Nov. 3 is barreling toward us, but don't expect that to be the day we'll know who won the presidency. POLITICO's Zach Montellaro and Nerdcast host Scott Bland decode how to watch Election Day — and the days that follow — like a pro. Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor for POLITICO. Zach Montellaro is a politics reporter for POLITICO. Adrienne Hurst is an associate producer for POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is a senior producer for POLITICO audio. Irene Noguchi is the executiv...
Oct 30, 2020•35 min•Ep. 280
By almost every measure, the likely outcome is that Joe Biden will win the White House. Yet less than two weeks before Election Day, the unfolding reality of 2020 is that it’s harder than ever to be sure. POLITICO's Charlie Mahtesian and Scott Bland lay out why they're not ruling out another surprise Trump victory on Nov. 3. Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor for POLITICO. Charlie Mahtesian is a senior politics editor for POLITICO. Adrienne Hurst is an associate producer f...
Oct 23, 2020•29 min•Ep. 278
While Florida Republicans used to dominate the absentee ballot game, this year there's been a stunning development: For the first time ever at this stage of a general election, Florida Democrats are outvoting Republicans. But lest they get too excited, campaign veterans warn that a wave of Republican votes is coming on Election Day. POLITICO's Marc Caputo takes Nerdcast host Scott Bland inside the must-win swing state in the final weeks of an unprecedented election year. Scott Bland is the host ...
Oct 16, 2020•35 min•Ep. 277
President Donald Trump regularly promotes the soaring stock market as a barometer of the economy's health. But the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans own 50 percent of the value of stocks held by individual households — and investors aren’t sharing the wealth. POLITICO's Victoria Guida explains how this gap is fueling an increasingly lopsided economic recovery. Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO. Victoria Guida is a financial services reporter for POLITICO. Adri...
Oct 09, 2020•25 min•Ep. 276
Evangelicals make up a bigger share of the Republican electorate. But on the courts? It's conservative Catholics who reign supreme. If confirmed, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, President Donald Trump's nominee to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, would be the sixth Catholic justice currently sitting on the high court — five of whom were nominated by Republicans. University of Denver political science professor Joshua Wilson and POLITICO's Scott Bland dig into the conservative Catholic lega...
Oct 02, 2020•26 min•Ep. 275
Donald Trump will face Joe Biden for the first of three presidential debates on Tuesday. POLITICO's Gabby Orr and Scott Bland dive into how the president is prepping — or not — for the big day ... and why some of his supporters worry Trump has set a trap for himself by attacking Biden’s mental acumen. Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO. Gabby Orr is a White House reporter for POLITICO. Adrienne Hurst is an associate producer for POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is a...
Sep 25, 2020•20 min•Ep. 274
After weeks of uncertainty following President Donald Trump's executive order on TikTok, the Chinese-owned video app that has stolen the hearts — if not the data — of millions of teens has found an American partner: Oracle. But will it make Americans' data any safer? POLITICO Magazine contributing editor Zachary Karabell and Scott Bland explore Trump's TikTok fight — and whether it's really a form of "national security theater." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Sep 18, 2020•20 min•Ep. 273
For the first time, young adults born on or around September 11, 2001, will vote in a presidential election this November. America has been at war virtually every day they've been alive — and now they're coming of age politically during a world-changing pandemic. They speak up in this episode, as POLITICO Magazine contributor Garrett M. Graff and Scott Bland discuss how Gen Z voters could shake up American politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Sep 11, 2020•21 min•Ep. 272
When Joe Biden selected Kamala Harris as his running mate, it was a historic moment — and one that made some people thousands of dollars. Traders on the website PredictIt, a stock market for politics, wager thousands of dollars on an array of political moments. Today on Nerdcast, Zach Montellaro tells Scott Bland about his conversations with political traders — one who trades semi-professionally and two who are looking to avenge their losses from the 2016 election. Scott Bland is the host of Ner...
Sep 04, 2020•33 min•Ep. 271
Are we a country that's failed disastrously to respond to a global pandemic, or a country that's overrun by protests and violence on the streets? Democrats and Republicans painted wildly different pictures of America at their party conventions this month. For the double conventions, we're featuring a double host special: Nerdcast's Scott Bland joins Dispatch's Jeremy Siegel to discuss the biggest takeaways from the past two weeks. Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLI...
