Nathan Lockwood, Managing Director of Rank the Vote, joins host T.J. O’Hara on Deconstructed to discuss how his team is helping grassroots initiatives pursue Ranked Choice Voting across the Nation. Rank the Vote is a national non-partisan organization dedicated to sharing strategies and tactics with activists at the state-level.

Mr. Lockwood is a Yale graduate who previously served as a statewide speaker and as the Communications Co-Lead for Voter Choice Massachusetts, the organization which helped launch the "Yes on 2" ballot campaign in that state.  He also was an executive board member of the Voter Choice Education Fund, member of Unite America, and an elected member of the Planning Board for the Town of Lunenburg, Massachusetts.  As such, he has a deep understanding of what it takes to successfully promote political programs.

Nathan explains the advantages he sees in Ranked Choice Voting over the current system.  He shares his experience in marshalling resources, managing fundraising, and gaining the endorsements of high-ranking officials to either pass legislation or drive ballot initiatives.  He also tells T.J. what works and what doesn’t when it comes to an initiative like Ranked Choice Voting.

If you struggle with what has become a two-party system that often leads you to decide between “the lesser of two evils,” listen to this interview.  It will provide you with a potential avenue to pursue in your own state to try to improve our election process.

Rank the Vote: Helping States Overcome ‘The Lesser of Two Evils’

Ben Sheehan joins host T.J. O’Hara on Deconstructed to discuss his new book, OMG WTF Does the Constitution Actually Say? – A Non-Boring Guide to How Our Democracy is Supposed to Work.  You may think you know the origins of the “OMG WTF” acronyms, but you will have to listen to the interview to determine whether your assumptions are correct.

Mr. Sheehan is a Funny or Die alumnus and an award-winning executive producer who has spent his career creating innovative and entertaining content in an effort to make politics more accessible.  In 2016, he was Executive Director of the Save the Day PAC that used videos to register 50,000 young voters, and his various projects have received over a billion views.

Mr. Sheehan discusses the importance of the “Preamble” with T.J. and provides an easy-to-understand overview of the first three Articles of the Constitution.  In addition, he reviews some of the more salient elements of the Bill of Rights, including the Reconstruction Amendments (the 13th, 14th, and 15th) and the 19th Amendment.
Ben and T.J. even discuss the presidential election of 1876, which is perhaps the most consequential election in our Nation’s history.  If you do not know why, you need to listen to the podcast.

Mr. Sheehan also shares insights into certain nuances of the Constitution as well as some of the “weird” subjects that it covers.  It is a great primer on the Constitution at a time during which the teaching of Civics has gone by the wayside.

Even if you think you know the Constitution, you are likely to gain additional insights from Mr. Sheehan’s book. If, like over 60 percent of our population, you lack an understanding about how our Government is actually supposed to work, Mr. Sheehan’s entertaining and straight-forward book can help close the gap… and his interview with T.J. is an excellent starting point.

‘OMG WTF Does the Constitution ACTUALLY Say?’

Kenneth C. Davis joins host T. J. O’Hara on Deconstructed to talk about his new book, Strongman: The Rise of Five Dictators and the Fall of Democracy. Mr. Davis is a renowned historian and also the author of Don't Know Much About History, which spent 35 consecutive weeks on The New York Times bestseller list and gave rise to the expansive Don't Know Much About-series of books and audios. His books are well-researched and extremely informative.

Mr. Davis discusses the origins of democracy before exploring how dictators like Benito Mussolini, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, and Saddam Hussein have trampled on human rights in their quests to secure and expand their power. He provides an overview of each of these individuals, including the millions of people who died under their reigns.

Mr. Davis provides insight into what characteristics these individuals shared and what common “tools” they deployed to gain and hold power. 
He draws certain parallels with respect to world leaders who share some of these traits today. T. J. also questions Mr. Davis about how some of the same characteristics and tactics could be used to describe what we are seeing at the party-level these days.

Mr. Davis shares why he thinks the United States has been protected from such tyrants to date. He also warns that those same protections may not hold in the future.

Listen to discussion and form your own conclusions. Do any current leaders pose a threat at this historic level?  Are political parties using some of the same tactics to control power?  The exercise is both interesting and a little frightening.

Dictators Who Have Ruled in the Past – Is It Happening Again?

The Honorable David M. Walker joins T. J. O’Hara on Deconstructed to discuss his latest book: America in 2040: Still a Superpower? A Pathway to Success. Mr. Walker is a distinguished professor at the United States Naval Academy and the former Comptroller General of the United States and CEO of the United States Government Accountability Office under Presidents Clinton and Bush (#43).

