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    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    Political forecaster: It’s about turnout, not swing voters

    When it comes to national political elections, the common wisdom is that there are Democrats, there are Republicans, there are a few elusive swing voters in the middle, and the candidates who win can swing those middle voters to their side.

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    By Madeleine Brand • Feb 14, 2020 • 1 min read

    When it comes to national political elections, the common wisdom is that there are Democrats, there are Republicans, there are a few elusive swing voters in the middle, and the candidates who win can swing those middle voters to their side. That’s wrong, according to political forecaster Rachel Bitecofer. She says it’s all about turnout. She gained a lot of attention after she accurately predicted the so-called “blue wave” of 2018 -- practically the exact number of House seats Democrats captured.

    The full episode

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    3. 20:19Finding love on the campaign trail
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    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Madeleine Brand

      Host, 'Press Play'

    • KCRW placeholder

      Sarah Sweeney

      Vice President of Talk Programming, KCRW

    • KCRW placeholder

      Michell Eloy

      Former Producer/Line Editor, Press Play

    • KCRW placeholder

      Alexandra Sif Tryggvadottir

      Associate producer

    • KCRW placeholder

      Rachel Bitecofer

      political scientist at Christopher Newport University

      NewsElection 2020PoliticsNational

    The full episode

    2 of 5
    Jackie Lacey dismisses weed convictions in LA. Why now?
    1. 0:00‘Isn’t just a matter of waving a wand’: Jackie Lacey on weed conviction dismissals
    2. 10:14Political forecaster: It’s about turnout, not swing votersYou’re reading this
    3. 20:19Finding love on the campaign trail
    4. 28:17LAPD might be putting innocent people in the California gang database
    5. 35:16‘To All the Boys’ sequel is cute but not in a good way, says critic
    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand