Venture Approaches Against Fascism

Hi Everyone and Welcome Back!

This week on The Nick Halaris Show we are featuring Dmitri Mehlhorn, the Founder and Executive Director of Oakland Corps, an organization dedicated to standing in solidarity with Oakland-born Kamala Harris. Dmitri is a prominent Democratic donor and strategist. Previously, he served as co-founder of Investing in US, a novel group that has deployed venture capital principles to political investing. 

Ready to dive in? Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube or on your favorite podcast platform.

I wanted to have Dmitri on the show to learn more about the emerging new field of political investing and get his insider’s take on just how serious we should take the threats to our democracy. As you’ll see in the episode, Dmitri thinks we have a ton of reasons to be concerned but remains optimistic that the fight for freedom can be won. Whether you agree with Dmitri or not, this a must-listen episode for understanding the true nature of big money politics in America. 

Tune-in to this fascinating episode to learn:

• The surprising role that Dmitri played in the evolution of Profit+ and the Nick Halaris Show

• How it is even possible for someone to be an undecided voter in today’s polarized landscape

• Why the urban youth vote in 7 swing states will probably determine the outcome of the Presidential election

• What political investing is and how applying venture capital principles to it has made such a big difference for the Democratic party

• The historical origins of the urban versus rural divide and why we shouldn’t discount the notion that the tech and finance elite are actively pursuing oligarchical control/influence

  &

•  Much, much more

Stay tuned to the end to learn how Dmitri is finding courageous voices from unexpected places to help the Harris campaign and to hear why a famous scene from “The Dark Knight Rises”—which has already featured once before on the podcast!—is relevant to the current political moment.

As always, I hope you all enjoy this episode. Thanks for tuning in! 

Love this episode? Please rate, subscribe, and review on your favorite podcast platform to help more users find our show. 🙏 Thank you

Summary

In this conversation, Nick Halaris and Dmitri Mehlhorn explore the complexities of voter engagement in America, focusing on undecided voters, the urban youth vote, and the urban-rural divide. They discuss the political identity of rural Americans, the influence of fear and technology on political perceptions, and the looming threat of oligarchy in the U.S. Mehlhorn shares insights on his work with Oakland Corps, aiming to innovate political engagement and support marginalized voters. The discussion highlights the importance of personal courage in political activism and the need for a robust civic ecosystem to counteract the rise of authoritarianism.

Takeaways

• Humans are complicated and capable of great evil.

• The schism is overwhelmingly urban versus rural.

• Young urban people are anti-Trump voters if they vote.

• Rural people believe Democrats are literally demons.

• The elites are not listening to them.

• Trump will become the most powerful human who has ever existed.

• The rule of law limits their power.

• We need surprising acts of personal courage.

• The cost per net democratic vote was careening north of 2000.

• We were part of a larger ecosystem.

Titles

• The Impact of the Urban Youth Vote

• Fear and Political Alignment in America

Sound Bites

• "Humans are complicated and capable of great evil."

• "The schism is overwhelmingly urban versus rural."

• "Young urban people are anti-Trump voters if they vote."

Chapters

00:00 Full Circle Moments in Civic Activism

01:31 Understanding Undecided Voters

03:41 The Urban Youth Vote's Impact

06:55 The Urban vs. Rural Divide

11:54 Rural America's Political Identity

15:48 The Role of Fear in Political Alignment

22:11 The Influence of Technology on Political Perception

27:26 The Threat of Oligarchy in America

42:35 Innovating Political Engagement with Oakland Core