Podcast appearances and mentions of carrie dann

Five weeks ago, I started talking to the team at the The Cook Political Report, one analyst at a time. This week I closed it out with the one I'd saved for last on purpose: David Wasserman, senior editor and the guy whose “I've seen enough” has closed out election nights for over a decade.I told him going in I wouldn't hold him to a prediction. He didn't need the disclaimer. “The numbers have gone from very bad to extremely bad for President Trump and Republicans,” he told me, then walked me through exactly why that still isn't the same thing as a sure thing.Independents have Trump's favorability sitting in the mid-20s. That's a wave-election signal, by his own description. And yet Republicans still have the map. Democrats need every purple Senate seat plus two states Trump carried by double digits in 2024. Gerrymandering ate most of what should have been an easy House flip. So David gives Democrats 75 to 80 percent in the House and something close to a coin flip in the Senate. Bad numbers. Not a landslide.What struck me most wasn't the math. It was what he said drives it. “Everything falls under the bucket of inflation, or most everything,” he told me — healthcare premiums, gas and fertilizer prices after the Strait of Hormuz closed, tariffs squeezing farmers who voted for this. He doesn't think those voters defect to the other side. He thinks they just stay home. James Carville figured that one out in 1992. Some things do not age.He also let me in on something that should worry anyone who reads a poll and calls it a fact: pollsters are now modeling the views of the country off the roughly 1 percent of people who bother to pick up and answer. The best data, he said, rarely even makes it out publicly. Everyone else is reading a narrower picture than they think they are.We closed on Iowa, which he called the most important state of 2026 — a Senate race, a governor's race and a state more exposed to foreign trade than nearly any other in the country, all on one ballot.Five conversations. Five people who do this work with more precision, more humility and more generosity than I expected going in. To Erin Covey, Carrie Dann, Amy Walter, Kathryn Hamm, Jessica Taylor and David Wasserman: thank you for trusting this show with your time. It was a genuinely great month.Three moments from the conversation, below.Key Quotes“The numbers have gone from very bad to extremely bad for President Trump and Republicans.” — David Wasserman“Everything falls under the bucket of inflation, or most everything.” — David Wasserman“We're relying in some cases on the 1% or less of people who are agreeing to take the survey to model the attitudes of the other 99%.” — David WassermanTakeawayThe environment is bad enough for Republicans to look historic, and structurally advantaged enough that it might not be. Whoever tells you they already know how November ends is skipping the second half of that sentence. Get full access to Lisa Camooso Miller at newsletter.fridayreporter.com/subscribe

Getting Amy Walter on this show once felt like a win. Getting her back a second time, this week, with Kathryn Hamm in the room too, felt like something else entirely — a vote of confidence I don't take lightly.This is the third stop in my month with the team at The Cook Political Report, after conversations with House editor Erin Covey and managing editor Carrie Dann. But this one is different. Amy is the person who inherited Charlie Cook's operation and has spent her career protecting the trust he built. Kathryn is the person who runs the business behind it — the partnerships, the access, the infrastructure that lets an operation of nine people reach a country of millions.What struck me most wasn't the political analysis, though there was plenty of that. It was how deliberately both of them talked about staying nonpartisan. Amy told me it isn't a talent, it's a discipline — something she has to practice, especially when a source says something that gets her “a little hot under the collar.” Kathryn's read on the moment we're in was even sharper. She said the thing she hears most isn't that people don't trust anyone anymore. It's that they've stopped listening entirely. That's a different problem.And then there was the thing that actually explains why the Cook Political Report works: they've never sold a single ad. When you subscribe, you're paying for a clean, straightforward read with no agenda attached — no clutter, no pop-ups, no sponsor with a thumb on the scale. That business model isn't incidental to the trust. It is the trust.We closed with a lightning round. Amy's answer stuck with me: the most undercovered story in politics right now isn't this November, it's 2027 — the largest freshman class in the House in at least 30 years, arriving with two competing mandates, to fight Trump or to support him, headed straight into a leadership structure that's barely settled in itself.Charlie Cook built something extraordinary. Watching Amy and Kathryn talk about what it takes to keep it that way, on purpose, every single day, made it clear this isn't inherited good fortune. It's work. I respect the hell out of what this team does.Three moments from the conversation, below.Key Quotes“The most important thing you can have anywhere, but especially in this town, is your credibility and your reputation. And it takes a long time to build it up and it doesn't take a very long time to lose it.” — Amy Walter“The first thing I hear most often isn't even, I don't trust anyone anymore. It's, I stop listening.” — Kathryn Hamm“When you come to the Cook Political Report, you're paying a subscription and that means you get a clean experience.” — Amy WalterTakeawayThe Cook Political Report's credibility isn't an accident of longevity — it's a daily discipline, reinforced by a business model with no ads and no agenda to protect.The full conversation with Amy Walter and Kathryn Hamm of the Cook Political Report is live on YouTube now. Third stop in our month with the team behind the gold standard. Get full access to Lisa Camooso Miller at newsletter.fridayreporter.com/subscribe

