Runaway Country with Alex Wagner

Runaway Country with Alex Wagner

Being an American right now is a wild ride. Every day brings a new controversy, breathless media narratives, and the same loud voices rushing in to score political points. Then another Truth Social post drops and the circus moves on. But all that noise is drowning out the actual story. On her new podcast Runaway Country, veteran journalist Alex Wagner talks to the voices at the center of the headlines: from the fringes of the resistance, to the marrow of MAGA, to the many people who’ve found themselves smack-dab in the crosshairs of a fight they never asked for. Because if you want to understand our unreal times, you’ve got to talk to the very real people who are experiencing it all first-hand. Join Alex as she brings together the stories of everyday Americans trapped in our national car with no brakes, alongside conversations with some of the smartest thinkers in politics. Buckle up, this road could lead anywhere. New episodes every Thursday wherever you get your podcasts, and @RunawayCountryWithAlexWagner on YouTube.

Episodes

October 15, 2025 1 min
Hey everyone, Jon Favreau here with a special announcement. From now on, new episodes of The Wilderness will appear on the Pod Save America feed, and we’ll have some updates soon about when that’s coming! In the meantime, this feed will now be home to Crooked’s brand new show Runaway Country with Alex Wagner. Think of Runaway Country as a cousin to The Wilderness with Alex talking to voters on the ground and sharing real perspectiv...
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On the final episode of this season of The Wilderness, Jon is joined by UCLA political scientist Lynn Vavreck and senior Harris campaign advisor David Plouffe. Lynn and Jon discuss why, despite all of this election's wild changes, Lynn is still expecting a close outcome in November and then David Plouffe sits down with Jon to talk about what we can do to help Kamala beat Trump.

Take action with Vote Save America: Visit votesaveameri...

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Jon is joined Democratic message guru Anat Shenker-Osorio and longtime political strategist Michael Podhorzer to talk about how swing voters are reacting to a Harris-Walz ticket and what message the campaign will need to win them over in November. They break down why Tim Walz has been a uniquely effective messenger, how Kamala Harris is reclaiming freedom from Republicans, and how Minnesota’s 2018 “Greater than Fear” campaign set t...

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Jon is joined by longtime pollster Sarah Longwell to discuss how swing voters are reacting to Kamala Harris’ unexpected campaign for president. How did they react to Biden’s decision to withdraw? What concerns do they have about Kamala Harris’ chances against Trump? And is her candidacy reigniting their capacity for hope? Sarah shares new focus group tape from Kamala Harris’ first week on the campaign trail to find the answers and ...

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Jon is joined by youth polling experts John Della Volpe and Kristen Soltis Anderson to talk about apathy among young voters this election cycle. Why are they so disengaged? Are some truly defecting to Trump? And what message, if any, can get them out for the polls? Jon, John, and Kristen dive into the focus group tape to unpack Gen Z’s opinions of our octogenarian presidential candidates, their top economic issues, and the war in G...

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Jon is joined by Carlos Odio and Stephanie Valencia, founders of Equis Research, the nation’s leading polling and research firm focused on the Latino electorate, to talk about what Democrats can do to win back the Latino voters who left the party for Trump in 2016 and 2020. Why are some of them leaning towards Trump? How did they react to Biden’s border actions? And what issues are they most focused on in 2024? Jon, Carlos, and Ste...

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Jon is joined by pollster Terrance Woodbury and Lavora Barnes, Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, to talk about the black voters who may cast their ballots for Trump this November. Who are they? Why are they leaving the Democratic Party? And how can we bring them back into the fold? Jon, Terrance, and Lavora dive into focus group tape, the Trump campaign’s strategy, and Biden’s recent speeches to find a message that works for ...

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Jon is joined by longtime pollster Sarah Longwell and former Republican strategist Tim Miller to get inside the minds of two-time Trump voters who are no longer sure if they’ll vote for him again. What’s changed? Well, January 6th, a few criminal trials, and some obviously bogus claims that the election was stolen. But is that enough to get them over the line for Joe Biden? Jon, Tim, and Sarah listen to a focus group tape of these ...

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Welcome back to The Wilderness. Jon talks about what it will take to rebuild 2020’s anti-Trump coalition with political analyst Ron Brownstein, political scientist Lynn Vavreck, Democratic strategist Addisu Demissie, Democratic strategist Jen Palmieri, and Democratic strategist Simon Rosenberg. They’ll talk about the  risks of a second Trump term and how you can help prevent it.  It may be a challenging road ahead, but by taking th...

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May 19, 2024 3 mins

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re not an undecided voter. But if you don’t want Donald Trump to become president again, between now and November you’ll need to convince as many as you can to cast their ballot for Joe Biden. 

With the help of some of the smartest strategists, pollsters, and organizers in politics today, host Jon Favreau explores the minds of voters who will decide the 2024 election, and gives you everything ...

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Can Democrats keep Georgia blue? We hear from young Black voters in Atlanta about Stacey Abrams, Raphael Warnock, Joe Biden, voting rights, and the future of democracy. Organizer Nsé Ufot, political commentator and strategist Symone Sanders, and pollster Terrance Woodbury join Jon to discuss what they had to say. 

New episodes of The Wilderness drop every Monday. Subscribe to The Wilderness wherever you get your podcasts.

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Are demographics destiny? We talk to working-class Latino voters in Las Vegas about what issues matter most to them and whether they’ll vote for Democrats this fall. Political scientist Ruy Teixeira, former Bernie Sanders presidential campaign manager Faiz Shakir, and Carlos Odio of EquisLabs join to discuss. 

If you want to learn more about how you can take action in the fight for our democracy, head over to Vote Save America and C...

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Are young voters the key to the midterms? We hear from disillusioned Gen-Z voters in Orange County, California as well as their Member of Congress, Katie Porter. Then Data For Progress’ Evangel Penumaka, organizer and former Texas Democratic Senate candidate Cristina Tzintzún-Ramirez, and John Della Volpe of Harvard Kennedy School join Jon to dig into what the voters had to say. 

If you want to learn more about how you can take acti...

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How can Democrats reach disconnected voters? We talk to Biden voters in Pittsburgh who are fed up with national politics. Jon breaks down their responses with Pennsylvania Representative Malcolm Kenyatta, data expert Dan Wagner, and John Fetterman senior campaign strategist Rebecca Katz.

If you want to learn more about how you can take action in the fight for our democracy, head over to Vote Save America and Pennsylvania United: 

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Why would Biden voters support Republicans? We hear from party switchers in Loudoun County who turned Virginia red in 2021 by voting for Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin. Communications expert Anat Shenker Osorio, organizer Tram Nguyen, and Sarah Longwell of The Bulwark join Jon to discuss.

 

If you want to learn more about how you can take action in the fight for our democracy, head over to Vote Save America and New Virginia Major...

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September 12, 2022 44 mins

What will it take to save democracy in 2022 and beyond? The MAGA movement is one of the greatest threats to American democracy. But one of the greatest divides in American politics is between the minority of voters who follow politics closely and the vast majority who don’t. In order to win the midterms, Democrats will have to reach that majority.

If you want to learn more about how you can take action in the fight for our democracy...

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September 8, 2022 3 mins

In season 3 of The Wilderness, Jon Favreau talks to voters in the midterm battleground regions who will determine the future of democracy. With the help of grassroots organizers and strategists, Favreau will unpack what it will take for Democrats to reach these voters, who turned out to help defeat Trumpism in the last election, but aren’t entirely sure if they’ll do it again.


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January 29, 2020 42 mins

What’s the winning message in 2020? We talk about how to overcome Trump’s massive media advantage and deliver a message that resonates everywhere with the smartest people we know.


Jon Favreau sits down to answer some of questions about The Wilderness Season 2, the democratic primary, and what democrats need to do to win the general election. You can subscribe to Crooked's YouTube channel and watch it here: https://youtu.be/2kbOgJvzn...

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January 27, 2020 45 mins

How can Democrats beat Trump’s divisive politics? We spend time with Obama-Trump voters in Milwaukee, and sit down with political leaders and strategists who know how to win in the Midwest.


For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/thewilderness.


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January 20, 2020 42 mins

How can Democrats turn out new voters? We talk about expanding the electorate with Stacey Abrams and spend time with organizers and occasional voters in Florida.


For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/thewilderness.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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