The Chuck ToddCast

Chuck Todd opens with the news that Trump is planning a primetime address to push election denialism, and uses it as a lens to examine how thoroughly fealty to the 2020 fraud lie has become the price of admission in Trump's Washington. He argues Todd Blanche should have no place in the Department of Justice, that he failed his test under questioning from John Cornyn, and that the weaponization fund could become the red line that finally moves Collins, Tillis, and Cornyn — because an inability to confirm Blanche would be a clear sign of Trump's weakening grip on the GOP. He points to the surreal spectacle of Jay Clayton refusing to answer Jon Ossoff's simple question of who won the 2020 election, looking like a ridiculous sycophant in the process, and to Trump endorsing MyPillow's Mike Lindell — the single biggest election conspiracy theorist in the country, a man who's lost every court case and been forced to pay $5 million over his false claims. He reminds listeners that it was Trump's own appointees who ran election security in 2020, that every major election denier from Giuliani on down has been forced to retract in court, and that Georgia's full hand recount matched the machines exactly — the only real constant in Trumpworld is that any outcome Trump dislikes gets branded fraud.
He then turns to the mounting deaths during ICE encounters, arguing the violence isn't an anomaly but an entirely predictable consequence of an agency whose culture has been deliberately reshaped: DHS recruited candidates with violent psychological profiles using white nationalist slogans, imposed quotas that put officers under enormous stress, and pushed them into vehicle stops that former officials admit ICE has no experience conducting. In two fatal shootings the men killed weren't even the targets, witnesses have disputed the DHS account, there's no body cam footage, and Chuck argues DHS has zero credibility, even as Trump clearly wants the theater and the violent confrontations. On Iran, Chuck is blunt that having less leverage than before the war started is simply what losing a war looks like: the administration badly underestimated Iran's willingness to close the Strait of Hormuz, Iran deliberately decentralized its regime to survive decapitation strikes, and after three failed military strategies in five months, Trump has spent the entire war negotiating against himself — meaning the best America can now hope for is a managed stalemate, because Iran can't beat the U.S. military, it just has to wait out an increasingly impatient Trump. He closes on a lighter note with the House passing a bill to make daylight saving time permanent, offering the contrarian reminder that the public always wants permanent DST until they actually get it — kids forced to go to school in pitch darkness, and the simple reality that what's good for you in the evening is bad for someone else in the morning.
Finally, Chuck presents his ToddCast Top 5 list of professional athletes best positioned to run for political office and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.
From the opening whistle to the final kick. Bet on a match and get bonus bets for every goal scored at Fanduel.com
Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.
Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.
Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.

For free and unbiased Medicare help, dial (980) 734-3985 to speak with my trusted partner, Chapter, or go to askchapter.org/chuck /*Paid Partnership

Chapter and its affiliates are not connected with or endorsed by any government entity or the federal Medicare program. Chapter Advisory, LLC represents Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and PFFS organizations and stand alone prescription drug plans that have a Medicare contract. Enrollment depends on the plan’s contract renewal. While we have a database of every Medicare plan nationwide and can help you to search among all plans, we have contracts with many but not all plans. As a result, we do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 50 organizations which offer 18,160 products nationwide. We search and recommend all plans, even those we don’t directly offer. You can contact a licensed Chapter agent to find out the number of products available in your specific area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-Medicare, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options.
Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)
00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction
03:00 Trump planning primetime address to push election denialism
04:15 Todd Blanche should have no place in the Department of Justice
05:00 Blanche failed the test when questioned by John Cornyn
05:30 Weaponization fund could be the red line for Collins, Tillis and Cornyn
07:00 Inability to confirm Blanche would show Trump’s weakening grip on GOP
08:15 John Ossoff asked simple question Jay Clayton wouldn’t answer
09:00 Clayton refused to answer “who won the 2020 election?”
