National Journal

National Journal Radio

News EN ↓ 334 episodes

A deep dive on the most important policy, political, and campaign story of the week, powered by National Journal's expert correspondents. New episodes every Monday.

Author

National Journal

Category

News

Podcast website

againstthegrain.libsyn.com

Latest episode

Jul 10, 2026

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Episodes

Episode 33: How to Win the White House 09.05.2019

Democratic pollster Jim Gerstein explains why Robert Mueller's expected testimony before Congress could boost Democrats, assesses Joe Biden's strength in the crowded Democratic field, and cautions his Democratic colleagues not to underestimate President Trump.

Episode 32: The Majority Maker 01.05.2019

Former DCCC Executive Director Dan Sena, one of the architects of the Democrats' new House majority, names the freshmen who he thinks will be national stars, explains why some Hispanic voters are surprisingly conservative, and identifies the GOP's key policy mistake leading up to the midterms.   

Episode 31: What Voters Really Want 25.04.2019

Wes Anderson, the founding partner and pollster at OnMessage Inc., identifies President Trump's toughest Democratic challenger in 2020 (hint: it's not Joe Biden), talks about the evolution of campaign polling and offers a pessimistic note on the GOP's chances to win back the House.

Episode 30: On Ayres 17.04.2019

Republican pollster Whit Ayres explains why he's pessimistic that President Trump can win again, talks about the opportunity for Republicans to solidify support in Florida and explains why Lindsey Graham (his longtime client) has become a Trump loyalist. 

Episode 29: First, Principles 10.04.2019

Matt Lewis, conservative columnist for  The Daily Beast  and  CNN  political commentator, explains why there's no presidential candidate he can support in 2020, reminisces on his work for Tucker Carlson and expresses his disenchantment with Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse.

Episode 28: House Call 04.04.2019

Ian Russell, a principal at consulting firm Beacon Media and former deputy executive director at DCCC, talks about the politics of health care, how Bernie Sanders presents a risk for House Democrats, and his skepticism of Joe Biden's 2020 journey.

Episode 27: Russia or Health Care? 27.03.2019

Democratic pollster Jill Normington, of Nomington Petts, gives Trump better than a 50 percent chance at winning the election, discusses the gains former Vice President Joe Biden will make early on if he decides to run, and what it means to be an "and" candidate.

Episode 26: The Debate Over Hate 21.03.2019

Halie Soifer, the executive director of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, addresses Rep. Ilhan Omar's (D-MN 05) anti-semitic comments, "Jexodus," and the Iran Nuclear Deal.

Episode 25: Betting on Beto 14.03.2019

Matt Gorman, an alum of Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney's campaigns and the NRCC, swings by to discuss why their anti-Nancy Pelosi strategy didn't work to keep the House, the Forgetting Sarah Marshall character that Beto O'Rourke reminds him of, and the Democrat he's most interested in for 2020.

Episode 24: The Mod Squad 07.03.2019

Jim Kessler, executive director of Third Way, dishes on the state that will decide the 2020 Democratic nominee, the possible consequence of Democrats moving too far left, and what Amy Klobuchar has in common with kale.

Episode 23: Checkpoint Charlie 28.02.2019

Charlie Sykes, the editor-in-chief of the newly-launched conservative anti-Trump publication The Bulwark , joins Politics Editor Josh Kraushaar to discuss why he and Paul Ryan are "seeing other people," Joe Biden's chances in 2020, and why some people say he's declaring a "fatwa."

Episode 22: On the Mark 21.02.2019

Democratic pollster Mark Mellman addresses Rep. Ilhan Omar's (D-MN 05) anti-semitic remarks, Joe Biden's chances in 2020, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's possible future as a party leader.

Episode 21: All About the Base 14.02.2019

Republican pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson interprets the numbers as they pertain to Trump's approval and reelection chances, the Green New Deal, and how an independent candidate would fare in 2020.

Episode 20: The Non-Electables 08.02.2019

Wrapping up a busy week of political news—Virginia chaos, Trump's second State of the Union address, and Elizabeth Warren's latest apology—we've got two of the sharpest Democratic political strategists to break things down. Doug Thornell and Adrienne Elrod co-host the brand new podcast "The Electables" and offer their lively insights on a volatile week for Democrats.

Episode 19: Data Download 31.01.2019

GOP strategist and CNN contributor Mike Shields discusses the racism found in both parties, whether the Republicans should allow primaries against President Trump, and the immigration deal that should be made.

Episode 18: Poll Position 24.01.2019

Democratic pollster Margie Omero sits down with Politics Editor Josh Kraushaar to dish on the shutdown, Trump's crossover appeal, and what the word "liberal" will mean to voters in 2020.

Episode 17: The Republican Civil War 10.01.2019

Following the release of Henry Olsen's buzzy op-ed calling Mitt Romney "wildly out of touch," the Ethics and Public Policy Center senior fellow sits down to tackle Trump, Pelosi, and all those 2020 hopefuls.

Episode 16: Master of the House 05.12.2018

Host Josh Kraushaar and the Cook Political Report's Dave Wasserman broke down the midterm House elections, including the drama unfolding in races still uncalled a month later, President Trump's shadow over the GOP losses and in the new Congress, and the diversity of the incoming freshmen who won Democrats the majority. 

Against the Grain Episode 15: Trendspotting 29.11.2018

Bruce Mehlman, one of the sharpest political watchers and trendspotters in Washington, goes over the Midterm's trends, the 2020 Democratic field, and predictions for 2019.

Episode 14: Breaking Down the Midterms 08.11.2018

Colin Reed, senior vice president at Definers Public Affairs, been a campaign adviser to some of the most successful blue-state Republicans, including Mitt Romney, Chris Christie, and John McCain. After a wild election night, he shares his midterm takeaways,   thoughts on the possible 2020 Democratic presidential field, and how opposition research is evolving with the changing political times.

Episode 13: Opposition Research 01.11.2018

Is the Trump era the golden age of opposition research? Has the #MeToo movement changed how it works? What do "trackers" do? Shripal Shah, Vice President of the pro-Democrat opposition research firm American Bridge, breaks it all down on this week's episode of Against the Grain.

Episode 12: The Great Revolt 25.10.2018

Republican consultant Brad Todd literally wrote the book on the reshaping of American politics. As he works on some of the most-competitive Senate races in the country, including Republican Josh Hawley's big fight against Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill in Missouri, Todd shares race rundowns, Trump's two worst moments as president, and the issues voters actually care about.

Episode 11: When They Go Heye 17.10.2018

Republican strategist and CNN contributor Doug Heye joins National Journal's Politics Editor Josh Kraushaar to weigh in on the "Never Trump" movement, how the party has evolved since its inception, and what the party is doing to prepare for the midterms.

Episode 10: The Right Unites 11.10.2018

Ben Domenech, publisher of The Federalist , joins National Journal 's Politics Editor Josh Kraushaar for a candid conversation on the cultural phenomenon of Donald Trump, and his surprising assessment of Paul Ryan and Mike Pence. Domenech, who is married to Meghan McCain, also shares his thoughts about the late Sen. John McCain's legacy and inside details on McCain's conflict with the president.

Episode 9: Supreme Uncertainty 03.10.2018

To know what the progressive movement is thinking, look to Neera Tanden, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress. Sitting down with Politics Editor Josh Kraushaar, she shares her thoughts on Brett Kavanaugh, what it means for the midterms and beyond, and whether Joe Biden will run.

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