Podcasts by Oppo File

A Tiger by the Tail from 2020-10-19T19:00

On July 12, 1984, Democratic presidential nominee Walter Mondale made history when he named Representative Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate. The next day, New York lawyer Roy Cohn arrived i...

Confessions from 2020-10-08T16:00

Oppo research nearly ended Vice President Mike Pence’s political career before it began. Host Joseph Rodota interviews author and journalist Craig Ferhman and former congressional aide Billy Lin...

The Weirdness Factor from 2020-09-30T18:00

Opposition research isn’t just a tool for understanding your opponent. It’s also a tool for understanding yourself.

Host Joseph Rodota interviews Chris Lyon, who wrote a “vulnerability stu...

Cheap Shots from 2020-09-22T18:00

Why do some campaigns wait for just the right moment to unveil their opposition research, while others decide to dump it all at once?

Host Joseph Rodota interviews Pat Dennis, Trump War Ro...

Bonus Episode: Gary Maloney from 2020-09-09T18:00

Gary Maloney was the first GOP opposition researcher to dig into the record of a rising star in Illinois politics, a young man named Barack Obama. In this bonus episode, Gary shares insights fro...

A Million Questions from 2020-09-02T14:00

Heading into Labor Day weekend, host Joseph Rodota recaps the 2020 Democratic and Republican conventions. GOP oppo researcher Gary Maloney and press aide Jeff Nesbit describe the chaotic roll-ou...

Bonus Episode: Tom Rosenstiel from 2020-08-27T12:00

In 1988, George H.W. Bush overcame a 17-point deficit in the polls and won the election. In this bonus episode, journalist and author Tom Rosenstiel looks back at Bush’s campaign manager Lee Atw...

The Spider's Web from 2020-08-06T16:00

Is oppo research stranger than fiction? Who killed Dr. Death? Joseph Rodota interviews author and journalist Tom Rosenstiel; speechwriter, business consultant and author Mark Davis; and Dr. Jona...

Bonus Episode: Sonia Van Meter from 2020-07-28T00:00

Host Joseph Rodota interviews Sonia Van Meter, the managing partner of Stanford Campaigns, a Democratic opposition research firm based in Austin, TX. They cover interesting ground – and not just...

Law and Order from 2020-07-22T13:00

What is the legacy of the bitter 1988 presidential campaign? How are oppo researchers approaching their work amidst the current national reckoning over race and policing? Host Joseph Rodota inte...

Three by Five from 2020-07-08T15:00

What happens when opposition researchers unearth something that touches a racial nerve? Host Joseph Rodota interviews Susan Estrich, campaign manager for Michael Dukakis’ 1988 presidential campa...

The Dark Art from 2020-06-10T00:00

Political attacks have been around as long as democracy itself, but where exactly does the history of “oppo research” begin? Hosts Kate Andersen Brower and Joseph Rodota interview historian and ...

TRAILER: Introducing OPPO FILE from 2020-05-22T17:00

OPPO FILE digs deep into the shadowy world of opposition research -- the art of digging into the background of a political opponent in order to identify weaknesses that can be exploited in a cam...

TRAILER: Introducing OPPO FILE from 2020-05-22T17:00

OPPO FILE digs deep into the shadowy world of opposition research -- the art of digging into the background of a political opponent in order to identify weaknesses that can be exploited in a cam...