Five Best Politics Podcasts Of 2022

 Here's a novel experiment. We are going to attempt to offer you the five best politics podcasts without one of them representing one of the two divergent -- and increasingly erratic -- political viewpoints that swamp our narrowing mindsets.

That's right conservatives. No Ben Shapiro. No Dan Bognino. Definitely No Steve Bannon. Also, progressives, we are going to pass on Pod Save America, Rumble with Michael Moore and the Slate Political Gabfest.

KCRW's Left Right & Center

Political polarization in this country has many causes, but a primary one is the partitioning of the media. If you just watch Fox News you will receive a self-affirming and skewed view of this nation and its politics. If you just watch MSNBC News you will receive a self-affirming and skewed view of this nation and its politics.

Like The Matrix, we’ve become comfortable plugged into our own fantasy world of politics, culture, and ethics. Grey is a color best left to a BMW, not to political beliefs. Nuance, like Elvis, has left the building and for many Americans, their beliefs are the only ones that count and are legitimate.

I freely admit that I too am susceptible to this magic elixir of political dogmatism. To battle that demon, whenever I read or hear a news item or opinion piece that perfectly fits my political worldview, I question its veracity, accuracy, and lack of inclusion.

It’s just so easy to fall victim to confirmation bias. We are wired for such a mind trap.

So how do we escape this “Schrödinger’s cat” mind puzzle?

My solution to this quicksand of confirmation basis, political echo chambers, and people pathologically opposed to any compromise or moderation, was KCRW’s Left Right & Center podcast. The show bills itself as a “civilized yet provocative antidote to the self-contained opinion bubbles that dominate political debate.”

Left Right & Center debuted as a half-hour radio show back in April 1996. For the last seven years, the show has been moderated by Josh Barro, who left in January 2022 to pursue other podcast options.

Over the years, it’s become a nationally syndicated broadcast, expanded to a full hour, and become a premier politics podcast. More recently, the show has altered the set panel format to allow for a rotating cast of left and right panelists to bring a wider spectrum of viewpoints.

The show’s format is devilishly simple. The moderator is the moderate, or center. There is a conservative voice and a progressive voice. They typically discuss three topics.

To be sure, there is often strong disagreement between the two political ideology guests. What’s thankfully missing is the MMA-style cage match of debate that Fox News has perfected, where whoever yells the loudest and last is the winner.

As I have listened to the show, I’ve found myself questioning my political assumptions and ideological purity. I was becoming someone hated by both sides — a moderate.

For example, an episode in January covered Biden’s Build Back Better plan, which the progressive voice enthusiastically, if not uncritically, supported. The conservative voice, however, had serious reservations about numerous sections in the bill, especially the child care voucher component. After reviewing its flaws, the conservative guest then explained Utah Senator Mitt Romney’s plan, which she considered superior to the administration’s plan. Barro, as the moderate, agreed with her.

And so did I.

After listening to both sides of the issue, I was better able to frame my opinion because I have options to consider. When you only hear one side of an issue, you either reject it totally, or agree with it wholeheartedly. You have no frame of reference to make a modulated judgment.

This has been my ongoing issue with conservative politicians in the last decade. They criticize the Democrats for flawed legislation — sometimes they are indeed correct — yet neglect the next two necessary steps. Offer alternatives to improve the legislation or develop their own plan. Who cannot forget the first year of the Trump presidency, when Republican legislators and Trump could not come up with a viable alternative to the Affordable Care Act (Obama Care), which they had forecast in 2014 when it was passed to be “the end of the nation as we know it.”

On Left Right & Center, either side — conservative or progressive — is always held accountable when they criticize the other side because the guest hosts will pressure that person with “so what’s your side’s idea to fix this problem.”

Left Right & Center is not a moderate podcast. Instead, the show simply enables people to hear both sides and perhaps take a tiny step toward a broad spectrum view of politics and society.


Intelligence Squared U.S.

People still debate but not that the American public can see. Television has transformed what used to be legitimate debate scenarios on news and information programs where experts from differing political views marshal facts to make their argument.

Today, Fox News, OAN, MSNBC and other networks create the veneer of debate but instead attack a person with a differing view by screaming sound bite epithets and dismissing the opponent’s facts with condescending howls of “fake news.”

Radio offers politically charged talk show hosts with extreme views designed to capture ears, ratings and make advertisers happy. Even sports call-in shows may begin as “debates’ about whether Tigers second baseman Lou Whitaker should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame (he should) and descends into a mud pit of screaming, wild accusations of insufficient fandom or a lack of perspective that they’re talking about sports – not real life.

There is a podcast that scrupulously follows a formal debate format and offers listeners an intellectually vibrant and fact-based discussion on critical topics in our society.

The Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates podcast is funded and produced by a non-partisan, non-profit organization, Intelligence Squared U.S., which was founded in 2006 to address a fundamental problem in America: the extreme polarization of our nation and our politics. Their mission is to restore critical thinking, facts, reason, and civility to American public discourse. The award-winning debate series reaches millions of viewers and listeners through multi-platform distribution, including radio, live streaming, podcasts, interactive digital content, and on-demand apps on Roku and Apple TV.

With over 200 debates and counting, Intelligence Squared U.S. has encouraged the public to "think twice" on a wide range of provocative topics. Author and ABC News correspondent John Donvan has moderated IQ2US since 2008.

These debates are not dry and desiccated events but spirited and lively. While debates are not sporting events, the competitive fires burn and the debates crackle with points scored with relevant facts instead of baseball bats or soccer balls.

Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates doesn’t shy away from complex and controversial topics. Witnesses past episodes on the constitutionality of affirmative action in college admissions or a debate on replacing private health insurance with a government-run system.

The podcast even unearths debate topics that have long since slipped from popular culture’s limited attention span. For instance, episode 175 discussed the timeliness of expanding nuclear power and in a sharp right turn on topics, episode 145 debated whether dating apps have killed romance.

Listen to the podcast at iq2us.org or wherever you get podcasts.

Recognized as "Best Podcast Event of 2022" by Adweek, Intelligence Squared U.S. has held over 220 debates and counting, plus additional podcast and video content, the organization has encouraged the public to "think twice" on a wide range of provocative topics for over a decade.

As a nation, we desperately need venues like Intelligence Squared U.S. debates to force us out of the hate-filled rants of Fox News and the snarky arrogance of more progressive media.

Don't be afraid to leave your echo chamber. You'd be surprised what you can learn.


News Not Noise

Jessica Yellin is the founder of News Not Noise. For years, she worked in network news at ABC, MSNBC, and CNN, where she was the Chief White House Correspondent. She has reported from around the world and won awards.

Yellin explains how and why she started the podcast. "The more years I got under my belt as a reporter, the more I became convinced that the news doesn't speak to a large part of the audience."

In the summer of 2018, I did something different," Yellin details. " The midterm elections were approaching and friends asked me to explain what the heck was happening in the political cycle. So, I picked up my phone and began posting short, daily explainer videos on Instagram. What started with me and a ring light is now a small team, dedicated to giving you news in a different voice. We aim to provide facts, not panic attacks. We interview real experts — not pundits."

Yellin's goal is to provide the understanding you need to engage in the conversation and take action in the world.

To Yellin, the news should give you information, not a panic attack.

News Not Noise is dedicated to providing listeners substantive, succinct information on the stories that impact your life. The podcast breaks down complicated issues; interviews experts not pundits; and answer questions with facts and context. 

News Not Noise separates the news from the noise, so listeners know which stories matter and which you can ignore.

The show succeeds in its achieving its objective. One of the most notable episodes was released on May 11 with Microsoft Ex-CEO Steve Ballmer, who founded USAFACTS, which releases an annual in-depth report about the federal government's financial performance.

In the August 3 episode, the podcast looked at the roots of depression, how antidepressants work, and the effectiveness of mindfulness and meditation.

News That Noise doesn't stray from its path of giving listeners a greater sense of understanding and the confidence to engage on the big issues. So there's no Hunter's laptop, Trump's social media, Marjorie Taylor Greene's latest nonsense, or culture wars posturing.

The Purple Principle

There is no third party in the U.S. that is made up of political moderates. To support bipartisanship and compromise for the greater good is lonely and likely to make you unpopular with Democrats and Republicans. Therefore, there is no “built-in” audience for a moderate podcast.
 
The two political parties have ended all outreach to voters other than their bases years ago. So even the best podcast that fosters greater understanding like Left Right & Center has no actionable endgame. The Republicans rhetorically pistol whip their moderates with the “RHINO” tag (Republican in name only) and Democrats accuse their moderates (Manchin, Sinema, and others afraid to step forward) of a host of crimes ranging from corruption to treason.

The way to attract attention in today's media landscape is to scream the loudest and say the craziest things. It’s the Rush Limbaugh strategy, and he employed it quite effectively. These politically charged podcasts have learned that the more “crazy they exhibit” the higher their downloads because the political base now takes notice.

Finally, moderate podcasts often spend their air time talking about solutions. Crime? Child care costs? Housing shortage and affordability? Climate change?

As podcast consultant George Witt observes, “Voters today are more interested in assigning blame for a problem than finding solutions to that problem.”

That's why The Purple Principle is such a refreshing change. This New Hampshire-based show bills itself like this: “An award-winning, non-partisan podcast for independent-minded Americans exploring the perils of partisanship in U.S. politics, society, and daily life.”

