Politics War Room with James Carville & Al Hunt

By Politicon

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What's Politics War Room with James Carville & Al Hunt about?

Master political strategist James Carville and revered journalist Al Hunt convenes a war room each week to discuss the battle for the soul of the nation! Join them as they gather the sharpest minds from across the country to see who has the most compelling case for the American people on the issues that matter most.

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188: The Two Franks

03.16.2023

James and Al give their insights on March Madness and welcome former ambassador to Egypt Frank Wisner and storied congressional representative Barney Frank. In their conversations they discuss the Iranian-Saudi relationship, how China plays into the modern diplomatic landscape, and ...

Politics War Room with James Carville & Al Hunt episodes:

03.16.2023 188: The Two Franks James and Al give their insights on March Madness and welcome former ambassador to Egypt Frank Wisner and storied congressional representative Barney Frank. In their conversations they discuss the Iranian-Saudi relationship, how China plays into the modern diplomatic landscape, and ...
03.09.2023 187: From The Middle East To Middle America James and Al celebrate President Biden’s defense of Medicare before welcoming strategist Jim Gerstein and transportation expert Jeff Davis. In their conversation, they discuss the breakdown of Israeli politics and how the rise of their Right wing mirrors Trumpism in ...
03.02.2023 186: Gov. Wes Moore James and Al take on the anti-woke focus of Ron DeSantis, and dive into the recent electoral battles from Wisconsin to Chicago that are defining the next phase of our country’s future. Then, they welcome MD Governor Wes Moore to ...
02.23.2023 185: Trump’s Malfeasance with Marcy Wheeler & Morgan Cloud James and Al dive into the budding 2024 race and emphasize the importance of the WI Supreme Court elections. Then, they welcome journalist Marcy Wheeler to explain the pernicious influence of Russia on the MAGA Republicans, followed by Professor Morgan ...
02.16.2023 184: Rep. Colin Allred James and Al share their thoughts on Trump’s new nickname for DeSantis, recent natural disasters and the war in Europe. Then, they welcome Rep. Colin Allred to share a Super Bowl retrospective and discuss the House weaponization committee, retaking Red ...
02.09.2023 183: The Big Battles with Greg Cosell & Brandon Presley James and Al review the strong SOTU speech by President Biden and take on the Timid 20 in the Republican caucus who refuse to stand up to their side’s extremists. Then, they welcome Greg Cosell for an in-depth analysis of ...
02.02.2023 182: Policing with David Harris James and Al break down the ridiculous debt ceiling fight sparked by the Republicans and skewer the 2024 Republican primary field that could lead to an independent run by Trump. Then, they’re joined by law professor and author David Harris ...
01.26.2023 181: Admiral James Stavridis James and Al discuss the traitors in our midst like former counter intelligence official and FBI agent Charles McGonigal, and how Russia continues to upend our politics. Then, they are joined by former NATO Supreme Commander Admiral James Stravridis to ...
01.19.2023 180: A Tale Of Two Documents with Andrew Weissmann James and Al look at the weaknesses of the GOP caucus and the difficulty they will have in taking congressional action. Then, they welcome legal expert Andrew Weissmann to discuss the process that goes into investigations of our politicians with ...
01.12.2023 179: Coming Challenges with Professor Julian Zelizer James and Al decimate the insanity of the incoming Republican congress with a strong defense of immigration and President Biden. Then, they welcome Princeton’s Julian Zelizer to discuss the many myths in our collective memory going from the Revolutionary War ...
01.05.2023 178: Speaker Madness with Carl Hulse In the midst of the Republican’s farcical battle to elect the next Speaker of the House, James and Al are joined by NYT’s Washington expert Carl Hulse for deeper insight into the proceedings. They discuss Rep. McCarthy’s prospects, the effect ...
12.29.2022 177: Ringing In The New Year With 2023 almost here, James and Al ring in the new year with friends George Stevens, Jill Abramson, Fred Wertheimer, and Jane Mayer. Together, they discuss the current state of the media and entertainment, before forecasting the political future of ...
12.22.2022 176: Mary & Judy With Christmas just around the corner, James and Al welcome their wives Judy Woodruff and Mary Matalin to ring in the season with some holiday stories. Then, they take on the corruption of the Republican party, contrast Trump and Nixon, ...
12.15.2022 175: Butt Plugs & Dildos James and Al summon political consultant and the mastermind behind the win of Senator Warnock in Georgia, Quentin Fulks, to analyze how their campaign won its critical run-off election for majority control. They also discuss the ways campaigns in swing ...
