Shows
Trial Balloon - Free VersionThe Candidate or the CouchCorruption in the “Greatest City in the World.” And who are these "undecided" voters? Links we discussed: Eric Adams IndictedThe Undecided Voters Who Could Decide the ElectionKamala Harris Casts Herself as Pro-Business PragmatistSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's NewsletterTrial Balloon Live
2024-09-3026 min
Trial Balloon - Free VersionThe Bully PulpitTrump threatens to prosecute his political rivals... Why even a felony conviction won't upend this race... And does the bully pulpit still exist?Links we discussed:Trump Says He Has ‘Every Right’ to Prosecute His RivalsEven a Felony Conviction Likely Won’t Upend This RaceTrump’s Vows Put Rule of Law on the BallotHow Much More Warning Do Voters Need?Democrats Must Make Trump’s Guilty Verdict KnownSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter
2024-06-0724 min
Trial Balloon - Free VersionCatch and KillThe Trump trial and the split screen campaign. And Mike Johnson's power is backed by Democrats. Links we discussed:The Split Screen for the Next 6 WeeksTrump Is Already TestifyingTrump Is a Pretty Weak StrongmanBeing Stuck in a Courtroom Is Just What Trump Needed Chaos and OppressionSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter
2024-04-2622 min
Trial Balloon - Free VersionBoxed In On AbortionArizona's abortion ruling is a disaster for Trump and Republicans. Stubborn inflation is a problem for Biden and Democrats. Can red states knock Biden off the ballot?Links we discussedTrump Flails on AbortionFed May Not Cut Interest Rates This YearRed States Threaten to Keep Biden Off the BallotSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter
2024-04-1524 min
Trial Balloon - Free VersionWatching Fox NewsDoes watching Fox News make you less informed? Could the House flip to Democratic control? Does RFK Jr. hurt Biden or Trump more?Links we discussedThose Who Don’t Watch Fox Less Likely to Vote for TrumpDemocrats Need to Be Ready If GOP Loses ControlBiden Holds Small Lead NationallyRFK Jr. the SpoilerSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter
2024-03-2926 min
Trial Balloon - Free VersionWhich GOP Candidates Were Worse: 2016 or 2024?Which set of candidates were worse — 2016 or 2024? What do the polls really say eight months before the election? Does RFK Jr. matter?Links we discussedThere’s Plenty of Time for Biden to Catch UpDemocracy Dies In Trumpian BoredomWhy RFK Jr. Should Hurt Trump More Than BidenDemocrats Go to War Against Third Party CandidatesSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter
2024-03-1526 min
Trial Balloon - Free VersionTrumpificationThe Trumpification of the Republican Party is now complete.Links we discussedMitch McConnell’s Legacy Is Donald TrumpMitch McConnell Surrenders to TrumpMcConnell to Step Down as GOP LeaderTrump Pushes Steve Daines to Run for Senate GOP LeaderJohn Thune Soft Launches Bid for Senate GOP LeaderCornyn Talked to Trump About Running for Senate LeaderSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter
2024-03-0724 min
Trial Balloon - Free VersionBiden Isn't Going AnywhereNo one is replacing Biden on the ticket. Trump takes over the RNC. Democrats get a big win on Long Island. Links we discussedOne in Five Believe Taylor Swift ConspiracyReplacing BidenWhy Trump Needs to Take Over the RNC So QuicklyJon Stewart ReturnsBiden Campaign Joins TikTokSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter
2024-02-1622 min
Trial Balloon - Free VersionOne Year OnTrial Balloon celebrates its first year with Taylor Swift. And then we unpack how Joe Biden was handed a gift by Republicans on immigration. Links we discussedTaylor Swift (The GOP’s Version)Lankford’s Make-or-Break Moment on the BorderQuote of the DayBiden Campaign Builds Big Fundraising LeadWhy Trump Needs Nikki Haley Out NowSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter
2024-02-0226 min
Trial Balloon - Free VersionRolling to the White HouseIs Donald Trump rolling to the White House or is he in trouble? Democracy and immigration are the toughest issues.Links we discussedCan Anyone Stop Trump’s March to the Nomination?Trump Could Wrap Up Nomination By End of FebruaryEven the Battle for Second Turned Out Well for TrumpTrump Holds Solid Lead Over Biden in GeorgiaSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter
2024-01-1921 min
Trial Balloon - Free Version14th Amendment MailbagShould Democrats try to disqualify Trump from the ballot? Or will it backfire?Links we discussed:Trump Set to Appeal 14th Amendment CasesSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter
2024-01-0528 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionBankruptTrump's eligibility in question. Rudy's moral bankruptcy leads to his financial bankruptcy. It's too early to worry about the horse race polls. Links we discussed:The Immediate Impact of the Colorado RulingWhat Do Biden’s Poor Numbers Really Mean?Some more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter
2023-12-2231 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionA Dictator for 'Just One Day'The House GOP's majority shrinks further. Donald Trump knew exactly what he was saying. Nikki Haley is number two. Links we discussed:The Inflation DisconnectScared of Chris ChristieSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter
2023-12-0819 min
Trial Balloon - Free VersionThanksgiving MailbagWe discuss Biden's chances, Trump's retribution, flipping congressmen, ranked choice voting, and our friend in Copenhagen.Some links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter
2023-11-2224 min
Trial Balloon - Free VersionOne Year OutWhat the 2023 off-year elections mean for 2024. And what Joe Manchin not running for re-election means for Joe Biden.Links we discussed:The Polls Weren’t That BadThe Road to 2024An Off-Year Blue WaveWho Knew Taking Away Rights Was So Unpopular?Some more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter
2023-11-1035 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionIt's a Later ProblemRepublicans finally settle on a House Speaker but he wasn't really vetted. Meanwhile, Trump's co-defendants are flipping.Links we discussed:The House Considers Mike JohnsonMike Johnson Is Trump’s Perfect SpeakerThe Speaker Candidates to WatchSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter
2023-10-2628 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionDivided We FallThe political realities of the terrorist attack on Israel and it's not your father's Republican party anymore.Links we discussed:Father Strips Down at School Board MeetingThe Politics of Israel’s ResponseSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter
2023-10-1322 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionThe Divided Side Usually LosesRepublicans running for president have a debate train wreck while Republicans in the House are about to shut down the government.Links we discussed:Republican MathReaction to the Second Republican DebateSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political Wire -- Get 20% off an Annual MembershipChris Riback's Newsletter
