The Dispatch Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Sen. Bill Cassidy on OPEC Oct 12, 2022

Show notes

With OPEC+ committed to gutting production, Americans are bracing for a gas price hike. This leads Sen. Bill Cassidy to wonder, how should the U.S. maintain a relationship with the Saudis when “what they do can make or break a family budget”? On the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Cassidy calls for more market-based solutions to both bolster energy independence and get carbon emissions under control. He joins Sarah to wrestle with all these problems –– and their political implications –– before turning to the main event: the ultimate Louisiana VS Texas BBQ showdown.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Between Politics and Morality Oct 07, 2022

Show notes

Sparing an hour between driving his “friends” to and from the airport, Declan joins Sarah, David, and Jonah to debate the Herschel Walker saga, whether moral character matters in politics, and whether Democrats enjoy a double standard on hypocrisy. A broader midterms update is then followed by a quick glimpse into the new Supreme Court term. Plus: Elon Musk gets another NWYT mention.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back to Fundamentals Oct 05, 2022

Show notes

Axios Senior Political Correspondent Josh Kraushaar joins Sarah to explain what happens when the Democrats’ sugar rush drops. Are the fundamentals still favoring Republicans in the midterms? What's going on in Georgia? Can candidate quality block a red wave? And how’s 2024 shaping up? Join for a healthy fix of pre-midterms political punditry and prognostication.

Show Notes:

-Josh's Axios piece on the state of play for November

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who Blew Up Nord Stream? Sep 30, 2022

Show notes

As the editors of The Morning Dispatch eloquently put it, Nord Stream went boom. But who’s responsible? Sarah, David, and Jonah leave no conspiracy theory unexamined. Turning to the midterms, they discuss the power of low expectations, ask when spending money stops being useful, and wonder what it takes to be a good leader (or at least a good politician) during natural disasters. Also: the trio displays heroic restraint in today’s Not Worth Your Time, as they refrain entirely from making any kind of double entendre.

Show Notes:

-Tucker Carlson, literally wall-to-wall on Russian TV

-Lizzo playing James Madison’s flute

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Future of the Electoral Count Act Sep 30, 2022

Show notes

Understanding The Electoral Count Act, as it’s currently worded, requires a team of legal experts. So we got one! Sarah is joined by John Fortier, senior fellow at AEI, and Matthew Seligman, fellow at the Constitutional Law Center at Stanford Law School. Together they try to make sense of the law’s history, explain the difference between the two reform bills coming up through the House and the Senate, and debate whether either one goes far enough to prevent a constitutional crisis in 2024.

Show Notes:

-Matthew in support of the Senate bill

-What the Vice President can’t do

-John’s guide to the electoral college

-Matthew’s 2024 risk assessment

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Putin Makes Nuclear Threats Sep 23, 2022

Show notes

What happens when Vladimir Putin starts feeling cornered? Sarah, David, Steve, and Jonah react to Russia announcing military mobilization and think through the implications of Putin’s nuclear chest-thumping. They then turn to the politics of immigration (still very bad), and conclude with some rank punditry: is the Democrats’ momentary surge in the polls already bust?

Out of context: “To me, it’s a little like the fight: Hiter-Stalin – who is worse?”

Show Notes:

-NBC poll showing decline in GOP loyalty to Trump

-Politico: using cartoons as political ads

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lindsey Graham's New-Old Abortion Ban Sep 17, 2022

Show notes

At long last in the same room, Sarah, Steve, David, and Jonah debate whether the conversation around abortion is changing, why it doesn't feel like Republicans are out of power, and whether lawmakers will ever do the right thing on border security. Plus: Sarah offers a troubling glimpse of the gents' problematic footwear.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar-a-Lago Documents Investigation Explained Sep 09, 2022

Show notes

The rapid developments in the Justice Department’s investigation of classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago may be hard to follow, but not to worry, Sarah, Steve, Jonah, and Declan are here to clarify and discuss. Plus: a look at the long-term impact of COVID-19, and the internal battles as both parties look to the midterms.

Show Notes:

-TMD: How Sarah Palin Lost Alaska’s House Special Election

-The Dispatch: Trump Is Hurting the GOP’s Midterm Prospects

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Justice Department Turns Up the Heat Sep 02, 2022

Show notes

This week saw the Justice Department disclose new evidence that the former president and his legal team likely sought to conceal classified documents from investigators. Sarah, Steve, Jonah, and Declan are here to discuss. Plus: Alaska says no to Sarah Palin, and how should we view Mikhail Gorbachev’s legacy?

Show Notes:

-TMD: Trump Team Likely Sought to Conceal Classified Documents From Investigators, DOJ Says

-The Sweep: How Will Abortion Play in the Midterms?

-G-File: Grading Gorby on a Curve

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Leibovich Talks Thank You for Your Servitude Sep 01, 2022

Show notes

Steve is joined by Mark Leibovich to discuss his new book Thank You for Your Servitude: Donald Trump's Washington and the Price of Submission. How did the Republican Party get to its present predicament? Leibovich gives us his eyewitness account of how the former president transformed Washington, and a major American political party.

Show Notes:

-Thank You for Your Servitude by Mark Leibovich

-Leibovich’s page at The Atlantic

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices