Beyond Politics

The Pivot to Kamala: Trump, Biden, and the Divide in America. Matt is joined by Batya Ungar-Sargon, Opinion Editor at Newsweek, to discuss the sudden ascension of Vice President Kamala Harris, Donald Trump's influence, and whether Joe Biden should resign. 02:18 Boiling it All Down: Has This Been a Great Week? 07:18 Biden's Withdrawal and Kamala Harris 12:01 Economic Models and the American Dream 17:01 GOP vs. Democratic Party Elites 25:25 Conclusion and Next Episode

President Joe Biden has withdrawn from the 2024 presidential race. He's already a hero who saved America once. Now, will his selfless move increased the Democratic Party's chances of beating Donald Trump? And, Matt just wrote in Newsweek on SATURDAY that Biden should also resign in order to help Kamala Harris defeat Trump. Is the case now even stronger? 00:00 Breaking News: Biden Withdraws from 2024 Race 01:07 Analyzing Biden's Debate Performance and Media Influence 02:25 The Impact of Biden's Withdrawal on the Democratic Party 05:28 Reflecting on Joe Biden's Presidency 10:17 Kamala Harris: A lock as the Next Democratic Nominee? 12:35 Strategizing for the 2024 Election 21:11 Potential Vice Presidential Picks 23:17 Closing Remarks and Subscriptions

We tried to boil down one of the most eventual weeks in American political history into two questions: Is there really a new Trump following the assassination attempt, and if this is the end of the political road for Joe Biden as looks increasingly likely, what will happen next for the Democrats? 00:46 Assassination Attempt and Trump's New Promise 01:51 Analyzing Trump's Convention Speech 04:27 Trump's Economic Ideas and Their Impact 10:23 Biden's Potential Withdrawal and Democratic Party Reactions 18:41 Goodfellas vs. Godfather 24:59 Strategic Realities for Democrats 26:44 Kamala Harris as a Candidate 29:13 Hypothetical Scenarios for Biden 31:54 IS Alicia Really in Matt's Basement?

Voters consistently say the economic is the most important issue to them. Which is why it's baffling that there's been so little attention on Donald Trump's economic ideas, which would be an unspeakable disaster for the American economy, and especially for the middle class. Brian Riedl, a conservative economist from the Manhattan Institute breaks down why proposals like replacing the income tax with a massive tariff are mathematically and economically terrible. We also get into Trump's broader policy ideas, and if you want to read more about Project 2025 and what Trump wants to actually do if he regains power, check out Matt's piece in Newsweek. 00:00 Introduction: The Overlooked Economic Disaster 01:10 Biden's Clear Agenda vs. Trump's Hidden Plans 01:44 Trump's Radical Economic Proposals 02:44 Expert Analysis: The Flaws in Trump's Tariff Plan 05:10 The Impact on Low-Income Families and Retaliation Risks 09:27 The Political Reality Behind Trump's Proposals 20:34 The Need for Honest Policy Discussions 31:49 Reforming Social Security and Medicare 38:43 Conclusion: Finding Common Ground

Is the turmoil surrounding Joe Biden's potential dropout from the presidential race wrapping up, or ramping up? Is it even possible that the media is simply fueling this narrative for drama and traffic, obscuring where their focus should be on Donald Trump's controversial plans for America? Check out Matt's newest Newsweek article on the exceedingly dangerous Trump plan for a second term. 02:47 The Media's Influence on Public Perception 04:39 Internal Democratic Party Tensions 07:00 Public Sentiment and Polls 10:51 Strategic Dilemmas for Democrats 18:45 Media Criticism and Public Backlash 21:17 Media Bias and Math 30:06 Project 2025: A Blueprint for Trump's Second Term 35:38 Pornography and the RNC

It's one of the biggest questions looming over American politics: what will the centrists do? There are as many as 71 million self-identified centrists in America - people who don't feel entirely comfortable with either major political party, and largely agree on most issues - and these are the people who are probably going to decide which of two very different paths America follows. So why can't either party nail them down? And which way will they go? Former Republican Congressman and centrist Scott Klug, host of the podcast Lost in the Middle joins to explain. ***Don't forget to leave us a rating and review!*** ***Subscribe to Lost in the Middle! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lost-in-the-middle-americas-political-orphans/id1706739467*** 02:21 Centrists and the Trump-Biden Debate 09:47 How the Middle Got Lost 24:16 The Rise of Independents and Future of Politics 32:43 Ticket Splitting and Political Trends 37:42 Democratic Party Dynamics 48:30 Favorite Funniest Moments in Congress

President Biden's candidacy is in what's increasingly looking like a death spiral. But "should he stick it out or should he drop out" is the wrong question. There is a much better and a much more important question that Democrats really need to ask. Also, is the Supreme Court's presidential immunity decision as bad as it seemed; should Russian athletes should be banned from international athletic competitions; and why sometimes scientific advance can be downright disgusting. 02:24 The Biden Question: Will He or Won't He? 04:05 Democratic Party's Internal Chaos 10:39 Polling and Public Perception 19:05 The Future of the Democratic Party 24:40 Debating Kamala Harris's Role 30:44 The Supreme Court's Immunity Ruling 39:54 Politics in International Sports 45:17 The Creepy Robot Face

"The president is now a king above the law. With fear for our democracy, I dissent." Those were the words of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor about yesterday's Supreme court decision conferring what the press described as "partial immunity" on Donald Trump and future presidents for crimes they may commit in office. But the reality goes much deeper than that. Legal scholar Kim Wehle -- a former US Attorney who regularly explains rulings like this on ABC news (subscribe to her substack here)-- explains the stark reality of what this ruling could mean. 01:29 Implications of the Ruling 03:42 Motivated Reasoning and Judicial Philosophy 09:37 The Role of Intent and Evidence 12:58 Political and Social Ramifications 22:08 The Importance of Voting and Democracy 25:36 Conclusion: Reflecting on the Future

BONUS EPISODE: There are two paths in the road ahead for Biden and the Democrats after President Joe Biden's rough debate. There is a roadmap for how he can recover--but can Biden pull it off? And if he can't, what does the unprecedented pathway of him dropping out look like? CHECK OUT MATT'S NEWSWEEK ARTICLE COVERING THIS ISSUE IN DEPTH: https://www.newsweek.com/disastrous-debate-biden-leaves-path-forward-democrats-opinion-1918957 01:44 Analyzing Biden's Debate Performance 03:38 Media Reactions and Public Perception 08:47 Strategic Pathways for Biden 10:40 Potential Replacement Scenarios 24:36 Concluding Thoughts

The debate went very badly for Joe Biden. And whether it's fair or not, the reality is that Biden's path to stopping Trump has gotten much harder. Matt, Paul, and Alicia delve into the key question of what happens next. Can Biden recover? What would that take? And if his team concludes that he can't, what would that look like? 01:32 Analyzing Biden's Performance 04:13 Media Perception and Reality 09:11 Debate Performance vs. Presidential Capability 12:12 The Elephant in the Room: Biden's Future 14:07 Strategies for Biden's Campaign 19:44 Political Campaign Strategies 24:40 Potential Democratic Candidates 26:51 The Chaos of an Open Convention 29:44 Democratic Party's Path Forward 36:33 Closing Thoughts -- Just in Case It All Goes Wrong