Ken Rudin's Political Junkie

Were the Senate votes this week on gun legislation about guns, or about politics?  That’s what Jennifer Steinhauer of the New York Times talks about, as she assesses how the issue may play in November. While Hillary Clinton may have all but officially wrapped up the Democratic nomination earlier this month, there is the history of the moment to consider.  Debbie Walsh of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University reflects on both Clinton’s accomplishment and the women who preceded her. And on the presidential campaign front, the big news out of Camp Trump this week was the firing of manager Corey Lewandowski.  Jim Barnes of Ballotpedia talks about what that portends for Donald Trump, and he reflects on other campaign staff shake-ups of the past. Finally, we go back seven years to South Carolina, where then-Gov. Mark Sanford reappeared after being missing for four days to say he wasn’t hiking the Appalachian Trail, as his staff suggested, but was meeting his “soul mate” in Argentina.  John O’Connor, now with WNYC but then a reporter with The State newspaper in Columbia, S.C., remembers the surreal events of June 2009. Music used in the podcast: Heartbeats by The Knife Monster by Steppenwolf History Never Repeats by Split Ends Heads Will Roll by Yeah Yeah Yeahs Leader of the Pack by The Shangri-Las I’m Walkin’ by Fats Domino This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

The unimaginable horror of the terrorist attack in Orlando has led to the inevitable (and regrettable) finger-pointing and partisan political rhetoric.  Elizabeth Zechmeister, a political science professor at Vanderbilt University, talks about how Republicans (and male candidates) often benefit politically in the aftermath of such attacks … but how this incident has the potential to be different. With the presidential primaries over, the focus is now on who will be the Democratic and Republican running mates.  Joel Goldstein of the St. Louis University School of Law reviews what Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump need the most to balance their candidacies, as well as giving a rundown on some possible choices. Nevada political guru Jon Ralston reviews several of his state’s congressional primary results, which in one district felt like a replica of the battle between Trump and the establishment, and in another district like a proxy fight between Sanders and Clinton. And we have two lookbacks in politics:  The 2012 presidential bid of Michele Bachmann, the Minnesota congresswoman, who went from Iowa Straw Poll winner to a sixth-place finish in the Iowa caucuses … and a remembrance of George Voinovich, the late Ohio Republican who served as mayor, governor, and senator.  Howard Wilkinson of WVXU covered him for three decades and offers an appreciation. Photo via David Goldman / AP Music used in the podcast: Wild World by Cat Stevens I’m So Afraid by Fleetwood Mac Ticket To Ride by The Beatles Viva Las Vegas by Elvis Presley Pittsburgh Penguins Remixed Theme Song My Michelle by Guns ‘N’ Roses Cleveland Rocks by Ian Hunter This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

Hillary Clinton may have gone over the top in her bid to become the Democratic nominee for president, but Bernie Sanders has not thrown in the towel and continues to say there are issues that must be addressed before he can talk about party unity.  One of his issues is the outsized influence of the superdelegates, most of whom have endorsed Clinton.  One super from New Hampshire, Martha Fuller Clark, broke with the pack to endorse Sanders last week, and she’s on the show to explain why. Harder to explain is why Donald Trump would go into New Mexico and belittle the Latina Republican governor there, Susana Martinez.  Steve Terrell, a reporter with the Santa Fe New Mexican, tries to make sense of it all. Also here to offer some clarity are Susan MacManus of the University of Florida at Tampa, who discusses the ongoing (but probably faulty) rumors that Marco Rubio will change his mind and decide to seek re-election to the Senate, and Matt Buxton of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, who talks about the possibility of Alaska getting a second senator by the name of Dan Sullivan. And we go back to the week of June 2008, when Hillary Clinton gave up her fight for the nomination and endorsed her rival, Barack Obama. Photo via Julio Cortez/The Associated Press Music used in the podcast: California Sun by the Ramones Different Drum by The Stone Poneys featuring Linda Ronstadt New Mexico Kind of Thing by Billy Dawson Change My Mind by One Direction Who Would Ever Think That I Would Marry Margaret by The Turtles Word Up by Cameo John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt by Muffin Songs Don’t Stop the Party by The Black Eyed Peas This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

