Welcome to Talk Message. I'm Isaac DeVair. Today's guest, Alaska Governor Bill Walker.

Every episode we're talking about what a strange moment this is in American politics with Republicans and Democrats.

Republicans who like Donald Trump and Republicans who feel betrayed by him, Democrats who say they think they know what to do now

and Democrats who say they have no clue.

Well, Bill Walker is a Republican who quit the party three years ago

before all of this.

In September 2014, he declared himself an independent.

He picked the guy who was the Democratic nominee

as his lieutenant governor running mate.

And then he won.

Now he's trying to be out front on a coalition of what they like to call independent centrist,

but really, Republicans who don't feel at home within the Republican Party anymore.

There's a group called The Centress Project that's gathering 13 candidates for governor and Senate

in Philadelphia this weekend.

They're starting on the statewide races.

Walker and I got into how that is supposed to work, and also Macron and Bloomberg, his thoughts

on them and how they apply. But also the effects of climate change, he's seeing firsthand in Alaska,

and the concern he has in a very real way about the North Korean missile threat.

His own story is

pretty interesting, too, especially for a guy who was running for office right out of school as a

Republican, to get to where he is now, very comfortable, as he put it, with his decision to leave

the party behind. Remember to subscribe and rate us on Apple Podcasts or your favorite way of

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