# Special Friday: Mary Katherine Ham and Bethany Mandel on normies and the 2026 midterms Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/10-minute-drill-7228376/special-friday-mary-katherine-ham-and-bethany-mandel-on-normies-and-the-2026-midterms Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/10-minute-drill-7228376/special-friday-mary-katherine-ham-and-bethany-mandel-on-normies-and-the-2026-midterms.md Podcast: [10 Minute Drill](https://stenobird.com/podcast/10-minute-drill-7228376) Published: 2026-08-28T09:00:00+00:00 Episode link: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/SRCOO8270287680.mp3 Audio file: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/SRCOO8270287680.mp3 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/10-minute-drill-7228376/episodes/special-friday-mary-katherine-ham-and-bethany-mandel-on-normies-and-the-2026-midterms Duration seconds: 773 ## Resource What are everyday Americans really thinking as the 2026 midterm elections approach? In this 10 Minute Drill, Bethany Mandel and Mary Katharine Ham take a closer look at what moms, families, and “normies” are actually talking about outside the political bubble. From the issues shaping everyday life to the concerns that could influence voters, they discuss what Americans really care about heading into the 2026 midterms. Are political insiders missing what everyday voters are thinking? What issues will matter most to moms and families? And what could drive voters to the polls in November? Time Stamps: 0:00 - intro  0:36 - Introducing Bethany and Mary Katherine 1:36 - norm focus grouping the midterms  2:00 - Dems socialism scare 2:21 - Abdul El-Sayed and circumcision  4:00 - gas prices are no joke  4:18 - the affordability fight  5:09 - Do voters care that Democrats have no agenda? 6:00 - warnings from blue cities  7:00 - “Burrito price feelings” 8:00 - public safety and voters 9:03 - Fairfax County as a case study  10:25 - what can change the midterms  12:04 - Prescription drug prices  Listen for an honest conversation about American voters, moms and families, political trends, and the issues that could shape the 2026 midterm elections. ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/10-minute-drill-7228376/episodes/special-friday-mary-katherine-ham-and-bethany-mandel-on-normies-and-the-2026-midterms/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/10-minute-drill-7228376/special-friday-mary-katherine-ham-and-bethany-mandel-on-normies-and-the-2026-midterms.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.