In the wake of the call of the election for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, Feds Natasha Bertrand, Joe Lockhart, and Mike Murphy review Biden’s winning strategy. They then analyze the relative underperformance of down-ticket Democratic candidates and what it says about the state of US political culture. Finally, they turn to the challenges the new Administration inherits, offering some surprising conclusions about how Biden can make important headway even if McConnell remains Majority Leader.
Scenarios
The day after the contested Presidential election, Feds Matt Miller, Melissa Murray, and Norm Ornstein convene to explain just where the country is and where we’re headed. They canvass some improbable scenarios before zeroing in on the pivotal states (PA, AZ, NEV, and GA and a sophisticated analysis of each one. They then analyze why Trump out-performed the polls, what it says about the country, and what it augurs for the next two years, with a President Biden and a Majority Leader McConnell.
And Yet They Persisted
A powerhouse crew of Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Congress Member Adam Schiff and Kristen Clarke, President of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, join Harry to take final stock of the political landscape just before the election. They assess the closing statements of Trump and Biden and then move to the rushed and completely partisan confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett. Finally, they consider the prospects for a Bush v Gore style intervention in the election by the Supreme Court.
Rounding the Corner... to what?
In the wake of the final presidential debate, Vanita Gupta, Matt Miller, and Congressman Jamie Raskin join Harry to analyze the candidates’ final messages and anticipate what possible bumps may lie on the short ride to the finish line. Trump turned in a more disciplined performance but lied promiscuously; Biden scored strong hits on the virus and immigration and directly connected with voters on kitchen table issues. The feds then canvassed the likely paths of both campaigns in the last week.
Confirming Amy... Recuse, Refuse...We Lose
With two weeks to go until the election, Al Franken, Dahlia Lithwick and Bill Kristol join Harry and take up first the confirmation hearings for soon-to-be Justice Barrett. Did the Republicans make a mistake going all in and did the Dems play their losing hand right? The Feds then move to the campaign trail, and the bizarre simultaneous town halls by Trump and Biden. Finally, they take stock of the Senate races and the very real prospect that the Dems will sweep the board in November.
Talking Zeds: Social Media is Our Country
About 24 million Americans born after 1996—our so-called Generation Z-- will have their first opportunity to vote in a presidential election in November. Who are they and what motivates them? In this special bonus episode, Harry sits down with four young voters and leaders -- Xiye Bastida, Victor Shi, Bianca Vivion Brooks, and Ziad Ahmed -- to discuss climate change, the Supreme Court, intersectional politics, the electoral college, and why social media is their love language.
Talking Feds Now: Positive Uncertainty
Recorded on Friday night, in the wake of the mind-blowing revelation that both the President and the First Lady have tested positive for COVID 19, Laura Coates, Norm Orenstein, and Michael Schmidt join Harry to analyze the dizzying questions of law, medicine, national security, and politics that Trump’s sickness put into play. The Feds discuss the Administration’s stunning irresponsibility and the prospect that more VIPs fall ill. Then they analyze the political implications for Trump, the election, Barrett, and more
Judging Amy
Convening in the wake of President Trump’s selection of Judge Amy Comey Barrett for the Sup Ct vacancy caused by Justice Ginsburg’s death, Feds Dahlia Lithwick, Joe Lockhart, and Bret Stephens analyze Barrett’s qualifications and the politics surrounding her confirmation. What are the long-term consequences of the 5-member majority of far-right Justices that Barrett cements? And what is the Ds’ best short-term political strategy given that the Rs have the raw numbers to assure Barrett’s ascent?
Honoring RBG: May her Memory be a Revolution
Initially taped just before the announcement of the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, this episode features Feds Natasha Bertrand, former Senator Al Franken, and Matt Miller delving into the stark, Orwellian divide between the true facts about the virus, the DOJ, and misinformation on the one hand, and the wholly fictional account propounded by the President and his Administration on the other. The Feds reconvene after the taping to add a discussion about RBG’s death and its implications.
Before She was Notorious: Clerking for Ruth Bader Ginsburg
In this special bonus Talking Feds Now, three #Sistersinlaw, all clerks to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, come together to describe what Justice Ginsburg really was like as a mentor, judge, spouse, and improbable pop culture hero. Amanda Tyler, Gillian Metzger, and Ginger Anders talk about their lives during their clerkships and paint a multi-dimensional portrait of the woman they knew and revered. They discuss everything from her approach to writing to her love of opera and of course her judicial work.
