Chris Riback's Conversations
What you need to hear: Engaging conversations on today’s most compelling ideas, trends & news www.chrisriback.com
Sun, February 09, 2025
Dr. Ariel Ekblaw: How We Might Live in Space
What would it take for humanity to truly live and thrive in space? Not just surviving, but creating a life worth living—complete with culture, comfort, and connection. And how might those innovations in space transform life here on Earth? To answer these questions, few people are better to ask than Dr. Ariel Ekblaw . I am confident you’ve never met anyone like her. Ariel is a space architect, scientist, and entrepreneur whose groundbreaking work blends bold engineering with a deep focus on human experience... and a touch of philosophy thrown in. She’s the founder of the Aurelia Institute , a nonprofit dedicated to designing the critical infrastructure and cultural systems for life in space. Ariel is also a general partner in a venture capital fund that’s building the ecosystem of space technologies to make these dreams a reality. Before launching Aurelia, Ariel led the MIT Space Exploration Initiative , where she developed Tesserae —a self-assembling modular system that’s been tested on the International Space Station and aims to create scalable habitats for humans in space... structures to allow us – not just in the ones or twos or tens – to survive in space. She’s reimagining what it means to live beyond Earth, from spinning habitats for artificial gravity to designing musical instruments that work in zero gravity. In our conversation, we explore Ariel’s extraordinary work, her vision for a sustainable and meaningful future in space, and why she believes that advancing space technologies can make Earth a better place for all of us. One note about the audio: Appropriately, it sounds like Ariel is in space station. She’s not. Luckily, her ideas and vision are incredible – and communicated extremely clearly. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Wed, January 15, 2025
Conversation: Dan Perry of 'Ask Questions Later' on Israel-Hamas
Here is a recording from my live video with Dan Perry of “ Ask Questions Later ”. About Dan Perry: As regular CRN readers and listeners know, among other roles, Dan led the Associated Press coverage of Israel and the Middle East — from Pakistan through north Africa — for much of the 2010s, and before that he led AP in Europe and Africa. Today Dan lives in Tel Aviv and writes the excellent Substack “ Ask Questions Later ”. His columns appear in Newsweek and The Forward, among other places. He appears frequently on both Al Jazeera and the Israel-based i24 global television network. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Sun, October 08, 2023
Dan Perry: Israel, Hamas, and The Big Picture
I first met Dan Perry in Romania 1990. He was the AP Bureau Chief, and I was freelancing for the summer. There’s no one I’ve met who better understands collectively Israel, the Middle East, and the U.S. So after the Hamas attack and Israel’s declaration of war, I knew whom to call. Dan was awoken on Oct. 7 “by rocket fire over central Tel Aviv, with the Iron Dome system zapping the incoming missiles out of the sky, leaving debris to rain down on nearby streets. It is now evening, and air raid sirens continue to wail as volleys arrive from Gaza.” About Dan: Among other roles, he led the Associated Press coverage of Israel and the Middle East — from Pakistan through north Africa — for much of the 2010s. Today Dan lives in Tel Aviv and writes the excellent Substack “ Ask Questions Later ”. His columns appear in the Times of Israel and Newsweek, among other places. He appears frequently on the in i24 global television network. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, June 04, 2021
Ben Rhodes: After the Fall
For eight years, Ben Rhodes served as Deputy National Security Advisor to President Obama. Now Rhodes has written a book — After the Fall: Being American in the World We've Made — about his personal post-Obama journey that sought to answer a simple question: What happened to the world, America, and himself as the undertow of history pulled us into the currents of nationalism and authoritarianism – and what we should do about it? As he learned and you’ll hear, there may be simple questions. There are no simple answers. Ben is the author of the New York Times bestseller The World as It Is, a contributor for NBC News and MSNBC, and co-host of Pod Save the World. And as mentioned, sign up for a free trial of my daily briefing newsletter: chrisriback.substack.com/CRC This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, June 04, 2021
We're Back: New Season... and Some News
We’re back for a new season! I also launched my new daily email, Chris Riback’s Newsletter. 6 days a week, I compile and publish the meaningful ideas, trends and events into a daily briefing of what you need to know, and not a word more. I add engaging videos, tweets, graphs, and more. My goal is to help readers save time and stay smarter. Sign up for a free 30-day trial: chrisriback.substack.com/CRC
Mon, May 04, 2020
Jonathan Karl: Front Row at the Trump Show (Live Event)
This is a special live Zoom edition of Chris Riback’s Conversations, the first in our new series of political book conversations sponsored by Cornell’s Institute of Politics & Global Affairs. What does it mean for democracy when the President attacks the free press as fake news? How should journalists balance the need to avoid becoming the “opposition party,” as Steve Bannon described them, while also standing up when individual reporters – frequently women, frequently minorities – are publicly ridiculed? Jonathan Karl is ABC News’ Chief White House Correspondent. Jon’s also President of the White House Correspondents’ Association and author of the new New York Times Best seller: “Front Row at the Trump Show” As Karl writes: “Our democracy is built on trust…. That’s why I fear President Trump’s war on truth may do lasting damage to American Democracy.” This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Wed, March 25, 2020
Mayor Noam Bramson: From Patient Zero to New York as Epicenter
Chances are, you may not have heard of New Rochelle, NY before about a month ago. It’s New York’s 7th largest city, located just 30 minutes north of Manhattan. It was founded by refugee Huguenots – French Protestants – who were fleeing religious persecution in France in 1688. During the 1930s, New Rochelle was the wealthiest city per capita in New York state and the third wealthiest in the country. For listeners of a certain age — or any of you who watch the classic TV shows on YouTube — you’ll also know that New Rochelle is where Rob & Laura Petrie lived in the Dick Van Dyke show. It has a strong business community and cultural scene. And it’s beautiful. It sits right on the water is known as the Queen City of the New York Sound. Of course, right now, New Rochelle, NY has become known for something else: One of America’s multiple ground zeros of the coronavirus. Nearly every major media organization has suddenly paid a visit. And if you Google "New Rochelle" now, as you might imagine, nearly every result has something to do with the virus. And the face of New Rochelle through all of this – the one racing from town meetings to food distribution centers to senior living homes to religious groups to 60 Minutes interviews – is the city’s hometown mayor Noam Bramson . And I mean hometown – Noam was born in New Rochelle. He grew up there. After leaving for college, he returned. He’s been mayor since 2006. And it’s where he’s now raising his own family. So how do you run a municipality through a pandemic? And what’s it like to see the place you love – your home – go through this kind of challenge? That’s what we discussed. Before we begin, let me put my bias on the table right away: I’ve known Noam for nearly 30 years. We met in grad school. He was very smart, unnecessarily modest, and always friendly. As you’ll hear, some things don’t change, even when you’ve had to lead your hometown through a pandemic. For show notes & my newsletter, go to chrisriback.com . This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, March 20, 2020
Rep. Steve Israel: Running for President in Time of Coronavirus
When I first scheduled an election analysis discussion with former U.S. Representative Steve Israel, it’s fair to say that my initial set of questions had nothing to do with how to run for President in a time of Coronavirus. That’s where this conversation begins, but not where it ends. Because while we all navigate this new reality, we’re also still trying to understand the Democratic primary: What in the world just happened? How did Joe Biden get blown out in the first three caucuses – and then turn it all around to basically run the table? And assuming Biden holds on, did the moderate wing of the Democratic Party really win the ticket – or did the progressives set the agenda and took moderates along for the ride? How unified is the party? And what about Biden’s running mate – he said he’ll choose a woman VP candidate. Ok, beyond that, what are the practical and political factors that matter? More background on Steve Israel: He spent 16 years in Congress representing New York's 3rd Congressional District – that’s on Long Island. He’s the former Chair of DCCC and today serves as Director of Cornell University’s Institute of Politics and Global Affairs . He’s also author of two political satire books, and we talk about his most recent one that took on the gun lobby – it’s called “ Big Guns ,” and it’s an excellent read. For show notes & my newsletter, go to chrisriback.com . As referenced in the intro, here is a link to the special edition of The 180 Podcast on the coronavirus with Dr. Pamela Cantor, Turnaround for Children’s Founder and Senior Science Advisor, about how to address the fear, stress and disruption caused by the pandemic. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, February 28, 2020
Rick Hasen: Can America Run a Fair Election?
Today we continue with our check on the state of American democracy. We began with Harvard professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt to get an update on “ How Democracies Die ” and the question: How much more can our institutions take? Today we’ll look at the cornerstone of our democracy and a question that’s as shocking to ask as it sounds: Can America run a fair election? I told you – crazy. But whether that’s Putin’s great accomplishment, the post Iowa Caucus fiasco reality, or simply the result of the disintegration of nearly all of society’s institutions over the last years, well, that’s where we’re at. Look at the evidence: The latest headlines that U.S. Intelligence briefed Congress that Russia is already attacking our elections again, trying to help Trump win in 2020…and trying to help Democratic front-runner Bernie Sanders, too. Voter suppression in Kansas, Georgia, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Texas, and elsewhere Unproven claims of voter fraud to hurt confidence in elections. Regular threats – or so-called jokes – to not leave office… from Trump to recently-ousted KY Gov. Matt Bevin Massive, targeted disinformation campaigns – even from within the U.S. And of course, election irregularities in Broward Country, FL, election debacles like the recent Iowa caucus, and even NY Times reporting from the Nevada caucus of “errors and inconsistencies” similar to Iowa. While concerns around the viability and fairness of U.S. elections have been raised in the past – anyone listening to this podcast seen a hanging chad? – it’s fair to say the distrust and concern have never been as great as they are today. It all adds up to one of the major threats to American democracy and the question I asked at the top that few of us ever expected to seriously hear. So where are we? How bad is the problem? And perhaps most importantly – how does American democracy survive if Americans don’t trust their elections? Rick Hasen is the one to ask. Hasen is Chancellor’s Professor of Law and Political Science at the University of California, Irvine and author of the new book “ Election Meltdown: Dirty Tricks, Distrust, and the Threat to American Democracy .” Hasen writes the often-quoted Election Law Blog , which – like his excellent Twitter feed – is an absolute must read. Rick is co-author of leading casebooks in election law and remedies, as well as author of over 100 articles on election law issues, published in numerous journals including the Harvard Law Review, Stanford Law Re
Mon, February 17, 2020
Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt: Revisiting “How Democracies Die”
It’s time for a democracy check. With the Trump Impeachment Trial over and the 2020 presidential primaries in full bloom, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I imagine many other people are wondering, too: How’s our democracy doing? Are America’s democratic norms still valid? How much more can our institutions take? And this was even before the Roger Stone sentencing reduction news broke. So I decided to dedicate the next two conversations to the topic. The first one looks at democracy itself – coming out of only the third impeachment trial in our 250-plus year history, how stable are we? The second looks forward: If free elections fill the center of a true democracy, how stable is our election process? Both conversations are with previous podcast guests. Today’s is with the two Harvard professors -- Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt -- who I talked with two years ago and who first brought the issue to national prominence with their New York Times bestseller “ How Democracies Die .” As I relistened to our previous podcast – and as I note in this one – it’s crazy how predictive they were about the way things could go. The second podcast will be with Rick Hasen, UC Irvine Law and Political Science professor, creator of the Election Law Blog, and author of the new book “ Election Meltdown: Dirty Tricks, Distrust, and the Threat to American Democracy .” Some background on Levitsky and Ziblatt, Professors of Government at Harvard. Levitsky’s research interests include political parties, authoritarianism and democratization, and weak and informal institutions, with a focus on Latin America. Ziblatt’s interests include democratization, state-building, comparative politics, and historical political economy. His focus is on European political development. Together they’ve spent more than 20 years studying the breakdown of democracies around the globe – places like Germany, Italy, Chile, Venezuela, Peru, among others. Among my questions to them was an update to one of my previous questions: After so much work on shaky democracies in other countries, can they believe even now that somehow our country has become their new laboratory. One editorial note: As you’ll hear, near the end of our conversation, I got Roger Stone – Department of Justice headline alert on my phone just as my guests were talking about Attorney General Barr and the ways in which various manipulations of legal systems can impact a democracy’s health. Talk about real life proving the point in real time. While I interrupted the conversation to ask Daniel and Steven’s reaction, the news had just broken and no one had had time to fully consider what it could mean. And one listening note: Daniel took our call via Skype from Germany. Sometimes his audio is a little digitized, but that’s the price of primary re
Fri, February 07, 2020
Philip Rucker & Carol Leonnig: A Very Stable Genius
The first time he said it – or rather tweeted it – was in January 2018. In describing his business, television, and political accomplishments, President Trump typed: “I think that would qualify as not smart, but genius… and a very stable genius at that!” He said it again at a NATO meeting that July. Again the following July 2019. And again in September. And October. It’s become one of this era’s defining lines of bravado and self-image that infuriates Trump detractors and fuels his supporters with equal amounts of pleasure. Now, it’s also the title of one of this era’s defining books – an exploration of Trump’s first three years, with deep context and new extraordinary reporting. Washington Post reporters Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig have built on the work they do every day – and, if you watch cable news, it seems every night – to deliver the No. 1 New York Times Best Seller “ A Very Stable Genius – Donald J. Trump’s Testing of America. ” When they’re not writing best sellers, appearing on television or breaking news, Leonnig and Rucker are also earning Pulitzer Prizes, five of them individually and as part of teams. They brought that focus and detail to their book, an overwhelming series of events and back stories that delivers a powerful narrative that defines our times. For show notes & my newsletter, go to chrisriback.com . This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, January 17, 2020
Rick Wilson: Running Against the Devil
Rick Wilson – the sharp-witted, wise-cracking Republican political strategist, ad-maker, analyst, columnist, and crazy-good tweeter – joined me in Westchester County, NY for a live conversation about the 2020 election, impeachment, and his new book, “ Running Against the Devil: A Plot to Save America from Trump – and Democrats from Themselves .” It was a terrific event, and we discussed everything: How Democrats can beat Trump? What has happened to his fellow Republicans, the ones he calls “bootlicks, yes-men, [and] edge-case weirdos?” How endangered is our democracy? Would Democrats be better off if they in fact do nominate a woman – and if so, who would make for a more compelling candidate, Elizabeth Warren or Amy Klobuchar? As a bonus, we also discussed his regular Waffle House roundtables for The Lincoln Project – breakfasts with his other #NeverTrump Republican strategists, including one named George Conway. No surprise for anyone who has heard Rick or, better yet, followed his Twitter feed: He was at his colorful best. You may notice this particular edition of Chris Riback’s Conversations carries an “explicit” label, and folks, it’s not because of me! At the end, we opened it up to questions from the audience – you’ll want to hear those. Over the next weeks, I’ll post the video from the event. For show notes & my newsletter, go to chrisriback.com . This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Sat, January 11, 2020
Chief Justice John G. Roberts: 2019 Year-End Report on the Federal Judiciary
(Note: This is a DocuPod – audio reads of important public documents. No conversation; no interview. Just the document itself.) You may have noticed: Especially with the impeachment, there’s been a lot of news, coverage and discussion – tweets, speeches, rallies, angry letters, hearings, cable panels – around two branches of government: The Executive and Legislative. But assuming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi indeed sends the two Articles of Impeachment to the Senate, and assuming Majority Leader Mitch McConnell indeed convenes a trial, our third branch – the Judiciary – will be front and center. That’s because, as you may know, when the President of the United States faces an impeachment trial in the Senate, the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court presides. And that person, of course, is John G. Roberts. Now, we don’t hear much from Chief Justices. Sure, they write some of the Court’s opinions. But they don’t really do interviews. They certainly don’t tweet. So when they speak, their words carry great power, and everyone scrambles to read between their lines. Just recently, Chief Justice Roberts spoke. Actually, he published – on New Year’s Eve, his annual Year-End Report on the Federal Judiciary . And, of course, with the tensions among the branches of government – with an impeachment trial likely on the horizon – this year’s report was widely anticipated. You may recall Roberts’ last comments that seemed to be directed towards President Trump in 2018, when the Chief Justice reminded the President that, “We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges. What we have is an extraordinary group of dedicated judges doing their level best to do equal right to those appearing before them. That independent judiciary is something we should all be thankful for.” President Trump tweeted back: “Sorry Chief Justice John Roberts, but you do indeed have ‘Obama judges,’ and they have a much different point of view than the people who are charged with the safety of our country.” So what about now? Would Roberts say anything about President Trump? Would he reveal his feelings on the state of our nation – on whether we are in, or headed towards, a Constitutional Crisis? Chief Justice Roberts didn’t disappoint. As the New York Times described, Roberts “issued pointed remarks… that seemed to be addressed, at least in part, to the president himself. The two men have a history of friction, and Chief Justice Roberts used the normally mild report to denounce false information spread on social media and to warn against mob rule. Some passages could be read as a mission statement for the chief justice’s plans for the impeachment trial itself.”
