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.Jenny A...
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 P...
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 producer ...
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 aud...
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 produ...
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.Jenn...
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, Al...
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 POLITICO...
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 Ament...
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 POLITI...
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 POL...
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 Nogu...
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 ch...
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 Noguch...
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 produc...
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 executiv...
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.Annie R...
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
Bernie Sanders bows out — POLITICO reporter Holly Otterbein gives us the inside scoop and whether Joe Biden can entice Bernie's supporters to his camp. Then, chief political correspondent Tim Alberta fills Scott in on Gretchen Whitmer, the Michigan governor who is dealing with coronavirus, an angry president and the real possibility she might be Biden’s choice for running mate — all intertwined at the same time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apr 10, 2020•29 min•Ep. 249
Zoom videoconferencing goes to Washington. Since 9/11, disaster planners have been trying to warn Washington of the risks of a government based on stuffing all of America’s most important legislators into one place. Covid-19 is reviving the conversation in real time. Senior tech reporter Nancy Scola joins host Scott Bland to talk through the pitfalls of a Congress that could legislate remotely. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apr 03, 2020•23 min•Ep. 248
Ten days and $2 trillion -- that's right, with a "tr." How did the Senate get to 96-0? Reporter Marianne LeVine joins host Scott Bland to talk through the past few days of negotiations on Capitol Hill. Plus, Michael Kruse on how the coronavirus task force briefings have become episodes of President Donald Trump's reality TV show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 27, 2020•29 min•Ep. 247
COVID-19 has upended daily life in the United States. On this week's Nerdcast, we're talking about how the virus is altering politics: from chaotic or canceled 2020 primaries to its reverberations in the White House and on Capitol Hill. Host Scott Bland is joined by reporters Zach Montellaro, Nancy Cook and editor Ben Weyl. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 20, 2020•26 min•Ep. 246
There's one news story that's eaten all the others: COVID-19. Although the coronavirus has been a public health crisis and major news story for weeks now, this week it became the only story. Scott talks to editorial director Blake Hounshell about President Donald Trump's address to the nation and how the coronavirus is affecting the 2020 presidential race. Then, political reporter Eugene Daniels joins to discuss Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden's strengths and weaknesses. Learn more about your a...
Mar 13, 2020•18 min•Ep. 245
Scott Bland talks to reporter Christopher Cadelago about Joe Biden's key wins in the "Mini Tuesday" primaries and how the door is closing on Bernie Sanders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 11, 2020•8 min•Ep. 244
POLITICO health care reporter Dan Diamond talks us through the Trump administration's coronavirus response and the many questions being raised about preparedness. Later, campaign reporter Elena Schneider joins Scott to break down Super Tuesday — and the whirlwind week in politics that has the Democratic primary down to just two major candidates: Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 06, 2020•23 min•Ep. 243
POLITICO reporters and editors race to get Super Tuesday results up as Joe Biden makes a surprise surge in the delegate count. Plus, Scott Bland and Laura Barrón-López on where things stand after the biggest night of the primary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 04, 2020•6 min•Ep. 242
POLITICO's Ryan Lizza joins Scott to talk through Joe Biden's decisive victory in the South Carolina primary -- and whether or not it threatens Bernie Sanders' momentum ahead of Super Tuesday. Plus, we pour one out for Tom Steyer, who taught us that many millions can't fix everything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 01, 2020•14 min•Ep. 241
POLITICO reporter Eugene Daniels talks Scott Bland through his recent reporting trip to South Carolina, where he caught up with his nana Ruby Brown and dove into the state’s all-important black vote. Plus, he and Scott talk all things Super Tuesday — just days away. Later, POLITICO reporters James Arkin and Ally Mutnick join to highlight the most interesting Senate and House primaries on Super Tuesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 28, 2020•29 min•Ep. 240