2023-09-2927 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionKevin McCarthy Had a PlanKevin McCarthy struggles to hang onto his job, while Mitt Romney quits his. Links we discussed:Romney Lets Loose in Exit InterviewImpeachment Probe Changes McCarthy’s MathMcCarthy Dares Conservatives to Oust HimSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter
2023-09-1523 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionThe Age QuestionMitch McConnell’s second freeze means age may be an even bigger factor in next year’s election.Links we discussed:Mark Thompson Helped Steady 2 News Outlets. Can He Do the Same at CNN?Capitol Physician Clears McConnell to Do JobFeinstein Silent in Her Sad and Messy Final ChapterBiden’s Age vs. Trump’s CrimesSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter
2023-09-0126 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionOversized MailbagWe answer some of your questions. Some more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter
2023-08-1826 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionTrump Indicted AgainHow the latest Trump indictment changes the presidential race.A few links we discussed:Donald Trump Indicted AgainWe’re Headed for a One Issue ElectionMy Takeaways from Today’s Indictment Some more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter
2023-08-0430 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionCan Anyone Beat Trump for the GOP Nomination?As the indictments pile up for Trump, we discuss the possible alternatives for the Republican presidential nomination.A few links we discussed:Trump Blots Out the Sun AgainTim Scott Ramps Up Fundraising Some more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter
2023-07-2117 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionHoliday Week MailbagAre the Hunter Biden allegations like the Steele Dossier? What are the contingency plans if Biden (or Trump) is incapacitated before the convention? And remembering Lowell Weicker, the original maverick politician from Connecticut.A few links we discussed:Remembering Lowell Weicker Some more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter Politics Extra
2023-07-0724 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionJoe Biden in a Toyota CorollaAbortion is now a huge liability for Republicans but a third party presidential candidate could be a huge liability for Democrats.A few links we discussed:Abortion Remains a Potent Issue for Pro-Choice VotersMost Say Repeal of Abortion Rights Bad for CountryMajor Anti-Abortion Group Pushes National BanMislabeledJill Stein Managing Cornel West’s Campaign Some more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter Politics Extra
2023-06-2320 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionThe Long GameKevin McCarthy is losing power quickly. And why so many Republicans are running for president.A few links we discussed:Pence Tries to Thread a NeedleAn Extremely Weak Speaker Some more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter Politics Extra
2023-06-0926 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionDeSantis DebacleGov. Ron DeSantis' campaign launch on Twitter Spaces had all the appeal of a glitchy conference call. And the debt ceiling looms.Some links:DeSantis Blows Up on the Launch PadThe Headlines Are BrutalDeSantis Flip-Flops on How to Pronounce His Own NameConservatives Rebel Against Emerging DealWho Would Be Blamed for a Debt Default?Debt Ceiling Deal Takes ShapeSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter Politics Extra
2023-05-2621 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionTrump and the Battle for the SuburbsDonald Trump's town hall and how abortion rights and immigration will play in the suburbs. Some links:Why Team Biden Was ‘Positively Giddy’ Last NightCNN Tried to Make News, Not Cover ItSome Thoughts on Trump’s Town Hall EventSome more links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter Politics Extra
2023-05-1221 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionA Modern Day Rosa Parks?We take questions on the debt ceiling showdown, the possibility of a John Roberts power move at the Supreme Court and whether there is a modern day Rosa Parks out there.Some links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter Politics Extra
2023-04-2829 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionBoxed InDonald Trump, the Republican Party and Fox News have one thing in common: They're all boxed in. Some links we discuss:How to Make Trump Go AwayTrump Desperately Tries to Run Out the ClockBoxed InOther links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter Politics Extra
2023-04-1425 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionA Walk Down Memory LaneBefore Political Wire and before Chris Riback's Newsletter -- in the very early days of the internet -- there was Political Insider. Meanwhile, an economic civil war has broken out in the states.Links we discussed:Screenshot of Political Insider just after the 2000 presidential election.Other links: Taegan Goddard's Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter
2023-03-2424 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionEvery Four Years We Discuss a Third PartyWe evaluate the odds that a third party "Unity Ticket” might finally break through in 2024. And we look at the Chicago mayoral primary results and what they say about the politics of crime in America. Links for items we discussed:When Sen. Howell Heflin (D-AL) saw this photo of Sen. Ted Kennedy in a boat, he quipped: "Well Teddy, I see you've changed your position on offshore drilling."And a Harvard study: "Democratic mayors have no effect on crime, but do reduce the Black share of arrests for petty crimes."Other li...
2023-03-1019 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionBiden Sneaks Into a War ZonePresident Biden makes a surprise visit to Ukraine, a grand juror talks too much and Fox News hosts text too much. Other links: Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter Politics Extra
2023-02-2421 minTrial Balloon - Free VersionBiden's Third Rail DareWe review President Biden's challenge to Republicans at the State of the Union address, the GOP's focus on schools and the power to remove Speaker Kevin McCarthy.Links: Political WireChris Riback's Newsletter Politics Extra
2023-02-1020 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsWe're Back: New Season... and Some NewsWe’re back for a new season!
I also launched my new daily email, Chris Riback’s Newsletter.
6 days a week, I compile and publish the meaningful ideas, trends and events into a daily briefing of what you need to know, and not a word more.
I add engaging videos, tweets, graphs, and more. My goal is to help readers save time and stay smarter.