I've spent a long time in rooms where people talk about political race ratings like they're handed down from on high — toss-up, lean R, safe D — as if there's a formula somewhere spitting out certainty. Carrie Dann told me this week that she believed that too, once, from the outside.Carrie spent almost eighteen years in NBC News' Washington bureau — an embedded campaign reporter, an editor, eventually running the network's Capitol Hill team — before she became Managing Editor of the The Cook Political Report. When she got there, she admitted something I loved: she pictured the ratings coming down like “stone tablets from Amy Walter on high.” Then she watched how they're actually made, and the reverence gave way to something more interesting — nine people, meeting candidates, tracking fundraising, arguing over how much weight to give a single news cycle. Part quantitative, part qualitative, as she put it. Neither art nor science. In between.What stuck with me most, though, wasn't the process — it was what she said about failure. In 2012, her editors gave her what they called the best assignment on the beat: cover the man everyone assumed would be the Republican nominee. He wasn't. Watching that campaign collapse in real time, she told me, taught her more than any winning campaign ever has. There's something in that for anyone who covers, predicts, or works in politics for a living — the stories that don't pan out are usually where the real education happens.And then there was the number that stayed with me after we talked: new Gallup data found that roughly half of Americans aren't confident their own ballot will be counted correctly. Carrie called it “a really alarming stat,” and she's right that it isn't getting nearly the urgency it deserves — not from candidates, not from officials, not from those of us in the media.This is the second stop in our month-long takeover with the Cook Political Report, and Carrie's conversation left me thinking differently about how much human judgment sits underneath every rating I've ever casually cited. Three moments that stayed with me, below.Notable Quotes“I envisioned these stone tablets coming down from Amy Walter on high of like, this is how we pronounce how these races are going to turn out.” — Carrie Dann“Campaigns that are unsuccessful teach you a lot more, I think, as a reporter, than campaigns that are successful.” — Carrie Dann“Voters and candidates are human people… they are driven by their lived experience… which is why every election is about the economy.” — Carrie DannTakeawayThe ratings everyone treats as certainty are made by people who know exactly how much could go wrong — and it's the losing campaigns, not the winning ones, that teach them the most.The full conversation with Carrie Dann — on stone tablets, failed frontrunners, and the number that should worry all of us — is live on YouTube now. Second stop in our month with the Cook Political Report. Get full access to Lisa Camooso Miller at newsletter.fridayreporter.com/subscribe

It is not an exaggeration to say that Amy has been wanting to have our guest today, Carlos Odio, on this podcast for at least a year now. Carlos, co-founder of Equis Research, has a deep and nuanced understanding of a Latino voters, a group that gets discussed a lot in the media but not with the complexity the topic deserves.Carlos is working to understand what's been driving these voters from Democrats, and what could be pulling them back. He is now emerging with new information to share with us including national polling of Latino voters.(Our colleague Carrie Dann wrote about this new research and you can read her story here: https://www.cookpolitical.com/analysis/national/national-politics/democrats-are-counting-latinos-come-home-2026-its-more)Amy and Carlos talk about what the new polling reveals about Latino perceptions of Trump, the economy and what it all means for 2026. And we take a deep dive into the high stakes races for the House and Senate in Texas, a state where Latino voters shifted considerably toward Trump in 2024.**Check out our podcast Editors Roundtable!Find it on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/editors-roundtable/id1765349026Find it on Substack: https://thecookpoliticalreport.substack.com/s/editors-roundtable**Learn more: www.cookpolitical.com/subscribe. New subscribers can use the discount code "odd10"

As troops leave Afghanistan, Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) talks about what the end to America's longest war may mean for our influence on the world stage. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) discusses the influence of far-right extremism in the GOP.Carrie Dann's final number of the week looks at Americans' optimistic feelings about the future. 

Chuck Todd recaps a special Covid-focused episode of Meet the Press. Carrie Dann looks at new rankings of all presidents from C-SPAN.

Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) discuss the future of bipartisanship and President Biden's infrastructure plan. Fiona Hill breaks down the Biden-Putin summit. Carrie Dann looks at the numbers to see where consensus is emerging on the January 6th insurrection.

After another week of cyberattacks, Chuck talks with Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. Plus, Carrie Dann looks at the push underway by Republican state houses to limit access to voting. 

Barbara Comstock and Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) discuss the failure to form a bipartisan Jan. 6 commission. Matthew Pottinger and Dr. Peter Hotez explain why the Covid-19 lab leak theory is gaining legitimacy from the Biden administration. Carrie Dann looks at latest polling which shows that a rising number of Americans believe in QAnon. 

Dr. Rochelle Walensky explains why the CDC's masking guidance changed. Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) and Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) discuss what Liz Cheney's ousting from GOP leadership means for the future of the Republican Party. Carrie Dann looks at the polling on social media. 

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Gov. Larry Hogan (R-Md.) discuss the potential ousting of Liz Cheney from Republican leadership. Dr. Anthony Fauci explains what the state of vaccinations means for the return to normalcy. Carrie Dann learns a new language.

