Political Breakdown

Pod Save America host and former Obama adviser Dan Pfeiffer joins Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos to talk about the state of the race for the Democratic nomination, and his new book "Un-Trumping America."

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Explore lessons from a lifetime in politics in KQED’s new podcast "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown." Scott Shafer spent more than 40 hours interviewing the former governor at his ranch in Colusa County, covering a life and career unmatched in California politics.

In the series' fifth episode, Jerry Brown returns to politics in the early 1990s after six years in the political wilderness. In 1992, he runs for president, fighting against the influence of money and swearing off big contributions. But by the end of his career, he questions demands for more transparency and the rejection of certain donations, returning to an old saying of his father’s: “You can’t sprinkle holy water on campaign money."

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Days before the New Hampshire primary, Scott and Marisa check in on the latest from the Granite State with Dan Barrick from New Hampshire Public Radio (0:40). Then, data guru Paul Mitchell, vice president of Political Data Inc., joins to discuss how he works with the California voter file, how campaigns are targeting early voters and the process of determining results from California's March 3 primary (11:29).

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Explore lessons from a lifetime in politics in KQED’s new podcast The Political Mind of Jerry Brown. Scott spent more than 40 hours interviewing the former governor at his ranch in Colusa County, covering a life and career unmatched in California politics.

In the show's fourth episode, California Democrats are shell-shocked by Proposition 13, but Jerry Brown sees a political opening. But in his second term as governor, Brown’s political eye begins to fail him; in a disastrous run for president, a bungled response to an agricultural crisis, and a losing Senate campaign that leaves him out of politics.

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Days before the Iowa caucuses, Scott and Marisa get an update from the Hawkeye State from Iowa Public Radio reporter Kate Payne (0:30). Then, attorney Robin Johansen joins to talk about her work on the House Judiciary Committee during the Nixon impeachment, representing Willie Brown and the state Legislature, battling changes to term limits and redistricting, and the future of the state's initiative system (6:49).

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Explore lessons from a lifetime in politics in KQED’s new podcast The Political Mind of Jerry Brown. Scott spent more than 40 hours interviewing the former governor at his ranch in Colusa County, covering a life and career unmatched in California politics. In the show’s third episode, Brown takes office as governor in 1975, with a guiding vision on how to apply what he sees as limited power; and an ambition that soon has him looking toward higher office.

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San Francisco Mayor London Breed becomes the latest California mayor to endorse Michael Bloomberg in his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination (0:32), and the impeachment battle heats up in Washington (4:10). Then, California Supreme Court associate justice Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar joins to talk about what it was like making the switch from academia to the courts (8:50), crossing the U.S.-Mexico border as a kid with his grandmother to get McDonald's (13:20) and what he thinks makes a good judge (25:25).

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Explore lessons from a lifetime in politics in KQED's new podcast The Political Mind of Jerry Brown. Scott spent more than 40 hours interviewing the former governor at his ranch in Colusa County, covering a life and career unmatched in California politics. In the show’s second episode, hear about Brown's political rise -- when he learned that his path to statewide office could not come from inside the halls of power.

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A new poll from the Public Policy Institute of California shows Bernie Sanders leading a tight race in the state's Democratic primary. Scott and Marisa also discuss voters' focus on homelessness, as Governor Gavin Newsom travels the state to promote investment on the issue (0:58). Then, NPR Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep joins to talk about the lives of 19th century explorer and California Senator John C. Frémont and his groundbreaking wife, Jessie Benton Frémont, the subject of his new book, Imperfect Union: How Jessie and John Frémont Mapped The West, Invented Celebrity, and Helped Cause the Civil War (5:34).

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