How gerrymandering, stump speeches and Super Pacs could affect the US midterms | Global News Podcast

How gerrymandering, stump speeches and Super Pacs could affect the US midterms | Global News Podcast. With the US midterm elections taking place on 3 November, we answer audience members' questions about strange and obscure American political jargon – from Blue Waves, to Pacs to Purple States – and how these phenomena could play into the vote. The Global News Podcast is joined by Sumi Somaskanda and Anthony Zurcher of BBC's Americast in Washington. They tell us these elections will be crucial in deciding how the last two years of Donald Trump's presidency plays out. Will Republicans maintain their majorities in the House and Senate? Or will Democrats gain enough seats to curtail President Trump's political agenda? Plus, could the redrawing of electoral maps backfire? And will Elon Musk's campaign donations help sway things for the GOP? 1:02 What are the midterms and why do they matter? 03:51 What does it take to be an "informed voter"? 05:59 How does gerrymandering work? 09:39 What is a stump speech? 11:38 How has social media changed political campaigning? 12:16 How do lobbyists, Pacs and Super Pacs influence US politics? 16:45 Could we see a Blue Wave in the midterms? 17:32 What makes a state purple? The Global News Podcast brings you the best of the BBC’s news coverage and analysis from around the world. New audio episodes of the Global News Podcast are published twice a day. You can listen here: https://link.mgln.ai/GNP-YT And you can find more of our YouTube episodes here: https://bbc.in/GlobalNewsPodcast If you would like to get in touch, you can email us at globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk. Subscribe to our channel here: https://bbc.in/bbcnews For the latest news download the BBC News app or visit BBC.com/news #BBCNews