Politicology

In Part 2, recorded 9 months after Part 1, Ron Steslow and Robert Chapman (Candidate for President of Zimbabwe) look at how the landscape has changed since they first talked, Robert’s goals for rebuilding the economy and infrastructure in Zimbabwe, why this is in America’s interest, the growing Chinese influence in Africa, the fight for democracy and the challenges his campaign has faced, and his plan to win. (01:40) The security challenges of Robert’s campaign (07:00) Why Robert is running for president of Zimbabwe (14:10) The challenge of economic development (22:10) The state of the campaign (24:52) Corruption and election interference in Zimbabwe (41:00)The Al Jazeera investigation into Corruption in gold mining (53:00) Building critical infrastructure over empty promises (59:39) The importance of stabilizing the currency (1:05:00) The influence of BRICS countries in Zimbabwe Learn more about Robert’s campaign: https://duz.org.zw/ Follow Ron and Robert on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/DrivenChapman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To unlock exclusive content, visit: https://politicology.com/plus This is a story about human rights, corruption, hyperinflation, rapacious economic development, a currency war, a diaspora, and one man’s mission to make meaningful change for suffering people in a failed state. Robert Chapman (Candidate for President of Zimbabwe) join Ron Steslow to discuss the history of Zimbabwe and his campaign to become its next president : (02:15) Robert’s background and childhood (09:10) Bitcoin and green energy (11:50) Zimbabwe’s war for liberation (16:35) The Reign of Mugabe (23:17) Land reallocation and hyperinflation (29:39) A military coup and its aftermath (35:50) Economic collapse and government corruption Learn more about Robert’s campaign here Follow Ron and Robert on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/DrivenChapman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Susan Del Percio (MSNBC political analyst and crisis communications expert) and Hagar Chemali (Former spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the UN) join host Ron Steslow to unpack some of the most important stories of the week and how they’re shaping the political landscape: (02:15) Fox News and CNN fire Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon (20:35) Joe Biden’s anticlimactic announcement that he’s running for reelection and the responses to it (43:03) President Zelensky’s phone call with Chinese Leader Xi Jinping and what it could mean for Xi’s positioning as a global statesman [Politicology+ Preview] The climate activist group deflating tires and losing support for their cause Politicology+ is our private, ad-free version of this podcast, with subscriber-only episodes, strategy, and analysis. To join us there, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts. Check out Oh My World with Hagar Chemali on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@omwshow Follow this week’s panel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/DelPercioS https://twitter.com/HagarChemali Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To unlock exclusive content, visit: https://politicology.com/plus Mike Madrid (Lincoln Project cofounder) and Anthony York (Senior Communications Advisor to Gov. Gavin Newsom) join Ron Steslow to answer Politicology listeners’ questions: (00:30) Why hasn’t Biden done more to codify political norms? (06:16) How social media has changed the way we connect and political organizing (11:31) How should polling about America being “headed in the wrong direction” reflect on the president? (16:26) Do Democrats really just have a communications issue? (20:28) How can campaigns communicate to people who aren’t interested in listening? Have a question for a future Mailbag episode? Send it over to us at [email protected]! Follow Ron, Mike, and Anthony on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/madrid_mike https://twitter.com/anthonyyork49 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Doug Jones (former U.S. Senator from Alabama), Michael Steele (former Chairman of the RNC), and Hagar Chemali (Former spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the UN) join host Ron Steslow to unpack some of the most important stories of the week and how they’re shaping the political landscape: (02:38) The bombshell report from the U.S. Government's top Afghanistan watchdog (40:44) The settlement in the Dominion Voting Systems defamation lawsuit against Fox News [Politicology+ Preview] America’s police exodus and the challenges with recruiting and retaining police officers across the country Politicology+ is our private, ad-free version of this podcast, with subscriber-only episodes, strategy, and analysis. To join us there, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts. Watch the interview with Elon Musk here: https://youtu.be/a2ZBEC16yH4 Follow this week’s panel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/DougJones https://twitter.com/MichaelSteele https://twitter.com/HagarChemali Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Molly McKew (Lead author of GreatPower.US) joins Ron Steslow to discuss the recently revealed leaked intelligence documents, the 21-year-old leaker, the WSJ reporter detained in Russia, and how all of this impacts the war in Ukraine (01:25) **Conversation Update** What we know about the identity and motivations of the leaker and the leak that there are 14 U.S. troops in Ukraine (14:33) What we know about what’s in the documents (25:00) How this can change how Ukraine and other allies share more information with the U.S. (31:00) A detour about Snowden (36:33) How this leak could impact our relationship with other allies (47:00) The potential goals of the leak (53:33) The WSJ reporter detained in Russia (57:40) The visibility of recent Russian hostages (01:10:00) The significance of Finland joining NATO You should check out Great Power: https://www.greatpower.us/ Follow Ron and Molly on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/MollyMcKew Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lucy Caldwell (Walsh 2020 Campaign Manager), Andy Kroll (Investigative Reporter at ProPublica), and James Kirchick (columnist for Tablet magazine and writer at large for Air Mail) join host Ron Steslow to unpack some of the most important stories of the week and how they’re shaping the political landscape: (02:20) The No Labels insurance plan to … re-elect Donald Trump? (34:34) Jon Stewart’s accusation of “corruption” at the Pentagon [Politicology+ Preview] Tim Scott announces an exploratory committee Politicology+ is our private, ad-free version of this podcast, with subscriber-only episodes, strategy, and analysis. To join us there, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts. Follow this week’s panel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/lucymcaldwell https://twitter.com/AndyKroll https://twitter.com/jkirchick Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Richard Reeves (author of Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It) joins Ron Steslow to discuss his book and the struggles facing boys and men. (02:04) The toxicity of “toxic masculinity” (08:00) The “right” at war and the “left” in denial (13:00) How negative partisanship only increases the problem (15:00) The differences in funding and institutional support for men and women (23:00) Redshirt the boys (28:00) The criticism Richard has faced for his writing on boys and men You can order the book here: https://www.brookings.edu/book/of-boys-and-men/ Follow Ron and Richard on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/RichardvReeves Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Madrid (Lincoln Project cofounder) and Anthony York (Senior Communications Advisor to Gov. Gavin Newsom) join host Ron Steslow to unpack some of the most important stories of the week and how they’re shaping the political landscape: (02:00) The indictment of Donald Trump, how the prosecution could fuel his campaign, and how this could impact the 2024 presidential election (36:26) The new cyber warfare [Politicology+ Preview] California Governor Gavin Newsom’s plan to combat rising authoritarianism in red states Politicology+ is our private, ad-free version of this podcast, with subscriber-only episodes, strategy, and analysis. To join us there, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts. Follow this week’s panel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/madrid_mike https://twitter.com/anthonyyork49 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anthony York, Mike Madrid and Ron Steslow discuss California Governor Gavin Newsom’s plan to combat authoritarianism in red states. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Richard Reeves (author of Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It) joins Ron Steslow to discuss his book and the struggles facing boys and men. (02:13) Richard’s work and how it led to studying boys and men (04:00) The risks if the problems are not addressed (07:30) The gendered education gap (0z8:20) How economic shifts have impacted men (11:20) Intersectionality in the research on gender (30:30) Recognizing these problems as structural and not individual (34:40) Weighing the biological differences between women and men You can order the book here: https://www.brookings.edu/book/of-boys-and-men/ Follow Ron and Richard on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/RichardvReeves Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lucy Caldwell (Walsh 2020 Campaign Manager) and Frank Sadler (Chief of Staff to Carly Fiorina) join host Ron Steslow to unpack some of the most important stories of the week and how they’re shaping the political landscape: (02:06) The shooting at a private Christian school in Nashville (26:06) The influencers pressuring Congress to block a forced sale of TikTok (42:00) Why public opinion polling on federal spending isn’t helpful and Biden’s attacks on Republican proposals for Social Security—the same proposals he made in the senate. [Politicology+ Subscribers Only] Donald Trump kicks off his “Retribution” Tour at a rally in Waco, Texas Listen to our conversation about hate crimes with Michael Masters: https://link.chtbl.com/fNs7kICy Politicology+ is our private, ad-free version of this podcast, with subscriber-only episodes, strategy, and analysis. To join us there, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts. Follow this week’s panel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/lucymcaldwell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You can pre-order Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Failed a Generation now at https://www.jonwardwrites.org/ Jon Ward (Journalist and author of Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Failed a Generation) joins Ron Steslow to discuss growing up in the Evangelical Church, “Christian Trumpism,” and his new memoir. (06:05) Why Sarah Palin resonated with so many Christians (10:36) What having difficult conversations can teach you engagement and defensiveness (20:00) Evangelicals showing more fear than faith (28:50) How the structures in evangelical communities enabled Trump to distort reality (31:06) Right Makes Might vs Might Makes Right (36:32) How can outsiders engage positively with Evangelicals on reforming the movement Pre-order Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Failed a Generation—https://www.jonwardwrites.org/ Follow Ron and Jon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/jonward11 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt Bennett (Executive Vice President for Public Affairs at Third Way) and Beth Fukumoto (former Hawaii House Minority Leader) join host Ron Steslow to unpack some of the most important stories of the week and how they’re shaping the political landscape: (02:44) The Fed’s rate hike in the midst of turmoil for the banking system, how it will impact consumers, and how that could impact our politics (13:00) The Biden Administration’s crackdown on fentanyl at the U.S. Mexico