The Republican Party is polling poorly.
Parts of its coalition are fracturing.
Special elections suggest vulnerability.

And yet — there is still a path to victory.

This episode examines the structural realities that often matter more than approval ratings: Senate geography, turnout asymmetry, voter access laws, and party discipline.

Midterms are not referendums on popularity alone.
They are shaped by institutional design.

If Republicans hold power in November, it may not be because voters are satisfied. It may be because the system itself still tilts in their favor.

Part one of our midterm analysis series.
Next week: the Democratic path.

Politics of New America
A weekly institutional briefing for people who don’t want Twitter takes.

A podcast by Haunted Mouse Productions
https://linktr.ee/politicsofnewamerica

Welcome back to The Politics of New America. Nathan and Producer Josh are back to talk about America's withdrawal from the world order it created, and how its dependant nations in Europe and beyond are struggling to find a new way forward.

The Politics of New America explores the radical new era of American politics and its effects on the world.

https://linktr.ee/hauntedmouseproductions

Democrats win big, then cave on the shutdown. Nathan & Josh unpack margins that matter, why affordability could be the only winning play, and what SCOTUS might do to Trump’s tariffs. Final 2025 ep—back in January.

Host: Nathan Stone • Producer/Co-host: Josh Carmody
A Haunted Mouse Production.

Content note: explicit language.

00:00 Cold open
01:30 Election wins (VA, NJ)
07:45 NY: Mamdani & affordability
30:00 Shutdown tradeoffs
41:45 What SCOTUS could change
47:15 Programming note + cross-promo
52:00 Sponsor: Start with Leverage Assistant — try them free for 1 month.
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America has never been hungrier. Over 42 million citizens struggle to afford enough to eat. For decades, America's food stamp program, now known as SNAP has helped many of those suffering from hunger, now the ongoing government shutdown threatens to fully halt the initiative and leave one out of every eight citizen wondering how they're going to feed themselves and their families. 

Special guest Gabrielle Hill-Desjardins brings her expertise on International and Domestic development to the discussion of the history of America's food stamp program and helps examine the current state of affairs.

Consult the resources below If you would like to support efforts to help the hungry during the government shutdown or are in need of support for yourself or your family.

https://www.feedingamerica.org/need-help-find-food

https://mealconnect.org/

https://www.fns.usda.gov/national-hunger-hotline

https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Food/food-banks-how-to-help-government-shutdown/story?id=126972747

🎧 Full episode on YouTube, Spotify + Apple: https://linktr.ee/politicsofnewamerica 
 Subscribe for more sharp political analysis.
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There have been few examples of closer relationships between nations than Canada and the United States. The two share common origins, language and culture. Now the Trump administration is using its immense economic influence to punish its northern neighbour for perceived slights large and small. 

Join us as we look at the unequal trade war between Canada and the US and discuss the seemingly no-win scenario that Canadians find themselves facing. We also explore the lasting impact of America’s abandonment of diplomacy and soft power on its international relations. 

The Politics of New America explores and explains the policies of the American federal government in this era of radical change.

The American attacks on alleged Venezuelan drug cartel boats have killed at least 27 people and launched a wave of international condemnations. How can trump legally deploy America's military to attack foreign civilians at whim? Join us as we uncover America's modern history of extra judicial killings and trace the origins back to the aftermath of 9/11. 

The Politics of New America explores and explains the policies of the American Federal Government in this era of radical change. 

🎧 Full episode on YouTube, Spotify + Apple: https://linktr.ee/politicsofnewamerica 
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The Trump administration is attempting to paint the American anti-facist movement as a terrorist threat as dangerous as any the nation has faced. 

In a recent presidential roundtable, Trump, his cabinet, and right wing influencers took turns calling for the dismantling and destruction of Antifa. The discussion was high drama political theatre that sought to create a fictional version of the movement to serve as a target of the government’s wrath. 

In this episode we look at the origins and history of the American Antifa movement and demonstrate that it is far from the violent leftist revolutionary movement that Trump is trying to sell. 

The Politics of New America explores and explains the policies of the American federal government in this era of rapid change.

🎧 Full episode on YouTube, Spotify + Apple: https://linktr.ee/politicsofnewamerica 
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Lowering prescription drug costs for Americans was one of Trump's populist campaign promises. Now that promise has taken shape as TrumpRx, a website launching in 2026 that intends to connect American's with direct to consumer prices for prescription drugs. Could this new initiative finally bring down America's sky high prescription drug costs? And will Trump's bullying tactics finally benefit everyday American's by bringing the big pharmaceutical companies to heel? 

Also on the show, we look the implications of Hegseth's military meeting and how it could force thousands of women and people of colour out of the armed forces. We also check in on the government shutdown and the hyper partisan messaging coming from federal agencies.

The Politics of New America explores and explains the policies of the American federal government in this era of radical change. Straight talk, sharp takes — and the context you need to see how politicians keep rewriting the rules of democracy.

🎧 Full episode on YouTube, Spotify + Apple: https://linktr.ee/politicsofnewamerica 
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Trump's speech to the United Nations was bizarre, insulting, and perfectly encapsulated his government's disdain for the organization. Since Trump took office, his administration has slashed UN funding, sometimes in ways that violate the constitution. In this episode we explore the fallout of Trump's speech, the decline of American soft power, and the impact of the massive budget cuts on the workings of the UN.

In this episode of Politics of New America, Nathan and Josh break down:

• The escalator/teleprompter fiasco—and why the spectacle matters
• Trump’s ranting, rambling speech
• Bioweapons/“lab leak” claims revived on the UN stage
• Global fallout: Colombia’s Petro torches Trump at the UN
• China fills the vacuum
• The looming U.S. government shutdown—and how it could be used to gut agencies

Straight talk. Sharp takes. Politics explained.

🎧 Full episode on YouTube, Spotify + Apple: https://linktr.ee/politicsofnewamerica

Subscribe for more clear, fearless political analysis.

#UN #Trump #ForeignPolicy #USPolitics #UnitedNations #SCOTUS #GovernmentShutdown

The Politics of New America explores and explains the policies of the American federal government in this era of radical change.

The Supreme Court made use of its controversial Emergency Docket to quash a federal court order that stopped Trump from firing an FTC commissioner. In doing so the judges signalled their willingness to throw out protections that keep Independent Federal Agency heads from being fired without cause by the president. This decision threatens to destroy the independence of dozens of important agencies like the FTC, FDIC, and even the Federal Reserve. 

Join us as Nathan discusses where this ruling came from and the coming legal battle to determine if Trump can bend these agencies to his will. 

The Politics of New America explores and explains the actions of the American federal government in this era of radical change.