Show Notes
How has the attack on Helen Haines changed the conversation about political violence in Australia? Are the US midterms about to become a referendum on an unpopular president? Could Democrats take the Senate, with Texas, Michigan and Kansas suddenly in play?
In this episode of Democracy Sausage, Mark Kenny and Dr Marija Taflaga are joined by the United States Studies Centre's Bruce Wolpe. They begin by reflecting on the attack on the Member for Indi, and on what politicians, parties and the media owe to a healthier political culture. The conversation then turns to the US midterms, now less than a fortnight away. They cover Trump's sinking approval ratings, affordability and the war in Iran as drivers of the vote, and the key Senate races to watch. They finish with what a Democratic Congress could mean for the rest of Trump's term and the road to 2028. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny
Why are Australia's least resilient communities turning to One Nation? What happens when the major parties take their heartland seats for granted? Can Labor's "shallow" 2025 win hold together in 2028?
Is Labor's managerial, middle-of-the-road style a sensible way to steer through rough seas, or does it leave room on the left for someone selling a bigger vision? If Pauline Hanson can do it to the Coalition, can Shoebridge do it to Labor? Or is Australia simply heading for a multi-party era where every seat is marginal?
What did John Howard understand about survival and self-correction that his six successors never quite grasped? Why do so many of our prime ministers trace their drive back to fiercely ambitious mothers — and what does that pattern tell us about who gets to lead? Is the Liberal Party's current unravelling the price of clinging to the "Howard settlement" long after the country moved on?
What are the five forces reshaping Australia's economy and society over the next four decades? What it will take to keep Australians' faith in government alive while managing them? What can younger Australians expect from future governments?
Is too much political capital being put into meaningless foreign policy platitudes rather than defining what modern Australian security looks like? If Australia's shared values with its allies are contradicted can we still rely on those principles to steer policy with them? Can Australia take a globally prominent position in petitioning the US to end the wars that fundamentally threaten Australia's national security?