This episode, we're taking a look at how gender and race play into the way we talk about political hair—from scrunchies to combovers to very expensive haircuts. We'll visit an unusual collection of presidential relics that includes hair clippings from George Washington and Jimmy Carter. And you’ll hear from BuzzFeed beauty editor Essence Gant about presidential hair and representation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Oct 29, 2016•37 min
The election will be over in just two weeks. Right now, forecasts at the New York Times, Five Thirty Eight, and the Huffington Post all give Hillary Clinton over an 80% chance of winning. This episode, you'll hear from someone who has been thinking a lot about that possibility — Neera Tanden. Tanden is a longtime Clinton advisor. She's also the co-chair of the Clinton-Kaine Transition Project. Last week, BuzzFeed's editor-in-chief Ben Smith interviewed Tanden about what the first priorities of a...
Oct 25, 2016•28 min
This week we’re talking about something we truly know very little about: Russia’s involvement in the U.S. election—from hacking, to Twitter trolling, to targeted campaigns that question the legitimacy of the U.S. political process. Plus whether or not it’s possible to trace any of those activities back to the Russian government. If you've haven't been following the news about U.S./Russia relations lately, don't worry. We'll get you all caught up. Guests: BuzzFeed News world editor Miriam Elder, ...
Oct 18, 2016•39 min
This episode takes a look at the independent, uncommitted, and unenthusiastic voters who can't—or don't want to—pick a presidential candidate. And we ask how (HOW?) anyone could still be undecided when the two major party candidates are Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. We begin with the voters in 7-Eleven's coffee cup poll, which has predicted the outcome of the presidential election every time since it began in 2000. This year, coffee drinkers are opting out of the red Republican and blue Demo...
Oct 07, 2016•36 min
Hannah Jewell, a senior writer for BuzzFeed UK, takes us back in time to appreciate the hottest Vice Presidents in American history. You may not know who they all are, but of the 47 people to be first in the line of succession to the presidency, these ten are definitely the hottest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 05, 2016•7 min
This episode, BuzzFeed politics reporter McKay Coppins interviews Utah Senator Mike Lee. Lee is a Tea Party Republican, a Mormon, and an outspoken critic of Donald Trump. McKay talks with him about about all that, and about why Mormon voters in Utah are uneasy about Trump's candidacy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 30, 2016•27 min
Debate prep takes many forms: studying, rehearsing, systematically lowering the expectations of voters and the press. This episode, we talk with Lis Smith about how that process works. She worked on Governor O'Malley's debate prep team this year, and on President Obama's rapid response team in 2012. Plus, we talk with Jim Lehrer, the "dean of moderators," about the particular challenges moderators are facing this year. Update: This episode misstated Lis Smith's role on President Obama's 2012 cam...
Sep 23, 2016•36 min
A live recording of BuzzFeed Brews at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., with an open conversation about criminal justice reform between Utah Senator Mike Lee, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, and BuzzFeed’s Tarini Parti. During this hour-long conversation, Booker and Lee talk about their personal experiences with the criminal justice system, Colin Kaepernick and Terence Crutcher, and whether or not Donald Trump’s law-and-order campaign is shaping the conversation about criminal justice reform in C...
Sep 21, 2016•58 min
This episode, we're taking a look at the U.S. election from a different perspective: Canada's. You'll hear from BuzzFeed politics reporter and real Canadian Paul McLeod about what's different—and familiar—about his new beat covering U.S. politics. And Daniel Dale from the Toronto Star talks about explaining the U.S. election for a Canadian audience. Plus, you'll hear from an immigration lawyer about whether or not Americans actually move to Canada for political reasons. Learn more about your ad ...
Sep 19, 2016•29 min
Two weeks ago, Hillary Clinton made a speech in Reno, Nevada. In it, she named a group that has been mostly at the fringe of the 2016 presidential campaign: the Alt-Right. This week, we're talking about the Alt-Right movement. What it is, where it came from, and how its influence on politics and pop culture is shaping the 2016 election. Guests: BuzzFeed politics reporter Rosie Gray, politics editor Katherine Miller, and senior writer Charlie Warzel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megapho...
Sep 08, 2016•31 min
A candidate’s ground game is everything they do to turn out their voters on election day—from voter registration, to door knocking, to phone calls, to direct mail. It’s tedious and expensive work. But, done well, it can nudge a candidate a few points ahead of their opponent. That’s the difference between winning and losing in swing states like Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. This week, BuzzFeed’s Tarini Parti and Rosie Gray take a look at how Trump and Clinton are reaching out t...
Sep 01, 2016•35 min
Parties can change. This week we take a look at the origins of Republican conservatism and whether or not it has anything in common with Donald Trump's political ideology. Plus, BuzzFeed politics editor Katherine Miller talks about her time as a campus conservative during the Bush and Obama years—seersucker suits, tiny flag pins, and more. Hosted by BuzzFeed News' McKay Coppins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Aug 25, 2016•30 min
Republican national security experts usually spend election season advising their party's candidate on foreign policy issues. But now they're trying to distance themselves as far as they can from Donald Trump. This episode, BuzzFeed's Tarini Parti and Rosie Gray talk about Trump's foreign policy proposals that break with 20 years of Republican politics. You'll hear from an Iraq war veteran and antiwar activist who won't be voting for Trump or Clinton this year. Plus: The failsafes that keep the ...
