Off The Record With Paul Hodes

Matt joins legendary West Virginia radio host Howard Monroe to examine why Sinema bolted, why Trump despite being such a disaster is still politically viable, and why Herschel Walker came so darn close in Georgia.

Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema's decision to leave the Democratic Party made Kari Lake jump for joy. But is it really huge news for Republicans? Former Biden  admaker Cliff Schecter and former Dem congressional staffer Matt Robison run down the biggest questions and threats, and discuss what Dems need to do next on an emergency Beyond Politics mini podcast.

Is American tech and innovation something that's not just good for California tech bros? Yes, and former U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp can tell you why. She was the first female Senator elected from North Dakota, served on the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and serves on the Board of the American Edge Project, an advocacy group focused on the role of American technology and innovation.  She also shares some favorite insider memories from the Senate, and weighs in on what the Democratic party gets wrong about picking it's nominees. 

All three have been suggested to be over.  Which is actually done?  And which should be?  Also, right wing nutjob bingo, and Georgia runoff!

John Broderick was Chief Justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court. When John’s son was just 13, he began suffering from anxiety and depression, conditions that went unrecognized and undiagnosed for years. His family went on a very public and painful journey, luckily, one they all survived and healed from. If you recognize this story, it’s because we told it with John on this show a little over a year ago. And in fact, when we won  a New Hampshire Association of Broadcasters Award, that was the show we submitted to the jury. John is back with us now to talk about his campaign to change the culture, stigma, and shame around mental illness that for generations has kept too many people feeling alone and afraid to step out of the shadows. He’s written a new book Backroads and Highways: My Journey of Discovery on Mental Health.

As we enter a period of lame ducks, high stakes negotiations, and divided government, we wanted to know: how does it all work, and will the next year of American government work at all?  So we asked Ryan McConaghy, Senate Majority Leader Schumer's former right hand man on policy, to walk us through what, if anything, we might get out of the next month and the next year. Photo by Norbert Kundrak on Unsplash

Matt Robison and Chris Hill of Motley Fool Money tackle: Black Friday/Cyber Monday – A record $9  billion in sales on Black Friday! It’s encouraging, with one caveat:  the percentage of purchases bought with a “buy  now, pay later” plan is very much on the rise. China protests – Everyone has something in their home made in China. From manufacturing to U.S.  businesses with expanding operations in China (e.g., McDonald’s, Starbucks, Yum Brands) these protests affect American businesses (and not in a good way). CEO 2: The Return of Bob Iger! – Just….wow. Four months  after the board gave CEO Bob Chapek an extended contract they iced him. 

Is President Biden's move to enforce a rail deal a smart move to save the American economy, or a double cross of his base?  Also, is Congress about to drop the ball on its most basic responsibility? Does the Senate actually need to protect interracial marriage? And what do the China protests mean?

Democrats have been congratulating themselves for a strong showing in the 2022 midterms. But when it comes to the House, did they actually fumble the ball at the goal line? Our guests are Lauren Harper and Liam Kerr, the co-founders of WelcomePAC, an organization focused on a pragmatic approach to growing a big tent Democratic party and winning more elections. They were featured last week in the New York Times arguing that Democrats made some critical missteps in the runup to the election and that now is the time to learn lessons, so we don’t repeat them in the future. Photo by Luis Santoyo on Unsplash

Republicans coming out of the woodwork to take on Trump, the shrinking political battleground in America, is Alito a leaker, the impeachment train loads up at the station, a real American hero, and a World Cup shocker.

How does a narrow majority in the US House of Representatives work, what will Republicans have to do to manage it, and what can Democrats do to overcome it?  Our inside expert walks us through it. Jerry Hartz worked in Congress for 28 years, most recently as Senior Adviser and Director of Legislative Floor Operations for Nancy Pelosi. There is no one on Earth who knows more about how to run the House of Representatives, and how things may play out in the coming years.

Part two of the conversation with Dr.  William Ewell, a  political science professor and expert on Congress and American elections, discussions the odds that: Democrats will reverse their decline among Hispanic voters in 2024, Biden will be impeached, Republicans will learn their lesson and run more moderate candidates in swing districts, Democrats look back in two years and realize there were some major downsides to how well they did in the 2022 midterms, and that we have a constitutional meltdown in 2024 

What are the odds that: Kevin McCarthy will be Speaker in January 2024; The government will shut down in 2023; Trump will be the Republican nominee; The next Congress passes any legislation beyond funding bills and naming post offices; Biden will catch Trump on appointing federal judges by the end of 2024? Matt is joined by Dr.  William Ewell, a political science professor and expert on Congress and American elections, in Part One of this two part pod. 

Chris Hill of Motley Fool Money explains why inflation may be easing off, but businesses are tightening belts.  Also, what Mark Cuban told him about his surprising new venture, and why inventories matter.

The panel dissects Donald Trump's impending announcement of another run for President, including Republican analyst Alicia Preston's theory that he might form his own party.  Either way, the question is whether he is going to fatally divide Republicans for the next two years.  Also, the latest from Ukraine, the painful struggle session for Kevin McCarthy, and the impact of gerrymandering.

USA Today's Rex Huppke is one of America's sharpest voices on politics and society, and he joins Beyond Politics to discuss what we really learned about America and politics from the 2022 midterms. Did voters side with "decency"? Where do Republicans go from here on Trump? Does polling do anything good for us? What does it mean that America pushed back against election deniers? What do Republicans need to fix to be more successful? And what do Democrats need to fix to be more successful? 

David Beard, Contributing Editor at DailyKos Elections and co-host of The Downballot podcast, joins Matt to walk through exactly how Democrats could still win the US House of Representatives, and what an ultra-thin margin in the House would mean for both parties. 

The election appears to be a stunning win not just for Democrats, but for the fight against the Big Lie and election denialism. In this extended discussion on the bipartisan Balance of Power round table, Matt, Paul, and Alicia discuss what the results mean for democracy, Democrats, Republicans, Trump, polling, the media, campaigns, and the future of America. 

The midterms could still go either way. That's the message from Michaeleen Crowell, former Chief of Staff and strategist for Bernie Sanders.  She's the rare Washington insider with insights from across the full political spectrum, someone who's seen Democratic and Republican polling and who thinks this election is still up for grabs. Is a Republican sweep possible? Sure she says. But, is a Democratic win possible?  Absolutely. Also...why Democrats' accomplishments have gotten buried, and who's been holding the shovel. 

In 1984, Ronald Reagan won a landslide re-election as President on a message of economic recovery, despite prices and unemployment being higher than when he took office. This year, President Biden and Congressional Democrats have a record of achievements that absolutely dwarfs Reagan's, and not just on the economy -- though the greatest one year job growth in history is a good start. Yet, you probably haven't heard anything about it. Based on Matt Robison's article for The Editorial Board, former Biden ad-maker Cliff Schecter and Matt go through what that record is, and why the accomplishments that should make this election a slam dunk have been absent from the political conversation.