Episode Details

Today I'm joined by legendary University of Virginia professor Larry Sabato for a wide-ranging conversation about his remarkable life, his decades at UVA, and the experiences that shaped one of America's most respected political analysts.Professor Sabato reflects on his journey from Norfolk Catholic to the University of Virginia, Princeton, and Oxford before returning to Charlottesville, where he has spent nearly five decades teaching generations of students and building the UVA Center for Politics into one of the nation's leading civic institutions.Along the way, we discuss growing up during the Kennedy era, the influence of Henry Howell, the transformation of Virginia politics, the evolution of race relations at UVA, why he chose academia over law, and what has kept him teaching long after many of his contemporaries retired.Finally, Professor Sabato puts on his analyst's hat to discuss today's political climate, the health of American democracy, why he remains optimistic about the future, and the role each of us can play in strengthening our civic institutions.I'm deeply grateful for the opportunity to sit down with one of UVA's most influential professors, whose work has helped generations of students—and millions of Americans—better understand politics, elections, and public life.