Politics War Room with James Carville & Al Hunt

With only weeks to go, gigantic sums of campaign cash have washed over the electoral landscape, but when the country is this polarized does money still talk?  James and Al are starting to become optimistic about a Biden election, and think this might be his chance to expand the map.  University of Houston’s Dr. Richard Murray reviews the possibility of flipping reliably red states, while Founder and President of Democracy 21 Fred Wertheimer discusses the role of cash in 2020 strategy and where it comes from.  After listening to them, do you think this is the year that the Democrats shock in the south? EMAIL YOUR QUESTIONS FOR JAMES AND AL AT  POLITICSWARROOM@GMAIL.COM  OR TWEET THEM TO @POLITICON THEY WILL DO THEIR BEST TO ANSWER THEM ON NEXT WEEK'S EPISODE! WE THANK THIS WEEKS SPONSORS:BLINKIST (00:12:17)Right now, for a limited time Blinkist has a special offer just for our listeners: Go to BLINKIST.COM/WARROOM to try it FREE for 7 days AND save 25 percent off your new subscription.FOUR SIGMATIC  (00:33:50)We've worked out an EXCLUSIVE offer with Four Sigmatic on their best-selling Mushroom Coffee: Get up to 40% off plus Free Shipping on Mushroom Coffee bundles. Go to FOURSIGMATIC.COM/WARROOM This offer is ONLY for Politics War Room listeners and is not available on their regular website.MAGIC SPOON (00:53:34)Go to MAGICSPOON.COM/WARROOM to grab a variety pack and try it today! And be sure to use our promo code WARROOM at checkout to get free shipping. TIMELINE:00:00 - Intro03:00 - Liberty vs. Democracy06:15 - The stain on Amy Coney Barrett11:00 - Remembering Roberta McCain15:15 - Taking Texas17:00 - The real demographics20:30 - An outstanding gerrymander23:00 - The Texas Republican dilemma27:30 - The most interesting county in the US30:00 - Election bellwethers36:45 - The Good, The Bad & The Ugly Money40:00 - Unprecedented cash flow44:30 - Shining a light on dark money48:45 - The fight for the courts55:30 - Listener Q&A

The President and his team have been infected with the Coronavirus, giving new significance to the phrase October Surprise.  But even though James and Al think an electoral blow out is coming, it’s too early for Democrats to get comfortable— there are too many threats.  Guest Professor Kathleen Belew details the rise of white supremacist movements and their plans for overthrowing the United States, while former DOJ Fraud Section Chief Andrew Weissmann tells us that Bill Barr has downplayed the foreign plans to affect our elections.  Is our country at risk once again?TWEET YOUR QUESTIONS FOR JAMES AND AL TO @POLITICON AND THEY WILL ANSWER THEM ON NEXT WEEK'S EPISODE! Latest Books By Our Guests: Kathleen Belew: Bring the War Home Andrew Weissmann: Where Law Ends THIS WEEKS SPONSORS:HYDRANT (00:16:40:16)We’ve got a special deal for our listeners to save 25% off your first order: Go to DrinkHydrant.com/WARROOM  or enter our promo code WARROOM at checkout.MAGIC SPOON (00:40.25.14)Go to magicspoon.com/WARROOM to grab a variety pack and try it today! And be sure to use our promo code WARROOM at checkout to get free shipping.STEADY MD (01.06.22.07)Go to SteadyMD.com/WARROOM to take the FREE quiz and see which doctor is a perfect fit for you.  TIMELINE:00:00 - Intro01:30 - One incredibly long week04:00 - Disease in the White House08:00 - House and Senate predictions11:45 - Crunching the voting numbers19:00 - The hidden threat of white supremacy23:30 - Pent-up frustation29:30 - Oklahoma as a flash point34:00 - The post-war bump in hate38:30 - The banality of evil42:30 - Bob Mueller’s failures47:15 - Republican law and order54:45 - Why did you lie to Congress?1:00:45 - The Dunham investigation1:08:00 - Audience Q&A

