Beyond The Bubble

From McClatchy's Washington bureau, Kristin Roberts and Alex Roarty host a weekly look at what's happening inside the D.C. political bubble—and what that means for the battleground states beyond.

News
1
A holiday siesta
With the election (mostly) behind us, Beyond the Bubble is taking a holiday break. We’ll return with new episodes in the new year.
2 min
2
Trump's dubious and dangerous refusal to concede
Alex Roarty, David Catanese and Michael Wilner dissect the president's legal challenges to overturn the apparent results of the 2020 election—plus, why Democrats suffered such a decline in support among voters of color.
31 min
3
President-elect Joe Biden
On this special episode, Alex Roarty, Adam Wollner, David Catanese and Francesca Chambers discuss Joe Biden's victory—and why Democrats have lots to ponder nonetheless.
25 min
4
Ugh, the polls
Alex Roarty, Kristin Roberts, Bianca Padró Ocasio and Bud Kennedy discuss yet another polling miss in this year's presidential election, and why Hispanic voters in Florida and Texas swung toward President Trump.
27 min
5
The election is here!
In a special pre-election episode, Kristin Roberts, Alex Roarty, David Catanese and Adam Wollner talk about the state of play before the big day, consider parallels to 2016, and look at the biggest surprises of the campaign.
33 min
6
How Trump and Biden each think they can get to 270
McClachy's Kristin Roberts, Francesca Chambers and Alex Roarty size up how each party's presidential nominee can most easily reach 270 electoral votes.
20 min
7
The state of play in Arizona
Kristin Roberts, Dave Catanese and Alex Roarty discuss the battleground state of Arizona, and why Joe Biden is holding a lead there over Donald Trump.
23 min
8
The state of play in Georgia
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Tia Mitchell joins Kristin Roberts and Adam Wollner to break down the presidential race in Georgia, where Joe Biden is attempting to become the first Democratic presidential nominee to win since 1992.
16 min
9
The state of play in Michigan (and the whole Up...
McClatchy's Kristin Roberts and Alex Roarty sit down with Tim Alberta, Politico Magazine's chief political correspondent, to discuss Trump's prospects in Michigan, and why Biden is performing better with working class voters than Hillary Clinton did.
29 min
10
The state of play in North Carolina
McClatchy's Kristin Roberts and Alex Roarty, and the Charlotte Observer's Jim Morrill discuss the battleground of North Carolina, why Democrats are nervous about the state, and what African-American voters make of Joe Biden's campaign.
20 min
11
The state of play in Florida
The Miami Herald’s Bianca Padró Ocasio joins McClatchy’s Kristin Roberts and Adam Wollner to break down the 2020 presidential race in the critical swing state of Florida: What polls are showing, key parts of the state to watch, and whether Democrats were too late in finding a strategy for Florida’s Latino voters.
22 min
12
Why Woodward's revelations might matter
Kristin Roberts, Francesca Chambers, and Alex Roarty discuss Bob Woodward's new book—and why Donald Trump spoke with the author in the first place; then, Joe Biden's continued problems with the Hispanic vote, especially in Florida.
28 min
13
Biden and Trump go head to head on law and order
Alex Roarty, Adam Wollner and Brian Murphy discuss Biden's speech in response to Trump and the civil unrest that has gripped some American cities; plus, how new polling suggests the election looks like it did before the conventions.
33 min
14
RNC aftermath: The GOP (finally) settles on an ...
Alex Roarty, Michael Wilner and Francesca Chambers discuss the GOP convention that was, and whether or not Donald Trump' s campaign had the kind of positive week it desperately needed.
30 min
15
DNC aftermath: Did Joe Biden do enough?
Alex Roarty, David Catanese, and Adam Wollner discuss Biden's big acceptance speech, why the convention seemed intent on elevating Republican voices, and what they expect from next week's GOP convention.
30 min
16
Does Harris' selection change the presidential ...
Kristin Roberts, David Catanese, and Alex Roarty discuss the politics of Kamala Harris as Joe Biden's running mate, and what she brings to the ticket. Plus, Roarty interviews Sacramento Bee editorial editor Gil Duran about Harris' nearly two-decade career in public office.
28 min
17
Why Biden is expanding the battleground map
Adam Wollner, Francesca Chambers and David Catanese break down Trump's and Biden's diverging ad spending strategies in the battleground states; then take one final look at Biden's VP shortlist ahead of an expected announcement next week.
30 min
18
Pandemic politicking and veepstakes drama
Alex Roarty, Francesca Chambers, and Adam Wollner look at how the pandemic has changed the way campaigns are run—at least for one party—then dive into the latest rumors and speculation over who Joe Biden will pick as his running mate.
31 min
19
Why Biden is underperforming with Hispanic vote...
Alex Roarty, David Catanese, and Kristin Roberts (making her long-awaited return to BtB) discuss whether Trump's disadvantage in the polls is as dire for the GOP as it seems—and, if Democrats have reason to worry about Biden's tepid support from Latinos.
42 min
20
Is 2020 just 2016 all over again? (No)
Adam Wollner, Alex Roarty, and Brian Murphy debate whether Joe Biden's polling lead on Donald Trump is really as solid as it appears—plus, should we really start calling him "Teflon Joe"?
28 min
21
#NeverTrumpers turn on their own
Alex Roarty, Francesca Chambers and David Catanese look at the anti-Trump Republican operatives working against not only the president, but also some GOP senators; plus, even Frank Luntz is baffled by Trump's recent re-election message.
34 min
22
What a Trump comeback would look like
Alex Roarty, Francesca Chambers, and MIchael Willner discuss how President Trump, whose poll numbers have plummeted, can possibly mount a comeback—plus, should Democrats spend big money in states like Ohio and Iowa?
39 min
23
The Bolton bombshell — does it matter?
Alex Roarty, Francesca Chambers, and Dave Catanese discuss the stunning allegations made in John Bolton's book and their potential impact in November; then, the latest on the veepstakes, and why some who think Joe Biden should select a Black woman would make an exception for Elizabeth Warren.
35 min
24
Can Trump bounce back?
Adam Wollner, David Catanese and Michael Wilner discuss whether or not President Donald Trump can rebound from a drip in the polls, or if the 2020 race has fundamentally changed.
30 min
25
Hear from the journalists covering the protests
Joe Bustos and Carl Juste describe to Alex Roarty what they've seen on the ground during protests following George Floyd's death in Minnesota, and whether or not they think the demonstrations will end anytime soon.
29 min