Best The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter Podcasts (2025)

1
"Trump voters are starting to ask questions." Pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson on 100 days. 46:34

9d ago46:34

46:34

We are 100 days into the second Trump administration and there's no better person to help us understand what voters are making of these first months of Trump 2.0 than Republican pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson. Kristen is a founding partner of Echelon Insights, an opinion research and analytics firm. She's a contributing opinion writer for The New…

1
By this measure, America is actually a little less polarized these days 36:06

23d ago36:06

36:06

Way back in the late 1990s, Cook Political Report founder Charlie Cook had an idea to rank all 435 congressional districts by their partisanship - in other words, whether a district is more Republican or more Democratic. That way, we'd be able to see, at a quick glance, which members of Congress represented districts that were either slightly or st…

1
Trump's Top Ad Man Pulls Back the Curtain On 2024 48:36

30d ago48:36

48:36

On the last podcast, Amy talked with Chauncey McLean, head of the Democratic super PAC Future Forward, about their media strategy for Kamala Harris and why things didn't work out as they had hoped. For this podcast, we turn to the ad strategy of the Trump campaign with John Brabender, the chief creative officer for the media company BrabenderCox. J…

1
Data Analytics Was Supposed To Be How Dems Dominated Politics. That Didn't Happen in 2024. 54:31

2M ago54:31

54:31

Back in the 2012 cycle, Chauncey McLean was a young staffer on the Obama campaign working in the newly developing field of data analytics. Six years later, McLean put those data science skills - and the ones he developed while working in the private sector testing ads for commercial products - to work as head of the Democratic super PAC, Future For…

1
Why Men of Color Might Be the New Swing Voters 39:49

2M ago39:49

39:49

We've been wanting to have Terrence Woodbury on the podcast for a long time. The reason is that he's a pollster who has done some amazing work with demographic groups that made a big difference in the presidential race last year, but also in previous cycles: Black voters, voters of color, and younger voters. And if many Democrats were surprised by …

1
From Title IX to Caitlin Clark 1:01:46

2M ago1:01:46

1:01:46

Last year, as March Madness kicked into gear, there was one athlete everyone seemed to be talking about: Caitlin Clark. The then University of Iowa guard was on her way to leading her team to the NCAA finals, selling out stadiums everywhere she went and creating an unprecedented level of excitement around women's basketball. This interest followed …

1
Editors Roundtable: 2026 House Races We Couldn't Agree On And Why Our Ratings Will Change 29:33

3M ago29:33

29:33

This is a special episode in your podcast feed. You are about to hear a recent edition of Editors Roundtable, our Cook Political Report podcast where our team of editors trades behind-the-scenes analysis and dives into the weeds on races and elections. If you're a political junkie - and chances are high that you are if you're listening to this - su…

1
Chuck Todd on Political Journalism and Why He's Passionate About Local News 52:10

3M ago52:10

52:10

Few people in Washington have shaped the political media ecosystem like Chuck Todd. Amy first met Chuck more than 25 years ago when he was the editor of what was then one of the most innovative news media disruptors of its time - The Hotline. The Hotline was political media's first aggregator using the breakthrough technology of the 1990s - the fax…

1
"This is not chaos for chaos's sake." Molly Ball on Trump 2.0. 55:23

3M ago55:23

55:23

Whether you expected it or not, it seems pretty safe to say that President Trump's first days have been defined by its intensity, a very fast moving news cycle, and often, the trademark chaos we remember from his first term. And that's why we love conversations like this one with The Wall Street Journal's Molly Ball. She's the kind of journalist wh…

1
Gen Z's Gender Divide Goes Beyond Politics 41:34

4M ago41:34

41:34

We are kicking things off with a topic Amy has been fascinated by - the gender divide in American politics and why it’s so pronounced among Gen Z. In the past, young voters have reliably supported the Democratic candidate for president, regardless of gender. Just four years ago, a majority of both young men and young women voted for Joe Biden. But …