border (23:00) The left-wing media campaign trying to turn the public against U.S. military support for Ukraine [Politicology+ Subscribers Only] The Trump allies buying property around the Capitol to build a MAGA Campus. Politicology+ is our private, ad-free version of this podcast, with subscriber-only episodes, strategy, and analysis. To join us there, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts. Follow this week’s panel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/ThirdWayMattB https://twitter.com/bethfukumoto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You can pre-order Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Failed a Generation now at https://www.jonwardwrites.org/ Jon Ward (Journalist and author of Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Failed a Generation) joins Ron Steslow to discuss growing up in the Evangelical Church, “Christian Trumpism,” and his new memoir. (03:28) Why Jon wrote the book (08:10) Being a “border-stalker” (14:36) The Jesus Movement (21:07) Understanding the different motivations (abortion and race) for Evangelicals joining the Republican party (23:00) The insular church community and how it impacted his worldview (30:00) How Christian belief in the end times impacts action (32:50) The connection between being a spiritual warrior and a political warrior (36:15) Spiritual ecstasy as a sign of devotion to God (and the burnout it caused) (41:41) How anti-intellectualism reinforced the social bubble Pre-order Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Failed a Generation—https://www.jonwardwrites.org/ Follow Ron and Jon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/jonward11 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Madrid (Lincoln Project Cofounder), Liz Gilbert Cohen (President of the 2020 Democratic National Convention), and Donna Redel (former Managing Director of the World Economic Forum) join host Ron Steslow to unpack some of the most important stories of the week and how they’re shaping the political landscape: (03:07) The Silicon Valley Bank Collapse (34:28) Biden’s Threat to Ban TikTok, national security, and data security concerns [Politicology+ Subscribers Only] Ron DeSantis’s claim that the support for Ukraine isn’t vital to national interest, the ongoing fight over support for Ukraine within the Republican party, and the opportunity it presents for Democrats…if they can seize it. Politicology+ is our private, ad-free version of this podcast, with subscriber-only episodes, strategy, and analysis. To join us there, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts. Follow this week’s panel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/DonnaRedel https://twitter.com/madrid_mike Follow Liz on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizgilbertcohen/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What are the psychological forces driving that partisan animosity? What’s causing Americans to vote for anti-democracy candidates? Are there any interventions that might actually work to turn down the heat and save our democracy? Robb Willer, professor of sociology, psychology, and organizational behavior at Stanford University talks with Ron Steslow about Stanford’s Strengthening Democracy Challenge, reducing partisan animosity and support for anti-democracy candidates . (01:31) Robbs background (02:46) The growth of polarization and partisan animosity (15:08) The Strengthening Democracy Challenge (22:40) Negative partisanship and support for undemocratic candidates (29:46) How cues from leaders can reduce support for anti-democracy candidates (32:17) Working together and respectfully discussing differences reduces partisan animosity (37:47) Misperceptions about how how you’re viewed by members of another party fuels animosity (46:47) Is there hope for overcoming animosity and acceptance of undemocratic candidates? (53:16) How to implement these ideas (59:23) The role of emotions in decision making You should check out the interventions we discussed: Elite Cues: https://bit.ly/3TEeS6Z Positive Contact (Heineken Ad): https://bit.ly/3N74PEM Misperceptions: https://bit.ly/3W4iMaN Fear of Democratic Collapse: https://bit.ly/3W4awHO Follow Robb and Ron on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobbWiller https://twitter.com/RonSteslow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Susan Del Percio (MSNBC political analyst and crisis communications expert), Scott MacFarlane (CBS News Congressional Correspondent), and Scott Tranter (Investor and Advisor to Decision Desk HQ) join host Ron Steslow to unpack some of the most important stories of the week and how they’re shaping the political landscape: (02:25) Tucker Carlson’s release of clips of security footage from the capitol on January 6th and how he’s shaping the narrative about the attack (21:35) Joe Biden’s budget blueprint,his plans for deficit reduction, and how House Republicans are planning to cut costs [Politicology+ Subscribers Only] Washington, DC’s criminal code reform that’s going to fail in congress, Joe Biden’s announcement that he’ll sign a law overruling the City Council and what it means for home rule in the District Politicology+ is our private, ad-free version of this podcast, with subscriber-only episodes, strategy, and analysis. To join us there, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts. Follow this week’s panel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/DelPercioS https://twitter.com/MacFarlaneNews https://twitter.com/stranter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the second part of this two part episode, Donna Redel (former Managing Director of the World Economic Forum) and Justin Weitz (partner at the law firm Morgan Lewis) joins Ron Steslow to discuss the downfall of FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried (03:21) What the guilty pleas from other FTX leaders could mean for SBF (09:40) SBF’s “apology tour” and how it could benefit the prosecution (10:32) The charges against SBF filed in December and the superseding indictment