Gen Z

Gen Z is at a political crossroads, and the battle for their votes is intensifying. In this episode Rick speaks with Gen Z political commentator Dash Dobrofsky to discuss the shifting political landscape among young voters. Dash shares his journey into political activism, the impact of social media on shaping narratives, and the growing influence of right-wing messaging on Gen Z—particularly young men. They dive into economic frustrations, media strategies, and the urgent need for Democrats to improve their branding and messaging. With insights on the future of digital political engagement and the 2028 election, this conversation sheds light on the evolving battle for young voters' attention and trust.

Yeah, hate and Donald Trump won. Hope and Kamala Harris lost, but that's not the end of America's story. It’s time to get to work earning the hearts, heads and trust of Gen Z by talking to them now - not just before the next election. The good news? It was a perception election we have the power to shift those perceptions. Maya's guest Victor Shi has a lot of good news and hope that you won't want to miss!

In Chapter 11, set in November in Tallahassee, fictional Florida, Governor Buck Bryce confidently addresses the press regarding Hurricane Timothy, initially predicted to be a manageable Category 1 storm. However, the hurricane unexpectedly strengthens to a devastating Category 4 upon landfall, causing widespread destruction and significant loss of life. The governor, previously assured by Washington that all preparations were sufficient, is confronted with the reality of inadequate storm forecasting due to recent cuts to federal meteorological services as proposed by Project 2025. As emergency response efforts falter, Bryce grapples with the new federal policies under Trump that make it difficult to declare emergencies and provide immediate assistance to affected businesses and citizens. The narrative highlights the consequences of disregarding climate science and federal data, resulting in death and destruction As always, the series author, David Pepper ties the fiction to the facts in Project 2025 and Trump’s own words. We'd like to thank all the artists who volunteered their time to make this episode: Mark Ruffalo who read the chapter and others who contributed character voices. Sound design by Jonathan Moser. Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal is written by David Pepper and produced by Pepper, Melissa Jo Peltier and Jay Feldman and is a production of Ovington Avenue Productions and The Bill Press Pod.

The gloves came off as host Maya May, viral video sensation, and parent of Gen Z’ers, Kristen Toomey, and expert on Gen Z voters and founder and executive director of Voters of Tomorrow, Santiago Mayer discussed “WTF is happening with Gen Z male voters supporting Trump?” What’s the appeal of hypermasculinity and the influencers who push it? Is comedy the answer to bringing them back before we lose an important segment of the electorate for good? Catch up now!

Mark Jacob writes, "Instead of carping about TikTok, news outlets need to fix themselves".

Gen Z is all in for Kamala! That was the message from Santiago Mayer, founder of Voters of Tomorrow. With VP Harris at the top of the ticket, Gen Z voters are tuned-in and flooding to volunteer to get her elected. Has the mood of young voters changed? For sure. Does that guarantee a win? It increases the chances, but there are no guarantees. And, as Santiago points out, the right is decades and billions of dollars ahead of Democrats and sane centrists in building the political infrastructure to create a strong, educated, active, voting base. We've all got our work to do!

Rick Wilson interviews Congressman Ro Khanna, who represents Silicon Valley, on a range of critical topics. They discuss the tech industry’s support for Donald Trump, America’s and Congress’s readiness for artificial general intelligence (AGI), the necessity of antitrust regulation in Silicon Valley, the future of TikTok, and the impact of disinformation on politics.

Rick Wilson speaks with Lauren Kunis, the Executive Director of VoteRiders, a national nonpartisan organization dedicated to voting rights. VoteRiders focuses on voter ID assistance, offering free direct help to eligible voters and running voter education programs across the country. With 38 states now enforcing voter ID laws, these regulations disproportionately impact underrepresented groups, including young people, Black and Hispanic voters, low-income individuals, and those with disabilities. VoteRiders aims to ensure that voter ID laws do not disenfranchise eligible voters and that everyone has access to the ballot box.

On this episode of the LP Podcast, host Rick Wilson talks to Kwame Jackson and Jason Palmer of Together! PAC, which is a common sense movement that aims to engage young people in politics in a more impactful and honest way. From posting six-second, attention-span-friendly ads on TikTok to collaborating with gaming influencers on Twitch, Together! PAC provides a platform for young people to communicate, raises money for causes impacting our country's youth, and implements a blueprint for gen-z to actively participate in their political future.

From Brian Daitzman: "Economic inequality, gun accessibility, and gun violence are deeply intertwined in contemporary society. High inequality and easy access to firearms, whether legal or illegal, significantly contribute to gun violence."

David Pepper looks at the mafia-impersonating letter from Ohio AG Dave Yost to higher education leaders, in which he isues warnings of potential federal law violations, criminal penalties for universities and colleges in Ohio, and menacingly advising them to "act wisely."

Juliet explores FOX's lack of coverage of the ongoing Trump trial and full attention given to the presence of protesters on college campuses.

After comparing his most recent poll to past Harvard Youth polls, John Della Volpe writes ," I was honestly surprised by what I found — and it made me reconsider whether I am thinking about the Biden/Trump campaign the right way."

John Della Volpe breaks down the 47th Harvard Youth Poll: "The students were curious about the state of the 2024 campaign, but we also dug deep into important issues like Israel/Gaza, immigration, institutional trust, culture wars, mental health, along with typology and attitudes about voting and politics."

David Pepper found out this week that the bizarro reaction from "blue checks" on Twitter doesn't mean sea levels aren't rising, but does confirm that the swamp of right-wing disinformation and conspiracies on the social media platform is rising even faster. And yes, we know His Imperial Weirdness changed the name to X, but we're not calling it that because even wackadoodle-billionaire-fascist-huggers can't always get what they want.

A deep-dive into John Della Volpe's recent polling on an issue that could go a long way in deciding the outcome of the election.

Concerned about where Gen Z voters are in 2024? We all should be and that's what Joe Trippi and special guest John Della Volpe got into last night. John is the head of polling at Harvard's Institute of Politics and wrote "Fight: How Gen Z Is Channeling Their Fear and Passion to Save America" and breaks down what he's seeing in focus groups and polls. Essential watching.

This week on The Enemies List, Rick is joined by author Brad Meltzer to discuss his children's book series "Ordinary People Change the World," marking its 10th anniversary. Together, they speak to the importance of providing young readers with real role models through stories of historical figures like Amelia Earhart, Abraham Lincoln, Mr. Rogers, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Given the massive disconnect between what the pundits and polls predict and what has happened through 2023, Democrats have no reason to be discouraged this time around. Republicans? If they're not worried yet, they should be.

On this episode of The Enemies List, Rick is joined by Scott Galloway. Together, they discuss many of the issues in modern society such as young people not earning as much as their parents, young men lacking substantive role models, the monopolization and dangers of social media, and what TikTok means for business globally.