Goodbye 2024, Hello 2025: The Break Down's Year-End Special!

[00:00:12] Welcome to The Break Down with Brodkorb and Becky, a weekly podcast that breaks down politics, policy, and current affairs. I'm Becky Scherr.

[00:00:19] And I'm Michael Brodkorb.

[00:00:20] We are here today with our last episode of the year. We've celebrated Christmas, are on our way to New Year's, and wanted to have you join us one last time for a year-end episode.

[00:00:30] 2024 was wild, crazy, and unpredictable. So today we will break down all that 2024 had to offer.

[00:00:36] We are so proud of the interviews we took part in and the conversations we had, and we are beyond grateful for you joining us along the way. Thanks for joining us and enjoy the show!

[00:00:45] Michael, do you have a good Christmas?

[00:00:48] I had a very nice Christmas. I didn't get a lump of coal this year, which was nice.

[00:00:51] So proud.

[00:00:52] I had a very nice Christmas. My birthday was, so I appreciated all the nice accolades that I received from my birthday. I'm a big birthday guy. My birthday is close to the birth of Jesus Christ, not surprisingly.

[00:01:05] It's a big week for JC and for me. But so I'm a big believer. So my birthday is close to Christmas. I don't try to compete, but being a Christmas baby, and this came out, I have three kids. I'm not disclosing their names or their birthdays. My children are not born in December.

[00:01:22] That being said, they made it very clear to me this week how much they would not like having a birthday near Christmas for the fact that it gets globbed in with Christmas.

[00:01:35] It was nice to hear that they're disappointed when I was born. They wouldn't like to be born at that time, but no, I had a great Christmas and great birthday.

[00:01:43] And I want to just acknowledge that there's only one person, I'm not going to name them. They are a family member, but there was one person in my, in the history that I've been around that gave me a combined birthday and Christmas gift.

[00:01:57] It was done once and it was never done again. And I think I delivered a strong message when it was done, even when I was in high school.

[00:02:05] That's something that I, that should be tolerated. And I wasn't going to put up with it again.

[00:02:09] I appreciate that. My brother-in-law, my sister's husband is his birthday is on Christmas.

[00:02:15] And so he's competing with JC.

[00:02:18] He is. And that, but that is something that even since he has been a part of our family, even before they were married, we do Christmas gifts. We do all of that. And then a couple hours later, my mom gives him a birthday gift.

[00:02:30] So it's not just even opening a birthday gift when we're all sitting around doing Christmas. It's a separate thing, a separate acknowledgement. And there's with it on the day, it does make it a little more difficult.

[00:02:40] We, I'm glad your family is good at that. And I hope we, we do the same for my brother-in-law to celebrate him. We had ice cream cake on Christmas day in the after dinner. That was a happy birthday, Matt. So good.

[00:02:54] I have a nephew that's born on Christmas. That's born on Christmas day. That's a challenge. I think it's, I think it would be tougher to have it on the same day as Christmas, but you get close by to get people that phone it in.

[00:03:04] It's all it's about. Even the whole month of December. It's just what December is.

[00:03:09] Like that one relative of mine who shall be named nameless, who did it once. And I remember raising a stink when I was a teenager and it was never done again.

[00:03:17] Good for you. Set those boundaries.

[00:03:18] Set those boundaries. I will say, I want to talk to you a little bit about ice cream cakes.

[00:03:22] Yeah.

[00:03:23] I had an ice cream. So we should note that you, one of the food takes that you have that I'm, that I'm, I will say that I'm a convert to because of you was, I mean, I had them before, but of the Dairy Queen ice cream cakes.

[00:03:36] And I had a, and I, and so I had my birthday on the 23rd. I was up here. Then I was down in Iowa with some in-laws with family. And they, they of course do a second one just to, just to go full regalia for me.

[00:03:49] And it was an ice cream cake, Minnesota Vikings. Here's the beauty of it. Everyone down there is a Packers fan. And so they had to eat a Minnesota Vikings ice cream cake from Dairy Queen, which by the way, your advocacy of has been heard loud and clear through my family and others.

[00:04:08] So good.

[00:04:09] And you brought, you had brought ice cream cakes out of the shadow in my family.

[00:04:14] I am so pleased to hear that. I love that you forced them. It just, I'm sure it tasted a little sweeter knowing that those Packers fans were eating that Vikings cake.

[00:04:23] And also how true Midwestern of you guys and same with my family that we eat ice cream cake at the end of December. You got to, it's a year round treat. It's delicious. It's perfect.

[00:04:33] I've never been much of a cake eater. I'm just not a fan of the cake because it gets dry, but the ice cream cake is just, it's, I'm just glad that we've been, that you have brought it out of the shadows.

[00:04:47] And I think it's the one food promotion that we should seek out for 2025.

[00:04:51] Maybe we can work out a deal with the locally based Dairy Queen and maybe we could get a cake, some type of cake allotment.

[00:04:59] Yeah. I love it.

[00:05:01] I love the birthday cakes.

[00:05:01] I will talk about it all day, every day.

[00:05:03] That was great.

[00:05:04] That crust or that crisp, crunchy little layer.

[00:05:06] And then the fudge and then you got chocolate and you got a little whipped cream, you got vanilla.

[00:05:11] And the whipped cream's good.

[00:05:12] It frosts it.

[00:05:13] Here's my question.

[00:05:13] Is that the only kind?

[00:05:15] So the only kind that I've ever had has been the white with the chocolate bottom, the cookie kind of middle, and then the fudge.

[00:05:21] Is that the main cake?

[00:05:22] So that's like the OG style cake, but they've got other ones now.

[00:05:26] I think they've got like a Reese's one.

[00:05:28] They have Butterfingers, like a cookies and cream cookie dough.

[00:05:31] So you can go big.

[00:05:32] But you're traditional.

[00:05:34] Yeah.

[00:05:35] Yeah.

[00:05:35] Just want to say thanks for, it was a wonderful birthday, wonderful Christmas.

[00:05:40] I'm glad you had a nice time with your family.

[00:05:42] Yeah.