Sign up for a free 30-day trial: chrisriback.substack.com/CRC
2021-06-0402 min
Chris Riback's NewsletterJonathan Karl: Front Row at the Trump Show (Live Event)This is a special live Zoom edition of Chris Riback’s Conversations, the first in our new series of political book conversations sponsored by Cornell’s Institute of Politics & Global Affairs.What does it mean for democracy when the President attacks the free press as fake news? How should journalists balance the need to avoid becoming the “opposition party,” as Steve Bannon described them, while also standing up when individual reporters – frequently women, frequently minorities – are publicly ridiculed?Jonathan Karl is ABC News’ Chief White House Correspondent. Jon’s also President of the White House Corr...
2020-05-0458 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsJonathan Karl: Front Row at the Trump Show (Live Event)This is a special live Zoom edition of Chris Riback’s Conversations, the first in our new series of political book conversations sponsored by Cornell’s Institute of Politics & Global Affairs.What does it mean for democracy when the President attacks the free press as fake news? How should journalists balance the need to avoid becoming the “opposition party,” as Steve Bannon described them, while also standing up when individual reporters – frequently women, frequently minorities – are publicly ridiculed?Jonathan Karl is ABC News’ Chief White House Correspondent. Jon’s also President of the White House Corr...
2020-05-0458 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsMayor Noam Bramson: From Patient Zero to New York as EpicenterChances are, you may not have heard of New Rochelle, NY before about a month ago.It’s New York’s 7th largest city, located just 30 minutes north of Manhattan. It was founded by refugee Huguenots – French Protestants – who were fleeing religious persecution in France in 1688. During the 1930s, New Rochelle was the wealthiest city per capita in New York state and the third wealthiest in the country.For listeners of a certain age — or any of you who watch the classic TV shows on YouTube — you’ll also know that New Rochelle is where Rob...
2020-03-2530 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsRep. Steve Israel: Running for President in Time of CoronavirusWhen I first scheduled an election analysis discussion with former U.S. Representative Steve Israel, it’s fair to say that my initial set of questions had nothing to do with how to run for President in a time of Coronavirus.That’s where this conversation begins, but not where it ends. Because while we all navigate this new reality, we’re also still trying to understand the Democratic primary: What in the world just happened? How did Joe Biden get blown out in the first three caucuses – and then turn it all around to basically run the...
2020-03-2029 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsRick Hasen: Can America Run a Fair Election?Today we continue with our check on the state of American democracy. We began with Harvard professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt to get an update on “How Democracies Die” and the question: How much more can our institutions take?Today we’ll look at the cornerstone of our democracy and a question that’s as shocking to ask as it sounds: Can America run a fair election?I told you – crazy. But whether that’s Putin’s great accomplishment, the post Iowa Caucus fiasco reality, or simply the result of the disintegration of nearly all...
2020-02-2835 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsSteven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt: Revisiting “How Democracies Die”It’s time for a democracy check.With the Trump Impeachment Trial over and the 2020 presidential primaries in full bloom, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I imagine many other people are wondering, too:How’s our democracy doing? Are America’s democratic norms still valid? How much more can our institutions take?And this was even before the Roger Stone sentencing reduction news broke.So I decided to dedicate the next two conversations to the topic. The first one looks at democracy itself – coming out of onl...
2020-02-1737 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsPhilip Rucker & Carol Leonnig: A Very Stable GeniusThe first time he said it – or rather tweeted it – was in January 2018. In describing his business, television, and political accomplishments, President Trump typed: “I think that would qualify as not smart, but genius… and a very stable genius at that!” He said it again at a NATO meeting that July. Again the following July 2019. And again in September. And October.It’s become one of this era’s defining lines of bravado and self-image that infuriates Trump detractors and fuels his supporters with equal amounts of pleasure. Now, it’s also the title of one of this era’s de...
2020-02-0730 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsRick Wilson: Running Against the DevilRick Wilson – the sharp-witted, wise-cracking Republican political strategist, ad-maker, analyst, columnist, and crazy-good tweeter – joined me in Westchester County, NY for a live conversation about the 2020 election, impeachment, and his new book, “Running Against the Devil: A Plot to Save America from Trump – and Democrats from Themselves.”It was a terrific event, and we discussed everything:How Democrats can beat Trump?What has happened to his fellow Republicans, the ones he calls “bootlicks, yes-men, [and] edge-case weirdos?”How endangered is our democracy?Would Democrats be better off if they in fact do nominate a...
2020-01-171h 11
Chris Riback's NewsletterRick Wilson: Running Against the DevilRick Wilson – the sharp-witted, wise-cracking Republican political strategist, ad-maker, analyst, columnist, and crazy-good tweeter – joined me in Westchester County, NY for a live conversation about the 2020 election, impeachment, and his new book, “Running Against the Devil: A Plot to Save America from Trump – and Democrats from Themselves.”It was a terrific event, and we discussed everything:How Democrats can beat Trump?What has happened to his fellow Republicans, the ones he calls “bootlicks, yes-men, [and] edge-case weirdos?”How endangered is our democracy?Would Democrats be better off if they in fact do nominate a...
2020-01-171h 11Chris Riback's ConversationsChief Justice John G. Roberts: 2019 Year-End Report on the Federal Judiciary(Note: This is a DocuPod – audio reads of important public documents. No conversation; no interview. Just the document itself.)
You may have noticed: Especially with the impeachment, there’s been a lot of news, coverage and discussion – tweets, speeches, rallies, angry letters, hearings, cable panels – around two branches of government: The Executive and Legislative.
But assuming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi indeed sends the two Articles of Impeachment to the Senate, and assuming Majority Leader Mitch McConnell indeed convenes a trial, our third branch – the Judiciary – will be front and center.
That’s because, as you may know...
2020-01-1114 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsMatt Stoller: The American Battle Between Monopoly and DemocracyAs our 2020 Presidential campaign becomes more intense and pointed, it’s clear there is a battle going on for, among other things, America’s economic soul.Politically, the debate has exploded a revival of -isms… Populism, authoritarianism, socialism. But through the issues – from Trump’s tax cuts to Elizabeth Warren’s Health Care Plan – the complicated arguments largely can be simplified to this: For our democracy to survive, do we need massive economic restructuring?If you think this battle is new, you might want to listen to Matt Stoller.Stoller is a Fellow at...