What I like about the podcast is its focus on being independent-minded. A key theme on the show is that moderates often think more deeply and more analytically than idealogically pure people who simply just mimic their party’s position without much introspection.

Small steps toward change

So what’s my bottom-line here?

Simple. If we ingest news and opinion that promotes only one side of politics, society and culture, we will think only one way, like a machine programmed so that its operating system can only function like, well, a computer.

But if we make the leap to opening the gates to varying opinions, we perhaps can understand better what others are thinking, and why they are thinking that way.

Here’s a two-liner I believe summarizes how polarization has affected us. We have two parts of our brain — left and right. In the left side, there’s nothing right. In the right side, there’s nothing left.”

According to reporter Paul Briand, of The Portsmouth Herald, “The Purple Principle is a podcast seeking political middle ground in the U.S. The podcast interviews media experts, political scientists, neuro and social psychologists, social media experts, comedians, artists and legislators to get a broad perspective on how we got so partisan in the US and what can possibly be done to help.”

The Purple Principle (https://purpleprinciple.com/) is an outgrowth of Fluent Knowledge LLC, created by Robert Pease – the host of the podcast -- about six months ago to explore, as he said, “if our red and blue factions can blend into a healthier shade of purple.”

“But today,” Pease added, “any issue is immediately polarized. We’ve politicized religion, weather and now viruses. Apple pie might be next: Who picked these apples? How much were they paid? And this Granny Smith character is she a Democrat or Republican? Yet, only a few decades ago our elected representatives could have disagreements, but still reach compromise.”

Pease describes himself as a life-long independent, first attracted to the middle ground of presidential politics in 1980 with the campaign of Republican Illinois Congressman John Anderson who ran as an independent.

Educated at Princeton and Brandeis University, Pease, a former Fulbright Scholar, has graduate degrees in political science and economics and has worked as a journalist, executive recruiter and nonprofit administrator, living in Japan, Singapore and China for many years.

“I’ve benefited from living abroad and looking at my country from afar, and living in a one-party state and seeing how dangerous that can be, then coming back to the U.S. and feeling that, although we’re certainly not a one-party state, we’re like two versions of one party,” he said. “I’m old enough to remember that it wasn’t always that way. There was more communication, more overlap, more healthy dialogue, more respect, and more stability.”

Does any podcast whose message is “let’s find common ground” have a chance?

Moderation. Being in the Center. Non-Partisan. Independent. These words slowly slide into obsolescence as the hyper-partisans on the left and the right demand “you’re either with us or against us.” 

The Purple Principle is a podcast that promotes healthy dialogue about policy and politics. It's sorely needed in today's world.


Democracy Decoded

Why does American Democracy look the way it does today and how can we make it more responsive to the people it was formed to serve? Democracy Decoded, a podcast by Campaign Legal Center (CLC), examines our government and discusses innovative ideas that could lead to a stronger, more transparent, accountable and inclusive democracy. Host Simone Leeper speaks with experts from across the political spectrum and takes a deep dive into the forces fueling our elections, not just in our nation’s capital but at all levels of government.

Simone Leeper litigates a wide range of redistricting-related cases at CLC, challenging gerrymanders and advocating for election systems that guarantee all voters an equal opportunity to influence our democracy. Prior to arriving at CLC, Simone was a law clerk in the office of Senator Ed Markey and at the Library of Congress, Office of General Counsel. She received her J.D. cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in 2019 and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Columbia University in 2016. 

Democracy Decoded is a production of Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization which advances democracy through law at the federal, state and local levels, fighting for every American’s right to responsive government and a fair opportunity to participate in and affect the democratic process.

What makes this podcast so important is that it focuses on the one activity that defines a thriving democracy. Voting. Once that right to vote is abridged by politicians who only want their supporters to cast a ballot, or restricted because of unfounded charges of election fraud, democracy is in peril.

The April 21 episode on the financing of elections details how the wealthy special interests and big donors dominate election issues and the choice of candidates. 

The August 18 episode on foreign interference in our elections explains the far-reaching consequences of other nations impacting our elections via hijacking social media or propping up candidates that support their regime's objectives.

Democracy Decoded is a necessary reminder that demonizing political opponents is like dancing on a knife's edge. One slip and democracy is imperiled. Suddenly we're Turkey, Hungary, or worse, Russia.

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What’s been lost in this high-stakes game of partisan politics is that voters no longer pay attention to policy. Ask a voter about important legislation signed into law in the last two years. Six years. Generally, no clue. They’re too busy with election fraud claims pushed by the My Pillow gasbag, demonizing Mitch McConnell or Nancy Pelosi, blaming their crappy life on people with a different lifestyle or pronoun or inventing conspiracies to explain away the disparity between their political beliefs and reality.