Politicology

We live in a loud world that’s getting louder.

We encounter noise all around us—from the chatter of polite conversations, to street noise in a big city, to the constant intrusion of the dings of notifications.

But what is all of this noise doing to us, and what does it mean to find quiet in the midst of it?

 In fact, what is silence, anyway?

How can it affect our minds, our bodies, and our relationships?

Harvard and Oxford trained policymaker Justin Zorn and NASA consultant Leigh Marz join host Ron Steslow to discuss their new book, Golden: The Power of Silence in a World of Noise

(02:33) Leigh and Justin’s backgrounds 

(07:04) Why they began practicing silence in their own lives

(12:50) Why silence feels scary

(18:30) What is noise? 

(22:12) Internal silence is what people think it is

(30:19) The connection between noise and rigid thinking

(37:27) The historical significance of silence

You should read Golden: The Power of Silence in a World of Noise : http://bit.ly/3UIGJU2

FollowJustin, Leigh, and Ron on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/JustinZorn

https://twitter.com/LeighMarz

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

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Mike Madrid (Lincoln Project cofounder) and Anthony York (Senior Communications Advisor to Gov. Gavin Newsom) join host Ron Steslow to unpack some of the most important stories of the week and how they’re shaping the political landscape:

(03:10) The lack of a Red Wave and the surprisingly good midterms for Democrats

(08:50) Democrats’ Florida Problem

(22:33) Republicans’ Donald Trump Problem 

(50:00) The potential Trump vs DeSantis showdown in the Republican Primary

[Politicology+ Subscribers Only] What could (and should) the political futures of Beto O’Rourke and Stacy Abrams look like after losing the Governors races in Texas and Georgia 

Politicology+ is our private, ad-free version of this podcast, with subscriber-only episodes, strategy, and analysis. To upgrade now, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts.

Follow this week’s panel on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

https://twitter.com/madrid_mike

https://twitter.com/anthonyyork49

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Ron Steslow calls some Politicology fan favorites to discuss the midterm elections, the surprisingly good night for Democrats, the races that are still too close to call, and what it could mean for future elections.

(00:44) Susan Del Percio on the Democratic strategy to set up races against extreme MAGA candidates

(05:29) Mike Madrid on the biggest surprise from last night and the early count out of Nevada

(10:52) Tharon Johnson on what Sen. Warnock needs to do to win in the December runoff

(23:48) Lucy Caldwell on the gap between Mark Kelly and Katie Hobbs early vote counts and why she’s cautiously optimistic that Hobbs can still win

(35:31) Zack Czajkowski on the unexpected victory for Democrats in the North Carolina 13th Congressional District 

(49:16) David Becker on what the midterms could mean for election integrity moving forward

(57:47) Lanae Erickson on why the Dobbs decision—and not the student loan forgiveness plan— drove turnout for Democrats in Pennsylvania

(1:05:45) Marc Polymeropoulos on the importance of people with national security experience in politics 

(1:14:19) Former DCCC Chair and Former Congressman Steve Israel on how the slimmer margin for Republicans could give the extremist wing more leverage in the next congress

Follow this episodes guests on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/DelPercioS

https://twitter.com/madrid_mike

https://twitter.com/TharonJohnson

https://twitter.com/lucymcaldwell

https://twitter.com/ZackCz

https://twitter.com/beckerdavidj

https://twitter.com/RepSteveIsrael

https://twitter.com/Mpolymer

https://twitter.com/LanaeErickson

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

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Have you made your plan to vote? Visit https://iwillvote.com/ to make sure you’re registered and find your polling location

This week, Kiel Williams from Decision Desk HQ joins host Ron Steslow to set the table for what to expect in the midterm elections.

Decision Desk HQ are among the most trusted experts in measuring and modeling public opinion and election outcomes. They’re the mathletes behind major outlets like The Economist, Buzzfeed News, VOX Media, Insider, and The New York Times, for election night results and final calls on races. 

(01:38) How the generic ballot looks

(02:50) Movement in Senate forecasting 

(03:40) The claim that Republicans are gaming polling averages

(07:40) The challenge of polling response bias

(09:30) Races that could indicate a good or bad night for Democrats

(15:53) Whether low turnout still favors Republicans 

(22:14) A race that could indicate whether the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overturning Roe v Wade increased turnout

Follow Decision Desk HQ’s live election results: https://results.decisiondeskhq.com/

Follow Kiel and Ron on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/KielTWilliams

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

https://twitter.com/decisiondeskhq

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Doug Jones (Fmr. Democratic U.S. Senator from Alabama), Mike Madrid (Lincoln Project cofounder) and Lucy Caldwell (Walsh 2020 Campaign Manager) join host Ron Steslow to unpack some of the most important stories of the week and how they’re shaping the political landscape:

(03:11) The Fed’s rate hikes, Biden’s push to expand the workforce, and the threats to Social Security heading into the midterms 

(23:03) Liz Cheney endorses her first Democratic candidate and John Fetterman drops an ad featuring two Trump-voting former Republicans—his parents.  

(42:33) The attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul, in their San Francisco home 

[Politicology+ Subscribers Only] The biggest misconception about money in politics and the outrage economy driving political fundraising and media coverage 

Politicology+ is our private, ad-free version of this podcast, with subscriber-only episodes, strategy, and analysis. To upgrade now, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts.

