The Odd Years

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 Meaning of America" and "The Bitter End: The 2020 Presidential Campaign and the Challenge to American Democracy," examine the current political era and how it has shifted from conflicts over the size of government to identity-inflected issues. This shift is a significant reason politics feels angrier than ever. Amy, John and Lynn discuss how and why this has happened and what we can expect going into the 2024 election. They also explore political leaders' role in breaking down partisan divides and why they believe the current political climate is unlikely to change anytime soon.Cook Political Report subscribers can access bonus content, full transcripts, and video recordings.

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 Georgia in 1970. Amy and Judy discuss whether there can be a solution to America's polarization. They also delve into how Judy stays optimistic, covering these divides.

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 conversation with the day's current events, the arraignment of former President Trump in a Manhattan courtroom [02:00], and what it means for 2024. They also discussed a DeSantis vs. Trump matchup [07:00], the effect of Roe vs. Wade on the midterms [18:00], millennial voters [21:00] and the state of the political polling [29:00].Cook Political Report subscribers can access bonus content, full transcripts, and video recordings.

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-in-Chief Amy Walter shared their thoughts on the impact on the 2024 race, challenges for Biden’s re-election, and the likelihood of a debt ceiling resolution.Subscribe to the Cook Political Report for bonus content from the Odd Years. Episode links: The Sunday Nightcap with Jeff Dufour from National Journal

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 each state and district performs at the presidential level compared to the nation as a whole.The full report is available at cookpolitical.com. Cook Political Report subscribers can access full transcripts and video recordings.

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 about why some polls, including some by Democrats, overestimated Republican strength in 2022 [01:27], and the role abortion and the Dobbs decision played for Democrat successes last year [10:19]. They also discussed 2024 and why Anna thinks regardless of who the GOP nominee may be, the Republican party remains defined by Trump [12:16].And finally, they talked about the issue of crime and how, in Anna's words, Democrats are "too scared of the left and they're too scared of the right." [31:50]Cook Political Report subscribers can access bonus content, full transcripts, and video recordings.

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, founder and editor of Pluribus News, a new digital media outlet offering the most comprehensive coverage of state-level public policy in America.Cook Political Report subscribers can access the full transcript and video recording. This episode was filmed on February 9, 2023.

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.This episode was originally filmed on January 18, 2023.

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