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Emergency Debate Pod: Tear Down This Walz Oct 02, 2024

Show notes

JD Vance is the more polished debater. And whether it was because he was jittery or prepped not to take a wrecking ball to anyone except Donald Trump, Tim Walz wasn’t generally able to convey that Vance is much more extreme than he pretended to be on stage Tuesday night.

So how did he win?

In this free post-VP debate episode, Matt and Brian discuss:

* Whether Vance’s polish is really more appealing to a general audience than Walz’s plain-spoken delivery.

* Was Vance able to simultaneously rehabilitate his tattered image, focus on attacking Harris instead of Walz, and kiss up to Donald Trump?

* Most importantly, will Walz’s best moment—cornering Vance who was unwilling to admit that Trump lost the 2020 election—be the defining moment of the debate that establishes Walz as the clear winner.

* Also, what about the moderators?

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Bros And Cons Sep 25, 2024

Show notes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.politix.fm

This week, Matt and Brian take stock of Donald Trump’s late pitch to young male voters, who are significantly more Republican curious than young men were in the Bush and Obama years:

* Are young men really drifting in a more conservative direction? Or are they mostly attracted to Trump’s teflon libertinism?

* Is America swinging back to a pre-Bush norm when partisanship wasn’t so stratified by age?

* Will these voters turn out? Are they even registered?

Then, behind the paywall, Matt and Brian debate the theoretical merits of pandering to young voters with policy appeals. Are Trump’s weird promises around vaping and cryptocurrency really the kind of thing that can mobilize voters without partisan commitments or apolitical young people? Does the fact that he fully reversed himself, in exchange for money, to adopt these new positions undermine the appeal at all? And to what extent is the Harris campaign also microtargeting young voters?

All that, plus the full Politix archive are available to paid subscribers—just upgrade your subscription and pipe full episodes directly to your favorite podcast app via your own private feed.

Further reading:

* Brian on the deficiencies of Trump’s pandering, young-male voter Hail Mary.

* Matt on whether the influx of women into the workforce (and, in parallel, the Democratic Party) help explain new norms around sensitivity (or young men’s new openness to MAGA).

* Jessica Valenti on how Kamala Harris doesn’t just defend abortion but has started to normalize it.

* The Harvard Institute of Politics fall youth poll.

Campaigning Cats and Dogs Sep 18, 2024

Show notes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.politix.fm

This week, Matt and Brian take stock of the many ways Republicans have flailed since Donald Trump lost last week’s debate against Kamala Harris:

* If they’re trying to change the topic, or convince people Trump won, why are so many MAGA influencers still trying to “prove” ABC rigged the debate for Harris?

* Is the discourse they’ve provoked by terrorizing Haitians in Springfield, OH, actually better for Trump than some stories about how he lost?

* Where does Trump’s, um, weird relationship with the bigoted conspiracy-theorist Laura Loomer fit into all this?

Then, behind the paywall, Matt and Brian debate the nature of racist political demagoguery when the progenitor is as erratic and undisciplined as Donald Trump. Are Democrats too traumatized by the Trumpian immigration politics to recognize when Trump veers into politically toxic territory? Is it a political emergency when Trump manages to drag discourse back to immigration? Even when he does so by saying outrageous and unpopular things? Should Democrats be more chill, pressing their advantages on whatever issue happens to be in the news—or should they always anxiously try to steer the conversation back to safer terrain?

All that, plus the full Politix archive are available to paid subscribers—just upgrade your subscription and pipe full episodes directly to your favorite podcast app via your own private feed.

Further reading:

* Matt on Karl Lueger, George Wallace, Donald Trump and the tired dance of the demagogue.

* Brian on how Democrats can compete with this Trumpian incitement machine instead of running a conventional campaign and getting drowned out.

* The James Fallows and Deborah Fallows Our Towns foundation, book, and documentary.

Emergency Debate Pod: Concepts Of A Plan? Sep 11, 2024

Show notes

That was way better than the first one! In what may be their only debate Kamala Harris reduced Donald Trump to a smoldering mass of anger, deranged lies, and incoherent rambling. It’s fair to say everyone agrees she won, because pro-Trump influencers are already attacking the moderators.

In this free post-debate episode, Matt and Brian discuss:

* How Harris pivoted away from Biden’s failed debate strategy toward one designed successfully to provoke Trump into making big mistakes.

* Why her polls slipped a couple points between the Democratic convention and the debate.

* What a longer run strategy to rebuild and maintain her pre-convention lead might look like.

* Will she get a measurable bump from her debate victory on Tuesday? And, if so, how long will it last?

If you’re new to Politix, welcome! We hope you’ll continue to listen, and consider upgrading to a paid subscription.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.politix.fm/subscribe

Can Kamala cure the housing crisis? Sep 04, 2024

Show notes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.politix.fm

This week, Brian takes a much needed vacation and Matt is joined by The Atlantic’s Jerusalem Demsas to talk about housing and the 2024 campaign.

* Barack Obama’s striking and unexpected embrace of the YIMBY diagnosis of the housing issue at the Democratic National Convention.

* Kamala Harris’ more equivocal embrace of the same formula along with some other …

Kama Chameleon—But In A Good Way! Aug 28, 2024

Show notes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.politix.fm

This week, Matt and Brian look back at what went right at last week’s Democratic National Convention, how it maps on to the lead Harris built in her first month on the campaign trail, and what it augurs for the fall campaign:

* How exactly did Harris build a lead so quickly?

* Is maintaining or growing it really as simple as “keep on doing what you’re doing?” Is that even possible given how the dynamics of the race will change in the home stretch?

* What does peak performance look like, if not this?

