# David French: Character Counts For Less

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-bulwark-4018927/david-french-character-counts-for-less
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-bulwark-4018927/david-french-character-counts-for-less.md
Podcast: [The Bulwark](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-bulwark-4018927)
Published: 2026-07-18T10:02:40+00:00
Episode link: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/david-french-character-counts-for
Audio file: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/207489239/a4fde518f9dc9811f502bc3c772b3fe4.mp3
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-bulwark-4018927/episodes/david-french-character-counts-for-less
Duration seconds: 736

## Resource

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.thebulwark.com American politics and politicians are decidedly lower-character than they used to be. So, how did we get here? And why have voters seemingly lowered their expectations? The New York Times ’ David French joins the show to discuss Americans’ relationship with low-character politicians like Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump, and how our major political parties have handled candidates like Ken Paxton and Graham Platner in 2026. Show notes: David French: The Platner Trap There are more tickets to see Sarah and JVL on September 8 in NYC! We are about to sell out the orchestra section—but we want to sell out the balcony, too. It’s a point of pride. Come hang with us. Tickets are here. Watch, listen, and leave a comment . Full ad-supported episodes of The Focus Group Podcast are available wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube . Hit that like 🤍 button and share this episode with a friend. Ad-free editions like this one are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members on the site, the Bulwark App, via your member-only RSS feeds, and the Substack Mobile and TV Apps. Upgrade now to listen without ads and to join the community in the comments.

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## Transcript

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