Against the Grain

Ian Russell, a principal at consulting firm Beacon Media and former deputy executive director at DCCC, talks about the politics of health care, how Bernie Sanders presents a risk for House Democrats, and his skepticism of Joe Biden's 2020 journey.

Democratic pollster Jill Normington, of Nomington Petts, gives Trump better than a 50 percent chance at winning the election, discusses the gains former Vice President Joe Biden will make early on if he decides to run, and what it means to be an "and" candidate.

Halie Soifer, the executive director of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, addresses Rep. Ilhan Omar's (D-MN 05) anti-semitic comments, "Jexodus," and the Iran Nuclear Deal.

Matt Gorman, an alum of Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney's campaigns and the NRCC, swings by to discuss why their anti-Nancy Pelosi strategy didn't work to keep the House, the Forgetting Sarah Marshall character that Beto O'Rourke reminds him of, and the Democrat he's most interested in for 2020.

Jim Kessler, executive director of Third Way, dishes on the state that will decide 2020, the possible consequence of Democrats moving too far left, and what Amy Klobuchar has in common with kale.

Charlie Sykes, the editor-in-chief of the newly-launched conservative anti-Trump publication The Bulwark, joins Politics Editor Josh Kraushaar to discuss why he and Paul Ryan are "seeing other people," Joe Biden's chances in 2020, and why some people say he's declaring a "fatwa."

Democratic pollster Mark Mellman addresses Rep. Ilhan Omar's (D-MN 05) anti-semitic remarks, Joe Biden's chances in 2020, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's possible future as a party leader.

Republican pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson interprets the numbers as they pertain to Trump's approval and reelection chances, the Green New Deal, and how an independent candidate would fare in 2020.

Wrapping up a busy week of political news—Virginia chaos, Trump’s second State of the Union address, and Elizabeth Warren’s latest apology—we’ve got two of the sharpest Democratic political strategists to break things down. Doug Thornell and Adrienne Elrod co-host the brand new podcast “The Electables” and offer their lively insights on a volatile week for Democrats.

GOP strategist and CNN contributor Mike Shields discusses the racism found in both parties, whether the Republicans should allow primaries against President Trump, and the immigration deal that should be made.

Democratic pollster Margie Omero sits down with Politics Editor Josh Kraushaar to dish on the shutdown, Trump's crossover appeal, and what the word "liberal" will mean to voters in 2020.

Following the release of Henry Olsen's buzzy op-ed calling Mitt Romney "wildly out of touch," the Ethics and Public Policy Center senior fellow sits down to tackle Trump, Pelosi, and all those 2020 hopefuls.

Host Josh Kraushaar and the Cook Political Report's Dave Wasserman broke down the midterm House elections, including the drama unfolding in races still uncalled a month later, President Trump's shadow over the GOP losses and in the new Congress, and the diversity of the incoming freshmen who won Democrats the majority.

Bruce Mehlman, one of the sharpest political watchers and trendspotters in Washington, goes over the Midterm's trends, predictions for 2019, and the 2020 Democratic field.

Colin Reed, senior vice president at Definers Public Affairs, been a campaign adviser to some of the most successful blue-state Republicans, including Mitt Romney, Chris Christie, and John McCain. Two days after the election, he shares his midterm takeaways, thoughts on Kamala Harris, and how to get the best opposition research.