09:30 You must agree with election denialism to work for Trump
10:30 Clayton looked like a ridiculous sycophant
12:00 Administration convinced deportations will help in midterms
12:30 Trump is completely misreading the situation, but nobody will tell him
13:15 Trump gives his endorsement to Mike Lindell from MyPillow
13:45 Trump supporting biggest election conspiracy theorist in the country*
14:30 Lindell was forced to pay $5 million due to his false claims
15:15 Lindell has lost every time his claims ended up in court
15:45 Lindell is a lunatic
16:45 The only constant for Trump is “it’s fraud” if he doesn’t get his way
17:30 It was Trump appointees who ran election security in 2020
18:15 The election fraud claims from Trumpworld kept changing
19:15 Guliani was forced to refute his election denial in court
20:00 Every election denier has had to retract in a court of law
21:15 Georgia conducted a full recount and it matched the machines
23:00 Multiple deaths have occurred during encounters with ICE
24:00 In the two shootings the men killed were not the targets of the operation
24:45 Witnesses have challenged DHS account & there’s no body cam footage
25:15 DHS has no credibility, can’t trust their account of events
26:00 ICE announced they have paused most vehicle stops nationwide
28:00 Trump wants the theater with ICE, he wants violent confrontations*
29:30 The violence isn’t an anomaly, it’s entirely predictable
30:00 DHS’s recruiting for ICE has changed the culture of the organization
31:00 ICE targeted candidates with a violent psychological profile
32:15 ICE used white nationalist slogans in recruitment ads
34:00 The culture of ICE promotes violent confrontation
34:45 Administration’s quotas has put officers under stress
36:45 Former ICE officials admit the agency doesn’t have experience for vehicle stops
37:30 Tragedy isn’t a risk under these circumstances… it’s a guarantee
38:15 Federal law enforcement has turned into a theater of dominance
39:00 ICE set itself up for a war… and we’re seeing the consequences
39:45 Iran has more leverage than before the war… that’s called losing
40:15 Houthis may close another chokepoint
41:15 The U.S. military always knew the Strait of Hormuz was the ballgame
41:45 Administration underestimated Iran’s willingness to close the Strait
42:30 Iran set up the regime to be decentralized in case of decapitation strikes
43:15 We’ve tried 3 major military strategies in 5 months & none worked
44:30 Trump has negotiated against himself for the entire war
46:00 This has now become a fight over leverage
47:00 Every week the war grinds on, the more unpopular it becomes
47:30 Iran can’t beat the U.S. military, they just need to wait out Trump
48:15 The best we can hope for is a managed stalemate
48:45 House passed a bill to make daylight savings time permanent
49:45 The public always wants permanent daylight savings, until they get it
50:15 Kids are forced to get to school in the dark, results in deaths
51:30 What’s good for you in the evening is bad for someone else in the morning
57:00 ToddCast Top 5 American athletes that could transition to politics
1:01:00 #5 Travis Kelce
1:02:15 #4 Paul Skenes
1:03:15 #3 Patrick Mahomes
1:04:00 #2 Steph Curry
1:05:00 #1 Caitlin Clark
1:08:15 Ask Chuck
1:08:30 Favorite old 40s and 50s films?
1:14:45 Your work made a real difference in my life
1:16:15 Are there any states where a congressperson could do what Farage did in UK?
1:19:45 Why don’t presidential campaigns create buzz around VP selection?
1:24:15 What signs would show us we’re turning the corner on this divisive era?
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Opdycke — founder and president of Open Primaries, one of the leading organizations pushing to end closed partisan primaries — joins the Chuck Toddcast to make the case that the exclusion of independent voters is one of the great overlooked scandals of American democracy. Opdycke walks through the byzantine patchwork of voter and party registration rules that vary wildly by state, explains why so many independents sit out partisan primaries entirely, and argues that after 30 years of closed primaries the cumulative effect has been a system where the parties function as both the umpires and the players — a structure that simply doesn't work. He makes the bipartisan argument that tax dollars shouldn't fund the private nominating contests of what are essentially private organizations, and is pointedly critical of Democrats for actively fighting open primary initiatives.He notes that policies with 80% public support routinely fail to pass because voters don't actually have a meaningful say.
