The Making of a President

Polling guru Nate Silver joins Peter to offer his final set of midterm election predictions, from the Deep South to the Midwest and explain why his model shows Democrats with a growing chance of retaking the Senate. They also discuss potential polling errors, the problem of ticket splitters, and why Jon Ossoff is Nate’s top pick for Dems in 2028.

Tim Miller, co-founder of The Bulwark, a leader of the anti-Trump resistance, and a veteran of countless Republican campaigns from the pre-Trump era, joins Peter for a wide-ranging conversation. He gives his read on the midterms, Trump’s polling collapse, and whether he fears Democrats could come up short in the Senate, plus some candid talk about J.D. Vance. Tim also considers whether A.O.C. should run for president, which Democrats have a real shot in 2028, and shares some of the best and worst stories from his years on the trail.

Progress doesn’t just arrive. It’s built - one question, one discovery, and one solution at a time. Explore more at http://ScienceDelivers.com.

Veteran pollster John Della Volpe joins Peter to discuss why young men who took a chance on Donald Trump now regret their vote—the surging price of gas, unaffordable groceries, tariffs, the war in Iran. Then they turn to the nuances that have made Della Volpe one of the nation's foremost Gen Z bro-ologists, including what he's heard in focus groups about why young men aren't turning to Democrats either.

Progress doesn’t just arrive. It’s built - one question, one discovery, and one solution at a time. Explore more at http://ScienceDelivers.com.

JB Pritzker, the Illinois governor and rumored ’28 aspirant, sits down with Peter to discuss why he suspended tax breaks for data centers, how A.I. could make 10 percent unemployment the new baseline, and why Democrats need to punch back at Trump's anything-goes tech policy. He also explains his decision to ban his staff from betting on Kalshi and why guys like Sam Altman and Elon Musk need to "touch grass."

Progress doesn’t just arrive. It’s built - one question, one discovery, and one solution at a time. Explore more at http://ScienceDelivers.com.

Iowa G.O.P. chairman Jeff Kaufmann joins Peter for a candid conversation about what it takes to win Iowa, where Trump still has a chokehold on Republican voters even as his approval ratings plummet. Kaufmann makes the case that any candidate who criticizes the president will find it nearly impossible to win the nomination, let alone the state. He also explains how MAHA voters are becoming a growing force in Iowa politics, and how Republican presidential hopefuls can win them over.

Progress doesn’t just arrive. It’s built - one question, one discovery, and one solution at a time. Explore more at http://ScienceDelivers.com.

With New Mexico joining the early Democratic presidential primary calendar, Peter sits down with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham for a dissertation on everything candidates need to know about an often misunderstood state: how to talk about the border and gun rights, why Hispanic identity is different from in Nevada, the truth about tribal sovereignty and land acknowledgements, the trouble with “Woke 1.0,” and so much more.

Progress doesn’t just arrive. It’s built - one question, one discovery, and one solution at a time. Explore more at http://ScienceDelivers.com.

Lakshya Jain, elections analyst and co-founder of Split Ticket, joins Peter to dig into polling reliability, election models, and how voters are responding to economic conditions ahead of the midterms and 2028 primaries. While Lakshya says that Democrats have never been in a better position electorally, he explains why campaign insiders remain skeptical because of past polling misses.

Progress doesn’t just arrive. It’s built - one question, one discovery, and one solution at a time. Explore more at http://ScienceDelivers.com.

Trump social media guru Alex Bruesewitz joins Peter to discuss how Joe Rogan and TikTok memes helped Republicans win the White House, which Democrats actually understand the internet, and who the MAGA base is likely to support in 2028.

Progress doesn’t just arrive. It’s built - one question, one discovery, and one solution at a time. Explore more at http://ScienceDelivers.com.

Rahm Emanuel, the longtime Democratic power broker, former White House chief of staff, and perennial subject of campaign intrigue, joins Peter on the debut episode of The Making of a President to discuss the rise of democratic socialism, how wannabe 2028 aspirants can win back the middle, and why the party needs a new pitch.

Progress doesn’t just arrive. It’s built - one question, one discovery, and one solution at a time. Explore more at http://ScienceDelivers.com.

Starting on September 8, join Peter Hamby, Puck’s award-winning political correspondent, for a weekly deep dive inside the machinery of modern campaigns — a podcast featuring the actual strategists, operatives, pollsters, lobbyists, politicians and shadow power players working to elect the next president. Focused on the road to 2028 but ranging far beyond it, the show will explore the media, money, technology, and generational forces transforming how politics is practiced—and how power is won. New episodes drop on Tuesdays, beginning after Labor Day.