900: Talk Me Into It

Episode of This American Life · November 2, 2026 · 1 h 1 min

Ira Glass and reporters examine persuasion before the 2026 midterms: a Detroit canvasser, Montana's Democratic Senate nominee pressured to quit, a sales trick, and an Allentown Republican organizer.

Summary

This American Life's 900th episode, "Talk Me Into It," aired days before the 2026 midterm elections and explored people trying to change others' minds. In the prologue, producer Ike Sriskandarajah followed Rose Johnson, a Detroit volunteer for Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, as she tried and failed to persuade an old friend who said she distrusted El-Sayed because of his Arab heritage.

In Act One, reporter Heather Tal Murphy recounted how political novice Alani Bankhead won Montana's Democratic Senate primary after a mysterious super PAC, Progressive Vet PAC, spent heavily on her behalf and then abandoned her. Murphy reported that Democratic strategists backing independent Seth Bodnar had allegedly boosted Bankhead believing she would be easiest to push out; former senator Max Baucus said he had been told as much. Primary frontrunner Riley Neal described a call in which former governor Brian Schweitzer floated money for her to drop out, which Schweitzer denied as an offer. Bankhead said a senator, a governor and a former cabinet member urged her to withdraw, but she refused; Jon Tester argued she had no path to victory.

In Act Two, Glass remembered the late NPR host Noah Adams through a 1976 recording in which Adams described the "Ben Franklin close" car-sales technique and the only escape from it: saying "I don't know why, I just don't want it." In Act Three, Sriskandarajah accompanied Sam Negron in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where barbershop patrons said they did not regret voting for Trump, and Negron persuaded an undecided voter away from Governor Josh Shapiro. Negron predicted a red wave contrary to polls.

Chapters

0:37
Rose Johnson canvasses in Detroit
A Detroit volunteer tries to convince Black voters, including a resistant old friend, to back Abdul El-Sayed.
8:17
Alani Bankhead's sudden rise
A political novice wins Montana's Democratic Senate primary after a mysterious super PAC floods the race with ads.
15:11
The Bodnar strategy
The super PAC abandons Bankhead as Democrats rally behind independent Seth Bodnar, following a pattern in other red states.
19:50
Who was behind the money
Max Baucus confirms people he knows directed funds to a candidate expected to withdraw, and Murphy reconstructs the plan.
22:25
Riley Neal and the Schweitzer call
The ousted frontrunner describes an alleged payout suggestion from Brian Schweitzer, who denies making an offer.
Linked moment · 25:28Skip to 25:28 using a listen link in the info box.
25:28
Pressure to drop out
Yard signs, calls from prominent Democrats and job probing fail to move Bankhead, who vows to stay in.
31:29
Jon Tester weighs in
Tester argues Bankhead has no path to win and Bankhead dismisses his criticism.
36:06
The Ben Franklin close
Ira Glass remembers Noah Adams and his account of a manipulative sales technique and how to escape it.
44:27
The Oracle of Allentown
Sam Negron disputes polls showing Hispanic voters leaving Republicans and takes a producer to canvass.
47:01
Barbershop conversations
Allentown barbershop patrons, including one whose friends were deported, say they don't regret voting for Trump.
51:10
Persuading Rolando
Negron talks an undecided voter out of supporting Josh Shapiro and predicts a red wave.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