Aug 18, 2016•36 min
What can you learn about the 2016 election by studying past presidential campaigns? In this episode, Evan talks with Face The Nation host John Dickerson about what's new—and what isn't—about the Trump and Clinton candidacies; with stories about Alabama Governor George Wallace, the original email-gate, and the guy who ruined Alexander Hamilton's political career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 28, 2016•27 min
Recorded live at the Trocadero Theater in Philadelphia, this Historical Event features Evan McMorris-Santoro, Another Round's Tracy Clayton, and Internet Explorer's Ryan Broderick and Katie Notopoulos. Plus, an interview with Texas Rep. Joaquín Castro and live music from Jean Grae. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 27, 2016•53 min
Evan talks with BuzzFeed politics editor Katherine Miller about the biggest (and strangest) speeches from the convention this week, and about what kind of message the Republican Party is sending out to voters in the general election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 22, 2016•24 min
The RNC in Cleveland is full of law enforcement officers. But protesters? Not so much. This episode, Evan talks with BuzzFeed News reporter Darren Sands about why there are so few people protesting the convention...and about what it's like for the people who came. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 21, 2016•24 min
On this episode, we talk to some of the people who care the most about what happens this week at the convention: the delegates who are here to unify the Republican Party and get Republicans elected in November. They have a long way to go. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 19, 2016•27 min
The RNC kicks off today. Here's what BuzzFeed News reporters will be following this week, from primetime speeches to #NeverTrump delegates to protests and security. Guests: BuzzFeed News reporters Tarini Parti and Rosie Gray. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 18, 2016•15 min
In February of 2014, BuzzFeed News reporter McKay Coppins wrote a piece called "36 Hours On The Fake Campaign Trail With Donald Trump". It was about why Trump never really had—and probably never would—seriously run for president. In this episode, Evan interviews McKay about why everyone, including McKay, misjudged Trump, and about what made him finally decide to run in 2016. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 17, 2016•34 min
On Wednesday, Evan checked in with BuzzFeed News reporters Tarini Parti and Rosie Gray, who are in Cleveland this week as Republicans are ramping up for the convention. They talk about the #NeverTrump delegates who are still trying to derail the nomination, the first openly gay Republican delegate pushing the platform committee to adopt LGBT rights, and what to expect from a convention headlined by Donald Trump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Jul 14, 2016•27 min
On this episode, Sanders supporters talk about how they're trying to turn a groundbreaking campaign into a lasting political force. The question is: Can progressives and activists for all kinds of causes work together to hold on to the gains they've made as members of the Bernie Sanders movement? Guests: The Washington Post's national political correspondent David Weigel, BuzzFeed News politics editor Katherine Miller Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Jul 07, 2016•28 min
Elle Abarca has never voted, even though her sister Anabel has registered hundreds of voters throughout her career in politics. This episode, we talk with Elle and Anabel about how someone becomes a non-voter, even against their best intentions. And we find out how easy it is to come clean about your voter status and get back into the political process. If you haven't registered to vote yet, you can get started now at https://buzzfeed.turbovote.org Guests: Sisters Elle and Anabel Abarca, No One ...
Jun 30, 2016•25 min
Thursday's Supreme Court decision affects millions of undocumented immigrants who are unlikely to be deported, but who can't live the life other people can because they don't have legal status. They're back in limbo, and so are their families. That could affect how Latinos vote in the fall, when they'll be choosing between two candidates with very different plans for immigration reform. Guest: BuzzFeed News political reporter and Latino coverage editor Adrian Carrasquillo. Learn more about your ...
Jun 24, 2016•14 min
Opposition researchers are the campaign operatives whose job is to dig into a candidate’s past and find things that voters won’t like. They take that information, and try to turn it into a story about why you should or shouldn't vote for someone. This week, we take a look at how that process works, where that information goes, and how oppo in 2016 is different from oppo in past elections. Guests: Opposition researchers Shauna Daly and Joe Pounder, political consultant Rodell Mollineau, Dominique...
Jun 23, 2016•35 min
This week, Evan visits a Trump rally in Pittsburgh to find out what it's like to be a Trump supporter, and to ask some of Trump's biggest fans what it means to "Make America Great Again." Guest: BuzzFeed News politics reporter Tarini Parti. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 16, 2016•37 min
Evan interviews BuzzFeed News senior editor Chris Geidner about what we know—and don’t know—about anti-LGBT hate crimes. They talk about why it’s so hard to keep track of those hate crimes, and whether or not law enforcement is getting better at protecting LGBT Americans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 13, 2016•20 min
The Democratic Party is coming out of a contentious primary. And one of the battles was over who gets to call themselves a true progressive. But while the Republicans are rallying behind their presumptive nominee, Democrats remain divided. On this episode, we look at whether or not those divisions could be a part of the race through November and beyond. Guests: Democratic Congressman Xavier Becerra and BuzzFeed News politics reporter Ruby Cramer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone...
Jun 09, 2016•37 min
As the Democratic Primary nears the bitter end, Sanders supporters and Clinton supporters are looking back on a long and divisive nominating process. On Thursday, we'll take a look at how that process is still shaping the party as Democrats head into the national election. Guests: California Congressman Xavier Becerra and BuzzFeed News political reporter Ruby Cramer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 06, 2016•5 min
In 2015, the Supreme Court made marriage equality the law of the land. One year later, LGBT rights are still being challenged in places like North Carolina. This episode tells the story of the state-by-state fight over non-discrimination laws—and how bathroom bills became one way to stop them from being passed. Guests: Howie, an RA, activist and trans student at UNC Charlotte; North Carolina Values Coalition Executive Director Tami Fitzgerald; and BuzzFeed News LGBT reporter Dominic Holden. Lear...
Jun 02, 2016•39 min
