Hacks On Tap
When David Axelrod and Mike Murphy get together to talk politics, it’s not academic. They speak from the perspective gained through hundreds of campaigns for offices from City Hall to the White House. So if you want to know what’s really going on behind the scenes, where strategic decisions are being made, pull up a stool for Hacks on Tap. Incisive, sometimes uproarious and always entertaining, these political warhorses and their guests will give you insights you’ll only get from folks who have spent a lifetime in the political trenches of both parties.
Latest episodes
May 5, 2021 • 1h 10min
The Davos of Bipartisanship (with Karl Rove)
Karl Rove, former deputy chief of staff to President George W. Bush and current Fox News contributor and Wall Street Journal columnist, joins Axe and Gibbs to discuss the latest GOP infighting and Trump’s continued influence on the party, how redistricting will impact the 2022 midterms and beyond, and whether a bipartisan agreement on anything from infrastructure to immigration can be reached in Congress.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 3, 2021 • 5min
Welcome to Fate of Fact
Welcome to a new audio documentary, Fate of Fact, a presentation of Shining City Audio, a C13Originals and Jon Meacham studio. Throughout the course of five episodes in season one, Pulitzer-Prize winning and best-selling historian, Jon Meacham and esteemed guests, will explore the question of how fear conquered truth, the history and origins of the strong grip misinformation and disinformation have on our politics , and how we got here today. Meacham will trace the roots of America’s prevailing culture of polarization, with an emphasis on why the right has chosen to break with a governing consensus that, however imperfect, was once embodied by the figurative conversation between Franklin Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan. Fate of Fact offers a historically grounded perspective on the forces that led to the presidency of Donald Trump and the insurrection of January 6—an attack on the Capitol and on democracy as grave as any American moment since the Civil War.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 29, 2021 • 1h 4min
America on the Move
Axe, Murphy, and Gibbs convene for a special late-night edition of Hacks on Tap after Biden’s first address to Congress. The Hacks discuss Biden’s ambitious agenda as he marks 100 days in office, Sen. Tim Scott’s rebuttal, the forthcoming “battle of definition,” and whether the president’s case for democracy will prevail.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 21, 2021 • 1h 2min
Yoda and the Lessons of Power (with Susan Page)
USA TODAY Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page joins Axe and Murphy to discuss Walter Mondale’s legacy, the ongoing negotiations around Biden’s infrastructure proposal, the politics of gun control, and their assessment of Biden’s first 100 days. Plus, the Hacks talk about Susan’s new biography of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 14, 2021 • 1h 6min
The Ants Go Marching (with Mark McKinnon)
Gibbs and Murphy are joined this week by Mark McKinnon, executive producer and co-host of Showtime’s The Circus. The Hacks discuss the messaging opportunities and challenges ahead for both parties when it comes to Biden’s infrastructure plan, the tragic police shooting in Minnesota, and the GOP pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 7, 2021 • 1h 4min
Infrastructuring (with Will Hurd)
Former Texas Congressman Will Hurd joins Axe and Gibbs this week to discuss the battle over the shape and size of Biden’s infrastructure bill, Major League Baseball’s decision to pull the All-Star Game out of Atlanta in response to Georgia’s new controversial voting law, and the political influence of corporate America.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 30, 2021 • 1h 8min
Politics of the Possible (with Ron Brownstein)
wJournalist and CNN senior political analyst Ron Brownstein joins Axe and Murphy to discuss how the politicization of the pandemic will impact elections in ’22 and ’24, the messaging opportunities and challenges ahead for Biden around his economic plan, and the ongoing fight over voting rights. Plus, the Hacks dive into Brownstein’s new book Rock Me on the Water: 1974 — The Year Los Angeles Transformed Movies, Music, Television, and Politics.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 23, 2021 • 55min
Godzilla & The GOP (with Tony Fabrizio)
Veteran Republican pollster and strategist Tony Fabrizio, who served as Trump’s chief pollster in ’16 and ’20, joins Axe and Murphy to discuss his analysis of the five “tribes” that make up the current Republican Party and what it says about the power Trump holds over the GOP. Plus, in the wake of the second mass shooting in less than a week, the Hacks discuss the politics of gun control and whether or not Congress will advance any new legislation.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 16, 2021 • 1h 8min
Shots In Arms & Checks In Pockets (with Claire McCaskill)
Former Missouri Senator and current NBC & MSNBC analyst Claire McCaskill joins Axe and Gibbs to discuss how President Biden’s recovery plan will impact the 2022 midterm elections, the politics of the southern border and immigration reform, the great press conference scandal of 2021, and how we can begin to heal some of our political divides.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 10, 2021 • 1h 3min
Voting Rights and Filibuster Fights (with Rahm Emanuel)
Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel joins Axe and Murphy to discuss the passage of the COVID relief bill in the Senate, the ongoing debate about filibuster reform, and the fight around voting rights. Plus, the Hacks dive into the latest GOP infighting and offer advice about how to effectively communicate policy wins.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