1
Get ready for a new season of The Odd Years! 1:12

4M ago1:12

1:12

We started The Odd Years in 2023, which was both a literal odd numbered year, and also a political odd year; a year when there were no national elections. But Amy enjoyed these conversations so much - and so did you - that we kept going into 2024 even though it was an even year. We just couldn’t help ourselves. As we head into another odd year, we …

1
Season 2, Episode 12: A Deeper Understanding of Swing State Voters 35:02

5M ago35:02

35:02

For our final show of 2024, we are bringing you a conversation we recorded a couple weeks ago with the Cook Political Report's David Wasserman and the two pollsters who collaborated with the our team on 2024 Swing State Project. We started the project in the spring of 2024 in order to get a deeper understanding of the issues, concerns, and prioriti…

1
Season 2, Episode 11: If Americans Are Unhappy With Politics, Why Didn't They Vote For Electoral Reform? 43:11

6M ago43:11

43:11

Americans often say they hate how vitriolic and polarized our politics has become, and yet our current political system helps to promote this very behavior. That's why there's been a push for electoral reforms that incentivize candidates to appeal to voters across the political spectrum instead of just focusing on the most ideological and extreme v…

1
Season 2, Episode 10: Why Presidential Elections Are Razor Thin in Wisconsin 39:34

7M ago39:34

39:34

Presidential elections in Wisconsin the last two cycles have been incredibly close. In 2016 and 2020, they were decided by less than one percentage point. Of course, polling in the state has been notoriously "off" - or maybe fickle - which makes it more important than ever to talk to people who have been covering politics in Wisconsin for quite som…

1
Season 2, Episode 9: Why Pennsylvania is the Swingiest of Swing States 27:03

7M ago27:03

27:03

It's hard to overstate just how important Pennsylvania plays in deciding the Electoral College winner. If Kamala Harris loses the state, she'd need to win North Carolina or Georgia, as well as Nevada and the remaining blue wall states of Wisconsin and Michigan. If Trump were to lose Pennsylvania, he'd need to pick off at least one of those other Mi…

1
Season 2, Episode 8: Can Democrats Finally Win North Carolina this November? 46:21

8M ago46:21

46:21

Amy's guest today, Dr. Michael Bitzer, calls North Carolina the "stuck battleground state." That's because Republicans have dominated there in presidential elections. And yet, every four years, Democrats hold out hope that they can turn it blue. Barack Obama did it in 2008, but no other Democrat has done so since. Will 2024 be different? Joe Biden …

1
Season 2, Episode 7: How Kamala Harris Changed the Presidential Race in Georgia 32:02

9M ago32:02

32:02

Right before President Joe Biden dropped out of the race, his path to victory appeared very narrow. It was: win the midwest states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. But with Kamala Harris now at the top of the ticket, the electoral map could open up for Democrats, and some of those states that Joe Biden won in 2020, but seemed out of reach i…

1
Season 2, Episode 6: David Axelrod, Amy Walter and David Wasserman at the RNC 18:43

10M ago18:43

18:43

A special episode of The Odd Years: Amy and David catch up with David Axelrod in Milwaukee at the RNC. The three discuss what they're seeing on the ground, their thoughts on the selection of J.D. Vance as Trump's running mate, and the situation for President Biden and the Democrats as they head into their convention in a few weeks. David Axelrod is…

1
Season 2, Episode 5: What Polls Miss — and What We Should Focus on Instead 41:41

10M ago41:41

41:41

We originally asked our guest today, Michael Podhorzer, to come on to talk about voter demographics. Mike was the longtime political director for the AFL-CIO. He’s now a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and he writes a Substack called Weekend Reading. And Mike has been one of the pioneers in Democratic circles using data and analyt…

1
Season 2, Episode 4: How The Diploma Divide Is Reshaping American Politics 51:54

11M ago51:54

51:54

If you listen to this podcast, you’ve probably heard of the so-called education divide in American politics with those with college degrees increasingly supporting Democrats and liberal causes and those without college degrees, increasingly supporting Republicans and conservative social issues. On today's show, Amy talks with Matt Grossman, Directo…

