Michael is a journalist and historian. He’s currently the senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner, a resident fellow emeritus at the American Enterprise Institute, and the longtime co-author of The Almanac of American Politics.

The episode was recorded on November 4, 2026, and aired on November 6. Timestamps for the main sections:

* 04:29: Michael’s upbringing and his early career

* 24:46: The tsunami that swept away Republicans this week

* 43:23: The electoral impact of the Iran War

* 51:21: The Dem victories in Texas and the immigration issue

* 102:56: El-Sayed and shifting attitudes toward Israel

* 115:11: The future of the GOP with Trump as a lame duck

For two audio clips — on how the GOP dummymandered itself, and if Texas is really turning blue — go here and here on YouTube.

More topics covered: Michael raised in the Detroit area; the Great Migration; his Dem youth turning conservative; the Dem coalition of blacks and college whites that started in the ‘60s; the decades of Dem dominance in the House until ‘94; Clinton and Carville; the narrowing of POTUS victories since the ‘90s; gerrymandering; the GOP’s “thumping” in the 2006 midterms; Trump’s “they/them” ad and McDonald’s stunt; his gilded obsessions; his family cashing in; his lonely support of tariffs; the trade war with Canada; the ICE and DHS debacles; Mamdani and the rise of DSA; the Iran War and Graham’s death; his sister’s loss; AIPAC spending big against El-Sayed; the chilling anti-Israel ad in Michigan; the shocking defeat of Abbott; Talarico’s triumph; Hispanics turning on Trump; the border; the youth vote and men swinging against Trump; Narcissus at the Reflecting Pool; DeSantis speaking out; and Vance’s tweet dissenting over Trump’s war.

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