issued in February (12:30) How the FTX saga changes the urgency of conversations about regulation (19:30) The impact of the FTX collapse on public perception Follow Ron and Donna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/DonnaRedel You can find Justin here: http://bit.ly/3L4spDj Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lanae Erickson (Senior Vice President for the Social Policy & Politics Program at Third Way) and Andy Kroll (Investigative Reporter at ProPublica) join guest host Lucy Caldwell to unpack some of the most important stories of the week and how they’re shaping the political landscape: (02:13) Lori Lightfoot’s defeat in the Chicago Mayor’s race and what this signals about voters’ perceptions of crime (39:17) The bombshell revelations about how Fox News in recent court filings [Politicology+ Subscribers Only] The rise of the perennial candidate and consultant grift Politicology+ is our private, ad-free version of this podcast, with subscriber-only episodes, strategy, and analysis. To join us there, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts. Follow this week’s panel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lucymcaldwell https://twitter.com/LanaeErickson https://twitter.com/AndyKroll Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donna Redel (former Managing Director of the World Economic Forum) and Justin Weitz (partner at the law firm Morgan Lewis) joins Ron Steslow to discuss the downfall of FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried (03:20) Differences among types of crypto (06:16) How crypto is viewed by federal law enforcement (08:20) Misconceptions about whether and how Bitcoin can be tracked (13:30) Where FTX sat in the industry landscape before it fell apart (17:15) Crypto farming and the” black box” interview Listen to the full "black box" interview from Bloomberg: http://bit.ly/3yyFu0h (29:35) What makes fraud fraud (32:38) What led to the collapse of FTX Watch that debate: https://bit.ly/3IIwwlt Follow Ron and Donna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/DonnaRedel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You can complete the survey here: https://politicology.com/feb24questions Mike Madrid (Lincoln Project Cofounder) and Frank Sadler (Chief of Staff to Carly Fiorina) join host Ron Steslow to discuss the 2024 Republican Primary and Nikki Haley’s campaign announcement. (02:54) Why we’re doing an episode about the Republican primary (17:26) Why the Republican primary will be important for Democrats (27:25) Nikki Haley’s launch ad You can watch the ad here: http://bit.ly/41k4c1n (35:16) The timing of Nikki Haley’s announcement (43:00) Nikki Haley’s lane in the primary field (45:51) Nikki Haley’s Fox News Sunday interview (47:20) Fundraising off Don Lemon’s comment that Haley is “past her prime” Follow this week’s panel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/madrid_mike Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anne Applebaum (Pulitzer Prize winning historian) and Tom Nichols (staff writer at The Atlantic ) join Ron Steslow to discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that is now a year old, how it has changed the way the world operates, and where we go from here (01:42) How the world has changed as a result of Russia’s invasion (06:40) How the network of autocracies empowered Putin's invasion (17:07) War being fought in the information battleground (28:00) Ukraine’s values argument shaping perception of the invasion (35:33) The importance of civic patriotism (39:35) The impact the war in Ukraine will have on the global fight for democracy Follow Ron, Anne, and Tom on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/anneapplebaum https://twitter.com/RadioFreeTom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Madrid (Lincoln Project Cofounder) and Justin Talbot Zorn (Cofounder of Astrea Strategies) join host Ron Steslow to unpack some of the most important stories of the week and how they’re shaping the political landscape: (02:26) The train derailment in East Palestine Ohio (26:13) Joe Biden’s plan to request the largest DOD budget in U.S. history (42:24) The House Oversight Committee’s investigation into the Biden family and what it could mean for a reelection campaign [Politicology+ Subscribers Only] Dianne Feinstein announces she won’t run for reelection in a California Senate race that could be the second biggest election of 2024 Politicology+ is our private, ad-free version of this podcast, with subscriber-only episodes, strategy, and analysis. To join us there, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts. Follow this week’s panel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/madrid_mike https://twitter.com/JustinZorn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jay Schweikert ( research fellow with the Cato Institute’s Project on Criminal Justice) joins Ron Steslow to discuss the qualified immunity doctrine, its origins, and how it stands in the way of protecting civil rights (03:05) What qualified immunity is and how it developed (04:21) How does it stop people from holding law enforcement accountable (11:05) How courts determine that a “clearly established right” has been violated (23:44) The importance of qualified immunity reform in any policing reform discussion (31:19) The arguments against ending qualified immunity (40:05) How qualified immunity applies to public employees beyond law enforcement (44:39) The goals of civil rights lawsuits (46:00) Potential avenues for qualified immunity reform Follow Ron and Jay on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/jay_schweikert Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Madrid (Lincoln Project Cofounder), Al Cardenas (former advisor to Presidents Regan and George H.W. Bush), and Liz Gilbert Cohen (President of the 2020 Democratic National Convention) join host Ron Steslow to unpack some of the most important stories of the week and how they’re shaping the political landscape: (02:26) The State of the Union (26:13) The border crisis (42:24) The