S. Senate in over 30 years, and you started off this race behind, but a recent poll shows you within just about 1% of your opponent. Where do you think that that support is coming from right now? And do you think that you've gotten enough support from the Democratic Party on a national level helping you here? Really good question. So thank you very much for both of you, and thanks for having me. I'm going to answer that first question with a quote from Reverend Barber. You know, Reverend Barber with the Poor People's Campaign? He said to me, I was on a Zoom call with him recently, and he said,

Mike, Mississippi is not so much red as it is unorganized. So what it means is that had there been investment in this state, you know, in data development and researching and getting candidates to run for office, I mean, we would have had much, much more recent progress in Mississippi when it comes to Democrats and progressive candidates in office and running for office. So I ran 18 months ago for the U.S. Senate in the same race against the same incumbent, you know, for a special election. And we only had six months to run. We were the last race in the entire country. And we still, although we had to announce our candidacy, stage a campaign, find the staff, train the staff, build the money,

we got 47% of the vote, 47% of the vote. So we have more black voters per capita in Mississippi than any state in the nation. So let's start with that. In order to win this time, we had to build a track for our locomotive to run, build a runway for our plane to take off, and build a bridge so I could cross it. It was behind me. So we have built it now because I didn't stop running once I lost last time. So we've got something amazing here built. And what we have to do is continue to build the largest, highest, deepest, most robust coalition in Mississippi's

history to get out of vote here in about five weeks. So we're creating that coalition that we need. And so I think as for a confluence of factors, there's a reason why. First of all, George Floyd's murder shocked the conscience and it let all the young people know it's OK to be angry. It's OK to protest. But let's cause let's morph the anger and the protests until maybe even something long lasting. Go ahead and elect someone who not only looks like you, but who understands systemic racism in America. And you don't have to talk so much about police misconduct. Whoever you elect already knows that exists. And let's just work to solve it. And then we had the Mississippi flag, which is had that Confederate emblem on it. That was taken down in about, I'm going to say two months over this summer. I'm 66. I never thought that flag was coming down. And so that thing came down and that just shows that people now want a leader to represent

the Mississippi that's going now into the third decade of the 21st century. And then the last element, and I'll stop and answer your other question, is, of course, the unfortunate death of Judge Ginsburg. And that showed everybody around the nation, all races are in play. All races deserve notice. Mississippi, with its, you know, ugly past can be lifted with more infrastructure, like Reverend Barber said, give us revenue and we can pull out the greatest black voter turnout in Mississippi's history. And we can elect someone that's going to protect

the Affordable Care Act that can make sure we have Medicaid expansion. For sure. Yeah. I mean, health care has been a really huge part of your campaign this year, in particular, expanding Medicaid for Mississippi. So can you talk a little bit about why that's so important, especially in your state? It's important in our campaign because you're right, Akilah, it's the number one issue in our state. Even now during the pandemic, I mean, we're a small state with just about 3 million people, but now we've got 3,000 of those folks dead. 90,000, almost 100,000 have been infected. And of course, in almost every other state, there's a disproportionate impact on African-American. So what we have to do is lift up the bottom third of our economic strata in education, in job opportunities, and in health care. The reason we're so low,

the reason we're number 50 and last, and people are so tired of being last, is because that bottom one third is so low. So we just lifted, We lifted portions of Mississippi from 50 up to, you know, within midpoint. So we have to do it first with health care because everything leads from health care. If you're sick, you can't learn. If you're sick, you can't work. And if you're sick, you have to be able to pay your bills. So we're one of 13 states without Medicaid expansion. All we have to do is just go and, and this is a legislative prerogative, a state prerogative. But as a federal legislator, I can say I'm going to be the healthcare senator. I want to prod our legislature to do what Oklahoma and Missouri, what they've already done. So that's the number one issue

in the campaign because it's the number one issue in the campaign, because it's the number one issue in Mississippi. We know how to do it. It's already there. It's called the ACA. We've got to protect it. I'm going to do that. For sure. And on another issue, you mentioned Justice Ginsburg. So I wanted to ask you about the Supreme Court briefly. Some of your potential Democratic colleagues in the Senate are meeting with Trump's Supreme Court nominee and are speaking out about the timing of it being so close to the election. How would you treat this entire situation?