Thu, January 02, 2020
Matt Stoller: The American Battle Between Monopoly and Democracy
As our 2020 Presidential campaign becomes more intense and pointed, it’s clear there is a battle going on for, among other things, America’s economic soul. Politically, the debate has exploded a revival of -isms… Populism, authoritarianism, socialism. But through the issues – from Trump’s tax cuts to Elizabeth Warren’s Health Care Plan – the complicated arguments largely can be simplified to this: For our democracy to survive, do we need massive economic restructuring? If you think this battle is new, you might want to listen to Matt Stoller. Stoller is a Fellow at the Open Markets Institute. Previously, he was a Senior Policy Advisor and Budget Analyst to the Senate Budget Committee and also worked in the US House of Representatives on financial services policy, including Dodd-Frank, the Federal Reserve, and the foreclosure crisis. He new and important book is “ Goliath: The 100-Year War Between Monopoly Power and Democracy .” As Stoller outlines, the tension between monopoly and American democracy is, without exaggeration, as old as our country. In fact he explains how concentrated financial power and consumerism transformed American politics, resulting in the emergence of populism and authoritarianism, the fall of the Democratic Party, and the need to create a new democracy. As Stoller has said: “We are in a moment where capitalism is being seriously questioned. There are corrupted and concentrated markets everywhere, not just search engines and social networks but dialysis, syringes, baby food, missiles and munitions. This isn’t just a threat to our quality of life, but to our democracy itself. We have been here before, and we defeated the monopolists. But to do that, we must understand our own history.” For show notes & my newsletter, go to chrisriback.com . This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, December 20, 2019
Peter Bergen: Trump and His Generals
It started with the generals. Mattis. Kelley. McMaster. Along with Rex Tillerson, they were part of the “Axis of Adults,” the ones, as the story of this presidency has been told, who stood between President Trump and chaos – between President Trump and his own, unchecked impulses, particularly in foreign affairs. As we know now, only Trump is left standing. And he stands impeached, because, the U.S. House of Representatives found, he couldn’t withstand his unchecked impulses and withheld U.S. military aid and White House prestige from Ukraine unless our ally announced investigations into his political rival. How did we get here? What happened to the defense and security these generals – heads of defense, security and more – were supposed to provide? And, not for nothing, where are they and what are they saying now? Peter Bergen is here to tell us. His new book is Trump and His Generals: The Cost of Chaos . Bergen seems to have been inside the room for all of the details – the fights, debates, wins, losses. His goal: “To reveal what happens when the unstoppable force of President Trump meets the immovable object of America’s national security establishment.” For show notes & my newsletter, go to chrisriback.com . This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Tue, November 12, 2019
Fintan O'Toole: Think It’s Crazy Here? Time to Look at Brexit
If you’re feeling lousy about the state of politics in America, now might be the time to surround yourself with some Brits. As they surely must ask about us: What in the world is going on over there? The UK is now more than three years into Brexit, the unexpected, unplanned and so far unfinished move to pull out of the European Union. The latest delayed exit was delayed again when Boris Johnson – UK’s permanently disheveled Prime Minister – couldn’t, as we like to say, get the bloody ball over the goal line. Ok, we don’t say the “bloody” part. Instead, Boris called for and got new elections. So December 12, UK voters will decide whether to elect a new leader, or not, and through that choice, whether to leave the EU or not. In other words, Britain’s future is as clear to see as a plate that holds a double helping of bangers and mash. So what, in fact, is going on over there? How did they get into this Brexit mess – and will they ever get out? Few better – or funnier or more thoughtful – to help explain than Fintan O’Toole, the award-winning writer and columnist for the Irish Times, Guardian, and New York Review of Books. His own new book is “ The Politics of Pain: Postwar England and the Rise of Nationalism .” O’Toole is Irish borne and loves England – both important facts as you read and listen to him analyze the English psychology around self-pity, colonization, and that terrible EU oppression that, we’re told, led to Brexit. In fact, among the surprising insights from O’Toole – at least to this American – is O’Toole’s argument that the Brexit push has less to do with the European Union than it does with England itself. For show notes & my newsletter, go to chrisriback.com . This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Thu, October 31, 2019
LTC Alexander S. Vindman: Opening Statement to US House Impeachment Investigators
This is a special episode of Chris Riback's Conversations. For this podcast, I read the opening statement of Lieutenant Colonel Alexander S. Vindman to the US House Impeachment Investigators on October 29. As you surely know, Lieutenant Colonel Vindman is the decorated Iraq war veteran and top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council, who listened in on that July 25 telephone call between President Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky. That’s it. No conversation; no interview. Just the 6-page document itself -- a DocuPod. Here’s why I believe there’s a need for this type of service – audio reads of important public documents. First, with our democracy under stress, these documents are interesting and essential; 2) with all of the spin, it helps to know the exact words ourselves; and 3) those exact words are powerful — much more powerful than that third-party spin. And of course: It’s really hard to find time to read them. For show notes & my newsletter, go to chrisriback.com.
Tue, October 29, 2019
Amb. William B. Taylor: Opening Statement to US House Impeachment Investigators
This is a special episode of Chris Riback's Conversations. For this podcast, I read the opening statement of Amb. William B. Taylor, the senior U.S. diplomat in Ukraine, who testified behind closed doors before the U.S. House Impeachment Investigators on Oct. 22. His extraordinary testimony has been called “the smoking gun” of President Trump’s attempt to hold up Ukraine financial aid in exchange for political help from a foreign country. That’s it. No conversation; no interview. Just the document itself: Amb. Taylor’s 15-page opening statement – a kind of “DocuPod.” Why am I doing this? My gut is: There’s a need for this type of service – audio reads of important public documents. First, with our democracy under stress – and with continuing testimony and the House Impeachment Inquiry picking up speed – these documents are interesting and essential; second, with all of the spin, it helps to know the exact words ourselves; and third, those exact words are powerful — much more powerful than that third-party spin. Perhaps most important: It’s really hard to find time to read them. As I said, this is an experiment. Is it a good idea? I don’t know. So now the favor. I’d be grateful for your feedback – an answer to one question that you can send via email. My question: Is this service useful to you? Please let me know – along with any addition thoughts. Thank you. For show notes & my newsletter, go to chrisriback.com .
Fri, October 18, 2019
Julie Hirschfeld Davis & Michael D. Shear: Inside Trump's Assault on Immigration
Between the alligator moat revelation and horrendous, inhumane taking of children from their parents, when considering Donald Trump’s immigration policy, it can be hard to get past the headlines. But it turns out, the immigration story serves as an incredibly useful way to consider the entire Trump presidency: Obsession, chaos, fear, depravity, and yet – meaningful, important, and potentially-lasting change that has shifted not only how the world views America, but how we view ourselves. The story has been told – through a combination of clear context, incredible detail, and expert storytelling by Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Michael D. Shear in their book, “ Border Wars: Inside Trump’s Assault on Immigration .” As you’ll hear in our conversation, Davis and Shear bring us inside the rooms –uncomfortable places, really – as extreme ideas about immigration move directly from the collective minds of Steve Bannon, Stephen Miller and Jeff Sessions into the campaign and then presidency of Donald Trump. You’ll hear how Miller outmaneuvered generals and cabinet secretaries to seize control You also hear about the key player who might be most confounding of all: Former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. In fact as you hear more about these policymakers – and as you read Hirshfeld Davis and Shear’s book –it all seems to lead to the central questions of our time: Who are we, and what is America? Some background on Julie and Mike who, as far as I can tell from what is admittedly quick research, seem to have covered every important Washington D.C. story in the last 25 years. Julie is Congressional Editor at The New York Times; she also serves as a CNN political analyst. Michael is a White House Correspondent for The New York Times, and you can also catch him frequently on CNN. For show notes & my newsletter, go to chrisriback.com . This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, October 11, 2019
Andrew McAfee: Why Capitalism & Technology Will Save the Planet
If one question has driven mankind’s quest for innovation, it very well might be this: How can we get more from less? For most of our time on this planet, the answer was simple: We couldn’t. As my guest Andrew McAfee points out, for just about all of human history – particularly the Industrial Era – our prosperity has been tightly coupled to our ability to take resources from the earth. We got more from more. That tradeoff yielded incredible positive contributions in nearly every field: Technology, industry, medicine. But there’s one glaring area – one of those “aside from that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play” areas – where the trade wasn’t so incredibly positive. Of course, that’s the environment. As global industry rode the combination of human’s infinite ingenuity and Mother Nature’s finite resources – we all reaped the benefits and the costs: Exponential global warming. Perhaps it’s not an exact straight line, but the connection is clear to all but a few climate deniers. Luckily, we know the solutions: Consume less; Recycle; Impose limits; Live more closely to the land. Or do we? What if, instead, these central truths of environmentalism haven’t been the force behind whatever improvements we’ve made and, more importantly, aren’t the drivers that will solve the existential task at hand: Saving the planet? Instead, as McAfee argues in his new book, the answer is dematerialization – we’re getting more output while using fewer resources. We’re getting, as his title suggests: “ More from Less: The Surprising Story of How We Learned to Prosper Using Fewer Resources – and What Happens Next .” McAfee argues that the two most important forces responsible for the change are capitalism and technological progress, the exact two forces “that came together to cause the massive increases in resource use of the Industrial Era.” Combined with two other key attributes – public awareness and responsive government – we can and do “tread ever more lightly on our planet.” McAfee knows his prescription to save the planet is controversial. He knows it will frustrate – if not outrage – most of his friends… assuming they’re still willing to call him friend. But as the saying goes: He’s done the math. He’s researched the data. And like it or not, he’s ready for the conversation. For show notes & my newsletter, go to chrisriback.com . This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, October 04, 2019
Isaac Stone Fish: Why China is America’s Biggest Threat
October 1st marked the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China – the name given by Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong in 1949. To understate the reality, a lot has happened in China over the last 70 years. The fact is, a lot has happened in China over the last 70 days – much of it unexpected, confusing, and on-going – politically and economically. Politically, of course, pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong capture global attention and concern. So, too, does China’s economic situation, in particular, its continuing – sometimes escalating – battle with the U.S. over tariffs, intellectual property, market access, currency valuation and more… all fitting somewhat neatly under the “Great Power Competition” with the United States. As the 2020 campaign heats up, several key questions will be asked and debated, including: How did we get here – and where do China and US-China relations go next? To find out, I talked with Isaac Stone Fish – a senior fellow at the Asia Society's Center on U.S.-China Relations, as well as a visiting fellow at the German Marshall Fund, Washington Post Global Opinions contributing columnist, and more. Stone Fish has studied China from the inside, having spent seven years living there. Today he continues to analyze China’s place in the world as a Truman National Security Project fellow, a non-resident senior fellow at the University of Nottingham's China Policy Institute, and an alum of the World Economic Forum Global Shaper's program. For show notes & my newsletter, go to chrisriback.com . This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, September 27, 2019
James Poniewozik: How the Trump Show Happened
As regular listeners of this podcast know, I read a lot of books. Most of them, frankly, are excellent – smart people making thoughtful arguments in engaging ways. Every once in a while, though, I read one that’s not just excellent, but delivers something more: It shifts your lens on the world. Alters your focus. New York Times Chief Television Critic James Poniewozik has written that kind of book: “ Audience of One: Donald Trump, Television, and the Fracturing of America .” He’s written that kind of book not despite the fact that he analyzes television and American culture for a living… but because of it. We know Trump loves TV. We know built his image through the NY media and that he was a reality TV star. We also know reality TV is hardly reality. What we may not have considered sufficiently is what has happened to us – how, as television and media changed over the last decades, so did we. And to put it bluntly: You might not like what we’ve become – or what’s required, virtually 24/7, to capture our attention. This book and conversation are part history, part current events, and all-important. As Poniewozik writes: “Follow the media culture of America over the course of Trump’s career, and you will understand better how Trump happened. Follow how Trump happened and you will understand better what we became.” And you may wonder – as I asked Poniewozik – whether any potential Democratic candidate understands any of this well enough to beat Trump. One note: I spoke with James before House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the official Impeachment Inquiry of Donald Trump. But already, in the early days, I see evidence of what James writes about at play in the way Trump and his team are responding. For show notes & my newsletter, go to chrisriback.com . This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, August 02, 2019
Philip Mudd: Trump & the Attack on U.S. Intelligence
It was a perfect week to have Philip Mudd, CNN counterterrorism analyst, on the podcast. Phil spent some 25 years at the highest levels of the CIA – reaching Deputy Director of the National Counterterrorism Center – and FBI, where he was hired to be its first National Security Branch Deputy Director by Robert Mueller. So when you have Mueller’s Congressional Hearings nine days ago followed by President Trump’s tweets five days later announcing his intention to replace our top intelligence chief with a Republican House member who, as the Washington Post wrote, has alleged anti-Trump bias at the FBI and Mueller’s team, directly accusing Mueller of violating “every principle in the most sacred of traditions” of prosecutors – when you have that and you want to know what in the world is the state of our national intelligence and law enforcement agencies, well, Phil Mudd is who you call. But truth be told, that timing was mostly luck. The real reason I wanted to talk with Mudd: He has written an important, first of its kind book: Black Site: The CIA in the Post-9/11 World . Mudd not only takes us inside the CIA, but inside one of the most hidden parts of the CIA, the part known internally as “The Program”: The secret Black Sites where the so-called “enhanced interrogation techniques” and where our national debates on torture, waterboarding, counterterrorism, and the deep responsibility to prevent another attack were born. How were those decisions made? How were they justified? What did CIA officers, deputy directors, directors – even people who interrogated prisoners – think and feel about what they were doing? And how do they feel about it now? For show notes & my newsletter, go to chrisriback.com . This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, July 26, 2019
Tim Alberta: How Trump Filled the GOP Leadership Vacuum
What happened to the Republican Party? You’ve heard of it: One of the two major political collectives in America… the one that counts Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan among its heroes? The modern GOP branded itself on ideals of fiscal responsibility, fighting dictators from the Soviet Union to Saddam Hussein, and personal morality. Today, of course, the U.S. deficit is more than $1 trillion. New age dictators are our friends. And personal morality? Well, not so much. The GOP change has been swift, stark, and you might be led to believe, all because of one person: Donald Trump. But is that true? Was Trump the cause or the most logical outcome? Perhaps more importantly, is there any going back? Is the GOP now the POT – the Party of Trump? That’s what I asked Tim Alberta, Politico Magazine’s Chief Political Correspondent and author of “ American Carnage: On the Front Lines of the Republican Civil War and the Rise of President Trump .” For show notes & my newsletter, go to chrisriback.com . This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, July 19, 2019
Robert Tsai: Is Justice Possible? Your Supreme Court Questions Answered
You may have heard last week’s conversation on the Supreme Court. Well, there’s something about the Supreme Court that gets listeners’ attention. I received a lot of follow-up questions – so many, that I wished I had immediate access to another constitutional scholar. Turns out, I did. I already had recorded the second half of the conversation you’ll hear today with Robert Tsai . Tsai is Professor of Law at American University and a prize-winning essayist in constitutional law and history. Previously, he clerked for two federal judges and worked civil rights lawyer in Georgia. He has written three books, the most recent of which is Practical Equality: Forging Justice in a Divided Nation . When we consider remedies to the various inequalities that define these times – from voting restrictions and oppressive measures against migrants to the rights of sexual minorities, victims of police action, and even racism in the criminal justice system – existing laws to address equality are often incomplete. But in exploring the Constitution and reexamining important historical cases, Tsai explains how legal ideas that aren’t necessarily about equality at all — ensuring fair play, acting reasonably, avoiding cruelty, and protecting free speech — have been used to overcome inequality in the past and can serve as potent alternative tools to promote equality today. Simply, Tsai offers a distinct view and outlines the possible innovative legal measures to overcome injustice. But with all the comments from last week’s podcast, I asked Robert for a favor – would he be willing to do a quick update call where I could ask him some of the Supreme Court follow-ups I got from listeners. He agreed, so here it is. For show notes & my newsletter, go to chrisriback.com This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, July 12, 2019
Adam Liptak: How Far Did Trump Tip the Supreme Court Balance?
It was the Supreme Court session Democrats feared and Republicans had waited a generation for – a solidly conservative 5-4 majority. It took the Merrick Garland block and Brett Kavanaugh hearings to get here, and now that first session is complete. So how’d it go? Were the fears and hopes realized? That’s what I asked Adam Liptak, who covers the Supreme Court for The New York Times. As you’ll hear, for all of this session’s surprise alliances and shifting balance, it may turn out to be an important prelude that sets up a supreme bonanza: A 2020 election year session that confronts some of our most contentious issues – Immigration, the Second Amendment, discrimination against gay & transgender workers, and possibly abortion, as well as health care and the Affordable Care Act. For show notes & my newsletter, go to chrisriback.com This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, July 05, 2019
Angela Stent: Explaining Putin’s World
Here’s a parlor game: Outside of President Trump, who’s the most curious figure on the world stage today? China’s Xi? North Korea’s Kim? MBS of Saudi Arabia? As Trump’s interactions with global leaders raise never-ending questions, few are as perplexing – or, if we only could understand it, might explain so much – as the one with Vladimir Putin. When the Cold War ended, it all seemed so clear: History was over, and liberal democracy would deliver a new Russia. But as the so-called liberal modernizers and democratic reforms emerged, so too did a period of extreme poverty and oligarchic wealth – a debilitating era of Russian economic and social challenges, even humiliation. As that time ran its course, an apparent savior emerged – a single man who refused to consider Russian weakness and instead redefined Russian power and pride. A man who recently told the Financial Times: “The liberal idea has become obsolete.” So what happened? How is today’s polarized, disrupted world one in which Russia can thrive? That’s what Angela Stent explains through history and analysis in her remarkable new book, Putin's World: Russia Against the West and with the Rest. Professor Stent is director of the Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies and a professor of government and foreign service at Georgetown University. She has served as national intelligence officer for Russia and Eurasia at the National Intelligence Council, as well as in the Office of Policy Planning at the U.S. State Department. She has written numerous publications, including “The Limits of Partnership: US-Russian Relations in the Twenty-First Century, which earned her the American Academy of Diplomacy’s Douglas Dillon prize for the best book on the practice of American Diplomacy. She’s also a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. For show notes & my newsletter, go to chrisriback.com This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, June 28, 2019
Jared Cohen: Accidental Presidents
With 20 candidates and 2 Democratic debates spread over 48 hours this week, the 2020 Presidential campaign season is officially underway. We know the process: For the next 16 months, candidates will debate, boast, fundraise, debate, and fundraise some more. Then on Nov. 3, 2020, we’ll have the decision – the President will be chosen. But what about when we get a new President not over two years, but in a heart beat? When we don’t elect our President following an intense, 500-day process, but rather get our new leader instantaneously and by accident. I’m talking, of course, about the times when we’ve gotten a new President because the sitting one died. So what does history tell us about these leaders, the process, our country – about what happens when accidents occur? Jared Cohen has written the NY Times best-selling book – “Accidental Presidents: Eight Men Who Changed America.” Cohen offers a unique way look at our history – and the many ways our country evolved purely based on chance: Because an assassin or disease forced an immediate change in our land’s highest office. For show notes & my newsletter, go to chrisriback.com This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, June 21, 2019
Joseph Stiglitz: Saving Capitalism From Itself
It’s already one of the major issues of the 2020 presidential campaign: Does American capitalism still work? In the face of ever widening income disparity – not just exponential upward movement at the top, but also, at best, stagnation near the bottom — economic inequality is a key social and political topic. Which is why Joseph Stiglitz’ 55th high school reunion was so telling. It was about four years ago, the Nobel Prize winning economist was reminiscing with old friends in Gary, IN, when he heard a story that made him stand up straight. Then he heard another. And another. These classmates’ stories brought to life the statistics Stiglitz had been seeing in his economic charts: Lost jobs, poor access to health care, shorter life spans, diminishing hope. The numbers hadn’t lied, and now they were talking to Stiglitz at his high school reunion. Their message: The economy was broken. In fact, more than just the economy wasn’t working – Capitalism itself seemed off. Following that class reunion, Stiglitz further saw an erosion of society’s pillars, and – being an economist – connected them all: The economy, capitalism, and democracy. He sounded the alarm, and the result is his new, powerful book: “People, Power, and Profits: Progressive Capitalism for an Age of Discontent.” Beyond the Nobel Prize, Stiglitz' career highlights include: He served as President Clinton’s Chair of the US Council of Economic Advisers and Chief Economist of the World Bank. He’s the best-selling author of more than 10 books and today is a University Professor at Columbia University. For show notes & my newsletter, go to chrisriback.com This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Wed, June 19, 2019
We're Back: New Season, New Name
A few updates: First, we’re back. I’ve been doing a lot of prep for this new podcast season. I think you’re going to like it. Second – and maybe this should be first – you may have noticed the name change from Political Wire Conversations to Chris Riback’s Conversations. Why the change? I love politics and public policy. In these podcasts, I’ve talked with Senators, Governors, Mayors, and candidates; Generals, historians, journalists, and professors; Strategists, pollsters, and more – thinkers, writers and doers across the political spectrum. But these aren’t my only conversations. I also talk with leaders, thinkers and doers in business, technology, science, and the global marketplace. Guests include Nobel Prize laureates, a U.S. Presidential Medal of Science winner, global CEOs, two U.S. Council of Economic Advisers chairs, tech & media entrepreneurs, the most incredible cancer researchers, and more. I like these conversations a lot. More importantly, I don’t see them as distinctly different from the so-called political podcasts I do. For example – is climate change science or public policy? Are economics for business audiences or political ones? Cancer researchers are often funded, in part, by government agencies – politics or medicine? The fact is: Today, everything connects. In our extraordinarily divided times – when reason and nuance and context feel like Stone Age relics – understanding those connections simply must be our way forward. Let me know what you think at chrisriback.com . Thanks for listening – and welcome to Chris Riback’s Conversations.