[00:05:43] I'm, in all honesty, I'm more of, New Year's is where I get really sentimental.

[00:05:47] So this is the time you're...

[00:05:49] Well, I got to pitch real quick.

[00:05:50] One more Christmas topic.

[00:05:51] Because two and a half year old son is prime age for Christmas joy and Christmas fun.

[00:05:59] And I just like, it was everything and more waking up Christmas morning and literally him running down and the excitement and the, you know, the literal pitter patter of his feet.

[00:06:09] And I mean, we still haven't even given him our presents from me and my husband because he got so much.

[00:06:15] I mean, we got, had celebrated with the in-laws and with one side of my family and another side of my family.

[00:06:20] And Santa came.

[00:06:22] He wants to help.

[00:06:23] He doesn't care who the present is for.

[00:06:25] He will help you open that.

[00:06:26] And he will deliver those presents.

[00:06:28] He wants to rip off that wrapping paper.

[00:06:29] It was so fun.

[00:06:31] And yeah, it just, and also speaking to my two and a half year old, if for anybody watching this, I do have a little bit of a black eye, getting a little head butted.

[00:06:40] We are also prime in our wrestling tackling stage.

[00:06:43] It's just a wild year over here.

[00:06:45] That's wild.

[00:06:45] Christmas dinner.

[00:06:46] What did you have?

[00:06:47] Don't say it.

[00:06:49] Don't say it.

[00:06:50] With the in-laws, we had a spiral ham and it was delicious.

[00:06:54] With my side of the family, we have started doing it a little bit more low key.

[00:06:59] We get over there.

[00:07:00] We have some cheesing crackers, chips, guac, dips, pretzels, just easy appetizers around 1.30.

[00:07:07] Do presents, do a little game.

[00:07:09] And then we do more heavy apps and we just did some sliders.

[00:07:13] So we had ham, turkey, roast beef sliders.

[00:07:16] We had chili cheese dip and Reuben dip and some taco wontons.

[00:07:21] That sounds fantastic.

[00:07:22] Super low key, super easy.

[00:07:24] Everybody thinks something means that nobody has to spend their day cooking in the kitchen and it's delicious.

[00:07:30] We had prime rib, which was fantastic.

[00:07:33] And there was, family now knows.

[00:07:35] Family listens to the podcast.

[00:07:37] Family knows that ham is relegated to, my hope is to-

[00:07:41] Easter only.

[00:07:42] My hope is that I can convince folks to just drop it from Easter altogether.

[00:07:46] But we'll see.

[00:07:47] But you've had some influence and so I appreciate your assistance.

[00:07:51] The turkey ham debate has made turkey, has made ham less prevalent and that's where it should be.

[00:07:58] It lives on.

[00:07:59] That's right.

[00:08:00] But New Year's, we're just a couple days away.

[00:08:02] Are you a, let's see, you have an under three-year-old child.

[00:08:06] Yeah.

[00:08:07] Seems like you're just, so tell me how late you'll be out on New Year's Eve night.

[00:08:11] Out?

[00:08:12] These days I barely am out after dark.

[00:08:14] Five o'clock we'll be in the home and celebrating.

[00:08:17] I stayed up until almost 1130 a couple weekends ago and needed a two-hour nap the next day.

[00:08:23] I think we'll probably be doing an East Coast celebration of New Year's.

[00:08:27] I think it's, if I was a bedding lady, I think it's highly unlikely I'm making it to midnight.

[00:08:32] I cannot think of the last time that I went out on New Year's.

[00:08:36] But I will be up.

[00:08:37] I will be up.

[00:08:38] Try to stay awake.

[00:08:39] But if the kids are over, the kids are out, if they're at Friends or whatever, I'll make sure I'm up until it's passed.

[00:08:46] Or maybe I'll be running a shuttle that night because I want to drive that night and not have my, have others be driving.

[00:08:52] But it's a stay in night.

[00:08:54] I can honestly, I cannot think of the last time I had plans on New Year's night that didn't involve sweats, pajamas and a couch.

[00:09:03] Pre-COVID, my friends, we did, one of my friends would host, or a couple of friends would host a party and we'd do a murder mystery.

[00:09:11] And we'd all dress up with some theme.

[00:09:13] And it was a really fun way to, I don't want to say kill time because we are with friends.

[00:09:17] It's awesome.

[00:09:17] But to get through the pre-MiddNight time, everybody comes over, you have the snacks and apps, and you still continue to eat and chat while you're doing the murder mystery.

[00:09:27] It was really fun.

[00:09:28] That's great.

[00:09:29] When the COVID happened.

[00:09:30] And then everybody started having kids and it's to get a bunch of people that choose a year.

[00:09:35] It just, the thought of being out at a bar or anywhere is just so not my scene.

[00:09:40] But also, people, they're, I don't want to be on the roads, to be perfectly frank, on a holiday.

[00:09:47] And then I need a nap the next day.

[00:09:49] I take a nap a lot of days, a lot of weekend days, but.

[00:09:52] Yeah, no, it's a good night just to sit inside and be safe.

[00:09:55] I think New Year's Eve are for kids, young kids, and for rookies.

[00:09:59] Yep.

[00:10:00] So maybe on next week's episode, we can chat a little bit through some 2025 goals and resolutions and what the new year might bring.

[00:10:09] I will discuss some of them.

[00:10:11] Some of them I need to keep secret because I'm thinking about starting a fight club.

[00:10:14] First rule of fight club is not to talk about fight clubs.

[00:10:16] Yeah, you broke back.

[00:10:17] So I might not be talking about it.

[00:10:18] Aside from that, no, I got a lot of good plans.

[00:10:20] I've done a lot of prep work.

[00:10:21] I'm a big believer in New Year's resolutions.

[00:10:25] I try to follow mine.

[00:10:26] I try to keep them, some of which longer, but I try to have just a good goal.

[00:10:31] I'm also a believer in you can do New Year's resolutions.

[00:10:34] You can just start, you can do them.

[00:10:36] You don't have to wait till January 1st to do a New Year's resolution.