Chuck talks about his exclusive interviews with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and senators Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Carrie Dann looks at the new numbers inside the 2020 census.

Chuck Todd talks about the top moments from Sunday's "Meet the Press"  including a discussion about police reform. Carrie Dann reports on the latest polling from parents with school-age children. 

On January 2nd, Western Shoshone land and treaty defender, Carrie Dann, passed on into the spirit world. This is a tribute to her life and work.   Support: patreon.com/therednation 

Chuck Todd sits down for an extended interview with former Speaker of the House, John Boehner. Carrie Dann reports on big moves in polling for transgender rights.

Chuck recaps his exclusive interview with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R). Carrie Dann's Number of the Week looks at the gap between people who identify as Republicans and those who identify as Democrats.

Chuck Todd recaps this week's Meet the Press. Carrie Dann looks into a new poll that shows a majority of GOP voters support same-sex marriage for the first time.

Chuck recaps this week's special edition of Meet the Press and Carrie Dann shares her number of the week: In November's election, 10 percent of Trump voters in Georgia said that they were not confident that the state's votes would be counted accurately. 

Chuck talks about his interview with DHS Sec. Mayorkas and Carrie Dann looks into the numbers of all 3,143 counties in the United States.

Carrie Dann explains how former President Trump turned former President Reagan's maxim about inter-party criticism on its head. 

Nathan Gonzales, Editor & Publisher of Inside Elections, and Carrie Dann discuss the stampede towards the door for a certain kind of Republican senator. And former GE CEO, Jeff Immelt, talks to Chuck about his new book "Hot Seat" and what it was like to run one of the most storied American companies. 

Chuck talks about the top news from his interviews with Jeffrey Zients, Michael Osterholm, Sen. Manchin & Sen. Barrasso. Carrie Dann looks at the many candidates running in a Texas special election.

Chuck checks in from the set of Meet the Press and Carrie Dann looks past Cancun to tell the story of Fanne Fox, a dancer who became involved with Congressman Wilbur Mills, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

As the recall campaign against California Governor Gavin Newsom takes a step closer, Carrie Dann looks at what happened in 2003 when a recall election replaced Gray Davis with Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

With the first approval ratings for the Biden presidency starting to come together, Carrie Dann looks back at how past support for past administrations changed over time.

Carrie Dann looks back over polling since 2019 to see how Republican voters view President Trump, and where those splits differ from elected Republicans.

Carrie Dann looks at the story of the one and only presidential censure, a rebuke of President Andrew Jackson which was quickly removed by Jackson's supporters. 

Carrie Dann looks at how the filibuster has evolved, from an unwritten rule to a blocking tactic that has been used at historically high rates.

Carrie Dann and Mark Murray say goodbye, but not before looking back at some of their favorite moments from the Lid.

Carrie Dann and Mark Murray say goodbye, but not before looking back at some of their favorite moments from the Lid.

Carrie Dann looks at poll numbers from Pew Research to see just how much distrust there is between Democrats and Republicans. 

Carrie Dann looks at the numbers for inaugurations past.

Carrie Dann looks at the right-track/wrong-track numbers in the latest NBC News poll and finds a pessimistic public.

Carrie Dann looks at the right-track/wrong-track numbers in the latest NBC News poll and finds a pessimistic public.

In the latest NBC News poll, Jill Biden's favorability falls as partisanship rises. Carrie Dann reports.

In the latest NBC News poll, Jill Biden's favorability falls as partisanship rises. Carrie Dann reports.

In the latest NBC News poll, Jill Biden's favorability falls as partisanship rises. Carrie Dann reports.

In the latest NBC News poll, Jill Biden's favorability falls as partisanship rises. Carrie Dann reports.

Carrie Dann looks at why ten Republicans voted for impeachment in the House of Representatives. 

Washington Post Senior Congressional correspondent Paul Kane joins Carrie Dann to talk about the politics of impeachment. Chuck and Carrie discuss the Biden team's plans for the first six months.

Carrie Dann looks back in time to see why some previous presidents skipped the inaugurations of their successors.

With control of the Senate in Democratic hands, President-elect Biden has moved ahead with his cabinet plans. Carrie Dann explains.

Carrie Dann looks back in time to see why some previous presidents skipped the inaugurations of their successors. 

Washington Post Senior Congressional correspondent Paul Kane joins Carrie Dann to talk about the politics of impeachment. Chuck and Carrie discuss the Biden team's plans for the first six months.

Western Shoshone activist Carrie Dann died in early January. She was a powerful, anti-nuclear and Native land rights voice.

Carrie Dann looks at why ten Republicans voted for impeachment in the House of Representatives.

Carrie Dann looks back in time to see why some previous presidents skipped the inaugurations of their successors.

Carrie Dann looks back in time to see why some previous presidents skipped the inaugurations of their successors.

Carrie Dann looks at the Georgia runoff exit polls and explores the thread that ties together violent protests in Washington, DC.

With control of the Senate in Democratic hands, President-elect Biden has moved ahead with his cabinet plans. Carrie Dann explains.