Beyond the Bubble: Republican worry over 2018 mounts

In this week’s episode of Beyond the Bubble, national Republicans fret over the 2018 election effects of President Donald Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey, an ambitious Kansas politician gets a controversial gig and North Carolina Democrats cry foul over a 3 a.m. state budget vote.

Host Pati Mazzei of the Miami Herald is joined by political reporters Bryan Lowry of the Kansas City Star and Colin Campbell of the Raleigh News & Observer, along with McClatchy senior political correspondent Katie Glueck and White House correspondent Anita Kumar.

On this episode:

• Special guest Al Cardenas, the former head of the American Conservative Union, warns that Trump could be a drag on Republicans on the 2018, especially if voters get a lasting impression that the White House is in disarray.
• Bryan delves into the political future of Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who was appointed to co-chair the Trump administration’s Commission on Election Integrity. There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud, but the issue could raise Kobach’s national profile ahead of a possible run for governor.
• Colin recounts late-night budget shenanigans in the North Carolina state Senate, which included an impromptu dance party and funding to battle the opioid crisis at the expense of public education.
• Katie walks us through grassroots Republicans’ calculus ahead of the 2018 election. Political operatives are wary of Democrats’ stepped-up recruitment and recharged activism, but Trump still has plenty of on-the-ground support.

Subscribe to the show on iTunes here or Sticher here and please send questions and suggestions for upcoming shows to btb@mcclatchy.com.

This story was originally published May 16, 2017 at 5:26 PM with the headline "Beyond the Bubble: Republican worry over 2018 mounts."