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Send us a textTaegan Goddard is the founder and editor of Political Wire, one of the most widely-read political news sites over the last 25+ years. He created Political Wire in the late 1990s after stints as a Senate staffer on Capitol Hill and several years in state government in his home state of Connecticut. In this conversation, he talks his own development as a rabid political junkie, setting out early goals in the public and private sector, both encouraging and disheartening stints in government, why he decided against running for office, and starting Political Wire initially as a hobby - which has now grown into a site that is a regular stop for 10+ million readers a month. To become a paid subscriber to Political Wire to see additional content and no ads, click here.IN THIS EPISODEGrowing up as a young political junkie in Hartford, CT...Taegan runs across an early version of the internet in the 1980s...The British politician who had an important important on the structure of Taegan's life...Important lessons working for the Senate Banking Chair, Michigan Democrat Don Riegle, on Capitol Hill...Highs and lows of working for Governor Lowell Weicker and others in CT state government...Why time working in state government made Taegan forgo an early desire to run for office himself...The core lesson of his book for elected officials, You Won, Now What?, that stands the test of time...The origin story of the Political Wire news website, which goes back 3+ decades...When Taegan realized Political Wire had found an audience and developed staying power...How Taegan has maintained and grown his audience in the tumultuous space of internet political sites...Taegan's sense of how important and history-making our current era of politics is...Taegan's most effective work tool & favorite non-political website...AND Spiro Agnew, David Bradley, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton's best friend, Congressional Quarterly, Charlie Cook, Al D'Amato, dark horse campaigns, the Federal Reserve Board, Joe Ganim, Newt Gingrich, Michael Heseltine, the Keating 5, John Kerry, Merck, nattering nabobs, The New Republic, Ross Perot, reader freakouts, Robert Redford, Chris Riback, Joe Rogan, Stu Rothenberg, John Rowland, William Safire, Ben Thompson, Chuck Todd, Donald Trump, the Wall Street Journal, yellow legal pads...& more!
Matt Robison has worn many political hats, among them working in numerous positions across Capitol Hill - including serving as Chief of Staff for three members. He also managed the successful 2012 upset re-election of Rep. John Tierney, after Tierney was named the GOP's top takeover opportunity that cycle. With roots in Manhattan, Matt had formative experiences in NYC public schools before a chance meeting with then Governor Bill Clinton in 1992 and an unlikey mentor at Harvard, nudged him to a career working in government. In this conversation, Matt talks his path to working in politics, goes deep on the best practices and unwritten rules of working on the Hill, and updates on his post-Hill life as a writer, radio host, and podcaster.IN THIS EPISODEHow Matt's brief time in the NYC public school system informed his future outlook as a political operative...Matt's memorable experience meeting Bill Clinton during the 1992 presidential campaign...An unexpected political mentor and how Matt got his foot into the political door...Matt successfully manages a Democratic House incumbent in 2012 who was the GOP's #1 target...Matt's initial impressions of working on the Hill as a junior staffer...Matt's best practices for running a Hill office...The mistake Matt made as a Hill Chief that led to an attack ad against his member...Why scheduling is the worst part of the job as a Hill Chief of Staff...The one type of person Matt recommends never hiring as a Hill Chief...Matt's advice for new Hill staffers...Matt's take on the rise of unionized Hill offices...Matt's estimate on the share of House members who are jerks...Some of the most impressive members (both Dem & GOP) Matt saw during his time on the Hill...Why Matt left the Hill after running three House offices...Matt's "most interesting number in politics"...Matt's current podcast, releasing three episodes a week...Matt's strangest work habits...AND Charlie Bass, Biafra, Lauren Boebert, Jeb Bradley, George HW Bush, Robert Caro, James Carville, General Comfort, Crash Davis, Mickey Edwards, David Gergen, Newt Gingrich, gross metaphors, half hugs, Paul Hodes, Rush Holt, Steny Hoyer, hybrid ads, illegal offshore gambling rings, Walter Isaacson, Steve Jobs, Gerry Kavanaugh, logistical nightmares, Nancy Mace, massive scandals, Chris Matthews, Mike Michaud, Mr. Miyagi, Tip O'Neill, Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, personal mishegas, philosophical questions, Reagan Democrats, Stu Rothenberg, South Park, the stupidest law in America, John Tierney, Donald Trump, unhinged maniacs, wicked sore throats...& more!