Thu, December 06, 2018
Sen. Maggie Hassan: 'No More Medical Surprises'
So you’re in a restaurant. Great meal. The bill comes, and it’s got a surprise – an unexpected $10 charge because, well it turns out your entrée required a special ingredient the server forgot to mention. Would you pay it? Would you expect to have to pay it? Now look at our health care. You go to the Emergency Room. They take your insurance. Only it turns out, your in-network ER is being staffed by out-of-network providers. Suddenly, in addition to the surprise of having landed in the ER in the first place, you’ve got thousands of dollars in surprise medical costs. What you wouldn’t stand for in a restaurant can happen any day in an emergency room – and New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan wants to do something about it. Sen. Hassan has introduced a bill titled the “No More Medical Surprises Act.” As you’ll hear, her bill aims not only to protect patients from the outrageous bills that suddenly land folks deep in medical debt, she borrows from baseball to find a market-based solution to the problem. And no, that doesn’t involve using a baseball bat… though I bet she wishes it could. While I had Sen. Hassan for the conversation, I also wanted to take the opportunity to ask about another important and divisive issue that – like health care – went to the heart of the recent Midterm elections: Border Security and Immigration. Sen. Hassan sits on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and I wanted to know: Do Democrats have a clear message on border security and immigration? In our extraordinarily partisan times, is it reasonable to hope for agreement on a health care bill? What about immigration? You’ll want to hear Sen. Hassan’s answers. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Mon, October 29, 2018
Live from Harvard's Kennedy School
This is a special live edition of Political Wire Conversations. On Friday, I hosted an outstanding live event and discussion at Harvard’s Kennedy School: Midterm Elections Preview: Blue Wave or Red Save? I was joined onstage by an All Star cast of panelists: Rick Wilson, Republican Political Strategist Asha Rangappa, CNN Legal & National Affairs Analyst Clare Malone, 538 Political Reporter Taegan Goddard, Political Wire Publisher This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, October 19, 2018
Richard Clarke: Democracy Is On the Ballot
The countdown to Midterms is on. With less than three weeks to go, many questions remain and the stakes couldn’t be higher. How high? According to my guest today, “the nature of our democracy is on the ballot.” I’m not sure I disagree.You may remember Richard Clarke for his 30 years in the U.S government, including 10 continuous years as a White House official, serving three consecutive presidents as Special Assistant to the President for Global Affairs, Special Adviser to the President for Cyberspace, and National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism.His first book, "Against All Enemies: Inside America’s War on Terror," was a New York Times #1 bestseller, and he has stood on the front lines warning us about the risks and realities of cyber attacks.Now he’s got a new outlet – a podcast (c’mon, who doesn’t have a podcast these days?) called Future State. The 10 episode run started last month and ends the day before the Midterms. Once you’re done listening to all of my podcasts, I really recommend listening to Clarke’s. I’m just kidding of course. You don’t have to listen to all of my conversations first. Just most of them.Clarke and I discussed the important news of the day – Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, and of course, cyber. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, October 12, 2018
Michael Lewis: Who’s Actually Running Our Government?
How do you make the most arcane, overlooked, eyes-glaze-over – and most critical – aspect of the U.S. government – interesting? How do you help folks understand that the so-called deep state – the parts of the bureaucracy that some people ignore and belittle – is actually vital to our safety, well-being and, frankly, our future?Simple: Have Michael Lewis write about.And now he has. In his new book, The Fifth Risk, goes inside several government departments – Energy, Agriculture, Interior, EPA – and reveals the truths that might seem funny if they weren’t so scary: Not only was the Trump Administration unprepared to run the government, the plan may have been crafted and executed by design. Want to shrink government? The easiest way is simply not to staff it.And why does this matter? Well, do natural disasters like hurricanes or fires matter? Is it important to find black market uranium before terrorists do? What if we no longer feed kids at school?Lewis does for government bureaucracy what he’s done for the unsung part of a football team’s offensive line, credit default swaps and a baseball executive’s approach to talent: He pulls it apart and exposes the fascinating, essential elements.Lewis does what no politician has taken the time – or, seemingly, has the ability to do: Make clear why government matters. Reagan famously said, “Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem." Maybe that’s because Reagan never read Michael Lewis’ new book. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Tue, October 02, 2018
Rebecca Traister: The Revolutionary Power of Women’s Anger
One thing is sure about the extraordinary, once-in-a-generation Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearing last week: There was a lot of anger in the room.Judge Brett Kavanaugh: Angry. Senator Lindsay Graham: Angry.But it might have been the anger outside the room that changed everything. You’ve seen the video – two women somehow got hold of Senator Jeff Flake in an elevator, and they unleashed: “Look at me when I’m talking to you,” one shouted. “Don’t look away from me!”For many, watching that scene felt uncomfortable – not just the cornering of a U.S. Senator. The scene of women getting mad in public. But for others, including author Rebecca Traister, the scene was a remarkable, appropriate and much-needed display of what they already knew: Women have been angry for a long time – in fact, very likely as long as there have been women.Most of the time, as Rebecca Traister wrote in Sunday’s NY Times, “female anger is discouraged, repressed, ignored, swallowed.” That time, Traister argues in her landmark, must-read new book “Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women’s Anger,” that time should be fully behind us.Keep your eyes open – something massive and important is happening again in America. The role and impact of women’s anger is evolving.The anger has always been there, of course. Even before Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Stanton and the women’s suffrage movement, there was Abigail Adams and others. We saw it in the 60s and 70s. We saw Anita Hill.But something new has been developing – through movements like #MeToo and new voices like Emma Gonzalez. And now, certainly, through Dr. Christine Blasey Ford.A note: I spoke with Rebecca last week, before the hearings occurred. But as you’ll hear, if you want to understand what’s happening – where we’ve been and where we’re going? Rebecca Traister is the one to explain. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Tue, September 25, 2018
Major Garrett: What’s It Like to Cover the Trump White House
Think your life is crazy? How’d you like to be a White House correspondent with Donald Trump in the Oval Office?After all, if your daily schedule doesn’t get turned around multiple times, you always could get cursed or threatened at a campaign rally. In fact, just 60 minutes before my conversation with CBS News Chief White House Correspondent Major Garrett began, news broke that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had resigned. Or was fired. Either way, he was gone. Then, 20 minutes after the recording, Rosenstein was back – and meeting with Trump later in the week to figure things out.It ’s a perfect example of what Major means and writes about in his terrific book “Mr. Trump's Wild Ride: The Thrills, Chills, Screams, and Occasional Blackouts of an Extraordinary Presidency.” The book itself is a great ride: Major is a professional storyteller. And as you’ll hear, he brings new details and drama to the events we all lived through. He brings the reality show to life: What’s it really like to cover Donald Trump? This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Tue, September 18, 2018
Doris Kearns Goodwin: Trolling Trump on Leadership
Doris Kearns Goodwin. Do I need to say more?Seven books; multiple New York Times’ best sellers; Pulitzer Prize. She is simply one of our nation’s great presidential historians.And Doris has spent much of her career studying four of the best – Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, and LBJ. Now she takes a new look at all of them through a lens that – as you’ll hear – feels as much a commentary about today as it does on history. It’s titled “Leadership in Turbulent Times.”Doris explores the early signs, growth, and active display of leadership for each of them, exploring not only the green shoots sprouting early in their lives, but also how that leadership took over during the key – if not most important – moments of their presidencies: Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation Teddy Roosevelt’s handling of the Great Coal Strike of 1902 FDR’s First Hundred Days LBJ and Civil Rights A great historian writes about yesterday, of course, but with a keen eye on today – making clear why earlier lessons, actions, and events help guide us in current times. Doris hits this one, too.It ’s impossible to read her book and not think about our current president. In fact, I asked her directly whether a book titled “Leadership in Turbulent Times” was an entire trolling of Trump himself. And she answered. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, September 07, 2018
David Kaplan: The Most Dangerous Branch of Government
How important has the Supreme Court become in American life? From gun rights to personal relationships, from money in politics to healthcare, whether it’s access to abortion, the voting booth or even our borders, the Supreme Court increasingly dominates how we work, live, and play – it defines, quite often, what kind of country we are. You could argue that it was the deciding factor for millions of voters in the last Presidential election – potentially the deciding factor in the election itself. And this week, of course – between anonymous New York Times op-eds and Bob Woodward book drops – the Senate held confirmation hearings for our likely next Justice, the one who many believe will turn this purple Court decidedly red for the next generation. How did this happen? In Alexander Hamilton’s words, the Court would be based “neither on force nor will, but merely judgment.” While the president “holds the sword” and Congress “commands the purse,” the court would be “the least dangerous branch.” How did it all change? How have we we’ve transitioned our toughest political issues into judicial ones? That's the question and American challenge that David A. Kaplan addresses in his new and outstanding book, “The Most Dangerous Branch: Inside the Supreme Court's Assault on the Constitution.” In writing the book, Kaplan talked with a majority of the sitting Justices – incredible access. He tracks the shifts, outlines how the Justices took more and more political power, and explains why that is flat out dangerous for our country. Also, as we discuss, Kaplan top-ticked it in terms of timing – who else has been able to perfectly time a Supreme Court book with a Supreme Court confirmation? Even if you don’t like his analysis, which I think you will, you’ve got to admire his commercial sense. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Thu, August 30, 2018
Michael D’Antonio and Peter Eisner: Who Is Mike Pence?
Who is Mike Pence? It seems strange, but more than two years after he entered our national stage, how much do you feel you know about the Vice President? He’s a man of faith – we know that… but what exactly does it mean? He has acted as something of an economic libertarian – he’s a favorite of the Koch Brothers. But again, what does that mean – and how does it connect with his religious beliefs? And then there’s his treatment of Donald Trump – George Will notably called Pence a “sycophantic poodle.” And we all remember the Cabinet roundtable in 2017 where Pence, as the Washington Post noted, offered “one expression of gratitude or admiration every 12 seconds” over three minutes of “impromptu praise.” How do these strands – faith, economics, and his exceptional handling of Donald Trump – come together? Who, in fact, is Mike Pence? That’s what Michael D’Antonio and Peter Eisner cover in their new biography “The Shadow President: The Truth About Mike Pence.” It’s an extraordinary and revealing story, tracing Pence from his youth in Columbus, IN through his religious awakening and political climb. It’s also an important story – Pence, of course, is a heartbeat away. About my guests: Michael D'Antonio is an author, journalist, and CNN commentator. He shared the 1984 Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting with a team of Newsday reporters and has written over a dozen books, including the 2015 biography The Truth About Trump. Peter Eisner has won national and international awards as a foreign correspondent, editor and reporter at The Washington Post, Newsday, and the Associated Press. He also was nominated for an Emmy in 2010 as a producer at PBS World Focus. As you’d expect from practiced storytellers, it was a terrific conversation. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Mon, August 20, 2018
Jason Kander: Lessons In Everyday Courage
Jason Kander has a lot going on.To begin, he’s running for mayor of Kansas City. For most of us, that would be a full-time job. But as you’ll hear, Jason Kander is most definitely not the rest of us. It’s not just that he can rebuild a combat weapon while blindfolded, as he proved in a 2016 political ad.It ’s also not simply that in reaction to 9/11, he did what only a few other brave and patriotic people did – volunteered for US military service and got himself sent to Afghanistan.It ’s not even the crazy volume of meaningful activity he sustains simultaneously — in addition to the Kansas City race, he started Let America Vote, a PAC that aims to end voter suppression across the U.S.; he hosts Majority 54, the Crooked Media-backed podcast that debuted at No. 1 when it launched last November; and now he’s written a new book, Outside the Wire: Ten Lessons I’ve Learned in Everyday Courage. As you’ll hear, the book is less about life lessors and more of a call to arms.Beyond that, what sets Jason apart — he connects with people. All kinds of people — including, as he describes in our conversation, ones who don’t agree with him on all the issues. Listen to Jason now… It surely won’t be the last you hear from him. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, August 10, 2018
Rick Wilson: A GOP Strategist on the 'Worst President Ever'
Rick Wilson doesn’t expect you to like him. For the last 30 years, Rick has been part of the underbelly of American politics: A self-described “Republican political strategist and infamous negative ad-maker.” And he’s done it for Republicans at all levels – state, local, & national, ranging from George H.W. Bush to Rudy Giuliani. As he says, he’s the one you called when you needed an attack. Not that feels his Democratic competitors were any better. But among them all, they helped make our politics nasty, bitter, angry, and mean. Now we have a divided country and Donald Trump is President. And Wilson – who, as you’ll hear, feels some guilt about the mess we’re in – is trying to do something about it. And he’s written all about it in his new book: Everything Trump Touches Dies: A Republican Strategist Gets Real About the Worst President Ever. If you’ve seen Rick on TV, you know he’s a live wire. Just this week Morning Joe had to use 7-second delay and literally mute one of his colorful rants. So, buckle up. In fact, one note about that in terms of this conversation: Some of the audio went haywire – Rick started to digitize with our internet connection. I let some of it go, because the guy delivers gold – I didn’t want to stop him. About halfway through I gave up on the Internet and called him on his landline, so definitely stay with it. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Sat, July 28, 2018
Catherine Rampell: What, Exactly, is Trumponomics?
The latest economic numbers are out, and by the time you hear this podcast, Donald Trump surely will have told us all why they are great, why tariffs work, and why this economy is the best ever.But you know better. Or at least Washington Post opinion columnist Catherine Rampell does. While we may have one or multiple months of strong GDP, the key question remains: Is that growth sustainable? And as she wrote, “Right now, under Trump’s policies, the answer looks like a big fat no.”So today my goal was to better understand Trumponomics, and whether bad economics might just be good politics.After all, we’re running up debt, collecting fewer taxes, destroying free trade, fighting with trade partners, implementing tariffs, and then bailing out farmers with $12 billion of handouts to pay for the results. As I seem to ask every week: What is going on?About Catherine Rampell: As you surely know, her columns focus on economics, public policy, politics and culture, with a special emphasis on data-driven journalism. Before the Post poached her, she previously wrote for the New York Times. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, July 20, 2018
Nicholas Burns: 'I Don’t Think He’s Fit for Office'
Well, that was quite a week. And no doubt, in the few hours between my recording this intro and when the podcast drops, another extraordinary week will have passed.How to make sense of it? To fashionably employ the double negative – it’s so good to see grammar finally get its due on the world stage – I don’t think it’s unfair to ask: Where are we as a nation?For guidance, I turned to former U.S. Ambassador and current professor at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, Nicholas Burns. Without exaggeration, I don’t think I could have found anyone better.A full rundown of his bio could be a podcast on its own. Just some highlights:· Served or participated under five presidents· U.S. Ambassador to NATO – including on 9/11 – and Greece· State Department Spokesman· National Security Council, where he held roles covering Russia, Ukraine, Eurasia Affairs, and the Soviet Union· Onsite service at the American Consulate General in Jerusalem and U.S. Embassies in Egypt and MauritaniaAnd don’t get me started on his 15 honorary degrees, Presidential Distinguished Service Award, Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service Award – all of which, I bet, Burns would rank below his true claim to fame: Life-long member of Red Sox Nation. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, July 13, 2018
Brian Abrams: Understanding Obama
It feels like a lifetime ago, I know. But so much of what’s happening today – the divides, anger, insults, policy realities – have emerged as a reaction to the Obama years. To understand today, it helps to understand what came before. Brian Abrams makes an important contribution to the process. Abrams specializes in oral histories – talking with key players and letting their words, almost exclusively, tell the story. Done well, this approachthoughtful narrative. That’s exactly what Abrams did his new book “Obama: An Oral History.” It’s a rare opportunity to relive and understand the Obama years, from the inside. Brian talked with many of the key players, Democrats and Republicans. He joined me for a terrific conversation – just what you’d expect from a great storyteller. I think you’ll like it. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, June 29, 2018
Dan Pfeiffer: What Comes Next for Democrats
So here’s the timeline: Two days ago, I spoke with Dan Pfeiffer. As you surely know, he’s President Obama's former communications director and senior advisor and co-host of a podcast you might have heard of: Pod Save America. Then yesterday, Dan’s new book -- Yes We (Still) Can: Politics in the Age of Obama, Twitter, and Trump – debuts at No. 1 on the New York Times best-seller list. Co-incidence? I’ll let you decide. All I can do is accurately portray the facts.The other thing I can do: Tell you that the book is a terrific read, and the conversation was even better. He’s got a great sense of humor. That comes out in the book, too.We also discussed the serious side of politics today: I asked Dan about Democratic messaging for the midterms and beyond – what should their message be and can they possible overcome all of the noise? As well: Who’s the elected Democrat who can best lead that narrative? We also discussed the ways in which he feels the Barack Obama’s election helped lead to Donald Trump. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, June 22, 2018
Steven Brill: The Fifty-Year Fall of America
In the face of jailing immigrant children, questions about capitalism amid tariffs and possible trade wars, and concerns about democracy as we reject western allies and warmly welcome authoritarians and dictators, a lot of us are wondering not just who are we, but also, how in the world did we get here?Steven Brill feels he has an answer.You likely know: Brill is a serial ideas entrepreneur. He founded, among other ventures, American Lawyer and Court TV. He has taken on some of our biggest issues and institutions – Law, Journalism, Healthcare, Schools. Now he’s at it again, and the topic is no less than the American decline.He has written it all down in “Tailspin: The People and Forces Behind America's Fifty-Year Fall--and Those Fighting to Reverse It”Tailspin is a vital and complicated story that Brill simplifies like this: About five decades ago, the core values that make America great began to bring America down.The story’s also complicated because, as you’ll hear, Brill himself is a beneficiary of the very system that seems to have gone haywire: Meritocracy. That well-meaning approach to success – where we all get judged by what we can do rather than from where we came – has been turned against itself. As the knowledge-based economy grew, those at the top have pulled up the ladders. We live, he argues, in a country of moats. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, June 15, 2018
Scott Jennings: What's Happening to the Republican Party?
For many on the right and left, the question has been “what’s happening to the GOP?” Free Trade? Gone. Budget deficits? No problem Free movement of labor? Not so much. Military war exercises? Who needs’em? Russia as outlaw state? How about Russia in the G8? I think a more fair – and probably more relevant question: What is the GOP?And frankly, the question comes more from the right than the left. Bob Corker basically asked it this week on the Senate floor. Conservative writers ask it in columns and tweets. GOP voters ask it, particularly as they primary established conservatives like South Carolina’s Mark Sanford and, perhaps, Alabama’s Martha Roby.Today I’ll ask it.Scott Jennings is a political strategist and co-founder of RunSwitch Public Relations in Kentucky. You’ve seen him on CNN, where he is resolutely polite and Republican. Among many roles: He served as Special Assistant to President George W. Bush and Deputy White House Political Director. He worked for Mitt Romney in 2012 and Jeb Bush in the last election. He also has worked on numerous campaigns for his home state Senator, Mitch McConnell. Just this spring he was a Fellow at Harvard’s Institute of Politics. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Tue, June 12, 2018
Harry Litman: Does President Trump Think He's a King?
