Podcast Summary: "Obama and the G.O.P."

The Political Scene | The New Yorker, November 7, 2014
Host: Dorothy Wickenden
Guests: David Remnick (Editor, The New Yorker), Hendrik Hertzberg (Senior Editor and Political Essayist, The New Yorker)

Overview

This episode takes place days after the 2014 midterm elections, in which the Democratic Party suffered significant losses. Host Dorothy Wickenden, along with David Remnick and Hendrik Hertzberg, discuss President Obama’s leadership style, his relationship with the Republican Party, public perception of his presidency, and the political outlook for both parties heading into the 2016 elections. The conversation also addresses broader issues like Congressional dysfunction, the limits of the "bully pulpit," climate change, and Hillary Clinton’s expected presidential candidacy.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Fallout from the Democratic Losses (01:33–03:11)

• The panel opens with President Obama's notably upbeat post-election press conference, despite Democratic losses.
  • Dorothy Wickenden: “He did seem oddly cheerful.” (02:15)
  • David Remnick: Obama’s aides advised him to acknowledge voters’ dissatisfaction but he “quickly turned on a dime, and… stuck to his guns.” (02:25)
  • Discussion on why, despite Obama's policies being popular (e.g., minimum wage, gun control, gay rights), Democrats lost ground.

2. Congressional Dysfunction and Low-Quality Politics (03:11–03:58)

• David Remnick: “Congress is a mess and filled with more retrograde politicians than is possible to count… The level of the conversation is so low as to be stunning.” (03:11–03:23)
• Dorothy Wickenden: Observes general antipathy toward Congress.
• The mood of the 2014 election is compared to fodder for satire: “It makes you want to weep into your bourbon.” (03:41)

3. The Obama Strategy and the Tea Party’s Rise (05:19–06:06)

• Dorothy Wickenden: Critiques Obama for not taking the rise of the Tea Party seriously in 2009.
• David Remnick: Counters that midterm losses for sitting presidents are common, but outlines how crises (Ebola, Middle East, Ukraine) shaped the negative mood prior to the elections.

4. The Limits of the Bully Pulpit and Obama’s Communication (07:21–08:33)

• Rick (Hendrik Hertzberg): Challenges the efficacy of presidential rhetoric in today’s fragmented media. “The bully pulpit ain't what it used to be.” (07:25)
• David Remnick: Criticizes Obama’s lack of use of traditional presidential addresses: “He never uses the Oval Office as a place to address the nation. Never.” (07:41)
• Both agree the president is expected to master the political system, no matter how broken.

5. Mitch McConnell, GOP Strategy, and Prospects for Cooperation (08:33–09:31)

• Wickenden and Hertzberg: Discuss how the GOP's obstructionism has been practically vindicated.
  • “Oh, yes, completely. It's not a moral vindication, but it's certainly a practical vindication.” (08:47, Hertzberg)
  • Hertzberg: Little will get done with a GOP-controlled Congress, and what does will be conservative priorities (XL Pipeline, corporate taxes).

6. Climate Change and Small-Minded Politics (09:44–12:41)

• David Remnick: Bemoans lack of substantive policy debate, especially on climate change, referencing a major UN report being buried in the news: “It’s not even remotely part of the political discussion.” (09:44–10:21)
• Rick: New Senate committee heads include Inhofe, a climate change denier: “He actually... believes this is all a gigantic hoax.” (11:42)
• Resulting frustration with the intellectual level of political debate.

7. Role of the Media and the "Low Information" Electorate (12:41–13:18)

• Rick: Elections are decided by “essentially low information voters… who don't even know who controls Congress, who don't know anything essentially.” (12:41)
• David Remnick: Emphasizes the triviality of much political media coverage.

8. Obama’s Lame Duck Agenda and the Power of Symbolism (13:51–16:23)

• Wickenden: Wonders if Obama will be more assertive in his final two years.
• Rick: Suggests Obama should “keep hammering away at why things aren’t happening and clear the way for 2016.” (14:04)
• Remnick: Notes Obama resists the "theatrical" aspects of the presidency, which may limit his effectiveness as a communicator: “He is a very tightly wound, tightly controlled political performer.” (15:17)
• Remnick raises the issue of race: “We’ll never know quite fully to what degree… his rhetoric is reined in to any degree by race and the knowledge that he can’t be angry, ‘quote unquote,’ or he can’t say certain things the way certain other people could say them.” (15:17)
• Both guests agree race likely shapes Obama’s public demeanor.

