logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2022
55m 26s

The Death of the Competitive Congression...

The New York Times
About this episode

This episode contains strong language.

After winning his House seat in the 2018 midterm elections, Representative Dan Crenshaw, a Republican of Texas, seemed to have found a sweet spot between full-blown Trumpism and the anti-Trump wing of the party.

But after Jan. 6, and ahead of this year’s midterms, more extreme factions of the Republican Party have cast him less as a vision for the future and more as a symbol of what needs snuffing out.

The once-in-a-decade redistricting process gives those factions a structural advantage. On the ground in Texas, we explore the impact of redistricting and speak to Mr. Crenshaw about the state of his party.

Guest: Shane Goldmacher, a national political reporter for The New York Times.

Have you lost a loved one during the pandemic? The Daily is working on a special episode memorializing those we have lost to the coronavirus. If you would like to share their name on the episode, please RECORD A VOICE MEMO and send it to us at thedaily@nytimes.com. You can find more information and specific instructions here.

Background reading: 

Want more from The Daily? For one big idea on the news each week from our team, subscribe to our newsletter

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

Up next
Yesterday
Trump’s Top Aides Spread the Epstein Conspiracy. Now They Are Trying to Kill It.
For months, President Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi suggested that they would expose the hidden, potentially sinister truth about Jeffrey Epstein’s death in 2019.But over the past few days, the Trump administrationWhite House decided to shut down has poured cold water on t ... Show More
21m 47s
Jul 8
A Love Letter to Camp Mystic
On Monday evening, the death toll from the flooding in Central Texas rose past 100. A single place accounted for 27 of those deaths: Camp Mystic, a century-old Christian summer camp for girls.Erin Paisan, who attended Camp Mystic, explains what the place meant to generations of g ... Show More
25m 9s
Jul 7
A Dark Moment for Journalism — and Devastation in Texas
Last week, when Paramount, the parent company of CBS News, announced a $16 million settlement with President Trump over editing of a segment of “60 Minutes,” many of the network’s journalists were furious.The deal also raised questions about the independence of CBS’s journalism, ... Show More
34m 15s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2021
The Big Consequences Of Small Changes To Congressional Maps
Congressional districts are redrawn every ten years by state legislatures. In theory it is so populations are accurately represented when voting, but partisan gerrymandering means when you look at the map you'll probably see some really wonky shapes. We look at two states, Texas ... Show More
14m 54s
Nov 2018
Trump Wakes Up Shaking
On this late-breaking episode: How to understand this historic night as the political makeup of the country is being written in real-time—like, as we record. Despite some big losses and reports of long lines at the polls, the Democrats had a huge night. D.C. Bureau chief David Co ... Show More
22m 1s
Dec 2021
Extreme Wing Of House Republican Party Worries Rest Of Caucus Before Midterms
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is feeling hopeful about the midterms: President Biden's approval numbers are low and inflation is at least temporarily high. But some Republican representatives are worried their peers are too focused on Trump-style bomb-throwing and jeers to ... Show More
15m 19s
Mar 2022
"Grand Orgy Party."
Republicans face new challenges from Donald Trump and cocaine orgies, Representative Katie Porter joins talk about Joe Biden’s proposed budget and billionaire tax, and Tommy joins for the March Badness Fascist Four.Vote Save America is launching its biggest volunteer effort yet a ... Show More
1h 6m
Nov 2021
Weekly Roundup: November 24th
Though it has grown more popular with time, the Affordable Care Act was widely disliked by the public in 2010 and cost Democrats dearly in the midterms. Democrats failed to successfully explain the legislation's benefits in the face of Republican attacks. Could Biden's infrastruc ... Show More
25m 49s
Oct 2022
"It’s Midnights In America (with AOC!)"
With just 2 weeks until the midterms, Democrats deliver their closing argument to voters. Trump and his goons get ready to screw with another election. And Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez makes a stop in Orange County to rally local Dems and talk to the guys about what the ... Show More
53m 35s
Nov 2022
US midterms: Republicans on the rise
Joe Biden’s Democrats look set to lose control of Congress in this month's elections. But many of the Republicans poised to take office support Donald Trump's claim that the last presidential election was stolen. Gideon discusses his prospects for a return to the White House with ... Show More
26m 24s
Oct 2023
Roundup: GOP Boosts Power By Gerrymandering North Carolina
Drawing congressional and statehouse districts in a way that solidifies a party's political power is a primary driver of the country's extreme, hyper-partisan political environment. Here's how the fight over new maps in Georgia and North Carolina is expected to reshape national p ... Show More
21m 40s
Nov 2020
US election special: No clear winner - what now?
Both President Trump and Joe Biden say they are on course for victory. So, what happens now? The Stories of our times production team has been up all night following one of the most closely fought and historic elections in recent memory. This podcast was brought to you thanks to ... Show More
32m 8s
Jun 2021
Battles In Texas, Arizona Are Just The Beginning Of The Fight Over Voting Rights
In Texas this week, state Democrats blocked a number of Republican voting changes purportedly aimed at increasing election confidence. Arizona's continued recounts of 2020 ballots have helped to sustain right-wing conspiracies about irregularities in the presidential election. Th ... Show More
14m 23s