You know Edward-Isaac Dovere from his work at The Atlantic, and Politico before that. His recent book Battle for the Soul chronicles the 2020 presidential campaign, especially the Democratic primaries. In this conversation, we discuss Isaac's path to writing about politics, the genesis of his book, and several of the key moments from the 2020 campaign trail.
IN THIS EPISODE
The member of Congress who helped Isaac first get involved in the political process…
Isaac talks through the genre of “campaign books”…
Isaac shares the original title of the book and how “Battle for the Soul” later emerged…
Isaac’s contention that Medicare For All hindered the candidacies of the most progressive candidates…
Isaac talks through a symbolically important dinner at the Georgetown Four Seasons…
How close did Hillary Clinton get to jumping in?
Isaac’s take on why Beto O’Rourke’s campaign didn’t catch on…
Isaac talks the importance of Lis Smith to the rise of Pete Buttigieg…
Isaac breaks down the post-debate boom for Kamala Harris…
Why Isaac sees the Clyburn Fish Fry as a microcosm of the primary…
Isaac gets behind the scenes of the Clyburn endorsement of Joe Biden…
Isaac talks Bernie at his high point post-Nevada caucus…
Isaac’s contention that Amy Klobuchar had an enormous impact on the Biden VP decision…
The trail restaurant Isaac is most eager to visit again...
AND…David Axelrod, Pete Buttigieg, Julian Castro, CBD dispensaries, Guy Cecil, classic Iowa questions, the Clyburn Fish Fry, Cobble Hill Restaurant, Ted Cruz, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Kamala Harris, The Hill, Amy Klobuchar, John Lewis, Terry McAuliffe, Pat Moynihan, Jerry Nadler, Barack Obama, Jen O’Malley Dillon, Beto O’Rourke, Nancy Pelosi, Bernie Sanders, Al Sharpton, Stephanie Schriock, Chuck Schumer, Lis Smith, St. Kilda, Eric Swalwell, Neera Tanden, Elizabeth Warren, Gretchen Whitmer, and MORE!