Pound The Facts, Pound The Law, Pound the Table With Cait Conley

**Al Hunt** (0:10)
Hello and welcome to Politics War Room with James Carville and I'm Al Hunt. This week our guest is the Democratic Congressional Candidate for the 17th District of New York, Cait Conley. Remember, we love taking your questions, so write to politicswarroom.gmail.com for next week's show. We're going to get to as many as we can, but don't forget to tell us where you are from. You can also get text updates about what's next on Politicon and Politics War Room by signing up at politicon.com. Tell your friends about us and remind them to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Please check out the links to our sponsors, Superpower, Three Day Blinds, Smalls, and Mint Mobile in our episode, Shono's. We thank you for supporting these sponsors. It really helps make this podcast happen.
Hey, James, on the midterm elections, we agree that if it's not sabotage, it's going to be a big year for Democrats. You think maybe even a little bit bigger than I do. But in the next month, two critical Democratic Senate contests. Maine, in 40 days, picks a nominee to replace the disgraced Graham Platner, who had to resign to run against Susan Collins. Then in less than three weeks, Michigan will decide between a very articulate and very left-wing candidate, Dr. El-Sayed, and a very moderate but unexciting candidate, Haley Stevens, Congresswoman. One poll shows Stevens, now that moderate, another moderate, Mallory McMurray, has dropped out, shows Stevens ahead. I'm not sure that's the case. I think it's a close race. James, Republicans have a strong candidate in that state, and Mike Rogers.
The Democrats can win the Senate while losing in Maine and Michigan, but while it's uphill, and I got to tell you, I'm worried about both.

**James Carville** (2:11)
I'm not very worried about Maine at all.
I mean, anybody that we nominate, I think, is going to beat her. I just think her expiration date is gone. In terms of Michigan, it's going to be a very interesting, very interesting primary. And I think if Stephen wins, it will largely be attributable to the black vote. I don't think that the black vote has been, you know, shaped most of them in the Detroit metro area. I don't think they feel solidarity with the Palestinian community.
I don't, but we'll have to see because that's going to be... There's no doubt that I'll say he's going to rack up some big numbers in Dearborn and places like that. And I think the fate of that is going to largely be determined by turnout, particularly Wayne County. But we'll see and that will give us a good idea of where the Democratic Party is going forward from here. So it's a pretty telling primary, it really is. And there's some belief that maybe I'll say he might have piqued her already. I have no idea.

**Al Hunt** (3:26)
Well, I agree with you. As I said, Mike Rogers, very conservative or conservative, not very conservative. He's a formidable opponent. And it was a better Republican year than this year is going to be. No question about it. But Alyssa Slotkin is a really good candidate and she barely beating him. I think no one would call Stevens a really good candidate, maybe acceptable.

**James Carville** (3:50)
I think you overestimate Rogers. I think Rogers has a lot of issues with the pharmaceutical industry.
And I think that's going to be really front and center. And that's going to be, that's a voting issue in Michigan. I mean, a real voting issue. And whoever runs against him, I think he's going to get roughed up pretty good. And I think his ties to the pharmaceutical industry are pretty deep.

**Al Hunt** (4:15)
Well, I'll tell you one gift that keeps giving, and that's Donald Trump.
On the Iran war, he can't decide whether he wants to get out or double down. So he tried to do both.
It just shows what a totally chaotic, really reckless engagement this has been. I mean, one day this week, he blasted the Iranians for violating international law by charging a toll for the passage of the Straits of Hormuz. Then, this week, Trump says he's going to take over the Straits and he's going to charge a toll. Back down the next day, it's no surprise. He could care less about international law. He doesn't care about the law at home, but it underscores how bad this is. And you know, this isn't going away, James. There's no easy exit policy for him right now. And people were, Republicans were excited about a good inflation report. That's because that was last month when gas prices were down. This is a, he's going to wreak havoc with this.