
I’m Amy McDonald, and I am on the hunt for the next generation of leaders, both in the ballot boxes and the teams behind them. On The Foolish Optimist, you’ll find interviews with candidates running for office in the 2025 and 2026 elections and beyond. But we also speak with civilians working behind the scenes to make elections go. You’ll find tidbits on how to communicate effectively, how neurosc... more
| Publishes | Twice weekly | Episodes | 61 | Founded | 10 months ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | PoliticsNewsCareersBusiness | |||

Bri Woodson on Running for GA-12, Rural Affordability, Mental Health Policy, and Fighting the “Old Guard”
Follow Bri's Campaign at www.briwoodsonforcongress.com/.
Download the Civic App in the Apple or Google Store
Support our podcast on ve... more
Independent Candidate Christopher Ajluni on Ballot Barriers, Dark Money, and Common-Sense Reform in Arizona CD1
Host Amy McDonald speaks with Christopher Ajluni, an independent candidate for Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, about the hurdles in... more
Jeromie Whalen on Running for Congress in MA-01: Medicare for All, Abolish ICE, AI Misinformation, and People-Powered Politics
On the Foolish Optimist podcast, host Amy McDonald interviews Jeromie Whalen, a former teacher running for Massachusetts’... more
Dr. Melissa Bird on Running for Oregon’s 4th: Rural Outreach, Closed Primaries, and Building Bold Change
Follow Melissa Bird's campaign at MelissaBirdForCongress.com.
Download the Civic App in the apple app store or google play store.
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Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
| Listeners per Episode | Gender Skew | Location | |||
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| Interests | Professions | Age Range | |||
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These podcasts share a similar audience with The Foolish Optimist:
1. The Joy Reid Show
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3. The Rachel Maddow Show
4. The Daily
5. Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
The Foolish Optimist launched 10 months ago and published 61 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
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