The Conversation with Dasha Burns

Latest Episodes:

The GOP's identity crisis Aug 28, 2020

Show notes

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 Albertais the chief political correspondent for POLITICO.
Adrienne Hurstis an associate producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Annie Reesis a producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.

Signed. Sealed. Delivered? Aug 21, 2020

Show notes

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 2020 election — and to our very idea of democracy.

Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO.
Zack Stanton is digital editor at POLITICO magazine.
Annie Reesis a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.

Fundraising Remix: The Zoom where it happens Aug 14, 2020

Show notes

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 POLITICO.
Tim Lim is a Democratic strategist.
Dan Eberhart is CEO of Canary and a GOP donor.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.

Canvassing, interrupted Aug 07, 2020

Show notes

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 for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.

At-risk Republicans have a problem: Trump Jul 31, 2020

Show notes

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 audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.

Everything that can go wrong in November Jul 24, 2020

Show notes

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 producer of POLITICO audio.

Trump vs. the NFL Jul 17, 2020

Show notes

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 Kruseis a senior staff writer for POLITICO Magazine.
Adrienne Hurstis an associate producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.

Why a football coach could beat Jeff Sessions Jul 10, 2020

Show notes

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 Velascois a freelance journalist based in Birmingham, Ala.
James Arkinis a Senate campaigns reporter for POLITICO.
Adrienne Hurstis an associate producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.

The SCOTUS case that could tip the 2020 scales Jul 03, 2020

Show notes

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 Ollsteinis a health care reporter for POLITICO.
Adrienne Hurstis an associate producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.

How to handle a scandal Jun 26, 2020

Show notes

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 Hurstis an associate producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.

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