Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear — the popular two-term Democrat in a deep-red state and a name increasingly floated for 2028 — joins the Chuck Toddcast for a wide-ranging conversation that opens with Kentucky's famous Fancy Farm Picnic and the increasingly countercultural idea that political disagreement shouldn't make people enemies. Beshear turns pointed on Mitch McConnell, who he says has been absent for six weeks without speaking to him, arguing that McConnell has a fundamental duty to level with the people of Kentucky about his condition.. Beshear notes the governor has no authority to declare a vacancy, calls on John Thune to help put the concerns to rest, and observes pointedly that if the situation were reversed, McConnell would be ruthlessly tactical about it — and that the right should arguably be angrier, since it's one fewer vote for the GOP agenda. Beshear reflects at length and with real emotion on the COVID years, which he calls the war of our time with a higher casualty rate than most Americans appreciate, credits Kentucky's expanded Medicaid with keeping the state from running out of hospital beds, and warning that Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" will close 35 hospitals in Kentucky alone. He's sharply critical of Rand Paul for dragging Fauci into character-assassination hearings while staying conspicuously silent on McConnell, and reminds listeners it was Trump who ordered governors to shut down the economy, not Fauci.

The conversation turns to Beshear's political philosophy and the road ahead for Democrats. He rejects the "moderate" label in favor of "pragmatic," arguing that the constant battle to label everyone misses how much more complicated reality actually is. Beshear makes the case that Democrats don't win by becoming a Democratic version of McConnell or Trump, that the party needs to be the party of making the economy work again, and that it should champion structural reforms like campaign finance amendments, outlawing gerrymandering, and directly electing the president. He's visibly frustrated with Democrats who blame other Democrats when Republicans are the ones doing the damage — there's no time for "woulda-couldas," he argues, when Trump and the GOP are inflicting this much harm. As a leader in the Democratic Governors Association, Beshear lays out where he sees real opportunity: big resources heading into Georgia, the critical importance of Katie Hobbs winning in Arizona to ensure a fair 2028 election, and the DGA's willingness to spend anywhere it can win. He addresses the data center backlash as fundamentally rooted in anxiety about AI and big tech's failure to talk to the communities it moves into, and stays characteristically coy about his own 2028 ambitions.

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Timeline:

(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)

00:00 Governor Andy Beshear joins the Chuck ToddCast

01:15 Kentucky’s Fancy Farm Picnic & its role in politics

02:30 Picnic brings politicians from both sides of the aisle together

03:00 Having different political beliefs shouldn’t make you an “enemy”

03:30 Not attending the picnic to attend his son's final travel baseball game

05:15 Haven’t spoken to Mitch McConnell, he’s been absent six week

05:45 McConnell has a duty to level with the people of Kentucky

06:30 The governor doesn’t have authority to declare a vacancy

07:00 John Thune should help put the concerns to rest

08:45 The harm is that the senator refuses to level with his constituents

09:15 If situation was reversed, McConnell would be ruthlessly tactical

09:45 There’s one less vote for GOP agenda, the right should be more mad

10:45 Social media helps create a misinformation vacuum about McConnell

12:15 Democrats don’t win by being a Democratic version of McConnell or Trump

13:00 If he had to miss a week as governor, he’d feel obligated to inform the public

13:45 Lack of video of McConnell makes the public think he can’t do it

14:30 McConnell tried to beat him three straight times and failed

15:00 McConnell may end up tarnishing his legacy due to unexplained absence

15:45 Rand Paul dragged Fauci into a hearing, but mum on McConnell

16:30 Fauci hearings are just an exercise in character assassination

17:45 This feels like a personal vendetta from Paul against Fauci

18:30 Mike Pence set up a competent experienced team during COVID

19:00 Trump ordered the governors to shut down the economy, not Fauci

19:30 Vaccine was the fastest remedy created in human history

21:15 Made pandemic decisions based on what would save the most lives

21:45 Remember the death toll in Kentucky vividly

22:45 COVID was ultimate test of the parable of the good samaritan

23:30 COVID was the war of our time, with an even higher casualty rate

24:00 Teachers & educators needed to be in the first batch of vaccinations

25:30 Kentucky didn’t run out of hospital beds due to expanded Medicaid

26:00 Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill will close 35 hospitals in Kentucky

27:00 Doesn’t consider himself a “moderate”, but instead he’s “pragmatic”

27:45 Can be both pro-business and pro-worker

28:15 There’s a battle to label everyone, but reality is more complicated

28:45 How big should the Democratic tent be?

29:45 There’s space to do things that both sides agree on

30:15 Why are Democratic activists so mad at the establishment?

31:00 Democrats need to be the party of making the economy work again

31:30 Need amendments for campaign finance & outlawing gerrymandering

32:15 The president should be directly elected

32:45 Dems blame others Dems when Republicans are doing something wrong

33:30 Can’t do “woulda couldas” when Trump & GOP are doing so much damage

35:00 What’s the pitch in Wisconsin gubernatorial if both candidates are outsiders?

35:45 Joe Biden won on the idea of him being the most electable

36:15 Trump’s policies are hitting everyday Americans harder

37:00 Governor’s association plan to put big resources into Georgia

37:30 Believe that Democrats will flip the governor’s mansion in GA

38:00 Katie Hobbs has to win to ensure a fair election in Arizona in ‘28

40:15 Trump inspired Canadian boycotts that have hit the economy hard

41:30 Winner of the Wisconsin primary will come out stronger

42:00 Jocelyn Benson is a great candidate for Michigan

42:45 Amy Acton can win regardless of the senate race

43:15 Correlation between governor and senate races

46:00 Can Dems pull off gubernatorial upsets in Texas or Florida?

46:30 DGA will spend resources wherever they can win

47:45 Focused on winning gubernatorial races, then will ponder run in ‘28

48:30 Important to declare presidential candidacy early?

49:15 Dems primary calendar will produce candidate that can win everywhere

50:15 Do you consider Kentucky a southern state?

51:00 Could Israel splinter the party and make elections unwinnable?

51:45 Will Doug Jones get DGA help?

53:15 Data center backlash comes from concern about AI 

54:00 Big tech isn’t talking to the communities where they put data centers

54:30 Tech should be paying for their electricity & fair share of taxes

57:00 We need rational leaders, don’t know where AI/tech is going

58:15 Any effort to get an NBA franchise in Kentucky?

1:00:00 Favorite NBA team