2020-01-0240 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsPeter Bergen: Trump and His GeneralsIt started with the generals. Mattis. Kelley. McMaster. Along with Rex Tillerson, they were part of the “Axis of Adults,” the ones, as the story of this presidency has been told, who stood between President Trump and chaos – between President Trump and his own, unchecked impulses, particularly in foreign affairs.As we know now, only Trump is left standing. And he stands impeached, because, the U.S. House of Representatives found, he couldn’t withstand his unchecked impulses and withheld U.S. military aid and White House prestige from Ukraine unless our ally announced investigations into his poli...
2019-12-2037 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsFintan O'Toole: Think It’s Crazy Here? Time to Look at BrexitIf you’re feeling lousy about the state of politics in America, now might be the time to surround yourself with some Brits. As they surely must ask about us: What in the world is going on over there?The UK is now more than three years into Brexit, the unexpected, unplanned and so far unfinished move to pull out of the European Union. The latest delayed exit was delayed again when Boris Johnson – UK’s permanently disheveled Prime Minister – couldn’t, as we like to say, get the bloody ball over the goal line. Ok, we don’t sa...
2019-11-1239 minChris Riback's ConversationsLTC Alexander S. Vindman: Opening Statement to US House Impeachment InvestigatorsThis is a special episode of Chris Riback's Conversations.
For this podcast, I read the opening statement of Lieutenant Colonel Alexander S. Vindman to the US House Impeachment Investigators on October 29. As you surely know, Lieutenant Colonel Vindman is the decorated Iraq war veteran and top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council, who listened in on that July 25 telephone call between President Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky.
That’s it. No conversation; no interview. Just the 6-page document itself -- a DocuPod.
Here’s why I believe there’s a need for this ty...
2019-10-3113 minChris Riback's ConversationsAmb. William B. Taylor: Opening Statement to US House Impeachment InvestigatorsThis is a special episode of Chris Riback's Conversations.
For this podcast, I read the opening statement of Amb. William B. Taylor, the senior U.S. diplomat in Ukraine, who testified behind closed doors before the U.S. House Impeachment Investigators on Oct. 22. His extraordinary testimony has been called “the smoking gun” of President Trump’s attempt to hold up Ukraine financial aid in exchange for political help from a foreign country.
That’s it. No conversation; no interview. Just the document itself: Amb. Taylor’s 15-page opening statement – a kind of “DocuPod.”
Why am I doing t...
2019-10-2937 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsJulie Hirschfeld Davis & Michael D. Shear: Inside Trump's Assault on ImmigrationBetween the alligator moat revelation and horrendous, inhumane taking of children from their parents, when considering Donald Trump’s immigration policy, it can be hard to get past the headlines.But it turns out, the immigration story serves as an incredibly useful way to consider the entire Trump presidency: Obsession, chaos, fear, depravity, and yet – meaningful, important, and potentially-lasting change that has shifted not only how the world views America, but how we view ourselves.The story has been told – through a combination of clear context, incredible detail, and expert storytelling by Julie Hirsch...
2019-10-1845 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsAndrew McAfee: Why Capitalism & Technology Will Save the PlanetIf one question has driven mankind’s quest for innovation, it very well might be this: How can we get more from less?For most of our time on this planet, the answer was simple: We couldn’t. As my guest Andrew McAfee points out, for just about all of human history – particularly the Industrial Era – our prosperity has been tightly coupled to our ability to take resources from the earth. We got more from more.That tradeoff yielded incredible positive contributions in nearly every field: Technology, industry, medicine. But there’s one glaring ar...
2019-10-1134 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsIsaac Stone Fish: Why China is America’s Biggest ThreatOctober 1st marked the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China – the name given by Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong in 1949.To understate the reality, a lot has happened in China over the last 70 years. The fact is, a lot has happened in China over the last 70 days – much of it unexpected, confusing, and on-going – politically and economically.Politically, of course, pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong capture global attention and concern. So, too, does China’s economic situation, in particular, its continuing – sometimes escalating – battle with the U.S. over tari...
2019-10-0430 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsJames Poniewozik: How the Trump Show HappenedAs regular listeners of this podcast know, I read a lot of books. Most of them, frankly, are excellent – smart people making thoughtful arguments in engaging ways.Every once in a while, though, I read one that’s not just excellent, but delivers something more: It shifts your lens on the world. Alters your focus.New York Times Chief Television Critic James Poniewozik has written that kind of book: “Audience of One: Donald Trump, Television, and the Fracturing of America.” He’s written that kind of book not despite the fact that he analyzes t...
2019-09-2734 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsPhilip Mudd: Trump & the Attack on U.S. IntelligenceIt was a perfect week to have Philip Mudd, CNN counterterrorism analyst, on the podcast. Phil spent some 25 years at the highest levels of the CIA – reaching Deputy Director of the National Counterterrorism Center – and FBI, where he was hired to be its first National Security Branch Deputy Director by Robert Mueller. So when you have Mueller’s Congressional Hearings nine days ago followed by President Trump’s tweets five days later announcing his intention to replace our top intelligence chief with a Republican House member who, as the Washington Post wrote, has alleged anti-Trump bias at the FBI and Muel...
2019-08-0241 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsTim Alberta: How Trump Filled the GOP Leadership VacuumWhat happened to the Republican Party? You’ve heard of it: One of the two major political collectives in America… the one that counts Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan among its heroes?The modern GOP branded itself on ideals of fiscal responsibility, fighting dictators from the Soviet Union to Saddam Hussein, and personal morality.Today, of course, the U.S. deficit is more than $1 trillion. New age dictators are our friends. And personal morality? Well, not so much.The GOP change has been swift, stark, and you might be led to b...
