With less than a hundred days to go before Election Day, we decided to bring Cook Political Report analyst Jennifer Duffy on the show to preview the major contests for the Senate at stake this year. Jennifer is not willing to go beyond saying that it’s a “50-50” chance the Republicans win a majority… a …
Two weeks ago we were astonished that Eric Cantor, a well-situated House incumbent from Virginia, could get defeated in his primary. Now we’re astonished that Thad Cochran, the six-term Republican senator from Mississippi, could pull out a victory against his tea party-backed opponent. Whether incumbents are winning or losing, it’s the latest example of a …
Wow. Who saw the defeat of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor coming? Certainly not Cantor. Or the nation’s political establishment. And not Greg Giroux, political reporter for Bloomberg News, who sat with Political Junkie host Ken Rudin and together they shook their heads at one of the more amazing primary upsets of recent times. We also hear from Kevin Broughton of the Tea Party Patriots …
It was the race the tea party wanted from the beginning. And while they didn’t completely accomplish their goal, they are thought to be on their way. In six-term Sen. Thad Cochran, tea party conservatives saw a politician from the old school, who spent a career fighting for earmarks and pork projects for Mississippi and who …
Once again, here’s your chance to not only win the coveted Political Junkie button but to star in next week’s podcast! Eight states are holding primaries on Tuesday, June 3. Lots at stake. Lots of winners and losers will be declared. And you can be part of that process. Submit your predictions to the primary …
Read moreWho Wins In Tuesday’s Primaries? Your Chance To Be On The Podcast!
With 8 states holding primaries on Tuesday, June 3, the Political Junkie focuses on California, where Jerry Brown is the odds-on favorite to win a fourth, non-consecutive term for governor. KQED politics editor John Myers outlines the long path of Brown, who was first elected governor in 1974. He’s seen his share of ups and downs in his decades in politics, but …
Read moreEpisode #29: More Ginsburg, More Brown & Morticians
A relatively quiet Tuesday this week, but not in Texas. Runoffs stemming from the March 4 primaries will determine the political futures of two longstanding Republican fixtures: Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Rep. Ralph Hall. Dewhurst is perhaps the more vulnerable of the two. As lieutenant governor — by definition the most powerful position in …
Read moreTexas GOP Runoffs To Determine Dewhurst, Hall Futures
It’s the biggest primary day of the year (so far), with six states holding contests. Here’s what’s at stake: ARKANSAS (polls close at 8:30 pm ET): Senate — Neither incumbent Democrat Mark Pryor, seeking a second term, nor his Republican challenger, freshman Rep. Tom Cotton, is facing a primary challenge. They will square off in …
It’s going to be a long primary season. So maybe we should decide right now that the strength and influence of the Tea Party should not be determined on a week-to-week basis. As Roseann Moring of the Omaha World-Herald reports, the landslide victory of first-time candidate Ben Sasse in the Nebraska GOP Senate primary was heralded as a big win for …
What’s a primary day without talking about the dramatic Tea Party vs. Establishment feuds going on in the Republican Party? Today’s primary in Nebraska, however, is more nuanced, as the leading candidates are just about equally conservative. There’s more to it than what we’ve seen in other states. The story line from the beginning fit …
Read moreToday’s Nebraska GOP Senate Primary May Not Follow Usual Script