The Agonizing Election of 2020
The Political Scene | The New Yorker
The New Yorker
4.3 • 3.9K Ratings
🗓️ 5 November 2020
⏱️ 31 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In the weeks before Election Day, Joe Biden was polling strongly in Florida and Texas, and Donald Trump’s approval rating was foundering as the pandemic grew steadily worse. But the President did well in traditionally red states, and, as the votes were counted, excited talk of a “Blue Wave” was replaced by speculation about whether a “Blue Wall” in the Midwestern battleground states could enable Biden to eke out a victory. Jelani Cobb, Jane Mayer, and Evan Osnos join Dorothy Wickenden to discuss what to expect as the two parties confront the difficulties of governing an ever more deeply divided country.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesTranscript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Hi there, I'm Lale Arikoglu, and this podcast is brought to you by Wilderness, a conservation-driven |
| 0:06.4 | hospitality company that offers intimate world life encounters in extraordinary remote landscapes. |
| 0:12.5 | Last year, I embarked on two separate solo adventures with Wilderness, one to Botswana and the other |
| 0:18.2 | to Namibia, where the expert guides delivered a truly once-in-a-lifetime |
| 0:23.6 | experience. I promise you, whatever you watch and see before you go won't prepare you for the thrill |
| 0:29.4 | of a wilderness adventure. eBay, it's a place to fall in love with new pre-loved vintage and rare |
| 0:36.6 | fashion over and over again. |
| 0:39.0 | Your favorite designers, expertly authenticated. |
| 0:42.5 | Yeah, eBay. |
| 0:44.0 | Things people love. |
| 0:48.1 | This is the political scene, a weekly conversation with New Yorker writers and guests about politics. |
| 0:54.4 | It's Thursday, November 5th. |
| 0:56.5 | I'm Dorothy Wickenden, executive editor of The New Yorker. |
| 1:00.0 | For months, pundits have been discussing the 2020 election |
| 1:03.5 | as a transformative moment for American politics. |
| 1:07.3 | Biden was polling well in Republican strongholds like Texas and Florida, and Donald Trump's |
| 1:12.9 | mishandling of the pandemic had driven his approval ratings to historic lows. |
| 1:18.7 | It seemed possible not just that Biden would win in a landslide, but that Democrats would |
| 1:24.0 | take the Senate, strengthen their hold on the House, and prove that America |
| 1:28.0 | was, at its heart, a moderate nation. |
| 1:32.0 | The results on November 3rd told a different story. |
| 1:35.6 | As of this recording, the presidential race is still undecided, but Trump performed well in |
... |
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.