Purplish
Colorado Public Radio
Purplish is a podcast about politics and policy and how they shape Coloradans’ lives, hosted by Colorado Public Radio’s public affairs reporter Bente Birkeland and reporters from the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. They break down the latest developments at the statehouse, in Congress and in local communities, to find the bigger picture behind the political headlines.Purplish is produced by CPR News with support from the Colorado Capitol News Alliance, a collaboration between KUNC News, Colorado Public Radio, Rocky Mountain PBS, and The Colorado Sun, and shared with Rocky Mountain Community Radio and other news organizations across the state. Funding for the Alliance is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Nov 13, 2020 • 21min
BONUS EPISODE: Digesting Colorado’s Election Outcomes With Two Colorado Politics Insiders
Every election is a time of reckoning -- a chance for the state to look at its choices and divisions and consider where things go from here. To begin that conversation, this final episode of the season turns to two guests with a deep understanding of the state's politics and voters.
Nov 6, 2020 • 25min
What The Heck Just Happened?
You know Colorado voted for Joe Biden, and chose John Hickenlooper over Cory Gardner. But what about all those ballot measures voters said yes to -- what will that mean for your life here? And hey, spare a thought for your state legislature; the balance of power came out basically static, and that's actually rather interesting. Intrigued? Good.
Oct 30, 2020 • 22min
What We’re Watching For
Obviously the big headlines on election night will be who wins and who loses, which ballot measures pass and which fail. But elections also tell a story -- about where the state is now, and where it might be headed. And that's what our Purplish team looks ahead to in this, our last episode before the election!
Oct 23, 2020 • 20min
On Voter Turnout, And Attempted Voter Turn-Offs
More than a million people have already cast ballots in Colorado. The Purplish team digs into who they are and what's motivating them to get it done so early. At the same time that lots of people are voting, there are also a lot of rumors flying about alleged attempts to prevent that from happening. A special guest joins to help separate fact from fiction.
Oct 16, 2020 • 24min
Election Grab Bag
You know we’re getting close — the whole Purplish team is finally together in the studio for the first time.
Oct 9, 2020 • 29min
So Many Ballot Measures. Like, SO MANY
Eleven, to be precise. Do we manage to talk about all of them in a half hour? Heck no. But our team does dive deep on a few, while also talking about the larger dynamics at play on the ballot.
Oct 2, 2020 • 18min
The One About Debates
What happens when two candidates who are both running as the "nice guy" in the race meet on stage? This week we look ahead to the upcoming run of Senate debates. What's at stake for Cory Gardner and John Hickenlooper? And what about that presidential debate, huh?
Sep 25, 2020 • 21min
Ground Game, Grounded?
It's political gospel that to win a campaign, you've got to reach individual voters, the more directly the better. So how are campaigns adapting their techniques to meet the challenges of the pandemic? Plus, there's about to be a giant Supreme Court nomination fight in Washington. Do Colorado voters care?
Sep 18, 2020 • 19min
Mail Ballot Blues
Some people worry the rapid move to mail ballots nationally is inviting massive fraud. Others fear postal slowdowns could sabotage the whole system. The Purplish team takes a local look at the reality behind the fears here in Colorado, a state with a long-running tradition of universal mail ballots.
Sep 11, 2020 • 20min
Purplish Returns: The Election Season
CPR's Public Affairs team is back with your weekly dive into the upcoming election: the big races and the big issues, what we're hearing from candidates — and voters, and the moments that make us go wait... what? It's all here in the new season of Purplish.
