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.

While a Trump/Biden rematch is looking more likely every day, Henry returns with another merry band of politicos to discuss many of the remaining unknowns left in this ’24 election cycle.

Charles Franklin (Director of the Marquette Law School Poll) provides a profile of the 1 in 5 Americans who make up the reluctant and “double doubter” categories; Matt Lewis of the Daily Beast breaks down a Republican Party in flux, and considers what consequences McCarthy’s ouster will have; and Dennis Lennox is here to explain why the U.S. Virgin Islands — where he serves as the Executive Director of the territory’s Republican Party —are much more than an ideal vacation spot; plus there’s some talk about why rank choice voting might actually have a future.

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.

Our crazy election season is nearly over, and Real Clear Politics’ Sean Trende and the American Enterprise Institute’s Karlyn Bowman help us unpack the polls and discuss the future of a post-Trump Republican Party. Only on the Horse Race with Henry Olsen!

Only ten days to go and about 1/3 of the ballots have already been cast. Can Donald Trump come from behind? Can the Republicans hold the Senate? Polling expert Karlyn Bowman and election analyst Jacob Rabushkin help us answer these questions. And a special guest appearance by the late Mao Tse Tung on the Ad of the Week – only on the Horse Race with Henry Olsen!

President Trump has continued to drop in the polls and he’s spending his time in states he won handily four years ago. The Sabato Crystal Ball’s Kyle Kondik and the American Enterprise Institute’s Karlyn Bowman join the Horse Race this week to tell us what it all portends. Dave Wasserman of the Cook Political Report also joined the podcast to run down the state of play in the U.S. House races. All this and FIVE ads of the week – only on The Horse Race with Henry Olsen!

The race has entered its last full month with twists and turns galore. Karlyn Bowman sorts the polling out for us this week while the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel’s Craig Gilbert gives us the state of play in the key swing state of Wisconsin. All this and three ads of the week, only on The Horse Race with Henry Olsen!

Will Tuesday’s disgusting debate shake up the presidential race? Election expert Ruy Teixeira joins the Horse Race to give his assessment. Arizona is perhaps the key battleground state, and the University of Arizona’s Samara Klar gives us the lowdown from the ground. Polling analyst Karlyn Bowman joins in the launch of our new regular feature, Poll Barometer, which looks at what the polls tell us and gets down under the hood for a close look. All this and a barbarically humorous Ad of the Week, only on The Horse Race with Henry Olsen!

This week’s episode takes us into New York City for a look at two especially incisive ads that could only have come from the Big Apple. We also look at President Trump’s standing with white working-class voters and his general election prospects with the Economist’s D.C. Bureau Chief, James Astill. Listen today!

Both parties have held their conventions and the mano-a-mano contest has started in earnest. The Cook Political Report’s Amy Walter joins the Horse Race to tell us where the race stands and where it might go. This week also features an extended edition of Ad of the Week: we look at seven ads in three races to explore different techniques strategists use to communicate a message in the context of a competitive, multi-ad race. Only on The Horse Race!

FDR’s first Vice President is quoted as saying the job was not worth a bucket of warm spit, although he actually used an earthier bodily fluid to describe the vice presidency. Will Sen. Kamala Harris agree if the Biden-Harris ticket wins? MSNBC’s Steve Kornacki joins The Horse Race to talk about Harris’ selection and give us his assessment on the state of the race. The Federalist’s Mollie Hemingway also joins the show and talks about the Kavanaugh hearings, media bias, and the return of “yellow journalism.” The final edition of “Primary Night in America” covers key races over the next three weeks in Florida, Oklahoma, and Massachusetts. Only on The Horse Race!

Control of the Senate is up for grabs; can Republicans hold on? Inside Elections’ Nathan Gonzales provides a comprehensive rundown of all the key races and where the overall picture stands on this week’s episode. Newsmax’s John Gizzi also talks about what it’s like to cover the Trump White House and where he think the president should go this month to recover his standing. Another edition of “Primary Night in America” runs down the key contests on the ballot next Tuesday, and Ad of the Week explains why candidates can say things in their ads which would never make it on the air in other contexts.

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted American politics, pushing campaigns to the sidelines and dealing a serious blow to President Trump’s re-election hopes. Real Clear Politics’ Sean Trende has been following the spread of covid-19 in addition to his regular political analysis and joins us to explain what is really going on with covid and the presidential race. We’ll also run down the six primaries for key House and Senate races that occur next week, as well as look in Ad of the Week at how Democratic incumbents portray themselves when they are running in normally Republican districts. Join us on the Horse Race!