Did anyone land a successful punch at the Republican Debate? (And did it matter?) Our reactions to Trump’s interview with Tucker Carlson, and the new song that catapulted a relatively unknown country singer to conservative folk hero and progressive hate object status.
Join our host, Ron Steslow, as he explores the most important political news with guests Susan Del Percio (MSNBC political analyst and crisis communications expert), Liam Donovan (Principal at Bracewell LLP) and Liz Gilbert Cohen (President of the 2020 Democratic National Convention).
Segments to look forward to:
(02:18) A deep dive into the first Republican primary debate, who won and who lost, Nikki Haley’s swipe at Donald Trump, and Vivek Ramaswamy’s annoying performance that could endear him to MAGA voters
(31:50) Donald Trump and Tucker Carlson counterprogramming the debate with a pre-taped interview where they discussed whether Trump’s political rivals would try to kill him and whether we’re heading toward a civil war.
(41:40) The little known Virginia country singer who was catapulted to conservative folk hero and progressive hate object status for the song “Rich Men North of Richmond”
[Politicology+] The continued legal troubles for Hunter Biden and how Joe Biden can respond to the Republican attacks.
Politicology+ is our private, ad-free version of this podcast, with subscriber-only episodes, strategy, and analysis. To join us there, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts.
I sat down with my friend Mike Warren of The Dispatch for an interview on the debt limit standoff, the surprising success of House Republicans, and where things go from here.
I did a lengthy thread breaking our talk down down on twitter.
At the most basic level, what happened between Jan & today that made this possible? McCarthy fundamentally inverted the leadership dynamic in a way that was both unthinkable and unnecessary under previous majorities. Making everybody feel like they have a voice–because they do! pic.twitter.com/8NG6cZQfLS
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy secured a bill raising the debt limit this week, sealing a crucial win for House Republicans. Liam Donovan, veteran government relations specialist, joins Mike to break down the strategy behind House leadership: from negotiations with the “Five Families” to Steve Scalise being a “bit player” for McCarthy.
Liam Donovan, a principal at Bracewell PRG, is a regular presence on cable news, in print, and on twitter as an expert explainer of what’s going on in Congress and in the Republican Party. With a background both in GOP campaign politics and government relations, Liam’s expertise on the intersection of politics and policy gives him tremendous insight to distill what really matters in Washington from the rest of the Beltway din. In this conversation, we talk Liam’s path to politics, his time in GOP campaigns, his shift to government relations, and get his insights into the chaos of last week’s (eventual) ascent of Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker…what to expect from Congress over the next two years…and his early takes on Trump vs. DeSantis ’24 & the future of the Republican Party.
IN THIS EPISODE Liam’s upbringing as a Navy Brat who went to high school in DC…
Liam’s stint working in GOP politics and at the NRSC…
The iconic GOP Senator Liam served as an aide to at the Senate committee…
Liam’s shift to government relations and lobbying…
Liam’s initial take on the chaotic House GOP process to anoint Kevin McCarthy as Speaker…
Liam on why it was probably inevitable for McCarthy to cave to the hard-right members…
Liam unpacks how McCarthy peeled off the different factions to earn the Speaker’s gavel…
Why the GOP center-right members never wavered for McCarthy…
Liam on why there was never a real chance of a few Republicans working with Democrats to elect a coalition Speaker…
Liam’s thoughts on the risk McCarthy could be deposed mid-term…
The Trump impact on the Speaker’s race and the Trump-McCarthy relationship…
Liam analyzes the CLF / Freedom Caucus “truce”…
Liam’s insight on what to expect on the debt ceiling…
Liam’s early handicapping of Trump vs DeSantis 2024…
The origin story of Liam’s unusual twitter profile photo…
Liam shouts out one of his favorite twitter accounts…
Now that the mid-terms are officially over with the Georgia run-off, The Lobby Shop team gathers to get inside Liam Donovan’s brain. We discuss with the Professor of Punditry why there was no red wave, the implications of a GOP-controlled House and the Dems controlling the Senate, the impact of a certain former President, and how the results impact the current lame duck session of Congress and the Biden agenda.
