Some Like It On the Trail

Astead Herndon, national politics reporter at The New York Times, joins Sarah and Steve to ...

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Astead Herndon, national politics reporter at The New York Times, joins Sarah and Steve to discuss his reporting from the president’s rally in Tulsa to the Biden campaign and veepstakes.

Show Notes:

–Astead’s work at the Times

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  1. Avatar photo
    Victor Clairmont

    Great podcast. His analysis on insider politics for the VP and outsiders was interesting. While the data does not point to the VP pick mattering in the past, we should not currently consider those models. When was the last time we had a presidential candidate in what seems to be very real (Even Jonah Goldberg admits this) decline. The VP pick will matter, perhaps not so much to democrats who are going to vote Biden no matter what, but for independents that are wondering to stay away or vote left (or right).

    Also, for the next Dispatch Live, could Steve Hayes wear a fancy purple? He was fancy last time. He should be fancy again.

    We like fancy dressers at The Dispatch. After all, everyone’s favorite cat from Jonah is Fafoon. And it’s his mothers cat.

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    Kevin Townsley

    I enjoyed this podcast. As a lifelong Conservative who's seen the evolution of Conservative media in the last 30 years, I like that the Dispatch is carving their own path and doesn't just stay in the Conservative echo chamber. I think Astead brought a new perspective on a number of campaign issues and Joe Biden that I hadn't considered. That said I strongly disagree with some of his priors regarding the opposition the Hilary Clinton. I just don't believe that misogyny was a significant factor in her losing. She just had so much bad faith with half of the country stacked up against her, that I honestly don't see opposition to the concept of a female President as a ranking factor. The venom of our partisan media landscape has also been at 11 since the last national election cycle, which makes me seriously doubt that she would have been treated better if she were a man.

    I also don't think his comment that Biden is more of an insider than Hilary really holds much merit. They're neck and neck in insider bonafides, but Hilary was clearly more of an insider, simply because she was more effective and intelligent than Biden ever has been. I'm not a fan of how she used her talents and influence, but you can't tell me that Republicans find Biden less of a threat because he's a man. It's because literally everyone thinks of him as a doof. No one ever accused Hilary of being stupid.

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    Aylene Wright

    This was very interesting, the part about Doug Collins making efforts to appeal to the Black vote was pleasantly surprising, as he usually makes the news just another extremely RW House Trumper. That's the kind of insightful reporting that I appreciate.

    His point about Twitter was also well taken. The question of how media figures should use social media is especially pertinent for many younger "blue checks" who actually had active personal accounts even before they joined the "Fourth Estate", & they often continue to use them to socialize with old school friends , post memes, etc., while also using them to signal-boost their professional writings. That can pose some risks that, say, some silly meme they Tweeted in college 5 years ago could return to haunt them.

    I do wonder at times if it would be better for media figures to maintain BOTH personal & professional accounts, the way many elected (or appointed) officials do.

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  4. Kevin Dolan

    Excellent episode per usual. I learn something, sometimes a lot of somethings, every episode of every podcast. Keep up the great work.

    Paid subscription was money well spent.

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    Peter A

    Still smearing WI primary. Early voting was available a month in advance. Very few polling places had lines. Very few new cases of virus. Democrats won. Why does this lie persist?

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  6. ROBERT

    Yes, this was a great podcast. He framed several things in ways I had not considered before. He seems to be getting the most of his ability to roam the country, follow the campaigns, and spend time with people on the ground. It's a type of freedom he may not always have- as he gets older, responsiblities, families, etc. He's getting the most out of it now.
    Once again the Dispatch provides me access to really interesting and thoughtful people I've never heard of and may never have known about. During these podcasts you feel like you get to know them a bit. Another great reason to be a subscriber!

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    Angie

    I like him, that was fun, and I learned a lot

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