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From Candidate to Chair: Matt Vilardebo's Journey in York County Politics
Episode 237 • 11th January 2025 • The All About Nothing: Podcast • Barrett Gruber & Zac King
00:00:00 01:15:20

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Matt Vilardebo, the guest on this episode, shares his decision to run for the York County Democratic Party Chair, stepping back from his previous candidacy for the South Carolina House. He discusses the importance of leadership and his vision for elevating the Democratic Party's presence in York County, emphasizing the need for unity and engagement among party members. The conversation also touches on the impact of misinformation in politics, his experiences during the recent election, and the challenges faced by Democrats in a predominantly Republican area. Barrett Gruber and Matt delve into the significance of candidate forums and debates, highlighting the difficulties of engaging voters and the need for more grassroots efforts. Additionally, they explore the broader implications of political dynamics in South Carolina, including the challenges posed by the current Republican leadership and the importance of advocating for education and community issues.

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Transcripts

Barrett Gruber:

The All About Nothing podcast may have language and content that isn't appropriate for some.

Barrett Gruber:

Listener discretion is advised.

Barrett Gruber:

Welcome, nothingers, to another episode of the All About Nothing podcast.

Barrett Gruber:

This is episode number 237.

Barrett Gruber:

I am Barrett Gruber.

Barrett Gruber:

Be joined by Mr.

Barrett Gruber:

Matt Velardebo, who is holding Bowie.

Barrett Gruber:

Bowie's name after David Bowie, right?

Matt Velardebo:

Yes.

Matt Velardebo:

And Barrett loves Bowie, and Bowie especially loves Barrett when he comes to visit.

Matt Velardebo:

So I wanted those two to have a chance to interact with each other.

Matt Velardebo:

Real quick, say hi to your budd.

Matt Velardebo:

Okay.

Barrett Gruber:

There are a lot of dogs out there that like me just as much as Bowie.

Matt Velardebo:

She's just a weird dog.

Matt Velardebo:

We got her during COVID so she, like, spent a lot of time with us and no one else.

Matt Velardebo:

And so then Covid's over and people start visiting regularly and she's like, ah.

Barrett Gruber:

There'S more outside this door than I thought.

Matt Velardebo:

Correct.

Barrett Gruber:

All right.

Barrett Gruber:

Please subscribe and share the show.

Barrett Gruber:

That's how we get new listeners.

Barrett Gruber:

Also, if you could please consider supporting the show financially by visiting our website and clicking on the Leave a comment.

Barrett Gruber:

All that helps drive our show higher up in the ratings on all of these podcast platforms.

Barrett Gruber:

Again, gonna introduce Mr.

Barrett Gruber:

Matt Velardo here in just a second.

Barrett Gruber:

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Barrett Gruber:

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Barrett Gruber:

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Barrett Gruber:

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Barrett Gruber:

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Barrett Gruber:

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Barrett Gruber:

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Barrett Gruber:

If you live here in the Columbia area, so do that because a lot of these leagues are going to sell out with it being spring and everybody being able to get out of their houses.

Barrett Gruber:

Also, Coastal Comic Con is coming up.

Barrett Gruber:

nd,:

Barrett Gruber:

They're already starting to announce guests and it's, it's.

Barrett Gruber:

It's going be a great time.

Barrett Gruber:

I'm going to be there.

Barrett Gruber:

So, so check that out.

Barrett Gruber:

Coastal Comic Con.com is the website address.

Barrett Gruber:

Tickets are available now.

Barrett Gruber:

You also get information about the guests that have been announced so far.

Barrett Gruber:

So check that out again.

Barrett Gruber:

Coastal Comic Con.com we're gonna have Mr.

Barrett Gruber:

David Brock on.

Barrett Gruber:

On the next episode that we record that is coming up in two weeks.

Barrett Gruber:

This episode, or I guess next Monday from.

Barrett Gruber:

From the date you're listening to this.

Barrett Gruber:

Next Monday, I'll have David Brock, Donald Brock, and we will be talking all about Coastal Comic Con and hopefully getting some inside information on things that are going to go on.

Barrett Gruber:

Not just the guests that are going to be there, but we'll also potentially be getting some inside information on some events that will be taking place around the Comic Con.

Barrett Gruber:

So check that out again.

Barrett Gruber:

Coastal Comic Con.com so, introducing my guest, Mr.

Barrett Gruber:

Matt Velardebeau.

Barrett Gruber:

He, of course, was the most recent Democratic nominee for the South Carolina House.

Barrett Gruber:

26 seat in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

Barrett Gruber:

And you've got some things that are going on.

Barrett Gruber:

Do you want to jump right into what it is that, that you're here to discuss?

Matt Velardebo:

Yeah.

Matt Velardebo:

So before I get to anything, I had already told Barrett about this.

Matt Velardebo:

So this isn't some big surprise, really.

Matt Velardebo:

The lead in the first thing I need to get out of the way is a long time ago I appeared on Bill Kimler's Black, White and Blue in the south podcast and I said some things about my opponent in the last election that were patently wrong.

Matt Velardebo:

I did not say them because I knew they were wrong.

Matt Velardebo:

I said them because I was just wrong.

Matt Velardebo:

I apologize, David Martin, for saying that you are some generational rich kid who, who inherited a law firm.

Matt Velardebo:

That was an untrue statement that I should not have made.

Matt Velardebo:

I should have kept my mouth shut and I didn't.

Matt Velardebo:

So I, I wanna.

Matt Velardebo:

I know he probably won't hear this.

Matt Velardebo:

He might.

Matt Velardebo:

But I know some other folks are gonna hear it that need to hear it.

Matt Velardebo:

That was not a lie.

Matt Velardebo:

I did not perpetuate that further than that one utterance.

Matt Velardebo:

And I regret that I did that.

Matt Velardebo:

And I, and I know it reflects poorly on me and I own that it would reflect poorly on me.

Matt Velardebo:

But again, I know who David Martin is and was.

Matt Velardebo:

He is a very successful attorney.

Matt Velardebo:

He's got law offices across the state and first person in his family to graduate college left, much like myself.

Matt Velardebo:

So that's over and done.

Matt Velardebo:

I just wanted to make sure I said that this is my first opportunity to have a platform to kind of speak that out into the world.

Matt Velardebo:

So absolutely over and done.

Barrett Gruber:

Absolutely.

Barrett Gruber:

And.

Barrett Gruber:

And you say done, but I'll just comment.

Barrett Gruber:

Look, in situations where I'm wrong, I have no problem admitting when I have made a mistake or if I have said something that was incorrect.

Barrett Gruber:

I will own that every single time.

Barrett Gruber:

Because ultimately, one, I don't want.

Barrett Gruber:

Same as you.

Barrett Gruber:

I don't, I don't want.

Barrett Gruber:

There's something I don't want something to be out there that, that I suffer from a credibility question.

Barrett Gruber:

You know, it's.

Barrett Gruber:

It's one of those things that I don't think that there are a lot of people can do.

Barrett Gruber:

I don't think that there are a lot of people out there that will own up to their mistakes or own up to things that they've said that they find out are inaccurate, especially in the.

Barrett Gruber:

This specific timeline and our political situation with everything going on.

Barrett Gruber:

So, you know, it's.

Barrett Gruber:

It's just.

Barrett Gruber:

It's one of those things sometimes we have to do, and I do it without fear or retribution because if I made a mistake, I will own it.

Barrett Gruber:

And, you know, you are from, from the, the years that we've known each other now, you are absolutely somebody who will own their mistakes.

Barrett Gruber:

You have always been forthcoming when, when, when something is incorrect.

Barrett Gruber:

And, you know, I think as a candidate, that was one of the.

Barrett Gruber:

One of the things that I admired the most is your brutal honesty, is, Is your ability.

Barrett Gruber:

I'm not just blowing smoke, but the fact that brutally, you would be honest and you would say, even if it, Even if it took out from you or your message or whatever, you.

Barrett Gruber:

You did not shy away from the.

Barrett Gruber:

I guess you didn't shy away from the fact that, you know, you're imperfect just like every single other person on this planet.

Barrett Gruber:

So, yeah, kudos.

Matt Velardebo:

Thank you.

Matt Velardebo:

So now on to the next thing that we've covered that, like, one immediate thing.

Matt Velardebo:

So I did want to take this opportunity and share with the world that I will no longer be running for office, at least for the next coming several years here, because I will be running for York County Democratic Party Chair at our upcoming convention in March.

Matt Velardebo:

I'm very.

Matt Velardebo:

There we go.

Matt Velardebo:

I am super stoked about that.

Matt Velardebo:

This is something people have been asking for, for years of me, and I thought I was better served running for office.

Matt Velardebo:

That time has come and gone, I think, at this point, and now it's time to, like, be the change I want to see at a leadership level and kind of hopefully get a team around me who can help, you know, raise the Democrat Party in York county to a level of prominence and strength.

Matt Velardebo:

So I'm excited about that, and I look forward to moving ahead with that and seeing what happens in March.

Barrett Gruber:

Yeah, no, I think that's exciting.

Barrett Gruber:

And while, you know, I was disappointed in the outcome of the election, and that's not.