The first presidential debate is over and James and Al declare Joe Biden the clear winner. Following favorable post-debate coverage across the platforms, and with mail-in ballot use breaking records and banking Democratic votes, it’s not looking good for President Trump.  Ben Ginsburg wonders whether he's running effectively as an incumbent or if the party will collapse after he leaves office.  Meanwhile Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman questions recent Democratic strategy in the Ohio battleground and whether the Biden campaign is repeating Hillary’s mistakes in misunderstanding the electorate there.Email your questions for James and Al to politicswarroom@gmail.com and they will answer them on next week's episode!This episode is brought to you by Magic Spoon cereal.  Magic Spoon tastes amazing.  It’s honestly too good to be true.  0 sugar, 11 grams of protein, and only 3 net carbs, It’s keto-friendly, gluten-free, grain-free, soy-free, low carb, and GMO-free.Go to MagicSpoon.com/WARROOM and use the code WARROOM for free shipping.Show Notes:00:00 - Intro01:00 - Less of a mess than you think03:45 - Biden toughs it out08:15 - The Great Divider12:00 - No pardon without an admission of guilt14:30 - New York's finest prosecutors20:30 - The Ohio playbook26:00 - The persuasion zones28:30 - A post-industrial state30:00 - Campaigning like there's no pandemic35:00 - Buckeye Republicans42:45 - The truth about ballot fraud46:15 - A former strategy for the right48:00 - The future of a party in distress53:30 - The role of poll watchers

With the election only 6 weeks away and Democrats confronted with a surprise conservative Supreme Court nomination, worries are rising about the strength of Biden’s candidacy.  Senator Cory Booker has some reassuring words for the concerned, tells us about the equalizing power of baby bonds, and the feeling that this election is a moral moment for the nation.  Meanwhile, Sean McElwee discusses the difficulties of uniting the left, and his belief that progressives will unite behind Biden in November.

A major contributing factor to Trump's success in 2016 was his love-hate relationship with the mainstream media. Whether it was giving the then-candidate a disproportionate amount of free press, or an unwillingness to be critical in a misguided attempt to appear balanced, news agencies everywhere unwittingly aided and abetted the President's rise to power. Now journalist James Fallows argues they have neither learned their lesson nor are they willing to be held accountable for their irresponsible behavior. Also, author Deborah Fallows suggests that in remaining hyper-focused on the "sport" of national politics, little attention is ever given to the real needs and interests of communities outside urban coastal areas. 

Whether you’re convinced that nothing stands between Trump and another four years in the White House, or you manage to keep faith in the hope Biden’s campaign provides, it behooves all of us to be fully prepared as to what might happen once the vote counts come in on Election Night. United Nations Foundation vice chair and former U.S. Senator Timothy E. Wirth shines a light on all kinds of clandestine efforts the President might pursue in order to obfuscate or nullify a Democratic victory. But as the nation focuses on the election, Los Angeles Time Joseph Serna reminds us that the threat of climate change creates all kinds of future problems, not the least of which have  been manifested by the recent California wildfires.

While Trump's outrageous behavior may still shock some, there are plenty of the most savvy and seasoned political veterans who see him for what he really is: a desperate charlatan who is capable of anything. Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft president Andrew Bacevich is even able to look forward, beyond this dark period, to the larger issues America faces as a global player. Dr. Michael P. McDonald, professor of political science at the University of Florida, predicts a brighter future for Democrats. And Texas Democratic Party consultant Billy Begala enjoys a hearty laugh at the recent follies of Trump supporters in his state.

Any opponent of Donald Trump has their work cut out for them, as his use of disinformation, dishonesty and disorder are unprecedented. So the U.S. representative from Pennsylvania's 17th congressional district Conor Lamb fully understands the rough road ahead for Vice President Biden over the next few months. Yet Lamb also is keenly aware of the candidate's realist perspective, and just how useful that will be for campaigning in the part of his state often referred as "Trump country." Plus Dr. Rashawn Ray, a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in Governance Studies at The Brookings Institution and Professor of Sociology and Executive Director of the Lab for Applied Social Science Research at the University of Maryland, College Park lends his considerable expertise to the conversation on what should be done in the wake of the protests throughout the nation.

Charlie Cook of the Cook Political Report handicaps the Presidential race coming out of the conventions as Biden's lead stays consistent. UNC Professor Dr. Rick Luettich shares his expertise on hurricanes heading into storm season. James and Al react to the conclusion of the Republican National Convention at the White House as a truly bizarre experience.

Senator Jeff Flake separates Conservatism from Trumpism seeking to reclaim the soul of the Republican Party while Wall Street Journal Executive Washington Editor Gerald F Seib examines Reagan as the precursor to Trump in his new book 'We Should Have Seen It Coming: FROM REAGAN TO TRUMP–A FRONT-ROW SEAT TO A POLITICAL REVOLUTION.' Meanwile, James Carville pursues discussion with both guests on the concept that the base of the Republican party is preoccupied by racial resentment laying the foundation for Donald Trump to capitalize on this by speaking directly to the issue where others would not, and he was, in turn, embraced by Republican voters.