Episode 50: History of Nonpartisan Political Analysis w/ Stuart Rothenberg

Nathan Gonzales and Jacob Rubashkin chat with Stuart Rothenberg about the beginnings of modern political handicapping, nonpartisan journalism, and some of his favorite moments covering elections for more than four decades. Stu is a Roll Call columnist, former CNN contributor and editor and publisher of The Rothenberg Political Report, which was the foundation for Inside Elections. Stu and Charlie Cook are the godfathers of nonpartisan election analysis in Washington and around the country.Twitter profiles: @nathanlgonzales @jacobrubashkin @StuPolitics @InsideElections The Inside Elections podcast analyzes congressional, presidential and gubernatorial races in a nonpartisan, data-driven, and accessible way. With a combination of reporting and data, Inside Elections brings valuable context to complex races. Go to InsideElections.com to subscribe to the bi-weekly newsletter through individual subscriptions and group packages that are tailored for association and corporate PACs.Referenced articles:For the thousandth time, don’t call them “push polls” [Roll Call]https://www.insideelections.com/news/article/for-the-thousandth-time-dont-call-them-push-polls Twitter Can’t Yet Predict Elections [Roll Call]https://www.insideelections.com/news/article/twitter-cant-yet-predict-elections Personal Take on Brain Injuries and Senate Bids [Roll Call]https://rollcall.com/2011/02/16/personal-take-on-brain-injuries-and-senate-bids/ Reflections on 20 years as a Roll Call columnist [Roll Call]https://www.insideelections.com/news/article/reflections-on-20-years-as-accidental-columnist Nebraska 2: Without Bacon, Are Republicans Cooked? [Inside Elections]https://www.insideelections.com/news/article/nebraska-2-without-bacon-are-republicans-cooked North Carolina Senate: Tillis Decision Creates Open Seat [Inside Elections]https://www.insideelections.com/news/article/north-carolina-senate-tillis-decision-creates-open-seat 2026 House Ratings (June 30, 2025) [Inside Elections]https://www.insideelections.com/ratings/house/2026-house-ratings-june-30-2025 2026 Senate Ratings (June 29, 2025) [Inside Elections]https://www.insideelections.com/ratings/senate/2026-senate-ratings-june-29-2025 Inside Elections t-shirts and merchandise [Dashery]https://inside-elections.dashery.com/