Chris Riback's Conversations

Gov. Howard Dean, Former DNC Chairman and Founder of Democracy for America

It’s President Obama’s policy issue number one, and now once again, it’s political issue number one. The Affordable Care Act, Obamacare, at the center of the political debate.The President says he and his team fumbled, and they’ve offered an administrative fix to the most glaring issue: Whether you can keep you plan if you want. Republicans say this debate is a question of trust and the law must go. Meanwhile, polls showing that confidence in the President – and his character – may be the real victim.With Congressional legislation pending – and that website still under repair – will Democrats stand by the President and his health care plan? With midterm elections on everyone’s mind, can they afford to?Here to discuss the policy and the politics, Gov. Howard Dean, former DNC Chair and Founder of Democracy for America.

Ezra Klein, Washington Post Wonk Blog

As we sit in the gap between October’s disastrous healthcare.gov rollout and the site’s relaunch at the end of November, there’s only one way to fill this time that’s in perfect keeping with the state of American politics: Congressional Hearings. They began last month and continue this week, as Health Care and politics continue to mix. Beyond Health Care, plenty of other politics: It’s the Chris Christie tour – he’s about to take over as head of the Republican Governors Association – just one more entry for his pre-presidential race resume, perhaps?Here to discuss health care, politics and more – Ezra Klein, Editor of the Washington Post's Wonkblog, Bloomberg View columnist, and MSNBC contributor..

Norm Ornstein, American Enterprise Institute

As we officially enter the 2014 Midterm Election season, a clear question defines the debate: Have we reached a new age of political extremism?From the government shutdown to internal Republican battles to new Voter ID laws, evidence piles up. And with real challenges like health care implementation, debt reduction and immigration reform, instead of constructive work by leaders to address the issues of our day, there’s a tearing down.Choose what you want to blame, but the bottom line is clear: Congress and the politics around it isn’t working.How did we get into this mess? More importantly, of course, how might we get out?Few think about the cause and effect more than Norm Ornstein, contributing editor for National Journal, co-author of “It’s Even Worse Than It Looks: How the American Constitutional System Collided With the New Politics of Extremism,” and resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.

Rick Klein, Political Director of ABC News

It’s Election Day in America, and while we may not be voting today for the next President – or even the next Congress – that’s where most people’s attention turns.In New Jersey, is the 2016 Republican Presidential nominee running for governor? In Virginia, what happens if a key money man for Hillary Clinton – possibly the next Democratic Presidential nominee – takes the governor’s mansion there? What other clues in the next days will help define early momentum in the midterm election countdown and beyond?And besides the voting, several key areas where policy meets politics: NSA eavesdropping fallout: Is trust the real victim here? Healthcare website debacle: can public confidence come back?; and some two months before the next potential government shutdown, is a workable agreement possible?

Helping us navigate: Rick Klein, ABC News Political Director and co-host of their Topline Webcast

Charlie Cook of the Cook Political Report

The recent Wall St. Journal/NBC poll says it all: President Obama’s job approval rating is down, disapproval of his performance is up, and for the first time, more Americans view Obama negatively than positively.For Republicans, the news is hardly better: The party reached an all-time public opinion low, with just 22 percent positive and a stunning 53 percent seeing them negatively.And then there’s the pox on both their houses: 63 percent of Americans want their own member of Congress kicked out – the highest this number has ever been since the question was asked in 1992.We all know the reasons – shutdowns and debt ceilings and bungled websites and more. But with an Election Day coming Tuesday, and a much bigger one a year from Tuesday, can either party find a way out?One person who might know a path – Charlie Cook, Editor and Publisher of The Cook Political Report and Columnist for the National Journal.

Stu Rothenberg of the Rothenberg Political Report

With the government shutdown and debt ceiling battles behind us – at least until January – focus has turned to what in politics passes for the long term: Next year’s midterm elections. The fight for next November is on.

But who has the momentum? Did the shutdown reveal Republicans’ as too far outside the political mainstream – or, worse, too divided internally to ever unite around an electable platform? For Democrats, will a disastrous debut for the government’s health care website turn Americans against them and Obamacare? And what about this talk of a so-called Democratic Wave?

Helping us make sense of the policy and the politics: Stu Rothenberg, Editor and publisher of The Rothenberg Political Report and Columnist at Roll Call.