Can an Independent Candidate Survive New York Politics? Ft. Todd Sloan

Todd Sloan is a defense attorney from Auburn, New York and an independent candidate for Congress in NY-24, a heavily Republican seat held by Rep. Claudia Tenney. He calls himself a fundamental constitutionalist, and his slogan is Kickstart Congress: affordability, integrity, and loyalty to the district. Sloan argues Congress has spent decades handing its Article I authority to the executive branch, and makes the case that tariffs are taxes and a congressional power. Radell presses him on New York's political moment, the socialism conversation dominating coverage of the state, and what running as an independent looks like where two thirds of voters are Republican. The episode closes with a policy round on term limits, campaign finance, uncapping the House, and the filibuster. Todd Sloan's campaign and platform: https://toddsloanforcongress.com All positions expressed by Todd Sloan are his own. PPB is nonpartisan: political solutions without political bias. CHAPTERS 0:00 Introduction 0:33 Meet Todd Sloan, Independent in NY-24 3:19 Cooking and Minecraft 7:41 Why a Lawyer Ran for Congress 8:58 What a Constitutionalist Believes 11:38 Article I and Congress Giving Power Away 15:15 The Duopoly and Unheard Independents 19:18 Kickstart Congress: The Three Prongs 20:38 Are Tariffs a Tax? 25:34 How Do You Hold Congress Accountable? 27:26 Does Toxicity Push Good People Out? 34:10 Is New York Really Turning Socialist? 38:00 Sizing Up Tenney and Ellman 40:56 Mamdani and What Actually Won in NYC 43:04 Echo Chambers and Media 45:43 Policy Round: Term and Age Limits 50:09 Policy Round: Campaign Finance 52:33 Policy Round: Uncapping the House 54:46 Policy Round: The Filibuster 58:30 Lobbying and Disclosure 1:04:35 Final Pitch Standard Resource Links & Recommendations The following organizations and platforms represent valuable resources for balanced political discourse and democratic participation: PODCAST NETWORK Check Out the Podcast Website: www.purplepoliticalbreakdown.com ALIVE Podcast Network: Check out the ALIVE Network where you can catch a lot of great podcasts like my own, led by amazing Black voices. Link: https://alivepodcastnetwork.com/ CONVERSATION PLATFORMS HeadOn: A platform for contentious yet productive conversations. It's a place for hosted and unguided conversations where you can grow a following and enhance your conversations with AI features. Link: https://app.headon.ai/ Living Room Conversations: Building bridges through meaningful dialogue across political divides. Link: https://livingroomconversations.org/ UNITY MOVEMENTS Us United: A movement for unity that challenges Americans to step out of their bubbles and connect across differences. Take the Unity Pledge, join monthly "30 For US" conversation calls, wear purple (the color of unity), and participate in National Unity Day every second Saturday in December. Their programs include the Sheriff Unity Network and Unity Seats at sports events, proving that shared values are stronger than our differences. Link: https://www.us-united.org/ BALANCED NEWS & INFORMATION OtherWeb: An AI-based platform that filters news without paywalls, clickbait, or junk, helping you access diverse, unbiased content. Link: https://otherweb.com/ VOTING REFORM & DEMOCRACY Equal Vote Coalition & STAR Voting: Advocating for voting methods that ensure every vote counts equally, eliminating wasted votes and strategic voting. Link: https://www.equal.vote/star Future is Now Coalition (FiNC): A grassroots movement working to restore democracy through transparency, accountability, and innovative technology while empowering citizens and transforming American political discourse. Link: https://futureis.org/ POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT Independent Center: Resources for independent political thinking and civic engagement. Link: https://www.independentcenter.org/ GET DAILY NEWS Text 844-406-INFO (844-406-4636) with code "purple" to receive quick, unbiased, factual news delivered to your phone every morning via Informed (https://informed.now) Check Out the Unfuck America Tour & National Ground Game: https://www.nationalgroundgame.com/ Check Out the CIVICS App to Know More About Your Politicians: https://www.civicpolitics.com SUBSCRIBE ON SUBSTACK Get the Purple Political Breakdown newsletter straight to your inbox: https://open.substack.com/pub/purplepoliticalbreakdown SHARE YOUR OWN SOLUTION Have a political solution? Post it at https://www.reddit.com/r/policysolutions/ ALL LINKS https://linktr.ee/purplepoliticalbreakdown The Purple Political Breakdown is committed to fostering productive political dialogue that transcends partisan divides. We believe in the power of conversation, balanced information, and democratic participation to build a stronger society. Our mission: "Political solutions without political bias." Subscribe, rate, and share if you believe in purple politics, where we find common ground in the middle! Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/ptPAsZtHC9