The Gist

Eric Zorn from the Chicago Tribune joins Mike to discuss two contentious races happening in Illinois this year that could swing the balance of power in Congress. Incumbent Republican Sen. Mark Kirk is trailing badly to his Democratic opponent, Tammy Duckworth. And in the 10th congressional district, Rep. Bob Dold is facing a tight battle against his predecessor, Brad Schneider. Both races showcase an increasingly rare breed in Congress: the moderate Republican. In The Spiel, what Halloween can tell us about partisan politics. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we're reaching into The Gist's vault to bring you two favorite segments from the past year. First, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper explains why he saw the movie Deep Throat with his mother and reflects on his state's move to legalize marijuana. Hickenlooper's book is called The Opposite of Woe: My Life in Beer and Politics. For the Spiel, why are we so scared when we hear talk of a rigged election?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are dating longer. We are dating differently. Is it making us happier? Mike's not buying it. Former Gist producer Andrea Silenzi wades into an impromptu debate about dating today. Check out Andrea's new show, Why Oh Why, a Panoply podcast about dating and relationships. Andy Miccolis created Why Oh Why's theme music, included in today's show. For the Spiel, Donald Trump's surrogates.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Does Trump so need women that he despises them? On The Gist, love and sex advice columnist Dan Savage considers Trump's misogyny. Savage also clears the air about his withering criticism of Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein and gives third-party enthusiasts a reality check: "Elect some congressmen, elect a governor, and then we can talk about who you're running for president." Savage hosts the Savage Lovecast and writes for the Stranger.  In the Spiel, poor old Admiral Kuznetsov. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

America's favorite debunker, Adam Conover, takes on the election in his TruTV special. Conover, famous for "Adam Ruins Everything," talks to Mike about how comedians can change society, and the limits of satire as an art form. Conover's special airs Tuesday, Oct. 25 at 9 p.m.  For the Spiel, what America was like the last time the Chicago Cubs won the World Series.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

No to a student loan bailout. No to debt-free state schools. Prepare to be enlightened, if a bit disheartened, as our friend Adam Davidson explains why eliminating college debt falls short of solving the country's inequality crisis. Davidson is a contributing writer for the New Yorker. For the Spiel, it's another Lobstar of the Antentwig.  Today's sponsor: Placemakers, a new Slate podcast made possible by JPMorgan Chase. This podcast tells the stories of neighborhoods, businesses, and nonprofits that are working together to move their communities forward. Download and subscribe to Placemakers wherever you get your podcasts. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, former Daily Show head writer Elliott Kalan talks about his new Audible series Presidents are People Too! Kalan looks at the reasons so many mediocre candidates make it the White House, and tries to find something to admire in our crappiest commanders-in-chief. Kalan says watching this year's presidential election while studying American political history has been sobering. Think America has never been more divided? Congressmen used to cane each other in the 1850s.   Today's sponsors:  The Gist is brought to you by MVMT Watches. Get 15 percent off today—with free shipping and free returns—by going to mvmtwatches.com/gist.   And by InterContinental Hotels and Resorts. Take a multisensory journey into the InterContinental life, and discover stories that will excite your curiosity by going to intercontinental.com/life. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit po

The first fifty minutes felt…strange. Calm. Like a real debate. Then Chris Wallace asked if Trump would recognize the election as legitimate. Mike Pesca was in the spin room after the third and final presidential showdown.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, Green Party candidate Jill Stein lays out her foreign policy. She debates Mike Pesca about Hillary Clinton, Yemen, and America's use of force. Stein believes the United States is closer to nuclear war than ever, including the Cold War. She explains how de-escalating nuclear tensions with Russia should take priority, and how neither of the major party candidates is up to the job. This year marks Stein's second run for the presidency.   Today's sponsors: The Gist is brought to you by Winc, formerly known as Club W. With Winc, you get top quality wine delivered right to your door. For $20 off your first order, go to trywinc.com/gist. And by Basecamp, a cloud-based system with tools to help you get work done in a sane, organized way. Try it for free today at basecamp.com/gist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, Jonathan Prince has helped candidates such as Bill Clinton and John Edwards prep for high-stakes debates. Now, he's got some advice for Hillary Clinton as she faces round No. 3 with the most unpredictable candidate of the modern era. Prince has worked for the Clinton and Obama administrations, but now he's the head of communications for Spotify. For the Spiel, how do you rig the most well-observed election on Earth? The answer is: You don't. Today's sponsors: Squarespace. Start your free trial today at Squarespace.com and enter offer code gist to get 10 percent off your first purchase. And by Betterment, the largest automated investing service. Get up to six months of investing FREE when you go to Betterment.com/gist.  Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, rhetoric scholar Jennifer Mercieca says that when you dig into his speeches, Donald Trump's kind of an evil genius when it comes to rhetoric. Whether it's his use of paralipsis ("I'm not saying, but I'm saying") or reification (treating people like objects), Trump is an expert at using rhetoric to get under people's skin. Mercieca is authoring a book on political rhetoric in the 2016 campaign, set to come out later this year. For the Spiel, an update on Trump's collapse with female voters.  Today's sponsors: Squarespace. Start your free trial today at Squarespace.com and enter offer code gist to get 10 percent off your first purchase. And by Periscope data, the ultimate tool for fast and flexible data visualization. Get a free trial today by going to periscopedata.com/gist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 2014, Amber Ruffin became the first black woman to write for a late-night network comedy when she joined NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers. On The Gist, Ruffin explains the banality of being a trailblazer: "We're just dicking around in a different room."  For the Spiel, the dogged defenders of Donald Trump.  Panoply survey  We want you to tell us about the podcasts you enjoy and how often you listen to them. So we created a survey that takes just a couple of minutes to complete. If you fill it out, you'll help Panoply make great podcasts about the things you love—and things you didn't even know you loved. To fill out the survey, just go to megaphone.fm/survey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Gist, Jennifer Lawless details the reasons more women don't run for elected office in the United States. Her research documents a decline in media bias against women running for House seats. Despite that, Congress is still overwhelmingly male. Lawless authored a book with Danny Hayes called Women on the Run: Gender, Media, and Political Campaigns in a Polarized Era.  For the Spiel, Bob Dylan didn't need a Nobel Prize to confirm his status as a great writer. Panoply Survey:  We want you to tell us about the podcasts you enjoy and how often you listen to them. So we created a survey that takes just a couple of minutes to complete. If you fill it out, you'll help Panoply to make great podcasts about the things you love. And things you didn't even know you loved.  To fill out the survey, just go to www.megaphone.fm/survey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you had to engineer the perfect wait time for a meal, how would you do it? On The Gist, Dan Pashman explains the art of anticipation as applied to food. Pashman is the host of WNYC's The Sporkful. Check out his show's new series on food, race, and culture: "Who Is This Restaurant For?" In the Spiel, what should we call Trump's former defectors? Undefectors? Reflectors? Panoply Survey:  We want you to tell us about the podcasts you enjoy and how often you listen to them. So we created a survey that takes just a couple of minutes to complete. If you fill it out, you'll help Panoply to make great podcasts about the things you love. And things you didn't even know you loved. To fill out the survey, just go to www.megaphone.fm/survey  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The implosion of Donald Trump's campaign shows a party that's divided on everything from criminal justice reform to immigration. On The Gist, National Review executive editor and Slate columnist Reihan Salam considers the future of the GOP and conservative thinking.  For the Spiel, why did the Republican Party fall for a demagogue? Is it because conservatives still kowtow to right-wing media outlets that embrace conspiracy theories, lies, and propaganda? Panoply Survey:  We want you to tell us about the podcasts you enjoy and how often you listen to them. So we created a survey that takes just a couple of minutes to complete. If you fill it out, you'll help Panoply to make great podcasts about the things you love. And things you didn't even know you loved. To fill out the survey, just go to www.megaphone.fm/survey  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We have seen the limits of debate prep.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Just one question on the leaked "Access Hollywood" tape of Donald Trump with Billy Bush: Are we watching a Greek tragedy or a Saturday morning cartoon? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Phoebe Robinson recounts the tributes and trolling her book has prompted with its title, You Can't Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain. On The Gist, Robinson wonders whether dreadlocks have really entered the mainstream (and are they ever acceptable on white guys?), and gives Mike a lesson in cultural sensitivity. Robinson is the goofball complement to her co-host Jessica Williams' deadpan delivery on the 2 Dope Queens podcast. She is also the host of the interview podcast, Sooo Many White Guys.  For the Spiel, the West Virginia governor race pits a wealthy Democrat against both coal and Cole. Today's sponsor:  Money Mind, a new podcast from Prudential. Learn how to financially plan for every stage of life. Download and subscribe to Money Mind wherever you find your podcasts, and learn more at Slate.com/MoneyMind.  Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at Slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Vi

On The Gist, we look at the proliferation of fact-checking in the 2016 campaign. One empirical analysis found that Donald Trump is telling a falsehood every five minutes during his speeches. But why isn't the aggressive fact-checking of the Republican making a difference? We called up Brendan Nyhan, a professor in the department of government at Dartmouth College and the former editor of Spinsanity, a nonpartisan watchdog site focused on political messaging.    In The Spiel, the faltering cease-fire in Syria.   Panoply survey We want you to tell us about the podcasts you enjoy and how often you listen to them. So we created a survey that takes just a couple of minutes to complete. If you fill it out, you'll help Panoply to make great podcasts about the things you love—and things you didn't even know you loved  To fill out the survey, just go to megaphone.fm/survey. Today's sponsors: Casper. Get an obsessively engineered mattress at a shockingly fair price. Go to Casper.com/gist and use promo code gist to get

On The Gist, dig into body mass index with our resident bulls--t debunker Maria Konnikova. Does a healthy BMI actually mean anything? The question came up after Donald Trump's recent appearance on The Dr. Oz Show, in which his weight and height were revealed—if his numbers are to be believed, his BMI is 30.3, which qualifies as obese. But does BMI actually tell us anything meaningful about health? Or is it an arcane measurement that needs to be phased out? Also, more on Tuesday's testy vice presidential debate. Panoply survey We want you to tell us about the podcasts you enjoy and how often you listen to them. So we created a survey that takes just a couple of minutes to complete. If you fill it out, you'll help Panoply to make great podcasts about the things you love—and things you didn't even know you loved. To fill out the survey, just go to megaphone.fm/survey. Today's sponsors: Get quality shaving products delivered right to your door with Harry's. Sign up for a shave plan at Harrys.com and use promo cod