Rose Johnson
Rose Johnson recounts that a friend refused to vote for El-Sayed because he is Arab, which she called as wrong as prejudice against Kamala Harris.
“I can't vote for him because he's an A-Rab. And I said, well, that's dumb because they said the same thing about Kamala Harris”
Listen from 2:43 · Black–Arab relations in Detroit
Ira Glass
Ira Glass argues that despite talk of voters turning against Trump, changing anyone's mind is very hard.
“let us remember, please, how hard it is to change anybody's mind”
Listen from 6:56 · Political persuasion
Alani Bankhead
Bankhead argues that Jason Carroll's donations to both the super PAC and Bodnar show the PAC was pro-Bodnar.
“that's as much of a smoking gun as you're going to get to show that progressive vet PAC was pro-Bodner”
Listen from 19:03 · Progressive Vet PAC
Alani Bankhead
Bankhead believes she was seen as likely to drop out because of her gender, youthful appearance, ethnicity and kindness.
“I think because I'm female and I look really young and I'm brown and I'm petite and I'm kind”
Listen from 19:26 · 2026 United States Senate election in Montana
Max Baucus
Max Baucus says people he knows in Montana campaigns were part of organizations that directed money to Bankhead's primary.
“Some people I know have been involved in Montana campaigns. Really wonderful people. They were part of some organizations that directed the money”
Listen from 20:49 · Progressive Vet PAC
Heather Tal Murphy
Murphy reports the plan to back an independent and push out the Democratic nominee began at a 2025 meeting in Anaconda.
“It all began with a meeting in August 2025 in Anaconda with Democratic politicians and strategists from Montana and beyond”
Listen from 21:34 · Independent candidacies backed by Democrats in red states
Riley Neal
Riley Neal says the effort was a deliberate attempt to suppress her campaign and has left her feeling alienated from the Democratic Party.
“was a purposeful effort to repress my race. And I can't say that after this experience, I feel like much of a Democrat now”
Listen from 22:49 · 2026 United States Senate election in Montana
Brian Schweitzer
Brian Schweitzer denies offering Neal money and says he was pointing out how ridiculous such an offer would be.
“I was saying how ridiculous it would be if somebody would propose to pay money to get out of the race”
Listen from 25:07 · 2026 United States Senate election in Montana
Alani Bankhead
Bankhead says a U.S. senator, a sitting governor and a former cabinet member called to try to get her to drop out.
“I had a U.S. senator, a sitting governor and a former member of cabinet call me to try to get me to drop out”
Listen from 29:17 · 2026 United States Senate election in Montana
Jon Tester
Jon Tester argues the stakes are existential for democracy and that Bankhead does not grasp the gravity of the situation.
“Look, our democracy is hanging on by its fingernails today. If that, Congress has been AWOL for a year and three quarters”
Listen from 33:20 · 2026 United States Senate election in Montana
Alani Bankhead
Bankhead dismisses Tester's criticism, saying her primary win entitles her to party support.
“I won 48,000 votes. And if they want to support democracy, then they can support the Democratic candidate”
Listen from 35:02 · 2026 United States Senate election in Montana
Ira Glass
Ira Glass argues the Ben Franklin close works by creating an awkward social situation that customers feel unable to leave.
“the whole sale is built around creating this very awkward social experience where you put the customers on the spot”
Listen from 40:42 · Ben Franklin close
Noah Adams
Noah Adams says the only way for a customer to escape a trained salesman is to refuse without giving a reason.
“The only way out is to be willing to step out of the role that you've created for yourself and say, I don't know why. I just don't want it”
Listen from 43:47 · Ben Franklin close
Sam Negron
Sam Negron disputes polls showing Hispanic support for Republicans declining, saying his canvassing shows otherwise.
“And I don't know where they're getting those numbers because it's not what I see. It's not what I find”
Listen from 46:19 · Hispanic voters and the Republican Party
Willie Castillo
Willie Castillo supports Trump's deportations, arguing many immigrants he knows are criminals, though he says his deported friends were not.
“I know a lot of immigrants that came into this country personally, that don't belong here, not because they're immigrants, because they're criminals”
Listen from 49:43 · U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Sam Negron
Negron argues Stacy Garrity is genuine and would be a better governor than Josh Shapiro.
“I find her to be a very, very genuine person, someone who really cares. And I believe that she would be the better candidate”
Listen from 54:41 · 2026 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election
Sam Negron Prediction · being checked
Negron predicts there will be no Democratic blue wave in the midterms.
“From all the people that I've spoken to, I don't see a blue wave coming. I don't see it. It would shock the hell out of me”
Listen from 55:41 · 2026 United States midterm elections
Ike Sriskandarajah Prediction · being checked
Sriskandarajah reports Negron predicts Stacy Garrity will defeat Josh Shapiro and Republicans will gain House and Senate seats.
“For Pennsylvania governor, he says Stacey Garrity will beat Josh Shapiro. All of these predictions are the opposite of what the polls say”
Listen from 56:09 · 2026 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election

People

In the conversation

Ira GlassHost and creator of This American Life
Ike SriskandarajahThis American Life producer who reported the prologue and Act Three
Heather Tal MurphyMontana-based reporter (narration split into a separate label)
Alani BankheadDemocratic U.S. Senate nominee in Montana, Air Force veteran and former child sex crimes investigator
Sam NegronAllentown, Pennsylvania Republican organizer who canvasses Hispanic voters
Rose JohnsonRetired Detroit police dispatcher and volunteer for Abdul El-Sayed
Jon TesterFormer Democratic U.S. senator from Montana
Riley NealFormer Montana state lawmaker and Democratic Senate primary frontrunner
Brian SchweitzerFormer Democratic governor of Montana
Max BaucusFormer longtime Democratic U.S. senator from Montana
Willie CastilloAllentown barber and Trump voter
Rolando RolónOlder Puerto Rican Republican voter in Allentown
AJYoung barbershop patron in Allentown who voted for Trump
Noah Adams

Discussed

Abdul El-SayedDemocratic Senate nominee in Michigan
Seth BodnarIndependent Montana Senate candidate and former University of Montana president
Kurt AlmeRepublican Montana Senate candidate and former U.S. attorney
Jason CarrollBillionaire finance executive linked to donations to Progressive Vet PAC and Bodnar
Elissa SlotkinDemocratic U.S. senator from Michigan reported to have called Bankhead
Stacy GarrityRepublican Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate and state treasurer
Josh ShapiroGovernor of Pennsylvania whose residence was set on fire in an arson attack
Donald TrumpPresident of the United States whose conduct of the Iran war is the episode's main subject
Kamala HarrisFormer Vice President mentioned as a potential California endorser
Keith TalbotRadio producer who interviewed Noah Adams for The Selling Game

Topics

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From the publisher

It’s the midterms! This week’s show is about people changing their minds and not changing their minds — and the people trying to do the persuading. Start a Life Partners free trial to watch our new video, A Night of Stories and Improv. (00:00:00) Prologue: In Detroit, Rose Johnson tries to convince other Black voters to vote for Abdul El-Sayed. Her friend isn’t having it. (7 minutes) (00:07:30) Act One: In Montana's Senate race this year, Democrats have been caught up in a messy cloak-and-dagger fight, with longtime big-name Democrats not endorsing their own nominee. So many people have been trying to persuade one candidate, Alani Bankhead, to do something she’s refused to do. Heather Tal Murphy reports. (27 minutes) (00:36:34) Act Two: While working as a car salesman, longtime All Things Considered host Noah Adams learned about a technique to supposedly close a deal. Ira remembers hearing the story decades ago and was thinking about it after Noah’s recent death. (9 minutes) (00:44:24) Act Three: Sam Negron has been working for years to bring Hispanic voters into the Republican Party. He was a part of the push two years ago that helped Trump win more of the Hispanic vote than any Republican. This year, every national poll predicts Republicans losing ground with those voters. But Sam says he is still seeing the exact opposite when he talks to people. He invited producer Ike Sriskandarajah to come to Allentown to see the red wave he is predicting. (11 minutes) Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org / This American Life privacy policy . / Learn more about sponsor message choices .

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on November 3, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: Politics·Society & Culture