1
Mailbag: How Will Trump's Conviction Impact Downballot Races? 22:08

11M ago22:08

22:08

The Cook Political Report's David Wasserman, Jessica Taylor and Erin Covey answer your mailbag questions this week. They weigh in on what Trump's conviction will mean for Republicans in down-ballot races; they go into the weeds on their process for rating two congressional districts in California; they discuss Senate races in Virginia and Minnesota…

1
Season 2, Episode 3: What Coverage of Rural Voters Is Not Getting Right with Dan Shea and Nick Jacobs 47:00

11M ago47:00

47:00

Donald Trump is very popular in rural America. Drive down a rural stretch of road, and you are still likely to see Trump flags waving in the breeze or the Trump logo painted on the side of a barn. Rural parts of America have always been conservative-leaning. But Republicans now dominate rural politics from the top of the ticket to the bottom. There…

1
Mailbag: Which Biden District Republicans Are the Most Endangered? 20:40

12M ago20:40

20:40

Amy Walter is joined by her colleague, Cook Political Report Senior Editor and Election Analyst David Wasserman. First, they answer a listener's question on partisan realignment, particularly among education lines. Next, they dive into the question of which House Republicans won by Biden in 2020 are the most endangered. Ask us your questions here o…

1
Season 2, Episode 2: On the Campaign Trail with Melissa Benoist, Amy Chozick and Julie Plec of 'The Girls on the Bus' 42:39

1y ago42:39

42:39

Amy is back with a conversation about the new show now streaming on Max, The Girls on the Bus. The show stars Melissa Benoist as Sadie McCarthy, a scrappy and ambitious journalist covering a fictional Democratic presidential primary. It follows Sadie and three other women reporters as they navigate the campaign trail, while juggling their careers, …

1
Season 2, Episode 1: The Defining House Races of the Last 40 Years 33:39

1y ago33:39

33:39

Amy sits down with her Cook Political Report colleague, Senior Editor & Elections Analyst David Wasserman, for a walk down memory lane. In honor of The Cook Political Report's 40th Anniversary, David selected the defining House races of every cycle since 1984. Amy and Dave reminisce about the names, faces, issues, and districts that have shaped con…

1
Mailbag: Do Third-Party Candidates Hurt or Help Trump or Biden More? 14:53

1y ago14:53

14:53

The Odd Years is back with season two. It is a big election year, and we know you have many questions for the team at The Cook Political Report. We are opening season 2 with a listener mailbag. In this episode, Amy answers questions about swing states to watch in 2024 and what to make of Robert Kennedy Jr.'s support. Ask us your questions here or b…

1
Episode 13: Can Republicans Build a Multiracial Populist Coalition in 2024 and Beyond, With Republican Pollster Patrick Ruffini 35:28

1+ y ago35:28

35:28

In 2020, Donald Trump's considerable margin of victory among white working-class voters was expected, but his success in winning a larger share of the Latino and black vote was not. Amy's latest guest, Republican Pollster Patrick Ruffini, argues that Trump's advances with these voters is part of a more significant realignment in our politics. Amy t…

1
Episode 12: Science and (Political) Fiction with Ben Nedivi and Matt Wolpert of 'For All Mankind' 52:38

1+ y ago52:38

52:38

Host Amy Walter confesses her love of Apple TV's For All Mankind and the magic of its decade-spanning montages and storytelling to none other than the show's Executive Producers and writers, Ben Nedivi and Matt Wolpert. As season 4 of the show launches, the trio goes deep into the show's origin [03:28]; whether we should consider the show science o…

1
Episode 11: Diversity, Diaspora, Density and the Politics of the West, With Mark Z. Barabak 35:59

1+ y ago35:59

35:59

Amy Walter talks with Mark Z. Barabak, a political columnist for the Los Angeles Times, focusing on California and the West. They discuss his new series, "The New West," which explores the forces and factors that led once-reliable Republican states like Arizona, Colorado, and Nevada to turn from red to purple and blue. Amy and Mark also delve into …