I think what they're doing is sad. I think what Mitch McConnell and the Republican senators are doing is really, really unfortunate because it disrespects the American people. I mean, we've got an election here in five weeks. And here in Mississippi, a state that I care about, the voting, this voting's already started. So I really think, and I have been saying, and I'm emphatic about this, I think that we're just five weeks out.

So we can wait until we get a new president named, a new president elected. Then that president ought to nominate his person for this important lifetime position. And then we'll have a new Senate and hopefully I'll be a part of it. And then we can confirm that Supreme Court nominee. So they're just ramming it through. It is a direct risk to the issue. We just spoke about health

care because of November 10th. This is the appeal of of Obamacare and of the ACA. And I want to be there. But that's why they ran it through. They want to repeal Obamacare, repeal ACA, repeal coverage for pre-existing conditions, and affect in Mississippi 600,000 of those who have pre-existing illnesses and 500,000 already who enjoy coverage from the ACA. And it's wrong. Yeah. So we're in the middle of a week where we had our first presidential debate with just, you know, the final two nominees. And I'm sure you've seen that Donald Trump refused to condemn white supremacy in the debate. And he and his campaign have, you know, I would say attempted to clean it up since, but that doesn't mean that they've

outright said, like, we've changed our position and we denounce it. So, you know, the senator you're hoping to unseat in Mississippi has said some heinous, racist comments in the past. Obviously, this is a different kind of election year than any in my lifetime for many people in memory at all. And with the president refusing to rebuke white nationalism, which obviously should be disqualifying in the year 2020, how can we as a country move forward even after November? Great question. Great question. Well, I watched that debate last night, as you did, obviously, and I was shocked. But, you know, this is the same president that called the African continent full of its own countries.

And I demean women and immigrants and all of that. So we know that he's doing all this for a reason. He's trying to stir up the culture wars here in America. And it's wrong. I mean, we need a president as a figure of a nation that's unifying and that just pulls everybody together. And that's why I'm so happy here in Mississippi

that we took down that flag. I mean, that flag was reminiscent of a day when one human being could own another human being. And yet it's still flying for 163 years. I'm running against a senator who in 2014 now was a statewide official. She was commissioner of agriculture, just as I was U.S. secretary of agriculture.

She went to the Jefferson Davis Museum. She went there. She tried on the Little Rebel cap with that star in the middle. She tried on the waistcoat. She held a Confederate era rifle. Now let me stop and say, if you want to go to the museum of whatever ilk, that's fine. The Mississippi flag is now in a museum. If you want to see it, go to the Civil Rights Museum. That's where it belongs. But then when she left the museum, she said this was the best of Mississippi's history. She said that. We have a senator who said 2014 that that was the best Mississippi's history. Not 1914.

She said it 2014. So I tell you, it is not a person who should represent Mississippi going into the third decade of the 21st century. No. She's holding us back. That's why all the young folks age 35 and below are for me.

That's why all the Black Lives Matter folks are for me. That's why the the young folks age 35 and below are for me. That's why all the Black Lives Matter folks are for me. That's why the openly mobile, better educated, those that make up that 20% there for us, because they know I'm going to represent everybody. You know, Fannie Lou Hamer lived and died for the right to vote. I spoke this weekend in the Vernon Damer Park, Hattiesburg, Mississippi. You know, Vernon Damer was firebombed just for exhorting others to vote. I believe they died for a new flag. They died for open voting.

They died against voter suppression. And so I am somebody that wants everyone to vote, everyone to feel like they're living on a welcoming symbol, and everyone to just unify. And so I would say, in answer to your last question, we just need people who don't believe in divisiveness. That was Mike Espy, who's running for Senate in Mississippi. If you want to donate to him and other competitive Democratic Senate candidates, head over to votesaveamerica.com slash givemitch. It's Thursday, WOD Squad.

