Bipartisan Food Truck Conversation

Mo Elleithee, a longtime Democratic operative and executive director of the Georgetown Institute of Politics ...

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Mo Elleithee, a longtime Democratic operative and executive director of the Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service, joins Sarah and Chris Stirewalt to break down the results of the latest GU Battleground Poll. They talk about the implications of voters’ concerns about division, the nuanced differences between attitudinal and issue polling, and how the parties’ messaging on issues they respectively “own” are shaping political dynamics heading into the midterms.

Show Notes:

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  1. KateBird

    This was great! Reminded me of why I used to love politics..."Civility"! Hopefully we will find our way back there. Thanks to The Dispatch for delivering civil discourse and sanity to me!

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    Jason Gibson

    So the emancipation proclamation did not free EVERY slave. As far as the text goes. So was the last slave informed really the last slave freed?

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    Ben Connelly

    Great interview. I learned a lot.

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    Angie

    That was was fun....Christmas is hands down my favorite, but Halloween is a close second...and I overdue both...( hope you won't hold that against me Chris...lol)
    And yes, Election Day a Holiday

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    David Cann

    I heard both Sarah and Chris agree with Mo about making Election Day a national holiday. Can I ask what the rationale is for this?

    I’m sure some people have problems voting based on their work and other responsibilities, but by and large people spend a half hour or less voting in most places, and polling places are open both early *and* late. Creating a holiday for Election Day just contributes to the idea that politics is just SO important, it seems to me.

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      Sarah Isgur vertical-nib Author

      So my main concern is that it will lower voter participation bc people will go out of town, which I think is a real concern BUT I think it sends the right message that we recognize our civic duty and I think it is insane that we have 2+ hour waits to vote after work—so the hope would be that it spreads that out a little.

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      1. Maddmac

        How about if every state adopts vote by mail as we do in AWESOME WA state? I know
        I don't shut up about this, sorry :-)

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          Jason Gibson

          No thanks

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        Jason Gibson

        Totally with you. One of the reasons I liked manchins compromise. So much of it I could get behind

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      3. Mary Stine

        If it is a national holiday on a Tuesday, the leaving town bit seems unlikely. This would be a real boon in the states (Missouri for example) that have never had early voting or the states that are now hostile to mail in ballots (Georgia).
        Also, if this is a national holiday for voting, I think the polls should be open 24 hours to accommodate firefighters, police, medical personell and other essential workers that might be on long 18 hour shifts as well as rural people. The 24 hour places that were open in Texas were reportedly quite popular with that population.
        This was a great discussion, by the way.

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    Narwhal

    Good stuff.

    The talk about food truck French fries and the early aughts makes me wonder about Sarah’s stance on the critical issue of Freedom Fries at that time. I looked for info on who Sarah interned with on Capitol Hill but couldn’t find it. Maybe I missed it being mentioned in the podcast.

    Also, I am once again requesting that you reach out to and attempt to book former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to discuss his recent book and other relevant topics.

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      Sarah Isgur vertical-nib Author

      My two stints on the hill were for Sen Bob Smith in 2001 (pre 911) and Rep John Culberson in 2004—and while I don’t think I’m on the record, I thought freedom fries were a harmless if stupid way to show ones patriotism.

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      1. DJ

        It wasn’t patriotism. It was a tantrum against France for thinking the Iraq War was a bad idea.

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      2. CRS

        Didn't it dumb down our "national conversation" if you will just a little?

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        Narwhal

        Also, I hope it was obvious I don’t actually think that Freedom Fries were a critical issue at the time or now.

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        Narwhal

        Thank you for the reply and your honesty. One was unexpected and the other was not.

        Now, about former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates … 😀

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