Hello there, I'm Chuck Todd and this is the Chuck Todd cast at the beginning of this month,

the August 2nd primaries.

We saw a gigantic turnout in Kansas over an abortion rights referendum and as we all know

the result was a decisive win for the abortion rights side of things and a sign that Republicans

may have overreached.

One question it raised for many of us was, what does this mean about November or for months

we've been talking about how the midterferms usually disfavor and incumbent a president's

party, but increasingly there are some conflicting data points like the results in Kansas that

are starting to muddy the waters.

As I joke the other day, everything you think you know about the midterms, perhaps after

August 2nd we need to stay think again.

My guest today is Rui to share.

He is, I guess, the liberal writer and scholar who focuses on the American electorate is

co-author of the seminal book, 2004 book, the Emerging Democratic Maturity and in July.

He left the center for American progress to join AEI as a senior fellow and for those

that assume AEI is always conservative, they've actually regularly had democratic scholars

as well.

So Rui, welcome to the chat cast.

Glad to be here at job.

And look, let me start with your new, you know, I think a lot of people go, you know,

we so compartmentalize think tanks sometimes, AEI, Republican, Brookings, Democrat, Center

for American Progress, Progressive, how to explain to me how AEI views itself.

...