1
Episode 10: What Voters Want Vs. What They Are Getting with The New York Times’ Astead Herndon 42:14

1+ y ago42:14

42:14

Amy Walter chats with Astead Herndon, a national politics reporter for the New York Times and the host of the "The Run-Up" podcast. Amy and Astead grapple with the fact that while voters are overwhelmingly against a Trump-Biden rematch in 2024, it still appears to be the inevitable outcome. Astead notes that we are "careening towards a rematch very…

1
Episode 9: Has Trump Locked Up The GOP Nomination? With The Focus Group Podcast Host Sarah Longwell 48:17

1+ y ago48:17

48:17

Amy Walter catches up with Republican strategist Sarah Longwell, publisher of the Bulwark and founder of the Republican Accountability Project. Sarah also hosts The Focus Group podcast, which brings listeners into wide-ranging conversations with voters. Sarah and Amy discuss where Donald Trump is already showing his potential strength in a general …

1
Episode 8: Diving into Delegate Math with Josh Putnam 37:34

2y ago37:34

37:34

Amy Walter talks with Josh Putnam, a political scientist and consultant known for his expertise on the presidential nominating process. You can read more about it in his blog, frontloadinghq.com. Amy and Josh discuss the implications of some states’ winner-take-all delegate rules in the Republican primary [6:00] and Democrats’ primary calendar shak…

1
Episode 7: Will AI Upend the 2024 Election with Kara Swisher 40:37

2y ago40:37

40:37

Amy Walter talks to the one and only Kara Swisher, a highly respected and deeply sourced technology reporter. Kara is currently the host of the podcast On with Kara Swisher, the co-host of the Pivot podcast and an editor-at-large at New York Magazine. Amy and Kara discussed AI's role in the 2024 campaign season. Kara gives some much-needed perspect…

1
Episode 6: Why Our Politics Feel Angrier Than Ever (And Why It’s Unlikely To Change Anytime Soon) 53:42

2y ago53:42

53:42

Amy Walter interviews two political science professors, Lynn Vavreck, the Marvin Hoffenberg Professor of American Politics and Public Policy at UCLA, and John Sides, the William R. Kenan, Jr. Chair in the Department of Political Science at Vanderbilt University. Their books, "Identity Crisis: The 2016 Presidential Campaign and the Battle for the Me…

1
Episode 5: Trailblazer Judy Woodruff Digs Deep Into America’s Political Divides (And Still Stays Optimistic) 39:30

2y ago39:30

39:30

Amy Walter talks to Judy Woodruff, renowned journalist and former anchor of the PBS News Hour. Woodruff discusses her new series, America at a Crossroads, which aims to explore the deep divisions in American politics. She talks about her long and distinguished career in journalism, starting with covering Jimmy Carter's campaign for governor of Geor…

1
Episode 4: Republican Pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson on Trump vs. DeSantis, Millennial Voters and GOP Messaging in 2024 43:24

2y ago43:24

43:24

Amy talked with Republican pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson. Kristen is the founding partner of Echelon Insights, an opinion research and analytics firm. You've likely seen her on CNN, Fox, ABC News or many other political programs. She hosts her Sirius XM program, The Trendline with Kristen Soltis Anderson. Amy and Kristen started their conversati…

1
Bonus Episode: Policy & Politics: The White House, Congress & 2024 45:52

2y ago45:52

45:52

On March 31, The Cook Political Report and National Journal invited its premium subscribers to attend an exclusive event in Washington, DC. That morning, following the news of former president Trump’s indictment in New York, National Journal’s Editor-in-Chief, Jeff Dufour, their White House reporter, George Condon, and Cook Political Report Editor-…

1
Bonus Episode: David Wasserman on the Release of the Historic Cook PVI and the Incredible Shrinking Swing Seat 14:05

2y ago14:05

14:05

In this bonus episode of The Odd Years, Editor-in-Chief of the Cook Political Report, Amy Walter (@amyewalter), chats with the Senior Editor of the US House of Representatives, David Wasserman (@Redistrict), about the release of the historic Cook PVI℠ and what the Partisan Voting Index — first developed by Charlie Cook in 1997 — tells us about how …

1
Episode 3: Democratic Pollster Anna Greenberg on Why Dems Beat Expectations in 2022 and What They're Missing on Crime 46:53

2y ago46:53

46:53

Amy talked with Democratic pollster Anna Greenberg. Anna is a senior partner of the polling firm GQR. In 2022, she polled for several high-profile House and Senate campaigns, including Senator Mark Kelly from Arizona, Senator Michael Bennett from Colorado, and Congresswoman Kim Schrier from suburban Seattle. Amy and Anna started with a conversation…

1
Episode 2: What’s Happening In the States — And What It Could Mean for Federal Policy and Politics. 30:36

2y ago30:36

30:36

Often described as “laboratories of democracy,” state legislatures have often produced legislation or ideas that eventually make their way to Washington. And, of course, many of these state executives also find their way into national political office. Helping us dig through the trends, priorities and personalities in state capitols is Reid Wilson,…

1
Episode 1: The Impact of Narrow Margins & Divided Government on the 118th Congress 34:31

2y ago34:31

34:31

On the first episode of The Odd Years, Amy Walter and Andy Laperriere (Head of US Policy Research for Piper Sandler) dig into the challenges and opportunities for Republicans & Democrats as they navigate a divided government and continued narrow margins. Cook Political Report subscribers can view the full original recording with subscriber Q&A here…

1
The Odd Years Trailer 1:00

2y ago1:00

1:00

The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter introduces a new podcast for 2023. Amy Walter and the team will interview political professionals and other leaders in their fields highlighting topics & trends that aren’t normally associated with traditional political discourse, and expanding the definition of a “political program.” #OddPod…

1
Cyber at the Center of Power: A Kitchen Sync Conversation with David Sanger 53:02

3+ y ago53:02

53:02

This week, the AEI Podcast Channel presents the latest Kitchen Sync Conversation. David E. Sanger is a White House and national security correspondent, and a senior writer. In a 38-year reporting career for The New York Times, he has been on three teams that have won Pulitzer Prizes, most recently in 2017 for international reporting. His newest boo…

1
Should We Have "Expert" Twitter?: A Kitchen Sync Conversation with Dr. Yuval Levin 54:10

3+ y ago54:10

54:10

This week, AEI presents the latest Kitchen Sync Conversation. Yuval Levin is the director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). He also holds the Beth and Ravenel Curry Chair in Public Policy. The founding and current editor of National Affairs, he is also a senior editor of The New Atlantis and…

1
Big Announcement! 1:27

3+ y ago1:27

1:27

Guess what? We are officially phasing out The Takeaway's Politics with Amy Walter. We are still making our weekly politics show, but it will officially be housed on The Takeaway Podcast feed starting this week. So, what should you do? Subscribe to The Takeaway's podcasts and news feeds using iTunes or your favorite podcast client so you'll always h…

1
WTH is going on LIVE! The Cook Political Report’s Amy Walter on what happened in Virginia’s recent election and what it means for 2022 … and 2024 57:07

3+ y ago57:07

57:07

This week, the AEI Podcast Channel presents a live episode of What the Hell is Going On. You can find the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. In the Virginia governor’s race, Republican Glenn Youngkin defeated former Governor Terry McAuliffe in a state that President Biden won by 10 points in 2020. In New Jersey, a state B…

1
Politics: The Inscrutable Senator Kyrsten Sinema 43:47

3+ y ago43:47

43:47

The Inscrutable Senator Kyrsten Sinema During Sinema's brief time in office, she has gained a reputation for being particularly inscrutable. She is known for rarely holding town halls with constituents or taking questions from the press. Last week, five members of Senator Kyrsten Sinema’s Veterans Advisory Council publicly stepped down, calling her…

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The Cook Political Report With Amy Walter Podcasts

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