Repudiation—The Weekly

Mike Madrid (author of The Latino Century) joins host Ron Steslow to explain why a historic Democratic sweep is a repudiation, not a realignment. They begin with the scale of the midterm results, from the House to the Senate to statehouses, and why the moment reads as a verdict on Trump and MAGA rather than an embrace of the Democratic Party. Then, they dive into why Latino voters, who swung toward Trump in 2024 and back again this week, are shedding partisan loyalty altogether and why that might be closer to what the founders intended. Next, they unpack what fueled the wave, as corruption fused with economic pain for a generation that feels its future was stolen. Finally, ask whether MAGA outlives the Republican Party’s collapse and why politics may be shifting from coalitions to transactions. In Politicology+, they discuss the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, why the Electoral College’s anti-majoritarian design matters more in an era of dealignment, and a fractured fight heading toward the 2028 Presidential Election. POLITICOLOGY+ Not yet a Politicology+ member? Don’t miss all the extra episodes on the private, ad-free version of this podcast. Upgrade now at politicology.com/plus. SPONSORS & PROMO CODES: https://bit.ly/44uAGZ8 Send your questions and ideas to podcast@politicology.com Ron Steslow on X: https://x.com/RonSteslow Mike Madrid on X: https://x.com/madrid_mike Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices