

Hacks On Tap
Vox Media
When David Axelrod, Mike Murphy, and John Heilemann 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.
From the Vox Media Podcast Network
From the Vox Media Podcast Network
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 15, 2020 • 57min
The Mellman College of Polling Knowledge (with Mark Mellman)
You got a polling question? Well, we got your answer! Murphy and Gibbs tap the voluminous knowledge and experience of super pollster Mark Mellman on battleground states, Latino voters, undecided voters, debate polling bumps, third party voters, how a poll is conducted and…ok, you get the point!
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Sep 11, 2020 • 49min
Playing It Down With Bob
Gibbs and Murphy are joined by guest hack Joe Trippi. In this episode, they talk about Trump’s 18 (!!!) interviews with Bob Woodward, the polling anxiety that goes with being a Democrat and winning Senate seats in tough political territory in 2020.
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Sep 9, 2020 • 55min
Coward in Chief (with Stephanie Cutter)
Axe and Murphy are joined by Stephanie Cutter, a longtime Democratic operative who most recently produced the 2020 Democratic National Convention. They discuss the Atlantic’s reporting that Trump made disparaging remarks about the military, how the Trump campaign squandered its huge cash advantage, and what the Biden campaign must do in the lead-up to the first debate.
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Sep 4, 2020 • 55min
An Election So Nice, You’ll Want to Vote Twice! (With Mark McKinnon)
Gibbs and Axe are joined by the one and only Mark McKinnon, co-host of Showtime’s The Circus and a former Presidential advisor to George W. Bush, who spent the week in the battleground state of Wisconsin. We cover the plethora of new national and state polling and talk about where the race stands 60 days before the 2020 election.
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Sep 2, 2020 • 1h 5min
Post-Convention Politics & The Dark Force Farce
Axe and Murphy are joined this week by Addisu Demissie, former campaign manager for Cory Booker’s presidential run and senior advisor for Joe Biden and the DNC. With both national conventions in the rear view mirror, a new phase of the 2020 presidential campaign has begun. The Hacks discuss Trump’s continued law and order strategy, the efficacy of Biden’s condemnation of violence and destruction, and how voters in critical swing states are interpreting the pageant of democracy.
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Aug 31, 2020 • 5min
Introducing: It Was Said (w Jon Meacham)
Welcome to It Was Said, a 10-episode limited documentary series looking back on some of the most powerful, impactful and timeless speeches in American history. Join Pulitzer Prize winning and best-selling author-historian, Jon Meacham, Peabody-nominated C13Originals Studios and HISTORY, as we take you through 10 speeches. Season One of It Was Said draws on a selection of speeches from powerful figures in history like Martin Luther King, Jr., Ronald Reagan, JFK, RFK, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John Lewis, Edward R. Murrow, and Barbara Jordan. Meacham will offer expert insight and analysis into their origins, the orator, the context of the times they were given, why they are still relevant today, and the importance of never forgetting them. Each episode of this documentary podcast series will also bring together some of the top historians, authors and journalists relevant to each respective speech and figure.
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Aug 28, 2020 • 36min
Trump's Never Ending Reality Show (With Amanda Carpenter)
Guest Hack Amanda Carpenter of CNN and The Bulwark joins Gibbs and Murphy to recap the Trump National Convention. Did the GOP move the needle? What's the next move for Biden and Harris? Is Trump ever going to finish this speech?! The Hacks meticulously dissect the four day reality show and talk about what to expect over the next 67 days of Campaign 2020.
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Aug 25, 2020 • 60min
MAGA Mission: The RNC Begins
Guest Hack John Heilemann of Showtime's The Circus is back this week to help Axe and Murphy recap the first night of the Republican National Convention. The GOP promised a week full of optimism and opportunity; after night one, did they deliver? The Hacks discuss whether the first night offered a glimpse of the Republican primary in 2024, if the RNC will ultimately succeed in expanding Trump's base, and what Biden's campaign must do to counter the messaging coming out of the RNC.
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Aug 21, 2020 • 51min
DNC Recap
With our new Hackaroo host Robert Gibbs at the helm, Axe, Murphy, and Gibbs recap the Democratic National Convention. After an eventful week which culminated in Joe Biden officially accepting the Democratic nomination for president, the guys discuss their biggest takeaways. Did the Democrats accomplish what they set out to do? How will the Republicans respond next week? Plus, will traditional, funny hat-clad conventions ever return? Tune in to find out!
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Aug 18, 2020 • 58min
The Conventions Commence (with Rahm Emanuel)
The day after the debut of the first-ever virtual convention, Axe and Murphy convene to discuss what worked and what didn’t. Joined by former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel, the Hacks break down the messaging, strategy, and tactics used throughout the first night of the Democratic National Convention. They also take listener questions about how convention speakers are selected, what the future holds for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and how Trump might impact down-ballot races.
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