Episodes

November 17, 2022

The Post-Mortem
The midterm elections have left both parties in a moment of reflection. For Republicans, it’s time to make a choice about Trumpism, but one that may no longer be theirs to make. For Democrats, it’s about how much of their future is inherently tied to the G.O.P.
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November 9, 2022

The Midterms
The votes are still being tallied across the country — but we’re starting to get a picture of what these midterms were all about, and where American politics might be headed. Astead Herndon joins Michael Barbaro, host of “The Daily,” to sift through early midterm election results.
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November 3, 2022

The Grass Roots, Part 2
This moment in politics will be defined by shifts at the grass-roots level. It wasn’t long ago that Democrats used to brag about the coalition they had built — full of young people, minority voters and college-educated women. Today, we talk to members of the Democratic base, many of whom no longer ...
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October 27, 2022

The Grass Roots, Part 1
This moment in politics will be defined by shifts at the grass-roots level. Today, we talk to conservative voters about the forces animating the midterm elections for them — and what Washington can learn from the people.  What do you think of “The Run-Up” so far? Please take our listener survey a...
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October 20, 2022

The Maps
How a 12-year project to lock in political power in Wisconsin could culminate in this year’s midterms – and provide a glimpse into where the rest of the country is headed. 
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October 13, 2022

The Flip
When Georgia flipped blue in the 2020 election, it gave Democrats new hope for the future. Credit for that success goes to Stacey Abrams and the playbook she developed for the state. It cemented her role as a national celebrity, in politics and pop culture. But, unsurprisingly, that celebrity has a...
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October 6, 2022

The Blueprint
How the Republican grass roots got years ahead of a changing country, and whether the Democrats can catch up.
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September 29, 2022

The Guardrails
Why we can’t understand this moment in politics without first understanding the transformation of American evangelicalism.
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September 22, 2022

The Republic
In kicking off the midterms, Joe Biden talked about American democracy as a shared value, enshrined in the country’s founding — a value that both Democrats and Republicans should join together in defending. But there is another possible view of this moment. One that is shared by two very different ...
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September 15, 2022

The Autopsy
It’s March 2013. The G.O.P., in tatters, issues a scathing report blaming its electoral failures on an out-of-touch leadership that ignores minorities at its own peril. Just three years later, Donald Trump proves his party dead wrong. Today, how certain assumptions took hold of both parties — and w...
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September 6, 2022

The Stakes
“I’m worried that democracy is being eroded.”  “The voting system is not secure.”  “It’s like the land of no more moderates.”  “Nothing in this country here really gives me hope.”  As voters are feeling a new level of political disconnect, Astead Herndon asks how we got here and lays out the stake...
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August 30, 2022

Introducing 'The Run-Up'
The midterm elections are usually a referendum on the party in power. This year, they’re about so much more. “The Run-Up,” starting Sept. 6.
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