Obama and the G.O.P.
The Political Scene | The New Yorker
The New Yorker
4.3 • 3.9K Ratings
🗓️ 7 November 2014
⏱️ 24 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
“I’d like to see him use the last two years to make up for some of the rhetorical mistakes of the last six,” Hendrik Hertzberg says of President Obama on this week’s Political Scene podcast. Hertzberg joins David Remnick and host Dorothy Wickenden to discuss how Obama’s missteps contributed to Republican gains in the midterms, and what he can do to make the most of the remainder of his second term. They discuss how the myriad international crises of the summer may have affected the election, the waning power of the bully pulpit, Mitch McConnell’s victory, and the over-all dismal quality of political discussion in Congress today. Remnick says, “I don’t want to romanticize the Senates of the fifties or the sixties as if it were filled with Enlightenment kings and queens, but … it is so deeply dispiriting to watch the level of conversation and debate and politics on issues that are our future.”
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesTranscript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Discover Earth's ultimate untamed places with wilderness. With access to 6 million acres of private land in eight African countries, wilderness offers intimate wildlife encounters and experiences that will leave you changed forever. The accommodations are luxurious and stay true to the vibrant soul and spirit of each destination and the trips are |
| 0:23.0 | meticulously planned from arrival to departure, making them perfect for a group, family or |
| 0:28.5 | solo travellers. Wilderness is among the leaders of conservation hospitality, with more than 60 |
| 0:34.5 | of the most highly awarded lodges in camps in Africa. |
| 0:41.1 | Wilderness is especially excited this year to focus on wellness, |
| 0:44.7 | providing experiences that immerse you in beautiful places to restore your sense of self through nature. |
| 0:48.1 | To learn more and book your own wilderness adventure, |
| 0:50.8 | go to wilderness destinations.com slash women who travel. |
| 0:55.4 | eBay, it's the place to fall in love with new pre-loved vintage and rare fashion over and over |
| 1:01.6 | again. Your favorite designers, expertly authenticated. Yeah, eBay. Things people love. |
| 1:10.1 | This episode is brought to you by Squarespace, the all-in-one platform that makes it fast and easy to create your own professional website, portfolio, or online store. |
| 1:19.4 | For a free trial and 10% off, go to Squarespace.com slash scene and use offer code, S-C-E-N-E. A better web starts with your website. |
| 1:31.1 | This is the political scene, a weekly conversation with New Yorker writers and editors about politics. |
| 1:36.6 | It's Thursday, November 6th. I'm Dorothy Wickendon, executive editor of The New Yorker. |
| 1:41.2 | The American people overwhelmingly believe that this town doesn't work well and that it |
| 1:45.8 | is not attentive to their needs. |
| 1:49.0 | And as president, they rightly hold me accountable to do more to make it work properly. |
| 1:54.3 | That was President Obama yesterday after the Democratic Party's route on Tuesday. |
| 1:59.0 | David Remnick and Hendrik Hertzberger are here today to talk about Obama |
| 2:02.4 | and the Republican Party. So, David, one of the things that Obama said during the press |
| 2:07.6 | conference was, I'm having a great time. He also said the election doesn't make him mopee. |
| 2:15.6 | But as we've discussed around the office, he's been mopee |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The New Yorker, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of The New Yorker and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.