Party Lines with Kurt & Erin

Kurt Bardella and Erin Maguire welcome Yemisi Egbewole, former chief of staff to the White House press office under President Biden, now a senior fellow at Third Way and founder of Podium Strategies.Yemisi explains why it's so much harder than it looks to turn big bills into three sentences anyone can understand, what Democrats got wrong when they answered "it feels hard out there" with "look at Europe," and why comms teams finally have a seat at the table. Using the Georgia governor's race as an example, she says that when Republicans run the images, Democrats can't just rise above it: sometimes you have to get in the mud. Plus: what happens when everybody's a radical?Then it's the Uncomfortable Truths: Midterms Edition. Kurt warns Democrats about learning the wrong lesson from success, Yemisi says the margins in Michigan will matter for 2028, and Erin admits Republicans still haven't figured out how to turn out voters when Trump isn't on the ballot.And just in time for Halloween, the political graveyard: what should stay dead (opponents' family members in attack ads, candidates dancing to trending sounds, consultant-on-consultant violence) and what keeps coming back (Trump's political obituary, the "ignore the polls" discourse, and cable news). Plus costumes, the cereal test and the careers they'd have chosen instead.Rate, review and subscribe, and join us next week for election week. LINKS FROM THIS EPISODEYemisi Egbewole at Third Wayhttps://www.thirdway.org/about/staff/yemisi-egbewole Atlanta News First: New Jackson ad reignites fight over Bottoms' record as Atlanta mayorhttps://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2026/09/11/new-jackson-ad-reignites-bitter-fight-over-bottoms-record-atlanta-mayor/ Fake polling firm Wedgewood tricked media with fabricated surveyshttps://wset.com/news/nation-world/fake-polling-firm-tricked-media-claims-fabricated-surveys-were-for-social-experiment-democrats-republicans-abdul-el-sayed-mallory-mcmorrow-francesca-hong-james-talarico-ken-paxton-rrtThe 2026 midterms could be the most expensive cycle everhttps://political.org/2026/10/16/2026-midterms-could-become-the-most-expensive-election-cycle-ever-adimpact-data-show/