Chinese spy balloon, “deepfake” misinformation campaigns, and co-parenting with the CCP [Politicology+ Subscribers Only] New York Times article about the Republicans making education issues a centerpiece of their campaigns Politicology+ is our private, ad-free version of this podcast, with subscriber-only episodes, strategy, and analysis. To join us there, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts. Follow this week’s panel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/madrid_mike Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Catherine Sanderson (Poler Family Professor and chair of the psychology department at Amherst College) joins Ron Steslow to discuss emotional intelligence and how it impacts success in the workplace, politics, and our everyday lives (01:40) What emotional intelligence is and how we measure it (03:55) Why emotional intelligence is important (07:03) How self-awareness impacts emotional intelligence (10:15) How you can build self-awareness (13:05) How regulating your emotions shapes your emotional intelligence (16:20) Ways you can improve how well you manage and regulate your emotions (21:19) The importance of grit in emotional intelligence (24:43) Emotional intelligence and being a moral rebel (39:39) The “dark side” of emotional intelligence (41:39) Why emotional intelligence needs a moral backbone (50:53) How you can improve your emotional intelligence You can measure your emotional intelligence using this test: http://bit.ly/3DPYxpX Follow Ron and Catherine on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/SandersonSpeaks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lucy Caldwell (Walsh 2020 Campaign Manager) and Lanae Erickson (Senior Vice President for the Social Policy & Politics Program at Third Way) join host Ron Steslow to unpack some of the most important stories of the week and how they’re shaping the political landscape: (02:15) The killing of Tyre Nichols and the renewed push for policing reform (24:33) Biden and McCarthy meet in the Oval Office to begin talks on raising the debt ceiling (41:12) The Atlantic piece about how our constant need for entertainment has blurred the line between fiction and reality Read We’re Already Living in the Metaverse: http://bit.ly/3HUqLSP [Politicology+ Subscribers Only] New York Times column about whether and how long Democrats can hold together the new ‘Vote Blue No Matter Who!’ Coalition Politicology+ is our private, ad-free version of this podcast, with subscriber-only episodes, strategy, and analysis. To join us there, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts. Follow this week’s panel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/lucymcaldwell https://twitter.com/LanaeErickson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Molly McKew (Lead author of GreatPower.US) joins Ron Steslow to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine, the United States and Germany sending tanks to Ukraine and how Ukraine is preparing for another Russian offensive as we head toward spring (01:32) What led to the U.S. and Germany sending tanks to Ukraine and how it will shape the war (14:36) What other resources Ukraine needs for the next phase of fighting (21:05) What should we expect to come next in the war (24:14) Russia’s attempts to push Belarus into the fighting You should check out Great Power: https://www.greatpower.us/ Follow Ron and Molly on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/MollyMcKew Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Madrid (Lincoln Project cofounder) and Hagar Chemali (Former spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the UN) join host Ron Steslow to unpack some of the most important stories of the week and how they’re shaping the political landscape: (03:12) The FBI finds more classified documents at President Biden's Delaware home, former Vice President Mike Pence’s lawyers find classified documents in his home. (23:00) Ruben Gallego’s announcement that he’s running for the Arizona Senate seat in 2024 You should check out Gallego’s announcement ad: https://bit.ly/3HaqnxU (44:07) The Wisconsin Supreme Court election and campaigns losing any pretense of judicial neutrality [Politicology+ Subscribers Only] A new plan to get conservative voters to respond to climate messages—as long as they don’t come from liberals Politicology+ is our private, ad-free version of this podcast, with subscriber-only episodes, strategy, and analysis. To join us there, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts. You should check out Hagar’s YouTube Chanel, Oh My World: https://www.youtube.com/@omwshow Follow this week’s panel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/madrid_mike https://twitter.com/HagarChemali Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pat Condo (Founder and CEO of Seekr Technologies) joins Ron Steslow to discuss the media landscape, their search tool that uses Artificial Intelligence to index websites and news stories to rate the content so readers can make better informed choices about what they read. (02:26) From navigation technology to search technology (05:46) Why he decided to create Seekr (37:50) What makes Seekr different from other search engines (44:22) The incentive structure for news organizations (51:20) How Seekr measures political lean in articles (55:20) How AI generated news stories can change the media landscape (1:02:06) Pat’s end goal in creating Seekr You should check out Seekr: https://www.seekr.com/ Follow Ron on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Susan Del Percio (MSNBC political analyst and crisis communications expert) and Andy Kroll (Investigative Reporter at ProPublica) join host Ron Steslow to unpack some of the most important stories of the week and how they’re shaping the political landscape: (03:14)The evolving story about President Biden’s lawyers finding classified documents and the lack of transparency from the White House (24:41) The looming fight over raising the debt limit and a more responsible way Republicans could lower