You almost certainly know that, for decades, Stu Rothenberg and his Rothenberg Political Report (now Inside Elections) penned among the most influential political analysis in Washington. But you probably don't know the origin story...his initial academic career track, how he cut his political teeth at the conservative Heritage Foundation, and what led to launching his own newsletter. In this conversation, we talk through all of that plus his most memorable interactions with candidates, biggest surprises, savviest politicians, and when he knew it was time to pass the newsletter baton to his partner Nathan Gonzales. IN THIS EPISODEStu grows up in a family of Rockefeller Republicans in Central Park West Manhattan…Stu's growing interest in politics and initial career trajectory to become an academic…How Stu's path diverted from the academic track to join the political operation of the conservative Heritage Foundation…Stu's tutelage under conservative political icon Paul Weyrich…What led to launching the Rothenberg Report newsletter…Stu's early intersection with fellow newsletter groundbreaker Charlie Cook…Stu's memories from “candidate interviews” with Ted Cruz, Nikki Haley, and Barack Obama…Stu on the single biggest surprising result in his decades as a political observer…Stu talks some of the smartest political minds in Congress & the one committee chair who was a “giant pain in the ass”…The backstory behind a favorite Rothenberg column “For the Thousandth Time, Don't Call It a Push Poll”…Stu's memorable 2006 meeting with then-Vice President Dick Cheney…How Stu handled passing the torch of the Rothenberg Report to Inside Elections with Nathan Gonzales…AND The Almanac of American Politics, Morton Blackwell, Bill Bradley, Sherry Boehlert, Mary Bono, Sonny Bono, William Buckley, Bucknell University, CNN, CSX, Canadian-American regional integration, the Club for Growth, Colby College, complicated conservatives, Ted Cruz, Al D'Amato, Mitch Daniels, Tom Davis, David Dewhurst, egomaniacs, Rollie Fingers, Charles Franklin, the Free Congress Research and Education Foundation, Mark French, Milton Friedman, Martin Frost, The Greenbrier, Nikki Haley, Tom Harkin, Peter Hart, Friedrich Hayek, Blair Hull, “It's Only Politics”, Jan Plans, Jacob Javits, Roger Jepsen, Tommy John, Ben Jones, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Kenneth Keating, Harmon Killebrew, Leading Authorities, Louis Lefkowitz, Jon Lerner, John Lindsay, Juan Marichal, Marxist feminists, John McCain, Joe McLean, Ed Muskie, NYU, Lindsey Nelson, Frank Newport, Richard Nixon, George Pataki, political goo, Walter Rich, Roll Call, Jack Ryan, Larry Sabato, sewage trolls, Casey Stengel, Inez Tenenbaum, total losers, Donald Trump, UCONN, Amy Walter…& more!
