House Talk with Ali and Liesl

Episode 35: 2018 Wrapup with Amy Walter Nov 08, 2018

Hi House Talkers!

The 2018 election is over, and we break down the results with our first guest, Amy Walter! We discuss some of the surprises and what these races mean for the future.

Thanks for listening!

Ali and Liesl

Episode 34: Election Day Special with Pollsters Molly Murphy and Robert Jones Nov 06, 2018

Hi House Talkers!

Happy Election Day! In this special episode we're joined by a bipartisan team of pollsters--Molly Murphy and Robert Jones. We go over the top House races and tell you what you should keep an eye out for when the results come in later today!

Thanks for all of your support!

Ali and Liesl

Episode 33: One Week Left with DC Examiner's David Drucker Oct 31, 2018

Hi House Talkers!

In today’s episode we talk with David Drucker, who was the first person to suggest that we do a podcast to begin with! David is the Senior Political Correspondent at the DC Examiner, and he has been on the road all over the country in the past few weeks and he shares his lessons from the road with us.

Thanks for listening; one week to go until Election Day!

Ali and Liesl

Episode 32: IA01, MI08, and FL15 Discussion! Oct 23, 2018

Hi House Talkers!
In today’s episode we look at 3 examples of races that our former guest Dave Wasserman put together. The 3 kinds we look at are Trump surge, bellwether suburbs, and Republican open seats that Trump won. That means we talk about IA01, MI08, and FL15 in today’s episode!
Tune in and don’t forget to rate and subscribe on iTunes! For our next episode, we’ll be doing a crossover with the ladies of The Pollsters, so stay tuned!
Ali and Liesl

Episode 31: WV03, NJ03, and CA25 Updates PLUS Ashley Spillane, former Rock the Vote President Oct 17, 2018

Hi House Talkers!

In our latest episode episode we discuss NJ03, WV03, and CA25! We talk about how top of the ballot issues affect these House races, as well as how both parties are using issues like healthcare and taxes to navigate these waters in these races across the country. We are also joined by special guest Ashley Spillane, the former president of Rock the Vote, who talks with us about voter engagement and turnout.

As always, don't forget to rate and subscribe on iTunes!
Ali and Liesl

Episode 30: CA45, FL26, VA02, and MN02 Roundup Oct 05, 2018

Hi House Talkers!

In our latest episode, we discuss 4 more districts that will determine the balance of the House: CA45, FL26, VA02, and MN02!

We discuss how the Republican incumbents in these 4 districts fight to hold on to their seats. We also talk about the huge fundraising numbers from Democrats, and play some of our favorite ads in these races.

We also want to thank everyone for tweeting at us @HouseTalkPod for the House races you want us to cover! We’ll be including at least one of the races in a future episode!

As always, don’t forget to rate and subscribe!

Ali and Liesl

Episode 29: WA08, KS03, NY22, and KY06 Overviews Sep 21, 2018

Hi House Talkers,

Now that we’re in the post-Labor Day home stretch we discuss some of the top races that both of us are following closely—WA08, KY06, NY22, and KS03.

We discuss these 4 top races in depth, as well as a broader topic of how how the national committees and outside groups are trying to define the narrative in these races.

Which of these races is your favorite? Let us know!

Ali and Liesl

Episode 28: Looking to Arizona and Florida with Alex Conant Aug 28, 2018

Hi House Talkers!
Are you ready to see some Arizona and Florida primary results?? We are!! And we've got a great episode for you to listen to while you hit "refresh" on your election results website of choice tonight...
Our guest is Republican strategist and crisis communications specialist Alex Conant of Firehouse Strategies. Alex worked for Senator Marco Rubio's presidential campaign, President George W. Bush, and the RNC during the McCain presidential bid, so there's no one better to help us make sense of last week's political bombshells.
On a serious note, both of us send our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Senator John McCain. He fought for what he believed in with tenacity, but also with grace and class. His underlying belief that being an American is far more important than being either a Republican or a Democrat is something we certainly can agree on.
Have a wonderful Labor Day holiday with your family and friends!
Ali & Liesl

Episode 27: House Outlook Update 2.0 with Cook Political Report's Dave Wasserman Aug 23, 2018

Hi House Talkers!

In our latest episode we welcome Dave Wasserman, the House editor of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, back to House Talk. Last year he gave us an overview of how the House is shaping up this year.

When we interviewed Dave last week before he hit the campaign trail, we discuss whether 2018 is shaping up to be a wave. Is 2018 shaping up to be 2010 in reverse?

What differentiates some suburban House Republicans who Dave thinks are safer from those he puts in tossup categories?

Listen on to find out more!

Thanks for listening and remember to subscribe on iTunes!

Ali and Liesl

Episode 26: All Things Minnesota with House Majority PAC's Charlie Kelly Aug 17, 2018

Hello House Talkers!