Barrett Gruber:

That's not to say that I don't think the reflection.

Barrett Gruber:

I don't think the.

Barrett Gruber:

The outcome of the election was a reflection of the work that was put into it, the amount of hours that were spent.

Barrett Gruber:

Yeah.

Barrett Gruber:

You know, I guess chairing a party now that, that's, that's kind of the, the power that comes with like coffee mugs and emails in all caps.

Barrett Gruber:

Right.

Matt Velardebo:

Yeah.

Matt Velardebo:

And, you know, I just wanna.

Matt Velardebo:

I'm not running because I'm beefing with the current leadership.

Matt Velardebo:

This isn't about competition between me and them.

Matt Velardebo:

This is just about.

Matt Velardebo:

I have a vision and I feel like when surrounded with folks who would like to participate with me, we could go do some really great things and really kind of elevate the Democrat party to where it should be.

Matt Velardebo:

For a county like York, we should be on the same level as Greenville and Spartanburg and Richland and you know, other counties.

Matt Velardebo:

We shouldn't be where we're at.

Matt Velardebo:

And that's not to disparage other counties, but I mean, we all.

Matt Velardebo:

There's a pecking order and we know this.

Matt Velardebo:

Right.

Matt Velardebo:

And it's based on, you know, population, voter turnout, economic impact in York, you know, we're top three economic county in the state.

Barrett Gruber:

So the vicinity, the vicinity to Charlotte is ultimately, I think one of the most under.

Barrett Gruber:

It is, it's, it's been underwhelming as far as support for Democrats in York county, despite its, its, you know, significantly close vicinity to a Charlotte, North Carolina, where Charlotte, North Carolina is very blue.

Matt Velardebo:

Yeah.

Matt Velardebo:

And it's tough.

Matt Velardebo:

So like, I never encourage people to go to Charlotte and I've.

Matt Velardebo:

This isn't the first time I've said this in a public forum.

Matt Velardebo:

I say go to Columbia, I say go to Spartanburg and Greenville and even hell, go to Charleston if you have to.

Matt Velardebo:

But we live in South Carolina in York County.

Matt Velardebo:

We don't live in Charlotte, we don't live in North Carolina.

Matt Velardebo:

We need to let our South Carolina voices be heard and mobilize the South Carolinian Democrats.

Matt Velardebo:

So going up there doesn't always help the cause necessarily.

Matt Velardebo:

Right.

Matt Velardebo:

You're surrounded by people.

Matt Velardebo:

I went up and was a marshal in the Labor Day parade this last year and it was great, you know, being with the Mecklenburg County Democrats and meeting all these Democrats.

Matt Velardebo:

I watch from afar with like my heart aflutter, you know.

Matt Velardebo:

Oh my gosh, you're so amazing and it's great.

Matt Velardebo:

But it's also cool having like that little sprinkle, sprinkle of folks in that area who know who Matt Velardebo is.

Matt Velardebo:

And it's mainly because of my social media, but they know who I am up there.

Matt Velardebo:

So again, I haven't really had A chance to be out in the public like this since the election.

Matt Velardebo:

So it's nice to have an opportunity to be here and be able to talk and be able to confirm that.

Matt Velardebo:

I, too, like Barrett Gruber, did not expect the election results to be like, they were not at a federal level, not at a state level.

Matt Velardebo:

I was quite surprised, and I'm usually not surprised.

Matt Velardebo:

I, like, I saw Trump's first victory coming.

Matt Velardebo:

I remember telling my wife a week or so in advance, I don't think Hillary's gonna do this.

Matt Velardebo:

And I didn't.

Matt Velardebo:

You know, I really just.

Matt Velardebo:

Yeah, so it kind of like, wipes clean the playing board.

Matt Velardebo:

Right?

Matt Velardebo:

I mean, the whole.

Matt Velardebo:

Somebody came and upended the chessboard on us, essentially.

Barrett Gruber:

Yeah.

Matt Velardebo:

And, man, I, it's hard not to want to punch a pollster in the face.

Barrett Gruber:

You know, I, I, and, and this isn't to sound like, it's not to sound conspiratorial, but I am.

Barrett Gruber:

There are still a lot of things about this, this particular election that it still just doesn't add up for me.

Barrett Gruber:

And I'm not, I'm not saying that because I think that, you know, the election was stolen or that there was some technological, you know, spy software that was inserted into anything that would potentially give, you know, I'm not saying Trump a victory.

Barrett Gruber:

I'm not, I'm not saying that that happened.

Barrett Gruber:

I am saying that the amount of support that it looked like the Harris campaign was getting, the amount of, just the amount of money that was coming in.

Barrett Gruber:

But then after the election, you.

Barrett Gruber:

I look back and reflect on the amount that, all of that.

Barrett Gruber:

I look back on it and say, you know, the way the election turned out, it, it definitely feels like maybe this was a situation where the media may have outperformed the race, that the news media's following Kamala Harris and, and all of these rallies and things like that, that, that she, she didn't, she didn't have the support that I thought she did or that that support that she did have was being magnified.

Barrett Gruber:

And, you know, Trump is a populist.

Barrett Gruber:

I mean, as much as I want to deny the authenticity of his populism.

Matt Velardebo:

You're not populist.

Matt Velardebo:

You're not wrong.

Barrett Gruber:

He, he, he.

Barrett Gruber:

Even, even now, when he, when he says things like he wants to rename the Gulf of America, the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, you know, I, I recognize that for one, that's just something that he got in front of a cameras and said.

Barrett Gruber:

I don't, I don't believe that there's any intent to do it.

Barrett Gruber:

But.

Barrett Gruber:

But why, why do it at all?

Barrett Gruber:

Why, why rile up, you know, people that are hemispherically our partners in, in on this side of the planet?

Barrett Gruber:

And it just, you know, I don't understand that.

Barrett Gruber:

I don't understand this idea of, of wanting to potentially use military force to go into Greenland and to go into the Panama Canal.

Barrett Gruber:

Like it doesn't, it doesn't make sense to me.

Barrett Gruber:

Why, why would you want to rile up and disturb what is pretty much a tranquil existence between us and Canada and us and the shit?

Barrett Gruber:

Who owns, who owns Greenland?

Barrett Gruber:

The Dutch?

Matt Velardebo:

No, no, it's.

Matt Velardebo:

It's not the Dutch.

Matt Velardebo:

Is it, Is it Denmark?

Matt Velardebo:

It is Denmark.

Barrett Gruber:

Yeah, it's Denmark.

Barrett Gruber:

It is Denmark.

Barrett Gruber:

Greenland is a territory of Denmark.

Matt Velardebo:

So.

Barrett Gruber:

So I.

Barrett Gruber:

Yeah, go ahead.

Matt Velardebo:

So I'll get back to it for you.

Matt Velardebo:

So like the election this year was crazy, right?

Matt Velardebo:

So my little campaign for State House saw like a very coordinated misinformation campaign about me.

Matt Velardebo:

You know, we talked earlier about this apology I offered to David Martin for a misspeak I made.

Matt Velardebo:

Let's talk about a legit lie and the furtherance of that lie to defame my character and to hurt me, telling people that because I work for a company like jll, which is where I'm employed, I got hired to that job in July.

Matt Velardebo:

llel that all the way back to:

Matt Velardebo:

ated that real estate deal in:

Matt Velardebo:

And they know it's wrong.

Matt Velardebo:

And you know, nobody comes to my rescue during that.

Matt Velardebo:

Right?

Matt Velardebo:

My neighbor, who's an elected official, he's not going to show up and say that's patently wrong.

Matt Velardebo:

I can't believe you're saying that.

Matt Velardebo:

These friends of mine who I've known for years that are endorsing my opponent out of the blue, they're not going to jump in and say this is wrong.

Matt Velardebo:

I know Matt Velardevo.

Matt Velardebo:

That's wrong.

Matt Velardebo:

Nobody came to my rescue except for, you know, my supporters, my camp, you know, were like, this is wrong.

Matt Velardebo:

And the little Facebook group that is against the Sil Fab plant pulled it.

Matt Velardebo:

And all the folks within that group who love me didn't believe it for a second.

Matt Velardebo:

But still they made a fucking video highlighting my connection to that.

Matt Velardebo:

Right?

Matt Velardebo:

And I'm just like, it's.

Matt Velardebo:

To me, it's almost like they're making me into Something I'm not.

Matt Velardebo:

They're turning me in almost like this liberal legend here in York county and making me like a Democrat.

Matt Velardebo:

Kaiju, all this attention isn't going to hurt me with my people, my fellow Democrats, they're not going to watch your silly little videos and think, oh, Matt's the worst.

Matt Velardebo:

They're going to watch it and go, this is a Republican talking point.

Matt Velardebo:

And clearly Matt's on to something because they're coordinating their efforts to attack him with a lie.

Matt Velardebo:

You know, again.

Matt Velardebo:

And I almost get physically attacked at a fall festival.

Matt Velardebo:

I have a death threat called in on me and my family that resulted in law enforcement having to do, like, routine patrols of my house.

Barrett Gruber:

Right.

Matt Velardebo:

All these things happen.

Matt Velardebo:

And, like, nobody, like, came to my rescue.