And for today's Temp Check, we're taking a break from our stressful Supreme Court to discuss a more pleasant Supreme Court in Ireland. On Tuesday, the court ruled against Subway, finding that Subway sandwiches contain too much sugar to be considered bread. That means Subway isn't liable for a tax exemption, which would have applied to payments that they made 15 years ago. Some legal battles are honestly just worth the wait. So Giddy, this is a major debate, and we're both glad it's settled. Separately, though, what are you ordering on your sweet bread at Subway? My sweet bread, first of all, is Italian herb and cheese.

That's how you start. Then you do footlong sweet onion chicken teriyaki. You hit it with some pepper jack if you really wanted to get a little spicy. Maybe not before you're meeting somebody for the first time because you can't have that breath combination. And then I'm getting

like, you know, pickles. I don't really think lettuce maybe some jalapenos banana peppers it just depends on the spicy level for the day and you know what you've eaten before and what you might eat after and who you might speak to after i mean that's what's up i mean do you do you also get like the snacks at the end you get like a chips or a cookie i don't go chips but i probably lean more cookie if i'm gonna get a snack but i don't remember i don't i chips, but I probably lean more cookie if I'm going to get a snack. But I don't remember. I haven't been in a long time, so I don't remember if you get one or the other.

But the chips is just like, do you need Lay's from Subway? Some people might. I mean, maybe you were going to crumble them on your sandwich. But I think that that's a pretty strong order. And I do think that, I don't know, I'm a little split on the bread, but I'll get to mine when you ask me about it. Okay. So you're not, Italian urban cheese is sort of like, whatever. At that point, you're layering too many flavors on top of flavors. Yeah. You're not tasting that in the bread. Right. It's more, it's more of just like a,

huh, interesting. What if, what if one bite is mostly bread? That could be fun. But so what, what, what is your proverbial order here? All right, so I have several orders, and they have changed over time. Currently, I have none because I don't leave my house ever. But back when I was into Subway, I really liked that honey oat bread. Oh. And this could be an unpopular opinion. I like the tuna salad.

So I like to put that tuna salad with mayonnaise on top. I don't even care that it's additional mayonnaise. We like to have it a little goopy. I like some provolone, tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, pickles, the yellow little banana peppers. And I like to put additional oil, salt, and pepper. So, like, I'm really trying to come out of there with no arteries left. And I get the cookie. I like the full, like, double chocolate on chocolate, like the chocolate with the white chocolate chips. And you know, they have these

baked, um, I feel like they're Doritos. Maybe they're not actually Doritos, but they look like baked Doritos. And I just go ham and I smell like absolute ass and I don't make out with anybody, but I am satiated. And I think that that's all that matters. When was the last time you would say that you had that exact order that you just described? 2005. Okay. So in my defense, I didn't live near a subway for most of my time in New York. And also when you live in New York, you just, you don't need a subway. You're not really going to subway. Um, so not to like, get us too off track here, but if the last time you had that was 15 years ago, do you know that you still actually like that order? Oh, I know I do. I still crave it. I mean, there are times that I'm like, if I could just get some of that very specific tuna salad,

because they don't use a lot of red onions in every other grocery store that makes their own tuna salad goes high M and cheese on the onions. And I'm like, just like a light dusting of onion is enough because the tuna stinks enough. So yeah, I could, I could go for it now. I don't get the bread toasted though. Unpopular opinion. Interesting. Okay. I'm with you on some of this. I'm not with you on the tuna salad. I am with you on the fact that it's good to have flavorful sandwiches and you know, fuck to the smell is what I say. You're going to gonna stink anyway you're in a subway you're gonna smell like the bread at least so you know make yourself stinky when you're out of there have fun exactly that's the whole point of eating well just like that we have checked our temps