Dave Wasserman, a Senior Editor at the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, is universally regarded as one of the foremost election analysts on the planet - especially when it comes to US House races. In this conversation, Dave talks his early obession with all things politics, how he turned that into a job at the Cook Report, his approach to political analysis, the story behind his twitter catchphrase "I've seen enough", and his take on both the 2022 redistricting developments & overall House playing field. IN THIS EPISODE…Dave's early love of maps…How a cable system glitch leads Dave to find politics…Dave's unusual gift request for his 13th Birthday…The one race that drew Dave into congressional politics…The story behind a teenage Dave's appearance as a pundit on a local public affairs show…Dave talks his important intersection with UVA Professor Larry Sabato…The $10 bet Dave won from Larry Sabato…The college analysis Dave wrote that led to his role with the Cook Report…Dave talks the approach he brings to elections analysis…What goes into creating Dave's election night models…Dave on the races he's proud he got right, plus some that surprised him…Dave talks trends he's observed in House races during his time as a race-rater…Dave takes us behind the scenes of the NBC Election Night Decision Desk…The origin of Dave's catchphrase to call elections…Dave breaks down the average work week for a race-rating analyst…Dave talks his longtime fascination with the redistricting process…Dave gives his thoughts on the 2022 redistricting process…Dave provides an update on recent legal ground that's been broken around redistricting…Dave's overall read on the '22 House playing field…Dave talks signs the Trump hold on the House GOP caucus may be weakening…Dave's advice to the next generation of race-raters…AND 2,568 districts, George Allen, Mrs. Barkley, Ben Bernanke, Mary Bono Mack, Lauren Boebert, Bridgegate, Scott Brown, bruised egos, C-Span, Eric Cantor, Joe Cao, Don Cazayoux, Julia Carson, James Carville, Travis Childers, Emanuel Cleaver, Martha Coakley, Miles Coleman, compulsive list making, Jim Cooper, cranberry bread, creative ethics, Joe Crowley, Ted Cruz, Henry Cuellar, Rodney Davis, Pete Dawkins, Peter DeFazio, dummymanders, Election Twitter, Marc Elias, false suspense, food science, Louie Gohmert, Governing Magazine, Josh Harder, Andy Harris, Rush Holt, Bill Jefferson, John Katko, Dan Kildee, Steve Kornacki, Frank Lautenberg, Elaine Luria, Morgan Lutrell, Sean Patrick Maloney, map recipients, Terry McAuliffe, Kevin McCarthy, Bob McDonnell, David McKinley, Peter Meijer, Mary Miller, minimum split districting, Alex Mooney, Nathaniel Moran, Joe Morelle, oddly engrossing debates, Mike Pappas, Nancy Pelosi, PoliticsNJ.com, Premier League Soccer, QVC, Raul Ruiz, Stu Rothenberg, Rutgers, Bernard Shaw, Chris Shays, Siskel & Ebert, Elissa Slotkin, Abigail Spanberger, the Squad, Starbucks, Kenneth Starr, useful stereotypes, Paul Tonko, Lauren Underwood, the University of Chicago Institute of Politics, Fred Upton, violin lessons, Wal Mart, Amy Walter, Jim Webb, West River South Dakota, David Wildstein, Judy Woodruff, John Yarmuth, Glen Youngkin, …& more!
Jessica Taylor is the Senate Editor for the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter and recently made history as the first woman to be a Senior Author for the Almanac of American Politics. Jessica talks her small-town Tennessee roots, her path to political journalism, her early thoughts on the 2022 Senate map, and a deep-dive into both the history of The Almanac and her ground-breaking role at that hallowed institution.IN THIS EPISODE…Jessica traces her interest in political journalism to both her mother and father…How a neighbor from Arkansas made an important impact on a 7-year old Jessica…Jessica's first job working at her local paper…Jessica's career goals take shape at Furman University…Advice Jessica gives to young aspiring journalists…Jessica's controversial tenure as editor of her college paper…Jessica's first job in DC political journalism…Jessica talks her time working with both Stu Rothenberg and Charlie Cook…Jessica shares a memorable “candidate interview” from a now high-profile elected official…Jessica explains the “race ratings” that are a big part of her job…Jessica's early take on the 2022 Senate map…Jessica talks the history of the Almanac of American Politics…A couple of Jessica's favorite details she's learned researching for The Almanac…AND…Lamar Alexander, John Armstrong, Judy Bainbridge, Michael Barone, Cheri Beasley, Ted Budd, Richard Burr, Bill Cassidy, Bill Clinton, Rich Cohen, Roy Cooper, Ted Cruz, Howard Dean, Val Demings, David Dewhurst, Doug Ducey, Jennifer Duffy, John Edwards, The Elizabethton Star, Ally Flinn, Friday Night Lights, Nathan Gonzales, Jeff Jackson, Meg Kinnard, Kristin Kobes du Mez, Charlie Mahtesian, Pat McCrory, nationaljournal.com, the New York Times, The Paladin, David Perdue, Rob Portman, Kyrsten Sinema, Grant Ujifusa, Herschel Walker, Amy Walter, Dave Wasserman, the Watergate Building, William Rehnquist, & MORE!