[00:10:39] I like the year.

[00:10:40] I like the year.

[00:10:40] I'm looking forward to it.

[00:10:41] It's going to be a lot of fun.

[00:10:42] 2025.

[00:10:43] It's going to be a big one.

[00:10:44] I also have been more into kind of maybe not even resolutions.

[00:10:48] I like to lean into maybe the crunchy side of things.

[00:10:51] Let's, I want to manifest.

[00:10:52] Let's put some good out in the good juju out there.

[00:10:55] What we want from our year and some goals and aspirations.

[00:10:58] And with this weekend, my husband and I will sit down and walk through some of those for

[00:11:03] us and our family and what we hit on last year and what we aim to do this year.

[00:11:09] I'll bring some of that to the show next time and we can plan for a big 2025.

[00:11:14] So you're talking about bringing in good.

[00:11:16] And my first thing is a fight club.

[00:11:18] That's why this podcast works.

[00:11:20] Yeah, there you go.

[00:11:21] That's why this podcast works.

[00:11:22] We have the good, bad, and the ugly.

[00:11:23] That's right.

[00:11:25] Um, 2024 is almost in the books.

[00:11:28] We did a lot of work in 2024 on this podcast.

[00:11:32] Holy moly.

[00:11:33] It was a really big year.

[00:11:34] We cranked out a lot of episodes.

[00:11:35] A lot of episodes.

[00:11:36] It was a banner year.

[00:11:38] It was a banner year.

[00:11:39] We just, I mean, we cranked out.

[00:11:41] I was going through them and kind of prepped for this.

[00:11:44] And we had an absolute banner year.

[00:11:47] Don't you think?

[00:11:47] I think so.

[00:11:49] I think also the variety of conversations we had.

[00:11:52] Obviously, a lot of things were focused on kind of some more national news.

[00:11:56] What was going on in the presidential race.

[00:11:58] All of that.

[00:11:58] But even some of the conversations we had here about state and local politics, talking about how we can all do a little bit better.

[00:12:08] We had a great conversation with Jake Loesch about civil conversations.

[00:12:12] We've had great panelists from Mark Drake and Lowe and Preya to Julius and Will and some of our Democrat friends to be on.

[00:12:22] And just, and I know people probably get sick of us saying it.

[00:12:26] But I continue to be proud of those conversations that we have that can show that we can have those conversations.

[00:12:34] That not just we as a podcast and having a platform, but anybody.

[00:12:38] As you're in the holidays, like, I'm sure there were some heated conversations around some people's dinner tables or people that didn't show up because of being on opposite sides of the aisle.

[00:12:48] But President Trump is our president.

[00:12:50] Republicans have majorities.

[00:12:51] Our House and Senate here are going to be divided.

[00:12:54] We still need to get things done and make progress as our bodies of government and as a nation and state.

[00:13:02] Having conversations with people you disagree with and being civil while doing so, I think was a big kind of theme that we carried through.

[00:13:09] And I think we were pretty successful at it.

[00:13:11] Yeah, I'm going to spend some time over the next day, aside from getting this episode out, but we're going through and providing a list and kind of an inventory of our guests.

[00:13:19] And we spoke with Democrats and Republicans, candidates for office on both sides of the aisle.

[00:13:25] And we delved into a lot of subjects.

[00:13:27] I did not.

[00:13:28] One thing that surprised me is the because of the change.

[00:13:32] One topic that I thought I wanted to revisit was because when we started the year off, we had these great conversations with Preya and with John Rouleau and Representative Hudson going and others that we talked about, former Representative Ryan Winkler and others just talking about the election, talking about the presidential race.

[00:13:54] And I had expected, and at one point I think I'd said a few times that we're going to have to find subjects to talk about other than the presidential race because I just didn't want it to be all about Trump.

[00:14:06] You and I obviously took a different approach to this election cycle, but both of us, I would say, are in that never Trump category.

[00:14:13] And so I did, but I also simultaneously did want to just to turn it into a bitch session.

[00:14:18] Every episode, two never Trumpers always complaining about Trump, which I don't think was, I don't think makes for a good podcast.

[00:14:25] Right.

[00:14:26] I don't, I think it would get stale if every time, if every episode it was the same thing.

[00:14:31] And that's something that I think is unique in that you and I bring people on that disagree, that we're intentionally trying to find people that disagree with us.

[00:14:41] Not, and it doesn't mean we don't bring people on that are making good points that we agree with, but we try nearly every week to find someone who in some instance, it's not a precondition, but a lot of episodes we brought on folks that just disagreed with us.

[00:14:57] And it's important to do that.

[00:14:59] Absolutely.

[00:15:00] And I think that we made sure that if there was a week when we were messaging or talking pre-show, that we knew it was going to be a situation where we were both anti one way.

[00:15:11] We tried to find somebody to fill that gap.

[00:15:13] And I think Priya was somebody who really did a good job of that coming in and making sure to bring a new side.

[00:15:20] John Rulo really did a good side.

[00:15:22] And I think sometimes not maybe changed our mind, but brought the new perspective even to you and I who had been reading the articles, watching the news, having our side conversations with other friends and folks across both sides of the aisle.

[00:15:36] Bringing those perspective, I think you and I've talked about how we've learned so much from our guests and bringing their perspective in and what that means for elections and polls and all of that.

[00:15:47] And it's obviously one of my favorite reasons for having this podcast is what I get to consume and learn and the conversations I get to have.

[00:15:56] And it's just the perk that we get to share it with other people that may be interested.

[00:16:01] Hopefully you're interested if you're listening.

[00:16:02] You know, absolutely.

[00:16:04] And I think it is.

[00:16:04] And I think that's what's interesting.

[00:16:06] I think you and I are trying to, I don't think this podcast has ever been the Michael and Becky show where we just talk the whole time and it's all about us.

[00:16:16] We're obviously, we do episodes where it's just us.

[00:16:19] But this episode, I think, is just a year in review and kind of our thoughts and observations after hosting the podcast for as long as we have.

[00:16:26] But I look at an episode like with Kip Christensen and John Rouleau.

