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On a recent episode of Pod Save America, Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Tommy Vietor, and Dan Pfeiffer tackled listener questions about the upcoming midterm elections, offering insights into key races, campaign strategies, and the broader political landscape.

The Midterm Stakes: What to Watch For

The hosts kicked off the discussion by outlining what they're hoping to learn from the midterms as they look ahead to 2028. Tommy Vietor highlighted the importance of "data centers" as a politically salient issue, suggesting that the midterms will reveal whether this is a topic voters genuinely care about. He also emphasized the need to understand the "progressive penalty" – how well left-leaning candidates perform against the national average. Beyond specific issues, Vietor stressed the importance of observing the interplay between populism and moderation, citing figures like Rob Sand in Iowa as examples of the latter.

Dan Pfeiffer echoed the sentiment that the midterms are a crucial testing ground, particularly in the context of a potential Democratic wave. He expressed interest in more "granular, nerdy stuff" related to campaign strategies, such as the efficacy of new relational organizing and field strategies. Pfeiffer emphasized the need to measure whether these new approaches actually "worked in move numbers." Jon Lovett added that he's keen to see how candidates who are "center-left but not running as a Democrat" fare, and what this teaches the party about competing in rural areas. He specifically mentioned Dan Osborne as a candidate to watch in this regard. Jon Favreau broadened the scope, questioning the potential for a "Dem trifecta" in 2028 and what the "upper limit on a possible majority" might look like. He also humorously, but pointedly, asked, "How important is John Fetterman?" and how much he becomes a "main character of our politics for a while."