Mathematically, it should all be over on Tuesday.  But realistically, the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination, between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, is expected to go on, possibly all the way to the convention in Philadelphia.  Neal Conan makes his monthly visit to the Political Junkie with analysis and observations. He may be the presumptive nominee, but Republicans are far from united behind Donald Trump.  Barry Goldwater Jr., son of the 1964 presidential nominee, recalls a time when the GOP also had problems rallying behind its candidate. With Trump and Clinton’s approval ratings below sea level, the Libertarian Party insists they may play a major role in the fall.  David Wright, a correspondent for ABC News who covered the Libertarian convention last weekend, reflects on what he saw — the serious, and the surreal. And Bloomberg’s Greg Giroux reviews the unusual situation in North Carolina, where on Tuesday two Republican incumbent House members — George Holding and Renee Ellmers — have been thrown together in the same district. Photo via Newscom Music used in the podcast California Gurls by Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg Darling Be Home Soon by Lovin’ Spoonful People Got To Be Free by The Rascals Barry Goldwater Radio Jingle (1964) Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds from the Beatles Rock Band Walk Away Renee by The Left Banke The Chicken by The James Brown Band This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

With both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton showing high unfavorable numbers in the latest polls, will that translate into greater interest in a third-party candidate? Ron Rapoport, a professor at William & Mary College and an expert on third parties, offers his analysis. Regardless of whether Clinton makes it to the White House this year, Jay Newton-Small, a correspondent for Time magazine and an author of a new book on the subject — says that women in politics are already showing increasing influence and power, despite numbers in Congress that hardly reflect their population. And Ben Barnes, a former lieutenant governor of Texas, shares his memories about Lloyd Bentsen, the longtime Democratic senator, vice presidential nominee and Clinton Treasury secretary, who died ten years ago this week. Photo via Paul Hosefros/The New York Times Music used in the podcast: Tortuga by DoubleV & Formal One None of the Above by Duran Duran I Am What I Am by Gloria Gaynor The Great Pretender by The Platters Expecting to Fly by Buffalo Springfield This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

The math may be against him, but Bernie Sanders continues to think he still has a shot at winning the Democratic nomination.  Laura Meckler of the Wall Street Journal reports on how Sanders is now talking about bringing his challenge all the way to the convention in Philadelphia this summer. Yes, we did have a primary in Oregon on Tuesday.  But journalist and author Jules Witcover reminds us of perhaps the most dramatic Oregon primary of all — the one in 1968, where Eugene McCarthy defeated Robert Kennedy, the first time a Kennedy had suffered a defeat at the hands of the voters.  Witcover was there with Kennedy during that painful loss. Adam Smith of the Tampa Bay Times sets up a Democratic Senate primary in Florida that’s getting uglier and more personal by the minute for the seat being vacated by Marco Rubio.  The battle between Congressmen Patrick Murphy and Alan Grayson is filled with innuendo and insults. And we remember the Supreme Court decision of 1954 — 62 years ago this week — that outlawed school segregation in the famed Brown v. Board of Education case.  Rogers Smith, a constitutional law scholar at the University of Pennsylvania, talks about the case’s legacy. Photo via Bettmann/Getty Music used in the podcast: Reach Out Of The Darknes by Friend & Lover Burning Down The House by Talking Heads Abraham, Martin & John by Dion Bad Day by Daniel Powter “I Love The Gov” Stevenson Ad from 1952 Teach Your Children by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

With the presidential nomination battles all but settled in both parties, you might wonder why so many people remain unhappy.  Aaron Blake of the Washington Post is here to explain the rise of Donald Trump and how he proved all the experts — including the media — wrong.  And if Hillary Clinton is close to reaching the Democrats’ magic number, why is Bernie Sanders winning these late primaries?  (Next stop, Oregon.)  Clearly, there is a weakness in both apparent nominees as we approach the general election. California may still be the end game for those still hoping to deny Trump and Clinton the top prizes.  While the presidential race fills the headlines in the Golden State, the same can’t be said about the Senate race to replace Barbara Boxer, the Democrat who is retiring after four terms.  It’s pretty much of a snooze-fest.  But, as Cathleen Decker of the Los Angeles Times reports, that’s fine for Kamala Harris (D), the state attorney general, who leads in all the polls. And we remember Bob Bennett, the genial conservative Republican from Utah who died last week at the age of 82.  Six years ago this week, he was defeated in his bid for a fourth Senate term at the state GOP convention, where he essentially became the first victim of the Tea Party for breaking with right-wing orthodoxy.  Dan Harrie of the Salt Lake Tribune reviews Bennett’s career. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