Matt Velardebo:

You know, nobody was like, the arena, which is a, you know, kind of provides our side of politics and news reporting in the state, was really gracious and picked up that story and did a piece on it.

Matt Velardebo:

But even local media didn't run the piece they interviewed me for about the death threat.

Matt Velardebo:

So it's tough.

Matt Velardebo:

Right?

Matt Velardebo:

But all this, like, to me, it's all this, like, posturing and like, they're.

Matt Velardebo:

This is their idea of gamesmanship.

Matt Velardebo:

And it all goes back to, like, Trump.

Matt Velardebo:

I mean, I don't think for a minute that we're gonna go forcibly re.

Matt Velardebo:

Go take Panama and Greenland.

Matt Velardebo:

I, for one, like the movie Greenland.

Matt Velardebo:

And I'm a big fan of Gerard Butler and his cinematic works.

Matt Velardebo:

I don't know why Trump hates him, but, you know, this guy is bizarre.

Matt Velardebo:

I mean, we could talk all day and.

Matt Velardebo:

But that's what people want.

Matt Velardebo:

I feel like in the election, one of the things that hurt us is this, like, pearl clutching instinct that Democrats have.

Matt Velardebo:

Like.

Matt Velardebo:

Right, we get it.

Matt Velardebo:

The things Trump saying are bothering you.

Matt Velardebo:

But, man, I feel like there's, like, more substantive things we could be pursuing other than like, getting sand on a crevice about something Trump said.

Barrett Gruber:

Yeah, well, it's like.

Barrett Gruber:

And that's like.

Matt Velardebo:

And he knows that.

Matt Velardebo:

He's like, he's sorry.

Matt Velardebo:

He's trolling us.

Matt Velardebo:

Right?

Matt Velardebo:

He.

Matt Velardebo:

He is absolutely trolling us.

Matt Velardebo:

And people take that bait every time they get a chance.

Matt Velardebo:

And I.

Matt Velardebo:

I'm not that guy.

Matt Velardebo:

And I think that's why people like me.

Matt Velardebo:

They kind of see me as like, the ready, steady.

Matt Velardebo:

Matt isn't prone to these outbursts.

Matt Velardebo:

Oh, excuse me, Bourbons visiting me.

Matt Velardebo:

But Matt's not prone to the sort of outburst that others are.

Matt Velardebo:

And yeah, it's not like the rock.

Matt Velardebo:

I'm talking about myself in Third person.

Matt Velardebo:

But that's, that's how things go.

Matt Velardebo:

You know, that's where we're at with politics nowadays in the world of Trump and a world of maga.

Matt Velardebo:

A lot of this is like the theater, theater of the mind, if you were, whatever you want to call it.

Matt Velardebo:

It's, you know, who can be more hyperbolic?

Matt Velardebo:

And it's not substantive at all.

Barrett Gruber:

Yeah, no, you're, you're absolutely right.

Barrett Gruber:

And I think that that is, that is one of the things and how I think in this next Trump administration has to be, is, don't.

Barrett Gruber:

I can, I can say things, even if it's in satire about the, the dumb stuff that, that wounds up being said in a White House press conference.

Barrett Gruber:

I can, I can have a reaction to it, but can't focus on it.

Barrett Gruber:

Because ultimately for me, focusing on it means, you know, me coming onto one of these platforms and saying, you know, did you hear what he said?

Barrett Gruber:

How do you not look at this and go, this is really dumb.

Barrett Gruber:

This is something that, that a president shouldn't say and, and that doesn't do anything for those individuals, half the country that will continue to support him regardless of the things he says.

Barrett Gruber:

They won't, they won't turn their back to him just because of that.

Barrett Gruber:

But we have to focus on the things that were promised.

Barrett Gruber:

We have to focus on the things like grocery prices, we have to focus on the things like gas prices and improving the healthcare system here in the country, you know, ending the war in Afghanistan.

Barrett Gruber:

And I know, and I, and I recognize, and some won't, but I recognize what it means that he made these promises.

Barrett Gruber:

And the likelihood is, is these are not promises he'll be able to fulfill, but if he does, I will, I will be the first person to come on and be like, congratulations.

Barrett Gruber:

I am.

Barrett Gruber:

This is something that is good.

Barrett Gruber:

This is, this, you know, he, you know, he has accomplished something that he promised which he didn't do during his first term.

Barrett Gruber:

So the second term being from day one, 100%, a lame duck presidency, the ability to have those accomplishments, and if that means that the Republicans in Congress, whether the Senate and the House come together and come up with a solution for a better healthcare system that doesn't necessarily take and give all of the power and all of the power in decision making process to the insurance, if that somehow becomes a public option that can make the healthcare system better for everybody, then 100%, Trump will gain my support on that and he can etch away at the opinion I have of him as a human being.

Barrett Gruber:

Because he's making improvements to things that I think need to be improved.

Barrett Gruber:

I'm also drastically fearful of some of what he has also promised because some of what he has promised is just downright batshit crazy.

Barrett Gruber:

The abolishment of the Department of Education.

Barrett Gruber:

I don't think anyone's really discussing the ramifications of what that means.

Matt Velardebo:

Yeah.

Barrett Gruber:

Go ahead.

Matt Velardebo:

So I agree with you in I do think those are the sort of things that concern me too, because I do think they will make earnest effort towards fulfilling that promise.

Matt Velardebo:

And I would certainly tell people expect, you know, people sometimes assign a lot of like, coordination and sophistication to the government and these like sort of shadow maneuvers that are made.

Matt Velardebo:

And as somebody who has spent years working with the federal government, I can tell you they possess neither the sophistication or coordination to do these like, clandestine things that people think are happening.

Matt Velardebo:

But, you know, there are some very real things that, you know, a Trump administration could do, like putting an end to the federal Education Department and that would be disastrous for funding and federal dollars being allocated to schools in need and departments of education around this country who depend on that money.

Matt Velardebo:

I've always said, like, I'll listen to, really, to anybody, I may, I may go in into it.

Matt Velardebo:

No, I'm not going to agree with anything they got to say, but I'll give it a whirl.

Matt Velardebo:

Right.

Matt Velardebo:

But there's just some things that I'm just not down with.

Matt Velardebo:

And I think this like, movement towards anti intellectualism and like being negative towards the educated, I'm not down with that.

Matt Velardebo:

I mean, I get it.

Matt Velardebo:

We all get pulled in different ways.

Matt Velardebo:

Not everybody needs to go to college.

Matt Velardebo:

And it's not a matter of elite education.

Matt Velardebo:

It's about like, we need folks with knowledge who are fact based and driven by science and data out there, like fixing our roads and making the electricity work when you hit the light switch and all that, like stuff that you need.

Matt Velardebo:

I'm not.

Matt Velardebo:

It's just weird the sort of way we're going down a dangerous road with the way we look at like education and like development of intellectualism in this world and in this country in particular.

Barrett Gruber:

Yeah, no, I don't disagree.

Barrett Gruber:

And like I was saying that the ramifications of dissolving a department that handles literally the money as far as the budgeting requests at a national level for the money that then is provided to the states, that the states then get to distribute on their own without federal, you know, as long as they're accredited and they have all the necessary systems in place and whatnot.

Barrett Gruber:

But you know, the states decide how that money is distributed to the schools.

Barrett Gruber:

And if there's no department of Education, then who handles how that money gets distributed to the states?

Barrett Gruber:

You know, there's Congress.

Matt Velardebo:

I mean, do you really trust that?

Barrett Gruber:

No, there's no way.

Barrett Gruber:

It just, it's not, there's no way that Congress has the ability to operate that at such a finite level.

Barrett Gruber:

That's why you have a department to handle that Specifics.

Barrett Gruber:

But this idea of abolishing the Department of Education because they want the states to handle the curriculum and things like that.

Barrett Gruber:

The states handle the curriculum already.

Barrett Gruber:

The federal government has no say in what the states teach.

Barrett Gruber:

That's why in the state of Oklahoma, they're buying 57,000 Donald Trump Bibles so that the kids in public schools will be taught from the Donald Trump Bible, a $70 Donald Trump Bible.

Barrett Gruber:

That the likelihood is you probably could have gone to any one of the Bible publishers and been like, hey, do you want to sponsor the school system of Oklahoma?

Barrett Gruber:

And the publishers would have fought each other to try and, to try and be that for free.

Barrett Gruber:

And, and you use state funds to buy 50 how?

Barrett Gruber:

$57,070 Bibles that like.

Matt Velardebo:

Yeah, that's crazy.

Matt Velardebo:

That would be like an attorney buying a flashing safety sign in front of a school so that he could establish that maybe he's a sponsor for childhood safety.

Matt Velardebo:

I don't know.

Matt Velardebo:

I mean, it sounds weird to me.

Matt Velardebo:

Dude, it's self aggrandizing at a minimum.

Matt Velardebo:

Yeah, yeah, sorry.

Barrett Gruber:

That's true.

Matt Velardebo:

I got jokes.

Matt Velardebo:

Right.

Barrett Gruber:

I.

Barrett Gruber:

Look, look, I want to, I want to bring up a topic that you have, you have in, in recent weeks have asked me not to go nuclear on.