Aug 31, 2020•12 min•Ep. 270
A question from a high schooler left POLITICO chief political correspondent Tim Alberta stumped: What does it mean to be a Republican? Alberta talks with Scott Bland about whether the Republican National Convention answered that question this week — and how Donald Trump has shaped the party's future. Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO. Tim Alberta is the chief political correspondent for POLITICO. Adrienne Hurst is an associate producer for POLITICO audio. Jenn...
Aug 28, 2020•26 min•Ep. 269
The postal service is older than America itself. It delivers bills, Amazon packages and even ballots straight to your house. So what happens when, in the middle of a pandemic that has skyrocketed the demand for vote-by-mail, the USPS suddenly seems like it’s falling apart? POLITICO Magazine digital editor Zack Stanton joins Scott Bland to talk about the mail-system meltdown and what USPS expert Phil Rubio, himself a former letter carrier, says about how fundamental the postal service is to the 2...
Aug 21, 2020•26 min•Ep. 268
In-person events have long been the bedrock of political fundraising. So what happens when a global pandemic takes away in-person fundraisers? … They go to Zoom. Sure, there's awkwardness and technical difficulties, but they are helping both campaigns raise record amounts of money. And even in a post-coronavirus world, this looks like the new normal. Democratic strategist Tim Lim and GOP donor Dan Eberhart on Zoom fundraising in 2020. Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at ...
Aug 14, 2020•26 min•Ep. 267
Donald Trump's campaign says it knocks on a million doors a week. Joe Biden's campaign says it knocks on zero. Host Scott Bland talks to Miles Baker — former door knocker, organizer and current political strategist — about the silver linings of the pandemic. Halting in-person canvassing has actually been a useful way to retool campaign strategies. Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO. Miles Baker is campaigns director at The Action Factory. Annie Rees is a produc...
Aug 07, 2020•19 min•Ep. 266
The congressional map as it stands now — three months out from the election — paints a cautiously optimistic picture for Democrats, who could see their majority grow. POLITICO reporter Ally Mutnick talks with Scott Bland about how Donald Trump's current numbers are affecting the way that Republicans in suburban districts are campaigning. Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO. Ally Mutnick is a campaign reporter for POLITICO. Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO a...
Jul 31, 2020•23 min•Ep. 265
November's election is about to be a perfect storm — that we can all see coming. Garrett M. Graff digs into his POLITICO magazine cover story with Scott Bland about the voting issues that have tripped up primaries in 2020 so far, and why November won't look like any election we've seen before. Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO. Garrett M. Graff is a contributor to POLITICO magazine. Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio. Irene Noguchi is the executive pr...
Jul 24, 2020•27 min•Ep. 264
President Donald Trump's vendetta against the NFL isn't just political. It's personal. POLITICO Magazine's Michael Kruse talks with Scott Bland about the decadeslong feud — and whether recent shifts in public sentiment on racial justice issues could make Trump's reelection campaign the final battlefield. Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO. Michael Kruse is a senior staff writer for POLITICO Magazine. Adrienne Hurst is an associate producer for POLITICO audio. J...
Jul 17, 2020•27 min•Ep. 263
Trump's former attorney general wants his Senate seat back. But polling shows Tommy Tuberville — a former football coach and political newbie — ahead of Jeff Sessions in the Republican primary runoff. Birmingham, Ala.-based journalist Eric Velasco talks with Scott Bland ahead of the July 14 matchup. Plus, James Arkin brings us up to speed on the broader Senate map. Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO. Eric Velasco is a freelance journalist based in Birmingham, A...
Jul 10, 2020•25 min•Ep. 262
The Supreme Court's 5-4 decision to strike down a Louisiana abortion law could motivate conservative voters at the ballot box — and progressives, too. Health care reporter Alice Miranda Ollstein explains. Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO. Alice Miranda Ollstein is a health care reporter for POLITICO. Adrienne Hurst is an associate producer for POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio. Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLI...
Jul 03, 2020•23 min•Ep. 261
House Democrats are wrestling with how hard to go after President Donald Trump's laundry list of alleged abuses. With just weeks to go until Election Day, could aggressive oversight undermine the party's political prospects? Congress reporter Heather Caygle talks with Scott Bland about lawmakers' game plan. Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO. Heather Caygle is a Congress reporter for POLITICO. Adrienne Hurst is an associate producer for POLITICO audio. Jenny Am...
