A new podcast! Polilogue! Poli-what? Polilogue. Politics. And policy. Together with dialogue. The idea is this:
Each Sunday morning, the political talk shows invite on the top policy makers in the country to talk shop. To meet the press and face the nation.
Each week on Polilogue, we have a dialogue on the substance and style of of those agenda-setting Sunday morning shows.
The “we” here is me and my very new wife—Naomi Soto-Steidle. You see, we’ve watched the Sunday morning political shows for years. For years, we’ve celebrated this forum—where the hard-nosed political journalist meets the soft-footed politician. Where the tangles of policy are wound and unwound and then spun all over again. We listen and talk over brunch nearly every Sunday. And every Monday, we’re disappointed when the political commentary in the wider world only scratches the surface of these shows.
There are great interviews that deserve to be celebrated; strong questions that deserve applause; and weak answers that—that are just weak! Even worse, there’s crosstalk. Panels that go off the rails, discussions that devolve to disaster. This podcast is here to spotlight all of it.
There’s value in Sunday morning. Polilogue is about amplifying that value. We take a critical look at the policymaker, the politician—and the journalist. Because each is critical. And each demands criticism.
We're already two episodes in! So check it out! Even if you don't follow the Sunday morning political shows, our audio clips and explanations should still make for a worthwhile listen.