Episode Introduction
Election analyst Henry Olsen returned to Breaking Battlegrounds in late 2023, as the 2024 presidential race between Donald Trump and Joe Biden was taking shape. Olsen is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and host of the podcast Beyond the Polls, and one of the show’s most frequent guests. He joined Sam Stone and Chuck Warren to break down Trump, Biden and the political spectacle surrounding both.
The episode also features Washington Post reporter Noah Smith, who covered the business, political and cultural side of the video game industry. Kiley’s Corner rounds out the show with a true crime case from Oklahoma City.
Quick Answer
Breaking Battlegrounds Podcast 166, released in December 2023, features election analyst Henry Olsen of the Ethics and Public Policy Center discussing Donald Trump, Joe Biden and the political spectacle ahead of 2024. Washington Post reporter Noah Smith discusses the business, politics and culture of video games, and Kiley’s Corner covers an Oklahoma City triple-murder case.
Episode Overview
The episode has three segments:
- Henry Olsen on the state of American politics as the Trump-Biden rematch approached.
- Noah Smith on video games as a business, a political force and a cultural phenomenon.
- Kiley’s Corner, which covers the case of an Oklahoma City attorney and her former client, who were charged together in a triple murder.
About Henry Olsen
Henry Olsen is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and an election analyst whose work appears in The Washington Post, including the Margin of Victory newsletter. He hosts two podcasts: Beyond the Polls, weekly on U.S. elections, and Conservative Crossroads, every other week, on debates within the conservative movement.
Before EPPC, Olsen spent 18 years in think-tank leadership. He served as president of the Commonwealth Foundation, a vice president at the Manhattan Institute, and vice president at the American Enterprise Institute. He started his career as a California political consultant, then clerked for Judge Danny J. Boggs of the Sixth Circuit. He wrote The Working Class Republican: Ronald Reagan and the Return of Blue-Collar Conservatism and co-wrote The Four Faces of the Republican Party with Dante J. Scala. He was the Thomas W. Smith Distinguished Scholar in Residence at Arizona State University in spring 2023.
Olsen has joined Breaking Battlegrounds at least five times. See his full guest profile.
About Noah Smith
At the time of this episode, Noah Smith was a Washington Post reporter focused on the business, political and cultural implications of video games. He has also reported on national politics, business, sports and culture for the Post. His work has appeared in NBC News, The New York Times, The Guardian and Fortune, and he reported from Israel in 2012 and 2013.
Key Topics Discussed
- Donald Trump, Joe Biden and the early 2024 presidential race
- The political spectacle shaping American campaigns
- Video games as an industry, a political issue and a cultural force
- An Oklahoma City triple-murder case (Kiley’s Corner)
More From Henry Olsen on Breaking Battlegrounds
Olsen first joined the show in 2021 to break down the Virginia governor’s race with Chris Wilson. He also discussed the future of progressivism with Dr. Spencer Case.
During the 2024 campaign, he returned alongside Jeff Mason and Abe Hamadeh, and again with Jason Willick and Noah Rothman.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Henry Olsen?
Henry Olsen is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and an election analyst who writes for The Washington Post. He hosts the podcasts Beyond the Polls and Conservative Crossroads, and he wrote The Working Class Republican, a book on Ronald Reagan and blue-collar conservatism.
What podcasts does Henry Olsen host?
Olsen hosts Beyond the Polls, a weekly podcast on U.S. elections distributed by Ricochet, and Conservative Crossroads, which explores policy disagreements within the conservative movement every other week.
How many times has Henry Olsen appeared on Breaking Battlegrounds?
Olsen has appeared at least five times. His appearances run from the 2021 Virginia governor’s race through multiple 2024 campaign episodes. His guest profile on the Breaking Battlegrounds website collects them in one place.
Who is Noah Smith of The Washington Post?
Noah Smith is a journalist who, at the time of this episode, covered the business, politics and culture of video games for The Washington Post. His work has also appeared in NBC News, The New York Times, The Guardian and Fortune.
Conclusion
Recorded as the 2024 race took shape, Podcast 166 adds to one of the show’s longest-running guest relationships: Henry Olsen’s ongoing read on American elections. Paired with Noah Smith’s look at the video game industry, it reflects the show’s habit of placing politics alongside the culture around it.
