
Beyond Politics
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.
Latest episodes

Jul 12, 2024 • 38min
Is the Biden Dropout Saga Coming to an End?
Is the turmoil surrounding Joe Biden's potential dropout from the presidential race wrapping up, or ramping up? Is it even possible that the media is simply fueling this narrative for drama and traffic, obscuring where their focus should be on Donald Trump's controversial plans for America? Check out Matt's newest Newsweek article on the exceedingly dangerous Trump plan for a second term.
02:47 The Media's Influence on Public Perception
04:39 Internal Democratic Party Tensions
07:00 Public Sentiment and Polls
10:51 Strategic Dilemmas for Democrats
18:45 Media Criticism and Public Backlash
21:17 Media Bias and Math
30:06 Project 2025: A Blueprint for Trump's Second Term
35:38 Pornography and the RNC

Jul 9, 2024 • 52min
What Will America's 71 Million Centrists Do?
It's one of the biggest questions looming over American politics: what will the centrists do? There are as many as 71 million self-identified centrists in America - people who don't feel entirely comfortable with either major political party, and largely agree on most issues - and these are the people who are probably going to decide which of two very different paths America follows. So why can't either party nail them down? And which way will they go? Former Republican Congressman and centrist Scott Klug, host of the podcast Lost in the Middle joins to explain.
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02:21 Centrists and the Trump-Biden Debate
09:47 How the Middle Got Lost
24:16 The Rise of Independents and Future of Politics
32:43 Ticket Splitting and Political Trends
37:42 Democratic Party Dynamics
48:30 Favorite Funniest Moments in Congress

Jul 5, 2024 • 47min
Why "Will Biden Drop Out" Is The Wrong Question
President Biden's candidacy is in what's increasingly looking like a death spiral. But "should he stick it out or should he drop out" is the wrong question. There is a much better and a much more important question that Democrats really need to ask. Also, is the Supreme Court's presidential immunity decision as bad as it seemed; should Russian athletes should be banned from international athletic competitions; and why sometimes scientific advance can be downright disgusting.
02:24 The Biden Question: Will He or Won't He?
04:05 Democratic Party's Internal Chaos
10:39 Polling and Public Perception
19:05 The Future of the Democratic Party
24:40 Debating Kamala Harris's Role
30:44 The Supreme Court's Immunity Ruling
39:54 Politics in International Sports
45:17 The Creepy Robot Face

Jul 2, 2024 • 27min
A Supreme Court Ruling That Shakes America to Its Foundations
"The president is now a king above the law. With fear for our democracy, I dissent." Those were the words of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor about yesterday's Supreme court decision conferring what the press described as "partial immunity" on Donald Trump and future presidents for crimes they may commit in office. But the reality goes much deeper than that. Legal scholar Kim Wehle -- a former US Attorney who regularly explains rulings like this on ABC news (subscribe to her substack here)-- explains the stark reality of what this ruling could mean.
01:29 Implications of the Ruling
03:42 Motivated Reasoning and Judicial Philosophy
09:37 The Role of Intent and Evidence
12:58 Political and Social Ramifications
22:08 The Importance of Voting and Democracy
25:36 Conclusion: Reflecting on the Future

Jun 29, 2024 • 27min
The High Stakes Fork in the Road Dilemma for Democrats
BONUS EPISODE: There are two paths in the road ahead for Biden and the Democrats after President Joe Biden's rough debate. There is a roadmap for how he can recover--but can Biden pull it off? And if he can't, what does the unprecedented pathway of him dropping out look like? CHECK OUT MATT'S NEWSWEEK ARTICLE COVERING THIS ISSUE IN DEPTH: https://www.newsweek.com/disastrous-debate-biden-leaves-path-forward-democrats-opinion-1918957
01:44 Analyzing Biden's Debate Performance
03:38 Media Reactions and Public Perception
08:47 Strategic Pathways for Biden
10:40 Potential Replacement Scenarios
24:36 Concluding Thoughts

Jun 28, 2024 • 39min
Debate Disaster for Biden. What Happens Now?
The debate went very badly for Joe Biden. And whether it's fair or not, the reality is that Biden's path to stopping Trump has gotten much harder. Matt, Paul, and Alicia delve into the key question of what happens next. Can Biden recover? What would that take? And if his team concludes that he can't, what would that look like?
01:32 Analyzing Biden's Performance
04:13 Media Perception and Reality
09:11 Debate Performance vs. Presidential Capability
12:12 The Elephant in the Room: Biden's Future
14:07 Strategies for Biden's Campaign
19:44 Political Campaign Strategies
24:40 Potential Democratic Candidates
26:51 The Chaos of an Open Convention
29:44 Democratic Party's Path Forward
36:33 Closing Thoughts -- Just in Case It All Goes Wrong

Jun 25, 2024 • 44min
How To Win the Long Fight for America's Soul
Delving into the challenges of the ongoing fight for America's soul, the podcast discusses the 2024 election strategies, Trump's criminal record, the divide between urban and rural voters, the messaging and advertising tactics of the Democratic Party, and the need for authenticity in political communication.

Jun 21, 2024 • 37min
Biden's Blistering Attack Shifts the Campaign
Why did the Biden campaign decide to launch a blistering new line of attack right now? And what does it tell us about what his closest advisers are seeing from the inside? We connected a few dots to try to figure out the answer. Also, a flood of big news from the tech and political world, including. And, has the Trump campaign figured out how to manipulate the media as laziness and in attention. And we close with a really delicious story, which ends up with me asking: Is Alicia Preston a French RINO traitor. But we had to start with the news yesterday of a sweeping new investigation into MAGA Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz, and an unprecedented broadside from the House Ethics committee.
00:59 Matt Gaetz Under Investigation
06:37 Biden Campaign's New Strategy
10:18 Ground Game Importance in Elections
16:01 Hi-Tech Hijinks and Social Media Concerns
20:13 The Surgeon General's Warning on Social Media
24:29 Trump Campaign's Media Manipulation
31:40 Soccer Predictions and Politics

Jun 18, 2024 • 33min
Sentencing Trump: What Should We WANT to Happen?
With Donald Trump's sentencing in New York rapidly approaching, we ask, what should we want out of the judges sentencing? It's really not that clear cut, since the answer invokes issues of justice, precedent and practical politics. What will this mean for the 2024 election? How would different sentences change voters' perceptions and each sides' message?
03:38 Trump's Legal Troubles and Political Implications
15:22 Sentencing Possibilities and Ramifications

Jun 14, 2024 • 43min
An Insurrectionist [Trump] Returns to the Scene of the Crime
So what happened when Donald Trump went back to the scene of the crime? We're talking of course, about his visit to Congress, the independent branch of government that he urged his supporters to attack as he inspired them to attempted insurrection. We also got into the hunter Biden verdict, and the question of whether Members of Congress really misplayed the political messaging about it. We also talked about the abortion pill ruling and how the media handled that. And then today is Donald Trump's birthday. And we took the liberty at the very end of the show of proposing our very own set of birthday presents for him.
01:00 Trump's Capitol Hill Visit: A Bizarre Return
06:36 Trump's Influence and Republican Sycophancy
12:08 Nikki Haley and the Future of the Republican Party
19:34 Supreme Court Ruling on Mifepristone
24:57 Hunter Biden's Legal Troubles
30:21 Justice System and Political Influence
38:02 Trump's Birthday