With less than two weeks until Election Day, Kurt Bardella and Erin Maguire skip the polls and follow the money and the early vote. The DGA puts $1 million behind David Jolly in Florida, JB Pritzker writes a seven-figure check for Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia, and Texas early voting is off to a strong start. Erin explains why Republicans aren't picking up the phone for pollsters and why, at this point, campaigns aren't convincing voters, they're driving them. Plus: is James Talarico closing strong in Texas, and how Abdul El-Sayed took on the attacks about his family in Michigan.Then, family ties: use them or lose them. Vivek Ramaswamy's ad featuring Amy Acton's estranged mother has crossed into group chats, and JD Vance is telling Republicans to stop whining about it. Kurt and Erin debate when a candidate's family is fair game.Last, the state of polling in 2026: a pollster that admits it made its numbers up, The New York Times pulling its surveys from the tracker, and what newsrooms should do before they report the next poll. And in Left Field Lunacy, the Jacksonville Jaguars will let fans spend eternity at the stadium.What do you think about the Acton ad, or public polling? Leave a comment and find us on social at Party Lines. LINKS FROM THIS EPISODEFlorida Phoenix: Democratic Governors Association investing $1 million to support David Jollyhttps://floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/20/democratic-governors-association-investing-1-million-to-support-david-jolly/ AJC: Billionaire Democrats rush to Keisha Lance Bottoms' aid in final stretchhttps://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/10/pritzker-bloomberg-donate-keisha-lance-bottoms-georgia-governor/ Michigan Public: Rogers-El-Sayed debate gets hostile in pivotal U.S. Senate racehttps://www.michiganpublic.org/politics-government/2026-10-09/rogers-el-sayed-debate-gets-hostile-as-candidates-clash-in-pivotal-us-senate-race CBS News: Ohio governor's race takes ugly turn with Ramaswamy ad featuring Amy Acton's estranged motherhttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/ohio-governor-amy-acton-mother-ramaswamy/ Springfield News-Sun: JD Vance tells Republicans to "stop whining" about the Ramaswamy adhttps://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/jd-vance-tells-republicans-to-stop-whining-about-ramaswamy-ad-with-acton-s-estranged-mother/article_c66de25e-fc7f-5011-b27b-86e48a6f05d2.html Mediaite: National polling company admits it's totally fakehttps://www.mediaite.com/media/news/national-polling-company-admits-its-totally-fake-crows-it-was-far-too-easy-to-get-major-media-outlets-to-bite/ KATU: Polling firm closes after releasing fake election surveys for a "social experiment"https://katu.com/news/nation-world/polling-firm-closes-after-releasing-fake-election-surveys-for-social-experiment-los-angeles-mayoral-race-wisconsin-democratic-gubernatorial-primary-karen-bass-francesca-hong Mediaite: Francesca Hong concedes after razor-thin Wisconsin primaryhttps://www.mediaite.com/media/news/democratic-socialist-francesca-hong-concedes-after-falling-agonizingly-short-in-razor-thin-wisconsin-primary/ Action News Jax: Jaguars fans can reserve a permanent place in the new stadium, even after deathhttps://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/local/forever-teal-jags-fans-can-reserve-permanent-place-new-stadium-even-after-death/JEEYTCKEMBCEVLNORUOPR6UCLI/ CHAPTERS0:00 Less than two weeks to go0:33 Follow the early vote and the money1:34 The DGA bets on David Jolly1:47 Pritzker backs Keisha Lance Bottoms2:05 Pritzker, Beshear and the 2028 shadow race2:44 Texas early voting3:11 Republican malaise and the base play4:09 Why Republicans aren't talking to pollsters5:07 Driving voters, not convincing them5:59 Is Talarico closing strong?6:37 El-Sayed takes the attacks head on7:38 Family ties: use them or lose them7:56 Ramaswamy's ad with Amy Acton's mother9:06 Vance: politics is a tough business10:29 When family turns on a candidate12:20 Fair game or hands off?13:15 Will this follow JD Vance?14:32 The state of polling in 202615:42 Silly season: real polls vs. garbage polls16:22 Why people trust prediction markets17:10 The Wedgewood fake polls18:44 Where are the media's polling standards?20:00 When the polls miss: El-Sayed and Francesca Hong21:02 Only report polls you commission23:31 Did bad polling cost Haley Stevens?23:55 Left Field Lunacy: rest in peace at the Jaguars' stadium26:48 Wrap and happy birthday, Kurt

Erin and Kurt break down Maria Bartiromo's shocking exit from Fox amid alleged White House leaks, debate whether Trump and Kamala should campaign for midterm candidates, argue over the best Democratic surrogates, and take on a bipartisan bill to strip pensions from ethics-violating members of Congress.00:00 — Cold open: Kurt needs a drink after "one of the dumbest conference calls" of his life, and Erin pays off her no-bike-helmet bet after Seth Moulton's primary loss01:21 — Big story: Maria Bartiromo is out at Fox News and Fox Business01:48 — Kurt's reaction: losing a "cornerstone" talent this way is shocking — pulled off air in August with no goodbye show02:57 — Erin draws the comparison to Fox abruptly firing the #1-rated Tucker Carlson03:35 — How it broke: a brief farewell statement, then reporting (Oliver Darcy) that Bartiromo was allegedly screenshotting internal memos and texts for the administration04:21 — Kurt on why this is a fireable, contract-breaking offense — and why you never trust "the leakiest people in the professional world" to keep a secret05:35 — Fox's pattern: nobody's untouchable (Beck, O'Reilly, Megyn Kelly, Tucker) — "Exhibit A: Jesse Waters"06:03 — Erin: CNN did the same with Chris Cuomo and Don Lemon07:33 — Jason Chaffetz steps in to fill Bartiromo's morning slot07:49 — Speculation kicks off: could Bartiromo be in line for White House Press Secretary?08:12 — Erin's take: unlikely — more probable she goes independent or launches her own venture09:24 — Kurt's counter-pitch: skip Press Secretary, make her Treasury Secretary09:39 — Pivoting to the midterms: with ~60 days left, should Trump and Kamala campaign for candidates?10:51 — Kurt's story from a 2006 special election: turning down a Bush campaign visit — and winning anyway13:16 — Erin: the calculus is different for Trump (boosts GOP turnout) vs. Kamala (playing forward to 2028)14:24 — Why telephone town halls are cheap, effective voter contact15:05 — Best surrogates right now: Kurt argues for executive-experience Democrats — Pritzker, Wes Moore, Andy Beshear — over legislators16:41 — Erin's pick for Abdul El-Sayed specifically: Shapiro or Buttigieg, to counter attacks branding him a socialist/anti-Semite18:16 — Kurt on local star power over national names: Colin Allred pairing with Mark Cuban in Texas19:39 — New bipartisan bill: strip pensions from members of Congress found guilty of ethics violations20:10 — Erin and Kurt agree: lose your floor privileges, healthcare, and pension if censured or expelled21:16 — The flip side: should former presidents get lifetime pay so they're not stuck hustling for cash post-office?22:56 — Means-testing the idea — wealthy ex-presidents like Trump or Romney wouldn't need it24:04 — Historical context: the presidency wasn't designed for a 40-year retirement24:34 — Erin on the Bidens' post-presidency cash-ins, with a pointed Hunter Biden aside