[00:16:30] That was an episode where I remember specifically asking them, push back on what I've said.

[00:16:36] Push back that I didn't think that Trump was going to be value added and stuff like that.

[00:16:40] And I think it's important that we've created that type of space where it's one thing for us to say it, Becky, but it's another for us to try to push back on that.

[00:16:48] And not push back on that, but have our guests feel comfortable saying in the space that we've created, yeah, Michael, you're wrong.

[00:16:57] And here's why I think you're wrong or Becky, here's why I think you're wrong or right.

[00:17:01] Most of the time it's people saying I'm wrong.

[00:17:03] But I think it, I will say to you, and we can talk more into this after we go through this, but I have more to say about it.

[00:17:10] But I think that episode certainly changed my frame of thinking about the election cycle.

[00:17:17] And was there a possibility that Trump could be more value added than he was?

[00:17:22] And in hindsight, that conversation that we had with Kip and John Rouleau, where they pushed back extensively and said, yeah, I was wrong.

[00:17:32] Their perspective bore itself out to be true.

[00:17:35] Not necessarily in Minnesota per se, but it did because of with Republicans taking control of the Minnesota House now.

[00:17:41] But across the country, it's pretty clear that Trump's, there was some synergy between Trump and legislative candidates running for the United States Senate or for the United States House.

[00:17:54] Even though the margin is narrow in the House, Republicans are sitting here, we're sitting here on, in the last few days of December,

[00:18:02] and Republicans starting January 20th will have control of the presidency, the Senate, and the House of Representatives.

[00:18:11] They'll get the Senate and the House earlier, but they'll get all three when President, former President Trump, now President-elect Trump is sworn in.

[00:18:20] And I don't, I would not have thought that was a scenario that would have happened.

[00:18:23] But I think I go back to that episode with Kip and John Rouleau, where that was where, okay, maybe my perspective is wrong,

[00:18:31] and I need to start hearing some other ideas on it.

[00:18:33] And it turned out that they were right.

[00:18:36] Yeah, it's just fascinating to know that what, I feel like there's different silos in all of our lives,

[00:18:44] so much more with our curated social media content and the news that we consume.

[00:18:49] And I think you and I are one of the kind of groups that do seek out a wide variety of news to make sure that we are seeing all different angles.

[00:18:58] But I think that's something that so many people don't do.

[00:19:01] And we've been so grateful of so many people who have accepted our invitation to come on multiple times,

[00:19:07] some at the last minute, some on panel episodes,

[00:19:09] some knowing that they're going to be walking into a situation where they might be the only one advocating for a candidate or an issue or whatever it may be.

[00:19:18] And I think that we've left every episode with everybody feeling comfortable with the conversation that was had.

[00:19:24] We've had what we had, Preya and Will saying that they were going to meet up for a beer.

[00:19:28] And it's just wild that some of these conversations and relationships that we've built with others and they've built with each other has been incredible.

[00:19:35] I was just looking back at some of our old shows as well.

[00:19:38] And it's fascinating to see what has really just and we will continue to break down some of this on future episodes.

[00:19:48] But looking back of where Iowa caucus was, that was still this year.

[00:19:53] A new New Hampshire primary and the whittling down of the Republican side of the ticket and how that came to be.

[00:20:01] And those conversations that we had with the debates and talking about I know we were really big fans of Nikki Haley

[00:20:07] and her kind of policy and messaging and way of highlighting the Republican side of the ticket

[00:20:13] and just how things evolved through Super Tuesday and all of that.

[00:20:18] And then coming through the summer, an assassination attempt and a switch of the presidential debate

[00:20:23] and then the switch of the Democratic ticket.

[00:20:25] It is pretty bonkers to think of the year when we're just looking at the presidential.

[00:20:31] There's so much more that comes into every other aspect of legislative politics

[00:20:36] and statewide and everything else.

[00:20:39] But when we just look at that presidential ticket, I feel like we've lived five lifetimes in the last 365 days.

[00:20:45] No, and I think it not only was it, I think those were really thoughtful discussions.

[00:20:51] And I branched out.

[00:20:52] Those conversations changed the focus of what I did, particularly this election cycle,

[00:20:58] being a Republican for Harris and a lot of those conversations.

[00:21:02] And so one of the things that I think I will say will always be a benefit of this podcast is the ability to listen to people.

[00:21:09] It's not hearing my own voice.

[00:21:11] It's the time that I get to hear people talk.

[00:21:13] And I will tell you, every guest on this show has made me smarter in some way.

[00:21:18] And so have you, Becky, made me smarter.

[00:21:20] But I will also tell you that as much as this is new technology, and we've done a lot of cool things this year,

[00:21:26] and we started our video, we're sending out, from where we started this podcast to what we're doing now,

[00:21:30] we're always trying to stay ahead of, we're trying to stay up to speed with technology

[00:21:36] and making sure that we're advancing and getting this out to as many audiences as we can

[00:21:40] across as many platforms as possible.

[00:21:43] One of the things that I think that we have always tried to do is just to have good conversations and to listen.

[00:21:50] And this podcast has made, has truly fundamentally rewired my brain in terms of my interpersonal skills,

[00:21:58] my ability to listen and talk to people.

[00:22:00] I'm a better listener because of this podcast.

[00:22:03] I'm more, the cadence of my speech has changed.

[00:22:08] I can have, I think, much more difficult conversations.

[00:22:12] And over the course of the election cycle, I did, based on some of the positions that I staked out.

[00:22:16] But the ability to talk, the ability to listen and have a discussion and have to listen to what people are saying,

[00:22:23] we can't have guests on this show have them say something and then not follow up based on what they said.

[00:22:29] So this podcast and the frequency of it, that's the other thing I would point out.

[00:22:34] We did more than, there's 52 weeks in a year.

[00:22:37] We did more than 52 episodes this year.

[00:22:39] We did a lot of bonus episodes.

[00:22:41] So on average, we're cranking out an episode at least once a week.

[00:22:45] We ain't paid to do this, but we like to do it.

