Bill Kristol: A Blue Wave vs. the Toxic Red Tide
Summary
Hosts Tim Miller and Bill Crystal analyze the 2026 midterm landscape, predicting significant Democratic gains driven by low presidential approval and high turnout. They draw parallels to the 2006 and 1994 election cycles, discussing how scandals, economic conditions, and base mobilization shaped those historic waves. The episode also features a retrospective on Crystal’s 2006 campaign in Iowa and the political fallout from the Harriet Miers nomination.
Topics discussed
Fall season intro and Greens gummies ad
ChatGPT for Business and DeleteMe sponsorships
Show preview, upcoming events, and host intro
Labor Day kickoff and 2006/1994 retrospective setup
Trump approval ratings and midterm wave predictions
House race projections and gerrymandering impact
Senate race analysis and key battleground states
Late-season polling shifts and Cook Political Report
2006 Virginia race: Webb vs. George Allen
DeleteMe ad break and personal data security
Recollections of the 2006 campaign and other races
2006 timeline: Iraq, Katrina, and scandals
Economic factors and the Harriet Miers nomination
Turnout dynamics and voter suppression strategies
Katrina's impact and Rumsfeld's resignation
1994 Republican Revolution: House majority shift
Contract with America and congressional scandals
Clinton's unpopularity and the end of pork politics
Bill Crystal's role and the healthcare proposal
Public opinion on healthcare and Republican strategy
Lessons from 1994 and 2006 for modern Democrats
1948 midterm wave and Truman's 'Do Nothing' Congress
Closing remarks and production credits
ChatGPT and KFC sponsorships
Listen ad-free on Castria