2019-07-2643 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsRobert Tsai: Is Justice Possible? Your Supreme Court Questions AnsweredYou may have heard last week’s conversation on the Supreme Court.Well, there’s something about the Supreme Court that gets listeners’ attention. I received a lot of follow-up questions – so many, that I wished I had immediate access to another constitutional scholar.Turns out, I did.I already had recorded the second half of the conversation you’ll hear today with Robert Tsai. Tsai is Professor of Law at American University and a prize-winning essayist in constitutional law and history. Previously, he clerked for two federal judges and worked civ...
2019-07-1956 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsAdam Liptak: How Far Did Trump Tip the Supreme Court Balance?It was the Supreme Court session Democrats feared and Republicans had waited a generation for – a solidly conservative 5-4 majority. It took the Merrick Garland block and Brett Kavanaugh hearings to get here, and now that first session is complete. So how’d it go? Were the fears and hopes realized? That’s what I asked Adam Liptak, who covers the Supreme Court for The New York Times. As you’ll hear, for all of this session’s surprise alliances and shifting balance, it may turn out to be an impo...
2019-07-1231 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsAngela Stent: Explaining Putin’s WorldHere’s a parlor game: Outside of President Trump, who’s the most curious figure on the world stage today? China’s Xi? North Korea’s Kim? MBS of Saudi Arabia?As Trump’s interactions with global leaders raise never-ending questions, few are as perplexing – or, if we only could understand it, might explain so much – as the one with Vladimir Putin.When the Cold War ended, it all seemed so clear: History was over, and liberal democracy would deliver a new Russia. But as the so-called liberal modernizers and democratic reforms emerged, so too did a period of extreme pover...
2019-07-0532 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsJared Cohen: Accidental PresidentsWith 20 candidates and 2 Democratic debates spread over 48 hours this week, the 2020 Presidential campaign season is officially underway. We know the process: For the next 16 months, candidates will debate, boast, fundraise, debate, and fundraise some more. Then on Nov. 3, 2020, we’ll have the decision – the President will be chosen.But what about when we get a new President not over two years, but in a heart beat? When we don’t elect our President following an intense, 500-day process, but rather get our new leader instantaneously and by accident.I’m talking, of course, about the...
2019-06-2832 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsJoseph Stiglitz: Saving Capitalism From ItselfIt’s already one of the major issues of the 2020 presidential campaign: Does American capitalism still work? In the face of ever widening income disparity – not just exponential upward movement at the top, but also, at best, stagnation near the bottom — economic inequality is a key social and political topic.Which is why Joseph Stiglitz’ 55th high school reunion was so telling.It was about four years ago, the Nobel Prize winning economist was reminiscing with old friends in Gary, IN, when he heard a story that made him stand up straig...
2019-06-2131 minChris Riback's ConversationsWe're Back: New Season, New NameA few updates:
First, we’re back. I’ve been doing a lot of prep for this new podcast season. I think you’re going to like it.
Second – and maybe this should be first – you may have noticed the name change from Political Wire Conversations to Chris Riback’s Conversations. Why the change?
I love politics and public policy. In these podcasts, I’ve talked with Senators, Governors, Mayors, and candidates; Generals, historians, journalists, and professors; Strategists, pollsters, and more – thinkers, writers and doers across the political spectrum.
But these aren’t my only co...
2019-06-1903 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsSen. Maggie Hassan: 'No More Medical Surprises'So you’re in a restaurant. Great meal. The bill comes, and it’s got a surprise – an unexpected $10 charge because, well it turns out your entrée required a special ingredient the server forgot to mention. Would you pay it? Would you expect to have to pay it?Now look at our health care. You go to the Emergency Room. They take your insurance. Only it turns out, your in-network ER is being staffed by out-of-network providers. Suddenly, in addition to the surprise of having landed in the ER in the first place, you’ve got thousands of...
2018-12-0618 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsLive from Harvard's Kennedy SchoolThis is a special live edition of Political Wire Conversations.On Friday, I hosted an outstanding live event and discussion at Harvard’s Kennedy School: Midterm Elections Preview: Blue Wave or Red Save? I was joined onstage by an All Star cast of panelists:Rick Wilson, Republican Political Strategist Asha Rangappa, CNN Legal & National Affairs AnalystClare Malone, 538 Political ReporterTaegan Goddard, Political Wire Publisher This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www...
2018-10-291h 17
Chris Riback's ConversationsRichard Clarke: Democracy Is On the BallotThe countdown to Midterms is on. With less than three weeks to go, many questions remain and the stakes couldn’t be higher. How high? According to my guest today, “the nature of our democracy is on the ballot.” I’m not sure I disagree.You may remember Richard Clarke for his 30 years in the U.S government, including 10 continuous years as a White House official, serving three consecutive presidents as Special Assistant to the President for Global Affairs, Special Adviser to the President for Cyberspace, and National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism.His first book, "Against All Enemies: Inside America’s War...
2018-10-1930 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsMichael Lewis: Who’s Actually Running Our Government?How do you make the most arcane, overlooked, eyes-glaze-over – and most critical – aspect of the U.S. government – interesting? How do you help folks understand that the so-called deep state – the parts of the bureaucracy that some people ignore and belittle – is actually vital to our safety, well-being and, frankly, our future?Simple: Have Michael Lewis write about.And now he has. In his new book, The Fifth Risk, goes inside several government departments – Energy, Agriculture, Interior, EPA – and reveals the truths that might seem funny if they weren’t so scary: Not only was the Trump Administration unprepared to run the government, th...
2018-10-1230 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsRebecca Traister: The Revolutionary Power of Women’s AngerOne thing is sure about the extraordinary, once-in-a-generation Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearing last week: There was a lot of anger in the room.Judge Brett Kavanaugh: Angry. Senator Lindsay Graham: Angry.But it might have been the anger outside the room that changed everything. You’ve seen the video – two women somehow got hold of Senator Jeff Flake in an elevator, and they unleashed: “Look at me when I’m talking to you,” one shouted. “Don’t look away from me!”For many, watching that scene felt uncomfortable – not just the cornering of a U.S. Senator. The scene of women getting mad in...