Barrett Gruber:

We have a state representative who is adjacent to your district.

Matt Velardebo:

Yes.

Barrett Gruber:

Name.

Barrett Gruber:

Name.

Barrett Gruber:

Brandon Guffey.

Barrett Gruber:

Who is.

Barrett Gruber:

And, and I'll just say it.

Barrett Gruber:

My, this is my opinion.

Barrett Gruber:

He is the victim of his own doing in every way, shape and form.

Barrett Gruber:

But this is a gentleman who has come after you vehemently outside of, outside of necessity.

Barrett Gruber:

He, you weren't running against him.

Barrett Gruber:

You, you aren't in a district that's represented by him.

Barrett Gruber:

You don't actually have almost anything to do with him except that maybe you go and eat and shop in his district sometimes.

Matt Velardebo:

Yeah.

Barrett Gruber:

But you as an individual who is concerned about the growth of South Carolina, the, the, the population of South Carolina as a whole, you know, you have called him out as well as other representatives through social media about some of the things that maybe they haven' done that they could have done or the things that they have focused on versus not focused on.

Barrett Gruber:

And this is, this is an individual who has come after you after, you know, years of you, you showing your support for him on a personal level, financial level, you know, so I guess give us some insight into what exactly is going on, because my perspective is I wanted you to let me use the nuclear option, so I get it.

Matt Velardebo:

So, I mean, so here's the thing for me, this guy was running, was a local county council member here in York county, and he decided to run for state rep.

Matt Velardebo:

And during that election in:

Matt Velardebo:

It was very tragic situation.

Matt Velardebo:

It was a sextortion issue.

Matt Velardebo:

And I really, I mean, it tugged at me.

Matt Velardebo:

I'm a dad, and I feel like I'm a very empathic person.

Matt Velardebo:

And I remember, like, being probably the only Democrat in the area to reach out to him, certainly the first.

Matt Velardebo:

And he's always been, like, straight up with me, handshake, eye contact, we'll talk.

Matt Velardebo:

But he usually, you know, nothing really deep or substantive.

Matt Velardebo:

Whenever we do interact.

Matt Velardebo:

I'm not trying to, like, have this guy invite me over to dinner.

Matt Velardebo:

I get it.

Matt Velardebo:

And he had a fundraiser I went to and bought, you know, hundreds of dollars of raffle tickets and spent my money at the fundraiser.

Matt Velardebo:

And always just him and I.

Matt Velardebo:

So fast forward to now and I make a social media post just about some legislation I see him sponsoring that I don't support.

Matt Velardebo:

And I understand that legislation is tied to this tragedy with his son, but I don't believe that sacrificing our right to privacy and our First Amendment right to freedom is all the freedom of speech, freedom of everything, freedom of expression, a lot of constitutional rights would be sort of muddied with some of this legislation.

Matt Velardebo:

And I just didn't support it.

Matt Velardebo:

I never said a cross word about this man.

Matt Velardebo:

And man, he came at me both barrels over that social media post called Be an Idiot.

Matt Velardebo:

He.

Matt Velardebo:

There's since been a Maya, somewhat of a Maya culpa on his part, but not really where he put out another post, which one could assume that maybe he was lumping me in with the Freedom Caucus and an accusation of being a pedo or a pedo protector.

Matt Velardebo:

Again, I, I, I want to say, like, and I feel like he's gonna hear this and see this.

Matt Velardebo:

I'm worried about this guy.

Matt Velardebo:

And I, and I know he's dealing with the most unimaginable tragedy and trauma that a person could go through.

Matt Velardebo:

And I feel like sometimes folks, not specifically him, but anybody, we.

Matt Velardebo:

Social media gives us a way to, like, publicly process that and maybe not always in a healthy way.

Matt Velardebo:

So I certainly, you know, hope that guy can, like, get some help.

Matt Velardebo:

But I'm not his enemy.

Matt Velardebo:

I'm.

Matt Velardebo:

I'm a Democrat, and I'm looking to be Democratic Party chair in Newark County.

Matt Velardebo:

I'm not looking to, like, be the king of selfies with Republicans.

Matt Velardebo:

That's not where I'm at with all this.

Matt Velardebo:

I'm looking to inform people.

Matt Velardebo:

I'm looking to add balance to Columbia.

Matt Velardebo:

And part of that is making sure Democrats get elected.

Matt Velardebo:

And part of that is going to be pointing out some of this ridiculous legislation and why I think it's ridiculous.

Matt Velardebo:

If people like my opinion and believe in the things I say and the sort of parallels I'm drawing, that is great.

Matt Velardebo:

But at no point is this me, like, besmirching Brandon Guffey or the Guffin Guffey family name.

Matt Velardebo:

And it was tough.

Matt Velardebo:

Like, he was super fired up and people were coming at me.

Matt Velardebo:

I actually had people who had the nerve to say, well, why aren't.

Matt Velardebo:

Why are you being like this?

Matt Velardebo:

And I'm like, why am I being like.

Matt Velardebo:

I wanted to reply with, why am I being like what?

Matt Velardebo:

This guy is literally calling.

Matt Velardebo:

Calling me names and trying to bully me.

Matt Velardebo:

And I'm, like, taking the high road in every single thing I say on this post and subsequent posts.

Matt Velardebo:

And it's frustrating.

Matt Velardebo:

You know, the Republicans run things in this state, and, you know, they run things when you start to poke at them and they don't like you and they don't like the poke, and, you know, then that's the thing.

Matt Velardebo:

Like, his Republican supporters are going to come after me.

Matt Velardebo:

That's their guy.

Matt Velardebo:

There's an.

Matt Velardebo:

There's a split in York county between the Republican Party.

Matt Velardebo:

You have the York county gop, and you have something called the York County Conservative Club.

Matt Velardebo:

The York County Conservative Club wants that charter from the York County GOP because they don't think they're doing a good job.

Matt Velardebo:

And ethically, I would say the York County GOP is devoid of ethics with the way they conduct themselves.

Matt Velardebo:

But again, the York County Conservative Club doesn't make me feel any better.

Matt Velardebo:

There's still another club of Republicans that want to become the actual vice.

Matt Velardebo:

So they're, like, split.

Matt Velardebo:

And, you know, they don't.

Matt Velardebo:

They see me as, like, the informed, loud.

Matt Velardebo:

You know, people look to me, in my opinion and my.

Matt Velardebo:

And hear my voice.

Matt Velardebo:

And I think that is the clearer message I received from all these recent interactions, because I, I know they kind of look at Representative Guffey as like the next one and the guy who they're going to tap on the shoulder to at one point, hopefully replace Ralph Norman or do something else.

Matt Velardebo:

But I know that he's like one of their people because he's.

Matt Velardebo:

He, you know, in a way, he would have been a worthy opponent.

Matt Velardebo:

For me, I've always wanted a worthy opponent in an election.

Matt Velardebo:

Somebody who will, like, debate and engage and go back and forth and talk about the issues.

Matt Velardebo:

And I've never really had that in any of my campaigns.

Matt Velardebo:

It's always been the standard, you know, I'm not going to do anything.

Matt Velardebo:

I'll send out some mailers to make me look like a tame Republican and I'll win.

Matt Velardebo:

And yeah, I think Guffey would have actually, like, shown up for a debate and actually would have, you know, wanted to do a candidate forum.

Barrett Gruber:

Yeah, that's, that's.

Barrett Gruber:

That's one of the things I also want to discuss was I took issue at one of the comments that Guffey made on your Facebook post about.

Barrett Gruber:

I don't remember what your Facebook post was about, but he spent a lot of time on your Facebook, but he made a comment about how we were unwilling to.

Barrett Gruber:

You were unwilling.

Barrett Gruber:

And as your campaign manager, that was, that was the.

Barrett Gruber:

This was a situation that I was trying to make happen, which was we were trying to work with the David Martin campaign in order to have a public forum debate where questions could be posed to both of you and then those questions could be answered in that forum.

Barrett Gruber:

And Guffey made a response, and I'm paraphrasing, but basically saying that we were too chicken shit to debate him.

Barrett Gruber:

And I want to make it very clear.

Barrett Gruber:

I reached out to the David Martin campaign, both in emails that were ignored for months, as well as text and phone calls with the campaign manager for David Martin's campaign.

Barrett Gruber:

And when I posed an offer to have a public forum debate, it was put on the Matt Vlardimo campaign to come up with the location.

Barrett Gruber:

We had to be responsible for the location.

Barrett Gruber:

And when I mentioned three of the potential locations that we had already gotten a semi approval or at least an acknowledgement that they would be interested in potentially hosting it.

Barrett Gruber:

Those three locations that I posed to the campaign were, were.

Barrett Gruber:

Were denied.

Barrett Gruber:

They did not want to hold the debate at any one of those three.

Barrett Gruber:

And the only one that was offered up was a potential at the.

Barrett Gruber:

I guess it was the town chamber of Commerce, to which, when I reach out to the chamber of Commerce, There was no response.

Barrett Gruber:

And I then asked the David Martin campaign if they had connection to the Commerce, which they do they make the arrangement?

Barrett Gruber:

Yeah, of course they do.

Barrett Gruber:

He's a member of the Chamber of Commerce.

