

Beyond Politics
Matt Robison
Politics may be dismal, but the ideas that swirl around it and shape it are fascinating. This is a show that looks not just at politics, but the deeper ideas from history, science, psychology, economics, and technology that are shaping our world. We feature smart, lively, upbeat discussions with people who know what they're talking about and can help us understand the world better. Hosted by Matt Robison: writer, former senior congressional staffer, and campaign manager.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 4, 2024 • 25min
Will the Alabama IVF Ruling Continue to Shake American Politics?
When Alabama's Supreme Court redefined the legal status of stored embryos, equating them to children under a law from 1872, it unleashed a tidal wave of outrage, fear, and recriminations. Sabrina Talukder, Director of the Women's Initiative at the Center for American Progress, joins to talk through the continuing repercussions of the ruling, whether all the concern is warranted, and how the ruling will shape the debate and the politics of reproductive freedom and women's health in the coming year.
01:34 Alabama Supreme Court's Decision
04:02 Legal Analysis and Repercussions
09:08 Discussion on the Political Implications
19:02 The Politicization of Medicine
21:11 Future Implications

Mar 1, 2024 • 29min
Should Trump Or Biden Be More Scared By This Week's Primaries?
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What is the meaning of the Haley vote in South Carolina and the "uncommitted" vote in Michigan? Is Trump or Biden more vulnerable to weakness in his own party? Also, how should the Biden campaign shift strategy after the Supreme Court took up the Trump immunity case and pushed back the election subversion trial indefinitely? And what is the meaning of Mitch McConnell's stepping down and the emerging MAGA bloc search for a successor in the Senate. And, the hilarious politics story of the week: a MAGA troll gets ratio-ed on Twitter!
01:27 Supreme Court Decision on Trump's Immunity
04:25 Election Strategy
08:43 IVF Ruling and its Political Impact
13:56 Primary Results in South Carolina and Michigan
20:13 Mitch McConnell's Departure and its Implications
23:48 Fun Politics Story of the Week

Feb 29, 2024 • 39min
Emergency Pod: The Supreme Court Massively Shifts the 2024 Election
The Supreme Court's decision to consider Donald Trump's claim of absolute immunity could massively change the course and the outcome of the presidential election. With this decision, the Court seems to be taking away the biggest driver of voters turning away from Trump. Guest Andy Kroll of ProPublica helps examine why the Court did this, what the political implications are, and what might eventually unfold. ***Please rate&Review on Apple Podcast App!***
02:04 The Supreme Court's Decision: A Detailed Breakdown
05:31 The Legal and Political Implications of the Decision
13:27 The Impact on the Presidential Election
16:05 The Future of the Legal Cases Against Trump
23:05 The Potential Outcomes and Their Implications

Feb 28, 2024 • 41min
Revisiting the Reporter Who Discovered Clarence Thomas' Dirty Secrets
Today, we revisit an interview with Justin Elliot from ProPublica on his groundbreaking investigation into corruption allegations against Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. We cover the financial ties between Thomas, his wife, and right-wing billionaire Harlan Crow, which included expensive vacations and significant contributions to private school tuition. And we go inside the world of investigative reporting to understand what it takes to break a story like this.
00:00 Introduction and Context
00:01 The Clarence Thomas Corruption Story
00:26 The Impact of Corruption on the Supreme Court
01:39 The Role of Journalism in Uncovering Corruption
02:33 Interview with Justin Elliot
02:39 The Importance of Investigative Journalism
07:08 The Challenges of Reporting on the Supreme Court
08:25 The Unusual Financial Ties Between Crow and Thomas
12:48 The Power of Public Records in Journalism
18:47 The Influence of Money in Politics
24:55 The Need for Transparency in the Supreme Court
36:39 The Role of the Senate in Investigating Corruption
39:38 Conclusion and Call to Action

