Red County, Blue County, Orange County

Orange is the New Purple (Episode 1)

August 4, 2024

In this first episode, Mike talks to Jon Gould (Dean of the UC Irvine School of Social Ecology) about their work, their Orange County poll, and how politics has changed in Orange County.

Reagan Country (Episode 2)

August 11, 2024

In this episode, Mike talks to legendary political strategist Stu Spencer about how Orange County became Reagan Country.

Then he discusses the county’s changing political demographics with one of the best election forecasters, Dave Wasserman from the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter.

A Dangerous Proposition (Episode 3)

August 19, 2024

In this episode, Mike talks to Jean Pasco who covered local politics in the ‘80s and ‘90s for the Orange County Register and the Los Angeles Times about how California’s Prop 187 originated in Orange County.

Then he talks to L.A. Times columnist Gustavo Arellano about how the Mexican and Asian communities shaped county politics, and the change in political sorting from ethnic lines to ideological lines.

Age of Transformation (Episode 4)

August 25, 2024

In this episode, Mike talks to Jean Pasco who covered local politics in the ‘80s and ‘90s for the Orange County Register and the Los Angeles Times about how military base closures and enormous job losses at defense contractors upended the southern California economy.

Then he talks to former Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez about her victory over Bob Dornan.

He also talks to Dave Wasserman (Senior Editor & Elections Analyst for The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter) about what Sanchez’s victory meant for Orange County politics.

High Tech Anxiety (Episode 5)

September 1, 2024

In this episode, Mike talks to Jean Pasco who covered local politics in the ‘80s and ‘90s for the Orange County Register and the Los Angeles Times about how the influx of higher-skilled, college-educated tech workers made social issues as important as fiscal conservatism was in Orange County.

Then, he talks about how the business community in the county changed with former Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez.

He also spoke with LA Times Columnist Gustavo Arellano about the importance of building multicultural coalitions based on ideology and not on ethnic identity.

Collapse of the Orange Curtain (Episode 6)

September 8, 2024

In this episode, Mike talks to Democratic State Senator Tom Umberg and Republican Huntington Beach City Councilman Tony Strickland about where the county is right now.

Then, he hears from Los Angeles Times columnist Gustavo Arellano and TV host Christina Bich-Tram Le about the future of the county.

Next, he sits down with legendary political consultant Stu Spencer to discuss how the Republican party is in trouble.

Finally, he talks to John Gould, the Dean of the UC Irvine School of Social Ecology about how Orange County is a microcosm of political change happening in the rest of the country.