Barrett Gruber:

He has a business in York.

Barrett Gruber:

In Rock or in Fort Mill?

Matt Velardebo:

Yes.

Matt Velardebo:

To all Barrett.

Matt Velardebo:

Yes, he has a business in York, Rock Hill and Fort Mill.

Barrett Gruber:

So, yeah.

Barrett Gruber:

So, you know, I put it out there that if they could make the arrangements, then we would, you know, you as the candidate would be at any, any potential debate that was scheduled.

Barrett Gruber:

And nothing was ever returned, nothing was ever said back to me in the emails that I sent.

Barrett Gruber:

There was no follow up even to the emails that became public to everyone.

Barrett Gruber:

There was no, there was no communication back from the campaign to say, hey, yeah, we want to do this too.

Barrett Gruber:

And I think that that is sort of, that, that is part of, that is part of the, the issue when it comes to being able to provide the population, the voting population, with as much honest potential information as possible.

Barrett Gruber:

Wayne Borders is watching us on tick tock and he, he can tell you that there was, there was, there was no debate between him and his camp, the candidate he was running against.

Barrett Gruber:

They have, this is.

Matt Velardebo:

They have everything to lose in a debate because they're going to have to stand up there and try to like explain 20 years of failures.

Matt Velardebo:

They can try to nuance all this majority, super majority, but that's what it is.

Matt Velardebo:

It's.

Matt Velardebo:

They've been in charge for 20 years and had really a blank check to do whatever the hell they want.

Matt Velardebo:

And they've chosen all these really weird things to pursue.

Matt Velardebo:

So why would they like, stand toe to toe with like a well informed, well prepared, passionate Democrat who's really approaching this not from a idealistic point of view, but more from the math.

Matt Velardebo:

Don't math out point of view.

Matt Velardebo:

And, you know, it drove me crazy.

Matt Velardebo:

Drove me.

Matt Velardebo:

But I kind of knew that would be my battle to fight.

Matt Velardebo:

I wasn't surprised by what happened.

Matt Velardebo:

I wasn't, you know, oh, crap, you know, this isn't gonna happen.

Matt Velardebo:

It looks like it's frustrating.

Matt Velardebo:

We had, we did have venues that want to support us and we did have, you know, some surface interest from an opponent, which is more than I got two years ago.

Matt Velardebo:

So I'll take, I'll take that.

Barrett Gruber:

Yeah.

Barrett Gruber:

And I can tell your previous opponent, I don't know that her ability to get out of the house was really there.

Matt Velardebo:

So, you know, I ran into her at the grocery store the other day and gave her a hug.

Matt Velardebo:

She's in person.

Matt Velardebo:

She's so sweet.

Matt Velardebo:

But I digress.

Matt Velardebo:

I do want to say, though, as county party chair for the York County Democratic Party, I can promise that I will strive to reach out to a lot of these organizations in our community, like the League of Women Voters, like, you know, the Pan Hellenic Council, which is all these historic black Greek fraternities and sororities, and build a.

Matt Velardebo:

A coalition with them where we can make sure candidate forums happen and candidate debates can happen.

Matt Velardebo:

Because you need some of these nonpartisan groups to oversee it.

Matt Velardebo:

Because, you know, some, some folks, they're okay with the York County Conservative Club hosting a forum or debate.

Matt Velardebo:

And, and they see that as a nonpartisan event, even though it's hosted by the York County Conservative Club.

Matt Velardebo:

It would be seen different if the Democrats tried to do that.

Matt Velardebo:

I remember we have a club called Drinking Liberally, and they invited all the school board candidates to come.

Matt Velardebo:

School boards, a nonpartisan seat.

Matt Velardebo:

One school board candidate came to Drinking Liberally to speak at Drinking Liberally.

Matt Velardebo:

So, you know, it doesn't go both ways.

Matt Velardebo:

Right?

Matt Velardebo:

And we got to change that.

Matt Velardebo:

We gotta, like, change perception.

Matt Velardebo:

You know, we're not poison, we're not toxic.

Matt Velardebo:

And we, we're indeed interested in the facts and getting answers to questions that impact everybody.

Matt Velardebo:

I'm just not going to be like, how many times a day do you bow to a picture of Joe Biden?

Matt Velardebo:

I'm going to ask you substantive questions at a forum or debate.

Matt Velardebo:

I'm not gonna, you know.

Matt Velardebo:

Yeah, it's, it's all this stuff kind of confounds me, the way people are, the barriers.

Matt Velardebo:

And again, it's.

Matt Velardebo:

You're talking about a hegemon with the Republicans in this state.

Matt Velardebo:

And the Democrats are trying to, like, get something done with them.

Matt Velardebo:

And certainly Democrats like me are trying to move something forward for the left.

Matt Velardebo:

And it's hard.

Matt Velardebo:

It's a lot of work, and I've been doing it for years now.

Barrett Gruber:

As the, as the county chair.

Barrett Gruber:

How are you.

Barrett Gruber:

Wayne Border says it's deeply important because we don't register by party in this state.

Barrett Gruber:

And that's, that's absolutely a fact.

Barrett Gruber:

As the, as the party chair.

Barrett Gruber:

And, you know, in case anyone's watching or listening to this that would potentially use this as theirs.

Barrett Gruber:

What, what do you, how do you look at instructing or mentoring candidates for.

Barrett Gruber:

For chair or for positions in the.

Barrett Gruber:

In your county?

Barrett Gruber:

How do you, how do.

Barrett Gruber:

How are you going to approach them?

Barrett Gruber:

How are you going to mentor them on how to.

Barrett Gruber:

To, to run a successful campaign?

Matt Velardebo:

So, so I can tell before you say that.

Barrett Gruber:

Before you say anything, I just want to point out a successful campaign doesn't mean that you win campaign.

Barrett Gruber:

This, this, this year, your campaign picked up thousands more votes than you had before.

Barrett Gruber:

South car least the number of people that voted.

Barrett Gruber:

Party only.

Barrett Gruber:

And I still think that if it were, if it were based on educated voters, voters that didn't just go in and pull the county line and just by default, selecting your opponent, I think that the race would have been much closer.

Barrett Gruber:

And the likelihood is, if someone was forced to actually vote for the candidate that they wanted to vote for, that I think you would have had a win.

Barrett Gruber:

I think a lot of Democrats in the state would have had a win.

Matt Velardebo:

I can tell you that.

Matt Velardebo:

I am very proud of chipping away at that 1 percentage point we took in this election.

Matt Velardebo:

We took that back.

Matt Velardebo:

That was Ray Felder's percentage point, and I took it.

Matt Velardebo:

So I'm very proud of that.

Matt Velardebo:

I lost the election.

Matt Velardebo:

I know that.

Matt Velardebo:

I'm not like, trying to blow smoke up my own ass, but I can tell you it was nice seeing that gap close a little.

Matt Velardebo:

I, I didn't.

Matt Velardebo:

I wasn't happy.

Matt Velardebo:

I was really upset, but that gap closed a little.

Matt Velardebo:

And that was just a little, little one little sprinkle on the Sunday, Barrett, maybe a little pink sprinkle, a solitary sprinkle.

Barrett Gruber:

So, yeah, I'm hoping that I can run the numbers at some point and actually get what this election, what your, Your, Your election was representative to the people that actually voted for you versus your candidate.

Barrett Gruber:

And my suspicion is, is that based on how the election turned out for the Harris campaign and the number of votes that you received, my suspicion is, is that there were more Democrats that didn't just pull the ticket.

Barrett Gruber:

There were more Republicans that voted for you and voted for Trump.

Matt Velardebo:

Yeah.

Barrett Gruber:

So I think that.

Barrett Gruber:

I think the.

Barrett Gruber:

I would agree is, is that that would.

Barrett Gruber:

That would make for a much closer outcome than what was represented by the actual counts.

Barrett Gruber:

And I, again, I think that.

Barrett Gruber:

I think that could be said for most of the Democrats that ran in South Carolina against Republicans.

Matt Velardebo:

So, you know, so back to what you did originally.

Matt Velardebo:

So as far as the mentoring goes, I've already been out there mentoring people.

Matt Velardebo:

So, like, he'll come on here and tell you this.

Matt Velardebo:

John Zabel, that was my guy.

Matt Velardebo:

I led that guy to the best I could.

Matt Velardebo:

And he, like, broke the.

Matt Velardebo:

He, like, broke the trend.

Matt Velardebo:

That guy got 42% of the vote in a race.

Matt Velardebo:

You know, he wasn't able to do the sort of things he was wanting to.

Matt Velardebo:

He was Hogtied by, you know, difficulty fund raising like the rest of us.

Matt Velardebo:

But, you know, he did an impressive job.

Matt Velardebo:

But, you know, I definitely was there to support and mentor him.

Matt Velardebo:

I, I taught a class that resulted in a woman going running for Rock Hill City Council and she lost that race by, I want to say, 17 votes.

Matt Velardebo:

So the fruits.

Matt Velardebo:

My tree is bearing fruits and you just, you got to talk to people.

Matt Velardebo:

I got a friend here in Fort Mill who I think will be.

Matt Velardebo:

Who I'm hoping I can convince to run for Fort Mill Town Council this year.