In our latest episode, Charlie Kelly, House Majority PAC’s executive director, joins us to discuss his home state of Minnesota, which Ali thinks is the most fascinating state this whole election cycle!

We talk about some of the top Minnesota races—the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 8th, and more!

Thanks for listening, and don’t forget to subscribe and rate us on iTunes!

Episode 25: August 7th Primaries & Special Election Aug 10, 2018

Hi House Talkers!
We have two fun episodes to share with you! This week, we were honored to be invited on National Journal's Against the Grain podcast totalk House races with Josh Kraushaar. We had a great time - listen here!
And we released a new House Talk episode today, featuring Roll Call's Simone Pathe'. We dove into all the August 7th special election and primary results, including Ali's home state of Washington, Republican Troy Balderson's oh-so-close victory in OH-12, and the surprisingly competitive Kansas House races.
We'll be back next week with special guest Charlie Kelly in an episode focusing on his home state's critical House races (Minnesota) and his work as the Executive Director of the biggest Democratic outside group playing in House races -- House Majority PAC. Stay tuned!
Thanks for your support! Don't forget to follow us on twitter at @housetalkpod, and subscribe on iTunes!
Ali & Liesl

Episode 24: Can Democrats win in the South? With Pollster John Anzalone Jul 19, 2018

Hi House Talkers,

Joining us all the way from Alabama in our latest episode is Democratic pollster, John Anzalone. We talk about everything from how politics in the South has changed over time to the benefits of working in politics outside of DC.

We also talk about the “old” vs “new” Souths, and the differences between Democrats who won in the South as recently as 2008 and the ones who are running now, in 2018.

Episode 23: Understanding the New York Primaries Jun 29, 2018

Hi House Talkers!
This week, Matt Canter of New York-based Global Strategy Group joins us to talk about the most exciting primaries of the week....the New York primaries! We had competitive primaries in key races and saw a member of the House Democratic leadership lose to a candidate who was just 8 years old when he was first elected. Wow! What a week.
As we head into the holiday weekend, we hope you have a terrific Fourth of July holiday! We'll be back soon with more great House Talk!
Thanks for your support!
Ali & Liesl

Episode 22: Crossover with The Midpod Jun 20, 2018

Hi House Talkers!

We've got a special episode for you this week. Forget Infinity War, because this might be the most ambitious crossover yet. We joined The Midpod in DC for a jointly hosted episode detailing our own path to politics and why these two moms decided to start a podcast of their own.

We talk all about the latest House news, including which races the four of us are keeping our eyes on, and which House districts we'd like to visit ourselves!

Episode 21: California's Primary Results with Politico's Elena Schneider Jun 08, 2018

Hi House Talkers!
This week, we watched as several key states held House primaries. California, with its top-two primary system, was the most watched and most critical in the overall race for the House majority, as it was conceivable one party or the other could get "locked out" of the November ballot due to not coming in first or second on June 5th.
Yes, it's a confusing and - for most of us - frustrating process that is incredibly difficult to understand and navigate. Fortunately, this week Politico's Elena Schneider -- fresh off a five-day trip to California to report on the primaries - joins us to assess the outcomes and look ahead to November.
Stay tuned next week - we'll be doing a joint podcast with a couple of ladies who've immersed themselves in the midterms as much as we have and are traveling the country and reporting on different districts. And don't forget to subscribe on iTunes and rate our podcast!
Thanks for your support!
Ali & Liesl

Episode 20: Midterm Update with Washington Post's Paul Kane May 29, 2018

Hi House Talkers!

In this episode we talk with the Washington Post’s Paul Kane about all of your favorite recent primaries, from Nebraska to Pennsylvania (and Paul even gives us some insight on why cheesesteaks really are so much better in Philly).

Thanks, as always, for listening—don’t forget to rate us and subscribe on iTunes!

Episode 19: A Look at the Landscape 6 Months Out May 09, 2018

Hi House Talkers!

This week, we decided to do something new. The two of us took out excel spreadsheets, opened up our laptops, and came up with our own list of toss-up races and races with a slight Democratic or slight Republican edge. And in case you're wondering -- well, we mostly agreed on the list!

With the elections just six months away, we wanted to really dive in to the national landscape, why this cycle is so hard to predict, and what's really competitive and what isn't. Please @ us (@housetalkpod) or let us know on Facebook if you agree or disagree with our assessments!

We'll be back in two weeks to discuss the exciting May primaries and runoff elections!

As always, don't forget to subscribe on iTunes and leave us a review!

Thanks for your support!

Ali & Liesl

Episode 18: Women Running for Office with Emily's List Emily Cain and VIEWPAC's Julie Conway Apr 19, 2018

Hi House Talkers!

We are so excited to share this episode with you, which is on a topic near and dear to our hearts: how to get more women to run for office!

