The Al Franken Podcast

Latest Episodes:

162: Democratic Strategists Rachel Bitecofer and Justin Barasky on Democratic Messaging Apr 07, 2024

Show notes

The 2024 election is less than 8 months away. How do Democrats defeat Trump? How do they retain the Senate? Our guests say that it all comes down to messaging. It's important to remind voters that on issues like abortion and the economy, the Democratic Party represents their interests.

Al is on tour! Come see his NEW standup

https://www.alfranken.com/appearances

161: Pulitzer Prize Winning Historian Anne Applebaum of The Atlantic Mar 31, 2024

Show notes

We begin our wide-ranging conversation by discussing the attack on a Moscow concert hall last week. What are the implications of that violence? And who is behind it? Then delve into the US's failure to fund the Ukrainian effort and the resulting loss of life. Will we help them? Or will Republicans continue to enable Putin? Anne also lays out the dangers of a second Trump term. With autocracy on the rise around the world, what would it look like here in America?

160: NPR's Senior Political Correspondent Domenico Montanaro Mar 24, 2024

Show notes

Domenico Mantanaro joins us to cover the political landscape! Trump trials, the general election, the Robert Hur report, and Congress. Plus, is Donald Trump taking over the RNC to help bail him out of his financial problems? And as a reporter, how does Domenico maintain objectivity vs neutrality?

See all of Domenico's reporting here!

https://www.npr.org/people/392602474/domenico-montanaro

Al is going on tour! See if he's coming to your town and grab tickets today!

https://www.alfranken.com/appearances

159: Tim Miller – New Host of The Bulwark Podcast Mar 17, 2024

Show notes

Former Republican operative Tim Miller joins the podcast to discuss a wide range of topics! We cover Biden's re-election strategy and react to his State of the Union speech. (Plus the GOP response from Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL), With Congress as dysfunctional as it is, is there any chance of funding the effort in Ukraine? And does Tim still find common ground with his old Republican Party?

See more of Tim's work at The Bulwark

Al is going on tour! Get your tickets today!

158: Frank Foer – The End of the Golden Age of American Jews Mar 10, 2024

Show notes

While anti-Semitism has run rampant among the far right, it has been growing among the political left. In Frank Foer's recent piece for The Atlantic, he explains how we got to this point. How have college campuses and schools become the center for anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic speech? How did college presidents mishandle the hate speech on their campuses? And what is the future of American Jews if Trump is elected again?

Read Frank Foer's entire piece in The Atlantic:

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2024/04/us-anti-semitism-jewish-american-safety/677469/

Al is going back on tour! Get your tickets now!

https://www.alfranken.com/appearances

157: Mini Timmaraju, President & CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All Mar 03, 2024

Show notes

Reproductive rights are under attack all over the country and will be one of the most important issues in the election this November. Abortion bans and limits on reproductive help are extremely unpopular and could be bad news for the Republicans enacting them. This is a must listen for reproductive rights!

156: Tim Alberta on Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism Feb 25, 2024

Show notes

The author of the profoundly disturbing book "The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory" explains how evangelicals have been turned into a political tool for the Republican Party. Alberta grew up in the evangelical wing of the Presbyterian Church and watched as they turned their back on him after he criticized Donald Trump. How did the evangelical church turn so far towards right wing politics? What exactly is an evangelical? How can those voters ever be won back?

Al is going on tour! See if he's coming to your town and grab tickets today!

https://www.alfranken.com/appearances

155: The Atlantic’s David Frum on GOP Dysfunction Feb 18, 2024

Show notes

David Frum from The Atlantic Monthly discusses the chaos that Donald Trump would bring if he were elected to a second term. From the border to foreign aid to Trump's attempt to pardon his crimes... Can we withstand another Trump term?

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