2018-10-0234 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsMajor Garrett: What’s It Like to Cover the Trump White HouseThink your life is crazy? How’d you like to be a White House correspondent with Donald Trump in the Oval Office?After all, if your daily schedule doesn’t get turned around multiple times, you always could get cursed or threatened at a campaign rally. In fact, just 60 minutes before my conversation with CBS News Chief White House Correspondent Major Garrett began, news broke that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had resigned. Or was fired. Either way, he was gone. Then, 20 minutes after the recording, Rosenstein was back – and meeting with Trump later in the week to figure things out.It’s a...
2018-09-2632 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsDoris Kearns Goodwin: Trolling Trump on LeadershipDoris Kearns Goodwin. Do I need to say more?Seven books; multiple New York Times’ best sellers; Pulitzer Prize. She is simply one of our nation’s great presidential historians.And Doris has spent much of her career studying four of the best – Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, and LBJ. Now she takes a new look at all of them through a lens that – as you’ll hear – feels as much a commentary about today as it does on history. It’s titled “Leadership in Turbulent Times.”Doris explores the early signs, growth, and active display of leadership for each of them, exploring not o...
2018-09-1829 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsDavid Kaplan: The Most Dangerous Branch of GovernmentHow important has the Supreme Court become in American life?From gun rights to personal relationships, from money in politics to healthcare, whether it’s access to abortion, the voting booth or even our borders, the Supreme Court increasingly dominates how we work, live, and play – it defines, quite often, what kind of country we are.You could argue that it was the deciding factor for millions of voters in the last Presidential election – potentially the deciding factor in the election itself.And this week, of course – between anonymous New York Times op-eds and Bob Woodward...
2018-09-0736 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsMichael D’Antonio and Peter Eisner: Who Is Mike Pence?Who is Mike Pence?It seems strange, but more than two years after he entered our national stage, how much do you feel you know about the Vice President? He’s a man of faith – we know that… but what exactly does it mean?He has acted as something of an economic libertarian – he’s a favorite of the Koch Brothers. But again, what does that mean – and how does it connect with his religious beliefs?And then there’s his treatment of Donald Trump – George Will notably called Pence a “sycophantic p...
2018-08-3034 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsJason Kander: Lessons In Everyday CourageJason Kander has a lot going on.To begin, he’s running for mayor of Kansas City. For most of us, that would be a full-time job. But as you’ll hear, Jason Kander is most definitely not the rest of us. It’s not just that he can rebuild a combat weapon while blindfolded, as he proved in a 2016 political ad.It’s also not simply that in reaction to 9/11, he did what only a few other brave and patriotic people did – volunteered for US military service and got himself sent to Afghanistan.It’s not even the crazy volume of mean...
2018-08-2129 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsRick Wilson: A GOP Strategist on the 'Worst President Ever'Rick Wilson doesn’t expect you to like him.For the last 30 years, Rick has been part of the underbelly of American politics: A self-described “Republican political strategist and infamous negative ad-maker.”And he’s done it for Republicans at all levels – state, local, & national, ranging from George H.W. Bush to Rudy Giuliani. As he says, he’s the one you called when you needed an attack.Not that feels his Democratic competitors were any better. But among them all, they helped make our politics nasty, bitter, angry, and mean.Now we have a divided coun...
2018-08-1021 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsCatherine Rampell: What, Exactly, is Trumponomics?The latest economic numbers are out, and by the time you hear this podcast, Donald Trump surely will have told us all why they are great, why tariffs work, and why this economy is the best ever.But you know better. Or at least Washington Post opinion columnist Catherine Rampell does. While we may have one or multiple months of strong GDP, the key question remains: Is that growth sustainable? And as she wrote, “Right now, under Trump’s policies, the answer looks like a big fat no.”So today my goal was to better understand Trumponomics, and whether bad economics mig...
2018-07-2832 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsNicholas Burns: 'I Don’t Think He’s Fit for Office'Well, that was quite a week. And no doubt, in the few hours between my recording this intro and when the podcast drops, another extraordinary week will have passed.How to make sense of it? To fashionably employ the double negative – it’s so good to see grammar finally get its due on the world stage – I don’t think it’s unfair to ask: Where are we as a nation?For guidance, I turned to former U.S. Ambassador and current professor at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, Nicholas Burns. Without exaggeration, I don’t think I could have found anyone bette...
2018-07-2025 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsBrian Abrams: Understanding ObamaIt feels like a lifetime ago, I know. But so much of what’s happening today – the divides, anger, insults, policy realities – have emerged as a reaction to the Obama years. To understand today, it helps to understand what came before.Brian Abrams makes an important contribution to the process. Abrams specializes in oral histories – talking with key players and letting their words, almost exclusively, tell the story.Done well, this approachthoughtful narrative. That’s exactly what Abrams did his new book “Obama: An Oral History.”It’s a rare opportunity to relive and understand the Obama years...
2018-07-1334 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsDan Pfeiffer: What Comes Next for DemocratsSo here’s the timeline: Two days ago, I spoke with Dan Pfeiffer. As you surely know, he’s President Obama's former communications director and senior advisor and co-host of a podcast you might have heard of: Pod Save America. Then yesterday, Dan’s new book -- Yes We (Still) Can: Politics in the Age of Obama, Twitter, and Trump – debuts at No. 1 on the New York Times best-seller list. Co-incidence? I’ll let you decide. All I can do is accurately portray the facts.The other thing I can do: Tell you that the book is a terrific read, and the convers...
2018-06-2931 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsSteven Brill: The Fifty-Year Fall of AmericaIn the face of jailing immigrant children, questions about capitalism amid tariffs and possible trade wars, and concerns about democracy as we reject western allies and warmly welcome authoritarians and dictators, a lot of us are wondering not just who are we, but also, how in the world did we get here?Steven Brill feels he has an answer.You likely know: Brill is a serial ideas entrepreneur. He founded, among other ventures, American Lawyer and Court TV. He has taken on some of our biggest issues and institutions – Law, Journalism, Healthcare, Schools. Now he’s at it again, and the topic is...
