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Beyond the Polls with Henry Olsen

Ricochet

Each week Henry Olsen, columnist and senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, will talk about the presidential and congressional races with leading political journalists and analysts, people who are out in the field and won't give you media spin. Find out who's leading the pack and who's an also-ran, with Beyond the Polls with Henry Olsen.

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#148
Thursday · 49 min
Throwing Cold Water on the Blue Wave
There's no getting around the fact that Republicans are unpopular these days and that they're in for an unpleasant midterm. But should we really believe the flood will reach the Midwest or Rust Belt districts that elevated President Trump to...
- Transcript
#147
October 15 · 30 min
Way On Base
The midterms are just weeks away, and Democrats are still enjoying a historically large lead in the generic congressional ballot. In response, the president is jetting about to rally support in key states. However, unlike the boldly expansive...
- Transcript
#146
October 8 · 34 min
The Trump Tornado and Danger in the Dust Bowl
There's good news and bad news, Toto: We are still in Kansas, but it's not the safe state we'd grown used to. With the midterms less than a month away, and reports confirming the GOP's move to divert funds to tightening races in the agricultural belt,...
- Transcript
#145
October 1 · 58 min
All About Exit Polls
Americans are often in a hurry, always looking for ways to save time. Yet back in the olden days, whenever Americans held an election, the public had to wait until every ballot was tallied before an official announcement of the results. Though that...
- Transcript
#144
September 24 · 1 hr 4 min
Reasonably Random Thoughts on Polling
The polling business has undergone profound changes since the start of the 21st century, especially in its response to new technology and the altered habits of potential respondents. We often hear from representatives of the media or university end of...
- Transcript
September 17 · 57 min
Americans Won't Tolerate a Loser
After last week's tour of competitive House races, it's time to look to the Senate battlegrounds. Though nobody can predict the future, our friend Kyle Kondik brings his Sabato's Crystal Ball to assess this cycle's key toss-ups, leans, and tight...
- Transcript
#142
September 10 · 49 min
Rate Changes and Coordinated Expenditures
The primaries are nearly finished, and Labor Day is behind us—that means it's officially midterm season! To mark the occasion, Henry catches up with Cook Political Report's Erin Covey to discuss the races that look competitive now in mid-September and...
- Transcript
#141
September 3 · 1 hr 2 min
Take Nothing For Granite
With all due respect to grammarians, when we at Beyond the Polls think of New Hampshire, hard facts and rock-solid political analysis from our friend Dante Scala are foremost in mind. In anticipation of Tuesday's Democratic primary, he and Henry...
- Transcript
#140
August 27 · 50 min
Dissuadable Disapprovers?
With the primary results in from the most competitive states, we're entering the calm-before-the-storm season of this year's midterm election. But rather than letting their guard down, top election analysts are bracing for another wacky cycle like the...
- Transcript
#139
August 20 · 51 min
A MAGA Contest, Southern Cackalacky-Style
South Carolina Republicans are heading back to the voting booth for the Senate runoff to select their nominee. Their choice is between Ralph Norman, a self-described MAGA outsider who has represented the state's Fifth Congressional District since...
- Transcript
#138
August 13 · 58 min
Heat Lightning Over the Sunshine State
Florida's political environment has transformed profoundly over the last few decades. Following its mid-decadal redistricting, the state is preparing for an unusually high number of close contests in next week's primary, especially on the Republican...
- Transcript
#137
August 6 · 58 min
America's Dairyland or the Progressives' Fairyland?
The Wisconsin state motto is one word: Forward. And after Tuesday's primary in Michigan, we're reminded again that the progressive left has the momentum in the Democratic Party. To dive into what this left-wing insurgency means for Wisconsin, Henry...
- Transcript
#136
July 30 · 39 min
Wolverines in Sheep's Clothing?
A primary-palooza is days away, with contests set for August 4th in Kansas, Missouri, Washington, and Virginia. But all eyes are on Michigan, a bellwether state with ambitious representatives tugging hard at it left, right, and center. Henry's here to...
- Transcript
#135
July 23 · 55 min
Everybody's Got a Type
This series is all about pushing past the dichotomies of American politics to better understand why voters prefer X to Y, Yea to Nay, or Red to Blue. Our friends at the Pew Research Center are of a like mind, so we asked Director of Politics Jocelyn...
- Transcript
#134
July 16 · 54 min
AZ and the Wild Card Races
Partisan trends being what they are, it's increasingly rare to see an election actually decided in November. The parties matter more, the candidates a bit less. But that divide doesn't seem so big in the Grand Canyon State, and Arizonans like a...
- Transcript
#133
July 9 · 33 min
The Zig-Zaggy Leftward Lurch
The Democratic Socialists of America have laid their plans, are on the march, and have been making steady gains, but established orders aren't toppled in a day... and there's trouble in paradise. Henry rants his way through the fall of Graham Platner,...
- Transcript
#132
July 2 · 38 min
What Americans Say About The American Way
America's birthday is almost here, and the semiquincentennial milestone imbues the annual celebration with special significance. For this reason, Henry sits down with the American Enterprise Institute's Karlyn Bowman to discuss her latest...
- Transcript
#131
June 25 · 53 min
The Ballot Balancing Act
Americans all rightly make a great deal about our democracy. But the partisan element sets in quickly, and the incessant debate extends even beyond the candidates and initiatives on the ballot. Stephen Richer (a fellow of the Cato Institute and...
- Transcript
#130
June 18 · 53 min
It's Up To You, New York!
Start spreading the news: New Yorkers are hitting the polls next week, and the election is gonna be something wild. Cook Political's Erin Covey is our tour de force guide through the many candidates vying to represent the city's distinct locales,...
- Transcript
#129
June 11 · 57 min
Southern Bellwethers?
We've got Senate runoffs in the Deep South next week, and that means we already know what's in the bag... right? Wrong! Jessica Taylor, Cook Political Report's Senate and Governors Editor, returns to update us on a couple of surprisingly close...
- Transcript

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