Follow this week’s panel on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/dougjones

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

https://twitter.com/madrid_mike

https://twitter.com/lucymcaldwell

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Major Garrett (CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent) and David Becker (Executive Director of The Center for Election Innovation and Research) talk with Ron Steslow about their new book, The Big Truth, the lies about the 2020 election, and how we can restore trust in our electoral system. 

(01:55) Why they decided to write the book now

(05:00) Setting the stakes for our current state of distrust in elections 

(08:57) How Trump supporters view the breakdown in democratic norms

(14:17) Why we can’t lose sight of the January 6 riot 

(24:00) How election denialism has changed electoral politics

(34:53) How the Federalist Papers predicted a Trump-like figure 

(38:42) The threat of pushing election deniers in primary elections 

(43:21) The “Big Truth” of the 2020 election

(57:10) How geographic sorting changes trust in elections 

(1:13:11) Where do we go from here? 

Follow Major, David, and Ron on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/MajorCBS

https://twitter.com/beckerdavidj

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

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This week, Kiel Williams from Decision Desk HQ joins host Ron Steslow to break down the biggest movement in polling and modeling, where it’s happening, in what races, and why.

Decision Desk HQ are among the most trusted experts in measuring and modeling public opinion and election outcomes. They’re the mathletes behind major outlets like The Economist, Buzzfeed News, VOX Media, Insider, and The New York Times, for election night results and final calls on races. 

(01:36) Changes to the election environment 

(05:00) How the Senate races have shifted 

(06:53) Republicans increased odds of taking the Senate

(06:53) What’s moving the needle in Pennsylvania and Nevada

(12:17) What’s going on in the House races

(14:20)What we can (and can’t) learn from early voting numbers

(18:37)The balance of power

You should check out Decision Desk HQ: https://decisiondeskhq.com/

Follow Kiel and Ron on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/KielTWilliams

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

https://twitter.com/decisiondeskhq

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One thing Pete Buttigeg, Elizabeth Warren, and Michael Bennet have in common? They all wanted Rob Sand’s endorsement in their Presidential campaigns.

Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand is a Democrat from a small town who likes to hunt and fish and has been able to connect with the white, non-college educated rural voters that Democrats across the country have been struggling to win. Ron Steslow and Mike Madrid talk with him about how he did it in 2018, how he’s doing it in this election cycle, and what Democratic candidates in higher profile races can learn.

(02:10) Why Rob decided to run for auditor

(05:25) How he can win Iowa voters as a Democrat

(08:47) How he picked up endorsements from 31 conservatives 

(11:10) The “myth of monsters” and how it increases partisanship

(18:03)Humor as an election tool 

(21:15) The advice he gave presidential primary candidates as they vied for the Iowa Caucuses 

You should visit Rob’s campaign website: https://robsand.com/

Follow Rob, Mike, and Ron on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/RobSandIA

https://twitter.com/madrid_mike

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

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Mike Madrid (Lincoln Project cofounder) Al Cardenas (former advisor to Presidents Regan and George H.W. Bush) and Molly McKew (Lead author of GreatPower.US) join host Ron Steslow to unpack some of the most important stories of the week and how they’re shaping the political landscape:

(02:45) Putin’s war in Ukraine and Kevin McCarthy’s threat to cut aid to Ukraine if Republicans take back the House. 

(20:36) The Pennsylvania Senate Debate and the Nevada Senate race that can determine who controls the Senate in January 

(47:02) The extremist groups threatening to intimidate voters in the midterm elections 

[Politicology+ Subscribers Only] The effectiveness of the climate change activism food fight + Latinos naming climate change as a top issue heading into the midterms

Politicology+ is our private, ad-free version of this podcast, where we also publish subscriber-only episodes, strategy, and analysis. To upgrade now, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts.

Support Molly McKew’s fundraiser for Ukranian AFU Stratcom’s winter gear: https://www.paypal.com/pools/c/8O0wORTDJg

Follow this week’s panel on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

https://twitter.com/madrid_mike

https://twitter.com/MollyMcKew

https://twitter.com/AlCardenasFL_DC

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What are the psychological forces driving that partisan animosity?

What’s causing Americans to vote for anti-democracy candidates? 

Are there any interventions that might actually work to turn down the heat and save our democracy? 

Robb Willer, professor of sociology, psychology, and organizational behavior at Stanford University talks with Ron Steslow about Stanford’s Strengthening Democracy Challenge, reducing partisan animosity and support for anti-democracy candidates .

(01:31) Robbs background

(02:46) The growth of polarization and partisan animosity 

(15:08) The Strengthening Democracy Challenge

(22:40) Negative partisanship and support for undemocratic candidates

(29:46) How cues from leaders can reduce support for anti-democracy candidates

(32:17) Working together and respectfully discussing differences reduces partisan animosity 

(37:47) Misperceptions about how how you’re viewed by members of another party fuels animosity 

(46:47) Is there hope for overcoming animosity and acceptance of undemocratic candidates? 

(53:16) How to implement these ideas

(59:23) The role of emotions in decision making

You should check out the interventions we discussed: 

Elite Cues: https://bit.ly/3TEeS6Z

Positive Contact (Heineken Ad): https://bit.ly/3N74PEM

Misperceptions: https://bit.ly/3W4iMaN

Fear of Democratic Collapse: https://bit.ly/3W4awHO

Follow Robb and Ron on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/RobbWiller

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

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