Episodes
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With just over three weeks from Election Day 2024, Too Close To Call will be entering the sprint with a busier posting schedule, offering razor-sharp analysis and prescient reporting on the key questions and data that will determine the HarrisVTrump contest.
And as always, probing the conventional wisdom.
Tonight’s video post — which raises the question of whether Arizona and it’s 11 electoral votes are falling out of reach for Kamala Harris — is free to all subscribers. But future hits will be paywalled for the paid family.
Too Close To Call is reader-supported. Consider an upgrade.
“But if the New York Times, the best pollster in the business, has Kamala Harris down by five points... My question is, will you see Democrats draw back in Arizona at all?
In 2020, Joe Biden won that state by three tenths of a point …He only won it by 10,457 votes…Arizona is, I think, the toughest battleground state for Kamala Harris to hold. And we we will be watching if Kamala Harris decides to cut loose there or if there's any other movement.
More #TCTC >
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The opening month of the year was awful for the journalism industry. The 2024 presidential campaign — media’s quadrennial premiere event — also kicked off with a whimper. Dave talks about how the twin slumps are intrinsically linked and what declining public interest in both means for the political mediasphere going forward.
Also, has anyone else felt sc…
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This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit davidcatanese.substack.com
I began formulating this #Rant with the premise that Nikki Haley would very likely beat Joe Biden in a 2024 general election match-up. But then I thought through all four quarters of what 2024 will look like if Haley — or any Republican — was able to upend Trump in the primary. Fair and square.
And that scenario smells like a boatload of chaos — and an …
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This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit davidcatanese.substack.com
Just because an interview is conducted, there’s no obligation to ever run it. Just because off-the-record groundrules are requested, there’s no requirement to agree to them. In this latest #Rant, Dave talks about recent tussles with political flacks from Capitol Hill to the campaign trail — and offers predictions on Tuesday’s gubernatorial elections.
It’…
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Ron DeSantis dismissed Republican rivals Nikki Haley and Mike Pence on Monday as candidates who won’t be able to win the persuadable pool of GOP presidential primary voters necessary to defeat Donald Trump, according to audio obtained by McClatchyDC and published, in part, above on #TooCloseToCall.
Speaking to about 30 members of the Virgin Islands GOP committee virtually, DeSantis said his campaign estimates that 20% of the 2024 Republican electorate will definitely vote for the former president, with 35% having ruled Trump out completely. That leaves about 45% of Republican voters who are still considering their options.
“They’re not going to vote for people like Pence and Haley. I respect them, they’re just not,” DeSantis told the Virgin Islands group, referring to voters in the early states of Iowa and New Hampshire. “They will vote for me, because I have a record of being a very strong leader.”
Continue reading the full piece on The Miami-Herald.
More #TCTC >
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Do you tip before or after tax?
If there’s a 7% service fee tagged onto your bill, how much are you tipping?
Where did all the servers go?
And where can I get the best plate of rigatoni in Washington, D.C.
Washingtonian Magazine’s Jessica Sidman joins the podcast to answer these questions and more in the increasingly tension-riddled battle between restauran…
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Rep. Seth Moulton, a Democrat from Massachusetts and a combat veteran, has established a uncompromisingly hawkish position regarding U.S. aid to Ukraine’s war with Russia.
“We have every moral obligation in the world to stand with Ukrainians — no matter how long it takes,” Moulton tells me in the latest #TooCloseToCall podcast.
In addition to Ukraine Q&A, Dave dives into the possibility of a government shutdown, the impeachment inquiry centering around the president and his son’s business dealings and attempts to measure Moulton’s enthusiasm (get pumped!) for Biden 2024.
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This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidcatanese.substack.com/subscribe -
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit davidcatanese.substack.com
Dave lays out the three most likely scenarios to play out regarding Mitch McConnell’s deteriorating health, based on reporting he conducted this week for McClatchyDC.
He also breaks down the top contenders to succeed McConnell in Kentucky if Republican Daniel Cameron wins this November’s governor’s race — or not. And then Dave places odds on the next Sen…
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The body language. The smirking. The rapid-fire quips.
Vivek Ramaswamy was certainly the story of Wednesday night’s Republican presidential primary debate … but did his hyper-aggressive posture do him more harm than good in the long-run? Or was his fiery approach just what the GOP base is looking for in 2024?
Aaron Kall, the director of debate at the University of Michigan, who was on the ground in Milwaukee, talks through some theories with Dave.
This is a free podcast … but if you’d like access to all #TooCloseToCall content, including more personal, no-holds-barred #Rants, consider upgrading to paid.
Press PLAY above or listen to the pod on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidcatanese.substack.com/subscribe -
Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign has tried to cling to the impression that the fight for the Republican nomination remains a two-man race.
But with his campaign shirking in size and strength and falling further behind front-runner Donald Trump, Vivek Ramaswamy is moving expeditiously to stamp out that impression for good.