Kurt and Erin break down why Hakeem Jeffries meeting with Jared Kushner just 75 days before the midterms is political malpractice — smart for Kushner, disastrous for Jeffries. Then they run through the South Carolina Senate runoff, a Massachusetts primary that exposes a Democratic identity crisis, whether Abdul El-Sayed going on Jesse Watters' Fox show is genius or suicide, a WNBA culture-war flashpoint, and a media-ethics debate sparked by tragedy in the Buffalo Bills family.Hakeem Jeffries catches heat for meeting Jared Kushner mid-election-cycle — "measuring the drapes" before he's even speakerKurt: smart for Kushner (zero downside, more power-broker cred), "idiotic, stupid... political malpractice" for JeffriesSouth Carolina Senate runoff: Graham vs. Norman, and whether a bad debate answer matters more than a Trump endorsementMassachusetts Senate primary: AOC and Bernie backing 80-year-old Ed Markey over younger Seth Moulton — a Democratic "identity crisis"Too smart or too stupid: Abdul El-Sayed goes on Jesse Waters' Fox primetime showKurt: respect the audacity, "if you can't hang, get off the stage"; Erin: high-wire act, one bad answer could implode his careerWNBA culture clash after a Sophie Cunningham celebration incident goes viral — good or bad for the league?Media ethics debate: should reporters have broken the news of Bills DT Ed Oliver's family tragedy?

It's another primary night, and Erin and Kurt break down the results out of Florida, Alaska, and Wyoming, plus the political story nobody was talking about three months ago: data centers becoming the defining kitchen-table issue of the 2026 midterms. In Florida, they dig into Corey Mills' vulnerable seat, the Moskowitz-Larkin DSA showdown, and a graveyard of comeback bids from politicians who've lost everywhere else. In Alaska, it's officially "Dan versus Dan," as Senator Dan Sullivan faces a primary challenger who shares his name and a very different voting history, while Mary Peltola tries to prove she's worth national Democratic investment. Then Erin and Kurt turn to the Karen Bass campaign's fake-poll scandal and what it says about a media ecosystem too eager to run numbers nobody bothered to vet. Finally, they dive deep on data centers and AI, arguing it may be the rare issue that unites voters across party lines in opposition, and lay out why campaigns on both sides are scrambling to write anti-data-center ads before Election Day.TopicsPrimary night results and previews: Florida, Alaska, and WyomingFlorida's most-watched congressional races: Corey Mills' vulnerable seat and Debbie Wasserman Schultz's new districtThe Moskowitz vs. Larkin race and what it means for the DSA's ceiling in FloridaFlorida's parade of political comeback bids, including Chris CollinsAlaska's "Dan versus Dan" Senate primary and Mary Peltola's path to NovemberWhether Alaska is a legitimate reach race for Democrats or a resource drainThe Kamala Harris fundraising email controversy and Peltola's campaign shake-upThe Karen Bass fake-poll scandal and what it reveals about unvetted campaign pollingWhy reporters keep running campaign polls without demanding full cross-tabsHow campaigns use internal polling strategically, and what they leave outData centers and AI emerging as a rare bipartisan "not in my backyard" issueWhy utility bills, water use, and lack of visible benefit are driving the backlashGovernor Abbott and Governor Shapiro's reversals on data center policyHow data centers could be a net positive with smart regulatory frameworksThe messaging failure of AI and data center companies compared to cryptoPredictions for how many 2026 statewide races will feature anti-data-center ads