Joining us are two fabulous women who spend their time doing exactly that (sometimes even against one another!). Emily Cain is the Executive Director of Emily's List, and a former state legislator and Congressional candidate. Emily's List mission is to elect Democratic women to federal, state, and local office. Julie Conway founded and runs VIEW PAC, which helps elect Republican women to office.

You'll hear about some of our favorite female candidates (special shout-outs to Martha McSally, Kristin Gaspar, Chrissy Houlahan, Gina Ortiz Jones, among others!), the question all women candidates get asked that men candidates never do, and why women are so eager to run in 2018.

We'll be back in a few weeks with another new episode!

Thanks for your support!

Ali & Liesl

Episode 17: Open House Seats with Kyle Kondik Apr 07, 2018

Hello House Talkers!

In our latest episode we talk with Kyle Kondik, the Managing Editor for Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball, all about the exodus from the House of Representatives. Over 50 Members of Congress, Republican and Democratic, are retiring at the end of this cycle. How does this affect the 2018 cycle? Tune in to find out.

Episode 16: Texas Primary Results with Abby Livingston Mar 13, 2018

This week's episode is our first ever live stream with Abby Livingston from the Texas Tribune. The first primary of 2018 is in the books. We broke down all the top races and took some questions from online viewers. We covered everything from the contested primaries to the upcoming runoffs and beyond.
You can watch the video portion here: https://www.pscp.tv/w/1nAKERwlrenGL

Episode 15: Crowded Democratic Primaries, Blessing or Curse? Mar 04, 2018

In today's episode we're joined by Ian Russell, from Beacon Media. Ian spent three cycles at the DCCC and we're talking all about the Democratic primaries from around the country. There are so many Democrats running for the House in 2018. Is this a good thing for them or a bad thing? What is the role of the DCCC in this election cycle? They recently dropped opposition research on their one of their own candidates in Texas! How does this situation mirror their decision to play in House primaries in California under Chairman Steve Israel? Stay tuned for all of this and more in our latest episode!

Episode 14: Rising Poll Numbers for Republicans Feb 16, 2018

Ali and Liesl talk to Republican pollster Robert Blizzard about Republicans’ improving poll numbers.

Episode 13: Let's Talk About Pennsylvania! Feb 02, 2018

Hi House Talkers!

There is a lot going on in Pennsylvania this year. There's a special election in western Pennsylvania that outside groups are spending millions of dollars to win. The state Supreme Court just ruled that the existing congressional maps were illegally gerrymandered and new maps are needed - by February 15th! Add to that two competitive open seats and some of the swingy-est political terrain in the country, and Pennsylvania suddenly looks like a hotbed of House action. And we're still waiting for some Philadelphia political expert to figure out what an Eagles Super Bowl win or loss will mean for voter turnout in the critical Philly suburbs - any takers?

To discuss all these issues and more, McClatchy National Political Correspondent Alex Roarty joined us for a great discussion. Alex began his political journalism career in Pennsylvania and is a real expert on the state's dynamics and House races.

Listen here! And don't forget to subscribe on iTunes and rate the podcast! You may have noticed this episode is coming out just a week after our last one, with Stu Rothenberg. Things are changing so rapidly every day in Pennsylvania we wanted to get it out right away! You can look forward to our next new episode in a few weeks.

Thank you!

Ali & Liesl

Episode 12: Wave Elections with Stuart Rothenberg Jan 25, 2018

Hi House Talkers!
If you're following the 2018 midterms (which we know you are), you're hearing a lot of discussion about whether or not this is a "wave" election -- is it like 2006 when the Democrats picked up 30 seats and the majority? Is it like 2010 when the Republicans picked up 63 seats and took the majority back?

Stu Rothenberg, the founder of the Rothenberg Political Report (now known as Inside Elections) and truly one of Washington's sharpest political minds and election handicappers, joins us this week to talk about what a wave is and whether or not we're headed for one this November.

As party strategists, we can tell you that identifying a wave early is really important. It helps inform resource allocation decisions and gives each side insight into which incumbents are likely to lose no matter how hard you fight, and what kinds of sleeper races are worth paying attention to in the final months -- or even weeks -- of the campaign.

Episode 11: 2018 Landscape with Jonathan Martin Jan 16, 2018

Ali and Liesl talk to the New York Times’ Jonathan Martin about voters in the suburbs and how they will vote - and why - in the 2018 House elections.

Episode 10: Pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson Helps Us Understand Millennial Voters Dec 21, 2017

Episode 10: Pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson Helps Us Understand Millennial Voters

Hi House Talkers!
Happy holidays! In this season where we gather with friends and family, we're bringing you an episode that may shed some light on the voting patterns of the younger people around your holiday table...you know, the ones who voted for Ron Paul or Bernie Sanders (or maybe both!).
Kristen is one of the country's foremost experts on the millennial vote, and in this episode she helps us understand what's going on with the youth vote and why she's worried for the future of the Republican party.

