I am a big fan of podcasts. This is partially because I am primarily an auditory learner. But I also relentlessly multitask, and listening to a podcast provides a good way of accomplishing something intellectually, like learning about Judge Sotomayor, while doing something mindless and physical, like painting the hallway.
So here are my top three political podcasts, in order of preference.
- The Slate Political Gabfest. Intelligent, informed, snarky, and left of center, this weekly podcast is hosted by John Dickerson, Emily Bazelon, and David Plotz. All three are experienced reporters. Dickerson covers the White House for Slate, Bazelon reports on the judiciary, and Plotz is editor of Slate. The style of the podcast is conversational and witty. John is straightlaced and knowledgeable about the political machine, Emily is the legal expert and provides the feminine, and often feminist, counterpunch to David’s assertive, skeptical pronouncements and pointed wit. Each episode is generally devoted to three political subjects in the news that week and concludes with Cocktail Chatter: one thing you can talk about at your cocktail party this weekend. The podcast generally comes out on a Thursday. Subscribe through iTunes.
- It’s All Politics. This NPR podcast is hosted by reporters Ron Elving and Ken Rudin. It is fast-paced, humorous, and clever. The hosts finish each other’s sentences and always have a running joke. Each episode is brief, about 20 minutes, and is a good place to go to get the backstory on all that Beltway intrigue. Subscribe through iTunes or with the RSS feed.
- Capitol Notes. The best podcast for the inside scoop on what is going on in Sacramento. Hosted by John Myers, Sacramento bureau chief for the California Report and Capitol Weekly’s Anthony York. Like hosts of any of the best podcasts, John and Anthony play off each other and work well together. Both are on-the-ground reporters who know a great deal about state politics. Listening to Capitol Notes is a quick and enjoyable way to catch up on what’s going on in the state capitol. They often share information it would take you weeks to learn through the newspaper or any local blogs. This is where, for example, I learned that Peter Foy might run for governor months before the Ventura County Star bothered to report it. Subscribe through iTunes or with the RSS feed.
What are your favorite political podcasts? I’d like to know.
