Politicology

Richard Reeves, author of "Of Boys and Men" and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, joins to discuss the pressing challenges boys and men face today. He dives into the gendered education gap and the impact of economic shifts on male empowerment. Reeves highlights alarming male depression rates and underreported suicide statistics, advocating for a structural, rather than individual, understanding of these issues. He calls for a balanced discourse on gender that addresses male struggles amid broader societal changes.

Zack Czajkowski is a former political director at the Lincoln Project, and James Lynch has worked with high-profile political campaigns. They discuss Donald Trump's unique photo op at McDonald's, aiming to connect with working-class voters, and how it contrasts with Kamala Harris's strategies. The conversation shifts to the new 'podcast election' phenomenon, highlighting how platforms like podcasts influence political communication and engage younger audiences, transforming how candidates shape their public image.

Mike Madrid, a seasoned political strategist, sheds light on the tumultuous current political climate. He discusses warning signs for Kamala Harris in Nevada and the potential collapse of the Blue Wall. Mike highlights the critical role of Latino voters and how immigration is reshaping election dynamics. He also reflects on the global trend of anti-incumbent sentiment and critiques the disconnect between political narratives and the economic realities for working-class Americans. A fascinating look into the evolving power struggle!

For the full and ad-free version of this episode, subscribe to Politicology+ at https://politicology.com/plusIn this conversation, Marc Polymeropoulos, a former CIA officer,  discusses the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar—the mastermind of the October 7 massacre.He explains the potential shifts in Hamas’s leadership structure, future negotiations for hostages being held by the terrorist group, what it could mean for Hamas’s coordination with Hezbollah, and the broader impact on the Middle EastFollow Ron and Marc on X (formerly Twitter):https://twitter.com/RonSteslowhttps://x.com/MpolymerEmail your questions to podcast@politicology.com or leave us a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To unlock Politicology+ visit politicology.com/plusThis week, we discuss the evangelical preacher—Lance Wallnau—who’s blending tent revivals with political mobilization to help elect Donald Trump. Then, we’ll talk about the “Uncommitted” movement in Michigan, how it could impact the race, and Jill Stein openly embracing being a spoiler for Trump.Later, we look at Vice President Harris’s push to appeal to men—especially Black men—and why Democrats should have a policy plan for men’s issues.Finally, we head to Politicology+ where we dive into the recent controversies surrounding CBS News, particularly focusing on the reprimand of morning news anchor Tony Dokoupil and the 60 Minutes edit of their interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. Joining Ron Steslow on this week’s panel: Matt Bennett (Founder & Executive Vice President for Public Affairs at Third Way)Andy Kroll (Investigative Reporter at ProPublica)Matthew Taylor (author of the new book The Violent Take it By Force: The Christian Movement That is Threatening Our Democracy)Segments this week:(04:23) Lance Wallnau(27:25) “Uncommitted” in Michigan(40:00) An Appeal to MenNot yet a Politicology+ member? Don’t miss all the extra episodes on the private, ad-free version of this podcast. Upgrade now at politicology.com/plus.Send your questions and thoughts to podcast@politicology.com or leave a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬Read The Violent Take It By Force: The Christian Movement That Is Threatening Our Democracy—  https://bit.ly/3YeTCIeFollow this week’s panel on X (formerly Twitter):https://twitter.com/RonSteslowhttps://x.com/ThirdWayMattBhttps://x.com/AndyKrollhttps://x.com/TaylorMatthewDRelated reading:Segment 1: WSJ - The Evangelicals Calling for ‘Spiritual Warfare’ to Elect Trump - WSJNPR - Pro-Trump Christian nationalists are on tour to recruit election workersBaptistNews - Thousands pray, worship and talk politics at ‘Million Women’ event – Baptist News GlobalSegment 2: WDET - Michigan Muslim voters say they feel misunderstood by Republicans and Democrats - WDET 101.9 FMWP - Democrats attack Green Party’s Jill Stein amid spoiler fears - The Washington PostSegment 3: NYT - As Black Voters Hesitate on Harris, Democrats Race to Win Them Over - The New York TimesAP news - Harris announces a new plan to empower Black men as she tries to energize them to vote for herNYT - Black Voters Drift From Democrats, Imperiling Harris’s Bid, Poll Shows - The New York TimesPolitico - Opinion | Democrats’ Problem With Male Voters Isn’t Complicated Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the full and ad-free version of this episode, subscribe to Politicology+ at https://politicology.com/plusHow do you win campaigns in a world awash with lies? And why do candidates and campaigns struggle to “use their normal brains” when those lies happen to start online? In the second episode of this two-part conversation, join host Ron Steslow, Mike Madrid, and Sasha Issemberg to discuss the way Democratic political campaigns are adjusting to the challenges of the new information landscape, as Sasha’s reveals in his new book The Lie Detectives: In Search of a Playbook for Winning Elections in the Disinformation Age.In part 2:(01:53) What strategists learned about combating disinformation from foreign campaigns (06:30) How a Brazilian candidate turned a lie about him into a branding opportunity (17:50)How the Supreme Court in Brazil tried to fight disinformation (30:00) Who gets to decide what’s a lie online? (38:17) The use of AI in campaigns and disinformationRead The Lie Detectives: https://www.sashaissenberg.com/the-lie-detectivesRead The Victory Lab: https://www.sashaissenberg.com/the-victory-labFollow Ron, Sasha, and Mike on X (formerly Twitter):https://twitter.com/RonSteslowhttps://twitter.com/sissenberghttps://twitter.com/madrid_mikeEmail your questions to podcast@politicology.com or leave us a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the full and ad-free version of this episode, subscribe to Politicology+ at https://politicology.com/plusHow do you win campaigns in a world awash with lies? And why do candidates and campaigns struggle to “use their normal brains” when those lies happen start online? In this two-part conversation, join host Ron Steslow, Mike Madrid, and Sasha Issemberg to discuss the way Democratic political campaigns are adjusting to the challenges of the new information landscape, as Sasha’s reveals in his new book The Lie Detectives: In Search of a Playbook for Winning Elections in the Disinformation Age.In part 1:(02:01) Why Sasha wrote The Lie Detectives(03:33) The evolution of campaign tactics in the early 2000s(04:43) The focus on “disinformation” after the 2016 election (7:10) The Trump campaign’s strategy to depress turnout in 2016, and the difference between “suppression” and “depression.”(10:36) Strategies for discouraging turnout in 2020 (14:30) How campaigns should decide what wrong information to respond to online(20:31) The generational shift in campaign decision makers(30:18) The shift to calling opponents “liars”Read The Lie Detectives: https://www.sashaissenberg.com/the-lie-detectivesRead The Victory Lab: https://www.sashaissenberg.com/the-victory-labFollow Ron, Sasha, and Mike on X (formerly Twitter):https://twitter.com/RonSteslowhttps://twitter.com/sissenberghttps://twitter.com/madrid_mikeEmail your questions to podcast@politicology.com or leave us a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To unlock Politicology+ visit politicology.com/plusThis week, we discuss election integrity, how our elections are more secure than they’ve ever been, and the opportunities bad actors are going to use to cast doubt on the election.Then, we’ll discuss Vice President Harris’s “media blitz” and who she’s trying to reach.Finally, we head to Politicology+ where we talk about the U.S. government using its power to take out banks when it doesn’t like their customers—and shed some light on why crypto created the biggest Super PAC in the 2024 campaign.Joining Ron Steslow on this week’s panel: David Becker (CBS News’ election law expert; Executive Director of The Center for Election Innovation and Research)Lucy Caldwell  (Board Advisor to the Renew Democracy Initiative and advisor to the Forward Party)Susan Del Percio  (MSNBC political analyst and crisis communications expert) Segments this week:(03:27) Election Integrity (26:41) Harris’s media blitzNot yet a Politicology+ member? Don’t miss all the extra episodes on the private, ad-free version of this podcast. Upgrade now at politicology.com/plus.Send your questions and thoughts to podcast@politicology.com or leave a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬Follow this week’s panel on X (formerly Twitter):https://twitter.com/RonSteslowhttps://x.com/beckerdavidjhttps://x.com/lucymcaldwellhttps://x.com/DelPercioSRelated reading:Segment 1: WP - On private call, Arizona’s top Democrats debated a ‘dire’ ballot dilemma - The Washington PostNPR - Arizona's high court rules that thousands can vote a full ballot after records flawCNN - Republicans are suing more election officials over voter rolls in several battleground states | CNN PoliticsPBS - GBH’s New Special DEADLOCK Encourages Civil Discourse about Ethical DilemmasSegment 2: ABC News -In media blitz, Harris broadens reach but struggles to differentiate herself from Biden - ABC NewsWP - How Kamala Harris’s media blitz went - The Washington PostAxios - Harris: "Not a thing" she'd have done differently than BidenAxios - Behind the Curtain: America's shocking agreementNYT -Poll Finds Harris Rising as She Challenges Trump on Change - The New York Times Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Political strategist Mike Madrid and author Sasha Issemberg discuss the challenges of disinformation in campaigns, strategies for voter suppression, response to wrong information online, and the generational shift in campaign decision makers.

