Fresh off his Iowa trip, Joe reports back on a few days of canvassing the state - what has Iowa Democrats really energized? Joe and Alex catch up on all the good news for Democrats this week - economic numbers, encouraging polling, and more. And what's Joe's unvarnished take on the Pennsylvania debate? Did it even matter? Plus, 107,000 "found" voter registrations in Virginia... wait, what?
Conservatives in America are not typically known as lovers of environmental advocacy. Well, our guest bucks that trend. Benji Backer, an environmental advocate and author of "The Conservative Environmentalist" joins Rick to discuss the urgent need for practical and innovative solutions to environmental challenges, critiquing both extreme denial and radical approaches currently dividing the political landscape. Backer emphasizes a historical bipartisan approach to environmental issues and proposes a balanced pathway that leverages American ingenuity and respects local knowledge.
Joe and Alex are joined by former Congressman Scott Klug, host of the "Lost in the Middle" podcast. Scott's exploring the stories of Americans who are "lost" in the polarization today -- how does he see the fever breaking? What are the solutions he's found from Americans' stories? And we can't let him go without a Wisconsin preview - how does Scott see the state playing out in 2024?
Joe and Alex discuss yet another fiasco for the MAGA House GOP. How Democrats were able to turn the Hur hearing against the Republicans in their own hearing - and what it means long term. No wonder another GOP congressman is retiring. What's 50-60% of 2.9 million anti-Trump Republican votes? No wonder Joe thinks Trump's screwed. By the time you read this paragraph, Trump will have owed at least another thirty bucks of interest... And of course, the veepstakes we can't even believe we're discussing.
"Find Me The Votes" authors and journalists Michael Isikoff and Daniel Klaidman join Rick to discuss the Georgia investigation into the efforts to overturn the 2020 election led by Fani Willis. They get into the incredible breadth and complexity of the case, from pressure campaigns on state officials and intimidation tactics against election workers to the strategic use of RICO charges. The episode also details the challenges facing Willis, Trump's reactions, and the case's implications for future elections and American democracy.