Feb 26, 2024 • 34min
A Staggering Disaster For 20 Million in America
There's a shadow healthcare crisis looming for 20 million, and you probably haven't heard about it. That's because it largely affects a group of people who have been swept up in the politics of immigration and border policy -- even though the vast majority of them are naturalized citizens, documented permanent residents, or Americans born in this country. Adriana Cadena, Director of the Protecting Immigrant Families Campaign, and Leo Cuello, a research professor at the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy, explain why this is happening, why it's so important, and what can be done about it.
00:00 Introduction to the Looming Healthcare Crisis
01:05 Understanding the Scale of the Problem
04:32 The Human Impact of Losing Healthcare Coverage
06:09 Exploring the Reasons Behind the Crisis
11:19 The Role of Immigration Status in Healthcare Access
13:07 The Politics of Healthcare and Immigration
22:55 Potential Solutions to the Healthcare Crisis
27:48 The Future of Healthcare for Immigrant Families
31:58 Closing Thoughts on the Importance of Policy Experts

Feb 23, 2024 • 26min
Russia-Republicans Swindle America AGAIN
Tell me if you heard this before--the whole impeachment case against President Biden was based on a Russian disinformation operation. AGAIN. Also, what is the impact of an Alabama State Supreme Court ruling regarding in-vitro fertilization?
00:00 Introduction: The Russian Disinformation Operation
01:12 The FBI's Role and Suspicion
01:59 The Hillary Clinton Investigation and Russian Intelligence
08:00 The Alabama State Supreme Court Ruling on Embryos
19:24 The Ezra Klein Controversy: Should Biden Step Down?

Feb 21, 2024 • 27min
They Publicly Protested the President. He's Their Boss.
***Please share our show with a friend!*** What do you do if you disagree with your boss, when your boss is one of the most powerful people in the world? Recently, 17 Biden campaign staffers publicly wrote a letter to the president disagreeing with his position on the war in Gaza, which followed a letter anonymously sent by over 500 staffers back in November. Our guest Jim Papa is a former White House and Congressional staffer and host of the podcast "Staffer," and he says that this kind of protest can cause serious damage. But what about the case of Trump White House staffers who quietly worked against Trump ideas that they thought were dangerous or outright insane. Where do you draw the line
00:59 The Dilemma of Disagreeing with Your Boss
02:51 The Balance Between Personal Conscience and Professional Duty
10:42 The Consequences of Publicly Disagreeing with Your Boss
13:14 The Ethical Dilemma of Working for a Controversial Administration
21:51 The Role of Staffers in Shaping Information

Feb 19, 2024 • 34min
How Republicans Disatrously Broke Congress
Republicans have broken Congress to a dysfunctional and dangerous level, impacting American politics. They discuss Trump's influence, the New York special election, the 'MAGA mind virus,' and the impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas. The consequences of congressional dysfunction and the future of the Republican Party are also examined.

Feb 16, 2024 • 31min
A Prosecutor + Her Boyfriend = Get Out of Jail Free for Trump?
Could Fani Willis' relationship kill the Georgia Trump case? Also, Trump's total meltdown on NATO and Putin, MAGA Republicans try to kill Ukraine aid, gun violence in Kansas City, and an easy solution for the patriarchy. ***Don't forget to rate and review us!!*** Check out another great podcast at Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other ***
02:03 Introducing 'Rent-a-Dude': A Solution to Gender Bias
04:07 The Fani Willis Hearing
07:15 Trump Legal Watch: A Look at Ongoing Cases
10:36 The Foreign Aid Bill: A Political Standoff
13:40 Lindsey Graham's Political Shift
14:38 Sheldon Whitehouse's Twitter Rant
17:19 Donald Trump's Controversial Statements
22:56 Debate on Gun Violence and Media Coverage

4 snips
Feb 14, 2024 • 31min
$17 Billion in Political Ads. Does It Even Work?
Analyzing the effectiveness of political ads and the trust gap in political advertising. Exploring the influence and limitations of political ads from a data perspective. Examining the impact of negative political ads and the role of money in campaigns. Highlighting the need to rethink political campaign strategies. Discussing the power of person-to-person contact in politics and the future of political advertising.