Charlie Cook is a political icon of his generation. Charlie broke ground in the early days of the race-rating and political newsletter industry, starting the Cook Political Report from scratch in 1984 – and he and his newsletter are still going strong.Charlie talks through his fascinating career and is generous with insights as to how politics and campaigns have changed over the years – with plenty of practical tips to help anyone better understand and better navigate our political system.Podcast Website Twitter: @ProPoliticsPod Twitter: @ZacMcCrary Facebook: The Pro Politics PodcastIN THIS EPISODEThe one political book Charlie remembers being in his house as a kid…High-school Charlie helps out on an underdog Louisiana Senate race…How high school debate helped prepare Charlie for a job in elections analysis..Charlie breaks down the politics of his youth in Louisiana of the 60s and 70s…Charlie remembers his first DC job as an elevator operator in the Russell Senate office building…A young Charlie has a memorable encounter with Senator Jesse Helms…Charlie gives the history of the election newsletter industry…Charlie's background in polling and campaigns comes in handy…Charlie learns an important lesson from the infamous "bloody" IN-08 congressional race of 1984…Charlie talks about how he started his newsletter in the mid 80s…The important media break Charlie got that helped put his newsletter on the map…The dramatically different subscriber base today from how the Cook Report started…Charlie and Stu Rothenberg meet with VP Cheney before the 2006 elections…Charlies waxes poetic about the Almanac of American Politics…Which committee staffer (and future Governor) was one of Charlie's best sources of leaks…Charlie gives tips for candidates to prep for meetings with DC handicappers…Charlie's cryptic comment about a 2004 meeting with then candidate Barack Obama…The one Senate committee chair who talked through races with Charlie independent of committee staff…Charlies talks about the responsibility of knowing his analysis is responsible for impacting races…The recent race result that surprised Charlie the most…Charlie talks about “the worst thing” that can happen in his line of work…Charlie's tips for TV appearances…The highest compliment Charlie can get from a reader…Charlie's must-read political books…Charlie talks about the “lost art” of positive political ads…ALSO…Johnny Apple, The Atlantic, Alan Baron, David Broder, Ron Brownstein, Edward Brooke, Bernadette Budde, C-SPAN, CNN, Eric Cantor, Mitch Daniels, Tom Davis, Bob Dole, Jennifer Duffy, Edwin Edwards, Allen Ellender, Rahm Emanuel, Evans and Novak, Vic Fazio, Martin Frost, Cory Gardner, Newt Gingrich, Nathan Gonzales, Phil Gramm, Charles Guggenheim, Bill Hamilton, Peter Hart, Paula Hawkins, F. Edward Hebert, Jesse Helms, Hubert Humphrey, Al Hunt, Laura Ingraham, Bennett Johnston, Gillis Long, Huey Long, Dick Lugar, Sid McMath, George McGovern, Bob Michel, Otto Passman, Kevin Phillips, Roll Call, Stu Rothenberg, Tim Russert, David Sawyer, Bernard Shaw, Bob Squier, Jessica Taylor, Amy Walter, Dave Wasserman, Paul Weyrich, Judy Woodruff, and MORE…!Podcast WebsiteTwitter: @ProPoliticsPodTwitter: @ZacMcCraryFacebook: The Pro Politics Podcast
This week, we talk with distinguished political commentator Stu Rothenberg '77 Ph.D. about the latest happenings in a sleepy little town called Washington, D.C.; in the latest installment of our Brave Space series, Political Science Prof. Christine Sylvester interviews Timothy Bussey '18 Ph.D. about their work in the diversity, equity, inclusion and LGBTQIA+ fields; and we hear about a time not so long ago when the UConn community split over the proposed location of a vaccine research facility.
