Have Republicans Already Blown the Midterms?
With two weeks until the midterms, Amy Walter, publisher and editor-in-chief of the Cook Political Report, sits down with Dan to break down what she calls the most brutal political environment Republicans have faced in twenty years. They discuss whether the numbers indicate a "blue wave" or a "red undertow," whether the polls can be trusted, and why massive Republican spending can't outrun Trump's cost-of-living crisis and his war in Iran. They also dig into the strategy—or lack thereof—behind Trump's rally blitz, whether gerrymandering has backfired on the GOP, and why Democrats may actually perform better in red states than in blue ones this November.Hate listening to ads? Become a Friends of the Pod subscriber for ad-free episodes of Pod Save America, Pod Save the World, Lovett or Leave It, Runaway Country, Offline with Jon Favreau, and more—plus exclusive content, including bonus episodes of Pod Save America. Subscribe now at crooked.com/friends, on Apple Podcasts, or through the Pod Save America YouTube channel.You can request a transcript by emailing [email protected]. Include the podcast name, episode title, and air date. Please allow 48 hours for delivery.
- Duration
- 1h 10m
- Broadcast on
- 18 Oct 2026
- Audio Format
- other
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(upbeat music) - Welcome to POD Save America, I'm Dan Pfeiffer. Today, you're gonna hear my conversation with Amy Walter, the publisher and editor-in-chief of the Cook Political Report. The midterms are now less than two weeks away, and I thought Amy would be the perfect person to set this scene as we head into the final stretch. We talked about the latest in the Senate races, the House map, whether Republicans, redistricting, gambit worked, and voters' attitudes towards Trump, the economy, and the war in Iran, and so much more. We get to that conversation in a moment, but before we do, crooked con is fast approaching. The weekend after the midterms and member fifth through seventh will be in D.C. for a weekend full of live shows, conversations, and so much more. If you're anyone working in politics or interested in politics, this is a can't miss event. We'll be breaking down what just happened in the midterms and setting the stage for what's to come in 2028. Head over to crookedcon.com to get your tickets now. And while I have you, I wanna make a pitch for the message box, my sub-stack newsletter. It's the best way to get serious analysis of the midterms based on the data and my way too long experience working in politics. When the election happens, I'll help you understand what happened, why it happened, and what it means for 2028. I have a special pre-election discount for positive American listeners. Go to crooked.com/yesmedian to get 20% off for an entire year. Okay, here's my conversation with Amy Walter. Amy Walter, welcome back to Positive America. - Okay, I'm very happy to be here. - Two, a little more than two weeks to go before the election. Feels like we would never get here. These are gonna be the longest two weeks. We've had in a very long time. How are you feeling? - I'm tired, and like every voter in a swing state who's saying, just let it end. Let's just let it be over, right? As you very well know, the last two weeks of the campaign, and probably the last five days are the absolute worst. Because it's now everybody just hosting theories
Transcription truncated.
With two weeks until the midterms, Amy Walter, publisher and editor-in-chief of the Cook Political Report, sits down with Dan to break down what she calls the most brutal political environment Republicans have faced in twenty years. They discuss whether the numbers indicate a "blue wave" or a "red undertow," whether the polls can be trusted, and why massive Republican spending can't outrun Trump's cost-of-living crisis and his war in Iran. They also dig into the strategy—or lack thereof—behind Trump's rally blitz, whether gerrymandering has backfired on the GOP, and why Democrats may actually perform better in red states than in blue ones this November.Hate listening to ads? Become a Friends of the Pod subscriber for ad-free episodes of Pod Save America, Pod Save the World, Lovett or Leave It, Runaway Country, Offline with Jon Favreau, and more—plus exclusive content, including bonus episodes of Pod Save America. Subscribe now at crooked.com/friends, on Apple Podcasts, or through the Pod Save America YouTube channel.You can request a transcript by emailing [email protected]. Include the podcast name, episode title, and air date. Please allow 48 hours for delivery.