The conversation turns tactical and forward-looking, with Opdycke offering a sober assessment of the broader reform landscape and its persistent failures. He argues the ranked-choice voting movement has made serious tactical errors, that the party in power always fights ranked choice voting, and that the modern reform and independent movement suffers from a fundamental lack of a compelling public face — as well as from philanthropic funders who attach outcome expectations that distort the work. Opdycke is candid that third parties fare poorly in nearly every electoral system, that Ross Perot's Reform Party is now essentially a shell, and that the American people still don't trust the reform movement — but he sees real opportunity in specific fights, particularly mobilizing Florida's independents to change the law and pursuing top-two systems that would genuinely open the door to competition. He notes the striking statistic that 10,000 people per week are changing their voter registration, laments the general lack of curiosity (and polling) about who swing voters actually are, and argues there's meaningful left-right overlap among libertarians that reformers could tap. They explore whether the redistricting wars could create a backlash against the two-party system, why there are only about 25 competitive House districts left, and why several states are now actually moving back toward closed primaries. They close with a clear-eyed take on 2028: the reform movement needs a credible presidential candidate, and with 2028 shaping up to be a wild and unpredictable year, the opening for that kind of disruption may be wider than it's been in decades.
Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.
Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.
Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.

Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)
00:00 John Opdycke joins the Chuck ToddCast
01:45 Voter & party registration rules vary greatly by state
03:00 Why do so many independents sit out partisan primaries?
05:30 NYC Democratic party actively fought open primary initiative
07:00 There have been cumulative effects of 30 years of closed primaries
08:15 Voter apathy across the board for voting in primaries
09:00 Independents showing strong support for Open Primaries
10:45 Parties have every right to choose their candidates
11:15 Parties now are both the umpires and the players, it doesn’t work
13:00 There’s bipartisan arguments for not using tax dollars for private orgs
14:15 Why are Democrats fighting against open primaries?
16:15 Ross Perot’s Reform Party is basically a shell at this point
19:00 Independent voters are incorrectly understood as in the middle
19:30 Independents are moderate in temperament, not ideology
21:15 Politics post-Clinton/Gingrich designed to keep independents down
22:15 The modern reform/independent movement lacks a face
23:15 Philanthropic funders come with expectations of outcomes
24:15 Ranked choice voting movement has made serious tactical errors
26:30 Party in power always fights ranked choice voting
28:00 Exclusion of independent voters is a Jim Crow level violation of rights
28:30 Policies with 80% support don’t pass, voters don’t have a say
30:00 Third parties don’t do well in almost any electoral system
31:15 Swing voters are ignored until October
31:45 Which states offer best opportunities for a third party?
32:30 Independents require the Democrat to drop out in senate races
36:00 Could the redistricting wars create backlash to the two party system?
36:45 There’s only 25 competitive house district
37:30 Leaders in several states now looking to go back to closed primaries
38:45 The American people don’t trust the Reform movement
40:45 Mobilizing independents in Florida to change the law
43:15 There’s left-right overlap amongst the libertarians
44:45 There’s a lack of curiosity about independent/swing voters
46:45 10,000 people per week change their voter registration
47:30 We need a flood of polling and research about independent voters
48:45 What does success look like for Open Primaries this year?
51:45 A top two system would open up the door to competition
53:15 There are fewer “generic” candidates, much more variance
55:45 The Reform movement needs a presidential candidate in ‘28
59:30 Perot had to scare both parties to get them to make reforms
1:01:00 Have to creative in ‘28, it will be a wild year in politics
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd opens with the news that Trump is planning a primetime address to push election denialism, and uses it as a lens to examine how thoroughly fealty to the 2020 fraud lie has become the price of admission in Trump's Washington. He argues Todd Blanche should have no place in the Department of Justice, that he failed his test under questioning from John Cornyn, and that the weaponization fund could become the red line that finally moves Collins, Tillis, and Cornyn — because an inability to confirm Blanche would be a clear sign of Trump's weakening grip on the GOP. He points to the surreal spectacle of Jay Clayton refusing to answer Jon Ossoff's simple question of who won the 2020 election, looking like a ridiculous sycophant in the process, and to Trump endorsing MyPillow's Mike Lindell — the single biggest election conspiracy theorist in the country, a man who's lost every court case and been forced to pay $5 million over his false claims. He reminds listeners that it was Trump's own appointees who ran election security in 2020, that every major election denier from Giuliani on down has been forced to retract in court, and that Georgia's full hand recount matched the machines exactly — the only real constant in Trumpworld is that any outcome Trump dislikes gets branded fraud.
He then turns to the mounting deaths during ICE encounters, arguing the violence isn't an anomaly but an entirely predictable consequence of an agency whose culture has been deliberately reshaped: DHS recruited candidates with violent psychological profiles using white nationalist slogans, imposed quotas that put officers under enormous stress, and pushed them into vehicle stops that former officials admit ICE has no experience conducting. In two fatal shootings the men killed weren't even the targets, witnesses have disputed the DHS account, there's no body cam footage, and Chuck argues DHS has zero credibility, even as Trump clearly wants the theater and the violent confrontations. On Iran, Chuck is blunt that having less leverage than before the war started is simply what losing a war looks like: the administration badly underestimated Iran's willingness to close the Strait of Hormuz, Iran deliberately decentralized its regime to survive decapitation strikes, and after three failed military strategies in five months, Trump has spent the entire war negotiating against himself — meaning the best America can now hope for is a managed stalemate, because Iran can't beat the U.S. military, it just has to wait out an increasingly impatient Trump. He closes on a lighter note with the House passing a bill to make daylight saving time permanent, offering the contrarian reminder that the public always wants permanent DST until they actually get it — kids forced to go to school in pitch darkness, and the simple reality that what's good for you in the evening is bad for someone else in the morning.
Then, John Opdycke — founder and president of Open Primaries, one of the leading organizations pushing to end closed partisan primaries — joins the Chuck Toddcast to make the case that the exclusion of independent voters is one of the great overlooked scandals of American democracy. Opdycke walks through the byzantine patchwork of voter and party registration rules that vary wildly by state, explains why so many independents sit out partisan primaries entirely, and argues that after 30 years of closed primaries the cumulative effect has been a system where the parties function as both the umpires and the players — a structure that simply doesn't work. He makes the bipartisan argument that tax dollars shouldn't fund the private nominating contests of what are essentially private organizations, and is pointedly critical of Democrats for actively fighting open primary initiatives.He notes that policies with 80% public support routinely fail to pass because voters don't actually have a meaningful say.
The conversation turns tactical and forward-looking, with Opdycke offering a sober assessment of the broader reform landscape and its persistent failures. He argues the ranked-choice voting movement has made serious tactical errors, that the party in power always fights ranked choice voting, and that the modern reform and independent movement suffers from a fundamental lack of a compelling public face — as well as from philanthropic funders who attach outcome expectations that distort the work. Opdycke is candid that third parties fare poorly in nearly every electoral system, that Ross Perot's Reform Party is now essentially a shell, and that the American people still don't trust the reform movement — but he sees real opportunity in specific fights, particularly mobilizing Florida's independents to change the law and pursuing top-two systems that would genuinely open the door to competition. He notes the striking statistic that 10,000 people per week are changing their voter registration, laments the general lack of curiosity (and polling) about who swing voters actually are, and argues there's meaningful left-right overlap among libertarians that reformers could tap. They explore whether the redistricting wars could create a backlash against the two-party system, why there are only about 25 competitive House districts left, and why several states are now actually moving back toward closed primaries. They close with a clear-eyed take on 2028: the reform movement needs a credible presidential candidate, and with 2028 shaping up to be a wild and unpredictable year, the opening for that kind of disruption may be wider than it's been in decades.
Finally, Chuck presents his ToddCast Top 5 list of professional athletes best positioned to run for political office and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.
From the opening whistle to the final kick. Bet on a match and get bonus bets for every goal scored at Fanduel.com
Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.
Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.
Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.