Jun 26, 2020•24 min•Ep. 260
Guest host Eugene Daniels and POLITICO Magazine deputy editor Elizabeth Ralph lift the curtain on One America News Network — where liberal staff are chafing at their own network’s coverage of national protests and the coronavirus. Eugene Daniels is a political reporter for POLITICO. Elizabeth Ralph is a deputy editor for POLITICO Magazine. Adam Wren is a contributing editor for POLITICO Magazine. Adrienne Hurst is an associate producer for POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is the senior producer of PO...
Jun 19, 2020•27 min•Ep. 259
Public opinion polls that show support for the Black Lives Matter movement has jumped almost as much in the last two weeks as it has in the past two years. Guest host Eugene Daniels and national political reporter Alex Thompson talk about what that means — plus, identity politics from Trump and Biden. Eugene Daniels is a political reporter for POLITICO. Alex Thompson is a national political reporter for POLITICO. Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is the senior producer of ...
Jun 12, 2020•31 min•Ep. 258
Guest host Eugene Daniels talks with chief Washington correspondent Ryan Lizza about the growing unrest and national protests — and what he's observed spending his nights outside the White House. Thank you to Ryan Lizza, Zack Stanton and Sarah Crump for audio used in this episode. Eugene Daniels is a political reporter for POLITICO. Ryan Lizza is chief Washington correspondent for POLITICO. Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio. Irene N...
Jun 05, 2020•33 min•Ep. 257
Guest host Eugene Daniels talks with national political correspondent David Siders about how, three months in, the coronavirus crisis is simultaneously upending and reaffirming political allegiances. Eugene Daniels is a political reporter for POLITICO. David Siders is a national political correspondent for POLITICO. Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO Audio. Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio. Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad...
May 29, 2020•23 min•Ep. 256
White House reporter and guest host Nancy Cook chats with Florida bureau chief Matt Dixon about the 2024 - yes, 2024- political aspirations of some Florida politicians, and what all their history tells us about the Republican party in one of the most important swing states in the country. Nancy Cook is a White House reporter for POLITICO. Matt Dixon is Florida bureau chief for POLITICO. Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio. Irene Noguc...
May 22, 2020•27 min•Ep. 255
Congress reporter Kyle Cheney talks with White House reporter Nancy Cook about cases heard at the Supreme Court on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Tuesday: justices heard a case that pits the House’s demand for President Trump’s financial documents against his attorneys’ claim that it intrudes on the constitutional powers of the presidency. And Wednesday: whether faithless presidential electors should be forced to abide by their promises. Nancy Cook is a White House reporter for POLITICO. Kyle Cheney ...
May 15, 2020•25 min•Ep. 254
POLITICO reporters Eugene Daniels and Holly Otterbein tackle the political ramifications of the Tara Reade sexual assault allegations against Joe Biden: accusations of Democratic hypocrisy, how this affects Biden's veepstakes and "lesser evil" voting in 2020. Eugene Daniels is a political reporter for POLITICO. Holly Otterbein is a political reporter for POLITICO. Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO Audio. Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio. Irene Noguchi is the executive pro...
May 08, 2020•35 min•Ep. 253
Chief economic correspondent Ben White sits in the host chair this week to talk to foreign affairs correspondent Nahal Toosi about the increasingly sour relationship between the US and China — and how their political problems are affecting everything else. Ben White is chief economic correspondent for POLITICO. Nahal Toosi is a foreign affairs correspondent for POLITICO. Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio. Irene Noguchi is the execut...
May 01, 2020•26 min•Ep. 252
What's coming? We haven't seen an economic crisis like this since before WWII or a health crisis like this in a century. And an unsettling reality is setting in: We’re not doing enough to ease the pain on either front so far. Chief economic correspondent Ben White talks to Scott about the economy, coronavirus testing and more, and tries not to give him too much anxiety. Scott Bland is host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO. Ben White is chief economic correspondent for POLITICO. Anni...
Apr 24, 2020•20 min•Ep. 251
President Donald Trump is talking about reopening the economy -- and slinging around old movie references. But mid-pandemic, what does "reopening" the economy even mean? White House reporter Nancy Cook talks to host Scott Bland about Trump's desire for a booming economy even amid warnings from his health advisers, and why this is so complicated. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apr 17, 2020•20 min•Ep. 250