Matt Velardebo:

But there's people I've met and know in this, in the York County Democratic Party who I would like to be able to go to and actively try to recruit them and without the sort of authority, and I don't know what to call it, officialness of being a part of the county party proper.

Matt Velardebo:

You know, it's really not my place to be out there trying to recruit candidates.

Matt Velardebo:

I don't know if that's like a good use of my effort as a human, but I would be, I would be a recruiter and I would like be going to people and, and people would see those efforts.

Matt Velardebo:

You know, we don't.

Matt Velardebo:

The time for all this.

Matt Velardebo:

Like, I.

Matt Velardebo:

There's a lot that happens that y'all don't know about.

Matt Velardebo:

Sort of rhetoric is over.

Matt Velardebo:

I mean, people need to know about the efforts.

Matt Velardebo:

We gotta show the efforts, tell folks about the effort, get them excited about being part of the effort.

Matt Velardebo:

All this, like we're doing stuff subtly behind the scenes that's like, that's not cutting it.

Matt Velardebo:

Nobody's getting excited.

Barrett Gruber:

Yeah.

Matt Velardebo:

About behind the scenes stuff they don't see.

Matt Velardebo:

They get excited about like passion and conviction and people who put together like coherent thoughts that make sense.

Matt Velardebo:

And I feel like I'm good about that.

Barrett Gruber:

Yeah, yeah, I agree.

Barrett Gruber:

I just, I am, I want here in Lexington county, those of us, those out there that don't know where Lexington is adjacent, it's just to the west of the city of Columbia in the middle of the state midlands of South Carolina.

Barrett Gruber:

And while I'm not disappointed in the individuals in the county party here in Lexington, I am, I am disappointed is in, in the, in the, the county party as a whole.

Barrett Gruber:

You know, Richland county here in South Carolina, which is the, the, the, the seat for the, the city of Columbia.

Barrett Gruber:

You know, they did a lot in the way of social media presence.

Barrett Gruber:

They did a lot in the way of pulling together canvassers for all of the candidates.

Barrett Gruber:

There was a lot of effort put into it that I didn't see on the Lexington side and I attended, I attended one meeting because I got one email about the meeting and I went to that meeting to, to, to, to hear what was going on.

Barrett Gruber:

I have a friend, we, we have a mutual friend that is the head of the South Carolina Democratic Youth, the Young Democrats of South Carolina for the Midlands, Jeremy Jones.

Barrett Gruber:

And he, I think that he is a good cheerleader for the Democratic Party when it comes to his, his ability to be active and his ability to participate and recruit other young people to the Democratic Party to try and bring in more and get people more active.

Barrett Gruber:

But one of the things I'd like to the county party here in Lexington do is actually stand up and go out there and encourage more people to attend the meetings so that they don't.

Barrett Gruber:

So that they need a space larger than just one of the study rooms at the public library in Lexington.

Barrett Gruber:

Like I want to see, I want to see large attended events once a month like, like what Kimmeler's pulling off in Greenwood.

Barrett Gruber:

The fact that every Saturday they do a breakfast for the Democratic Party where they, they get together and they discuss the issues and they just, they have candidates come up and stand in front of the Democrats and talk.

Barrett Gruber:

It's an opportunity to shake hands and meet with the people that you're trying to represent and then use that forum to potentially pull in more people and potentially get people that aren't necessarily active to be, be active.

Matt Velardebo:

Yeah, man, I can tell you like Kimmeler is a good example.

Matt Velardebo:

Katie Crosby, as a former chair down in Lancaster, Rajan Lewis over in Dorchester.

Matt Velardebo:

Oh yeah, these folks are know how to run a county party and you don't do it.

Matt Velardebo:

It's a cons.

Matt Velardebo:

And again, Barrett has heard me say this ad nauseam.

Matt Velardebo:

It is not just in election years.

Matt Velardebo:

It is not just the even numbered years.

Matt Velardebo:

You have got to be constantly out there.

Matt Velardebo:

And as county party chair here in York County, I would want to see us use fundraising dollars to like, get digital marketing out there, maybe get a billboard or two up and start educating folks in York county about, you know, where we're at and what these Republicans are doing.

Matt Velardebo:

Just waiting till, you know, a couple months before the election year fires up and other things.

Matt Velardebo:

You know, there were things that happened this election year that really drove me crazy.

Matt Velardebo:

I was not a big fan of farming out our volunteer efforts to swing states.

Matt Velardebo:

We lost every single swing state in that presidential election and South Carolina sent a lot of effort out to those swing states.

Matt Velardebo:

And I just, we got to be like South Carolina centric, I think.

Matt Velardebo:

And that's just how I feel.

Matt Velardebo:

I mean, as a candidate and the guy who's, like, out there on the streets actually talking to people.

Matt Velardebo:

My.

Matt Velardebo:

What I'm hearing and what the interactions I'm having are not, hey, you know, I'd love to do more for Democrats in other states.

Matt Velardebo:

It's, why are we always run Republicans running on a post?

Matt Velardebo:

Why do we have garbage candidates?

Matt Velardebo:

You know, all these other things.

Matt Velardebo:

And another one is, why do we have elected Democrats running unopposed that do not leave their districts?

Matt Velardebo:

We need these elected Democrats to leave their districts and come help get Democrats elected around the state.

Matt Velardebo:

I need to know that the, the Democratic Legislative Caucus, the House Democratic Legislative Caucus.

Matt Velardebo:

I need to know that guys like Todd Rutherford are working the phones for me and other Democrats running for state House.

Matt Velardebo:

I don't know if that happened and if it did, nobody shared that with anybody.

Matt Velardebo:

I know that.

Matt Velardebo:

I know that the Senate Democratic Caucus did have their leaders out working the phones for people like Mike Fanning and others, but we need that sort of unification.

Matt Velardebo:

If you're running on a pose, don't sit home and, like, do nothing or show up.

Matt Velardebo:

When Jermaine Johnson or what's his name, the part the DNC chair.

Matt Velardebo:

Oh, my gosh.

Barrett Gruber:

Oh.

Matt Velardebo:

Jermaine, Jamie, don't.

Matt Velardebo:

You know when Jamie Harrison shows up in a bus, let's not, you know, we need, we don't need you to go stand in front of it with a sign with Jamie Harrison.

Matt Velardebo:

We need you to come to York county, knock doors for me, make phone calls for me.

Matt Velardebo:

Call people who donate money to you and ask them to donate money to me.

Matt Velardebo:

Ask them to donate to John Zabel.

Matt Velardebo:

Ask them to donate to Adrian Lett.

Matt Velardebo:

Ask them to donate to Hamilton Grant and all these other people that were running around this state.

Matt Velardebo:

Hamilton, fortunately, won his race, but there were so many of us that really could have used that effort and that rub.

Matt Velardebo:

And it's always money, right?

Matt Velardebo:

I got to a point with the money where I knew I wasn't going to be able to deliver what I needed to deliver to do those extra things.

Matt Velardebo:

And once I saw that it wasn't, I wasn't going to be bringing in 30, 50 grand.

Matt Velardebo:

You know, I knew what I had to do.

Matt Velardebo:

I had to be like, a lot more grassroots and a lot more person to person with how I do things.

Matt Velardebo:

And it's tough, man.

Matt Velardebo:

I mean, David Martin, my opponent, he put out so many mailers, you know, so many mailers leading up to the general election.

Matt Velardebo:

And some of them came to me.

Matt Velardebo:

And I know that Brandon Guffey put out one on his behalf.

Matt Velardebo:

I don't know if Guffey paid for it, if it's just something David paid for that Guffey like rubber stamped.

Matt Velardebo:

But you know, right.

Matt Velardebo:

The.

Matt Velardebo:

And the Republicans rally around each other, you know, I mean, yeah, that is one thing.

Matt Velardebo:

We got multiple elected Repub Democrats in York County.

Matt Velardebo:

We had a fundraiser sponsored by our county party, and none of the elected Democrats came to that fundraiser.

Matt Velardebo:

One of them was benefiting from the fundraiser and he didn't show up.

Matt Velardebo:

To me, that's unconscionable.

Matt Velardebo:

Yeah.

Matt Velardebo:

If somebody's gonna do a fundraiser for me, you damn skippy, I'm gonna show up and suck up for those dollars.

Matt Velardebo:

And you know, I don't mind.

Matt Velardebo:

I'll be talking.

Matt Velardebo:

And in the middle of what I'm saying, no matter how important it is, I'll be like, hey, you know what I need y'all to do?

Matt Velardebo:

Donate now.

Matt Velardebo:

Don't wait till I'm done talking.

Matt Velardebo:

Do it now.

Matt Velardebo:

You know, I'm not.

Matt Velardebo:

I need the money matters.

Matt Velardebo:

And you know, people don't like it when I say it, but this is might be the 12th time I've said it publicly.

Matt Velardebo:

I wish Soros would back the money truck up to South Carolina.

Matt Velardebo:

We need that kind of funding.

Matt Velardebo:

We need, you know, Bloomberg and Soros and people like that, you know, just, you know, flipping off the dollars for us, for people who are running in races that they can win with that financial push to get them to work up to the top of the mountain and.