[00:22:48] We love to do it.

[00:22:49] And part of the reason I know that it's been beneficial to me is it has slowed down a lot of the conversation I had.

[00:22:58] Because I think a byproduct has been having to listen.

[00:23:02] You ask someone a question, you listen, conversations, and it's really carried over.

[00:23:07] And I found that was particularly when I was doing campaigning this past election cycle, my ability to have longer conversations,

[00:23:16] my ability to have a back and forth and approach things from the standpoint of trying to get answers out of people.

[00:23:25] That is a lesson that I learned.

[00:23:28] I learned that from doing this podcast.

[00:23:30] And it's something that hopefully my brain is rewired for that way for the rest of my life because it's really beneficial.

[00:23:37] Because when you talk, and that's different.

[00:23:41] And this isn't, again, it's not the Michael and Becky show where we just come on here and we just say what really grinds our gears and we just talk over each other.

[00:23:47] It's a conversation.

[00:23:48] I have to listen to you and you have to listen to me.

[00:23:51] When we have guests, we try to talk with them and elevate their voices.

[00:23:55] I think that's a really great point because that's something that I think has certainly evolved from our first year and first couple months of doing this podcast.

[00:24:03] We talked all the time.

[00:24:05] All the time.

[00:24:06] You would not.

[00:24:07] I think even less than just talking.

[00:24:10] I think that because I'm one that I like to be prepared.

[00:24:13] I like to go into situations knowing what to expect, which we still do.

[00:24:18] We still have very comprehensive show notes and research that we do on the front end to make sure that we're educated with whoever we're talking to and what we're talking about.

[00:24:28] But I think that's a really good point of the listening side and how that has evolved because I think that's a situation where instead of going in and having our five, a list of five questions we hope to get answered, it's more about what they, how they help evolve the conversation and where we think we should go.

[00:24:46] Sure, sometimes those questions are still valid and we still might get through all five of them.

[00:24:49] But I think it's a lot more just making it be organic and how the conversation goes and it's been really fun.

[00:24:57] And here's the other thing that we try to do and I don't like to discuss too much show production out there, but we don't play gotcha games.

[00:25:05] We want our guests to come on and no one's telling us what we can and can't say prior to the show.

[00:25:13] But Becky and I's approach is always to have this be value added.

[00:25:16] We want every guest to want to come back.

[00:25:19] There's not one guest that we were both doing like, okay, let's tear them down and let's get it and let's be done.

[00:25:27] And let's know it's always about that doesn't mean we don't disagree.

[00:25:30] Go through the catalog of our podcast episodes and there's a lot of episodes where there's been a lot of disagreement, but we always want people to come back.

[00:25:38] And we've yet knock on wood, but we've had a podcast here and not one person has ever said I'm never coming back on.

[00:25:44] And we always, when we make, when we have someone on, we always want them to come back on too.

[00:25:51] They may not for a variety of reasons that work or schedules or other things.

[00:25:55] We've yet to have a guest to get off our podcast or end the interview and say, you SOBs are never coming back on.

[00:26:01] And that's what I'm also really proud of.

[00:26:04] But that doesn't mean that they're softballs.

[00:26:07] That doesn't mean that we're not pushing back, but we're doing it in a way where we can leave that table and still agree that we're in agreement on just that kind of community passport that we all share, that kind of connectivity.

[00:26:25] And I think that I've certainly heard from folks that sometimes listen to an interview and think that maybe there was a missed opportunity to go hard and ask them some gotcha question to get something recorded on whatever, somebody running for office or an elected official.

[00:26:41] And there's plenty of press out there.

[00:26:43] That is their goal.

[00:26:44] So that there's people already feeling that void that's ready to go.

[00:26:47] For us, I think it continues to just be about providing that different perspective as well.

[00:26:51] There's certainly, like you mentioned, guests that we've had on that policy-wise, I might have zero in common with them.

[00:26:59] I might disagree with every vote they've taken in the legislature.

[00:27:02] I think it's still a good perspective and good conversations and policies to highlight.

[00:27:07] And if I think that it is value added to have a conversation with somebody that disagrees, I hope that at least one or two of our listeners learn something new about a policy or about a legislator or an elected official or candidate out there.

[00:27:21] And again, it's just prior to this podcast are conversations that I would not have been privy to have.

[00:27:30] And so I think that's a really exciting thing.

[00:27:32] We haven't talked a lot about some of the time 2020 and today.

[00:27:38] But I, after a decade in politics, left a little disillusioned with things.

[00:27:42] And I was a little turned off.

[00:27:44] And it was toxic situations with just being on the internet and what people would say to you on social media and just the conversations of how the political environment got and working so hard in partisan politics that I did take a step away.

[00:27:59] And so it was a time where I chose that this was not the healthiest place for me to be mentally, to have live and breathe this every day.

[00:28:07] And so this podcast has also afforded me the opportunity to remember what I love about this world and the news and consuming.

[00:28:16] It's forced me to stay up to date about what's going on in our state and our communities and our country.

[00:28:22] And it's brought a little bit of joy back into it by remembering myself that it's okay to have a healthy space in this where we have conversations.

[00:28:31] And if somebody disagrees with you, that should be fine.

[00:28:34] And if there's a healthy way to do this and a good way to do this.

[00:28:37] And so I'm grateful for that.

[00:28:39] I think that's something that this was a world that I loved.

[00:28:43] And I ate brave or breathe to put my blood, sweat and tears in for a decade, working hard in the trenches.

[00:28:50] And a lot of it was the mudslinging and the stuff we hate and recalibrating my relationship with politics and government and all of that through our conversations with you and with our guests has been just very refreshing for me as well.

[00:29:05] That was wonderful to hear.

[00:29:06] And I feel the same way.

[00:29:07] I think that there is a space for throwing elbows.

[00:29:10] And when I'm in the nursing home, if I make it that long, I'll probably still be throwing elbows.

[00:29:15] But expect nothing less.

[00:29:17] This is a space where I think we've just really, it's been great to have just a space where people can talk.