What are the odds that Ken Rudin would be off recovering from a bad case of the flu, the same week that this long, arduous Republican primary came to a sudden end? Or, for that matter, that Donald Trump would hold out among a crowded field of qualified candidates to become the presumptive GOP nominee? We put the show in the capable hands of Neal Conan this week to find out. With Trump’s sweeping victory in Indiana on Tuesday, Ted Cruz and John Kasich saw the writing on the wall and suspended their campaigns. Now Trump appears to have a clear path to the nomination. Brian Howey, the publisher of a non-partisan website covering Indiana politics, talks about how Cruz’s attempt to make Indiana the linchpin to his campaign fell short, and how on the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders defied the polls and beat Hillary Clinton. The presidential race may have been dominated by insurgents, but as Jennifer Duffy of The Cook Political Report tells us, the down-ballot House and Senate races have largely favored the establishment candidates. Our “this week in political history” feature goes back to 2011 when President Obama announced that a raid in Pakistan had successfully killed Osama bin Laden. Mark Bowden, author of The Finish: The Killing of Osama bin Laden, discusses the circumstances that led up to that daring operation, and its impact on Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign. And David Litt, a former White House speechwriter, tells us what’s it like to write jokes for the commander-in-chief and how to master the art of political comedy. Photo via Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

A great day for the frontrunners on Tuesday — a clean sweep of the five primaries at stake by Donald Trump, while Hillary Clinton took four of five.  But despite his impressive success, Trump is still sending out warning signals that the Republican Party elite are trying to change the rules and steal the nomination away from him.  Tom Rath, a longtime GOP operative from New Hampshire and a veteran of Rules Committee skirmishes, talks about the process. It has been suggested that this is the time the candidates should be starting to think about who they want on their ticket.  Joel Goldstein, an authority on the vice presidency and author of a new book on the subject, describes the vetting process and how the office of the VP has changed over the years. And our “this week in political history” feature goes back to 2009 when veteran GOP Senator Arlen Specter switched to the Democratic Party.  Chris Nicholas, a key Republican strategist from Pennsylvania who was close with Specter, talks about the thought processes that went into the senator’s decision. Photo via Gerardo Mora/Getty Images This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

New York has given Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton something she hasn’t seen in weeks:  a victory.  Democratic consultant Mark Mellman says that the result may have made it clear that her opponent, Bernie Sanders, will not be able to find the votes to have a shot at overtaking her for the nomination. Meanwhile, Democrats are facing contentious Senate primaries as well.  Melissa Deckman of Washington College talks about the battle between two Maryland House members, Chris Van Hollen and Donna Edwards.  And Terry Madonna of Franklin and Marshall College reviews the primary fight in Pennsylvania between Joe Sestak, the unsuccessful party nominee six years ago, and establishment favorite Katie McGinty. It was 16 years ago this week when the Elian Gonzalez incident roiled U.S.-Cuban relations.  Guillermo Grenier of Florida International University discusses the implications. And the Sacramento Bee’s Jack Ohman, winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning, suggests that being on the Political Junkie program may be an even bigger thrill. Photo via Maring Photography/Getty Images/Contour by Getty Images This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

With less than a week to go before the New York primary, national front runners Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump — who could use some good news after a couple of weeks of tough coverage and defeats at the polls — are leading and are expected to regain their momentum.  Liz Benjamin, host of a political show on Time Warner Cable News in New York, talks about what’s at stake. Trump is not the only Republican who is having difficulty as of late.  As University of North Carolina professor Ferrel Guillory points out, North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory is under siege over his state’s passage of a controversial bill that some see as discriminatory towards gay and transgender people.  And NPR national correspondent Debbie Elliott reports on the mess Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley finds himself in over the release of sexually inappropriate conversations he had with a former top aide. Finally, in our “this week in political history” feature, we remember the late Rep. Phil Burton of California, who died 33 years ago this week.  Burton was one of the most influential, effective and partisan Democrats of his day.  Former Congressman Henry Waxman talks about his legacy. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

As we work to make the change to preparing the Political Junkie for its new home, we used this week’s program to offer three previously aired interviews that we think you’ll enjoy. The first is a conversation with Elaine Kamarck of the Brookings Institution, who has a new book out explaining why our presidential nominating system came to be.  New rules adopted after the 1968 election moved the decision-making process from the party bosses to the voters, in increased number of primaries.  Is it better today?  You decide. With President Obama’s Supreme Court nomination of Merrick Garland in limbo, we talk to author Kevin McMahon about President Nixon’s ill-fated Supreme Court nominations of Clement Haynsworth and G. Harrold Carswell in 1969 and 1970 — both rejected by the Senate. And with a presidential race that seems to veer into entertainment, playwright and lyricist Murray Horwitz is here with an amusing conversation about the role of presidents in movies. Photo from the film “The American President” This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

Happy New Year and welcome to 2016.  Neal Conan kicks off the program with his take on the respective battles for the presidential nominations, in advance of next week's Republican debate (January 14) and the Democratic debate three days later. New Hampshire votes on February 9, with big implications for both parties.  But Fergus Cullen, the former chair of the state's GOP, has written a new book, "Granite Steps," which looks at memorable primary moments dating back to 1992 and Bill Clinton's self-proclaimed "Comeback Kid" comment. It was eight years ago this week when Hillary Clinton's voice broke answering a question during an event in New Hampshire, which started a media overkill on whether she cried or not.  Crying in politics is not as rare as it once was -- President Obama shed a tear or two this week discussing schoolchildren victims of gun violence, and former House Speaker John Boehner often couldn't get through a sentence without his emotions getting the best of him.  That brought Tom Lutz, the editor in chief of the Los Angeles Review of Books and author of "Crying: A Natural and Cultural History of Tears," on the show.  He discusses the history of shedding tears in politics, starting with perhaps the most famous incident of all, Ed Muskie breaking down during the 1972 campaign in New Hampshire. And finally, we remember Dale Bumpers, the Arkansas political giant (and giant killer), who died this week at the age of 90.  Janine Parry of the University of Arkansas talks about his career and legacy. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

The first Republican debate is over and guess who we're still talking about?  That's right.  Despite the litany of unflattering things Donald Trump has said about women, or his deviance from conservative positions, or his threats to run as an independent candidate, he continues to lead the pack.  A longtime associate, veteran GOP strategist Roger Stone, explains Donald Mania.  The two of them recently had a falling out, but Stone still supports his presidential bid.  He is one of the few people who know Trump well and has lived to tell the tale. If Trump decides to bolt the Republican Party and run as an independent, he's going to have to familiarize himself with state election laws as to get on the ballot.  Richard Winger, the editor and publisher of Ballot Access News, describes the hoops an independent or third-party candidate needs to jump through to make it on state ballots. Democrats in Pennsylvania celebrated their big victory last year, the ouster of GOP Gov. Tom Corbett.  But they've been having their own problems lately, first with the indictment of Philadelphia congressman Chaka Fattah, and now charges against the state attorney general, Kathleen Kane.  Once considered a rising star in the party, Kane is now under pressure by her fellow Democrats -- including Gov. Tom Wolf -- to leave her post.  Terry Madonna, a professor of public affairs at Franklin and Marshall College, lays out the legal cases against Fattah and Kane. And in our "this week in political history" feature, we turn to Prof. Julian Zelizer of Princeton University, who talks about the 1980 Democratic convention and the fierce battle between President Jimmy Carter and Ted Kennedy. Photo via Carl Juste/Miami Herald/MCT via Getty Images This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

All eyes will be on the stage in Cleveland on Thursday night, as ten Republicans will participate in the first debate of the 2016 election cycle.  Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a presidential hopeful four years ago who had his experiences with debates, talks about lessons learned and offers advice to anyone who gets on the same stage as Donald Trump. But even if the race for the White House seems surreal at times, it is still better, for the most part, than the dysfunctional way Congress has been behaving in recent years.  Two former House members, Tom Davis (R-Va.) and Martin Frost (D-Tex.), have written a book, "The Partisan Divide: Congress in Crisis."  Both Davis and Frost are quite partisan themselves.  But they see what is going wrong and they work together to offer solutions. In our "This Week in Political History" feature, we go back 51 years to August of 1964, when President Lyndon Johnson briefed the nation on what was described as an attack on U.S. ships by North Vietnamese PT boats in the Gulf of Tonkin.  Prof. Edwin Moise of Clemson University talks about what Johnson said had happened and compares it to what actually did happen.  The action in the Tonkin Gulf is seen as the event that rapidly increased American involvement in the Vietnam War. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License