As promised, Beyond the Polls is back after just one week away! Henry sits down with RCP’s Senior Elections Analyst Sean Trende to discuss the scenarios in the Iowa Caucus that could leave a path for Donald Trump’s many Republican challengers. Then he and AEI’s Senior Fellow Emerita Karlyn Bowman consider whether and how an extremely unpopular Joe Biden can overcome his grim numbers and win in November.

And since it’s the season for gifts, Henry has a rant and an ad of the week for you! Get his take on last week’s much touted Red State Blue State Debate, along with a review of a puzzling and highly risky ad from the Trump campaign.

You’ve had your fill on turkey, now it’s time to get back to the races! In fact, we’re so eager to get back in that Beyond the Polls will be coming out weekly going forward.

This week Henry sits down with John Hood of the Pope Foundation for a tour of North Carolina, a state set for competetive elections for both GOP contenders and in the general. Then James Johnson, cofounder of JL Partners, takes us through his findings on an electorate which largely disapproves of the presidential rematch that’s likely to come in ’24.

We’re hearing that voters prefer a “generic candidate.” Today Henry and his polling buddies consider this ideal alongside the less popular incarnate candidates before us. Kristen Soltis Anderson covers interesting shifts in Trump voter demographics and the weak challenges by his primary opponents; Spencer Kimball joins to discuss Biden’s waning support with key Democratic blocs and his trailing Republicans in swing states; and Craig Gilbert dives into one of the essential swing states, clueing us in on what to look for in the race for Wisconsin.

And stay tuned to the end for the first ever “Olsen Rants!” This time he freestyles on the GOP’s rough night on Tuesday. He’ll set you straight on what happened in Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania and more. The good news? It ain’t as bad as you think!

It’s a triple state of play kind of day! Henry brings us along on a tour of key southern states. Rudy Bush of Texas breaks down Ted Cruz’s fight with Colin Allred and Lone Star State’s demographic changes. Then we move to pressing matters further East, where off year elections are underway. Al Cross takes us through the must-watch governor’s race between Andy Beshear and Daniel Cameron in the Commonwealth of Kentucky; and J. Miles Coleman joins to pick apart campaigns in the political bellwether that is the Virginia General Assembly.

Plus Henry’s Washington Post colleague Dan Balz assesses the fight between Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis to be Donald Trump’s final Republican challenger. And “Ad of the Week” returns with an introductory bio ad for prosecutor Bill Graham who hopes to be North Carolina’s next governor.

Donald Trump looks like he’s running away with the GOP nomination, but several impressive opponents keep flailing away trying to catch him. Is this an exercise in futility or can one of them actually unseat him from his throne?

To discuss the complicated feat facing 2024 hopefuls, Henry welcomes RMG Research Founder and President Scott Rasmussen for the Polling Barometer; NBC’s National Political Correspondent Steve Kornacki on the Republican Rumble; and Nevada Independent CEO Jon Ralston on all things “Silver State”.

We all have a favorite dish at our favorite restaurant, and often enough we just can’t help but to stick with it. Could this tendency explain the resounding lead Donald Trump enjoys in the Republican race? Are those 91 indictments resembling five star reviews to the GOP base, or are DeSantis, Haley and Ramaswamy simply unappetizing?

Today Henry sits down with FiveThirtyEight’s Geoffrey Skelley and Cook Political Report’s Amy Walter to go over the menu. He and Geoff consider the Democrat’s lack of alternatives to the underwhelming Joe Biden, along with the ‘No Labels’ third party push. Amy joins to discuss the GOP’s race to second place and whether one of those candidates could go on to pull enough of the Republicans willing to be persuaded away from Trump.

The GOP is one debate into the 2024 primary season, and many are eager to see how the winds have turned. Henry’s back with another batch of polling savants to assess.

Politico’s Steven Shepard considers whether Hurricane Idalia’s big splash in Florida’s Big Bend will breathe some life into Ron DeSantis’ campaign. Brianne Pfannenstiel of The Des Moines Register explains the Iowa caucus, and fills us in on the key lessons to take away from the showing in 2016. And Ramesh Ponnuru joins to discuss last week’s Republican debate—which you may have noticed was missing its party’s frontrunner. Henry also covers Team Biden’s powerful “These Guys” ad.

It’s early days in the fight for 2024, but it’s hard to shake the feeling that it’s shaping up like 2016 where the election was decided by voters who disliked both major party nominees. Henry calls these folks “Double Doubters” and doubles down with his guests this week to see who they are and what they think.

Forecaster extraordinaire Harry Enten delivers insights that cut through post-2016 polling disillusionment; Sabato’s Crystal Ball’s Kyle Kondik has advice for Republican candidates who appear to be jostling for second place; and Post and Courier political editor Schuyler Kropf fills us in on the heretofore neglected heavyweight state, South Carolina.

Presidential election season is approaching. Thankfully Henry Olsen and his guests are back to provide detailed examination of the facts, figures, twists and turns that will whittle down today’s crowded field.

Today we’re hearing from Semafor’s Dave Weigel to assess the Republican Rumble; we’ll take a Democratic Deep Dive with Ruy Teixeira, politcal editor of The Liberal Patriot; AEI’s Karlyn Bowman joins to guage the Polling Barometer; and Dante Scala, professor of political science at the University of New Hampshire, give us the State of Play for that oh-so-important primary battleground.