12.08.2022 174: After Georgia with Michael McDonald James and Al are joined by UF Political Science Prof. Michael McDonald to discuss the factors that led to the re-election of Sen. Warnock in GA, the weakness of MAGA, and how minorities and turn-out play a key role in ...
12.01.2022 173: Glob of Protoplasm James and Al are joined by Arizona Congressman Ruben Gallego for a wide ranging conversation covering everything from the prospects of the newly elected House and who might lead each party, to the desires of AZ voters and how to ...
11.24.2022 172: Dark Money In this special episode exploring the pernicious effects of dark money on our politics, James and Al welcome Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, investigative journalist Jane Mayer, and former AZ AG Terry Goddard. They dive into how dark money is corrupting our ...
11.17.2022 171: Ro Khanna & Tyler Bridges James and Al take on the greed of oil companies and the dark money fueling the Republican takeover of the judicial system before bringing on Rep. Ro Khanna to explore the role of progressives, how they play into the future ...
11.10.2022 170: Election Aftermath with Robert Draper With the midterm results continuing to come in with a strong showing for Democrats, James and Al bring on NYT contributor and author of ‘Weapons of Mass Delusion’ Robert Draper to dive into why many expectations of a red wave ...
11.03.2022 169: Midterms By The Numbers with Stanley Greenberg James and Al fire off on the forces in the Democratic Party driving away voters and bring on pollster Stanley Greenberg to explore the numbers behind the issues that are defining the midterms. They examine how proposed policy and language ...
10.27.2022 168: PA & UK with Ed Luce and Jonathan Tamari James and Al bring on Associate Editor of the Financial Times Ed Luce to discuss the fall of Liz Truss, the high turnover of the UK’s Prime Ministers, and what to expect going forward under Rishi Sunak. Then, they’re joined ...
10.20.2022 167: From Georgia to Iran with David Ignatius & Stephen Fowler Facing a world in chaos and with early voting in Georgia surprising observers, James and Al bring on foreign policy expert David Ignatius and Georgia political specialist Stephen Fowler to break down the latest. In their discussion, they look at ...
10.13.2022 166: The Battle for Arizona with Yvonne Wignett Sanchez Now that the midterms are only a few weeks away, James and Al summon WaPo political reporter and Arizona expert Yvonne Wignett Sanchez for a deep dive into the crucial gubernatorial and senate races there. In their analysis, they discuss ...
10.06.2022 165: Michael Kofman & Howard Wilkinson James and Al let loose on the hypocrisy of Herschel Walker and the so-called Religious Right, and bring on veteran Ohio political analyst Howard Wilkinson to look at the Democrats’ midterm prospects there. Then, they welcome military analyst Michael Kofman ...
09.29.2022 164: Nevada Midterms with Jon Ralston James and Al emphasize the importance of addressing climate change in light of the massive storms brewing on the East Coast, and give us a general overview of the state of the midterms with just over a month left. Then, ...
09.28.2022 163: Introducing: It Was Said Season 2 It Was Said, the 2021 Webby Award winner for Best Podcast Series, returns with a new season to look back on some of the most powerful, impactful, and timeless speeches in history. Written and narrated by Pulitzer Prize winner and ...
09.22.2022 162: Tar Heel Politics with Michael Bitzer James and Al lay out how the Republican electorate is pushing the party’s candidates towards extremism and call on people of faith to stand up for immigrants and refugees. Then, they bring on Catawba College’s Politics Chair Michael Bitzer to ...
09.15.2022 161: The State of Wisconsin with Ben Wikler James and Al give an update on the politics of the Ukraine War and the ongoing fight for our rights. Then, they bring on Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler to analyze the gubernatorial and senate races in his state, ...
09.08.2022 160: Michigan Midterms with Bill Ballenger James and Al are joined by Bill Ballenger of the Ballenger Report for a thorough look at the midterm prospects for Democrats in the key swing state of Michigan. Together, they analyze the impact of recent political developments from Dobbs ...
09.01.2022 159: A history lesson with Stephen Kotkin James and Al are joined by foreign affairs and Russian expert Stephen Kotkin for a deep dive into the history of the Soviet Union, how Putin is running the country in its aftermath, and the current state of the war ...
08.25.2022 158: Richard Ben Veniste & Mark Leibovich James and Al are joined by Watergate Special Prosecutor Richard Ben Veniste to break down the differences between Trump and Nixon, and look at the role of the DOJ now that it’s faced with Trump’s crimes. Then, they welcome premiere ...
08.18.2022 157: Sean Wilentz James and Al reflect on the recent primary elections, the raid on Mar-a-Lago, and the Democrats’ growing odds in the midterms. Then, they bring on Princeton professor and author Sean Wilentz to dive into the potential of populism and an ...
