

Beyond the Polls with Henry Olsen
Ricochet
Each week Henry Olsen, columnist and senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, will talk about the presidential and congressional races with leading political journalists and analysts, people who are out in the field and won't give you media spin. Find out who's leading the pack and who's an also-ran, with Beyond the Polls with Henry Olsen.Listen to Beyond the Polls with Henry Olsen, along with more than 40 other original podcasts, at Ricochet.com. No paid subscription required.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 27, 2020 • 59min
Who Was That Masked Man?
You know things are getting weird when the main topic in a presidential race is who’s wearing masks and when. This week’s guests – Robert Costa of The Washington Post and National Review’s Jim Geraghty – help us understand the logic underneath the craziness. We even unmask the reasoning behind a recent Democratic ad designed to help a Republican on Ad of the Week! Source

May 14, 2020 • 1h
Eye of the Storm
With states beginning to reopen and politics beginning to heat up, it feels like we’re in the eye of the storm – past the covid-19 hammer and preparing for the election maelstrom to come. CNN political analyst Harry Enten joins the Horse Race to help us make sense of this moment, while White House correspondent Debra Saunders gives us a behind the scenes look at covering Trump during the pandemic. Source

May 7, 2020 • 1h 13min
California Dreamin'
Beyond the Polls with Henry Olsen takes a close look at the May 12 special election in California’s 25th Congressional District with the National Journal’s Josh Kraushaar, while Ad of the Week walks through the series of ads both candidates in that race have aired, showing how a campaign strategy unfolds over the airwaves. We also talk with legendary psephologist Charlie Cook about the ins and outs of forecasting... Source

Apr 30, 2020 • 1h 11min
Classic Political Vinyl, Vol. 1
Beyond the Polls with Henry Olsen explores the history of political analysis with one of its founders, Stuart Rothenberg, and asks Stu what he looks at to analyze a contest. We also talk with columnist and author E.J. Dionne about President Trump and Joe Biden’s chances to improve Democratic performance with white working class voters. Finally, Ad of the Week looks at a Republican candidate in Pennsylvania’s 8th... Source

Apr 23, 2020 • 1h 7min
Biden's Billions
Joe Biden had his best fundraising month to date in March but still lags behind President Trump’s cash on hand by tens of millions. The Washington Post’s David Weigel tells us how much Trump’s fundraising advantage is helping his re-election bid. Beyond the Polls with Henry Olsen also traveled to the Keystone State to talk with political scientist Terry Madonna about Pennsylvania’s politics. All this and Ad of the... Source

Apr 16, 2020 • 1h 18min
Here I Stand
Martin Luther kicked off the Protestant Reformation with his immortal words, “here I stand; I can do no other.” President Trump earns praise and scorn for his similar attitude, and as a result has forced conservatives and Republicans to rethink their orthodoxies. Is a conservative reformation at hand? Noted author Yuval Levin joins Beyond the Polls with Henry Olsen to expand on that question... Source

Apr 9, 2020 • 1h 4min
Why Is This Podcast Different from All The Others?
This week, Ben Domenech of the Federalist grades Trump’s response to the coronavirus while the American Enterprise Institute’s Karlyn Bowman explores what the polls say Americans think about the pandemic’s effects on their lives. J. Miles Coleman also dissects North Carolina’s political divisions. All this and an Ad of the Week that takes aim at China and the “Chinese Virus”! Source

Apr 2, 2020 • 1h 3min
Open House
Elections are getting postponed, but that doesn’t mean politics is in lockdown. This week we look at the race for control of the U.S. House with the Cook Political Report’s Dave Wasserman; talk about how the pandemic is affecting Trump’s re-election prospects with the Sabato Crystal Ball’s Kyle Kondik; and take another look at Wisconsin with the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel’s Craig Gilbert. Source

Mar 26, 2020 • 1h 11min
Zen(Caster) and the Art of Podcast Production
Coronavirus has affected Beyond the Polls with Henry Olsen – this is our first effort produced with everyone calling remotely using custom software. That might affect our audio quality, but it’s not impeding the quality of our commentary! Victor Davis Hanson, author of The Case for Trump, joins us this week to dissect how the president is handling these vexing times, while my Washington Post colleague Karen Tumulty... Source

Mar 19, 2020 • 1h 3min
Sick, Sad World
Biden’s up, the market’s down, and all is definitely not well in America. This week’s podcast looks forward to November’s general election to discuss what this all means for the President as he grapples with a crisis of immense proportion with The Cook Political Report’s Amy Walter and National Review’s Rich Lowry. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Greg Bluestein joins the show to talk about how... Source