I’m looking for recommendations of podcasts that discuss current political news. Preferably they would be relatively non-partisan, or represent partisan views on both sides. I do lean left, though, so I’m not averse to discussion from that perspective. Not interested in any shouty blowhards. I’m looking mainly for US-centric stuff. Podcasts focusing on elections would be great, as well as podcasts about broader political news.
Here is what I listen to now:
fivethirtyeight’s “Elections” podcast - primarily about polling and predictions
The Diane Rehm Show - often, but not always, about politics. Great guest commentators with a variety of perspectives.
The Rachel Maddow Show - the podcast is the audio from her tv show.
I tried NPR’s “Politics” podcast and didn’t care much for it.
Anyone have any suggestions?
From Slate: the Political Gabfest and the Trumpcast.
Former has two left-leaners (though both can be heterodox) and one straight-news guy (John Dickerson from Face the Nation); latter focuses on Trump and is critical of him, but fun and informative.
I also regularly listen to the 538 and Maddow podcasts.
Also: I really liked the New Yorker’s “Political Scene” podcast, but it went away - just checked, and they’re back with the name “Politics and More.” I’ll be checking it out shortly!
Keeping It 1600, Jon Favreau and Dan Pfieffer, two higher-ups in the Obama campaign and White House (Favreau was his main speechwriter for years). Leans Hillary, to say the least.
Politico’s Nerd Podcast - 4 numbers and what they mean and whether or not you can trust them.
Not political, but Malcolm Gladwell’s latest podcast, #4 in his revisionist history series, “Carlos Can’t Remember” is the reason why I’m voting for Hillary. It’s one hour long and powerful, and there is only 1 of the 2 candidates who will even try to address the issues addressed.
Dan Carlin of Hardcore History fame does a irregular current events show called Common Sense. Irregular both in terms of how often it is released and also in the content.
Ken Rudin’s “Political Junkie” podcast is pretty good. He even gets Neal Conan on once a month to make me nostalgic for Talk of the Nation.
KCRW’s “Left, Right and Center” is a little bit Crossfire-like, but generally more civil. As the title suggests, there are panelists of various political stripes.
I also absolutely love “The Weeds” and “The Ezra Klein Show” from Vox (and Panoply, which produces the Slate podcasts as well). “The Weeds” is a deep-dive for policy nerds every week, and I learn something new every time I listen. They occasionally deal with the politics of the policies they discuss. Ezra Klein does interesting interviews, some political, many not. This week, he interviewed Hillary Clinton, and it was a very good picture of her thinking on policy and the politics of running a government.
I’ll second the recommendations for the “Political Gabfest”, “Trumpcast”, and “Keepin’ It 1600”.