Does President Trump think he’s a king?That was the provocative headline to a recent piece by Harry Litman, a former U.S. Attorney and Deputy Assistant U.S. Attorney General. Litman made his argument after reviewing the legal arguments made in that confidential 20-page memo sent by President Trump’s lawyers to the special counsel, Robert Mueller.I wanted to talk with Litman for many reasons, not least of which: He’s a Constitutional Law expert. We discussed other major legal questions, including Paul Manafort, leaks, and whether a president can pardon himself. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, June 01, 2018
Bill Browder: Vladimir Putin's Public Enemy No. 1
If you know Bill Browder's story already, you surely won’t mind hearing it again. It’s extraordinary. If you haven’t heard it before, get ready. Bill Browder very well may be Vladimir Putin’s public enemy No. 1. Why? Remember that “Hillary dirt” Russia meeting that Don Jr., Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort had with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya in June 2016 – the one the White House said was about Russian adoptions?As you’ll hear, “Russian adoptions” is code for the Magnitsky Act – legislation passed in 2012 that now blocks more than 40 Russian government officials and businesspeople from entering the U.S., froze their U.S. bank assets and banned them from accessing U.S. banking systems. Bill Browder is the force behind the Magnitsky Act.Everything about Browder’s story is made for a movie – His upbringing, professional career, and especially his life since an early-morning November 2009 phone call informed him that his lawyer, Sergei Magnitzky had been beaten to death by guards on a Russian prison floor.And as we know from the recent UK poisoning of that Russian ex-spy and his daughter – as well as various journalist killings – sitting in Putin’s crosshairs is, to put it mildly, an uncomfortable place. Just this week – after our conversation occurred, so we didn’t discuss it – Browder was briefly arrested in Spain on a Russian arrest warrant. Turned out the warrant had expired, and Browder was released. But the threat is always there. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, May 25, 2018
Gen. Michael Hayden: Trump's Assault on Intelligence
Of the many institutions that Donald Trump has attacked – Courts, Congress, media, political parties, diplomats, former Presidents – perhaps the most surprising and unnerving has been the relentless attacks on our intelligence community. Even before that second day in office – the one where he stood before the 117 stars honoring the CIA’s fallen and said we should’ve kept Iraq’s oil, claimed almost everyone in the room voted for him, and, of course, raved about the inauguration crowd size – even before all that, the attacks were there. Why does he do it? More importantly, what’s the impact on our country and our stability? Gen. Michael Hayden has written as thorough, thoughtful and complex an analysis as I’ve seen in his new book “The Assault on Intelligence: American National Security in an Age of Lies.” Gen. Hayden connects our Enlightenment Era roots, philosophy, history, science and our post-truth insanity with the mindfulness you’d expect from a former CIA Director. Oh, and his answer: A resounding nothing good. Hayden spoke frankly and directly, which shouldn’t surprise. He’s also a retired United States Air Force four-star general and former Director of the National Security Agency. He doesn’t mince words. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Sun, May 20, 2018
Amy Walter: Six Months Until Midterms… What Do We Know?
Can we talk politics? In the last weeks on this podcast, we’ve talked about racism, our shrinking diplomacy, the Mueller investigation, how democracies die, and more. But we ought not forget: it’s the political elections that deliver the policies that define our democracy. Not happy with how things are going? You might want to vote. Thrilled? Well, you may want to, also. So where’s our Midterm vote headed? Who’s up, who’s down, where’s the Blue Wave – and how much do particular candidates actually matter, or is all politics today really just about Donald Trump? Amy Walter is the person to talk to. Amy is National Editor of The Cook Political Report and simply one of best political journalists around. She’s the former ABC News Political Director. Her weekly column is must-read. When she’s not writing, you regularly see her on one of the television political shows. And now, starting in June, she’ll be Friday host of The Takeaway on WNYC. There’s no avoiding Amy. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Mon, May 07, 2018
Mitch Landrieu: A White Southerner Confronts History
Usually we drop these conversations on Friday mornings – you know, something to look forward to since the workweek excitement is about to end. But we’re posting this on Monday, May 7 because of my guest: It’s his last day as Mayor of New Orleans. Did you see the speech? It was about a year ago and New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu stood up and explained to his city and the nation, really, why he removed four statues that honored the Confederacy: Robert E. Lee; Jefferson Davis; P.G.T. Beauregard; and the Crescent City White League. In that speech, Landrieu took on race and inequality and history. He asked: “Why there are no slave ship monuments, no prominent markers on public land to remember the lynchings or the slave blocks; nothing to remember this long chapter of our lives; the pain, the sacrifice, the shame... all of it happening on the soil of New Orleans. So for those self-appointed defenders of history and the monuments, they are eerily silent on what amounts to this historical malfeasance, a lie by omission. There is a difference between remembrance of history and reverence of it.” It was a powerful 20 minutes, and if you haven’t watched it, you should. For a mayor who had so much else to be proud of – his city: New Orleans has rebuilt itself incredibly since Katrina; and his family: his father Moon Landrieu was New Orleans mayor and HUD Secretary under Jimmy Carter; his sister was a U.S. Senator – the speech brought Landrieu into the national conversation at a time when there was a lot of yelling and not much talking. Landrieu has written a book about the statues and race in America – it’s called “In the Shadow of Statues: A White Southerner Confronts History,” and it’s excellent. I spoke with Mayor Landrieu four days ago – before term limits meant he would give way to a new mayor. He was gracious with his time – and funny and thoughtful with his words. I asked him about the speech, the book, New Orleans, and of course the question everyone has about him: What about that running for President thing? This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, May 04, 2018
Ronan Farrow: Inside the War on Peace
Iran, North Korea, Syria, Brexit, Paris Agreement, China. Prime Minister Abe, Macron, Merkel, Xi, a fellow named Putin. At a time when U.S. foreign policy – when diplomacy itself – requires as much clarity and coordination and skill as it has in decades, ours has been going through – to put it diplomatically – a major transition.You know the headlines: Thousands of State Department positions unfilled. Budgets slashed. Tillerson fired. One day we have the world’s biggest button; the next, we’re ready to travel across the world for a summit with a leader who just months ago was a madman.How ’d we get here?That’s what Ronan Farrow has pieced together – through exceptional storytelling and just plain reporting – in his new book “War on Peace: The End of Diplomacy and the Decline of American Influence.” Farrow did the work, talking with every living Secretary of State. And what he’s pulled together is the story of not only the shrinking, but also the militarization, of U.S. foreign policy. And to be clear: It didn’t start with Trump.You might have heard of Farrow. He’s a bit ubiquitous and, if you ask me, extraordinary. He just won a share of the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for public service: his The New Yorker articles helped to uncover the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse allegations and played an important part in fueling the #MeToo movement. He has been a lawyer, diplomat, journalist, and a Rhodes Scholar. He worked in the Obama State Department as Special Adviser for Humanitarian and NGO Affairs in the Office of the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, among other roles.And as you’ll hear, he’s also extremely gracious, which is not a bad quality, even if you’re no longer a diplomat. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, April 27, 2018
Stuart Eizenstat: Taking Another Look at the Carter Years
Forget everything you think you know about President Jimmy Carter and get ready to ask yourself: Was he an ineffective, overwhelmed outsider who oversaw four of the worst years in our history… or, as my guest today argues, was Carter’s presidency one of the most consequential in modern history. I confess – I forgot just how much occurred during Carter’s four years – and how much of what he did set the stage for politics and policies today: Ideas like protecting the environment, putting human rights at the center of our foreign policy, energy conservation, the Middle East peace process, and perhaps most painful in today’s political ridiculousness: A post-Watergate President who ran for office on the promise that “I’ll never lie to the American people.” Say what you want about Carter; he kept that promise. But for all the success, Carter’s presidency is rarely hailed. He micromanaged. He tried to do too much. He ruined the economy. He oversaw gas lines in America – literally, lines of people in cars waiting to fill their gas tanks. Google it. And most terribly, he couldn’t free the American hostages from 444 days of captivity in Iran. So how should we consider Jimmy Carter’s presidency? Stu Eizenstat had a front row seat to it all. From 1969 to 1981, Eizenstat worked for peanut farmer, governor, candidate, and President Carter, ultimately as his chief White House domestic policy adviser. Eizenstat has written an historical take on Carter’s four years as President – one that Stu himself says is largely positive, yes, but doesn’t shy away from harsh criticism, too. As Stu writes: “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore. He was not a great president, but he was a good and productive one.” More on Stu: Before the Carter years, he had worked as a very young man in the LBJ administration. After Carter, he served as US Ambassador to the European Union and then Deputy Secretary of the Treasury under Bill Clinton. He has been a powerful presence internationally, and was awarded high civilian awards from the governments of France (Legion of Honor), Germany, Austria, and Belgium, as well as from Secretary of State Warren Christopher, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, and Secretary of the Treasury Lawrence Summers. He now heads the international practice at Covington & Burling. His exceptional book gives insight and context to every crisis and challenge of the 1970s… We talked about many of them – most relevant for today, I asked him about how much of what Carter did is being attacked by Trump and Trump’s own approach to the Presidency. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, April 13, 2018
Asha Rangappa: How Will the Mueller Investigation End?
How will it end?For any of us following the Mueller investigation -- hanging on the latest leaks around the mood inside the White House and who might get fired or not fired – the wonder of what’s next is relentless. The possibilities seem endless.That’s why for many of us, we’re getting a crash course in Constitutional Law – indeed in our Constitution itself – seeing in real time how and whether our government works.What happens if Robert Mueller gets fired? Can he be? What about Rod Rosenstein? What does a Constitutional crisis look like – what does it mean?No need to worry – Asha Rangappa can explain. You likely know, Asha is a frequent CNN contributor and senior lecturer at Yale’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, where she teaches National Security Law and related courses. But as you’ll hear, Asha’s personal story is extraordinary and would make for a fascinating conversation on just its own: Asha is the Indian-American daughter of immigrants and speaks fluent Spanish. She was a Fulbright scholar and took that opportunity to Bogota, Colombia – where else, right? There Asha studied Colombian constitutional reform and its impact on U.S. drug policy. After Yale law school, she clerked in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in San Juan, Puerto Rico.Following that stint, Asha went on to do what any Princeton & Yale graduating, Fulbright-winning, Federal Court clerking person would: She joined the FBI as a Special Agent and later served as Associate Dean at Yale Law School.Sorry, I realize you likely now feel lousy about yourself. So do I. To make it worse, as you’ll hear in our conversation, Asha’s also really funny and smart and totally personable. I hate her. But I do think you’ll love the podcast. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Mon, April 09, 2018
Jennifer Palmieri: Who Will Be the First Woman President?
Why is Hillary Clinton not the first woman President?Many people, political types, historians and sociologists will consider that question for many years to come. But besides Hillary Clinton herself, the people who surely must think about it most are the ones who worked with her for years and during the campaign.Jennifer Palmieri is one of them.You may know: Palmieri was Director of Communications for Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. Previously she served as President Obama’s White House Director of Communications, National Press Secretary for the 2004 John Edwards presidential campaign and for the Democratic National Committee in 2002. She also was Deputy White House Press Secretary under Bill Clinton.That’s quite a history in politics, but Jennifer hasn’t written a strictly political book. Instead she’s written – based on the campaign, certainly – a compelling and important reflection on the future. And it’s excellent.The book is “Dear Madam President: An Open Letter to the Women Who Will Run the World,” and it’s already a New York Times best-seller. Palmieri wrote it in the form of a letter – addressed to the future first woman President, whoever she may be.Palmieri considers it all – history, gender bias, campaign mistakes, Donald Trump – and offers advice to the girls and women who, as she puts it, will run the world.Why is this book breaking through? There’s no bitterness. More importantly, it’s incredibly reflective. Palmieri writes not only about political life, but also what she’s learned through death – specifically, her sister Dana and her friend and wife of her former boss, Elizabeth Edwards.In a time of #MeToo and even #EnoughisEnough, the result is a really thoughtful story that captures our times and provides clear insights about the future. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, March 30, 2018
Rick Hasen: How Antonin Scalia was the Donald Trump of the Supreme Court
Perhaps this is how the Framers wanted it, but has there ever been a time where more issues with the potential to more deeply divide us – has there ever been a time where more of them seemed so likely to head to the same place: The U.S. Supreme Court? I’m talking about the 2nd Amendment, and the inevitable gun rights issues surely to come out of the growing #enoughisenough movement. I’m talking about gerrymandering, the crazy geographical games that determine who sits in our state legislatures and Congress – that’s already in front of the Justices. And, lurking there in the distance, the potential biggest of them all: Can a sitting President be indicted? And yet, more and more, the U.S. Supreme Court feels less like a beacon of neutrality and more like yet another politicized branch of the U.S. government. How’d we get here? As you’ll hear in my conversation with Rick Hasen, the person we might want to thank for that isn’t even here anymore: Antonin Scalia. Rick Hasen is the Chancellor's Professor of Law and Political Science at the University of California, Irvine. He also runs the Election Law Blog. His latest book is: “The Justice of Contradictions: Antonin Scalia and the Politics of Disruption.” Hasen presents a new view of Scalia – not a political one – but a critical one, looking at how this strict originalist – this justice who argued that the Constitution’s meaning can be found through the original words – may not always have practiced what he preached. More directly: Hasen also argues, as you’ll hear, that Scalia was the Donald Trump – or the Newt Gingrich – of the Court. He was the ultimate disrupter, and much of the politicization the Court faces today traces directly to Scalia himself. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, March 23, 2018
David Wasserman: The House Outlook for 2018
For the last several weeks, regular listeners will know that I’ve been pretty focused on the state of our democracy. We all need to pay attention. At the heart of democracy, of course, is elections… and so today we get to focus on the politics and probabilities and look ahead to the big vote this fall: The midterm elections.Midterms always have a story to tell, of course, and most frequently though not always, it’s not a good one for the party in power. This year, with the early indicators -- special elections, Presidential approval ratings and generic ballots – pointing to Democrats’ strength, we wanted to find out: How likely is that Blue Wave to becoming reality.Specifically, can Democrats really flip the House?And if you want to talk about district by district voting for the U.S. House of Representatives, it’s hard to find anyone better or more plugged in than David Wasserman, U.S. House editor for Cook Political Report. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Thu, March 15, 2018
Michael Isikoff and David Corn: The Inside Story of Putin's War on America
With the daily headlines on Russia – Nunes memos, Mueller indictments, Trump denials, continual cable TV panels – it’s easy to miss a powerful and – as it turns out, complicated – question: How did Russia happen? How did we get here?For many of us, the so-called “Russia story” started in 2015 with Donald Trump. It continued with Paul Manafort and Carter Page and WikiLeaks and, of course, picked up steam with Internet Bots and cyber war and what we now know is a continuing massive, coordinated attack on our democracy – on our very way of life.But as with any major attack, these things don’t just appear out of nowhere. Sometimes, like 9/11, the signs were there and once missed, create the opportunity for something much, much worse.So how did Russia occur? What happened during Trump’s campaign – and since? And how has all of that come together to put Trump and us in the situation – the divided democracy – we all now face?That’s the incredible road map and story put together by two of our country’s leading investigative journalists, Michael Isikoff and David Corn in their new book: “RUSSIAN ROULETTE: The Inside Story of Putin's War on America and the Election of Donald Trump.”You know them both. Michael and David are longtime award-winning reporters and analysts. Michael is chief investigative correspondent for Yahoo News. Previously, he was an investigative correspondent for NBC as well as a staff writer for Newsweek and the Washington Post. Isikoff has written two best-sellers. David is the Washington bureau chief for Mother Jones magazine, MSNBC analyst, and author of three New York Times bestsellers. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, March 09, 2018
Chris Whipple: How the Trump White House Is the Most Dysfunctional Ever
I’ve just got one thing to say: Thank goodness for John Kelly! I bet that’s not the one thing you expected me to say. But here’s why:With Kelly so much in the news – for the Rob Porter disaster, inexplicable non-existent security clearances, insulting the congresswoman who supported a gold-star widow from Georgia, his supposed role as a so-called “adult in the room” – for all those reasons and more, people are actually aware of and talking about what is arguably the most important White House job after, of course, the top one: Chief of Staff.I mean before Kelly, if I wanted you to turn off this podcast right now, I’d tell you that today I talked with the author of a book positioned as the ultimate analysis of the historical role of the Chief of Staff to the President of the United States.But that characterization vastly shortchanges the appeal and importance of Chris Whipple’s outstanding book “The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency.” After all, do you realize how much of a political junkie you have to be to care about the tactical approach of Hamilton Jordan or Mack McLarty or Ken Duberstein?This book is so much more than that. This book is less a “how to” than a “how it happened.” It’s story telling theater. Political inside baseball at the high and low points of history. It’s a fun and fascinating read. It’s also a work of history.You ’re there when Ronald Reagan opens the door of his Pacific Palisades home two days after the 1980 election and warmly welcomes his former political enemy James Baker as his new Chief of Staff. You’re there when Chief of Staff Donald Rumsfeld gets Gerald Ford to let him hire his new deputy, despite the two DWI arrests that young Dick Cheney had.And most relevant to right now: You’ll hear some thoughtful analysis about why – in Chris Whipple’s opinion having studied four decades of how White Houses both function and fail – why the Trump White House is, in his words, the most dysfunctional in history. As you may know, Whipple is the guy who got the first on the record interview with Reince Priebus after Priebus left the White House.Whipple brings these incredible historical moments to life, making them feel like little movies. Which makes sense, because making movies is a big part of what Whipple does for a living.Whipple is a writer, journalist, documentary filmmaker, and speaker. A multiple Peabody and Emmy Award-winning producer at CBS's 60 Minutes and ABC's Primetime, he is the chief executive officer of CCWHIP Productions. Most recently, he was the executive producer and writer of Showtime's The Spymasters: CIA in the Crosshairs. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Tue, February 20, 2018
Steve Coll: Inside America's Secret Wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan
About 13 years ago, I climbed on the bandwagon and, like lots of other folks, read several books to better understand our history in Afghanistan and Iraq and with Al Quaeda — how we got into the mess and, maybe how we’d get out.You may recall – it was a bit of a golden age of reporting and writing. Among them: “The Looming Tower” by Lawrence Wright; “Fiasco,” by Thomas Ricks; “Imperial Life In The Emerald City,” by Rajiv Chandrasekaran; “The Places in Between,” Rory Stewart’s crazy story of walking across Afghanistan, as well as his follow-up "The Prince of Marshes." But the first one I read has long stayed with me, and set the context for the all the others to come: That was the Pulitzer prizewinning “Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001” by Steve Coll.“Ghost Wars” outlined the CIA’s secret history in Afghanistan, the Taliban’s rise, the emergence of Osama bin Laden, and the failed efforts by U.S. forces to find and assassinate him in Afghanistan. It ends the day before 9/ 11.Now , finally, Steve Coll is back on the beat. His new book is "Directorate S: The C.I.A. and America's Secret Wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan.” It tells the story of America's intelligence, military, and diplomatic efforts to defeat Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan since 9/11.The book is as powerful and relevant and urgent as Ghost Wars was. It mixes details and insights and analysis that, once again makes plain — in painful ways — what happened after those planes hit the World Trade Center.More about Steve Coll — somehow, writing some of the most important books on our most important foreign policies is not all he does. Coll’s day job is serving as Dean of the Columbia School of Journalism. He is also a staff writer at The New Yorker, author of seven books, and a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner. There’s a lot more, but you get the idea. That’s also why at the end of our talk, I picked up on my conversation last week with Harvard professors Steve Levitsky & Daniel Ziblatt. They wrote the outstanding “How Democracies Die.” My question for journalism Dean Coll, rather than the author: How does democracy work with people who think facts are alternative facts, that real news is fake news? How does it work with people who believe anything – or nothing at all? This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, February 09, 2018
How Democracies Die
I might not have a more important political conversation this year than the one I just had with Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt. You’ll be tempted to look at the title of their book How Democracies Die and – particularly if you sit on the left side of things – think that it’s purely about President Trump. It’s not. Yes, of course, it covers Trump. Specifically, by looking at authoritarians across continents and throughout history, the authors outline four key indicators of Authoritarian Behavior. And, many of you may not be surprised – they find that candidate and President Trump has infringed on all four. But what you’ll also see – more clearly and ominously – is what we might call the Great Softening. What you’ll see is that the weakening of our democracy began long before Donald Trump came down his Trump Tower escalator in 2015 and announced his candidacy. Quite simply, this book will change the way you look at the last 40 years, daily events, our country, and even democracy itself. If you love democracy, you will love this book. Some background: Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt are Professors of Government at Harvard. Levitsky’s research interests include political parties, authoritarianism and democratization, and weak and informal institutions, with a focus on Latin America. Ziblatt’s interests include democratization, state-building, comparative politics, and historical political economy. His focus is on European political development. Together they’ve spent more than twenty years studying the breakdown of democracies around the globe – places like Germany, Italy, Chile, Venezuela, Peru, among others. Now, as you’ll hear, much to their own surprise, our country has become their laboratory. I should add that if you love democracy, this book also might worry you. While the authors make clear that American institutions are incredibly strong – and, indeed, to date they have held up – you’ll also see how things can change and how they can go south. Our days for taking democracy for granted are gone. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Wed, January 31, 2018
Peter Enns: Where Polls Live Forever
If you’ve ever wondered: Where do public polls go to die, today we bring you the answer: They don’t. They live on forever at the Roper Center. One of the things I love most about doing this podcast is the opportunity to talk with incredibly smart people in fields where, under normal circumstances, our paths might not cross. I just finished talking with one of them. Peter Enns is Executive Director of The Roper Center at Cornell University, where he is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Government. The amount of data housed at the Roper Center will blow your mind: It’s the largest public opinion archive in the world with some 25,000 public opinion polls and nearly every survey question ever asked in the U.S. – more than 700,000 of them. And as you’ll hear from Peter, this matters for all kinds of reasons, perhaps most importantly to give us a clearest possible sense of how American views have evolved – in big ways and really nuanced ways – over time on our biggest issues: Immigration, criminal justice, religion, politics, and more. We discussed all of these. More background on Peter. His personal specialty is criminal justice. He’s author of “Incarceration Nation: How the United States Became the Most Punitive Democracy in the World.” He also received a 2017 Emerging Scholar Award from the American Political Science Association, which is presented to the top scholar in the field within ten years of her or his doctorate. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Tue, January 23, 2018
David Cay Johnston: Political Termites
Investigative Reporter David Cay Johnston documents President Trump’s first year in office and explains why “It’s Even Worse Than You Think: What the Trump Administration Is Doing to America.” This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Mon, December 18, 2017
McKay Coppins: What Is God's Plan for Mike Pence?
McKay Coppins, Staff Writer at The Atlantic, joins Chris to discuss religion and politics, and his recent piece: "God’s Plan for Mike Pence." If we want to understand just how divided the country is – and if we want to consider whether it will ever be repaired – we better dig deeper into the role of religion and politics. One question: How do evangelicals today reconcile their true beliefs and politics? This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, December 08, 2017
Chris Matthews: Looking at Today's Politics Through the Perspective of RFK
First, where to begin? Roy Moore? Al Franken? Tax bill? Jerusalem? Government shutdown? Russia? The pace of politics is relentless – fatiguing, really – so you need someone of relentless energy to talk about politics with. And few have more relentless energy than Chris Matthews. But these times also call out for perspective and context. What in the world is going on? To many of us, it feels like there’s an all-out war – on decency, good behavior, justice – even democracy. What does history have to say? And how many people can bring a better historical context to politics than Chris Matthews? Finally, the more out of control 2017 becomes, the more fascinated I’ve become with revisiting 1968. I keep wanting to consider how the conflict and anger and uncertainty of that year not only compares to what we’re experiencing today – but also, what can we learn from it? Chris Matthews helps here, too. So let’s talk bio: If you only know him from cable television, you might not realize Chris’ full background: Matthews began his time on Capitol Hill as a cop, briefly working for the United States Capitol Police. He worked for four Democratic members of Congress, including 6 years as chief of staff to one of the giants – House Speaker Tip O’Neill. Matthews also served as a speech writer under President Jimmy Carter, though that’s far from his only writing: 8 books, 13 years as Washington Bureau Chief for the San Francisco Examiner, and then columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle. Even if you know none of that, you surely know that he’s host of MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews. And now, most recently, he’s an author again, this time of “Bobby Kennedy: A Raging Spirit.” It’s not his first book about the Kennedy’s – he’s written two on JFK – but this one is different: “The endurance of the idea of “Bobby” is,” writes Matthews, “because he stood for the desire to right wrongs that greatly mattered then and which continue to matter every bit as much in the 21st century. Let me state that more starkly – now more than ever.” Indeed. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Wed, November 22, 2017
Charlie Cook: Is There a Democratic Wave Coming In 2018?
It’s only a slight exaggeration that there is nothing in the political world that Charlie Cook can’t analyze, clarify or explain. Which is good news, because we had plenty to cover, starting with the Cook Political Report’s Midterm analysis. The report -- Political Environment and Congressional Breakdown Charts – is available only to Charlie’s subscribers. But he went into the details with me. I also asked Charlie about a recent piece he wrote – one with a headline sure to excite Democrats and frustrate Republicans: A Democratic Wave is Forming Off the Political Coast.What does the wave look like? And how will we know whether it’s real or just wishful thinking for Americans who need some political good news?Then near the end of the conversation, I asked Charlie about what I think is the issue our time – our great political divide. Charlie has a deep historical perspective. As you’ll hear, he’s been doing this for a while. And when he talks about what he sees going on in the country, multiple axis of divide, you can hear the anguish in his voice. It was pretty powerful. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Mon, November 13, 2017
Preet Bharara: How to Flip a Witness
I just finished talking with former U.S. Attorney and current podcast/analysis/and media star Preet Bharara. He claims to be a rookie at this whole media thing, but if you’ve listened to his top rated podcast “Stay Tuned with Preet,” you know that’s what someone in the law enforcement business might graciously call “pretext.” The guy’s a pro. Our conversation covered the topics you would expect – Russia, President Trump, flipping witnesses – and some you might not – like what was that Senate staffer (the one who looks an awful lot like Preet Bharara) thinking 10 years ago, when a recently-fired US attorney described the political pressure on the U.S. justice system – and the discomfort of receiving phone calls at home from top elected U.S. officials? And how might that experience have prepared Preet when he got his own phone calls 10 years later? You surely know Preet’s bio: Chief counsel to Senator Schumer, Assistant and then U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of NY. And now host of Stay Tuned with Preet, Executive Vice President of Some Spider Studios, Distinguished Scholar in Residence at NYU Law School. But before we begin, I want to tell you about our show’s sponsor, The Cook Political Report. What can we learn from the recent elections? What effect is President Trump having inside both parties? And what’s in store for next year’s Congressional campaigns? People who want to stay ahead of the curve turn to The Cook Political Report. With good reason. For 30 years, the Report has nailed the nation’s most important election outcomes and political trends. CBS News’ Bob Schieffer called it, “the Bible of American politics.” Nate Silver noted, “Few political analysts have a longer track record of success than the tight-knit team that runs the Cook Political Report.” Little wonder the New York Times called it "a newsletter that both parties regard as authoritative."People who make it their business to know politics, make it their business to subscribe to The Cook Political Report. Just go to cookpolitical.com to sign up.And one other item before my conversation with Preet. I want to repeat an ask that I’ve been making on these podcasts: I hope you like these conversations. If so, I’d appreciate if you’d take a moment, go to iTunes, and, if you’re so moved, leave a 5-star review. The ratings really matter. As always though, if you don’t like the conversations, please forget I ever mentioned it.That’s it. Here’s my conversation with Preet Bharara. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Wed, October 04, 2017
Rep. Jim Jordan: "Just Ask Me"
So a couple of weeks ago, I saw Rep. Jim Jordan – Republican from Ohio’s 4th congressional district – say something on TV that I feel I see our politicians say all the time and I never believe: Call me.Rep. Jordan was reacting to something that had been written about him, something he said was flat out wrong. If you want to know what I think, he said, just ask me.So I did. And Rep. Jordan kept his word… this podcast is the result. Specifically, I wanted to ask the Freedom Caucus Congressman about two main issues – the budget and tax reform plans. I wanted to ask him about Republican leadership and any tensions within the Republican Party. And given the Las Vegas tragedy, I wanted to ask him about that, too – not to have a gun control debate… that’s for another podcast – but to ask him the straightforward question that’s on my mind and, I know, on the minds of many others: Is there any role government can play in helping prevent the proliferation of these mass murders?Rep. Jordan took on all of my questions, which I guess is what one should expect from a two-time NCAA wrestling champion – a fellow who won one of his titles by defeating a future two-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist and four-time world champion.Before we begin though, I want to repeat an ask that I’ve been making on these podcasts: I hope you like these conversations. If so, I’d appreciate if you’d take a moment, go to iTunes, and, if you’re so moved, leave a 5-star review. The ratings really matter. As always though, if you don’t like the conversations, please forget I ever mentioned it.That’s it. Here’s my conversation with Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio… This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Tue, October 03, 2017
Jason Altmire: A Former Congressman Explains Our Divided Country
So this is tough one. I just finished speaking with former Congressman Jason Altmire. He has written a new book that I really hope you read. It captures exactly what most of us hope for, but also seems like a ridiculous long shot at the moment: That somehow our divided country will come together around policy and politics. Congressman Altmire’s new book is "Dead Center: How Political Polarization Divided America, and What We Can Do About It." Some background: From 2007-13, Altmire represented PA’s 4th district – that’s in the south-central part of the state. However, he lost his seat when it got redistricted for the 2012 vote. While in Congress, Altmire practiced what he preached – at one point the National Journal calculated his voting record to be at the exact midpoint of the House -- the Dead Center -- giving him the most centrist voting record in Congress. Altmire argues that’s part of what did him in – but it’s also our way out of this mess. As I said, it’s a tough one. In a world of repeal & replace and delayed Puerto Rico hurricane relief and NFL national anthem divide and travel bans and tax cut debate and false “both sides” parallelism and rampant “Whataboutism” and Presidential popular votes don’t align with electoral vote results – I could keep going – there doesn’t seem to be an immediate path for the center to rise. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t discuss it. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be really clear about what got us into this mess and what it might take to get us out. That’s what former Congressman Altmire has done with his book, and as you’ll hear, that’s what he does in his conversation with me. Before we begin though, I want to repeat an ask that I’ve been making on these podcasts – from me to you: I hope you like these conversations. If so, I’d appreciate if you’d take a moment, go to iTunes, and, if you’re so moved, leave a 5-star review. The ratings really matter. As always though, if you don’t like the conversations, please forget I ever mentioned it. That’s it. Here’s my conversation with former Congressman Jason Altmire. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Wed, September 20, 2017
David Litt: My Hopey, Changey White House Years
It turns out the key to a great conversation: Book a comedy-writing presidential speechwriter as your guest. That’s what we have for you today. David Litt worked in the Barack Obama White House as Special Assistant to the President and senior presidential speechwriter. Those are awfully formal titles, and David seems like he’s anything but awfully formal. What he is is awfully funny. And smart. He wrote many of President Obama’s funniest bits – from Correspondent Dinner speeches to his Happy 90th Birthday shout out to actress Betty White. David also knows policy, and wrote serious speeches on issues like immigration and race. To mangle a line from David’s book where he’s describing someone else: He’s the speechwriting equivalent of a two-way player. David is now Head Writer and Producer for Funny or Die’s Washington DC office. But more immediately and relevant to David’s personal interests, he is author of the new book: Thanks, Obama: My Hopey, Changey White House Years, A Speechwriter’s Memoir. It’s a great read, and you will really like the book. Here’s why: First, it’s funny. But, the guy’s a comedy writer. I’m not gonna lie – I expected it to be funny. A book by a comedy writer better be funny. But more than funny, the book reveals David’s stories – his sharp eye – about the White House and President Obama. Not look-at-me-saving-democracy-and-the-future-of-the-world stories. Human stories. I came away from the book feeling like I understood working in the White House and President Obama better. Finally, and I asked David about this, his book and David himself are not cynical in the least about the positive role government can play and the high honor that comes from working in public service. At a time when cynicism seems to know no bounds – especially about government and politics – it was really nice to read a book by someone who knows government isn’t perfect, but it’s a cause worth joining. Before I begin with David, I want to repeat an ask that I’ve been making on these podcasts – from me to you: I hope you like these conversations. If so, I’d appreciate if you’d take a moment, go to iTunes, and, if you’re so moved, leave a 5-star review. The ratings really matter. As always though, if you don’t like the conversations, please forget I ever mentioned it. That’s it. Here’s my conversation with David Litt. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Sat, July 22, 2017
Joshua Green: Steve Bannon, Donald Trump, and the Storming of the Presidency
If you’re going to read one book on politics this summer vacation, the word is out: Devil’s Bargain – Steve Bannon, Donald Trump, and the Storming of the Presidency is the one. The book is by Josh Green, Senior National Correspondent for Bloomberg Businessweek, and if you believe what Politico reports, the book has President Trump livid. To be clear, as you’ll hear, Josh is just fine with that. You’ll love this conversation. Josh is a great storyteller and a funny guy – Back stories on Steve Bannon, the Trump campaign, Jeff Sessions, Rebekah Mercer. We talked about all of them. Before we begin with Josh, a quick ask from me to you: I hope you like these conversations. If so, I’d appreciate if you’d take a moment, go to iTunes, and, if you’re so moved, leave a 5-star review. The ratings really matter. As always though, if you don’t like the conversations, please forget I ever mentioned it. And one last word about the conversation – when I caught Josh, he was on a cell phone in a Washington D.C. area garage, so the audio is mostly good, but the content is excellent. I forgot to ask Josh if he was in the garage meeting a new Deep Throat. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, July 21, 2017
Graham Allison: Are the U.S. and China Headed for War?
That’s the provocative, timely, and somewhat scary question posed by one of America’s great authorities on international affairs: Harvard’s Graham Allison. Allison looks at the rising tensions between the two global competitors through a 2500-year lens in his new, important book: “Destined for War: Can America and China escape Thucydides’s Trap.” Don’t worry, Allison explains it very clearly, but it’s centered on a central principal that has resulted in 12 wars over the last 500 years: Situations when a rising power threatens to displace a ruling one. Indeed, on the one hand, from trade to North Korea and beyond, the U.S. and China seem to need each other. And yet on the other hand, from trade to North Korea and beyond, the two powers often seem at each others throats. Remember President Trump’s tweet from just a few weeks ago, and just months after the two leaders met and dined on chocolate cake at Mar-a-Lago: “Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!” Prof. Allison and I had a terrific, really interesting conversation. We talked about China, the U.S., North Korea, each country’s leader, the Peloponnesian War, and, simply because I couldn’t pass up the chance, a tongue-in-cheek beef I’ve had with the professor for many years. Suffice to say – we’re all good. As background, and in case you don’t know, Graham Allison is the Douglas Dillon Professor of Government at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and the Former Director of Harvard's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. He served as Assistant Secretary of Defense in the first Clinton Administration and Special Advisor to the Secretary of Defense under President Reagan. Professor Allison also has sole distinction of having twice been awarded the Department of Defense's highest civilian award, the Distinguished Public Service Medal, first by Secretary Cap Weinberger and second by Secretary Bill Perry. He served as a member of the Defense Policy Board for Secretaries Weinberger, Carlucci, Cheney, Aspin, Perry, Cohen, and Carter. He currently serves on the Advisory boards of the Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, and the Director of the CIA. And he’s written four books. Believe me, I could keep going on about Prof. Allison’s biography, but that’s enough. One last note: An ask, from me to you. I hope you like these conversations. If so, I’d appreciate if you’d take a moment, go to iTunes, and, if you’re so moved, leave a 5-star review. The ratings really matter. Of course, if you don’t like the conversations, please forget I ever mentioned it. Ok, no more bios or asks. Here’s my conversation with Graham Allison. I really think you’ll like it. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.
Thu, June 08, 2017
Al Franken: "I freed up the funny"
So where do you start a conversation with U.S. Senator Al Franken? There’s so much to discuss. Russia investigations? President Trump? Congressional Hearings? Health Care? Which is why we started with the obvious: The Grateful Dead. He’s a big fan. But don’t worry. We quickly moved off the Dead and to the policies and politics that matter today. As Sen. Franken makes clear: That’s why he says this is the best job he’s ever had. You surely know some or all of Sen. Franken’s biography. You know he was an original and long-standing member of Saturday Night Live. You know he made a living for decades by being one of the funniest people in America. You likely know he became – by the smallest of margins and several months after everyone else got sworn in – a U.S. Senator in 2009. And you may know that he’s written a new book titled the way any modest kid from Minnesota would title it: Al Franken, Giant of the Senate. But even if you know all of Sen. Franken’s background or just a small part or, somehow, none at all – read the book. Unless you’re Ted Cruz. Then don’t read the book, because there’s stuff in there about you that you might not enjoy. But if you’re not Ted Cruz, read it. It’s really good. It’s moving. It’s funny. And it tells the traditional American tale of the kid who wanted to be a comedian and did. And then he became a Senator. Cliched, I realize, but give it a chance. Here’s my conversation with Al Franken. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Sat, May 20, 2017
Sidney Blumenthal: 'Wrestling with His Angel'
I just finished talking with Sidney Blumenthal, and I know, depending on which cable network you prefer, he’s someone you already likely either love or hate. But I’m telling you, regardless of where you fall, you’re really going to like this conversation. We spoke because Sidney has a new book, and it’s excellent – It’s “Wrestling With His Angel: The Political Life of Abraham Lincoln Vol. II, 1849-1856.” He has two more volumes to go, and wait until you hear about his process. It was not what I thought it would be. The book isn’t just a fascinating look back at our President to be living in one of the most compelling, dangerous times in our history The book also is incredibly, almost scarily, relevant today. A divided country. Intense fights over “popular sovereignty,” also known as states’ rights. Incredibly charged personalities – some of the most influential and divisive we’ve seen – people like Jefferson Davis, Stephen Douglas, Henry Clay, Daniel Webster. And then there is Lincoln himself. Blumenthal describes this as Lincoln’s time in the wilderness, where he reads and thinks and, yes, follows politics intensely. This is the time when the coming American icon develops an extraordinary level of self-discipline. You can hardly hear that description of a future U.S. President without thinking about today. And as for Trump… yes, we talked about him, too. And about Hillary Clinton. And confidential information. I came away from this book and conversation with an overwhelming thought. One for which we should not need reminding, but in case we do, here it is: Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it. As for Sidney Blumenthal’s biography. He’s been on the political scene for so long, that you might not know the details. He is or has been: • Assistant & Senior Advisor to the President Bill Clinton • Senior Advisor to Hillary Clinton • Writer, journalist, editor at Washington Post, The New Yorker, The New Republic • Author of 11 books • Executive producer of Academy Award and Emmy award winning Taxi to the Dark Side, a documentary that explored the American military's use of torture by focusing on the unsolved murder of an Afhgani taxi driver. But we started the conversation by talking about his book. Let’s get to it: This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Tue, April 11, 2017
Tom Walker (a.k.a. Jonathan Pie): Political satire in the Trump era
Today Tom Walker is going to set you straight on politics, liberalism, free speech, and more. Who’s Tom Walker? You might know him better as Jonathan Pie, the liberal British “newscaster” – and that’s in quotes – who keeps getting surreptitiously filmed talking off-camera to his producer Tim, who’s back at the studio. Here’s the YouTube video he posted 2 days after the Trump election. By Walker’s count it’s been shown in various formats more than 100MM times. A quick warning: This Jonathan Pie loves to curse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLG9g7BcjKs As you clearly can tell from that clip, Walker is a classically trained actor whose sights were always set on Shakespeare rather than political satire. Truly. Here’s the backstory: For years, Walker was a struggling actor right out of central casting. He waited tables. Worked odd jobs. Took the acting roles he could. Then about two years ago, it happened. A character, a fast-talking, foul-mouthed, frequently-frustrated newscaster named Jonathan Pie was born. Pie – or Tom – takes on the right and the left, but generally the left. He comes at them as one of their own, as you’ll hear in our conversation. Pie – or Tom – is disappointed and angry at the hypocrisies he sees – such as, liberals who should fully support free speech, but instead try to shut down so-called offensive ideas and look to safe spaces for shelter. For example, here was Pie on university students and the censoring of free speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOc7ezwcJjI So what makes Jonathan Pie work? We’re clearly in a new age of political satire. From Pie to John Oliver to Samantha Bee and beyond, this generation combines research, insight and cutting humor with the Internet and digital distribution to build huge audiences while revealing social ills and political truths. It’s really good work, and really popular. Walker’s audiences are growing exponentially, and he just finished a big UK tour with a show at the Palladium. You can check it all out at jonathanpie.com or follow him on Twitter @jonathanpienews. I caught up with Tom the other day as he was about to check out of his Los Angeles hotel room – his first trip to the states. You’re really going to like this conversation – a wonderful journey by a previously non-political actor from the English countryside who’s become the one thing he never imagined: One of the top political satirists around. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, March 03, 2017
Garry Kasparov: Why Trump Will Lose Playing Putin’s Dangerous Game
What went on – and is going on – with Russia and the U.S., or more specifically, Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump? DNC hacking; the President’s continually positive characterizations of Putin; former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn; new questions around Attorney General Jeff Sessions – and calls for him to recuse himself from any investigations… the list goes on. And while the facts continue to trickle out, the overall context becomes increasingly relevant – including Russia’s apparent goals to create chaos in various democracies around the world. And few people in the world are better positioned to analyze the context than Garry Kasparov. Most of us know Kasparov, with Bobby Fischer of course – as the most famous, most significant person in chess history. Indeed, Kasparov broke Fischer’s rating record in 1990. Kasparov retired from chess in 2005 and moved into a new and certainly more dangerous arena – Russian politics. He ran for president of his home country in 2008, and later was named chairman of the Human Rights Foundation, succeeding Vaclav Havel, a role he continues to hold. Kasparov writes and speaks frequently on Russia, its internal dealings, and its relations with the West and indeed the rest of the world. I don’t want to give away the heart of the conversation, because I think you’ll find it most powerful hearing Garry himself. But one of the most surprising insights: Kasparov’s explanation of why President Trump is good for democracy. It was a fascinating, thoughtful discussion, exactly what one might expect from a chess grandmaster. I think you’ll like it. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Thu, January 19, 2017
Norm Eisen: Is Donald Trump Above the Law?
It feels like every day we reach a new point of “well, this has never happened before” in American politics. And I’m not just talking about the Tweets. Ok, the tweets are something. Incredible, really. We can and will have a conversation on when to ignore and when to react to them. But let’s get past the Tweetstorms for a moment. I’m talking about actual questions about democracy and the Constitution and even America itself. Questions that take more than 140 characters to answer. Like this one: Is the President above the law? Ok, I guess that doesn’t take 140 characters to answer. It should only take two characters – three if you count the period. Truly, this question had never previously occurred to me. Most of us thought it was asked and answered, initially in the Constitution, and subsequently through 240 years of democracy. But in a time where things have never happened before, even that simple belief has come into question, most recently during that unbelievable first post-election press conference when Donald Trump said: “I have a no-conflict situation because I’m president.” Could that possibly be true? In America? Could the President truly be above the law? Say what you will about the Trump election – and regardless of where you sit, there’s plenty to say – if nothing else, he’s generated a national discussion on government ethics unlike anything we’ve seen in decades. Somehow it seems, we’ve all been transported back to high school civics class. And if it’s a class on government we’ve been taking, there’s no doubt that one of the lead professors – indeed, one of our country’s leading experts – is Ambassador Norm Eisen. Ambassador Eisen is a bit like the Emoluments clause – many of us were not aware of him a few months ago, and now we wonder why we haven’t been following him for years. Indeed, if you turn on the television or read any of our leading newspapers or journals or, yes, go on Twitter lately, you can’t miss Ambassador Eisen or his sometime partner Richard Painter. Eisen and Painter have become the bi-partisan truth squad of government ethics – a human Google search providing not only facts, but also analysis, interpretation, and precedent. Now, as I discuss with Ambassador Eisen, even with the laws and clauses we have, there is plenty of gray area. He gets into that. But if you want to understand what issues President Trump could find himself addressing – and what that might mean for our politics, policy, and even democracy – you’re really going to like this conversation. Some background: Eisen is a Fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution. He also served as U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic. Previously, Eisen worked in the Office of the White House Counsel under President Obama. He was Special Assistant to the President and Special Counsel to the President for Ethics and Government Reform. Importantly, and particularly timely for where we are today: Eisen worked on the Obama-Biden Transition Project in t
Sat, December 24, 2016
Celinda Lake: It Was Still the Economy, Stupid
The Electoral College has voted. The next cabinet is essentially filled. And with the holiday season here, and our focus is turning to the little things like peace on earth and good will towards men. And yet, even with the time passing, even with the new challenges – Russia hacking our democracy, Congress promising to hack healthcare, Navy drones in the South China Sea – nearly every Democrat I talk with still has the same singular question: What happened? We know all the theories: The Democrats forgot to reinforce their blue wall. Fake news and foreign hacking combined to rig the system. Angry white males. The email server. Celinda Lake has another theory: It’s the economy, stupid. And Democrats forgot about that. Celinda is one of the one of the Democratic Party's leading political strategists – a senior advisor to the national party committees, dozens of Democratic incumbents, and challengers at all levels Celinda also has shown that she can work across party lines. She’s author of What Women Really Want: How American Women Are Quietly Erasing Political, Racial, Class, and Religious Lines to Change the Way We Live. Her co-author back in 2005? Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway. I asked Celinda about Kellyanne Conway. I asked her about what she sees in her polls and hears from Democrats since the election. I, too, have been curious about this question of what happened. Not so much from a political horse race point of view. And not so much from the question of Russian hacking. Yes, I’m hugely offended by that. It was an attack on our democracy. But here’s what’s really been on my mind: · How do we sustain as a country with our massive geographic split – the two coasts vs. the Heartland? · How do we fight a sense of disenfranchisement when the popular vote runs so counter to the Electoral vote? · What about the disenfranchisement that clearly existed before – why did we not hear that stronger? Say what you want about him, but Trump definitely did. I asked Celinda about all of this. I really enjoyed the conversation. I’m intent on using these podcasts to have meaningful conversations about where we are and where we are going next. There’s intense debate even within each party over what’s the best next step: For Republicans, every day now is Christmas. Apparently, Santa really does exist, and he delivered on November 8. Now, some Republicans wonder, did we get what we bargained for? How do we act when so many of Trumps policies run counter to Conservative principles over the last decades. For Democrats, they’re repeating the old Admiral Stockdale question: Who are we and what do we stand for? Should they find common ground where they can – or should they obstruct and block, essentially treat Trump they way Obama was treated? And for people who just want to see the country move forward… well, where can they find inspiration? I aim to find thoughtful responses to these questions. I started with Celinda Lake, and here’s what she
Fri, November 04, 2016
Neil Newhouse: The ‘Nose-Holder’ Election
We’re down to the numbers game, folks. Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll still have the name calling, threats, promises, rallies, commercials and more – I didn’t say the campaign is over – but all focus now turns to a single number: 270. What’s the best path for both candidates to get there? And what’s it like inside the campaigns in the final days. Few would know better than Neil Newhouse; because he’s been there. Neil was lead pollster four years ago for Mitt Romney’s 2012 Presidential campaign. He is partner and co-founder of Public Opinion Strategies, which the New York Times once described as the country’s “leading Republican polling company.” Neil himself is 3-Time winner of “Pollster of the Year” by the American Association of Political Consultants. He has seen and done a lot. And yet, as you might imagine, he’s never seen anything like this campaign. I know it’s naïve, but I keep getting amazed at how many political professionals I talk with who’ve been doing this for years – dozens of campaigns and so many Presidential elections – and yet to a person, they’ve never seen anything like this one. Neil didn’t hold back. He outlines the path to 270 for each candidate – which states must they win. Which ones we should watch on Tuesday. But he also calls this the Nose-Holder election. Trump and Clinton have some of the highest unfavorable ratings of any candidates in history. Among his really interesting points: Most of the time, you want your candidate in the news – you want the headlines. This go round, the only time Trump or Clinton gets attention is when something negative is happening. No news really might be good news in this campaign. The other thing he says we should watch for? Enthusiasm. Turnout will be key in a vote where supporters aren’t so much enthusiastic for their candidate as they are disgusted with the other. We talked as well about what’s next – no matter who wins, what will the political, social, and economic divides in our country look like. There’s no sugar-coating: While Neil sees a way out, he shares the view of so many others that we likely have dark days ahead – for the Republican and Democratic parties, and even for the country. What I liked most about this conversation: Neil has given much – maybe all – of his professional life to politics and governing. This guy cares, and that comes through loud and clear in his ideas and his tone. Whichever side you’re on, I think you’ll appreciate his concern, and I think you’ll really like this conversation. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Wed, October 26, 2016
David Wasserman: Can Democrats Put More House Seats In Play?
It’s so hard to talk politics and not have the whole conversation be about Donald Trump. And with all of the coverage – even ours – seemingly centered on the Presidential race, it might be hard to remember that there’s another branch of government where the November 8 vote matters as well. We didn’t forget, though. So today, let’s talk about the House. You know the basics – the Republicans control it. And most people think Democrats would have to run a clean sweep of the so-called contested races to take back control. It seems unlikely. But what about this election season has been likely? Exactly. Among the key issues: If the Presidential race becomes seen as a blowout, will Republicans stay away from the voting booth on Nov. 8, depressing turnout and votes for the House races? Even if Republicans keep control of the House, what will that control look like? Will moderate Republicans fall in November, setting up a 115th Congress where sitting Republicans are dominated by the so-called Freedom Caucus? And what about Paul Ryan? What kind of juice does he have left? Will Nov. 8 be a referendum on his leadership? We knew the right person to ask about all of this. The hard part is tracking David Wasserman down. What’s life like for someone covering 435 House races? Well, let’s just say you better like airplanes. We caught up with David on a cell phone in Palm Springs, California. He just arrived from Washington, DC, and was to be on the ground for only a few hours before leaving for Chicago then Alabama then New York followed by who knows where? Apologies that the sound quality is our best, but at least David wasn’t literally running to a plane when we got him. In case you don’t know, David is U.S. House editor of Cook Political Report and a contributing writer at 538. Few know more about the House – and each of the 435 districts – than David. Seriously, don’t sit at a bar with David and try to get into a contest throwing darts at a U.S. map and trying to name that district’s U.S. representatives. I promise you’ll lose. But we won – we got David, and if you only listen to one podcast on the House races, I think you’ll want it to be with David. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Mon, October 17, 2016
What's Going On with the Republican Party?
I wanted to step away from the daily politics today and take a bit of a longer view, because maybe you’re wondering the same thing I am: What’s going on with the Republican Party? Everywhere you turn there’s another layer of erosion, whether from politicians or party elders or longtime political donors. Regardless of who wins the Presidency, something big has changed within the Republican Party. And I don’t care which party you belong to, if either of them looks like it’s disintegrating before our eyes, that means definitionally that our political system – the one that’s done us pretty well over the last 200 years – is changing. Now to be clear, I’m not saying change is bad or that it hasn’t happened before. And I’m definitely not saying it’s not needed. But change is underway, and for anyone the least bit curious, the question becomes: What’s next? That’s what I wanted to learn in this conversation: Where is the Republican Party today and what’s next? We pulled together two great guests to help us think about it. Matt Lewis is a senior contributor at The Daily Caller, a CNN political commentator, and author of Too Dumb to Fail: How the GOP Betrayed the Reagan Revolution to Win Elections (And How It Can Reclaim Its Conservative Roots). Matt also serves as a contributing editor for The Week and as a weekly columnist for Roll Call. Taegan Goddard, as we know, is founder and publisher of Political Wire. I’d tell you that Taegan thinks and writes about politics continually – even in his spare time – but I happen to know he has no spare time. So let’s leave it at continually. It was a really thoughtful conversation with these two who come at the question from different perspectives. And I hate to disappoint any of you who are addicted to the cable TV shows, but there’s no yelling or screaming in this podcast. There’s not even any name-calling. … maybe this conversation wasn’t as good as I thought it was. Well, you’ll have to judge. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Wed, September 28, 2016
Dan Drezner: Foreign Policy for Campaigns is Like an Unexploded Landmine
I just finished talking with Dan Drezner, Professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. Stay with me now… because Drezner is most definitely not your parents’ poli sci professor. For one, you’ve got to follow him on Twitter. He’s funny, topical, and as likely to tweet a goofy video as he is to include a scatter-plot graph. He’s also not above using a curse word every now and then. He also seems, on Twitter, like a guy you’d want to hang out with. For example, when he tweeted before the debate: “I'm stocked up on the necessary provisions for #debatenight. Are you,” the accompanying image wasn’t old Theodore White books on The Making of the President, but instead was a photo with bottles of rum, scotch, vodka, and ibuprofen. And the scotch was Blue Label. Like I said, definitely a new age professor – and we talked about that. In fact, it turns out that in addition to foreign policy and international security agreements and global trade, Drezner thinks a lot about how technology lets him and others like him become an important and growing part of every day political discussion. And if you listen to his analysis, you’ll understand immediately why Dan’s become a big player. But if you want to keep up with him, you better move quickly. In addition to teaching and tweeting seemingly non-stop, Dan’s a regular contributor to the Washington Post’s “PostEverything” blog. He’s also written 5 books, and is at work on number 6. He’s got a lot to say. Much of it’s really funny. All is incredibly insightful. I think you’re going to like this conversation... This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Sat, September 24, 2016
Jim Messina: "It Was Always Going to be Close"
So I just finished talking with Jim Messina, Barack Obama’s winning 2012 campaign manager. Boy this guy knows politics. He knows the numbers. He knows the states. He knows the strategies. He knows the personalities. And he offers this great mix of numbers and narrative – he’s a walking master class. The data doesn’t matter without the story, and if you’ve got a campaign message but no numbers to get to 270 votes, well that doesn’t matter much either. For background in case you don’t know, before the 2012 Obama for America campaign, Jim served as Obama’s Deputy Chief of Staff. Before that he worked on Capitol Hill. He almost literally grew up running campaigns, from his home state Montana to Alaska, New York, and more. Today, the Messina Group helps run campaigns around the world. Anyhow, we had a great discussion on the changing demographics in America and of American voters – and how that should be helping Hillary Clinton and Democrats. I asked him to help me understand why, despite that, the race is still so close and Trump has such good numbers in some key swing states. Jim’s got excellent analysis on that and more… Also, he comes across as he also comes across as a really nice guy. Now, I’ve got to warn you – Jim’s a bit quiet in this conversation and the connection isn’t the greatest. He was calling from an airport lounge, and I think he just really didn’t want to disrupt the people around him. That’ll teach me to talk with nice guys. Also, the cell service – I know this is shocking – but the cell service wasn’t the best. However -- when you’ve got the campaign manager of Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign on the line and he’s giving you color and insights into that election and the current one and Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton and demographics and his technology conversations with Steve Jobs, Eric Schmidt and Steven Speilberg… well, you forgive a couple of “Can you hear me now” moments. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, September 16, 2016
Maureen Dowd: "This is Pure Madness"
So if this campaign is part psychological drama, part comical farce – a matchup of personalities that would be case studies 1 and 1a for any Psych 101 class… is there anyone better to talk to than Maureen Dowd? Of course there isn’t. Which is why I was really looking forward to this conversation. Maureen Dowd, as you know, is the Pulitzer Prize winning New York Times columnist. She’s a best selling author, and her latest book – just published – is “The Year of Voting Dangerously: The Derangement of American Politics.” I can certainly say, based on this conversation, she’s also really funny and extremely thoughtful. She’s kind of seen it all. Dowd’s covered Trump and Hillary Clinton for more than 20 years. So I asked her whether Trump was always like this – and, if not, what in the world happened? I asked her also about Hillary and why do people think Dowd hates her. She answered it all – usually with a laugh or insightful line. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Thu, September 08, 2016
Robert Costa: Reporting on a 'Wild and Weird' Election
So I just finished talking with Robert Costa, the Washington Post National Political Reporter and political analyst for NBC and MSNBC. The call was perfectly timed, as just this morning, a bunch of publications – including the Washington Post and Bob Costa – were taken off the Trump blacklist. So I had a newly freed Bob Costa, ready to talk about Trump and the Republican Party and Congress and more. And he did. As you likely know, Bob is basically the pre-eminent political reporter on the Republican Party. He used to work at the National Review, and he’s built what must a crazy Rolodex of everyone even tangentially connected to the party. He reports on Democrats, also. But he breaks a lot of news on the Republican side. We talked a lot about what it’s been like to cover Trump – even with the blacklist – and what his campaign means for the Republican Party. I don’t want to give away the whole conversation, so for now, just two words: Wild and weird. I really liked the end of the conversation, too. Bob started to talk about how the wildness and weirdness of this campaign was actually making his job of reporting more the way he’d want it to be – less scripted, less corporate. I really got the sense that he’s having fun. That he just loves old-fashioned reporting – calling people, seeing people, asking questions, getting answers (or not getting answers). But true reporting, rather than having every moment manicured and staged. For everything else you can say about Trump – and we know there’s a lot – he certainly is changing a lot of the rules around a lot of institutions. Reporting is just another one. And Bob was really insightful on that and more. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Sat, August 27, 2016
Stuart Stevens: A Neutron Bomb Has Gone Off in the Republican Party
Where does Stuart Stevens find the time? He is a founding partner of Strategic Partners & Media, the political consulting firm. He’s a Daily Beast contributor. He was the lead political strategist for the 2012 Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney. And he just released his 7th book – this one is a novel – titled “The Innocent Have Nothing to Fear.” It’s an excellent read whose narrative is also weirdly close to the plotlines of our current presidential campaign. Speaking of the presidential campaign – no surprise – that’s what we spent most of our time talking about. If you’ve spent anytime on his Twitter feed or read his columns: Is there anyone more active, more persistent, more consistent in arguing against Donald Trump than Stuart Stevens. The conversation also hit on a wide range of ideas – it was really interesting, very funny at times, and, frankly, really serious. This guy is worried. He’s worried about the Republican Party and about the level of civil discourse in our country. He’s worried about what’s next. And don’t misunderstand – he’s hopeful and confident. He has no doubts – not one – about America. But he cannot believe what is happening in the campaign or in the Republican Party. He was incredibly thoughtful, too, about what makes governing important. This guy has dedicated so much of his life to helping public servants serve. He believes in the cause. So this conversation with a political strategist covered political strategy, of course. But as you’ll hear, Stevens also gives a pretty good civics lesson. And he writes a great new book, as well. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Wed, August 03, 2016
Jim Lehrer: There's Never Been One Like This
Jim Lehrer, the Dean of debate moderators, as Bernie Shaw once called him, joins us on Political Wire Conversations. Moderator of 12 U.S. Presidential debates. He’s also a current member of the Board of Directors for the Commission on Presidential Debates, the group that organizes and runs the general election debates – three with Trump and Clinton and one for the Vice Presidential candidates Pence and Kaine, assuming, of course, they all take place. Maybe Jim hasn’t seen it all, but he surely has seen nearly everything in modern American politics. In fact, that’s what I started with. I really wanted to know: Given everything he’s seen, has he ever seen anything like this campaign. His answer might surprise you. Of course, we spent most of the time talking about debates – future and past. Is there anyone more qualified to discuss Presidential debates in this country? By the way, in case you don’t know the rest of what Jim has done: Not only is he the former executive editor and a former news anchor for the PBS NewsHour, but he’s also written more than 20 books – fiction and non-fiction – along with some screenplays and plays. I’m telling you – check out his author page on Amazon. It’s really something. Oh yeah – one other thing: You may not know, but as a journalist, Jim not only wouldn’t register with any party – he wouldn’t even vote. He said that was a personal choice – he didn’t feel every journalist had to do that, but that’s how he felt. So I asked him – will you vote now? His follow-ups to my question were a lot of fun. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Wed, July 13, 2016
Taegan Goddard: Is This Clinton's Election to Lose?
