1: Trump vs. The Blue Wave: A Midterm Extravaganza
Sep 9, 2026 · 1h 10m
Summary
Hosts Galen Druk, Claire Malone, and Nate Silver launch their new podcast with a deep dive into the 2026 midterms. They analyze Nate’s "Flipper" model, which predicts an 83% chance of a Democratic House win and a split Senate, while discussing key battlegrounds like Michigan, Iowa, and Texas. The trio also examines the Republican coalition’s volatility, the impact of Trump’s low approval ratings, and the strategic implications of the upcoming Republican National Convention in Dallas.
Topics discussed
Sponsor reads and pre-show banter
Introduction to Still Counting and the hosts
Host backgrounds: Poker, FiveThirtyEight, and journalism
Promoting GD Politics and asking for reviews
Midterms overview and model adjustments
AI usage in modeling and the name Flipper
Gamifying the race picks and watching ads
North Carolina Senate race: Cooper vs. Whatley
Sponsor segments: Sundays for Dogs and OnDeck
Michigan Senate race: El-Sayed vs. Rogers
Iowa Senate race: Stokely vs. Hinson
Ohio and Texas Senate race quick hits
Sponsor segments: Incogni and OnDeck
Alaska and Maine Senate race analysis
Kansas and New Hampshire Senate race analysis
Republican National Convention and Trump's role
One year since Charlie Kirk's assassination
Republican coalition unity and closing remarks
Sponsor segments: Brmi and Berkeley College
Just Food For Dogs promotion
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