spending (43:33)ChatGPT, the AI chatbot taking the world by storm, how it could mike our lives easier, and what it could do to our politics [Politicology+ Subscribers Only] Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene renounces QAnon on FOX News and how viral conspiracy theories are hurting democracy . Politicology+ is our private, ad-free version of this podcast, with subscriber-only episodes, strategy, and analysis. To join us there, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts. Follow this week’s panel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/DelPercioS https://twitter.com/AndyKroll Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Susan Del Percio, Andy Kroll, and Ron Steslow discuss Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene renouncing QAnon on FOX News and how viral conspiracy theories are hurting democracy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James Kirchick joins Ron Steslow to discuss his book Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington (01:55) Why he wrote the book (06:43) The interwoven political history and gay history in Washington (14:33) The melting pot of the gay community and why it was seen as a threat (19:55) The trope that whatever is bad must be gay (31:51) The Lavender Scare (35:53) The tension between the gay loyal foot soldiers of Ronald Reagan and courting the religious right (49:00) What was challenging about writing the book You should read Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington: http://bit.ly/3wgiORk Follow James Kirchick and Ron on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jkirchick https://twitter.com/RonSteslow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lanae Erickson (Senior Vice President for the Social Policy & Politics Program at Third Way) and MIke Pesca (Host of the Gist and Not Even Mad) join host Ron Steslow to unpack some of the most important stories of the week and how they’re shaping the political landscape: (02:28) Insurrectionist Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the concessions he made to get the gavel, and how it could impact the House (23:53) The news that classified documents were found in Joe Biden’s former office (33:12) The parallels between the January 6th attack on the Capitol and the riots in Brazil last weekend [Politicology+ Subscribers Only] Joe Biden’s pivot toward the center ahead of an expected 2024 campaign and how the move could help Democrats hold on to some non-college educated voters . Politicology+ is our private, ad-free version of this podcast, with subscriber-only episodes, strategy, and analysis. To join us there, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts. Follow this week’s panel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/LanaeErickson https://twitter.com/pescami Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Founder and CEO of Grassroots Analytics Danny Hogenkamp joins Ron Steslow to discuss how digital fundraising and the incentives of the outrage economy have changed the way campaigns bring in money and how it influences our political landscape. (03:50) The traditional role of fundraising in political campaigns (11:11) Why he decided to create Grassroots Analytics (15:31) The demographic shifts among donors to Republicans and Democrats (27:51) The shift from high dollar to grassroots fundraising on campaigns (32:22) The impact of the outrage economy and hyper-performative politics on fundraising (36:03) How donor lists can move from campaign to campaign (39:50) The use of A.I. in writing fundraising emails (47:06) The criticism that Grassroots Analytics is a “donor pimp” (51:07) More political races are starting earlier and earlier Check out Grassroots Analytics: https://www.grassrootsanalytics.com/ Follow Grassroots Analytics and Ron on Twitter: https://twitter.com/grassroots_data https://twitter.com/RonSteslow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Katie Hill (Former Congresswoman), Lucy Caldwell (political strategist) and MIke Madrid (Lincoln Project cofounder) join host Ron Steslow to unpack some of the most important stories of the week and how they’re shaping the political landscape: (03:01) Kevin McCarthy’s struggle to secure the gavel as Speaker of the House (38:38) Elise Stefanik’s move from Paul Ryan’s protege to his greatest political disappointment [Politicology+ Subscribers Only] The George Santos Scandal, why the lies should have been exposed during the campaign and one congressman’s proposal to punish politicians who lie about their education and work history Politicology+ is our private, ad-free version of this podcast, with subscriber-only episodes, strategy, and analysis. To join us there, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts. Follow this week’s panel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/madrid_mike https://twitter.com/KatieHill4CA https://twitter.com/lucymcaldwell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To unlock exclusive premium content, visit: https://politicology.com/plus On the anniversary of the attack at the Capitol, photographer Gabriella Demczuk walks listeners through her firsthand account of the January 6, 2021 insurrection, from Donald Trump’s “Stop The Steal” rally on the National Mall to the gallery of the House chamber as rioters breached the Capitol. (03:01) Getting the assignment for January 6 (05:45) Reading the crowd at the rally (07:35) Rep. Madison Cawthorn, in his own words (10:30) Back to the U.S. Capitol (12:46) Looking out the East Front (13:33) Capitol under lockdown (16:25) Trying to do our jobs (17:10) Sheltering in the House chamber (25:53) Bursting the “safe space” bubble (30:01) Reflections walking home (32:43) [Lack of] Republican remorse (34:33) The fragility of democracy What Madison Cawthorn Saw At The Insurrection by Olivia Nuzzi Want to help build Politicology? Contribute now at https://politicology.com/donate Follow Ron and Gabriella: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://instagram.com/gdemczuk