Bill Kristol: A Blue Wave vs. the Toxic Red Tide

With just under two months until Election Day, Tim and Bill revisit the run-up to the midterms in 2006 and 1994, two major wave election cycles where the bottom just fell out from under the party in power. The 1994 blowout was more about the end of an era, while 2006 was about an unpopular war in the Middle East, a scandal, and a disappointed base. What do those wave elections suggest about the prospects for a big blue year in 2026? Plus: Do not miss either the war stories from Tim as a young Republican operative on the campaign trail or Clinton blaming Bill for helping to tank his health care reform plan. Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller for a special holiday pod. Leave a comment show notes: COME HANG WITH THE GANG —Sarah, Tim, JVL, Sam and friends—during our Bulwark LIVE: Good Fight Tour this October 16-20: 🎤 Friday, October 16 at The Senate in Columbia, S.C. —Will Sommer joins the gang on stage. Is Columbia ready for the Trio? 🎤 Sunday, October 18 at the Carolina Theatre in Charlotte, N.C. — special guest Pete Buttigieg joins the gang with Catherine Rampell and Lauren Eagan. 🎤 Tuesday, October 20 at The Eastern in Atlanta, Ga. —Gen. Mark Hertling and the Morning Shots duo—Andrew Egger and Bill Kristol—join the gang for this final stop. Tickets are on sale NOW through the links above or through TheBulwark.com/Events . At Bulwark LIVE we can promise you a night of fellowship and politics with lots of laughs—and maybe a few tears too. We'll keep you sane. As always: Watch, listen, hit the like button or leave a comment . We want to hear from you. Ad-free editions of The Bulwark Daily are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Tim Miller's Bulwark Daily is available wherever you get podcasts and on YouTube. New shows drop each weekday afternoon. If you like the show, leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐ wherever you listen. Add The Bulwark Daily to your player of choice, here . Become a paying member of The Bulwark to get access to this post and other subscriber-only content. A subscription gets you: Unlimited access to articles and newsletters including The Triad by JVL and Receipts by Catherine Rampell. Ad-free editions of our shows (with transcripts) and member-only shows like The Secret Podcast. Plus community chats and commenting features. Your support helps keep our work sustainable and available to those who cannot afford a membership. Cancel anytime. Join