The first episode of the Red County, Blue County, Orange County podcast hosted by GrassrootsLab’s own Mike Madrid premiered on Thursday, August 1. This limited series podcast is produced by the UC Irvine School of Social Ecology where Madrid serves as a senior fellow.
The podcast “covers the transformation of Orange County from a sleepy homogenous county to the vibrant, diverse ‘OC’ that is known across the nation today.” It features a collection of current and former journalists, political operatives, authors and politicians. Upcoming guests include former U.S. Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, California State Senator Tom Umberg, and Huntington Beach Councilman Tony Strickland.
In Episode 1, titled “Orange is the New Purple,” Madrid and UCI School of Social Ecology Dean Jon Gould discuss the history of this increasingly “purple” county, and what makes it the perfect laboratory for the rest of the country.