Shows

Neal Conan sorts out Joe Biden’s potential VP picks, Supreme Court expert Amy Howe weighs in on Chief Justice John Roberts’ decisions on gay rights, DACA, and abortion. And we look at how the latest round of Kennedys are seeking to keep their political family tradition alive.

This week on the Political Junkie, an examination of the definite voting trends that have developed during the pandemic. Plus, why several self-inflicted mishaps by former Colorado governor John Hickenlooper now put his Senate primary nomination in question. And, Howard Dean candidly explains what went wrong in his bid for the 2004 Democratic nomination.

We break down the landmark Supreme Court decision that forbids job discrimination against LGBTQ people. Plus, a look at why several Democratic members of Congress are facing tough opposition in next Tuesday’s New York primary. And a rightwing Virginia congressman sees his political career end in response to his officiating at a same-sex wedding.

We examine the primary day nightmare in Georgia, with long lines and broken voting machines. NPR’s Ron Elving returns to size up all the potential running mates for Joe Biden. And we remember the career of Robert Byrd, who broke the Senate longevity record 14 years ago this week.

We discuss President Trump’s response to the nationwide demonstrations after the killing of a black man by the Minneapolis police. Plus, Ken interviews Jo Jorgensen, the Libertarian Party’s 2020 nominee for president. And, Brigid Callahan Harrison, a Democratic hopeful for a congressional seat in South Jersey talks about conducting a campaign in the middle of COVID-19 and quarantines.

Former attorney general Jeff Sessions is fighting to reclaim the Senate seat he held for two decades – what’s at stake? Plus, a scorecard of the nine states holding primaries on June 2nd, and former Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas remembers the political earthquake when Vermont Senator Jim Jeffords quit the GOP in 2001.

We look at how President Trump’s attacks on President Obama, and the Bidens, have been met with approval by Senate Republicans. Plus, examining the candidates running against Iowa Rep. Steve King, and Jason Marisam, now an assistant attorney general in Minnesota, revisits the paper he wrote 10 years ago on the challenges of holding an election during a pandemic.

We examine the history of attorneys general and how they sometimes appear to favor the president instead of the Constitution. Plus, the challenges for Vice Presidents as they navigate the pluses and minuses of the presidents they served under. And, George Wallace Jr., remembers the horrific attempt on his father’s life, late Alabama governor George Wallace, 48 years ago this week.

With Republican-turned-independent-turned Libertarian congressman Justin Amash of Michigan’s probable presidential candidacy as a Libertarian, who will be hurt more, Trump or Biden? Former NAACP President Cornell Brooks goes back 60 years when Martin Luther King Jr. was stopped by police while he was driving a white woman in Georgia in 1960. And we recall the Tea Party’s takedown of Dick Lugar in Indiana, eight years ago this week.

We look at the politics of the pandemic in Georgia and examine what will likely be a very tough race for Senator Susan Collins in Maine. Plus, we go back 50 years and remember the killings of four students at Kent State University by national guardsmen during a protest against the Vietnam War.