Primaries, Fake Polls, and the Data Center Revolt

Episode 28  ·  Aug 19, 09:00 AM
Subscribe

It's another primary night, and Erin and Kurt break down the results out of Florida, Alaska, and Wyoming, plus the political story nobody was talking about three months ago: data centers becoming the defining kitchen-table issue of the 2026 midterms. In Florida, they dig into Corey Mills' vulnerable seat, the Moskowitz-Larkin DSA showdown, and a graveyard of comeback bids from politicians who've lost everywhere else. In Alaska, it's officially "Dan versus Dan," as Senator Dan Sullivan faces a primary challenger who shares his name and a very different voting history, while Mary Peltola tries to prove she's worth national Democratic investment. Then Erin and Kurt turn to the Karen Bass campaign's fake-poll scandal and what it says about a media ecosystem too eager to run numbers nobody bothered to vet. Finally, they dive deep on data centers and AI, arguing it may be the rare issue that unites voters across party lines in opposition, and lay out why campaigns on both sides are scrambling to write anti-data-center ads before Election Day.

Topics
Primary night results and previews: Florida, Alaska, and Wyoming
Florida's most-watched congressional races: Corey Mills' vulnerable seat and Debbie Wasserman Schultz's new district
The Moskowitz vs. Larkin race and what it means for the DSA's ceiling in Florida
Florida's parade of political comeback bids, including Chris Collins
Alaska's "Dan versus Dan" Senate primary and Mary Peltola's path to November
Whether Alaska is a legitimate reach race for Democrats or a resource drain
The Kamala Harris fundraising email controversy and Peltola's campaign shake-up
The Karen Bass fake-poll scandal and what it reveals about unvetted campaign polling
Why reporters keep running campaign polls without demanding full cross-tabs
How campaigns use internal polling strategically, and what they leave out
Data centers and AI emerging as a rare bipartisan "not in my backyard" issue
Why utility bills, water use, and lack of visible benefit are driving the backlash
Governor Abbott and Governor Shapiro's reversals on data center policy
How data centers could be a net positive with smart regulatory frameworks
The messaging failure of AI and data center companies compared to crypto
Predictions for how many 2026 statewide races will feature anti-data-center ads