
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or


This week was a straight flush for Democrats. Zohran Mamdani completed his heroic arc to become mayor of the world’s most important city. Democrats ran up huge margins in the big governor races in Virginia and New Jersey, where Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill, respectively, won by double digits. What unified the three victories was the Democratic candidate’s ability to turn the affordability curse against the sitting president, transforming Republicans’ 2024 advantage into a 2025 albatross.
Affordability is the Democrats’ new watchword. And it’s a good one. It speaks to Americans' direct concerns. It’s a big-tent subject, allowing a democratic socialist to offer one message in South Brooklyn and a moderate Democrat to offer another message in southern Virginia.
Today’s guest is Matthew Yglesias, a writer whose site, Slow Boring, is a must-read for me and many others who follow politics and policy. We talk about the affordability theory of everything and its weaknesses, the Democrats’ big night, the lessons of Mamdani, persuasion, moderation, and much more.
If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at [email protected].
Host: Derek Thompson
Guest: Matthew Yglesias
Producers: Devon Baroldi
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
By The Ringer4.7
20272,027 ratings
This week was a straight flush for Democrats. Zohran Mamdani completed his heroic arc to become mayor of the world’s most important city. Democrats ran up huge margins in the big governor races in Virginia and New Jersey, where Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill, respectively, won by double digits. What unified the three victories was the Democratic candidate’s ability to turn the affordability curse against the sitting president, transforming Republicans’ 2024 advantage into a 2025 albatross.
Affordability is the Democrats’ new watchword. And it’s a good one. It speaks to Americans' direct concerns. It’s a big-tent subject, allowing a democratic socialist to offer one message in South Brooklyn and a moderate Democrat to offer another message in southern Virginia.
Today’s guest is Matthew Yglesias, a writer whose site, Slow Boring, is a must-read for me and many others who follow politics and policy. We talk about the affordability theory of everything and its weaknesses, the Democrats’ big night, the lessons of Mamdani, persuasion, moderation, and much more.
If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at [email protected].
Host: Derek Thompson
Guest: Matthew Yglesias
Producers: Devon Baroldi
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

30,325 Listeners

3,140 Listeners

9,275 Listeners

4,547 Listeners

1,229 Listeners

5,442 Listeners

14,022 Listeners

5,469 Listeners

5,727 Listeners

1,663 Listeners

16,317 Listeners

1,702 Listeners

1,128 Listeners

2,484 Listeners

2,174 Listeners