The 2016 presidential campaign is shaping up as Hillary Clinton's race to lose -- unless everything we know about politics is wrong. Clinton is leading Donald Trump in the national polls and most state polls as well. Nearly every forecast at this point show s landslide in the Electoral College. She has put together a better national campaign. She's running way more television ads. But can she win? This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, July 08, 2016
John Dickerson: Have We Really Never Seen a Presidential Election Like This One?
We’re in the middle of a political campaign that everyone says is unprecedented. There’s never been a candidate like Donald Trump. There’s never been a candidate like Hillary Clinton. There’s never been a campaign like this one. Never more negative. Never more disorganized. Never more off the cuff. Never, never, never. Well, how truly “never before” is this campaign? Are we really in totally unchartered territory? His history in fact no guide at all? Does context matter? John Dickerson just might be the perfect person to discuss this with. You know his bio: He’s Moderator of CBS’s Face the Nation. He’s a Slate political columnist. But he also hosts an incredible podcast called Whistlestop, Slate’s podcast about presidential campaign history. And now he has published a new book of the same name: “Whistlestop: My Favorite Stories from Presidential Campaign History.” Dickerson goes through “the stories behind the stories of the most memorable moments in American presidential campaign history.” You can order it now at Amazon or your local bookstore or wherever fine books are sold. What’s great about this conversation – and what’s genius about Dickerson’s podcast and his book – is that we’re constantly told that we’re at this “End of Political History” moment, this time where nothing that’s happened before matters and we can’t possibly make sense of today’s political realities. Now some of that makes sense to me. I mean, it’s factual: Trump would be the first elected president with no political or military experience. Clinton, of course, is the first woman presidential nominee of a major party. We’ve never had a presidential nominee who tweets like Trump does. The list goes on. So is there nothing to learn from the past? Is EVERYTHING about this election new ground? Personally, I doubt that, and Dickerson is a perfect person for that discussion. It’s not just all of his current roles. Dickerson grew up in a house where politics and news were central – his mother, Nancy Dickerson, was TV News’ First Woman Star, as John wrote about in his outstanding memoir about his mother. This guy is an incredible source to help us try to make sense of this most incomprehensible election. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Thu, June 02, 2016
Van Jones: When the Temperature Gets Too Hot
So as you know, because you can hardly turn on the television without seeing him, Van Jones is a political commentator on CNN. But as you’ll hear, he’s got so much else going on. He is President of Dream Corps and Rebuild the Dream, and you’ll hear about that. As opposed to so many of the people we see and hear on TV and talk radio, this guy is out there getting it done. You may not agree with Van on every issue, but you’ll have to agree there’s substance there. More biography: Van was President Obama’s green jobs adviser; you’ll hear a little about that. He’s also a Best-selling author. I didn’t even get to ask him at all about his books. There was just too much else to discuss around Trump and race and Hillary and progressives and the state of our nation and the turning point that we face. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Wed, May 11, 2016
Josh King: An Advance Man’s Look at the 2016 Campaign
Chris Riback talks to Josh King about his new book, An Advance Man’s Guide to White House Stagecraft, Campaign Spectacle, and Political Suicide, and the 2016 presidential campaign. King, a veteran of Bill Clinton's White House, leads readers through an entertaining and illuminating journey through the Hall of Infamy of some of the most catastrophic examples of political theater of the last quarter century. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Thu, April 21, 2016
Charlie Cook: This Has Been the Wildest Year
If you really want to know how good the Cook Political Report is, you’ll want to listen up – because we’ve got the real thing! Charlie Cook is Editor and Publisher of the eponymous Cook Political Report. He is also a National Journal columnist, and it’s only a slight exaggeration that there is nothing in the political world that Charlie can’t analyze, clarify or explain. Which is good news, because we’ve got plenty to cover: On the Republican side: Are votes enough? Donald Trump keeps winning them, but do they translate into enough delegates? If not, then what? For Democrats, can Hillary Clinton finally start her victory lap? And assuming she wins the nomination, has she been pulled too far left – How does she translate her message for more centrist general election voters? This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Tue, April 12, 2016
Taegan Goddard: The Outcomes Look Bleak for Republicans
The candidates may be riding the subway in New York. Perhaps they’re thinking about Pennsylvania – Even California. But all political eyes are on Cleveland. While polls show Donald Trump crushing in the Big Apple, Ted Cruz was the Big Cheese in Wisconsin. Cruz’ double-digit win there significantly increased the chances of a contested Republican Convention. 538’s panel of experts estimates Trump will fall short of the magic 1,237 delegates. As The University of Virginia Center for Politics told the New York Times: “The chances of a contested convention just went up.” It’s no surprise that the frontrunners say a wide-open, no-holds-barred contested convention would devastate the Republican Party; delegitimize the entire primary process; silence the precious voice of primary voters. It would bring disaster. But would it? Or instead at this point, might a contested convention be exactly the thing Republicans should hope for? Taegan Goddard, as we all know, runs Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire . He spends the totality of his waking hours and many of his sleeping ones scouring political news of the day. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, April 01, 2016
Rick Shenkman: What Your Brain Really Thinks About Donald Trump
Many of us look at this extraordinary, ridiculous, seemingly-unprecedented political season and wonder: How is this possible? The anger perhaps we understand. The feeling that the system is so corrupted that the only effective approach will be to kick over the table and figure out later how to rebuild it? Even those who don’t agree the problem is that dire can get their heads around the idea. But fear-mongering, name-calling, locker-room-talk-mimicking as the path the White House? What is going on? According to historian Rick Shenkman, the answer just may be science. And evolution – or, perhaps more accurately, a lack of evolution and the way our natural instincts are helpful for, say, avoiding sharks in the ocean, but unhelpful when it comes to sharks of the political kind. Shenkman is the New York Times best selling Author of ” Political Animals: How Our Stone-Age Brain Gets in the Way of Smart Politics .” Shenkman uses science to explain why so many of us are susceptible to politicians’ manipulations – and why so many don’t seem to care. Shenkman is also Editor & Founder of the History News Network. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Sun, March 20, 2016
Mark Blumenthal: What Do Americans Really Think About Politics?
Chris Riback speaks with pollster Mark Blumenthal on what we know about the 2016 presidential election. For answers to a Presidential campaign that few predicted and fewer, perhaps, pretend to understand, we often turn to the dark science of polling. Given the overwhelming amount of data each of us generates each day – from clicks to searches to surveys and more – the people who tell us what we think and feel have taken an important if not outsized role in American society generally and American politics specifically. Among our big questions: Is this nasty campaign an accurate reflection of who we are as a country? What do American’s really want in our next leader? And if it does end up to be Clinton vs. Trump, who wins an election where both candidates are disliked in such intense ways by so many? Complicated issues, which is why Mark Blumenthal is here to help us understand. Mark is Head of Election Polling for SurveyMonkey and runs their NBC News|SurveyMonkey Weekly Election Tracking poll. He, of course, is the original Mystery Pollster, and was co-founder of Pollster.com and previously served as Senior Polling Editor at The Huffington Post. He has worked for dozens of Democratic candidates running for office at various government levels. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Wed, March 16, 2016
Taegan Goddard: The Party No Longer Decides
Chris Riback and Taegan Goddard discuss the how Donald Trump's campaign not only broke the Republican party but broke political science. What in the world is going on? We are well into a primary season with results few of us expected, headed straight to a general election that even fewer dare to predict. All of us – and certainly both major political parties – are in unchartered territory. For Democrats, their new location at least appears to be on a pre-existing map. For Republicans, their new map reveals a planet they never knew existed – a place that frequently shows little signs of gravity – and I mean both definitions of the word, with its lack of seriousness alongside a certain amount of weightlessness. This place is a foreign territory – there’s no huge wall to keep us out. It’s a place where the leading candidate and possible nominee is hated by the party establishment, actively running against the Party – and Party ideology – he hopes to represent. Yet this new planet may be exactly where the future of politics is headed. A place where the direct connection between candidate and voter has changed – and governs – everything. So how did we get here? More importantly, where are we going? To kick off our season and help us find answers, there’s no one better than my friend and Political Wire’s namesake, Taegan Goddard. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Sat, November 22, 2014
Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore
With the elections finally behind us, our focus turns the hard work of governing – and the big question of what, if anything, will get done?With Republicans controlling Congress and a lame duck Democrat who’s surely thinking about his legacy in the White House, what will give? Or are we about to see gridlock so extreme that the last few years will look incredibly productive in comparison?It won’t take long to find out. With the President’s Executive Order to remake Immigration in America – and with Republican vows to override – the first battle is on. What’s next? Where are we headed? And is it all really just about 2016?To help us understand: Jim Gilmore, Founder of Growth PAC. Of course, among many other roles, he’s also former Attorney General and Governor of Virginia and former chair of the Republican National Committee… This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Sat, November 01, 2014
David King, Harvard Kennedy School
Midterms 2014 are just around the corner, and for Repubicans it seems the voting can’t come soon enough. State by state, poll by poll, the GOP appears to pick up steam by the day. They can taste Senate control.Are the appearances true? Might there even be a Republican wave? Which key races – in the Senate and the House – should we make sure to watch?David King is Senior Lecturer in Public Policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He directed the Task Force on Election Administration for the National Commission on Election Reform following the 2000 presidential elections and recently hosted a conversation on the upcoming Midterms… This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, October 24, 2014
Larry Sabato, Center for Politics at the University of Virginia
It’s almost time – Election Day 2014, Midterm style is less than two weeks away. We can see the finish line from here – unless, that is, the finish line gets moved.With Republicans seeming more and more likely to take Senate control, could this election instead go into overtime? With possible runoffs in Georgia and Louisiana, recounts in close races, vote count challenges in states like Alaska, decisions by independent candidates on who they will caucus with… Could control of the Senate hang in the balance until January?To know the answer for sure, you’d really need a crystal ball… which, of course, is just what we have for you today.Larry Sabato is University of Virginia Professor of Politics and director of their Center for Politics. He is also Editor in Chief of Sabato’s Crystal Ball, the must-read, detailed analysis for elections across the country… This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Thu, October 16, 2014
Charlie Cook, The Cook Political Report
We’re proud to have as our guest today – our sponsor, Charlie Cook, Editor and Publisher of the Cook Political Report and Columnist for the National Journal.Few follow the ins and outs of political campaigns more closely than Cook and his team of reporters and editors. And with less than three weeks to go before the new "most important election of our lifetimes," they’re tracking all the key races and trends – in particular, who will take control of the U.S. Senate. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Thu, October 09, 2014
Stan Greenberg, Democratic pollster
With less than a month to go, the question that’s been at the center of the midterm elections continues to be the big unknown: Who will take control of the Senate.We know that stats: 36 races are on the ballots; to takeover control, Republicans need a net gain of 6. And the closer we get, the more the contest seems to be coming down to just 4 or 5 key states.As listeners of this podcast know, most predictions show probabilities leaning toward a Republican win. Of course, a few notable exceptions exist.And now a new one: the Women’s Voices Women’s Vote Action Fund and Democracy Corp teamed up to look at the Senate races. Their finding: For the first time in this election cycle, movement across a “range of indicators that suggest the Democrats are more likely to hold control of the U.S. Senate than not.”The survey was conducted by Stan Greenberg, longtime Democratic pollster, Polling adviser to President Bill Clinton, Al Gore and Nelson Mandela, among many others; CEO of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner and Co-Founder Democracy Corps. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, October 03, 2014
Jules Witcover, author of "The American Vice Presidency: From Irrelevance to Power"
Is there any office in American politics with simultaneously more and less power than the Vice Presidency?Indeed, there may be no phrase in American politics that carries more unspoken meanings than “A heartbeat away.” It’s been used to create fear and doubt, as well as confidence and sure-handedness. It’s both an insult and an honor – the burden and opportunity that comes with attaining our nation’s second-highest office.In recent campaigns, the office has taken on incredible – even outsized – importance. From the Veepstakes watches that dominate coverage for months to the nominees themselves -- Lloyd Bentsen and Dan Quayle; Al Gore and Jack Kemp; Sarah Palin and Joe Biden – the vice president’s role today carries unquestioned importance.But this wasn’t always the case. Once upon a time, the vice presidency was a laughing stock, a place to hide people, placate others and at times, just plain disappear. What changed?Jules Witcover is the famed syndicated political columnist at the Baltimore Sun, Washington Post and Star and Los Angeles Times. He is the author of 14 books; co-author of 5 others. His most recent book is “The American Vice Presidency: From Irrelevance to Power”… This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Thu, September 25, 2014
Sam Wang, Founder of Princeton Election Consortium
It remains impossible to talk about the 2014 Midterms without turning immediately to the big question – the only question –which party will take Senate Control? And who are we to fight that power?So while we wait 6 weeks for actual results, we turn instead to predictive analysis –deep dives into dozens of race-by-race polls that seem to be released hourly. What do they show? How many seats are truly still in play? Where should we focus attention, and within that focus, what should we be looking for. And most simply, can’t anyone just tell us who’s going to win?Sam Wang is an Associate professor of neuroscience and molecular biology at Princeton University. He is also founder of the Princeton Election Consortium, where he publishes one of the most-watched polling models around. Sam’s model has come under some scrutiny this election season, as it’s been one of the few models consistently predicting that the Democrats will retain the Senate. What does Wang know that the rest of us don’t? This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Thu, September 18, 2014
Nate Silver, FiveThirtyEight
As we make our way towards the first Tuesday in November, a highly-watched, always-debated component of American politics is ready to take it’s place center stage: Statistical models.These models, which connect and weight a range of ever-changing data, have replaced the simple “who will win by how many points” projections. And with Senate control both still undetermined and central to our political future, understanding these models is key.And, of course, none of these models is better known or more anticipated than Nate Silver’s.Nate Silver almost single-handedly brought the art and science of political statistical modeling in our cultural mainstream. He is founder and editor-in-chief of FiveThirtyEight… This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Wed, September 10, 2014
Chuck McCutcheon and David Mark, authors of "Dog Whistles, Walk-Backs and Washington Handshakes"
Every topic has its own slang, it’s own lingua franca. From football’s NFL stadiums to academia’s ivory towers to California’s beaches, every niche these days maintains a coded language of its own.To really understand these niches – to be clear on what’s behind the headlines, what people are really saying, what’s really going on – you need to speak the language. And if you don’t speak the language, you better have the right dictionary.Politics, of course, is no different. Here, “deep regret” is something you express only when you feel no remorse. “Bomb throwers” are celebrated, but “bridge builders” are sellouts. And the last thing you want to be is someone’s “good friend.”To help us navigate the doublespeak and double-dealing that define the language of politics: Chuck McCutcheon and David Mark. McCutcheon is co-author of National Journal’s Almanac of American Politics and co-editor of CQ’s Politics in America 2010. Mark is Editor in Chief of Politix and former senior editor at Politico. Together, they are co-authors of the book, “Dog Whistles, Walk-Backs and Washington Handshakes: Decoding the Jargon, Slang ,and Bluster of American Political Speech." This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, September 05, 2014
John Avlon, Editor in Chief of The Daily Beast, author of "Wingnuts"
Finally, summer is over! The relaxation, beach vacations and barbecues are finally behind us and in this post-Labor Day glow, Americans can focus on our prime national sport – the one with the late hits, flagrant fouls and crazy fanatics.Of course, I mean politics.And while this glorious season brings out the political junkies, it also brings out the political crazies. The extremists who have spent their time since the last election cycle tearing down the governments we elected and creating the conflict that makes politics a full-contact sport.As we speed into final lap of Midterms 2014, where do we stand? What is the state of our political debate? With President Obama’s approval ratings continuing to flounder – and with Senate control still an open question – what role might political extremism have on our campaigns and results?Few follow process and the politics more closely than John Avlon. He’s editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast, a CNN contributor, and the author of multiple books including the recently released: “Wing Nuts: Extremism in the Age of Obama”… This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Mon, July 28, 2014
John Dean, author of The Nixon Defense
In little more than a week, we’ll mark 40 years since one of the darkest days in American politics, government and culture – 40 years since President Richard Nixon resigned our nation’s highest office.Much has been written and reviewed about Watergate. So much that there would seem little room for anything new.But there is.John Dean played a key role in the Watergate tale. He served as counsel to the President during that time, and while he did not know of the break-in when it occurred nor of White House involvement for many months later, he found himself – perhaps unwittingly – becoming a central player in what he calls The Nixon Defense.In the last years, Dean listened to and transcribed the primary Watergate source material: Nixon’s own White House recordings. Incredibly, many of these conversations have never been transcribed, cataloged and examined. That’s what Dean has done, and in the process – he says – connected the dots between what we believe about Watergate and what actually occurred. He has documented it all in a new book: “The Nixon Defense: What He Knew and When He Knew It.” This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Tue, July 22, 2014
Alex Lundry
It’s time to review what may become the most important words in the 2014 Midterm and 2016 Presidential campaigns. These words are not immigration or gun control or employment. They’re neither liberal or conservative The most important words just may be microtargeting. Data mining. Analytics. That’s because the science of campaigning is hitting an all new level. Not only can politicians and campaigns target you through direct mail and online – through websites, social media, blogs and more. They are now combining data about what you buy, wear and read with television – yes, what you watch. And not just which channel, but which show: Every click you make. And while big brother can’t connect all of this data down to you personally – at least not as far as we know – the science of campaigning is innovating at record speed. What does this mean for the future of campaigns and voter turnout? How exactly will politicians deliver the right messages to the right voters at the right time? And while it’s all surely fascinating, is it good? Alex Lundry is one of the political world’s foremost campaign scientists. He served as Director of Data Science for Mitt Romney in the 2012 campaign. He is now co-founder of Deep Root Analytics and Chief Data Scientist at Target Point Consulting, helping define the vanguard and intersection of political and technical development… This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, July 18, 2014
