Talkin‘ Politics & Religion Without Killin‘ Each Other

What does it mean to be a conservative? What about being a Christian? What does that mean in terms of how one would understand and uphold virtue vs vice? And if I am truly a conservative and a Christian, can I then support Donald Trump?

In this edition, we explore the nuances of conservative values and Christian beliefs amidst our politically charged environment. To get clarity on what it means to be a conservative and a Christia...

From 9/11 to 1/6; from growing up as a Christian to reckoning with the current state of the Evangelical church in America; Elizabeth Neumann, the former Assistant Secretary for Counterterrorism and Threat Prevention at the US Department of Homeland Security, has the experience and has done the work to understand what's at stake in our country. So it was an honor to have her back on the program to discuss all this and more.

Elizab...

"Bringing people together to learn how to do democracy again. And we're gonna go after the crazies in the political environment that do not have the interest of the country at heart." - Adam Kinzinger

Rep. Adam Kinzinger served with integrity during his time in the U.S. Congress as well as the Air Force. Yet, the mere mention of his name sends a certain ex-President (HINT: rhymes with Shmump) as well as many of that ex-prez's mos...

Are REPUBLICAN VOTERS AGAINST TRUMP our greatest BULWARK against authoritarianism and the most significant constituency in DEFENDING DEMOCRACY TOGETHER? (Dad jokes about the future of our Constitutional Republic aside...) Bill Kristol shares his thoughts on the state of our democracy and how this year's consequential election is shaping up.

So glad to be joined again by Bill Kristol, Editor at Large of The Bulwark; Director of De...

What do we say when others label us one way or another? Why do folks have a tendency to do that in the first place? Why is it important to engage when someone mischaracterizes our views? And, if we don't fall neatly into one category, what might be a more accurate way to describe how we do identify politically? 

In this edition, host Corey Nathan goes through these questions including whether it's accurate to say he's part of THE...

Our democracy is brittle. Many would say our Constitutional Republic is in trouble. So what kind of work can we do on "actually renovating our institutions"?

We were fortunate to be joined by Dr. Danielle Allen, a democracy advocate, Harvard professor and nonprofit leader who's doing something about it. We talked about how to maintain a loving spirit when faced with "a lot of bleeps"; Danielle's fascinating family legacy and her ...

Fred Guttenberg became a nationally known activist on gun safety after his daughter Jaime was tragically murdered in the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida. Former Congressman Joe Walsh has been a self-described "rabid gun rights advocate." So how did these two guys go from being on completely different sides of such a heated issue to becoming dear friends who are now collaborating on a national tour called TWO DADS DEFENDING DEMOC...

Why is it that when there's a criticism of Donald Trump, that some folks who support him react as if it's an attack on them personally? 

On this installment of our program, host Corey Nathan explores this phenomenon. There have been a number of times when Corey and/or the guests have examined the words, actions and character of Donald Trump - and let's face it, there's much to criticize. Like, every day. But it becomes problemati...

What’s it like to be targeted by Donald Trump? What’s it like to be viciously attacked and to have one’s family under threat due to the ex-President’s middle of the night rage tweets?

This is a story of resilience. It's a story of making a difference. But it's also about life being unpredictable and messy - and even having a messy kitchen! Mostly, it’s about how to “keep moving forward.”

Rachel Vindman is Co-host of The Suburb...

How do we harness the power of communication in bridging societal divides? We spoke with Elliot Kirschner, an Emmy award-winning journalist and documentary filmmaker, to help us “Through the Fog…” 

Elliot shares his journey from CBS to his Substack “Through the Fog,” his dedication to science communication, and reflections on the role of journalism and science in democracy. We delve into his collaboration with Dan Rather, his aca...

Some might be inclined to believe recent discussions about totalitarianism are hyperbolic. In fact, the U.S. has a long history in which law, culture, medicine and religion have all been in the mix on exactly such experiments.

In our latest visit with Jon Rauch, we go into depth on his recent piece in The Atlantic, THE U.S. SHOULD APOLOGIZE TO GAY PEOPLE, which profiles America's historical attempts at erasing homosexuality, the ...

If the goal here is to reach across our differences and at least to try and understand each other better, this was an epic FAIL!

This edition recounts an experience Corey had with someone he's known for a long time and has had many conversations with. But this pseudonymously named "Evan" did something after October 7th that put all subsequent dialogue on a much more strained path. Corey shares some of the comments that were made ...

Gotta admit: This was fun! Tina Nguyen, national correspondent for Puck and author of THE MAGA DIARIES, gives us an inside look at the complexities within the right-wing movement, Trump's influence, the dynamics at play in today’s Republican party and her behind-the-scenes perspective at different political events (yes, those events). She also talks about what it was like to write this book and her approach to handling social media...

In this episode we discuss the problem of vilifying and generalizing political and social groups. You know: “Them” or “those people.” Just as an exercise, Corey did a quick search of “top conservative podcasts” and it was quite revealing. There’s a consistent, pervasive use of sensationalist and divisive rhetoric to portray liberals, “leftists” and anyone not aligned with their respective views, which ultimately fosters misundersta...

*What if, at a pinnacle of our civilization’s technological achievement, everything just broke — the institutions we’ve come to rely upon in navigating a modern complex world, the shared stories that hold a large and diverse democratic republic together, and even a common language through which to navigate the rising tide of crisis.  According to renowned social psychologist and author Jonathan Haidt, this describes our current re...

Have you ever posted something on social media only to have someone drop in to completely disagree with you? Well, that sort of thing is the genesis of this conversation. Corey's buddy from high school, Rich Weiss, joins us to discuss politics, education, media influence, and the impact of social media on public discourse. Rich Weiss, a musician with the band Guilty Pleasures and an 8th grade teacher, and Corey explore their differ...

We’re joined by author, essayist, investigative journalist and the gloriously feral Nancy French. We discuss Nancy's new memoir, GHOSTED: AN AMERICAN STORY, which involves deeply personal topics such as her experiences with sexual abuse, faith struggles, being a ghostwriter for politicians, and increasing political turmoil. Nancy also talks about navigating her long-standing personal and professional relationships amid the Trumpifi...

"I'm the bad guy?" This is about the whole idea of being part of group - the word "tribe" is often used - that thinks of itself as the good guys and anyone outside of that group as the bad guys. But do we ever stop to ask whether "I'm the bad guy?"

Here's the reference from the movie FALLING DOWN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLmuF-0P4tk

In this episode, Corey discusses the concept of personal accountability in the context o...

Donald Trump's supposedly "perfect call" was the furthest thing from perfect. In this episode, Alexander Vindman tells us what was so dangerously wrong about it as well as WHY IT MATTERS.

Alexander Vindman, retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel and the director for European Affairs on the White House’s National Security Council, shares valuable perspectives on the Trump administration, Donald Trump’s unhinged lawlessness and the d...