Checks and balance: Confirmation bias
Checks and Balance from The Economist
The Economist
4.6 • 1.7K Ratings
🗓️ 25 September 2020
⏱️ 40 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Economist modelling suggests November's election may end Republican control of the Senate. The Republican leadership plans to push through the appointment of a new Supreme Court justice to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg before then. Democrats are threatening to retaliate by reforming anti-majoritarian Senate rules if they win back control. Should the Senate change?
James Astill, The Economist’s Washington bureau chief and data journalist Elliott Morris contribute.
John Prideaux, The Economist's US editor, hosts with New York bureau chief Charlotte Howard, and Jon Fasman, Washington correspondent.
For access to The Economist’s print, digital and audio editions subscribe: economist.com/2020electionpod
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | May I have your attention please you can now book your train tickets on Uber and get |
| 0:08.0 | 10% back in credits to spend on your next Uber ride so you don't have to walk home in the rain again. |
| 0:16.5 | Trains now on Uber. T's and C's apply. Check the Uber app. |
| 0:26.7 | Just a few months ago for only the third time in the history of the Senate members of the world's greatest deliberative body served as the jury in the |
| 0:31.2 | trial of a sitting president. |
| 0:34.0 | Reporters covering this grave moment were surprised to see senators struggling to stay focused. |
| 0:39.8 | Some stood or paced about, at least two of them fliced fidget spinners. |
| 0:44.0 | Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee was reading a book. |
| 0:47.0 | The title, Resistance at all costs How Trump Haters are breaking America. |
| 0:53.0 | Abraham Lincoln once conjured the better angels of our nature to reunite a divided country. |
| 0:59.0 | This week they played hooky from America's political firmament once again. Soring tributes followed the death of US |
| 1:05.8 | justice Ruth Badaginsburg, but within hours senators were issuing appeals for funds to fight |
| 1:11.2 | the battle over her replacement. |
| 1:13.5 | They couldn't agree on the words of a resolution to Onigensburg, even as Clark's |
| 1:17.5 | stood vigil over her casket on the steps of the Supreme Court. With 38 days to go, this is checks and balance. |
| 1:27.0 | I'm John Prido, the Economist's US editor, and this is a podcast about the 2020 elections. Each week we take |
| 1:35.6 | one big theme shaping American politics and explore it in depth. Today. |
| 1:42.0 | Is the Senate up to the job? |
| 1:47.0 | Our economist forecasts suggest this good chance November's election will end Republican |
| 1:54.9 | control of the Senate. |
| 1:57.3 | The Republican leadership plans to push through the appointment of a new Supreme Court justice |
| 2:01.4 | to replace Ruth Fader Ginsburg before then. |
... |
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