As a group, political consultants have terrible reputations. They're supposedly grifters, scammers, and embezzlers who line their pockets with donors' money while running uninspired, cookie cutter campaigns. And yet, even though everyone in Democratic politics seems to hate them, they almost always end up running campaigns. Amanda and Faiz talk with Tim Lim to find out why. Tim Lim is a Democratic strategist, an entrepreneur, a leading voice in comprehensive media planning and yes – a political ...
Apr 22, 2021•29 min•Season 1Ep. 28
Georgia recently passed one of the most restrictive voting laws in the country, and many Republican-led state legislatures hope to pass similar bills. Amanda and Faiz speak with Ari Berman, a senior reporter for Mother Jones and the author of "Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America," to ask him, "how f*cked are we?" They discuss new Georgia law, its implications for our democracy, and the racist reasoning behind the GOP's historical rationale for limiting the franch...
Apr 15, 2021•38 min•Season 1Ep. 27
As workers in Alabama wait for their votes to be counted in the most consequential union election in recent years, Amanda and Faiz connect with two key organizers to answer the question, "How do you beat the most powerful company in the world?" Jennifer Bates has worked at an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, AL since early 2020 and has been a lead organizer in the union drive since September of the same year. She was born and raised in Marion, a small city in Perry County, AL. Some of her interests...
Apr 08, 2021•34 min•Season 1Ep. 26
David presides over his final episode as host of "Battleground" and hands over the reigns to our new hosts: Amanda Litman and Faiz Shakir. Amanda is the co-founder of and executive director of Run For Something, which recruits and supports young progressives who want to run for local office. In the past four years, they've helped approximately 500 of them win elections. She's also a seasoned Democratic campaign operative who worked on President Obama's 2012 re-election campaign, Charlie Crist's ...
Mar 22, 2021•30 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Yamiche Alcindor is the White House correspondent for the PBS NewsHour and a frequent contributor on NBC and MSNBC. In 2020, she won the National Association of Black Journalists "Journalist of the Year Award" and the White House Correspondents’ Association's "Aldo Beckman Award for Overall Excellence in White House Coverage." Prior to joining PBS, Yamiche was a political reporter for The New York Times, a breaking news reporter for USA Today, and reporter for Newsday in Long Island NY. Yamiche ...
Mar 15, 2021•31 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Adam Jentleson is the Executive Director of the progressive organization Battle Born Collective, a former deputy chief of staff to Senator Harry Reid, and the author of "Kill Switch: The Rise of the Modern Senate and the Crippling of American Democracy." In it, he argues that the filibuster not only runs contrary to the Framers' designs, but that it has created a perverse incentive structure that rewards obstruction by the minority party and significantly lessens the chances of bipartisanship. A...
Mar 01, 2021•36 min•Season 1Ep. 23
Eugene Scott covers identity politics for The Fix at The Washington Post. Even those who use the term derogatorily have to admit that American politics, on both the left and right, is defined by identity. So, we thought who better to talk to than the reporter who's been covering the identity politics beat for years. Before coming to The Washington Post, Scott was a breaking news reporter at CNN. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina and Harvard University and was recently a fellow...
Feb 15, 2021•30 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Marc Elias is both the founder of Democracy Docket, a platform for information about voting rights, elections, and redistricting, and the Democratic Party’s super-lawyer. During the 2020 election cycle, Marc’s voting rights practice brought over 150 cases in 30 states, totaling over 120 victories in courtrooms around the country. After Election Day, Marc led the charge against Trump’s baseless claims of voter fraud and won 64 times. Steve and David talk to Marc about those cases, the Republican ...
Feb 08, 2021•32 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Although he is far too humble to admit it, the Rev. James Martin, SJ, is a beacon of moral clarity. He is the editor-at-large of "America" magazine, where he recently published the article "How Catholic Leaders Helped Give Rise to Violence at the U.S. Capitol," a consultor to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication, and a best-selling author. His latest book, published this month, is "Learning to Pray: A Guide for Everyone." Father Martin is also known for delivering the closing benediction at...
Feb 01, 2021•33 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Abby Phillip is CNN's senior political correspondent, the new anchor of "Inside Politics Sunday," and one of the most astute political reporters on television. She joined CNN after working as a national political reporter for The Washington Post and as a White House reporter for Politico. David and Steve talk with Abby about how the January 6th insurrection should be framed, the role of racism in the Republicans' attempts to overturn the election, and how to report on politics in this age of dis...