The 37-year-old biotech investor is beginning to make an argument similar to that of the Florida governor: It’s a two-man race, but it’s he who is emerging as the No. 2 candidate to the former president.
“I think functionally I am in second place,” Ramaswamy told McClatchyDC in an interview. “I’m in second place by a wide margin in the metric that matters.”
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This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit davidcatanese.substack.com
This week’s #pod pokes behind the curtain on how my 6-week dive into Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign got made.
The 2,400-word story published Tuesday in McClatchyDC markets after a long, slow negotiation with the DeSantis campaign and featured character, campaign manager Generra Peck, a push-and-pull with surrounding allies and supporters and some i…
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For now, Twitter remains the central town square for noxious political debate, but Instagram (and increasingly Threads!) is where cultural disputes are being hashed out.
Hence, a few weeks ago when the @washingtonianprobs account weighed into the eternal silly argument pitting life in New York City against Washington, D.C.
In this #TooCloseToCall #rant, Dave jumps out of the wine-soaked comment section to deliver the unvarnished truth about the food culture in the nation’s capital, takes on Luke Russert’s misguided assertion that NYC “isn’t open late” and places a phone call to premiere D.C. restaurant that underlines his entire point.
#TheRant is available above by simply pressing P L A Y or …
Enjoy the pod by listening on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
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This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidcatanese.substack.com/subscribe -
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit davidcatanese.substack.com
Marianne Williamson is a candidate for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination. In this #TooCloseToCall podcast, we take up psychedelics, rumblings of a debate with Robert Kennedy Jr., whether she thinks Vice President Kamala Harris is up to the job and who she’d rather run against, Donald Trump or Ron DeSantis.
The full pod is available to PAID subs…
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Austin Nasso is a 28-year-old comedian and social media influencer who began incorporating Ron DeSantis into his sketch repertoire at the behest of The Howard Stern Show.
He describes his caricature of DeSantis as “elongated and nasally” as he integrates him into a routine that already includes Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
What’s his process for learning a new character? Who is the hardest pol to do? And are even fans of comedy getting sick of Trump?
Enjoy this fun, free pod by listening above, or listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidcatanese.substack.com/subscribe -
Adding a certain word to a request can make people 50% more likely to say “yes.”
Certain words predict if a relationship is on the rocks or the race of a suspect in an alleged crime.
“Language reveals a lot — even if people don’t intend it to.”
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That’s the mantra of Jonah Berger, a marketing professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and author of “Magic Words.”
Berger joins the #TooCloseToCall pod to take us through the key words that can change the trajectory of outcomes in everyday life, as well as the specifically worded questions he uses to form bonds more quickly.
The language you use not only affects the person receiving it, but reflect things about you, like your skill-set, confidence level and true intentions.
Enjoy the free pod by listening above, or listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidcatanese.substack.com/subscribe -
Bo Seo, a two-time world debate champion, couldn’t bring himself to analyze a 2016 presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.
He rendered it more a spectacle than an exchange of ideas.
In this #TooCloseToCall pod, I ask him about that experience, how he thinks American political debates should change and the four core questions everyone can use to evaluate the merits of an argument. We begin the conversation with how a poor student and self-described introvert transformed into one of the most skilled debaters on the planet.
Listen ABOVE, or enjoy on Spotify or Apple Podcasts … and toss some stars to reflect your liking.
THEN: Consider going #paid to receive call podcasts, #RANTS and paywalled columns and content.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidcatanese.substack.com/subscribe -
On this free edition of The #Rant, Dave broadcasts from his new digs in a new Washington, D.C. neighborhood, reflecting on how moving has made him think about consumption and the potency of crime as a real-life issue.
Listen ABOVE, or enjoy on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and toss some stars to your liking.
Then consider going #paid or donating to the #TooCloseToCall cause.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidcatanese.substack.com/subscribe -
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit davidcatanese.substack.com
Dave rants on the Ron DeSantis 2024 rollout, why successful presidential launches are rarely helpful in evaluating a campaign’s long-term mettle, what will matter most for the Florida governor over the next week and the key factors that will determine whether he can overtake Donald Trump.
Listen ABOVE, or enjoy on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Honest, unvar…
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Rep. Mark Pocan, progressive Democrat representing Madison, Wisconsin, joins the podcast to discuss why an Addams Family-styled Congress is thwarting the chances at any major legislation, the debate over banning TikTok, Trump vs. Biden Round 2 and what happened to Wisconsin Democrats in the 2022 U.S. Senate race.
Listen ABOVE, or enjoy on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit davidcatanese.substack.com/subscribe -
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit davidcatanese.substack.com
In a special consumer edition of #TheRant on #TCTC, Dave takes a tour through his less desirable experiences with D.C. restaurants and how he’s learned to leverage the power of the Google Review.
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Plus: A revelation that #Rants are more popular with listeners than interview podcasts. Of the 10 most trafficked Too Close To C…
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