For some unknown number of candidates, Tuesday night — the tenth Democratic debate — was probably their last time on the stage. NBC's Kasie Hunt, Hotline Editor Leah Askarinam and Inside Elections' Stu Rothenberg join Chuck Todd to analyze Bernie Sanders' staying power at the top of the pile and how Super Tuesday will shake out for everyone else.
For some unknown number of candidates, Tuesday night — the tenth Democratic debate — was probably their last time on the stage. NBC's Kasie Hunt, Hotline Editor Leah Askarinam and Inside Elections' Stu Rothenberg join Chuck Todd to analyze Bernie Sanders' staying power at the top of the pile and how Super Tuesday will shake out for everyone else.
Political analyst Stu Rothenberg and USA Today commentary editor Jill Lawrence join host Ken Rudin to remember those in the political world who died this year on the Political Junkie 2019 Remembrances Special. The post Episode #308: 2019 Remembrances Special appeared first on Ken Rudin's Political Junkie.
The Supreme Court ended its term with two major rulings that could have long-running implications for fundamental U.S. political processes. It blocked a census citizenship question, at least for now, and declared federal courts have no role in policing partisan gerrymandering. NPR's Hansi Lo Wang and Stu Rothenberg of "Inside Elections" join Jeffrey Brown and National Law Journal's Marcia Coyle. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
Roll Call Political analyst Stu Rothenberg explains why GOP gains in a generic ballot represent just a part of the overall political picture and political reporter Bridget Bowman previews Arizona's upcoming special election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hi House Talkers!There is a lot going on in Pennsylvania this year. There's a special election in western Pennsylvania that outside groups are spending millions of dollars to win. The state Supreme Court just ruled that the existing congressional maps were illegally gerrymandered and new maps are needed - by February 15th! Add to that two competitive open seats and some of the swingy-est political terrain in the country, and Pennsylvania suddenly looks like a hotbed of House action. And we're still waiting for some Philadelphia political expert to figure out what an Eagles Super Bowl win or loss will mean for voter turnout in the critical Philly suburbs - any takers?To discuss all these issues and more, McClatchy National Political Correspondent Alex Roarty joined us for a great discussion. Alex began his political journalism career in Pennsylvania and is a real expert on the state's dynamics and House races.Listen here! And don't forget to subscribe on iTunes and rate the podcast! You may have noticed this episode is coming out just a week after our last one, with Stu Rothenberg. Things are changing so rapidly every day in Pennsylvania we wanted to get it out right away! You can look forward to our next new episode in a few weeks.Thank you!Ali & Liesl
Hi House Talkers! If you're following the 2018 midterms (which we know you are), you're hearing a lot of discussion about whether or not this is a "wave" election -- is it like 2006 when the Democrats picked up 30 seats and the majority? Is it like 2010 when the Republicans picked up 63 seats and took the majority back? Stu Rothenberg, the founder of the Rothenberg Political Report (now known as Inside Elections) and truly one of Washington's sharpest political minds and election handicappers, joins us this week to talk about what a wave is and whether or not we're headed for one this November. As party strategists, we can tell you that identifying a wave early is really important. It helps inform resource allocation decisions and gives each side insight into which incumbents are likely to lose no matter how hard you fight, and what kinds of sleeper races are worth paying attention to in the final months -- or even weeks -- of the campaign.
Stu Rothenberg, publisher of The Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report goes against Capital Weather Gang's Jason Samenow. They solve haiku riddles and put their presidential history knowledge to the test.