https://twitter.com/gdemczuk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we get ready to ring in the new year, we look back at some of the of the biggest moments and some of our favorite weekly roundup segments from 2022 : (00:53) Lanae Erickson, Al Cardenas, and Ron Steslow discuss Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelesky’s speech before congress in March (20:56) Mike Madrid, Lucy Caldwell, and Ron Steslow break down one of the prime time January 6th committee hearings and discuss Trump’s movements during the attack and his “dereliction of duty (46:28) Mike Madrid, Susan Del Percio, and Ron Steslow discuss the long standing relationship between Hollywood and the Pentagon and the summer blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick Follow this week’s guests on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/madrid_mike https://twitter.com/DelPercioS https://twitter.com/lucymcaldwell https://twitter.com/LanaeErickson https://twitter.com/AlCardenasFL_DC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To unlock exclusive content, visit: https://politicology.com/plus Michele Gelfand (Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a Professor of Psychology by Courtesy at Stanford University) joins host Ron Steslow to discuss culture, social norms, and her book Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World (01:46) Why she decided to study culture (04:34) What are tight and loose cultures (06:12) Why tight and loose cultures evolve (10:38) The tradeoffs between tight and loose and how different cultures responded to the Covid pandemic (16:19) Tightness-looseness and willingness to change (19:57) Red and Blue vs Tight and Loose (30:36) Tightening around core values, even in loose cultures (34:56) Real and manufactured threats (44:15) How we we can put this framework into action You should read Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: https://amzn.to/3Qy8DQc Follow Michele and Ron on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MicheleJGelfand https://twitter.com/RonSteslow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As 2022 draws to a close, Ron Steslow asks some of your favorite Politicology guests to share what has given them hope in 2022. In this episode: Susan Del Percio Carly Fiorina Catherine Sanderson Sen. Doug Jones Kristyn Komarnicki Lanae Erickson Leigh Marz Mehran Sahami Jennifer Horn Liz Gilbert Molly McKew Lucy Caldwell Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is a little bit different. And personal. Kristyn Komarnicki, director of dialogue and convening at Christians for Social Action, and Darren Calhoun, a justice advocate, worship leader, and Associate Fellow at CSA, join Ron Steslow to discuss intentional dialogue, and how we can use their techniques in the relationships that matter to us. To unlock more episodes, visit: https://politicology.com/plus (07:06) What is dialogue? How is it different from everyday conversations? (8:19) What does a curated dialogue look like? (20:23) How do you prepare for something like this? (27:34) Why lean into conflict, even when you don’t like conflict? (32:28) Political fights vs dialogue—what is our role in specific conversations? (40:44) How important is “grace” in having dialogue that allows for growth? Would you like to support Kristyn’s and Darren’s work? The “Oriented to Love” dialogue program is funded by tax-deductible donations like yours. To ensure your contribution goes directly to their work, use this dedicated link: https://christiansforsocialaction.salsalabs.org/mainotldonationpage/index.html For more information about the “Oriented To Love” program, visit https://christiansforsocialaction.org/programs/oriented-to-love/ Listen to our conversation with Celeste Headlee: https://link.chtbl.com/zm8RwNPm Follow Darren and Ron on Twitter: https://twitter.com/heyDarren https://twitter.com/RonSteslow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the UN and former Middle East Director at the National Security Council in the Obama White House Hagar Chemali joins Ron Steslow to discuss the protests in Iran (01:46) What started the protests and how they’ve evolved (06:19) How these protests compare to previous ones (08:08) The role of the Supreme Leader in Iran (10:57) Why it’s difficult to get accurate news from Iran (15:55) Why ending the mandatory hijab rule wouldn’t end the protests (23:00) What we know about executions of protestors (31:41) Tension of US interests vs democratic values (55:40) Iran's place on the UN Commission on the Status of Women (1:01:37) How the protests in Iran connect to the other protests happening around the globe You should watch Oh My World on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3WkfAXK Follow Hagar and Ron on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HagarChemali https://twitter.com/RonSteslow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Susan Del Percio (MSNBC political analyst and crisis communications expert) and Tharon Johnson (Georgia political strategist) join host Ron Steslow to unpack some of the most important stories of the week and how they’re shaping the political landscape: (02:40) The Georgia Senate Runoff (21:02)Donald Trump’s bad week and his call to terminate the constitution (41:41) Mark Leibovich’s piece in the Atlantic about whether Ron DeSantis can overcome his “robotic quality” [Politicology+ Subscribers Only] Time Magazine names Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as the 2022 person of the year. Politicology+ is our private, ad-free version of this podcast, with subscriber-only episodes, strategy, and analysis. To join us there, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts. Read “Just Wait Until You Get to Know Ron DeSantis” in The Atlantic: http://bit.ly/3VQeKm0 Listen to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Reith Lecture on Freedom Of Speech: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1-freedom-of-speech/id318705261?i=1000588114737 Read “Prominent Gay Republicans Helped Smooth the Way for Marriage Bill” in