everybody stay safe I hope you can put a ton of stuff on your sandwich and not have it explode all over the bag and we will be back with another tip check tomorrow. Let's wrap up with some headlines. Headlines. California became the first state in the country to pass a law developing proposals for reparations for slavery yesterday. The law creates a task force that will work to determine things like who will be eligible to receive compensation and what the reparations will be. The lawmaker behind the bill, Assemblymember Shirley Weber of San Diego, said it's still the federal government's job to provide reparations, that this new law is no replacement for that. A second bill of Weber's

was also signed by the governor yesterday. It aims to fight racism in our legal system by making it harder for prosecutors to exclude black citizens from jury panels. That law is set to take effect for criminal cases in 2022 and civil cases in 2026. This country. All right. Well, fires inside the world's largest tropical wetlands continue to burn and destroy its vast ecosystem. The Pantanal in Brazil is home to indigenous communities and a high number of rare and endangered species of animals. Heavy rains would normally help put out the fires, but due to climate change, the area is experiencing its worst drought in 47 years. So far, nearly 8 million acres of land have been burned, which is twice the size of the area burned by California's fires. Many blame Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro for rarely implementing any environmental protections and blocking funding for fire prevention. Bolsonaro has said he sent hundreds of government agents to assist with the fires, but locals and firefighters say these claims are

greatly exaggerated. Scientists fear that these record-breaking fires will permanently alter the Pantanal's already fragile ecosystem. Deeply depressing. Next in problems we have absolutely no time for, over 100,000 defective absentee ballots were sent out to voters in New York City. The city's board of elections announced a plan to print nearly 100,000 corrected ballots and mail them out to voters on Tuesday, but not before getting a serious talking to from their two disappointed and warring dads, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo. De Blasio said, quote, I don't know how many times we're going to see this same thing happen at the Board of Elections and be surprised,

while Cuomo's secretary said, quote, to say that we're troubled by this is the understatement of the year. That is a very tense family dinner. I'm sorry, New York City Board of Elections, but you are so stinking grounded. Trump has already tried to use the situation in New York for his political gain, suggesting that the faulty ballots will lead to fraud. In fact, the way the ballot return envelopes are coded makes voting twice with a second ballot nearly impossible. The beautiful voters keep getting bigger, guys. The White House blocked an order from the CDC that would have kept cruise ships from sailing until mid-February in a move that should appease the powerful tourism industry in the swing state of Florida. An extension of the current no-sail policy was supported by CDC Director Dr. Robert R. Redfield, who said that

cruises could become super spreader events again like they were at the start of the pandemic. And that didn't resonate with Trump's coronavirus task force, who in this case were more convinced by doctors that suggested putting the lime in the coconut and drinking them both up. Cruise lines have taken a big economic hit from the virus. No surprise. And recently, industry lobbyists and Republican politicians in Florida have been calling on the federal government to let them resume business. With this latest development, ships can set sail the day after Halloween so that passengers can finally find out what's scarier, Frankenstein and Dracula or living in a floating hotel with every person who's gone viral for a mass tantrum at Sam's Club. Trump's ability to make all aquatic activities political is still really shocking.

In case you were wondering, kayaks, canoes and some river rafts remain blue state watercraft. Yeah, canoes are DSA for sure. And those are the headlines. That's all for today. If you liked the show, make sure you subscribe, leave a review, don't have a mass tantrum, man, and tell your friends to listen. And if you're into reading and not just the sugar contents of sweet deli bread like me, what a day is also a nightly newsletter. Check it out and subscribe at crooked.com slash subscribe.

I'm Akilah Hughes. I'm Gideon Resnick. And have fun on your kayak, canoe, or river raft. Don't get too wet. Yeah, don't tip over either. You know, that would just be dangerous. What a Day is a production of Crooked Media. It's recorded and mixed by Charlotte Landis.

Sonia Tun is our assistant producer. Our head writer is John Milstein and our executive producers are Katie Long, Akilah Hughes, and me. Our theme music is by Colin Gilliard and Kashaka.