Night Owls

A lengthy interview with Steve Coll, author of the just-released "The Achilles Trap:  Saddam Hussein, the C.I.A., and the Origins of America's Invasion of Iraq". Mr. Coll is the David Halberstam of his generation. You'll understand why we say that after you listen to this episode. 

A walk around the news neighborhood. Joe surveys a political culture going off the rails.  John bangs on about deep fakes and the possibility of a "hacked" election. More important:  the pace of scientific discovery accelerates, advancing hope around the world.

Joe Klein talks to Elaine Ciulla and William Galston, co-authors of the seminal paper The Politics of Evasion: Democrats and the Presidency, about immigration, Trump, the challenges facing the Democratic Party and more.

Discussion on Trump's potential ceiling, Supreme Court decision and border control politics, situation in Mexico and impeachment of Mayorkas, coalition government and Biden's strategy, deep fake audio in the election, Houthis' precision and China's economic challenges, American Fiction movie and cultural appreciation, recent favorite books and cyber hacking threat.

Discussions include ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, American far-right extremism, the political power of Taylor Swift, the situation in Iran and the Middle East, Israeli settlements in Gaza, a possible Ruby Ridge-like situation in Texas, the Oklahoma City bombing, China's real estate industry, and the rise of populism and the disconnect with expertise.

Joe and John discuss New Hampshire primaries, Nikki Haley's political success, deep fake audio, hacking into election systems, negotiations on the border crisis, and journalistic encounters in the latest episode of the podcast.

Joe and John discuss the Iowa results. Joe is unnerved by some of the exit poll results. John expects DeSantis to endorse Trump before South Carolina. If the exit poll data are accurate, Haley has no chance of winning the GOP nomination.

Joe and John talk Iowa and New Hampshire, Bobby Kennedy and Donald Trump, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, immigration and Ecuador, Tiger Woods and Nike. Mostly.

John and Joe discusses Trump's chances ahead of the Iowa caucuses and his appeal of a Colorado Supreme Court decision barring him from the state's ballot. John offers an idea for the new president of Harvard. 

A Look Back, A Look Ahead. Joe thinks 2024 most closely resembles 1924, when the Democratic National Convention needed 103 ballots to arrive at a presidential nominee. John thinks a third party is being born and that Bob Gates would make No Labels more than a wild card in the 2024 election.