Mr. Walker book explores the current trajectory of the United States in comparison to China, India, and other emerging powers. Over the next 20 years, will our Nation retain its position as the world’s only superpower, or will it be joined (and even passed) by other countries?  He shares his opinion of what will happen if nothing changes as compared to what may happen if the United States evolvers in certain ways.

Mr. Walker also provides advice to the whomever will be serving as President of the United States during the next four years; citing three critical issues that will need to be addressed.  He discusses the reality of taxation proposals and the addiction to spending that is dramatically expanding our Nation’s debt.  COVID-19 only exacerbates the problem.

Then, T.J. queries Mr. Walker on a variety of issues including trade, energy, defense, and personal financial security.  The two then discuss what economic and political recommendations should be considered to our nation’s future.

Mr. Walker’s book poses a serious question:  Will the United States still be a superpower in 2040?  If not, why not?  If so, what will it take to assure that it maintains that status.  Listen to the show to find out and read Mr. Walker’s book to get the details.

America in 2040: Still a Superpower?

Christina Tobin and Eli Beckerman join host T. J. O’Hara on Deconstructed to discuss presidential debates. The Commission on Presidential Debates (the “CPD”) has catered to establishment candidates for decades, denying the electorate of an exposure to legitimate alternative choices. As a result, we have often been given a choice between “the lesser of two evils.” Christina Tobin and Eli Beckerman and their two organizations are trying to change that.

Ms. Tobin is an activist and leader in the election reform and voters’ rights movements. She is the Founder of The Free & Equal Elections Foundation, a non-profit organization with a mission to open the electoral process through education and collaborative action.

Mr. Beckerman is a strategic thinker, organizer, and communications professional who has worked with the Green and Libertarian Parties as well as political independents in the past. He is the founder and director of Open the Debates, whose mission is to open the political debates of our Nation to all ballot-qualified candidates, at every level of government.

Ms. Tobin’s and Mr. Beckerman’s organizations combined to offer three open presidential debates during the 2020 election cycle that attracted candidates from a wide variety of Parties. One of the debates was hosted during the primary cycle while the other two fell closer to the date of the general election.

Ms. Tobin and Mr. Beckerman examine how important it is to explore serious issues from a diverse range of positions. They discuss the role that presidential debates should play versus the choreographed role the CPD orchestrates to secure the status quo for the Democrat and Republican Parties. They also talk about how their non-traditional forum has evolved over the years and what changes they see on the horizon.  How will blockchain technology enter into the equation?  Will cryptocurrency play a role in addressing the massive monetary advantage the CPD enjoys? Will “We the People” ever enjoy real debates rather than increasingly embarrassing debacles the CPD has offered?  Listen to Deconstructed to learn how presidential debates may evolve.  Hopefully, we will find a way to embrace political diversity before our Nation’s 250th birthday in 2026.

Presidential Debates: Ineffective or Informative?

Chad Peace and Scott Greytak join T.J. O’Hara on Deconstructed to examine whether we should stick with the Electoral College, shift to a straight democratic vote, or entertain the consideration of something in-between.

Mr. Peace is the founder and president of IVC Media LLC and a nationally-recognized leader in election law and voter rights. Mr. Greytak is an anti-corruption attorney who is the Advocacy Director for the United States Office of Transparency International -- the oldest and largest anti-corruption coalition in the world. Together, they discuss the history of the Electoral College, the pros and cons of retaining it, and what needs to be done if changes are to be made.

Most recently in the 2000 and 2016 elections, the winner of the popular vote for President lost to the winner of the Electoral College (as is dictated by law). This has only happened three other times in history (1824, 1876, and 1888). However, it has been the topic of ongoing debate for several decades.

The challenge to the Electoral College seems to be intuitive: One person, one vote. Yet, there are issues with defaulting to a popular vote as well. Messrs. Peace and Greytak do an excellent job of explaining the nuances behind the debate.

Correspondingly, the Electoral College is embedded in the Constitution. Extracting and replacing it is a complicated process and requires the ability to meet a very high threshold. Are the arguments against the Electoral College sound enough to pass a constitutional Amendment? Are there weaknesses with using the popular vote as well? Are the parties polarized on the issue because of partisan preferences?   

Listen to Chad Peace and Scott Greytak examine the issue with T.J. O’Hara… and then, form your own opinion.

The Electoral College: An ‘Educated’ Discussion of its Pros and Cons

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