For free and unbiased Medicare help, dial (980) 734-3985 to speak with my trusted partner, Chapter, or go to askchapter.org/chuck /*Paid Partnership

Chapter and its affiliates are not connected with or endorsed by any government entity or the federal Medicare program. Chapter Advisory, LLC represents Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and PFFS organizations and stand alone prescription drug plans that have a Medicare contract. Enrollment depends on the plan’s contract renewal. While we have a database of every Medicare plan nationwide and can help you to search among all plans, we have contracts with many but not all plans. As a result, we do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 50 organizations which offer 18,160 products nationwide. We search and recommend all plans, even those we don’t directly offer. You can contact a licensed Chapter agent to find out the number of products available in your specific area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-Medicare, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options.
Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)
00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction
03:00 Trump planning primetime address to push election denialism
04:15 Todd Blanche should have no place in the Department of Justice
05:00 Blanche failed the test when questioned by John Cornyn
05:30 Weaponization fund could be the red line for Collins, Tillis and Cornyn
07:00 Inability to confirm Blanche would show Trump’s weakening grip on GOP
08:15 John Ossoff asked simple question Jay Clayton wouldn’t answer
09:00 Clayton refused to answer “who won the 2020 election?”
09:30 You must agree with election denialism to work for Trump
10:30 Clayton looked like a ridiculous sycophant
12:00 Administration convinced deportations will help in midterms
12:30 Trump is completely misreading the situation, but nobody will tell him
13:15 Trump gives his endorsement to Mike Lindell from MyPillow
13:45 Trump supporting biggest election conspiracy theorist in the country*
14:30 Lindell was forced to pay $5 million due to his false claims
15:15 Lindell has lost every time his claims ended up in court
15:45 Lindell is a lunatic
16:45 The only constant for Trump is “it’s fraud” if he doesn’t get his way
17:30 It was Trump appointees who ran election security in 2020
18:15 The election fraud claims from Trumpworld kept changing
19:15 Guliani was forced to refute his election denial in court
20:00 Every election denier has had to retract in a court of law
21:15 Georgia conducted a full recount and it matched the machines
23:00 Multiple deaths have occurred during encounters with ICE
24:00 In the two shootings the men killed were not the targets of the operation
24:45 Witnesses have challenged DHS account & there’s no body cam footage
25:15 DHS has no credibility, can’t trust their account of events
26:00 ICE announced they have paused most vehicle stops nationwide
28:00 Trump wants the theater with ICE, he wants violent confrontations*
29:30 The violence isn’t an anomaly, it’s entirely predictable
30:00 DHS’s recruiting for ICE has changed the culture of the organization
31:00 ICE targeted candidates with a violent psychological profile
32:15 ICE used white nationalist slogans in recruitment ads
34:00 The culture of ICE promotes violent confrontation
34:45 Administration’s quotas has put officers under stress
36:45 Former ICE officials admit the agency doesn’t have experience for vehicle stops
37:30 Tragedy isn’t a risk under these circumstances… it’s a guarantee
38:15 Federal law enforcement has turned into a theater of dominance
39:00 ICE set itself up for a war… and we’re seeing the consequences
39:45 Iran has more leverage than before the war… that’s called losing
40:15 Houthis may close another chokepoint
41:15 The U.S. military always knew the Strait of Hormuz was the ballgame
41:45 Administration underestimated Iran’s willingness to close the Strait
42:30 Iran set up the regime to be decentralized in case of decapitation strikes
43:15 We’ve tried 3 major military strategies in 5 months & none worked
44:30 Trump has negotiated against himself for the entire war
46:00 This has now become a fight over leverage
47:00 Every week the war grinds on, the more unpopular it becomes
47:30 Iran can’t beat the U.S. military, they just need to wait out Trump
48:15 The best we can hope for is a managed stalemate
48:45 House passed a bill to make daylight savings time permanent
49:45 The public always wants permanent daylight savings, until they get it
50:15 Kids are forced to get to school in the dark, results in deaths
51:30 What’s good for you in the evening is bad for someone else in the morning
00:00 John Opdycke joins the Chuck ToddCast
59:45 Voter & party registration rules vary greatly by state
1:01:00 Why do so many independents sit out partisan primaries?
1:03:30 NYC Democratic party actively fought open primary initiative
1:05:00 There have been cumulative effects of 30 years of closed primaries
1:06:15 Voter apathy across the board for voting in primaries
1:07:00 Independents showing strong support for Open Primaries
1:08:45 Parties have every right to choose their candidates
1:09:15 Parties now are both the umpires and the players, it doesn’t work
1:11:00 There’s bipartisan arguments for not using tax dollars for private orgs
1:12:15 Why are Democrats fighting against open primaries?
1:14:15 Ross Perot’s Reform Party is basically a shell at this point
1:17:00 Independent voters are incorrectly understood as in the middle
1:17:30 Independents are moderate in temperament, not ideology
1:19:15 Politics post-Clinton/Gingrich designed to keep independents down
1:20:15 The modern reform/independent movement lacks a face
1:21:15 Philanthropic funders come with expectations of outcomes
1:22:15 Ranked choice voting movement has made serious tactical errors
1:24:30 Party in power always fights ranked choice voting
1:26:00 Exclusion of independent voters is a Jim Crow level violation of rights
1:26:30 Policies with 80% support don’t pass, voters don’t have a say
1:28:00 Third parties don’t do well in almost any electoral system
1:29:15 Swing voters are ignored until October
1:29:45 Which states offer best opportunities for a third party?
1:30:30 Independents require the Democrat to drop out in senate races
1:34:00 Could the redistricting wars create backlash to the two party system?
1:34:45 There’s only 25 competitive house district
1:35:30 Leaders in several states now looking to go back to closed primaries
1:36:45 The American people don’t trust the Reform movement
1:38:45 Mobilizing independents in Florida to change the law
1:41:15 There’s left-right overlap amongst the libertarians
1:42:45 There’s a lack of curiosity about independent/swing voters
1:44:45 10,000 people per week change their voter registration
1:45:30 We need a flood of polling and research about independent voters
1:46:45 What does success look like for Open Primaries this year?
1:49:45 A top two system would open up the door to competition
1:51:15 There are fewer “generic” candidates, much more variance
1:53:45 The Reform movement needs a presidential candidate in ‘28
1:57:30 Perot had to scare both parties to get them to make reforms
1:59:00 Have to creative in ‘28, it will be a wild year in politics
2:00:00 Primaries should be open to all voters
2:00:15 ToddCast Top 5 American athletes that could transition to politics
2:04:15 #5 Travis Kelce
2:05:30 #4 Paul Skenes
2:06:30 #3 Patrick Mahomes
2:07:15 #2 Steph Curry
2:08:15 #1 Caitlin Clark
2:11:30 Ask Chuck
2:11:45 Favorite old 40s and 50s films?
2:18:00 Your work made a real difference in my life
2:19:30 Are there any states where a congressperson could do what Farage did in UK?
2:23:00 Why don’t presidential campaigns create buzz around VP selection?
2:27:30 What signs would show us we’re turning the corner on this divisive era?
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Cillizza and Chuck Todd open on a jolting weekend in politics: the sudden death of Lindsey Graham and the frantic — and faintly unseemly — scramble to replace him. Rather than relitigate Graham through the usual partisan lens, the guys argue that his loss, alongside the coming departures of Cornyn, Tillis, Cassidy, Durbin and others, amounts to a gutting of the Senate's dealmaking center, and they lay out their favorite framework for understanding him: the difference between "ideologues" and "politicians," and why the politicians are the ones who actually get things passed. They break down the near-term fallout for Trump, who just lost his most effective back-channel to skeptical senators and to Ukraine, and handicap the wide-open South Carolina race — from Henry McMaster's likely caretaker appointment to a crowded August primary featuring Pamela Evette, Nancy Mace, and a possible Trey Gowdy compromise play.