2018-06-2226 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsScott Jennings: What's Happening to the Republican Party?For many on the right and left, the question has been “what’s happening to the GOP?”Free Trade? Gone.Budget deficits? No problemFree movement of labor? Not so much.Military war exercises? Who needs’em?Russia as outlaw state? How about Russia in the G8?I think a more fair – and probably more relevant question: What is the GOP?And frankly, the question comes more from the right than the left. Bob Corker basically asked it this week on the Senate floor. Conservative writers ask it in columns and tweets. GOP vo...
2018-06-1534 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsHarry Litman: Does President Trump Think He's a King?Does President Trump think he’s a king?That was the provocative headline to a recent piece by Harry Litman, a former U.S. Attorney and Deputy Assistant U.S. Attorney General. Litman made his argument after reviewing the legal arguments made in that confidential 20-page memo sent by President Trump’s lawyers to the special counsel, Robert Mueller.I wanted to talk with Litman for many reasons, not least of which: He’s a Constitutional Law expert. We discussed other major legal questions, including Paul Manafort, leaks, and whether a president can pardon himself. This is a p...
2018-06-1234 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsBill Browder: Vladimir Putin's Public Enemy No. 1If you know Bill Browder's story already, you surely won’t mind hearing it again. It’s extraordinary. If you haven’t heard it before, get ready. Bill Browder very well may be Vladimir Putin’s public enemy No. 1. Why? Remember that “Hillary dirt” Russia meeting that Don Jr., Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort had with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya in June 2016 – the one the White House said was about Russian adoptions?As you’ll hear, “Russian adoptions” is code for the Magnitsky Act – legislation passed in 2012 that now blocks more than 40 Russian government officials and businesspeople from entering the U.S., froze their U.S. bank a...
2018-06-0136 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsGen. Michael Hayden: Trump's Assault on IntelligenceOf the many institutions that Donald Trump has attacked – Courts, Congress, media, political parties, diplomats, former Presidents – perhaps the most surprising and unnerving has been the relentless attacks on our intelligence community.Even before that second day in office – the one where he stood before the 117 stars honoring the CIA’s fallen and said we should’ve kept Iraq’s oil, claimed almost everyone in the room voted for him, and, of course, raved about the inauguration crowd size – even before all that, the attacks were there.Why does he do it? More importantly, what’s the impact on our country a...
2018-05-2533 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsAmy Walter: Six Months Until Midterms… What Do We Know?Can we talk politics?In the last weeks on this podcast, we’ve talked about racism, our shrinking diplomacy, the Mueller investigation, how democracies die, and more.But we ought not forget: it’s the political elections that deliver the policies that define our democracy. Not happy with how things are going? You might want to vote. Thrilled? Well, you may want to, also.So where’s our Midterm vote headed? Who’s up, who’s down, where’s the Blue Wave – and how much do particular candidates actually matter, or is all politics today really just abo...
2018-05-2037 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsMitch Landrieu: A White Southerner Confronts HistoryUsually we drop these conversations on Friday mornings – you know, something to look forward to since the workweek excitement is about to end.But we’re posting this on Monday, May 7 because of my guest: It’s his last day as Mayor of New Orleans.Did you see the speech? It was about a year ago and New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu stood up and explained to his city and the nation, really, why he removed four statues that honored the Confederacy: Robert E. Lee; Jefferson Davis; P.G.T. Beauregard; and the Crescent City White League.
2018-05-0722 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsRonan Farrow: Inside the War on PeaceIran, North Korea, Syria, Brexit, Paris Agreement, China. Prime Minister Abe, Macron, Merkel, Xi, a fellow named Putin. At a time when U.S. foreign policy – when diplomacy itself – requires as much clarity and coordination and skill as it has in decades, ours has been going through – to put it diplomatically – a major transition.You know the headlines: Thousands of State Department positions unfilled. Budgets slashed. Tillerson fired. One day we have the world’s biggest button; the next, we’re ready to travel across the world for a summit with a leader who just months ago was a madman.How’d we get he...
2018-05-0431 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsStuart Eizenstat: Taking Another Look at the Carter YearsForget everything you think you know about President Jimmy Carter and get ready to ask yourself: Was he an ineffective, overwhelmed outsider who oversaw four of the worst years in our history… or, as my guest today argues, was Carter’s presidency one of the most consequential in modern history.I confess – I forgot just how much occurred during Carter’s four years – and how much of what he did set the stage for politics and policies today: Ideas like protecting the environment, putting human rights at the center of our foreign policy, energy conservation, the Middle East peace process, and...
2018-04-2739 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsAsha Rangappa: How Will the Mueller Investigation End?How will it end?For any of us following the Mueller investigation -- hanging on the latest leaks around the mood inside the White House and who might get fired or not fired – the wonder of what’s next is relentless. The possibilities seem endless.That’s why for many of us, we’re getting a crash course in Constitutional Law – indeed in our Constitution itself – seeing in real time how and whether our government works.What happens if Robert Mueller gets fired? Can he be? What about Rod Rosenstein? What does a Constitutional crisis look like – what does it mean?No need to worry...
2018-04-1332 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsJennifer Palmieri: Who Will Be the First Woman President?Why is Hillary Clinton not the first woman President?Many people, political types, historians and sociologists will consider that question for many years to come. But besides Hillary Clinton herself, the people who surely must think about it most are the ones who worked with her for years and during the campaign.Jennifer Palmieri is one of them.You may know: Palmieri was Director of Communications for Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. Previously she served as President Obama’s White House Director of Communications, National Press Secretary for the 2004 John Edwards presidential campaign and for the Democratic National Committee in 2002. She also was Depu...