08.11.2022 156: Will Bunch: After The Ivory Tower Falls James and Al lay out the current state of the midterm elections and the implications of the raid on Mar-a-Lago. Then, they are joined by author and Philadelphia Inquirer national columnist Will Bunch for a conversation about the disaster Republican ...
08.04.2022 155: David Maraniss: Path Lit By Lightning James and Al celebrate Celtics star Bill Russell, then bring on accomplished author and WaPo associate editor David Maraniss to discuss the life and legend of Jim Thorpe. In their conversation they look at the struggles he faced throughout his ...
07.28.2022 154: Rico with Law Prof. Morgan Cloud James and Al highlight the need for Democrats to maintain solidarity in the primaries to protect democracy and the importance of the Dobbs referendum coming up in Kansas. Then, they’re joined by Emory Law School Professor Morgan Cloud for an ...
07.21.2022 153: Lis Smith: Any Given Tuesday: A Political Love Story James and Al are joined by Pete Buttigieg’s Senior Communications Advisor Lis Smith for a conversation about her career journey as a political veteran, how to succeed on the campaign trail, and what to look for when you pick a ...
07.14.2022 152: Foreign Affairs with Ed Luce & Michael Abramowitz James and Al are joined by Financial Times U.S. National Editor Ed Luce and Freedom House President Michael Abramowitz for a look at the recent upheavals in foreign affairs. In their conversations, they cover the resignation of Boris Johnson and ...
07.10.2022 151: Revisionist History: The Triplicate Program and Opioid Epidemic We’re sharing a bonus episode from our friends at Revisionist History, Malcolm Gladwell’s podcast about things misunderstood and overlooked. This season, Malcolm’s obsessed with experiments – natural experiments, scientific experiments, thought experiments. In this preview, we learn about Paul Madden, ...
07.07.2022 150: Tim Miller: Why We Did It James and Al are joined by Bulwark writer, author, and anti-Trump conservative Tim Miller to delve into the departure of the Republican party from the Reagan/Bush legacy in an appeal to the grievances of its base. They also look at ...
06.30.2022 149: The State of the Supreme Court with Linda Greenhouse The State of the Supreme Court with Linda Greenhouse
06.23.2022 148: Ryan Grim from The Intercept James and Al review the latest 1/6 hearing and upcoming Supreme Court rulings, then welcome D.C. Bureau Chief of The Intercept Ryan Grim to analyze the increasing ineffectiveness of progressive organizations and the perils of woke culture. In their conversation, ...
06.16.2022 147: Rep. Ro Khanna James and Al fire off on the ineffectiveness of liberal organizations and what they need to do to help win elections. They then welcome Silicon Valley Congressman Ro Khanna to lay out his view of progressive capitalism and the need ...
06.09.2022 146: The Betrayal: How Mitch McConnell and the Senate Republicans Abandoned America with Ira Shapiro James and Al break down the results of this week’s primary elections and are joined by author and congressional expert Ira Shapiro. In their conversation, they discuss how Mitch McConnell has contributed to the destruction of the Senate as an ...
06.02.2022 145: To Risk It All with Admiral James Stavridis Following the Memorial Day weekend, James and Al welcome former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Admiral James Stravidis, to look back on some of our greatest naval heroes. Then, they discuss the ways the different branches of the armed forces are ...
05.26.2022 144: It's The Economy Stupid with Roger Altman James and Al go off on the growing epidemic of gun violence and the apathy of the public. Then, they welcome Fmr. US Deputy Treasury Secretary and Evercore Founder Roger Altman to understand what’s happening with the economy. In their ...
05.19.2022 143: This Will Not Pass with Jonathan Martin & Alexander Burns James and Al sound off on the politicians who would back Russia after their aggression. Then, they are joined by NYT political correspondents and authors of “This Will Not Pass” Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns to analyze where the parties ...
05.13.2022 141: Debugger - Defending democracy from big tech Big Tech makes big decisions over our lives: What products we see, how we feel about world events, what to censor — to some degree, even what medical decisions we make. Yet who controls Big Tech? The firms are so ...
05.12.2022 142: Fmr. SecDef Bill Cohen James and Al take on the Supreme Court for invalidating abortion rights, and stress the need for activist groups on the Left to get out into the field and fight for us. Then, they welcome former Secretary of Defense Bill ...
05.05.2022 140: Jeff Nussbaum James and Al fire off on the disastrous Supreme Court decision overturning Roe V. Wade, and the state of our judicial system after the leak. Then, they welcome former speech writer to Joe Biden, Al Gore, and many other leaders, ...
04.29.2022 139: Will Be Wild From critically acclaimed podcast studios Pineapple Street and Wondery comes a new 8-part series called Will Be Wild that shines a light on the human stories left out of the headlines. It goes deep into the lives of people who ...

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