[00:29:23] And that's not to say that there's not going to be a throwdown here and there.

[00:29:27] There has been.

[00:29:27] There's been some disagreements on this podcast.

[00:29:30] We've had them.

[00:29:31] But I think that, I think we struck out a really good balance.

[00:29:34] And it's a place, our podcast is growing.

[00:29:36] Our listeners are growing.

[00:29:37] We're getting more downloads.

[00:29:39] And I'm so appreciative of the feedback and the comments and the things that we've talked about this past year.

[00:29:45] And I'm excited.

[00:29:46] The one thing I will say is that I think if it was a scream fest, if it was, if we were signing up for a scream fest, and if that was a bit, I think that would get tiresome.

[00:29:58] Because you have to outdo yourself.

[00:30:00] Evil, I'm a big fan of Evil Knievel, just his stunts, not everything he did.

[00:30:05] But if you jump 13 buses, if you jump 12, then you got to jump 13.

[00:30:10] Then you got to jump 14.

[00:30:11] And then eventually it ends up that you're trying to jump the Snake River, which doesn't work out.

[00:30:16] And that's the thing that I think is a challenge sometimes in podcasts is the one upping.

[00:30:21] And if you create that circus carnival environment, it's tough to keep that going and sustain that pace.

[00:30:29] And I think one of the things that we've tried to always do is have this podcast be something that is fun.

[00:30:34] First and foremost, that was our rule.

[00:30:35] It's fun.

[00:30:36] And I think that's the balance set.

[00:30:38] It's that balance and that kind of rulemaking, okay, this is going to be fun.

[00:30:44] That made it something that I think we wanted to do.

[00:30:47] And it's not something that's necessarily a burden, but it's something that we want to do.

[00:30:52] And it's want to keep, we want to keep continue doing.

[00:30:54] We started this right after the election of 2022.

[00:30:59] We did it all of 2023.

[00:31:01] We're now doing it all of 2024.

[00:31:03] 2024.

[00:31:04] And at least we're going to start going through 2025.

[00:31:07] And maybe we'll be here a year from now.

[00:31:09] We'll see.

[00:31:09] But I got to say, this is truly in this hyper-partisan world that we live in.

[00:31:16] And this kind of, this is absolutely, we have created exactly what we've talked about out there.

[00:31:22] And we were talking with other people about doing this.

[00:31:24] We just wanted to create a fun space.

[00:31:26] And we get to have nice things.

[00:31:28] And this podcast has been a nice, fun space that gets to be at our temple, our speed, at the tone in which we like, and gets to be a part of our brand.

[00:31:38] And I'm so appreciative of having this opportunity to do this with you.

[00:31:41] Same.

[00:31:43] Same.

[00:31:43] And man, we won't get into all of it.

[00:31:46] But 2025 is shaping up to be giving us lots of stuff to talk about.

[00:31:52] We're going to have the split legislature here and the chaos that is ensuing with that.

[00:31:58] We are going to have the single-party rule trifecta in D.C.

[00:32:03] President Trump is coming back.

[00:32:05] We know there's going to be some controversy with how people feel and what is being done in Washington, D.C.

[00:32:12] And then we hear things wrapping up already, ramping up for 2026 and the election cycle and the statewide races we have, our constitutional officers, what's on the ballot here in the state.

[00:32:23] So I'm excited for the conversations we're going to have, some of the guests that we've already been talking to to get lined up.

[00:32:30] It's going to be a good one.

[00:32:33] Do you think that the Trump administration is going to arrest me and will I have to be doing some type of, some podcast in a re-education camp somewhere?

[00:32:46] Isn't that possible?

[00:32:47] Should I be worrying about that?

[00:32:48] Anything is possible.

[00:32:49] I'm never going to say no.

[00:32:51] I don't know if I last good in prison.

[00:32:53] But I don't think, I think they've got bigger bridges to cross.

[00:32:58] You think I can at least, for planning purposes, I can re-up the subscription and keep this to do remotely because I don't know if they give you, I don't think they give you cell phones and computer access.

[00:33:10] I don't think I can bring my MacBook to prison.

[00:33:13] You're the legal analyst.

[00:33:15] Right.

[00:33:15] You don't know.

[00:33:15] From all of my prison jail expertise, I don't think that's something that they allow in unless it's not kids.

[00:33:21] Is there, to put you on the spot, is there, I have something that I want to do this year relatively soon.

[00:33:26] But I was asking, is there something podcast related that we haven't done that you want to do?

[00:33:33] Oh, that is a great question.

[00:33:35] I think hosting a debate was something.

[00:33:38] That would be great.

[00:33:38] Hosted the panels.

[00:33:40] We had a chair hand and chair Martin on that was, I guess, probably as close to a debate as we have gotten.

[00:33:49] But I think something like that would be really cool.

[00:33:51] I think having, again, a high caliber panel of sorts similar to that where we have two well-respected individuals in their whatever situation it is.

[00:34:03] So me and someone else.

[00:34:04] Obviously.

[00:34:05] Okay, obviously.

[00:34:06] Yeah.

[00:34:06] What about you?

[00:34:07] What's yours?

[00:34:08] I want to do a live show.

[00:34:10] And I've got something I've been working on.

[00:34:12] We can talk about it off air.

[00:34:13] Perfect.

[00:34:13] Because I don't like to discuss production on air.

[00:34:15] But we can discuss it because I've been working on something and I think I have a spot lined up.

[00:34:20] And I'd like to do it sooner rather than later.

[00:34:22] I got a great idea on it.

[00:34:24] But yeah, I want to do that.

[00:34:25] I also, I want to step up.

[00:34:27] So we've really, as I've said before in the podcast, I was in the AV club in high school.

[00:34:32] So I love the tech stuff.

[00:34:34] I'm going to just put a marker down.

[00:34:36] I'm going to be better about getting out clips, more content, more video, growing our subscriptions more and just doing more to promote what we're doing.

[00:34:44] I stand by my analysis.

[00:34:46] You're crushing it.

[00:34:48] I stand by this.

[00:34:49] And I'm not, you're not paying me to say this.

[00:34:51] I think that your analysis, Becky, and your commentary is astounding.

[00:34:58] And I think that your ability to, from where we started, your ability to, and just hearing me off for a second, from where we first started to where we are now, your ability on, we did live shows where you had multiple guests from different time zones and you pulled it off without breaking a sweat.

[00:35:19] Yeah.

[00:35:20] You were gone for a couple of weeks and this podcast barely got off the ground.

[00:35:25] Now it goes to the statement of what I've told my kids for many years, that if there wasn't for their mother, who I'm incredibly supportive and happy to be married to, if it wasn't for them, they'd be wearing potato sacks and they'd be eaten from garbage.

[00:35:38] Okay.

[00:35:39] My whole point of the matter is I still haven't recovered from the time I took my children to the Mall of America by myself once.

[00:35:46] Okay.

[00:35:46] I'm still haven't recovered it.

[00:35:48] But those couple episodes where you were under the weather and I had to do them by myself were a mess.

[00:35:56] The script was a mess.

[00:35:57] The flow was a mess.

[00:35:59] I was an absolute wreck.

[00:36:01] And so you provide so much stability and structure to this that it's really interesting because how this started to where it is right now, I like to do the technical stuff.

[00:36:14] I like to work the technical stuff, but this is a better podcast.

[00:36:19] I believe the best episodes of this podcast are the ones where I barely speak.

[00:36:24] And so you running these and running these shows and having these guests on, nobody does better prep work.

[00:36:30] Nobody does better analysis.

[00:36:32] And I think your presence, visually managing it, and then also just like having that type of kind of that beat of, okay, this person's been speaking for this long and then move it.

[00:36:43] Your ability to orchestrate that is simply remarkable.

[00:36:46] And you have the potential that you have in this platform is simply unlimited.

[00:36:53] I appreciate that.

[00:36:54] I will say we're Minnesotans, and so getting that amount of praise is really uncomfortable.

[00:36:59] So thank you for that.

[00:37:01] But no, thank you.

[00:37:02] That is very kind of you.

[00:37:03] And obviously right back at you, I think I will disagree.

[00:37:06] I think you bring a lot of great insight and analysis yourself.

[00:37:09] But we quite literally would not have a podcast without you sinking your teeth into the tech side of things and figuring out the different platforms we can use for our interviews, for our live shows, how to gather clips, how to put those together, how to get things up on YouTube and Apple and Spotify and all of these different platforms.

[00:37:27] And that is still something that I have zero ability or insight into.

[00:37:32] And to be perfectly honest, I don't really want to because I just it's too much for me.

[00:37:36] It's why we actually have a great partnership.

[00:37:38] And I think it's a good match.

[00:37:40] And I'm grateful for this two years so far, which is wild to say.

[00:37:45] I don't think we really knew what we were getting into when we kicked this off.

[00:37:49] But it's been fun.

[00:37:50] It's been wild and crazy.

[00:37:52] And hopefully we can continue to do it for a little bit.

[00:37:54] Absolutely.

[00:37:55] I'm looking forward to as long as we can keep doing this.

[00:37:57] Let's talk about a sensitive subject.

[00:37:59] Oh, no.

[00:38:00] I was hoping you'd forget.

[00:38:02] Yeah.

[00:38:03] First of all, I think you have something to admit publicly and on the record.

[00:38:08] That you had a good week last week.

[00:38:11] I'm sorry.

[00:38:11] No, let me ask the questions.

[00:38:12] If you remember.

[00:38:14] So we have a Pick'em League.

[00:38:16] Yeah.

[00:38:16] And in the first year of the Pick'em League, which who won, by the way?

[00:38:20] I forget.

[00:38:20] You did.

[00:38:21] I won.

[00:38:22] What is you claim that you had some technical difficulty one week?

[00:38:27] And so you have been trying.

[00:38:29] You've been trying to put an asterisk by my victory.

[00:38:32] Please tell our listeners that you and I, first of all, we both have the same leadership role in the league.

[00:38:38] Correct.

[00:38:39] But what happened this week?

[00:38:42] And what did I do?

[00:38:44] But you gained two points.

[00:38:45] So you did.

[00:38:46] Oh.

[00:38:47] How about you?

[00:38:48] Oh.

[00:38:48] Oh.

[00:38:49] Oh.

[00:38:50] Okay.

[00:38:50] He did the Lord's work.

[00:38:52] He reminded me.

[00:38:54] He texted and reminded me that there were Christmas Day games.

[00:38:58] And to get my picks in.

[00:39:00] It was something that we're not in.

[00:39:02] So you really did show that you are trying to be, to win fairly.

[00:39:08] And make sure that there is nothing that I can complain about if I am not successful.

[00:39:13] So I do.

[00:39:14] I am very appreciative.

[00:39:15] I got my picks in because of that.

[00:39:18] What's the breakdown right now?

[00:39:20] You are in first.

[00:39:22] By one point.

[00:39:24] By one point.

[00:39:24] Yes.

[00:39:25] You gained two last week.

[00:39:26] And so now my lead is down to one.

[00:39:29] Let's just be clear.

[00:39:30] Because I want to make sure I get the full and complete credit for this.

[00:39:33] How many games?

[00:39:35] So you had to pick.

[00:39:36] There were three games.

[00:39:37] Yeah.

[00:39:38] That you had to get your picks in for.

[00:39:39] Right.

[00:39:39] If you had not gotten your picks in.

[00:39:41] Right.

[00:39:41] What would be the standings right now?

[00:39:43] You would be up by two.

[00:39:44] No.

[00:39:45] I would have been able to live.

[00:39:45] If you got them right.

[00:39:46] But yes.

[00:39:47] I would have gotten it right.

[00:39:49] Now I would have been able to live with myself.

[00:39:51] But I really want this victory to mean something.

[00:39:54] Yeah.

[00:39:54] And so I really.

[00:39:55] My hope is that.

[00:39:57] My hope is that.

[00:39:58] Here's what my real hope is.

[00:40:00] And what's the distance between.

