WHO’LL GET YOUR VOTE?
STILL PROCESSING THE US ELECTION MAYHEM? GARETH MAY PICKS THE BEST PODS CHEWING THE POLITICAL FAT
BINGE
Slate’s Political Gabfest Slate’s political touchstone is perfect ear fodder for the Bring Back West Wing club. Hosted by hacks John Dickerson (60 Minutes), David Plotz (Business Insider), and Emily Bazelon (New York Times Magazine), the grandaddy of political pods has tackled the big issues from Capitol Hill since 2005. And it turns out 15 years of weekly round tables with familiar faces who don’t always sing from the same hymn sheet is about the right time required to cultivate noncombative, conversational debate. Hallelujah for that.
Length: 1 hour.
Americast DIP IN
From the team behind Brexitcast, BBC stalwarts Emily Maitlis (Newsnight) and Jon Sopel (US editor) present all the latest news from the election with a welcome swish of quirky Britishness. Their penchant for pun-infused taglines – Bleach Body Ready, Dow Dow Deeper And Dow – only tell one part of the story, however, as the pair take care to unpick the issues in between insights from current affairs experts and on-thetrail vox pops. Ideal for beginners late to the party.
Length: 30 mins.
In The Thick BINGE
There’s no denying politics and race have clashed in the run-up to the US election and that’s exactly the slant taken by hosts Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela, two of the US’s most influential Latino political commentators, who examine the week’s politics through a people-of-colour lens. Offering frequent analysis on racial dynamics, their assessments of the Black Lives Matter political movement, illegal immigration and the Latino vote illustrate how each one in turn has shaped this election. Length: 20 mins.
The Skepticrat
DIP IN
The era of anti-establishment and cult of personality politics has cut many voters adrift. Thankfully, this ranty cast welcomes you with open arms. Billed as ‘from the far centre’, its hosts generally stay in their sweary punditry, shock-jock lane but listen hard enough and you’ll hear the prescient spectre of late comedian Bill Hicks with pointed and hilarious takedowns on the divisive nature of modern politics on both sides of the pond. Have you been watching the election from behind a cushion with gritted teeth? Here’s your audio antidote.
Length: 30 mins.
FiveThirtyEight BINGE
Did you lie awake at night asking yourself, ‘Is Biden finished if he loses Pennsylvania?’ If you dork out at statistical models then FiveThirtyEight has your back, painting a picture of the presidential horse race in numbers while taking the time to explain any remaining forecasts and probabilities. It can slip into mathematical obscurity upon occasion but for those seeking the numerical story within the political story it’s a vital listen. Length: 1 hour.