2018-04-0938 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsChris Whipple: How the Trump White House Is the Most Dysfunctional EverI’ve just got one thing to say: Thank goodness for John Kelly! I bet that’s not the one thing you expected me to say. But here’s why:With Kelly so much in the news – for the Rob Porter disaster, inexplicable non-existent security clearances, insulting the congresswoman who supported a gold-star widow from Georgia, his supposed role as a so-called “adult in the room” – for all those reasons and more, people are actually aware of and talking about what is arguably the most important White House job after, of course, the top one: Chief of Staff.I mean before Kelly, if I...
2018-03-0937 min
Chris Riback's NewsletterChris Whipple: How the Trump White House Is the Most Dysfunctional EverI’ve just got one thing to say: Thank goodness for John Kelly! I bet that’s not the one thing you expected me to say. But here’s why:With Kelly so much in the news – for the Rob Porter disaster, inexplicable non-existent security clearances, insulting the congresswoman who supported a gold-star widow from Georgia, his supposed role as a so-called “adult in the room” – for all those reasons and more, people are actually aware of and talking about what is arguably the most important White House job after, of course, the top one: Chief of Staff.I mean before Kelly, if I...
2018-03-0937 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsMcKay Coppins: What Is God's Plan for Mike Pence?McKay Coppins, Staff Writer at The Atlantic, joins Chris to discuss religion and politics, and his recent piece: "God’s Plan for Mike Pence." If we want to understand just how divided the country is – and if we want to consider whether it will ever be repaired – we better dig deeper into the role of religion and politics. One question: How do evangelicals today reconcile their true beliefs and politics? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www...
2017-12-1825 min
Chris Riback's NewsletterMcKay Coppins: What Is God's Plan for Mike Pence?McKay Coppins, Staff Writer at The Atlantic, joins Chris to discuss religion and politics, and his recent piece: "God’s Plan for Mike Pence." If we want to understand just how divided the country is – and if we want to consider whether it will ever be repaired – we better dig deeper into the role of religion and politics. One question: How do evangelicals today reconcile their true beliefs and politics? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www...
2017-12-1825 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsChris Matthews: Looking at Today's Politics Through the Perspective of RFKFirst, where to begin? Roy Moore? Al Franken? Tax bill? Jerusalem? Government shutdown? Russia? The pace of politics is relentless – fatiguing, really – so you need someone of relentless energy to talk about politics with. And few have more relentless energy than Chris Matthews.But these times also call out for perspective and context. What in the world is going on? To many of us, it feels like there’s an all-out war – on decency, good behavior, justice – even democracy. What does history have to say? And how many people can bring a better historical context to politics than Chris Matthew...
2017-12-0839 min
Chris Riback's NewsletterChris Matthews: Looking at Today's Politics Through the Perspective of RFKFirst, where to begin? Roy Moore? Al Franken? Tax bill? Jerusalem? Government shutdown? Russia? The pace of politics is relentless – fatiguing, really – so you need someone of relentless energy to talk about politics with. And few have more relentless energy than Chris Matthews.But these times also call out for perspective and context. What in the world is going on? To many of us, it feels like there’s an all-out war – on decency, good behavior, justice – even democracy. What does history have to say? And how many people can bring a better historical context to politics than Chris Matthew...
2017-12-0839 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsJosh King: An Advance Man’s Look at the 2016 CampaignChris Riback talks to Josh King about his new book, An Advance Man’s Guide to White House Stagecraft, Campaign Spectacle, and Political Suicide, and the 2016 presidential campaign. King, a veteran of Bill Clinton's White House, leads readers through an entertaining and illuminating journey through the Hall of Infamy of some of the most catastrophic examples of political theater of the last quarter century. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
2016-05-1237 min
Chris Riback's NewsletterJosh King: An Advance Man’s Look at the 2016 CampaignChris Riback talks to Josh King about his new book, An Advance Man’s Guide to White House Stagecraft, Campaign Spectacle, and Political Suicide, and the 2016 presidential campaign. King, a veteran of Bill Clinton's White House, leads readers through an entertaining and illuminating journey through the Hall of Infamy of some of the most catastrophic examples of political theater of the last quarter century. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
2016-05-1237 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsMark Blumenthal: What Do Americans Really Think About Politics?Chris Riback speaks with pollster Mark Blumenthal on what we know about the 2016 presidential election. For answers to a Presidential campaign that few predicted and fewer, perhaps, pretend to understand, we often turn to the dark science of polling. Given the overwhelming amount of data each of us generates each day – from clicks to searches to surveys and more – the people who tell us what we think and feel have taken an important if not outsized role in American society generally and American politics specifically. Among our big questions: Is this nasty campaign an accu...
2016-03-2034 min
Chris Riback's NewsletterMark Blumenthal: What Do Americans Really Think About Politics?Chris Riback speaks with pollster Mark Blumenthal on what we know about the 2016 presidential election. For answers to a Presidential campaign that few predicted and fewer, perhaps, pretend to understand, we often turn to the dark science of polling. Given the overwhelming amount of data each of us generates each day – from clicks to searches to surveys and more – the people who tell us what we think and feel have taken an important if not outsized role in American society generally and American politics specifically. Among our big questions: Is this nasty campaign an accu...
2016-03-2034 min
Chris Riback's ConversationsTaegan Goddard: The Party No Longer DecidesChris Riback and Taegan Goddard discuss the how Donald Trump's campaign not only broke the Republican party but broke political science. What in the world is going on? We are well into a primary season with results few of us expected, headed straight to a general election that even fewer dare to predict. All of us – and certainly both major political parties – are in unchartered territory. For Democrats, their new location at least appears to be on a pre-existing map. For Republicans, their new map reveals a planet they never knew existed – a place that frequently shows...
2016-03-1625 min
Chris Riback's NewsletterTaegan Goddard: The Party No Longer DecidesChris Riback and Taegan Goddard discuss the how Donald Trump's campaign not only broke the Republican party but broke political science. What in the world is going on? We are well into a primary season with results few of us expected, headed straight to a general election that even fewer dare to predict. All of us – and certainly both major political parties – are in unchartered territory. For Democrats, their new location at least appears to be on a pre-existing map. For Republicans, their new map reveals a planet they never knew existed – a place that frequently shows...
2016-03-1625 min