[00:40:02] So it's basically you and I, right?

[00:40:03] So you would really have to blow it.

[00:40:05] And I would really have to blow it.

[00:40:07] Yeah.

[00:40:07] There are two people tied for third place.

[00:40:09] They are six points behind you.

[00:40:11] Seven points behind me.

[00:40:12] Who's behind us.

[00:40:14] Anna Matthews from the state party.

[00:40:16] And Mike Zipko, my colleague.

[00:40:18] Okay.

[00:40:19] Here's my new goal.

[00:40:20] What's been my goal this season was to win.

[00:40:25] But if I didn't win, what was my goal?

[00:40:27] Was to make sure.

[00:40:28] Just to beat me.

[00:40:29] Just to beat you.

[00:40:29] That's becoming less and less likely now.

[00:40:32] That I think it's going to come down to you and me.

[00:40:34] So what my goal now is that I win.

[00:40:38] By less than three games.

[00:40:41] So.

[00:40:41] So you can be like.

[00:40:43] So I can say.

[00:40:44] Now I have a three game buffer.

[00:40:46] Now the only way that you can really get good credit.

[00:40:49] You have to beat me by four or five games.

[00:40:51] I'm just never giving you that.

[00:40:54] See, that was the sweet spot.

[00:40:55] I could have been like.

[00:40:56] I thought about it.

[00:40:56] I could have been like.

[00:40:57] Yeah, done.

[00:40:58] Obviously.

[00:40:58] By the way.

[00:40:59] Your husband's pics were in.

[00:41:01] Yeah.

[00:41:02] Yeah.

[00:41:02] So.

[00:41:03] So he didn't give me the same.

[00:41:05] Well, I wasn't making that point.

[00:41:07] But there were a lot of people whose pics were not in.

[00:41:09] Yeah.

[00:41:10] And so I try to do that.

[00:41:11] Remind people.

[00:41:11] Hey, make sure your pics are in.

[00:41:13] But when I saw that your pics were in.

[00:41:14] I thought for a second.

[00:41:15] Okay.

[00:41:15] First of all.

[00:41:16] I was going to let you know.

[00:41:17] Okay.

[00:41:18] But then I'm like.

[00:41:19] Wait a second.

[00:41:20] Once I let her know.

[00:41:21] And she makes her pics.

[00:41:23] Now I have.

[00:41:24] Now here's what I'm just going to say.

[00:41:25] You don't have to beat me by four or five.

[00:41:27] You've had ulterior motives the whole time.

[00:41:28] We'll die.

[00:41:29] You're exactly right.

[00:41:29] Now you have to beat me by four or five points.

[00:41:31] Okay.

[00:41:32] Yeah.

[00:41:33] Which is going to be tough to do.

[00:41:34] Because I think what I get.

[00:41:35] Is I will get a co-victory.

[00:41:37] All right.

[00:41:38] Good luck.

[00:41:38] I'm just joking.

[00:41:39] Becky.

[00:41:40] Becky.

[00:41:40] I want to thank you so much for doing this.

[00:41:42] Taking time out of your day.

[00:41:44] Every week as you had multiple times.

[00:41:46] And I wish you.

[00:41:48] First of all.

[00:41:48] I wish you a safe.

[00:41:50] And healthy.

[00:41:51] Uh.

[00:41:52] Rest of the holiday season.

[00:41:53] New year's eve.

[00:41:54] Be safe.

[00:41:55] Um.

[00:41:56] One last thing.

[00:41:57] Before we go.

[00:41:58] Viking Packers game this week.

[00:42:01] And I will be at the game.

[00:42:03] With my Packer wife.

[00:42:04] Exciting.

[00:42:05] And.

[00:42:06] Hopefully.

[00:42:07] I think there's a possibility.

[00:42:09] That depending on how the playoffs go.

[00:42:11] The Vikings could be playing the Packers again.

[00:42:14] And so.

[00:42:15] Short notice.

[00:42:16] End of the year.

[00:42:17] But we might need to do a repeat.

[00:42:18] A repeat of the spouses on.

[00:42:21] Love it.

[00:42:21] If there's a Vikings Packers game.

[00:42:23] Again.

[00:42:23] I hope that the Packers organization crumbles.

[00:42:26] Between now and then.

[00:42:26] But there's a.

[00:42:27] They've.

[00:42:27] They're guaranteed to make the playoffs.

[00:42:30] And.

[00:42:30] There's a possibility.

[00:42:31] If the Vikings went out.

[00:42:32] That the Vikings could be meeting back up.

[00:42:34] With Green Bay.

[00:42:35] So let's make a.

[00:42:36] Let's make an on air.

[00:42:38] Agreement.

[00:42:39] That we'll try to get the spouses back on.

[00:42:41] For that type of throwdown.

[00:42:42] Okay.

[00:42:43] Can't wait.

[00:42:44] Deal.

[00:42:44] I just want to say again.

[00:42:45] Thank you for doing this today.

[00:42:47] Happy.

[00:42:47] Merry Christmas to you.

[00:42:49] Happy New Year to you and your family.

[00:42:50] And here's to an awesome 2025.

[00:42:53] Right.

[00:42:54] Here we go.

[00:42:55] All right.

[00:42:56] We want to thank everyone.

[00:42:57] For listening to this.

[00:42:58] End of the year.

[00:42:59] Episode of the breakdown.

[00:43:00] With Broadcomer Becky.

[00:43:01] Before we go.

[00:43:02] Show some love.

[00:43:02] For your favorite podcast.

[00:43:03] By leaving us.

[00:43:04] A review on Apple Podcasts.

[00:43:05] Or on the platform where you listen.

[00:43:07] You can also leave a review.

[00:43:08] On our website.

[00:43:09] And follow us across.

[00:43:10] All social media platforms.

[00:43:12] At BB Breakpod.

[00:43:13] The breakdown.

[00:43:14] With Broadcomer Becky.

[00:43:15] Will return next year.

[00:43:17] Thank you so much.

[00:43:18] Happy New Year.

[00:43:19] Bye.

[00:43:20] Bye.