In this conversation, Jennifer Senior, a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer for The Atlantic, dives into her revealing piece on Steve Bannon, whom she dubs 'American Rasputin.' They explore Bannon's controversial role as a media manipulator through his 'War Room' podcast. Senior dissects his impact on political movements, including the January 6th attack. The discussion also touches on Bannon's belief systems and how he might be shaping future insurgencies, highlighting the intersection of media and power in contemporary politics.
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insights INSIGHT
Bannon's Influence
Steve Bannon effectively articulated and shaped Trump's philosophy, including the "big lie" and economic nationalism.
Bannon mainstreams radical ideas and disinformation, significantly influencing the Republican party.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Bannon and January 6th
Bannon's rhetoric often uses strong, aggressive language, but his actions may not always align with his words.
While he may not have been logistically involved in the January 6th attack, he helped organize the energy behind it.
insights INSIGHT
War Room's Purpose
Bannon's podcast, "War Room," actively energizes the Trump base and spreads inflammatory rhetoric, not just entertainment.
It encourages listeners to become active participants through catchphrases and testimonials.
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The Paradox of Democracy captures the deep connection between communication and political culture, from the ancient art of rhetoric and the revolutionary role of newspapers to liberal broadcast media and the toxic misinformation of the digital public sphere. With clear-eyed analysis, Gershberg and Illing show that our contemporary debates over media, populism, and cancel culture are not too different from the democratic cultural experiences of the past. They argue that democracy is always perched precipitously on a razor’s edge, now as ever before, and that democratic freedom can be self-negating due to the power of persuasion and the potential for manipulation by authoritarian forces.
The Fourth Turning
What the Cycles of History Tell Us About America's Next Rendezvous with Destiny
Neil Howe
William Strauss
The Fourth Turning illuminates the past, explains the present, and reimagines the future based on a provocative theory of American history. The authors identify a distinct pattern where modern history moves in cycles, each lasting about the length of a long human life, composed of four twenty-year eras—or 'turnings'—that comprise history's seasonal rhythm of growth, maturation, entropy, and rebirth. The book offers bold predictions about how America’s past will predict what comes next, particularly focusing on the roles of Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials during times of upheaval.
Sean Illing talks with Jennifer Senior, the Pulitzer-winning staff writer at the Atlantic, about her recent piece on Steve Bannon called "American Rasputin." Through incredible firsthand access and detailed reporting, Senior shows how Bannon is still an effective media manipulator through his popular "War Room" podcast. Sean and Jennifer discuss what Bannon's true political beliefs might be, the role he played in plotting the January 6th attack on the Capitol, and the role he might already be playing in setting up the next insurrection.
Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), Interviews Writer, Vox
Guest: Jennifer Senior (@JenSeniorNY), staff writer, The Atlantic
The Gray Area with Sean Illing 
