The Smerconish Podcast

Michael lays out today's Daily Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Do third-party candidates a) enhance democracy by providing more choices, b) harm democracy by splitting votes, or c) have a neutral impact? Listen here, then vote! Original air date 27 March 2024. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for ad...

FiveThirtyEight/ABC News Senior Elections Analyst Geoffrey Skelley joins Michael with his analysis of how, and if at all, third party presidential candidates can get on ballots this fall - enough to have any chance of getting votes to be players in the election. Original air date 26 March 2024. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collecti...

NBC News made a controversial hire in bringing on former Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel on board as a paid contributor. Backlash from within the organization ensued, due to her negative treatment of NBC while she was RNC Chair. This has Michael asking you this daily poll question at Smerconish.com today: Do media outlets have an obligation to ensure a MAGA perspective is repres...

Should you have the right to be homeless, have the right to live on the street, instead of having to take antipsychotic medication? Michael talks to Ellen Barry at The New York Times, on her piece "The Man in Room 117." Original air date 1 February 2024. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertisi...

Michael talks about today's Daily Poll Question at Smerconish.com, he asks do you agree or disagree: Social media use does not just correlate with mental illness, it causes it. Listen here, then vote! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Gallup is out with its annual "World Happiness Report. The report assesses the current state of happiness worldwide and is a resource for satisfying the growing global interest in prioritizing happiness - or wellbeing - in government policymaking. Michael dives in with Ilana Ron-Levey, Gallup Managing Director, Public Sector on the World Happiness Report. Original air date 22 March 2024. Hosted by...

President Trump may soon have his assets seized by the Attorney General of New York if he fails to pay his near-half a billion dollar bond. Michael asks you at Smerconish.com today, this daily poll question: If Letitia James seizes Donald Trump’s property, will it help or hurt him politically? Listen, then vote! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information...

President Trump owes a bond payment of nearly a half a billion dollars for the judgement in his civil fraud case in New York. Suddenly, the value of his social media platform Truth Social has jumped up. What's going on? Michael gets expertise from our "intern" and "CEO" "Erik X", an expert in these matters. Listen in for this great explanation. Original air date 21 March 2024. Hosted by Simplecast...

With the passage of Texas' new immigration law, Michael asks this Daily Poll Question at Smerconish.com today: Should states be able to arrest, detain and deport migrants at the nation’s border? Listen to his explainer, then vote! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

With all this talk of third party candidates in the 2024 presidential race, there's one big hurdle they have to overcome: Getting on ballots in enough states (like...all 50), to be able to get enough votes to be competitive. How does that process work, exactly? Michael gets expertise from Richard Winger, a long-time advocate for easy and open ballot access for minority parties and candidates. He i...

Michael was really impressed by Oprah Winfrey's TV special earlier this week on obesity and weight loss - he continues the conversation with today's Daily Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Do you agree with Oprah that obesity is a disease, not a character flaw? Listen, then vote. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of pe...

Danny Cevallos is a regular guest host when Michael is off-air, an attorney, legal analyst at MSNBC and NBC News, and, like Michael, a huge fan of SiriusXM's Howard Stern Show. It's clear here where his loyalties lie...take a listen. Original air date 11 March 2024. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data f...

Michael had a recent conversation with American University Professor Allan Lichtman, who, for every presidential election since 1984 has predicted the outcome correctly, using his "Keys To The White House", which is the title of his book. There is one asterisk moment which he explains - 2000, Bush v. Gore. Today, they start talking about 2024, Biden v. Trump. What's his prediction going to be? Ori...

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in the United States, gave a blunt assessment of what is happening in Israel and Gaza in a speech on the Senate floor, directly criticizing the Prime Minister of Israel and calling for an election for new leadership in that country. Listen here as Michael talks about it and asks this Daily Poll Question at Smerconish...

A look at the latest 2024 presidential race polling data with G. Elliot Morris, editorial director of data analytics at ABC News and 538. Original air date 18 March 2024. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Biden and Trump are neck and neck in the polls as the final two candidates in the 2024 presidential race are now set...but, one element that keeps coming up is Vice President Kamala Harris and her low popularity. This has Michael asking you this Daily Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Would a different running mate improve President Biden’s re-election chances? Listen here, then vote at the website...

A new Gallup study shows that the percentage of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer adults in the U.S. continues to increase. Michael dives into the data, he's fascinated today by the question: How many of us are gay? Original air date 15 March 2024. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for adv...

So much going on in the country and the world. So many MAJOR issues. Some matter to some people, some don't. Michael today takes a bird's eye view at what he believes are the eight biggest issues at present, and asks you this Daily Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Which of the following worries you most? AI, Border, Climate, Democracy, Economy, Gaza, Social Media, or Ukraine? Listen here and then...

Michael talks to Flash Shelton, a handyman in California who is the subject of a fascinating story in the L.A. Times - he will help you get squatters out of your property, by...going and squatting with them, essentially annoying them until they leave. Original air date 14 March 2024. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use...

On Wednesday, the U.S. House passed a bill that could lead to the social media video-sharing platform TikTok being banned in the US. The bill now heads to the Senate. Michael asks you this Daily Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Should the U.S. government ban TikTok? Listen here, then vote. And please share, rate and review this podcast. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.ads...

Michael talks to Anthony Coley, who formerly headed up public affairs at the Department of Justice and served as Attorney General Merrick Garland's spokesperson. He shares his opinions on special counsel Robert Hur's testimony on the investigation into President Biden's handling of classified documents. Coley believes the testimony got a bit too political. Original air date 13 March 2024. Hosted b...

Special counsel Robert Hur testified before the House Judiciary Committee yesterday on his report into President Biden's handling of classified documents. Questions about the President's mental acuity remain - so Michael asks this Daily Poll Question of you at Smerconish.com Today: Should all recordings of special counsel Robert Hur’s interview with President Biden be released? Listen, then vote!...

A very sad story out of Texas - Michael talks to Valerie Bauerline who is co-author of an in-depth piece at The Wall Street Journal about the death of a global shipping company executive: Angela Chao was stuck in her Tesla in water and drowned. Listen here for the full story. Original air date 12 March 2024. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information abou...

Controversy in the UK that has spread around the world: A photo of Princess Kate and her family, released by Buckingham Palace to show she was doing okay after not being in the public eye for months following surgery, was doctored. Michael asks you this Daily Poll Question today at Smerconish.com: Should the media have withdrawn publication of a touched-up Princess Kate photograph? Original air da...

Michael offers thoughts on South Carolina Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace's appearance on ABC's "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos. From the get-go, they went at it over her support of President Trump, given rape allegations and civil court rulings against him. Mace herself is a survivor of rape. Original air date 11 March 2024. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.ads...