From there it's on to two health stories the news cycle nearly buried — the mystery around Mitch McConnell's fall, pneumonia and rehab stay, and Trump's latest Walter Reed cognitive test — before a deep dive into Maine, where Susan Collins suddenly has no opponent after Graham Platner's exit and seven Democrats will fight it out at a 600-person nominating convention. Chuck and Chris debate whether Collins is now more or less vulnerable, take a spirited detour through New England blue bloods and Platner's "oyster farmer" branding, and skewer the knives-out world of political consultants. Then they close personal and sporty: their National Journal origin story, and a nerdy back-and-forth on the reinvented Home Run Derby, All-Star nostalgia, a World Baseball Classic pitch, and the Nats' latest heartbreak.
Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)
00:00 Welcome to Super Tuesdays
01:29 Lindsey Graham dies Saturday night of an aortic rupture
02:01 When death hits mid-campaign, everything accelerates
03:59 The "humans vs. aliens" acting analogy, applied to politicians
04:43 Ideologues vs. politicians — and why Graham was the latter
05:42 Democratic senators genuinely liked working with Graham
06:21 The real story: the gutting of the Senate's dealmaking center
11:33 Graham would've been a Democrat if he'd grown up in Oregon
14:26 Near-term fallout — Graham was Thune & Trump's whisperer
14:59 Why Todd Blanche's confirmation just got harder
16:14 Zelensky lost his best Trump whisperer, too
17:30 Republicans have functionally lost control of the Senate
19:37 An open South Carolina Senate seat comes once a generation
22:09 South Carolina's factional GOP sets up a free-for-all
24:43 A full six-year term raises the stakes
29:06 Could Trey Gowdy be the compromise candidate?
31:02 What is going on with Mitch McConnell?
35:45 The buried health story: Trump's new Walter Reed cognitive test
36:36 Should cognitive tests be mandatory for presidents over 75?
38:26 On Graham, Trump can only make it about himself
39:32 The Butler anniversary crowd-size claim
40:32 To Maine: Collins is the most vulnerable Republican
41:02 Handicapping the seven-Democrat nominating convention
45:07 Is Susan Collins more or less vulnerable than a month ago?
47:13 Why the right Democratic nominee could actually beat her
51:15 Platner's privilege & the "oyster farmer" brand
51:39 The knives-out world of nepo-baby campaign consultants
51:56 Chuck & Chris's National Journal origin story
54:35 Why "he's a farmer, not a politician" branding is hypnotic nonsense
56:20 To sports: the reinvented, 20-swing Home Run Derby
56:41 The Nats blow three leads
58:04 Empty-nesting & the streaming shows worth your night
59:42 All-Star nostalgia in the age of the MLB app and interleague play
1:02:42 A pitch for a two-week WBC break every July
1:04:25 The Futures Game & Nats prospect Eli Willits
1:05:06 Wrap-up: subscribe to Super Tuesdays
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John Morgan — founder of Morgan & Morgan, one of the largest personal injury firms in the country & author of "Life is Luck: Lessons From a Paperboy and How to Improve Your Luck" joins the Chuck Toddcast for a wide-ranging conversation about civil litigation, the failures of government regulation, and his plan to launch a third party in Florida. Morgan makes the case that civil litigation has grown precisely because government has failed to regulate — social media is a genuine threat to human wellbeing (especially for children), monopolies are squeezing consumers, and processed foods, he argues, are the new tobacco: extremely harmful and ripe for legal reckoning. He offers a candid, colorful assessment of his former firm member RFK Jr. — "smart and crazy," a man who falls down some rabbit holes but also champions legitimate causes — and walks through the thorny reality that vaccine makers enjoy total indemnity while sovereign immunity exists in some form in all 50 states. Morgan is refreshingly honest about the ethics of his own industry, arguing that ads gloating about settlement numbers are a mistake because the real goal of a settlement is to give someone back something they lost, not to celebrate a payday.
The heart of the conversation is Morgan's plan to launch a new third party in Florida called "Common Ground," rooted in his conviction that the two-party system itself is what's fundamentally broken in America. Morgan argues that moderates should function as the tiebreakers in a polarized system — that picking up just a few seats could turn an uncommitted moderate bloc into a genuine fulcrum of power in Congress — and explains why he'd rather build something new than partner with the existing Forward Party. He handicaps Florida's political landscape with an insider's candor: Byron Donalds likely wins the governorship but it'll be close, the Charlie Crist party-switch playbook never worked, and he's genuinely unsure whether voters can find David Jolly credible after his own party change.. Morgan laments that too many people now enter politics for the pension and salary rather than public service, criticizes DeSantis for appointing cronies as university presidents, and argues age limits are overdue because government should be about the future and very few politicians remain effective past 70. Along the way he explains why he thinks Texas Democrats fielded a more viable ticket than Florida's (James Talarico, he says, simply has "it"), why Andy Beshear won in Kentucky, why charter schools are about money rather than choice, and why DeSantis's property tax proposal could become a Brexit-style case study in voters making decisions that make no sense once the consequences arrive.
Get John's book here
https://www.amazon.com/Audible-Life-is-Luck/dp/B0H2K52H4G/ref=sr_1_1?crid=LF7S7OGAT46F&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.CaRKVB4mHJGTS0bVFd7ONcU6YfsmpGl_tDncLiWRzCNecvHPOVtdrMbXsFl_LNyLxyW8nLRxXL3j5wdKGrHq7hSKazupgR14cC3u74xjkQpTUw2_xdJsVkC21K2kobaEZpdGZJsOkB5HdKgNBvyzjcb0eh8sdqhprrTbUo_1Fss.iLY1CiUpIpHB0Z1TbM0GJH2COy5EqaDcd3D_ItY0mfg&dib_tag=se&keywords=John+Morgan+life+is+luck&qid=1784135091&s=books&sprefix=john+morgan+life+is+luck%2Cstripbooks%2C177&sr=1-1
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Timeline:
00:00 John Morgan joins the Chuck ToddCast
00:45 What is most difficult about nationalizing a law firm?
01:45 When screening for good lawyers, it’s obvious who stands out
03:00 Lawsuits always seem frivolous until it happens to you
03:45 Ads that gloat about settlement numbers are a mistake
04:15 The goal of settlements is to give back something that was lost
05:00 Thoughts on private equity using civil litigation to hedge?
06:15 Involvement in cases against big tech companies
06:45 Social media is a threat to human wellbeing, especially children
08:30 Civil litigation has grown as government has failed to regulate
10:00 Monopolies are squeezing consumers
10:30 Processed foods are like tobacco, extremely harmful
11:00 RFK Jr. was a member of the firm, he’s smart and crazy
12:15 RFK falls down some BS rabbit holes but also has good causes
12:45 Vaccine makers have total indemnity
13:30 Sovereign immunity exists in some fashion in all 50 states
14:00 What’s your process for vetting science?
15:30 Will be launching a third party in Florida - The Common Ground
17:30 Other wealthy people have considered starting third parties
20:00 The two party system is what is broken in the country
20:30 Why not partner with the Forward Party?
22:00 Moderates should be the tiebreakers
23:30 A few uncommitted moderates could be a swing vote in congress
24:15 All you need to do is pick up a few seats to act as a fulcrum
25:45 It’s likely that Donalds wins in Florida, but it will be close
26:30 Why didn’t the Charlie Crist move work for Florida Democrats?
27:45 Can voters find David Jolly credible after changing parties?
29:30 More people are getting into politics for a pension & salary
30:30 People are going into politics for the wrong reasons
31:45 DeSantis appointed his cronies to be university presidents
32:30 Still deciding on whether to support Donalds or Jolly
34:00 Vindman doesn’t have a chance at winning
35:00 Texas Dem ticket is more liberal, why is it more viable than Florida’s?
35:45 James Talarico is very formidable, he has “it”
38:00 Andy Beshear won because Bevin turned on public school teachers
38:45 Charter schools aren’t about choice, they’re about money
39:30 Parental involvement is the best indicator of school performance
40:45 How would you message against DeSantis’s property tax proposal?
41:45 Americans are less interested in “us” and more interested in “me”
42:15 Implementing the property tax proposal will be like Brexit
44:30 Voters can make decisions that make no sense
45:15 Had the itch to run for office, but unlikely to do it
45:45 Government is for the future, should be age limits for elected officials
47:00 Very few elder politicians remain effective past 70 years old
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