Noam Bramson, Mayor of New Rochelle
Is political courage dead? The question gets asked a lot these days, most recently around President Obama and the immigration-border control disaster. Joe Klein of Time wrote what many of us feel: “True political courage is near extinct.” He continued: “Nowadays politicians are swaddled by their media consultants, who determine whether it is ‘safe’ to be ‘courageous.’”Of course, it’s not just immigration. Pick any issue – health care, gun control, voter ID laws – and the lack of political courage is astounding. And it’s taking its toll – as the public’s disapproval of government – Congress and the President – reaches all time highs.So today, a small but very bright example of political courage during times of very depressing headlines.Noam Bramson is the mayor of New Rochelle, NY. He recently put a personal confession on the top of his webpage. Bramson wrote about his own complicit silence in a recent city council meeting – silence when local residents complained that they didn’t want a group home for 5 men with autism opened on their street. He wrote about his shame, and his now public stance in favor of the group home some of his very good and loyal constituents don’t want.I guarantee the piece will move you and restore – if only for a moment – your faith that political courage may not have completely died.Before we begin, my own confession: I am not the most objective person on this topic. Not only do I have a sister-in-law who lives in a similar type of assisted living home, but I’ve known Noam Bramson for more than 20 years. I’ve donated to his campaign. So has Taegan Goddard, publisher of Political Wire.But I feel strongly that the sinking trust in government is a national crisis and small acts of political courage is a conversation worth having. And I’m confident, by the end of this conversation, so will you… This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Thu, July 03, 2014
Willy Jay on the Supreme Court term
It’s an annual summer event, as much a part of our American culture as a Fourth of July barbeque – often with its own set of fireworks: Another Supreme Court term ended. It’s time to make sense of the policies and the politics.Important and intriguing decisions and alliances again this year: Birth Control and Obamacare; Privacy, police searches and cell phones; abortion protests; campaign finance regulations and more. We also may have seen a changing Court, with some two-thirds of all decisions coming by unanimous decision.How should we think about that compromise? Does the Supreme Court provide the so-called bi-partisanship our other branches brutally lack? How should we think about the policies – what’s the real impact of these decisions on our daily lives? And what about the politics? Many decisions went directly against President Obama’s priorities. What effect could there be on Midterm voting?Willy Jay has served as an Assistant to the U.S. Solicitor General, clerk to Justice Antonin Scalia and special counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee. He has argued 11 cases before the Supreme Court and briefed hundreds more. He is now a partner in the Goodwin Proctor Litigation Department and a co-chair of its Appellate Litigation Practice. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, June 27, 2014
Carroll Doherty, Pew Research Center
It’s no shock, of course, that we live in polarized times. Even with no empirical evidence, everything seems to feel more ideological and divided than it has in many of our lifetimes. So is that true? And if so, is there a way out?Well, we now have a major set of data, and they don’t look so great. The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press recently released the first of multiple reports on the “Political Polarization in the American Public.” And sadly the results may be more discouraging than we thought. From how polarization manifests itself in our personal lives to its effects on policymaking to the way it shows up even in our political participation, the numbers are telling.And now today, the second report covering political typography. This report looks beyond Red vs. Blue divisions to gain a clearer understanding of the dynamic nature of the “center” of the American electorate, and the internal divides on both the left and the right. It also comes with a quiz, so you can determine with truthfulness where you fit in.So how polarized are we? Is there room – a chance – for the so-called political compromise so many seek? What does the so-called “Center” actually look like?Carroll Doherty is Director of Political Research, Pew Research Center for the People and the Press and he’s here to tell us the answers. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Wed, June 25, 2014
David Wasserman, Cook Political Report
For anyone who thought Midterms 2014 was only about the Senate and which party will take control, we recently got our wakeup call. Congress has another chamber, as well.You may have heard: House Majority Leader Eric Cantor lost his primary race to a Randolph-Macon College Economics Professor, David Brat. And since that shock – the first primary challenger to beat a sitting House Majority Leader since the position began in 1899 – the questions, politics and outlook for this season have all changed.Should we be paying more attention to the House? Should we be paying more attention to the Tea Party? What can one Congressional District in Northeastern Virginia tell us about voter anger in America and voter action as November elections arrive?David Wasserman is U.S. House editor for the must-read Cook Political Report. He has also worked on numerous political campaigns, including in Iowa, South Dakota, and Virginia. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, June 20, 2014
Doug Schoen, Democratic pollster
Today’s issue, who’s running harder against President Obama – Republicans or Democrats? The question is only partly exaggerated. From criticism on “who lost Iraq” to the handling of the Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl prisoner exchange to even the environment. And, of course, there’s always Obamacare. So how legitimate is this criticism? Is President Obama – and his low approval ratings in various key states – weighing down the team? Should Democrats be more constructive and supportive of their chief? Doug Schoen is one of the most influential Democratic campaign consultants for over thirty years. He served as a political adviser and pollster for President Bill Clinton from 1994-2000, and has worked with mayors, governors and heads of state in more than 15 countries. He is a founding partner and principle strategist for Penn, Schoen & Berland and widely recognized as one of the co-inventors of overnight polling. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, June 20, 2014
Philip Howard, author of "The Rule of Nobody"
For anyone who looks at our government today and says, “Everything seems great to me. No room for improvement here,” well, today’s conversation is not for you.Now that that person has stopped listening, here’s what the rest of America can learn from today’s talk: The problem is even worse that you thought. While most discussion on fixing government deals with the politics and the posturing, we instead might want to focus on something much more difficult to fix: Nobody is actually in charge. A mountain of overlapping, contradictory and often unnecessary laws, regulations, oversight committees and more seem designed specifically to block responsibility and accountability – and ensure the status quo.So how did we get here? How can we get out? And where is the leadership?Few think about the need to simplify and clarify American government, policies and laws more than Philip K. Howard: Lawyer, author and thoughtful critic of the areas of our political system many others seem to ignore. He is Founder & Chair of Common Good and his new book is “The Rule of Nobody: Saving America from Dead Laws and Broken Government.” This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, June 13, 2014
Ken Vogel, author of Big Money
At first glance, today’s conversation might seem as surprising as dog bites man: Money has taken over our political process. I know – not a shocker. But what if I told you that, quite possibly, our next President will be chosen by 5 or 6 of the richest people in America? Or a dozen? Certainly no more than 100?It’s hardly an exaggeration. From the historic growth of PACs to the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision through now the increasing mega-wealth of the top .01 percent, the role of the super rich in politics has grown exponentially. Control of America’s future has shifted from political parties to power players – individuals who bankroll campaigns and collect politicians like sports franchise. And this is no fantasy league.What does this shift in money and influence mean for our political future? Who are these individuals and what are they doing to our democracy?While you may know some of the names – Koch or Adelson or Soros or Katzenberg – you likely don’t know them all.Kenneth Vogel, however, does. Ken covers the confluence of money, politics and influence for Politico. He’s also author of the new must-read book “Big Money: 2.5 Billion Dollars, One Suspicious Vehicle, and a Pimp—on the Trail of the Ultra-Rich Hijacking American Politics.” This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Sun, June 08, 2014
Joe Lockhart, former White House Press Secretary
The White House recently announced a change at the top. Not the very top, of course, but as head of the Press Office. Jay Carney is stepping down; Josh Earnest is stepping up.The White House Press Secretary is, quite often, America’s face to the world. And speaking for the President, sometimes several times a day, the Press Secretary faces many masters – the Commander in Chief, the media, and of course, the American people.So how to balance the competing pressures: For example, protecting information responsibly vs. the public’s right to know? Particularly in these highly partisan times – with POW swaps, VA scandals, Midterms, Obamacare fights and more – how do you balance policy with politics?Few in the role had to walk that line more regularly Joe Lockhart, who served as President Clinton’s Press Secretary. Today he is a Founding Partner and Managing Director of The Glover Park Group, which offers media, communications and political strategy to global corporations and non-profits. He also served as Vice President of global communications for Facebook. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, June 06, 2014
Nate Cohn, The Upshot/New York Times
Forget the Koch Brothers or Super PACs or even President. The most-watched player in the 2014 Midterms just might be a computer program called LEO.LEO is the always-on, data-crunching, poll-adjusting Senate forecasting model used by the New York Times. Each day LEO takes the latest polls and historical data from around the country, blends in other information like fundraising and national polling, and then simulates all 36 Senate races – 250,000 times. And from that, each day LEO speaks about which party will win the Midterm’s grand prize – U.S. Senate control.So following several big weeks of primary voting, what does LEO have to say… and why should we believe it?Nate Cohn is a reporter at the New York Times’ new hot spot – The Upshot – where he covers elections, polling and demographics… This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Tue, June 03, 2014
Mike McCurry, former White House press secretary
Throughout American history, the balance of faith and politics has helped define who we are. And that definition hasn’t always been totally clear.Examples of extreme positives and negatives have dominated our headlines – from the clergy’s role in driving the Civil Rights Movement to the abortion wars that have ended in murder in the name of faith to today’s debates on same sex marriage.The Constitution addresses the topic in Articles 1 and 6. Thomas Jefferson addressed it with his phrase noting “the separation of church and state.” Candidates today continue to address it, from the far left to the Tea Party right.So what is the proper role of faith in politics and government? Where should the balance sit? Will we ever reach a place of common ground – indeed, should we ever reach a place of common ground?Few have thought about these questions more than Mike McCurry. We all know him, of course, as President Bill Clinton’s White House Press Secretary. Today, in addition to serving as a Partner at Public Strategies Washington, where he offers communications strategy for companies and non-profits, Mike is a Distinguished Professor of Public Theology at the Wesley Theological Seminary. He serves, too, as co-chairman of the Commission on Presidential Debates This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Thu, May 29, 2014
Michael D. Shear, White House Correspondent at the New York Times
You think it’s hard to manage your life? Your schedule runs at the mercy of your boss or your clients or spouse or kids… Well, I’m pretty confident your life is smooth sailing compared to today’s guest.Michael D. Shear is White House Correspondent at the New York Times. In other words, when the most powerful person in the world decides to go to Hawaii or Capitol Hill or Afghanistan or the Washington, D.C. streets to buy a hot dog, you’ve got to be ready to drop everything and go. The tradeoff, of course, is spectacular – a front row seat to history, getting to know the President’s personality and, to some extent, his thinking.What’s that tradeoff like? What does life become when you cover the President – particularly this President. And from the VA scandal to CIA name leaks to Obamacare to Midterms, given the front-row vantage point, what can we learn about some of the major issues and politics facing the White House today? This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Thu, May 29, 2014
Jonathan Alter, executive producer of Alpha House
It’s no secret that trust in government and politicians continues to chill. From a recent Harvard poll of Millennials to earlier surveys of older voters, the question for Midterms 2014 may not be whom do we trust, but do we trust at all?But as our trust in real life politics may fall, our delight in fictional politics – hit television shows and other video programming – continues to rise. Is there a connection? And if so, what might that connection – and the role of trust – play not just for Midterms this year, but as our voting focus soon turns to 2016.Few think, write, speak and executive produce more about these issues – and in more forms of media – than Jonathan Alter. He has been an Award-winning author, reporter, columnist and television analyst. Three of those books became New York Times bestsellers, most recently: "The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies.” And now he is an executive producer of "Alpha House," a political comedy created by Garry Trudeau and starring John Goodman and others and available through Amazon. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, May 23, 2014
Jon Ralston, Ralston Reports
As the battle for US Senate control continues to dominate Midterms 2014, perhaps the most influential and controversial senator in the process is not even running.It ’s hardly an exaggeration that Majority Leader Harry Reid is the key Senate player in the races – spoken and unspoken. Whether it’s a Republican candidate running against his name or a Democrat benefitting from Reid’s Senate Majority PAC, he seems to be everywhere.So how much power does Harry Reid have? He’s not known as a great campaigner, and after barely holding on to his seat in 2010, how much confidence can he have going forward? And what about race for Nevada Governor, which might be less about the governor’s mansion and more about setting up Reid’s next major challenge. After all, Reid’s reelection campaigns have been no sure bet.The closest thing to a sure bet in Nevada is a political report from Jon Ralston, creator of the eponymously named Ralston Reports, which is both his nightly television political show that runs on all three of the state’s NBC affiliates, as well as the name of his website. He also publishes the premium newsletter, RalstonFlash. Jon has covered politics in the Silver State for more than 25 years; Politico named him one of the top 50 politicos. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Wed, May 21, 2014
John Della Volpe, Harvard Institute of Politics
With key Senate battles in multiple states, and both parties looking to build 2016 momentum, for Midterms this year, the old line is true: Every vote will count.So here’s some bad news for candidates who might be depending on young voters for victory: Don’t count on it.A prediction of low voter turnout is just one finding from the always revealing Millennials Poll from Harvard’s Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School of Government. Why might Millennials stay away? What’s their view of Obama? And who’s more enthusiastic – young Republicans or Democrats?The results might surprise you, which is why John Della Volpe is here to help us understand. John is the Institute of Politics’ Director of Polling, and he oversaw the Millennials survey. He’s also Founder and CEO of Social Sphere, where he helps direct polling for Politico among other duties, and finally he’s an Eisenhower Fellow and father of 3 Millennials, so we know he knows what he’s talking about. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Sat, May 17, 2014
Susan Demas, Inside Michigan Politics
It’s been more than a year since Michigan’s six-term U.S. Senator Carl Levin announced he was calling it quits. Like other Democrats, Levin made his decision early – giving his party the chance to choose its best candidate and build a big lead.While they might have their candidate, Michigan Democrats don’t have a big lead – if any lead at all.As the battle for U.S. Senate shapes up as the Midterm 2014 big prize, we travel to Michigan. With the country’s largest municipal bankruptcy and new and lower tax revenue projections, voters there are likely more focused on a balanced budget than a balanced Congress. Combined with a compelling governor’s race, an unbelievable blunder by a 25-term U.S. Congressman, and the retirement of a 29-term U.S. Congressman, Michigan becomes a key place to visit.And if you want to go inside Michigan, you go to Inside Michigan Politics, the must-read report that analyzes the Wolverine state’s politics and policy. Susan Demas is publisher and editor. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Wed, May 14, 2014
Wayne Slater, Dallas Morning News
As we continue our state by state deep dives, whaddya say we mess with Texas?In a place known for big personalities – big everything, really – this year is no exception.Of course, this year the eyes of Texas – and eyes in many other parts of the country – are on the Governor’s race. That’s where Democrats – with filibustering state senator Wendy Davis thought they had their best chance in 20 years to win back the Austin mansion. But with rising biography questions and lower-than-hoped-for poll numbers, can that chance become reality?Elsewhere, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz is the state’s most popular politician; the state might give us two Republican Presidential candidates; and wouldn’t you know it, a Bush Republican is running for statewide office.But with immigration fights and Tea Party battles, could state Republicans overreach? And what can and should Democrats do to mount a Texas-sized comeback?Few follow Texas politics more closely than Wayne Slater, Senior political writer for The Dallas Morning News who has covered Texas and national politics for 20 years. He is co-author of two books on Texas political guru Karl Rove: One is “Bush's Brain” and the other is “The Architect”…. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, May 09, 2014
Kay Henderson, Radio Iowa
If there’s one state where politics never turns off, it’s Iowa. And while preparations for the next Iowa Caucus seem to start the day the current Caucus ends, there is, perhaps, a more interesting new development on the Iowa horizon – for the first time since 1984, the state is about to elect a new Senator.With Sen. Tom Harkin’s decision not to run for a sixth term, Iowa is suddenly another key player in the biggest theme of Midterm 2014 – the battle for U.S. Senate control. How is the state leaning? Could the seat actually be up for grabs? And who will represent Republicans: A pig-castrating, gun-range visiting state senator or a former Fortune 500 CEO who has returned to his home state to try and steal a victory?Few follow Iowa politics more closely than Radio Iowa News Director Kay Henderson, who, as her bio points out, was born on Election Day. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Tue, May 06, 2014
Adam Smith, Tampa Bay Times
As we continue our deep dives into Midterm 2014 key states, we visit a place where the focus is not on the Senate, but on the Governor’s mansion. It’s also been at the center of every Presidential race since 2000, and 2016 is no different. In fact, the state may offer up not one, but two potential major candidates.Of course, we’re traveling to Florida, where the upcoming governor’s battle not only will set the state’s political tone, but also party momentum for a place certain to play a central role in 2016. Will Jeb run? Will Marco? And could either of them beat Hillary?Helping us understand the players and the politics – Adam Smith, Tampa Bay Times political editor. He’s been named the best political writer in Florida by washingtonpost.com and one of the country's Top 10 political reporters by the Columbia Journalism Review. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrisriback.com/subscribe
Fri, May 02, 2014
Elizabeth Wilner, Kantar Media Ad Intelligence
There are two sporting events where the advertisements are watched as closely as the game itself – and we’re not talking today about the Super Bowl.We’re talking politics, and if you think it’s too early in the Midterm 2014 season to pay attention to the advertising, well then, you haven’t been paying attention.With key battles in multiple states, Senate control in question, and a flood of outside money already in the system, have we gone too far too quickly? At what point do voters tune out the noise? And what trends – placement, tone, frequency – might we expect to see from campaigns going forward?Few analyze, think or write about the political ad space more clearly than Elizabeth Wilner. She’s Senior Vice President of Kantar Media Ad Intelligence with oversight of its Campaign Media Analysis Group; Contributing Editor of The Cook Political Report; and former Political Director of NBC News.
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