9. Looking Ahead: Hillary Clinton and 2016 (17:02–21:14)

• Prospects for Hillary Clinton:
  • David Remnick: “The notion that Hillary Clinton is inevitable is… ridiculous… Things turn on a dime.” (17:10)
  • Dorothy Wickenden: Reflects on why Clinton lost in 2008: “She ran a lousy campaign.” (17:44)
  • Clinton’s ties to big money and the Clinton Foundation may complicate her candidacy.
  • Discussion of whether the country is "dying for a woman to be president" and the complexity of the political system.
  • Rick: “I do have a kind of sense of low-grade dread about this upcoming presidential election and about Hillary. There doesn’t seem to be any alternative… We are stuck. We are stuck with a system that works poorly. It has always worked pretty poorly and it’s working increasingly poorly now…” (18:36)
• Money in politics—both sides have big, problematic donors (Koch brothers, Wall Street, Hollywood).
• Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision seen as a disaster for democracy (19:44–20:06).

10. Final Thoughts on Gender, Age, and Electability (20:36–21:14)

• Dorothy Wickenden: “And her age will be a big issue too, I think.” (20:36)
• David Remnick: Responds that excitement around electing the first woman president may outweigh age concerns, though Republicans will also be energized. He notes her stronger appeal with white, working-class voters versus Obama’s coalition in the previous cycle.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• David Remnick (on Congressional dysfunction):
  “Congress is a mess and filled with more retrograde politicians than is possible to count… it makes you want to weep into your bourbon.” (03:11–03:45)

• Hendrik Hertzberg (on GOP strategy):
  “It’s not a moral vindication, but it's certainly a practical vindication.” (08:47)

• David Remnick (on media failure):
  “I just think we have to remind ourselves how small the political discussion is… it’s its own satire. That’s the great frustration. It’s so low rent, these conversations.” (10:21–11:40)

• Hendrik Hertzberg (on election dynamics):
  “Elections are decided by essentially low information voters… who don’t even know who controls Congress, who don’t know anything essentially.” (12:41)

• David Remnick (on Obama and race):
  “There is a factor here of… he is a very tightly wound, tightly controlled political performer… reined in to any degree by race and the knowledge that he can’t be angry, quote unquote, or he can’t say certain things the way certain other people could say them.” (15:17)

• Hendrik Hertzberg (on Clinton and 2016):
  “We are stuck. We are stuck with a system that works poorly. It has always worked pretty poorly and it’s working increasingly poorly now…” (18:36)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Obama’s Post-Election Attitude & Public Perception – 01:33–03:11
• Congressional Dysfunction & Political Satire – 03:11–03:58
• Obama, The Tea Party, and Missed Opportunities – 05:19–06:06
• Declining Power of the Bully Pulpit – 07:21–08:33
• GOP Congressional Strategy & Prospects for Compromise – 08:33–09:31
• The Absence of Serious Policy Debate (Climate Change) – 09:44–12:41
• Media, Electorate Disengagement, and Consequences – 12:41–13:18
• Obama as Lame Duck, Communication Failures, and Race – 13:51–16:23
• Hillary Clinton’s Candidacy and Democratic Prospects – 17:02–21:14
• Democratic Fatigue and the Political System’s Limits – 18:36–20:36

Conclusion

This episode offers a frank, at times gloomy, assessment of the political climate following the 2014 midterms, with a particular focus on the limits of both President Obama’s leadership style and the U.S. political system as a whole. It anticipates the challenges that both parties, and potential presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, will face heading into 2016, emphasizing the dysfunction of Congress, the influence of big money, and the undercurrent of race and gender in American politics.
The tone is deeply informed, conversational, and often wry—embodying The New Yorker’s style. The discussion is insightful for listeners seeking an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the dynamics shaping contemporary American politics.