Jan 25, 2021•32 min•Season 1Ep. 19
Travis View is a writer and researcher who has been reporting on the QAnon conspiracy community for over two years. He is one of the hosts of "QAnon Anonymous" a podcast that has assiduously (and hilariously) chronicled the rise of what is now America's most notorious political conspiracy theory. View has travelled across the country to go to QAnon events, tangled with adherents online, and kept close tabs on them for over 200 episodes. David and Travis talk about the conspiracy, how it affects ...
Jan 18, 2021•32 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Two days after a violent mob of domestic terrorists incited by Donald Trump stormed the Capitol, disrupted Constitutional proceedings, and murdered a police officer, Steve and David spoke with historian Michael Beschloss. He is a bestselling author, a scholar of leadership, and the perfect guest to help make sense of a profoundly sad day for American democracy – and its aftermath. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 11, 2021•43 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Jordan Klepper is one of the most compelling political comedians in America and, undoubtedly, one of the comedians who's been to the most Trump rallies. He is best-known for his work as a special correspondent on "The Daily Show." He is also the creator and host of the docu-series, "Klepper," the talk show "The Opposition with Jordan Klepper" and the special, "Jordan Klepper Solves Guns," all on Comedy Central. David and Steve chat with Jordan about Trump's appeal, where his followers go now tha...
Jan 04, 2021•34 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Greg Bluestein is one of the savviest political analysts in the Peach State. He covers the governor's office and state politics for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, co-hosts their podcast "Politically Georgia," and recently moderated the debate between Senator Kelly Loeffler and Raphael Warnock. This week David and Steve call Greg to talk about the unprecedented internecine warfare among Republicans in Georgia, how the political chaos could hurt the state’s economy, and how claims of election f...
Dec 21, 2020•35 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Carl Bernstein needs no introduction. He, along with his colleague Bod Woodward, broke the Watergate story that eventually led to President Nixon's resignation. He has also written five best-selling books, including "All the President's Men," as well as seminal magazine essays for publications like Rolling Stone and The New Republic. Carl joins Steve and David to chat about America's first "subversive president," share a historical perspective on the threat posed by President Trump, and try to d...
Dec 14, 2020•32 min•Season 1Ep. 14
David and Steve chat with Rachel Bitecofer, a nationally recognized election forecaster and the founder and editor of The Cycle. Rachel rose to prominence after forecasting the "blue wave" that swept the House in the 2018 midterms. The three of them break down the Democrats' disappointing down-ballot performances, parse messaging strategies for the party going forward, and dissect the power of propaganda. Plus, Rachel announces her super PAC, Strike PAC, that she’s co-founding alongside Laurie S...
Dec 07, 2020•36 min•Season 1Ep. 13
David and Steve take listener questions and tackle topics like: What would Steve do if he was the United States Attorney General? Is it okay to be scared that Trump is attempting a coup? Will outside groups hurt Democrats' chances in Georgia? And more! As always, David and Steve puts this political moments' stakes into crystal clear relief, and they even manage to discuss their love of scrapple. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Nov 30, 2020•31 min•Season 1Ep. 12
David and Steve are joined by House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn – the South Carolina Congressman whose endorsement of Biden, back in February, revived his campaign and signaled to the Democratic Party that it was time to stop playing the field and settle down with a dependable nominee. David and Steve ask Congressman Clyburn about divisions in Congress, how Biden should use the executive order, and the post-election autopsy gripping the Democratic Party. They also discuss Rudy Giuliani’s fail...
Nov 23, 2020•33 min•Season 1Ep. 11
While Trump continues to tweet unsubstantiated claims of election fraud, and top Republican officials lie on his behalf, there are still a few Republicans left who aren't willing to play along. One of those is Mike DuHaime, a former Political Director of the Republican National Committee who also served in senior positions for George W. Bush, John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, and Chris Christie. Maybe it's because he's from New Jersey (and New Jerseyans don't let themselves get pushed around) but he's...
Nov 16, 2020•32 min•Season 1Ep. 10
In the first episode of "Battleground" since President-elect Biden was projected to win 270 electoral college votes, David and Steve take a moment to reflect on how the election unfolded and what may lie ahead. They discuss the infamous Four Seasons Total Landscaping press conference, the purgatorial interregnum we face until Inauguration Day, the ongoing pandemic, the stakes of the Georgia Senate races, and more. And, in a few weeks, "Battleground" is dedicating an entire episode to answering y...