Our guest this week is Republican pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson, co-founder of Echelon Insights and author of The Selfie Vote: Where Millennials are Leading America (And How Republicans Can Keep Up). She's also the co-host, along with Democratic pollster Margie Omero, of her own fantastic podcast, The Pollsters, which you should definitely be listening to!

Listen here! And subscribe and rate us on iTunes!
We'll be back after the New Year with an episode focusing on what we think is the most important battlefield for 2018 House races: the suburbs.
Happy New Year, and may 2018 bring you great happiness and joy!
Thanks for your support!
Ali & Liesl

Episode 9: House Landscape 2018 with Dave Wasserman of Cook Political Report Dec 05, 2017

Hi House Talkers!
Our guest this week is one of the true House race experts in the country -- and it all began when he was just 11 years old in New Jersey!
Dave Wasserman, the House editor of the Cook Political Report, joins us this week to talk about the 2018 landscape. Dave has a distinguished record of knowing what's happening in House races: in 2006, he correctly predicted that Democrats would pick up 29 seats in 2006.
We get Dave's expert take on how 2018 is shaping up, and how it is (and isn't) like the most recent midterm wave elections 2010 (Republicans gained 63 seats) and 2006 (Democrats ended up picking 30 seats -- 29 on Election Day and one more a few weeks later).

Episode 8: The State of the GOP, with former Chief of Staff to Speaker John Boehner Mike Sommers Nov 10, 2017

Following Tuesday's elections, we wanted to take a deep dive into the state of the Republican Party, and we talked to John Boehner's former Chief of Staff, Mike Sommers! There was a great profile of Boehner in POLITICO (https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/10/29/john-boehner-trump-house-republican-party-retirement-profile-feature-215741) that we talked with Mike about, in addition to hearing his thoughts about the current state of Republicans in the House. Our ad of the week is a 2016 spot from Minnesota Democrat Rick Nolan, who is one of the dozen Democrats who carried a Trump district. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=30&v=bywwTaJe5Xo)!

Bonus Episode: Virginia and New Jersey Edition Nov 08, 2017

We couldn't wait to share our thoughts with you on what last night's election results may mean for the 2018 House races, so we recorded a special bonus episode!
Does Democrats' suburban strength mean they're on their way to winning the House in 2018? Was there any silver lining for Republicans in the numbers last night?

Episode 7: Party Committees' Independent Expenditures, the Real Story on How They Operate Oct 27, 2017

Hi House Talkers!
In the last few weeks, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and the National Republican Campaign Committee (NRCC) have announced their hires to run their respective committees' Independent Expenditure campaigns (congrats, Jessica Mackler and Joe King!). We thought it was perfect timing to bring in someone who has been in their shoes to talk about what's often called the "loneliest job in politics."
And that someone is the DCCC's 2016 Independent ExpenditureDirector, Ty Matsdorf! He joins us this week to talk about I.E.s and how they *really* work. Ty is a native of southern Oregon who got his political start with former Montana Senator Max Baucus. Whether you think you know all about how I.E.s work or this is the first time you've ever of them, we promise you'll learn something new in the half hour we spend with Ty!
In our Ad Spotlight, we'll share an ad that aired in northern New Jersey last cycle -- set to the tune of "Dixie." Huh? Yeah, it worked. Check it out.
Ali & Liesl

Episode 6: Changing America with special guest Reid Wilson Oct 14, 2017

Join us as we talk to the The Hill’s Reid Wilson about the changing demographics in America and what it all means for House races in 2018! Also check our brand new Ad Spotlight feature, where we're looking at one of the most iconic jingles, from Charlie Wilson's 2006 campaign! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OzysDagrYA

Episode 5: Democrats representing Trump districts with Congresswoman Cheri Bustos Sep 28, 2017

For our fifth episode, we were joined by Congresswoman Cheri Bustos from Illinois's 17th District. We talked with her about her career in politics, and what it's like representing a district carried by Donald Trump that she simultaneously won by double digits.

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Episode 4: The Lone Star State Overview Sep 14, 2017

Join Ali and Liesl with special guest Abby Livingston from The Texas Tribune to discuss everything from 2018's Texas House races to the Congressional Women's Softball Game!

Episode 3: The 2018 House Landscape Jul 20, 2017

Ali and Liesl discuss the 2018 House landscape with Nathan Gonzales of Inside Elections.

Episode 2: In Celebration of Independents Jul 06, 2017

Democratic pollster Jill Normington joins Ali and Liesl to discuss independent voters and why they matter in the 2018 midterm elections.

Episode 1: The GA06 Special Election Jun 20, 2017

Cook Political Report's Amy Walter joins Ali and Liesl to discuss the GA-6 special election and its implications for 2018.