Barrett Gruber:

Yeah, absolutely.

Matt Velardebo:

I don't mind saying that I like for me, I don't get bothered by people putting together videos like trying to bash me for things or digging through Google search engines for things that happened 20 years ago.

Matt Velardebo:

I'm all right with that.

Matt Velardebo:

All you're doing is for me is showing me how important I am to you.

Matt Velardebo:

Right.

Matt Velardebo:

There's a lot of rhetoric about living rent free in somebody's head.

Matt Velardebo:

I don't think that putting a post out saying, hey, check out this legislation, this reps pushing through, I don't know about this is living rent free in somebody's head.

Matt Velardebo:

I do think that I'm leaving at least multiple dozens comments.

Matt Velardebo:

You know, bizarre shit happens in the world of the Internet.

Barrett Gruber:

Parrot it.

Barrett Gruber:

Definitely the amount of attention that you receive from that individual in particular is.

Barrett Gruber:

I will just say I will give credit where credit is due, and that credit has to go to the Republican Party in your area because there was money spent against you.

Barrett Gruber:

There was effort put into trying to demoralize you and to try and defame you in arguably what is probably one of the most and will for the future, as long as the candidates that continue to be elected there will be underrepresented in the state House, the state of South Carolina will not benefit your county.

Barrett Gruber:

It will not benefit other counties adjacent to you.

Barrett Gruber:

Because the individuals that were elected there are all junior representatives.

Barrett Gruber:

These are not individuals that are going to have any sway on the Republican Party.

Barrett Gruber:

These are not individuals that are going to be able to come in there and fulfill the promises they made, such as the support of public schools over a voucher program.

Barrett Gruber:

You had Republicans that were running on this idea and you had support from people, teachers that were voting for a Republican who said that they were against the school voucher program, but not acknowledging how little influence a junior representative will ever have on the party as a whole that has completely sold themselves to the profit, for profit school system in South Carolina.

Barrett Gruber:

And I'm, I'm dumbfounded by the obvious.

Barrett Gruber:

Just doesn't stand out.

Matt Velardebo:

I have yet to see actual video of a Republican saying these things or like, seeing them put it into writing.

Matt Velardebo:

I have only heard rumor of these things uttered by proxies of these people who help prop them up and make them something they're not.

Matt Velardebo:

So, you know, I.

Matt Velardebo:

This is all just rhetoric.

Matt Velardebo:

I mean, and really a lot of conjecture at this point.

Barrett Gruber:

So let me acknowledge the hyperbole.

Barrett Gruber:

Yeah, it's.

Barrett Gruber:

I'm just, you know, it's one of those things.

Barrett Gruber:

I want to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, but I am too observant of behavior.

Barrett Gruber:

I'm too observant of the things that someone has done in their past to not be able to form an opinion.

Barrett Gruber:

I had a.

Barrett Gruber:

I had a back and forth with somebody today over social media where it was this, you know, why don't you give Donald Trump a chance?

Barrett Gruber:

And I said, I am giving him a chance.

Barrett Gruber:

I will sit right here and tell you that if he accomplishes goals, if he accomplishes fixing things for people here in the United States, I absolutely will be on board to applaud his achievements.

Barrett Gruber:

The problem is based on history and based on my observations of his behavior, not just because I heard some liberal news organization talk about it.

Barrett Gruber:

I recognize his behavior and I recognize that he is not an honest person.

Barrett Gruber:

He never has been.

Barrett Gruber:

Even when he was a Democrat, less than eight months before he ran as a Republican, I recognized that, that he was a liar.

Barrett Gruber:

He's always been a liar.

Barrett Gruber:

And that was when he was part of my party, you know, so it didn't change.

Barrett Gruber:

He's not, he's not reinvented himself.

Barrett Gruber:

He has simply taken advantage of the fact that there is a group of people that support him and they have, that they have no ability to discern fact from, from not fact and lie from truth and things like, you know, so I don't know.

Barrett Gruber:

That's my, that's my soapbox.

Barrett Gruber:

And I am going to hold, I am going to hold through the podcast and social media Donald Trump responsible and hold him, hold his feet to the fire when it comes to the things that he's promised, same as the Republicans in the districts here.

Barrett Gruber:

Kennedy Carlisle is a guy that represents me in the Senate now and some of the things that he promised, if he doesn't fulfill them during the session or at least work to, with other Republicans and potentially Democrats to fulfill some of the things that he said he was going to do, you know, I'm going to, I'm going to attack, maybe not nuclear option, but I'm going to.

Matt Velardebo:

So, yeah, you know, and I've already seen some of the things that my opponent in the last election pre filed and I'm watching him, I'm watching all the elected officials in York County.

Matt Velardebo:

It isn't just one person I'm quote unquote picking on.

Matt Velardebo:

Right.

Matt Velardebo:

I'll watch them all.

Matt Velardebo:

I'm gonna be in Colombia for the Mom's Demand day of action at the end of the month and these people are gonna have to like stand across from me and answer my questions or at least hear my voice.

Matt Velardebo:

And they can't hide from me when I show up in Colombia and I'll do that.

Matt Velardebo:

And that's, I think that's kind of where some people don't make the connection with me is what, what I say on social.

Matt Velardebo:

I'll stroll right on up and say to somebody I'm not at all intimidated or worried or, and I don't, I do it in an appropriate way.

Matt Velardebo:

I'm not some half cotton jerk who's looking to alienate everybody.

Matt Velardebo:

But I also feel like, you know, I'm trying to provide some representation for a voice that's been silenced in a group of folks who are made to feel like they don't matter in this state.

Matt Velardebo:

So I mean, that weighs heavy on me and it's important to me that folks understand that.

Matt Velardebo:

They might see me laugh and joke around or not, but I'm very serious about this.

Barrett Gruber:

Yeah, absolutely.

Barrett Gruber:

Because it affects real people and it affects, it affects their lives.

Barrett Gruber:

It Affects their children education in York county, same as in Lexington County.

Barrett Gruber:

We're having money ripped out of the public education system because of this voucher program that just seems to have an unending source of funds, as long as they can take the money out of the funding for regular school.

Barrett Gruber:

So before we get wrapped up, I do want to ask you.

Barrett Gruber:

You mentioned to me previously that there is, I guess, some sort of charity amateur fights going on the Rotary.

Matt Velardebo:

No, no, tell me about this.

Matt Velardebo:

So when I was at my weekly Rotary meeting, one of our members shared with us that his son in law has a jiu jitsu academy, and they raised like $1.5 million for pediatric cancer research by putting on, like, fights.

Barrett Gruber:

That's amazing.

Matt Velardebo:

And, yeah, that.

Matt Velardebo:

I mean, hell yeah.

Matt Velardebo:

But the discussion then went to, wow, we should do fights and all this.

Matt Velardebo:

And a couple of people around me were like, nudging me, and I just kind of smiled and laughed.

Matt Velardebo:

But I mean, nothing would make me happier than to set some celebrity, you know, celebrity, some charity fights with some of these folks that are beefing with me.

Matt Velardebo:

You know, I would even be willing to cut weight down to the 190s, Barrett, to make it slightly fair because most of these folks are significantly smaller than me.

Matt Velardebo:

But, you know, come wail on a.

Matt Velardebo:

Come wail on your least favorite Democrat for a charity, and if I lose, the money goes to the winner's charity.

Matt Velardebo:

So.

Matt Velardebo:

But yeah, I'm surprised nobody's ever, like, proposed something like that, you know, or like, let's see, Todd Rutherford and Dick Harpootlean.

Matt Velardebo:

Because Rutherford said some rather unsavory things about Dick Harpootle.

Matt Velardebo:

And during the primaries.

Barrett Gruber:

Yeah, I.

Barrett Gruber:

I have proposed.

Barrett Gruber:

I propose something similar to that, but it's mostly been.

Barrett Gruber:

It's always come across more as a threat than.

Barrett Gruber:

Than an actual invitation to sparring, you know, so, yeah, and I'm.

Matt Velardebo:

I'm down for whatever.

Matt Velardebo:

I can do mma.

Matt Velardebo:

I can do pure grappling.

Matt Velardebo:

I can do judo.

Matt Velardebo:

I was a brown belt in judo as a youth.

Matt Velardebo:

So, yeah, I mean, we can do it all, brother.

Barrett Gruber:

I did.

Barrett Gruber:

I did.

Barrett Gruber:

I was.

Barrett Gruber:

I took up boxing for years after I moved here to Columbia just because it was a good way of working off aggression.

Matt Velardebo:

I've done plenty of boxing.

Matt Velardebo:

Years of boxing and three years of Brazilian jiu jitsu.

Matt Velardebo:

I mean, I'm not without my skill set.

Barrett Gruber:

That's fantastic.

Matt Velardebo:

Well.

Matt Velardebo:

But anything else you want to say.

Barrett Gruber:

Before we get out of here?

Matt Velardebo:

Yep, I do.

Matt Velardebo:

So real quick, I didn't get to mention county party chair in York County.

Matt Velardebo:

I've put a lot of work into this.

Matt Velardebo:

We're gonna.

Matt Velardebo:

This is me wink, winking and nudge, nudging.

