Hey, everybody. What you are about to hear is a recent substack live I did with political activist

Jess Piper. Jess is a Democrat in deep red rural Missouri, and we discuss the challenges she faces,

as well as the importance of rebuilding democratic presence in these places. If you like these types of conversations,

make sure to subscribe to our substack. It's completely free at substack. David Pakman.com.

Here's my conversation with Jess Piper. Well, we are live. It is great to have Jess Piper

joining me today. It's sort of like activism week on the David Pacman show, Substack. Yesterday, we spoke to Olivia Giuliana, who's doing a lot of really great stuff down in Texas, but then also nationally on specific issues. And Jess, you're in Missouri. You're in a red part of

Missouri. And so there's so many different things I want to talk to you about. I mean, maybe just to

start, Jess mentioned before we went live that Jess recently read my book. In my book, which I really

appreciate, in my book, I talk about activism that hopefully will make an impact.

And I want to hear a little bit from you as someone who both read what I wrote about, but is also doing this stuff as a progressive activist in a red area.

What is it like on the actual ground? I mean,

are there things I'm writing about that are effective? What other sort of tactics are there for

activists, especially in red areas? Give us like a lay of the land. Yeah. So what you wrote is great.

And it's also nice for you to acknowledge that there are activists and really red places. There are

rural Democrats, rule progressives all over the country. And I know that's hard for some people to believe.

And when I write about it on my own substack, I get lots of messages from people who are on the coast,

people who live in blue states. And they're like, oh, my God, I had no

idea. Like, one of the big myths that you may have heard is that, you know, we vote against

our self-interest. And I hear that a lot. And I would say, how could I vote in my self-interest? I

don't have Democrats on my ballot. You'll hear people, you know, talk, you know, sort of rub our nose about living in

red rural spaces. And to that, I would say, I mean, I'm not exactly my neighbors, but this is the

only way we take the country back, and that is to go into places where Republicans have run

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