For ad-free version of this episode, subscribe to Politicology+ at https://politicology.com/plusIt’s been one year since the horrific terrorist attack in Israel on October 7th. Hamas terrorists entered Israel and brutally raped and murdered over 1,200 people and gleefully live streamed some of the most horrific scenes we've ever seen. Over 200 people were abducted into Gaza by Hamas and a lot has changed over the last year. Tensions are continuing to rise and war is continuing to spread in the region.In this episode, visual poet Nitzan Mintz and street artist  Dede Bandaid join Ron Steslow to discuss the impact of their guerrilla art poster campaign aimed at raising awareness for hostages kidnapped by Hamas. They reflect on the emotional toll of the ongoing situation, the importance of community support, and the role of art in advocating for humanity. They share personal experiences of trauma, resilience, and hope, emphasizing the need for continued awareness and action to bring the hostages home.Then Ron talks to Jodi Rudoren, editor-in-chief of The Forward about the unprecedented attack on October 7th, its impact on Israeli and American Jewish communities, and The Forward’s new podcast series Make Art Not WarSegments to look forward to:(03:09) The Impact of the Campaign(06:22) Focusing on the Humanity of Hostages(09:21) The Emotional Toll of the Hostage Crisis(16:50) Community Support and Resilience(23:27) The Role of Art in Advocacy(26:59) Hope and Responsibility(29:54) The Power of Community(32:42) How unprecedented the October 7th attack was (35:00) Impact on Israeli and American Jewish Communities(41:17) Differentiating Coverage in a Polarized Media Landscape(54:52) Art as a Response to ConflictFollow Ron on Twitter:https://twitter.com/RonSteslowFollow Dede, Nitzan, and the campaign on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/kidnappedfromisrael/https://www.instagram.com/nitzanmintz/https://www.instagram.com/dedebandaid/Check out The Forward and Make Art Not War: The Forward: https://forward.com/Make Art Not War: https://forward.com/podcasts/make-art-not-war/Email your questions to podcast@politicology.com or leave us a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices