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Oppo File

Oppo File

Joe Rodota

The history and practice of opposition research, the "dark art" of American politics.
oppofile.substack.com
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Top 10 Oppo File Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Oppo File episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Oppo File for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Oppo File episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Oppo File - A Customer

A Customer

Oppo File

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11/19/20 • 34 min

In the season finale of OPPO FILE, we solve a mystery: Who set in motion the oppo research into Geraldine Ferraro’s family finances? Host Joseph Rodota interviews John Roberts, former Reagan aide and author; Sheila Tate, former press secretary to Nancy Reagan; and author Kate Andersen Brower.


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Oppo File - A Million Questions
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09/02/20 • 21 min

Heading into Labor Day weekend, host Joseph Rodota recaps the 2020 Democratic and Republican conventions. GOP oppo researcher Gary Maloney and press aide Jeff Nesbit describe the chaotic roll-out of George H.W. Bush’s vice presidential nominee, Sen. Dan Quayle. Democratic opposition researcher Shauna Daly leaps into action after Sen. John McCain selects a little-known governor as his running mate.


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Oppo File - The Spider's Web
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08/06/20 • 30 min

Is oppo research stranger than fiction? Who killed Dr. Death? Joseph Rodota interviews author and journalist Tom Rosenstiel; speechwriter, business consultant and author Mark Davis; and Dr. Jonathan Cullick, professor of English at Northern Kentucky University.


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Oppo File - Law and Order

Law and Order

Oppo File

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07/22/20 • 26 min

What is the legacy of the bitter 1988 presidential campaign? How are oppo researchers approaching their work amidst the current national reckoning over race and policing? Host Joseph Rodota interviews Susan Estrich, the Dukakis campaign manager; Jack Corrigan, deputy campaign manager; Dr. Jack Pitney, professor of politics at Claremont McKenna College and author of a book about the ’88 campaign; Dr. Marcia Chatelain, author and professor of history and African American Studies at Georgetown University; and Sonia Van Meter, the managing partner of an opposition research firm headquartered in Austin, Texas.


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Oppo File - TRAILER: Introducing OPPO FILE
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05/22/20 • 2 min

OPPO FILE digs deep into the shadowy world of opposition research -- the art of digging into the background of a political opponent in order to identify weaknesses that can be exploited in a campaign. Hosts Kate Andersen Brower and Joseph Rodota interview oppo researchers from both parties and ask them why they chose this profession and how they package the damaging information they unearth. Is everything about a candidate – no matter how personal – fair game?


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Oppo File - A Tiger by the Tail
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10/19/20 • 34 min

On July 12, 1984, Democratic presidential nominee Walter Mondale made history when he named Representative Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate. The next day, New York lawyer Roy Cohn arrived in the offices of the Reagan re-election campaign. First of two parts.


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Oppo File - The Weirdness Factor
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09/30/20 • 23 min

Opposition research isn’t just a tool for understanding your opponent. It’s also a tool for understanding yourself.

Host Joseph Rodota interviews Chris Lyon, who wrote a “vulnerability study” on Rudy Giuliani in 1993. Nearly two decades later, Fred Smith solves a mystery.


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Oppo File - Bonus Episode: Tom Rosenstiel
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08/27/20 • 8 min

In 1988, George H.W. Bush overcame a 17-point deficit in the polls and won the election. In this bonus episode, journalist and author Tom Rosenstiel looks back at Bush’s campaign manager Lee Atwater – and why Donald Trump survived an avalanche of oppo in 2016.


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Oppo File - The Dark Art

The Dark Art

Oppo File

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06/10/20 • 19 min

Political attacks have been around as long as democracy itself, but where exactly does the history of “oppo research” begin? Hosts Kate Andersen Brower and Joseph Rodota interview historian and author Susan Swain about a campaign in which the target of opposition researchers wasn’t the candidate – it was the candidate’s wife. And in 2016, Liz Mair unearths a risqué photo of Melania Trump, setting in motion a series of charges and counter-charges on the campaign trail – and provoking an ominous threat.


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Oppo File - Cheap Shots

Cheap Shots

Oppo File

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09/22/20 • 19 min

Why do some campaigns wait for just the right moment to unveil their opposition research, while others decide to dump it all at once?

Host Joseph Rodota interviews Pat Dennis, Trump War Room Research Director at American Bridge 21st Century.


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FAQ

How many episodes does Oppo File have?

Oppo File currently has 14 episodes available.

What topics does Oppo File cover?

The podcast is about History, Podcasts and Government.

What is the most popular episode on Oppo File?

The episode title 'A Customer' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Oppo File?

The average episode length on Oppo File is 21 minutes.

How often are episodes of Oppo File released?

Episodes of Oppo File are typically released every 11 days, 3 hours.

When was the first episode of Oppo File?

The first episode of Oppo File was released on May 22, 2020.

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