Offline with Jon Favreau

Are You Treating Politics Like a Hobby?

Apr 7, 2024

Eitan Hersh, a Political Science professor at Tufts, discusses the impact of 'political hobbyists' on democracy with Jon Favreau. They explore the importance of meaningful political action over online activism, the challenges of engaging in local politics, and the necessity of building real connections in political organizing.

46:47

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Episode guests

Eitan Hersh

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Political hobbyism undermines effective political engagement by prioritizing news consumption over meaningful participation.

Deep canvassing promotes empathy and personal connections, emphasizing listening and storytelling to persuade others.

Engagement at a local community level, through social interactions and shared interests, fosters trust and encourages political involvement.

Deep dives

Political Hobbyism Vs. Real Political Engagement

Political hobbyism, characterized by expressive energy without strategic behavior, is critiqued as detrimental to American politics by Aton Hirsch in his book 'Politics is for Power'. He argues that too many political news junkies focus on news consumption and sharing opinions without actual political engagement. Hirsch emphasizes the importance of meaningful engagement over passive hobbyism.

True Political Engagement and Effective Activism

03:53

Building Strong Communities for Political Influence

03:55

Building Empathy through Deep Canvassing

03:13

Introduction

4min

Political Hobbyism vs. Real Political Engagement

18min

Exploring the Detrimental Effects of Political Hobbyism on Democracy

3min

Preventing Rough Mornings After Drinking with Zbiotics

2min

Engagement in Political Movements Through Meaningful Action

10min

Factor Meal Delivery Service Ad and Deep Canvassing Discussion

4min

Empathetic Storytelling and Local Services in Political Organizing

8min

Contrasting Online and Offline Political Engagement

3min

Are college educated Democrats going to cost Joe Biden the election? Eitan Hersh, a Political Science professor at Tufts, joins Offline to take a closer look at “political hobbyists,” aka people who think that getting involved in politics means following the news and forming political opinions. Eitan’s book, Politics is for Power, lays out a roadmap for folks who are tired of online takes and ready to get involved in politics at the community level—where engagement could make a real impact. He and Jon talk about what organizing looks like in every day life, and how the most important activism is the kind you probably won’t find on social media.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

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Offline with Jon Favreau

Are You Treating Politics Like a Hobby?

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Political Hobbyism Vs. Real Political Engagement

Deep Canvassing and Building Relationships in Politics

Local Community Engagement and Impact on Politics

Challenges in Transitioning from Hobbyism to Activism

Emphasizing Real Engagement Over Expressive Energy

True Political Engagement and Effective Activism

Building Strong Communities for Political Influence

Building Empathy through Deep Canvassing

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts