First hour: Wayne County political party chairs on the priorities of rural voters
Second hour: Jerri Lynn Sparks on her new podcast, "Sparks of Love"
Earlier this year, a pair of researchers at Colby College published a report about the perspectives of rural voters. The results of their national survey show that since 1980 when Ronald Reagan won the presidency, rural voters find that Republican candidates and messaging resonate more with them than do Democratic candidates and messaging. But the results also indicate that if Democrats show they care about rural voters and pledge to invest in those communities, Democratic candidates could make more headway in the countryside. This hour, we talk with the chairs of the Wayne County Republican and Democratic Committees to discuss priorities in their community, how to engage voters, and they political realities they are seeing. Our guests:
- MaryAnne Nicosia-McCarthy, chair of the Wayne County Republican Committee
- Scott Comegys*, chair of the Wayne County Democratic Committee
*Note: Comegys is also a candidate for New York State Senate, District 54. We will offer his opponent equal time on the program.
Then in our second hour, Americans are having fewer children, and less sex, than they used to. The youngest adults are getting married significantly later. Some analysts have tied these trends to a decline in mental health. Our guest is not aiming to solve all of that with her new podcast. But Jerri Lynn Sparks has been through a great deal in her life: she's a survivor of spousal abuse and an attack that nearly killed her. She's also dealt with abusive employers. Her podcast is called “Sparks of Love.” This hour, we discuss its origins and how Sparks has learned to think about love and relationships differently. In studio:
- Jerri Lynn Sparks, host of the “Sparks of Love” podcast