The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/08/us/politics/marriage-bill-gay-republicans.html Follow this week’s panel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/TharonJohnson https://twitter.com/DelPercioS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Catherine Sanderson (Poler Family Professor of Psychology and Chair of Psychology at Amherst College) and James Lynch (Communications Strategist) join host Ron Steslow to unpack some of the most important stories of the week and how they’re shaping the political landscape: (02:58) The Trump Circus and Republicans’ response to his meeting with a white nationalist (19:41) The protests in China and the global fight for democracy (34:20) ‘Political hobbyism’ in the workplace [Politicology+ Subscribers Only] The Senate passes the Respect for Marriage Act with 12 Republican votes and the shift in support for marriage equality on both sides of the aisle Politicology+ is our private, ad-free version of this podcast, with subscriber-only episodes, strategy, and analysis. To join us there, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts. Read “Political Hobbyism Has Entered the Workplace” in The Atlantic: https://bit.ly/3ugynrd Follow this week’s panel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/SandersonSpeaks https://twitter.com/JamesGLynch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Madrid (Lincoln Project cofounder) and Lucy Caldwell (Walsh 2020 Campaign Manager) join host Ron Steslow Ron Steslow to answer Politicology listeners’ questions: (01:21) Explaining the far-left and the far-right (12:26) Did the tactic of pushing election deniers in Republican primaries hurt the Democrats’ brand? (14:56) What should Democrats do with a ‘trifecta’ in Michigan? (18:07) How do you react to the conflation of the American flag with Donald Trump supporters and the Canadian flag with the Freedom Convoy? (26:17) Why do we need to reauthorize different pieces of legislation? (30:30) How do you stay sane and focused during these uncertain times? Have a question for a future Mailbag episode? Send it over to us at [email protected]! Follow Lucy, Mike and Ron on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lucymcaldwell https://twitter.com/madrid_mike https://twitter.com/RonSteslow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Susan Del Percio (MSNBC political analyst and crisis communications expert) and Frank Sadler (Chief of Staff to Carly Fiorina) join host Ron Steslow to unpack some of the most important stories of the week and how they’re shaping the political landscape: (01:44) Republicans window shopping for a Trump alternative (18:36) Why divided government is more productive than you’d think (34:40) The federal government failing to follow conflict of interest laws and the shifting dynamics in congress on the issue [Politicology+ Subscribers Only] The World Cup, the Iranian Soccer team’s protest, and the challenges when businesses work with oppressive regimes Politicology+ is our private, ad-free version of this podcast, with subscriber-only episodes, strategy, and analysis. To join us there, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts. Follow this week’s panel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/DelPercioS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ron Steslow calls Molly McKew (lead writer at GreatPower.us) to talk about her recent trip to Ukraine to deliver the winter gear that Politicology listeners helped acquire for members of the Ukrainian AFU Stratcom team. Read Molly’s latest newsletter: http://bit.ly/3VoNjyV Follow Ron and Molly on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/MollyMcKew Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We live in a loud world that’s getting louder. We encounter noise all around us—from the chatter of polite conversations, to street noise in a big city, to the constant intrusion of the dings of notifications. But what is all of this noise doing to us, and what does it mean to find quiet in the midst of it? In fact, what is silence, anyway? How can it affect our minds, our bodies, and our relationships? Harvard and Oxford trained policymaker Justin Zorn and NASA consultant Leigh Marz join host Ron Steslow to discuss their new book, Golden: The Power of Silence in a World of Noise (02:38) What we can all learn from how the Amish evaluate new technology (07:25) The attention economy and why it’s not working for us (13:44) Understanding “ma” and how we can use it to resolve conflict (22:14) Using quality over quantity to measure productivity (26:26) Ways to incorporate silence in your everyday life (35:35) Silence and expanded states of consciousness using psychedelics You should read Golden: The Power of Silence in a World of Noise : http://bit.ly/3UIGJU2 FollowJustin, Leigh, and Ron on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JustinZorn https://twitter.com/LeighMarz https://twitter.com/RonSteslow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Madrid (Lincoln Project cofounder) and Lucy Caldwell (Walsh 2020 Campaign Manager) join host Ron Steslow to unpack some of the most important stories of the week and how they’re shaping the political landscape: (02:10) Retired Florida man makes an announcement (19:38) Republican infighting over who will lead the party in congress (35:20) The Russian War in Ukraine and Anne Applebaum’s piece about why the Russian Empire must die [Politicology+ Subscribers Only] Sam Bankman-Fried, Elizabeth Holmes, Elon Musk, and America’s Guru Problem Politicology+ is our private, ad-free version of this podcast, with subscriber-only episodes, strategy, and analysis. To join us there, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts. Read “The Russian Empire Must Die” by Anne Applebaum: http://bit.ly/3GqE6Sl Read “Fear of Nuclear War Has Warped the West’s Ukraine Strategy”: http://bit.ly/3Xc8d64 Follow this week’s panel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow https://twitter.com/madrid_mike https://twitter.com/lucymcaldwell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices