NEW EPISODE · OCTOBER 20, 2026 · EP 653
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Vol. V · No. 653Wednesday Edition
Righteous MediaSince 1776. Est. 2019

The Michael Smerconish Program: Paul Rieckhoff on 3rd Party Candidates After New Hampshire

The Brief

→ Four things from today’s episode
01

Matthew McConaughey’s weekend message and why Paul’s phone w. Matthew McConaughey’s weekend message and why Paul’s phone wouldn’t stop buzzing with people asking if he’ll run

02

The math on a McConaughey 2028 independent run. and why 20% like Ross Perot may be the floor, not the ceiling

03

Brian Bengs ties Mike Rounds 43-42 in South Dakota. the first independent senator who won’t caucus with either party is within reach

04

The Guardian report that Elon Musk asked Trump to throttle S. The Guardian report that Elon Musk asked Trump to throttle Starlink in Ukraine, and what it means when a defense contractor has that much unregulated power

Independent voters, like the two of us, played a powerful role in the New Hampshire primary, driving support for Nikki Haley and Dean Phillips. Neither won. But both overperformed and showed the challenges both Trump and Biden will face this November if they are indeed the Democratic and Republican nominees.

Could 2024–finally–be the year in which independent voters get some respect? Or will they continue to suffer the same fate as Rodney Dangerfield in a political culture driven by partisan actors with unlimited budgets and powerful algorithms?

Read the rest of Paul Rieckhoff’s exclusive Op-Ed on Smerconish.com, “Will Anyone Listen to Independents After New Hampshire?” The Michael Smerconish Program, 02/05/24.