Republican pollster Whit Ayres explains why he's pessimistic that President Trump can win again, talks about the opportunity for Republicans to solidify support in Florida and explains why Lindsey Graham (his longtime client) has become a Trump loyalist.
Matt Lewis, conservative columnist for The Daily Beast and CNN political commentator, explains why there's no presidential candidate he can support in 2020, reminisces on his work for Tucker Carlson and expresses his disenchantment with Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse.
Ian Russell, a principal at consulting firm Beacon Media and former deputy executive director at DCCC, talks about the politics of health care, how Bernie Sanders presents a risk for House Democrats, and his skepticism of Joe Biden's 2020 journey.
Democratic pollster Jill Normington, of Nomington Petts, gives Trump better than a 50 percent chance at winning the election, discusses the gains former Vice President Joe Biden will make early on if he decides to run, and what it means to be an "and" candidate.
Halie Soifer, the executive director of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, addresses Rep. Ilhan Omar's (D-MN 05) anti-semitic comments, "Jexodus," and the Iran Nuclear Deal.
Matt Gorman, an alum of Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney's campaigns and the NRCC, swings by to discuss why their anti-Nancy Pelosi strategy didn't work to keep the House, the Forgetting Sarah Marshall character that Beto O'Rourke reminds him of, and the Democrat he's most interested in for 2020.
Jim Kessler, executive director of Third Way, dishes on the state that will decide the 2020 Democratic nominee, the possible consequence of Democrats moving too far left, and what Amy Klobuchar has in common with kale.
Charlie Sykes, the editor-in-chief of the newly-launched conservative anti-Trump publication The Bulwark , joins Politics Editor Josh Kraushaar to discuss why he and Paul Ryan are "seeing other people," Joe Biden's chances in 2020, and why some people say he's declaring a "fatwa."
Democratic pollster Mark Mellman addresses Rep. Ilhan Omar's (D-MN 05) anti-semitic remarks, Joe Biden's chances in 2020, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's possible future as a party leader.
Republican pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson interprets the numbers as they pertain to Trump's approval and reelection chances, the Green New Deal, and how an independent candidate would fare in 2020.
Wrapping up a busy week of political news—Virginia chaos, Trump's second State of the Union address, and Elizabeth Warren's latest apology—we've got two of the sharpest Democratic political strategists to break things down. Doug Thornell and Adrienne Elrod co-host the brand new podcast "The Electables" and offer their lively insights on a volatile week for Democrats.
GOP strategist and CNN contributor Mike Shields discusses the racism found in both parties, whether the Republicans should allow primaries against President Trump, and the immigration deal that should be made.
Democratic pollster Margie Omero sits down with Politics Editor Josh Kraushaar to dish on the shutdown, Trump's crossover appeal, and what the word "liberal" will mean to voters in 2020.
Following the release of Henry Olsen's buzzy op-ed calling Mitt Romney "wildly out of touch," the Ethics and Public Policy Center senior fellow sits down to tackle Trump, Pelosi, and all those 2020 hopefuls.
Host Josh Kraushaar and the Cook Political Report's Dave Wasserman broke down the midterm House elections, including the drama unfolding in races still uncalled a month later, President Trump's shadow over the GOP losses and in the new Congress, and the diversity of the incoming freshmen who won Democrats the majority.
Bruce Mehlman, one of the sharpest political watchers and trendspotters in Washington, goes over the Midterm's trends, the 2020 Democratic field, and predictions for 2019.
Colin Reed, senior vice president at Definers Public Affairs, been a campaign adviser to some of the most successful blue-state Republicans, including Mitt Romney, Chris Christie, and John McCain.After a wild election night, he shares his midterm takeaways, thoughts on the possible 2020 Democratic presidential field, and how opposition research is evolving with the changing political times.
Is the Trump era the golden age of opposition research? Has the #MeToo movement changed how it works? What do "trackers" do? Shripal Shah, Vice President of the pro-Democrat opposition research firm American Bridge, breaks it all down on this week's episode of Against the Grain.
Republican consultant Brad Todd literally wrote the book on the reshaping of American politics. As he works on some of the most-competitive Senate races in the country, including Republican Josh Hawley's big fight against Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill in Missouri, Todd shares race rundowns, Trump's two worst moments as president, and the issues voters actually care about.
Republican strategist and CNN contributor Doug Heye joins National Journal's Politics Editor Josh Kraushaar to weigh in on the "Never Trump" movement, how the party has evolved since its inception, and what the party is doing to prepare for the midterms.
Ben Domenech, publisher of The Federalist , joins National Journal 's Politics Editor Josh Kraushaar for a candid conversation on the cultural phenomenon of Donald Trump, and his surprising assessment of Paul Ryan and Mike Pence. Domenech, who is married to Meghan McCain, also shares his thoughts about the late Sen. John McCain's legacy and inside details on McCain's conflict with the president.
To know what the progressive movement is thinking, look to Neera Tanden, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress. Sitting down with Politics Editor Josh Kraushaar, she shares her thoughts on Brett Kavanaugh, what it means for the midterms and beyond, and whether Joe Biden will run.
There are few Democratic guests with more expertise about the legal and political storms President Trump is facing than Matt Miller. A longtime adviser to former Attorney General Eric Holder and top political aide to Sen. Chuck Schumer, Miller offers his perspective on everything from Trump's legal predicament, Judge Kavanaugh's Supreme Court prospects, and addresses whether Holder will be running for president in 2020.
There are few staffers that have been as close to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) as Josh Holmes, the senator's former chief of staff and campaign manager for his 2004 Senate race. Now the partner and founder of Cavalry, a consulting firm that offers strategic advice to the top Fortune 500 companies as well as some leading Republican Senate campaigns, Holmes sits down to share his thoughts on Harry Reid and Steve Bannon, the race in North Dakota, and how the RGA should've learned f...
Should Democrats veer left to excite their base or move to the middle to win over moderates? Lanae Erickson Hatalsky, vice president for social policy and politics at the centrist Democratic think tank Third Way, sits down with Josh Kraushaar to find the common cause across traditional ideological divides.
Bipartisan duo Ali Lapp and Liesl Hickey join Josh Kraushaar to geek out on the battle for the House—in a year that's what everyone in Washington is focused on.
Veteran GOP pollster Glen Bolger joins the podcast and offers some sobering news to Republicans about their prospects in the 2018 elections. Bolger discusses the dramatic political shift of independent voters over the last year, the power of Trump's endorsements in GOP primaries, and the possibility Democrats retake both the House and Senate next year.
Mark Putnam, one of the most talented political admakers in the business, sits down with Josh Kraushaar to talk that infamous Jason Kander ad, messaging in the Trump era, and how he's propelled some of his underdog Democratic clients out of obscurity.
Michael Wear, who engineered President Obama's outreach to faith communities, joins the podcast and offers some candid criticism about the Democratic party's unwillingness to support pro-life voices within the party. He also discusses whether there's room for religion in today's increasingly coarse political culture, identifies the most faith-friendly presidential prospects for 2020, and talks about his experiences working in the Obama White House.
Rep. Ryan Costello (R-PA 06) talks about the Trump-Putin summit, whether he believes there was collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, the challenge of being a Republican in suburbia and, of course, Philly sports.