Nov 09, 2020•27 min•Season 1Ep. 9
For the first time ever, all four of The Recount podcast hosts team up for a bonus episode. Jennifer Palmieri, host of "Just Something About Her," David Plouffe and Steve Schmidt, hosts of "Battleground," and John Heilemann, Executive Editor of The Recount and host of "Hell & High Water," discuss the collision of expectations and reality, poll trouble, what may have held Democrats back from bigger wins, and what's next for the country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informat...
Nov 07, 2020•1 hr 7 min
In the final episode of Battleground before Election Day, David and Steve discuss the banality of evil and its most recent mascot, the previously anonymous Miles Taylor. Then, they’re joined by two all-star pollsters: Joel Benenson, CEO of the Benenson Strategy Group and the lead pollster for the Obama '08 and '12 campaigns and Matthew Dowd, Chief Political Analyst for ABC News and formerly the chief strategist for George W. Bush. They dive into voter enthusiasm, the wasted potential of incumben...
Nov 02, 2020•31 min•Season 1Ep. 8
This week on Battleground , David and Steve are joined by former Republican strategist and media wizard Stuart Stevens and the Ragin’ Cajun himself, James Carville. They take a bird's-eye view of the election which includes but is not limited to: trying to fix the Democrats' attitude problem, evaluating Trump’s electorate woes, and sussing out Southern senate races. Finally, what do you get when two Democrats and two ex-Republicans try to figure out the future of the Republican Party? Listen to ...
Oct 26, 2020•34 min•Season 1Ep. 7
In 2016, Pennsylvania was considered part of Hillary Clinton’s “blue wall.” The thought was that, together, the Keystone State, Wisconsin and Michigan would vote Democrat and prevent Trump from winning the White House. Four years later, David and Steve talk to Democratic strategist Bill Hyers about why Pennsylvania crumbled and how 45’s chances look this time around. Hyers was named “Campaign Manager of the Year” by the American Association of Political Consultants after he engineered Bill de Bl...
Oct 19, 2020•33 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Two months before the 2016 election, House Editor of the Cook Political Report and self-described “numbers junkie,” Dave Wasserman penned a prophetic piece for The New York Times titled “How Trump Could Win the White House While Losing the Popular Vote.” Four years later, he’s putting the battleground in Battleground by taking David Plouffe & Steve Schmidt on an in-depth tour of the states, and even counties, that could decide the 2020 election. But first, our hosts talk about the plot to ki...
Oct 12, 2020•34 min•Season 1Ep. 5
David Plouffe and Steve Schmidt break down Donald Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis and the first presidential debate. Then, they're joined by Representative Raquel Terán, who was elected in 2018 to the Arizona State House to represent the people of Central West Phoenix and Downtown Glendale in Maricopa County. Before winning elective office, Rep. Terán was Political Director for Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, Director of Mi Familia Vota, a nonprofit devoted to building Latino political power, and Campaign D...
Oct 05, 2020•36 min•Season 1Ep. 4
David Plouffe and Steve Schmidt are joined by Nicolle Wallace, NBC News political analyst and host of MSNBC’s “Deadline: White House,” and Stephanie Cutter, Program Executive of the Democratic National Convention and previously the Deputy Campaign Manager for President Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign, to discuss the first 2020 presidential debate and upcoming Supreme Court nomination. The Battleground team analyzes Biden versus Trump in temperament and tactical skill ahead of this week’...
Sep 28, 2020•34 min•Season 1Ep. 3
David Plouffe and Steve Schmidt are joined by Rick Wilson and Steve Schale, two of the top political strategists in the Sunshine State, and they discuss the ultimate electoral battleground – Florida. The quartet dissects the Trump and Biden strategies in Florida, puzzles over the Trump campaign's shocking ability to squander money and ponders the horrors that await the nation in a post-Trump world where disaffected, MAGA conspiracy theorists refuse to accept the legitimacy of the election Hosted...
Sep 21, 2020•35 min•Season 1Ep. 2
In the first episode of Battleground, David Plouffe and Steve Schmidt dissect the upcoming presidential contest – the most important election America has faced since 1864. The two former foes turned friends discuss Biden's chances in Florida and Pennsylvania, Trump's attempts to turn Minnesota and Nevada into battlegrounds, Biden's appeal to blue collar voters and Trump's ability to expand the electorate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Sep 14, 2020•22 min•Season 1Ep. 1
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Sep 01, 2020•2 min
