The Cross Section

How to really understand election polls

Do you overreact to every poll that comes out, endangering your mental health as the election approaches? Do the words "New York Times/Sienna poll" send you into a cold sweat? We're here to help. Ayelet and Paul talk to Michael Podhorzer, former political director of the AFL-CIO, about what to take - and not to take - from the ups and downs of each day's polls and where the election really stands.

Campaign meme war!

"Kamala is brat!" If you have no idea what that means, you may not be aware that Democrats seem to be winning the war of memes in the 2024 presidential campaign. Why are they doing better at this battle of online signs and signifiers than they have in the past? And does it make a difference? Paul and Ayelet are joined by Amanda Marcotte, senior politics writer at Salon.com and author of  of Troll Nation: How The Right Became Trump-Worshipping Monsters Set On Rat-F*cking Liberals, America, and Truth Itself, and Jennifer Stromer-Galley, professor in the School of Information Studies at Syracuse University and author of Presidential Campaigning in the Internet Age, to discuss what's happening in the meme war and what it all means.

Everything has changed

Ayelet and Paul unpack Democrats' bright new dawn, with Kamala Harris now their presumptive nominee. Is she a better candidate than she was four years ago? Will Democrats now be united forever? And what's the deal with JD Vance and the childless cat ladies?

Working through our feelings about Joe Biden

Is the president too old to win? Are we mad at him? What happens now? Ayelet and Paul work through their feelings and look toward the bleak future.

What's Wrong With Hollywood?

Ayelet and Paul are joined by showrunner, screenwriter, comic book writer, and novelist Marc Guggenheim, the man behind shows including Arrow, DC's Legends of Tomorrow, and Tales of Arcadia, to talk about why Hollywood is going down the tubes and everything is terrible for writers!

An Unsettling Episode about Choking and Sex

Ayelet and Paul are joined by Peggy Orenstein to discuss her recent viral New York Times article about young people, sex, and choking. Parents, tune in to get freaked out about what Kids Today are doing!

Don't ignore what's happening on the West Bank

With so much attention focused on Gaza since October 7, an important story is being ignored: Harassment and violence against Palestinians who live on the West Bank has intensified, as far-right Israeli settlers and the soldiers and police who protect them have felt new permission to mistreat their Palestinian neighbors. Issa Amro, a well-known Palestinian human rights activist and advocate of non-violent resistance, tells Ayelet and Paul about his recent arrest and torture, and what the situation is like today in his home of Hebron.

One Nation Under Guns

In this shorter bonus episode, Paul interviews Dominic Erdozain about his new book, One Nation Under Guns: How Gun Culture Distorts Our History and Threatens Our Democracy. We talk about what the Framers really thought about a well-regulated militia, the myth of the "law-abiding citizen," and the rights we all have to live in safety.