When David Axelrod, Mike Murphy and Robert Gibbs get together to talk politics, it’s not academic. They speak from the perspective gained through hundreds of campaigns for offices from City Hall to the White House. So if you want to know what’s really going on behind the scenes, where strategic decisions are being made, pull up a stool for Hacks on Tap. Incisive, sometimes uproarious and always entertaining, these political warhorses and their guests will give you insights you’ll only get from folks who have spent a lifetime in the political trenches of both parties.
Quality (Out-of) Control: Iowa’s Meltdown and On to New Hampshire
Bleary-eyed and results-less, Murphy and guest hack Robert Gibbs join forces to wade through last night’s Iowa caucus madness.
Are the Iowa caucuses no longer viable? Laden with technical difficulties and “quality control” issues, was the mangled process the nail in the coffin for Iowa’s first-in-the-nation status? Or for caucuses in general?
As the country holds its breath, multiple candidates seize on the opportunity to tout a “victory” speech: to what degree is the real winner’s spotlight diluted? If Buttigieg wins Iowa, but doesn't get to enjoy a big bounce going into New Hampshire, what will it mean for his candidacy? Will Biden crumble if he underperforms expectations?
And on impeachment: Murphy shares his take on former client Sen. Lamar Alexander and the Hacks wade through what happens next.
Lastly, we dive into the mailbag and take listeners’ questions on why Nevada is so often overlooked in the early states' media narrative, and how Murphy feels about the Wall Street Journal’s soft touch on Trump.
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