Matt Velardebo:

I'm hoping my website guy is willing to do some last little bit of work for my website.

Matt Velardebo:

We'll get the website updated and.

Matt Velardebo:

But I have endorsements from, like, all a lot of former candidates in York County.

Matt Velardebo:

Monica Danneman, who ran for my seat four years ago or six years ago.

Matt Velardebo:

Four years ago.

Matt Velardebo:

And Kevin Eckert, who ran for Ralph Norman's congressional seat.

Matt Velardebo:

Evangeline Hunley and several other folks are backing me.

Matt Velardebo:

They see the need for this.

Matt Velardebo:

Right.

Matt Velardebo:

And I have a feeling you're going to see folks rally around me.

Matt Velardebo:

This is, you know, the official announcement, and I'm sure we'll have a little video put together we can send out into the ether here shortly.

Matt Velardebo:

But I'll be updating all my social media and putting it out and sending official press releases to the local press about this and everything, because it should be treated.

Matt Velardebo:

I don't think they'll cover it, but it should be treated this way.

Matt Velardebo:

And it should, like, receive the valley who and excitement of that we have earned and that we.

Matt Velardebo:

We again.

Matt Velardebo:

It's about.

Matt Velardebo:

We gotta, like, stop this nonsense where we're something we're not.

Matt Velardebo:

We are.

Matt Velardebo:

We're Democrats.

Matt Velardebo:

We're here.

Matt Velardebo:

There's a lot of us, and there's plenty of us to win elections in York County.

Matt Velardebo:

And I want to excite that and turn that up to about 11.

Barrett Gruber:

All right.

Barrett Gruber:

All right.

Barrett Gruber:

Yeah.

Barrett Gruber:

And, yeah, I'll.

Barrett Gruber:

I'll take care of your website.

Barrett Gruber:

That's not a worry.

Barrett Gruber:

And I'll.

Barrett Gruber:

I'll take care of it.

Matt Velardebo:

You're the best.

Matt Velardebo:

Barrett Groover.

Matt Velardebo:

Y'all get you a Bear Groover as a friend, everybody every.

Barrett Gruber:

You know what?

Barrett Gruber:

Yeah, but not this Barrett Groover.

Barrett Gruber:

Maybe.

Matt Velardebo:

Maybe find another one.

Matt Velardebo:

Yeah, this is my Bear Gruber.

Barrett Gruber:

Yeah, I'll.

Barrett Gruber:

I'll take care of that.

Barrett Gruber:

So Matt Velardovo, the candidate now for the York County Democratic Party county chair.

Barrett Gruber:

And we'll update the website so you'll be able to go to matt v4sc.com to.

Barrett Gruber:

To be able to look that.

Barrett Gruber:

Which is an appropriate website anyway.

Barrett Gruber:

I think you could potentially use that.

Matt Velardebo:

For anything for a reason.

Matt Velardebo:

That website can be maintained in perpetuity as long as I live in South Carolina or unless I move to, like, southern Connecticut or something, I guess.

Barrett Gruber:

Yeah.

Barrett Gruber:

Yeah.

Barrett Gruber:

Fantastic.

Barrett Gruber:

All right, well, check out Mad V4SC will be updating the website with information about his candidacy in York county for the party chair for the Democratic Party, and just, you know, follow him on social media because he.

Barrett Gruber:

He posts information and asks questions to.

Barrett Gruber:

For the people that are in the positions that can answer them.

Barrett Gruber:

And these are important questions, and they're questions that I think every responsible voter in your county should also be asking, or, you know, that it's just.

Barrett Gruber:

It's absurd to me how little effort some people put into what is such a responsibility of all of us as.

Barrett Gruber:

As voters, as people that live in the places that we live.

Barrett Gruber:

And, you know, so kudos to you for.

Barrett Gruber:

For at least, despite falling down, getting back up.

Matt Velardebo:

Yeah, man.

Barrett Gruber:

And that's most important.

Matt Velardebo:

Absolutely.

Matt Velardebo:

Thank you.

Matt Velardebo:

And real again, before I leave, I would be remiss if I didn't say I've got a workman rate like my man Baker Mayfield, who has led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to back to.

Matt Velardebo:

Back to back NFC south championships.

Matt Velardebo:

I don't care if we got swept by the Shitbirds, we're the champs.

Barrett Gruber:

Yeah.

Barrett Gruber:

Well, the good news is, and I.

Matt Velardebo:

Honor my bets, Barry Gruber.

Matt Velardebo:

I kept that damn profile picture up clear through the regular season like I was supposed to.

Barrett Gruber:

Yes, you did.

Barrett Gruber:

Yes, you did.

Barrett Gruber:

And.

Barrett Gruber:

And.

Barrett Gruber:

And.

Barrett Gruber:

And you have.

Barrett Gruber:

You have fulfilled your end.

Barrett Gruber:

You are relinquished from having to have that on there anymore.

Barrett Gruber:

I will.

Barrett Gruber:

I will say this.

Barrett Gruber:

We can do the same bet next year.

Matt Velardebo:

Oh, let's do it.

Matt Velardebo:

For sure.

Barrett Gruber:

I will honor my side of it.

Barrett Gruber:

And I will say kudos to the Tampa Bay Buccaneer, because if it weren't for the other teams losing, they wouldn't be in the position they're at, so.

Matt Velardebo:

Correct.

Barrett Gruber:

You may claim it was.

Barrett Gruber:

You may claim it was Baker Mayfield's efforts on the field.

Barrett Gruber:

I fully believe it was because of lack of effort by other teams.

Barrett Gruber:

So there's that.

Matt Velardebo:

To each their own, my friend.

Barrett Gruber:

That's right.

Barrett Gruber:

We can.

Barrett Gruber:

We can call it what we want, you know, so.

Barrett Gruber:

That's great.

Matt Velardebo:

Oh, you're an idiot, man.

Matt Velardebo:

You're a pedo.

Matt Velardebo:

You clearly hate people with Parkinson's.

Barrett Gruber:

Do the players on Tampa Bay have Parkinson's?

Matt Velardebo:

I don't.

Matt Velardebo:

I feel like I should do that.

Matt Velardebo:

Anytime somebody, like, takes a swipe at me, I'll be like.

Matt Velardebo:

Like, you clearly hate people with Parkinson's.

Barrett Gruber:

Well, you know what?

Barrett Gruber:

That is how some of the people that I have communication with, that is how they defend themselves.

Barrett Gruber:

Oh, you just don't like white people.

Barrett Gruber:

You just don't like Republicans.

Barrett Gruber:

You just don't.

Barrett Gruber:

And it's like, listen, dude, I've got plenty of friends.

Matt Velardebo:

I caught tons of shit for even talking about the Parkinson's to where I've like mainly phased it out of my vernacular and everybody has seen it happen, has even mentioned it to me.

Matt Velardebo:

So.

Matt Velardebo:

Yeah, no, I mean, I guess I should be like more of a victim because that's right.

Matt Velardebo:

Here we go.

Matt Velardebo:

We're trying to end.

Matt Velardebo:

That's what separates the victims from the not victims.

Matt Velardebo:

Right.

Matt Velardebo:

If I was the victim, I'd be like, ah, Parkinson's this, Parkinson's that.

Matt Velardebo:

But I'm not.

Matt Velardebo:

I'm like, ah, you know, I say things and live by the sword, die by the sword, I'm here for it.

Barrett Gruber:

So, yeah, anyway, yeah, it's.

Barrett Gruber:

It's like I, it's like I keep saying, I say this over and over.

Barrett Gruber:

The only thing between life and death is entertainment or birth and death is entertainment.

Barrett Gruber:

Everything between birth and death is just, it's just entertainment.

Barrett Gruber:

So.

Matt Velardebo:

Yep.

Barrett Gruber:

Thank you very much, Matt for being on this is going to do it.

Barrett Gruber:

For episode number 237, you can find links to past episodes, podcast platforms, merchandise and social media all available on our website page, theallaboutnothing.com and if you think our financial model of giving away free content and entertainment is silly and you're in the giving mood, why not become an official nothinger and support the show monthly?

Barrett Gruber:

Members get access to this episode early as well as exclusive content or you can make a one time donation through the same link.

Barrett Gruber:

If you'd like to be a part of the show, you can call and leave us a message.

Barrett Gruber:

-:

Barrett Gruber:

You can email the show at the allaboutnothing.com or you can join our Discord server.

Barrett Gruber:

There are links available again at the All About Nothing.

Barrett Gruber:

Thank you again Matt for being on the show.

Barrett Gruber:

Thank you everybody for listening.

Barrett Gruber:

You all stay safe, be kind and keep your hands to yourself.

Matt Velardebo:

We miss you.

Matt Velardebo:

Zach King.

Barrett Gruber:

The All About Nothing podcast is produced and engineered by me, Barrett Gruber.

Barrett Gruber:

Thanks to Cake for our intro music.

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Barrett Gruber:

You can follow Everything Cake the band@cakemusic.com thanks to Muff the Producer for our outro music.

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If the time between these episodes is more than you can handle, check out our partner podcast Zach and I host what the Pod Was that?

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Visit whatthepodwasthat.com for links and details.

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