TALKING POLITICS

What Just Happened?

David, Helen and Gary convene on very little sleep to try to make sense of another extraordinary election. Though we still don't know who won, we do know that some things are going to get even harder for American democracy. What's the nightmare scenario: the loser refusing to lose, or the winner being unable to govern? Why did the pollsters get it wrong again? And what's likely to happen when the contest reaches the courts? Plus we ask if the American Constitution can cope with close elections any more. Relevant Episodes: From our Mini-Series:<a href="https://play.acast.com/s/history-of-ideas/tocquevilleondemocracy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">History of Ideas on Tocqueville and American democracy</a><a href="https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/blog/2020/212-the-15th-and-the-19th" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">American Histories: The 15th and the 19th</a> <a href="https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/blog/2020/213-deporting-mexicans" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">American Histories: Deporting Mexicans </a><a href="https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/blog/2020/214-the-great-abortion-switcheroo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">American Histories: The Great Abortion Switcheroo </a> Old Episodes on Trump:<a href="https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/blog/2020/283-what-trump-means-to-us" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">What Trump Means to Us</a><a href="https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/blog/2020/279-one-term-presidents" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">One-term presidents </a><a href="https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/blog/2020/235-can-america-cope" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Can America Cope</a><a href="https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/blog/2020/252-american-fascism-then-and-now" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">American Fascism: Then and Now</a> <a href="https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/blog/2018/123-america-first" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">America First?</a> <a href="https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/blog/2019/207-michael-lewis-on-donald-trump" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Michael Lewis on Donald Trump</a> (<a href="https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/blog/2020/234-michael-lewis-updated" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">And Michael Lewis Updated</a>)<a href="https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/blog/2016/5-live-special-trump-and-history" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Trump and History</a>  A Broader Perspective on US Politics:<a href="https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/blog/2018/131-talking-politics-guide-to-the-us-constitution" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Talking Politics Guide to … the US Constitution</a> <a href="https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/blog/2020/251-police-state-usa" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Police State USA</a><a href="https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/blog/2019/163-adam-tooze-on-us-vs-china" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Adam Tooze on US vs. China</a> <a href="https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/blog/2020/271-judith-butler-then-and-now" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Judith Butler: Then and Now </a><a href="https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/blog/2019/183-where-power-stops" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Where Power Stops</a><a href="https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/blog/2019/175-talking-politics-guide-to-the-gilded-age" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Talking Politics Guide to… the Gilded Age</a><a href="https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/blog/2017/19-inaugurals" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Inaugurals</a>  From the LRB&lt;a...

Coronavirus! Climate! Brexit! Trump! Politics has never been more unpredictable, more alarming or more interesting: Talking Politics is the podcast that tries to make sense of it all. Every week David Runciman and Helen Thompson talk to the most interesting people around about the ideas and events that shape our world: from history to economics, from philosophy to fiction. What does the future hold? Can democracy survive? How crazy will it get? This is the political conversation that matters. Talking Politics is brought to you in partnership with the London Review of Books, Europe's leading magazine of books and ideas.