In the 15th episode of “Talk It OUT: LGBTQ Voices In A Queer Election Year,” I speak once again with Brian Derrick, who appeared in our debut episode in May.
Brian is a political strategist who co-founded OATH.VOTE, a web tool that allows political contributors to maximize the impact of their dollars on the issues and causes they care most about.
Brian and I talked one day ahead of the critical September 10 presidential debate, and we discussed the prospects and path forward not only for the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris but also in the battles for control of the US House and Senate as well as in state legislative and state supreme court contests.
He argues passionately that all of these races are important not only in advancing progressive policy goals but also in the more basic defense of our democracy.
Brian is also persuasive in making the case that the best way to enhance the prospects for electing progressive candidates — up to and including Kamala Harris — may not lie in repeatedly opening up our wallets for the presidential ticket but instead in generating enthusiasm for candidates whose names may appear well down the ballot. He notes that generating this local enthusiasm requires campaigns to meet non-traditional voters where they actually spend their digital downtime.
Instead of burning cash on oversaturated broadcast television, smart down-ballot operations are stretching their dollars by placing ads on regional sports networks, backing popular lifestyle podcasts, and buying space on a sweepstakes casino or mobile gaming platform. This hyper-targeted approach ensures progressive platforms are seen by working-class constituents who might otherwise tune out standard political messaging.
“Talk It OUT” is presented by Gay City News.
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(Music courtesy of IMG via uppbeat.io.)