Then, behind the paywall, Matt and Brian break down why her acceptance speech was such a big hit across the party. How did she manage to convince centrists and progressives alike that the speech reflected their values? Is she demonstrating the same kinds of political finesse that made Barack Obama such a successful candidate? Or are people mostly just excited to rally behind someone who seems to know how to beat Trump? Plus a granular look at why the polls are probably pretty close to the mark—meaning Harris has a better than even chance of winning, but the election will likely be close, as in 2020 and (gulp) 2016.

All that, plus the full Politix archive are available to paid subscribers—just upgrade your subscription and pipe full episodes directly to your favorite podcast app via your own private feed.

Further reading:

* Brian on Democrats balancing confidence with non-complacency.

* Matt on how Harris can ride happy warrior anti-Trump vibes to victory.

* Joe Lieberman (???) had a pretty good acceptance speech, too?

Up Late With Sleepy Joe Aug 21, 2024

Show notes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.politix.fm

This week, Semafor’s Dave Weigel joins Matt and Brian from Chicago to assess the Dem convention in Chicago:

* Is DNC’s treatment of credentialed journalists another sign that Democrats are consciously decoupling from the mainstream media?

* Are there any politically meaningful differences between how the convention is playing out on national television and how people are experiencing it in person?

* Can Harris get a polling bump out of the festivities, above and beyond the spike her post-launch campaign blitz generated?

Then, behind the paywall, Matt and Brian pick up where they left off last week in their debate over whether Harris has improved economic sentiment simply by restoring optimism to the anti-Trump coalition. What does the data suggest? Will she come to regret her policy rollout if it turns out public opinion about the economy is already on the mend? Can she appeal to skeptical voters without staking out views on issues like price controls or deficit reduction that could prove to be unnecessary?

All that, plus the full Politix archive are available to paid subscribers—just upgrade your subscription and pipe full episodes directly to your favorite podcast app via your own private feed.

Further reading:

* Brian argues the Harris campaign is purpose built to reassmble the national anti-Trump majority.

* Matt argues this approach is too complacent.

* Dave on how Harris has driven third-party polling into the ground.

Iran, If You're Listening... Aug 14, 2024

Show notes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.politix.fm

This week, Matt and Brian survey the news periphery for various black swans and Chekhov’s guns that might change the trajectory of the race. They discuss:

* How Kamala Harris’s joy-themed campaign might affect economic sentiment, and whether the economy itself is at risk of contraction;

* Donald Trump’s coverup of a $10 million bribe (or attempted bribe) dangled during the 2016 campaign by the Egyptian government;

* The campaign press corps’ increasing impatience with Harris over press access.

Then, behind the paywall, a deep dive into the apparent hack and theft of Trump campaign emails, and why the news outlets that have obtained them have so far not published any stories about their contents. Is the political media establishing a new set of rules meant to benefit Donald Trump? Will these emails eventually appear online, unfiltered, just as Clinton campaign emails did eight years ago? Can mainstream outlets quietly decide to show restraint over Trump emails, without bothering to explain to the public why their standards changed and what they got wrong in 2016?

All that, plus the full Politix archive are available to paid subscribers—just upgrade your subscription and pipe full episodes directly to your favorite podcast app via your own private feed.

Further reading:

* Brian on what the New York Times and other outlets that drove the EMAILS frenzy in 2016 owe their readers now.

* Matt on whether Harris should talk to the press, and how the press can do a better job with their access.

* Brian on why Joe Biden should declassify the government’s Trump files.

Walz, #2 Aug 07, 2024

Show notes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.politix.fm

This week, Matt and Brian offer near-instant reaction to the news that Kamala Harris has nominated Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for the vice presidency. They discuss:

* The pros and cons of this decision;

* The factors that likely persuaded Harris to select Walz rather than a swing-state or red-state governor;

* How adding Walz to the ticket might shape the race and the future of the Democratic Party.

Then, behind the paywall, Politix looks at the veepstakes in a wider context of developments that might shape affect the outcome of the election. Will anything about this decision really matter if economic headwinds weaken the U.S. economy over the next three months? Is it more or less significant to domestic politics than a potential regional conflict in the Middle East? If it’s ultimately insignificant to politics, why did people factionalize around various vice-presidential contenders?

All that, plus the full Politix archive are available to paid subscribers—just upgrade your subscription and pipe full episodes directly to your favorite podcast app via your own private feed.

Further reading:

* Brian’s 24 thoughts on the Harris veepstakes.

* Matt on the politics of weirdness.

* Walz’s interview with Ezra Klein.

Jewish Latinxes for Kamala Harris Jul 31, 2024

Show notes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.politix.fm

This week, Matt and Brian delve into the new discourse, ignited by vice-presidential shortlister Tim Walz, about the inherent weirdness of MAGA leaders.

* What do Democrats mean when they say Republicans like Donald Trump and JD Vance are “weird”?

* How normal are Democrats, actually?

* Having drawn this line, can Democrats now concede anything to “weird” Republicans as they appeal to swing voters?

Then, behind the paywall, a wide-ranging discussion about whether this salvo, which has put Republicans back on their heels, entitles Walz to special consideration as Kamala Harris considers her running mate. Would Walz’s gruff, non-nonsense vibe more effectively balance the ticket than other, more moderate contenders? Does he offer lasting coalition unity, or just a bandaid on factional rifts that are bound to burst back open? Do data-rooted, Pennsylvania-centric considerations dwarf hazier ideas about which ticket makes the best avatar for the Democratic Party?

All that, plus the full Politix archive are available to paid subscribers—just upgrade your subscription and pipe full episodes directly to your favorite podcast app via your own private feed.

Further reading:

* Greg Sargent on how the politics of immigration don’t all work to Republicans’ advantage.

* Brian on the downward (and likely very weird) spiral Republicans will enter if Harris claims a meaningful lead.

* Matt on how Harris can and should position herself as more moderate than Biden.

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