Why Pfeiffer sees a path for Hamilton in Kansas

Transcript

Transcribed by machine (Whisper) from the episode’s audio, so a word may be off here and there.

1. 49:01

   Over in Kansas, it was pretty easy to see why Roger Marshall is having such a problem holding off Adam Hamilton. Let's take a listen. The real problem with the cost of diesel. in particular, is number one is the Ukraine war. And because of that, diesel production has gone down. I just want to say, see, he just said that the war in Iran is not the problem. The war in Ukraine is a problem. The Ukrainians trying to defend themselves are the reason why we have record diesel prices.

2. 49:25

   Nobody believes that. This happened in response to the war in Iran that didn't need to happen, was not a necessary war. And this is why the prices went to record highs. Just curious, with all of those undocumented children that you delivered, did you also call ICE and ask them to be taken away? You say you've listened in 300 campaign stops. You did not listen in 300 campaign stops. You had 300 photo ops.

3. 49:45

   Let's move on. Nice. Not bad for a pastor. I was going to say, how do you think Hamilton did? I love Adam Hamilton. He's so good. He's really good. He's really, really good. He's so thoughtful. I think there is a question. And he's tough without being an asshole. Yeah, which I think that was a real question, right? It's one thing that, you know, you're a pastor. You're new to politics. Can you mix it up?

4. 50:06

   Because you have to mix it up. And it is one thing to, you know, say tough things in your Potsdam American interview or your stump speech at a rally. It's another thing when you're sitting on the same stage as someone and he was aggressive, but in a way completely consistent with his demeanor, consistent with his values. He was very, very good. Also, that might be the first time I've seen Roger Marshall.

5. 50:28

   I think I've probably seen him before, but I really couldn't pick him out of a lineup. Yeah, I've seen clips of him dodging questions about the time that he ordered the arrest of a woman and who owed him $50? This is a tough race to figure out how it's going to go because Hamilton is ahead by a little bit, but he's, of all the races, he's like probably the furthest below 50 in a lot of these polls.

6. 50:56

   But, interesting enough. Third-party candidate there? Well, yes, third-party candidate there, but more importantly, it's the one case in that last batch of Times Siena polls where his name ID is lower and that he actually is underperforming. There's a lot of undecideds who pick the Democrats on the generic ballot who are not yet for Hamilton. So he has room for growth that a lot of these other Democrats don't have.

7. 51:16

   Now, small sample size, et cetera. But he got in this race very late. He is quite well known for someone who gets the race late. He does have a church with 100,000 members that broadcasted sermons on TV every week. But it's clear that he has room for growth with likely Democratic voters. So he is a very, very, very real shot. I really do believe that. Well, also, you know, I think Kansas hasn't elected a Democratic senator in almost 100 years.

8. 51:41

   94 years. Yeah. Herbert Hoover was president. Donald Trump, not even born. But, but, like, has regularly elected Democratic governors. Yeah. It's a very strange quirk of history. Yeah. The idea of a Democrat winning statewide in Kansas is not crazy at all. And Kathleen Sebelius, Laura Kelly, current governor, like, it's happened. Yeah. It's just, it's sort of a weird quirk that there just hasn't been a Democratic senator.

9. 52:04

   Yes. So, it's real. All right. Last thing before we get to Lovett's conversation with Keisha Lance Bottoms. We talked on the Tuesday show about the extremely convoluted influence peddling scheme involving Alina Habba, Trump's former personal attorney and former U.S. attorney for New Jersey, her Turkish billionaire husband, the Kennedy Center and the Democratic Republic of Congo.