A very fair-minded show that engages seriously with the substance of conservative intellectual traditions, not the antics of the current news cycle.
One of the hosts is a former conservative scholar and activist (and a practising Christian if that matters), so he knows some of the subjects personally.
Specifically for the subject of this thread I would recommend Midnight in the Garden of American Heroes, Frank Meyer: Father of Fusionism and Nixon Agonistes.
that's the problem with todays "conservative" movement, the moment you disagree with them on anything you become a "leftist"..........even when they're making the "liberal argument" and you're actually still conservative on a subject.........
Have the staff of The Bulwark really changed that much, though? Isn't it the GOP that has changed around them? Hasn't the GOP in fact changed into the cult of Trump? The staff of The Bulwark are never Trumpers after all.
OP, the flagship podcast is called **The Bulwark.** I think that your best bet is to simply check out the current episode on any given day. The host is Tim Miller, who formerly served as communications director for Jeb Bush, and as a spokesman for the Republican National Committee.
[About - The Bulwark](https://www.thebulwark.com/about)
The Bulwark was founded to provide analysis and reporting in defense of America’s liberal democracy.
We publish written articles and newsletters. We create podcasts and YouTube videos. We give political analysis from experts who have spent their lives in the business.
*The Bulwark* was founded in 2019 by Sarah Longwell, Charlie Sykes, and Bill Kristol. The idea, then and now, was to tell you what we think—with honesty and good faith.
**To put country over party. / To know that we’re all in this together. / And to build a home for the politically homeless.**
To engage and create the kind of community that’s not supposed to be possible on the internet: a place where people oppose tribalism and polarization, have respectful conversations, and show empathy for one another.
They formed when the Weekly Standard was dismantled. I think they are still on the conservative - moderate range. What they are is thoughtful -- they are utterly detached from the GOP talking points of the day so their commentary is far more interesting and thought through. They are fiercely pro-democracy. This Progressive Democrat reads their newsletters and listens to their podcasts pretty much daily.
Holy hell the Overton Window is FUBAR if Tim Miller, Charlie Sykes, and Bill Kristol are considered leftists.
They're anti-Trump, but they're still conservatives. It's my favorite podcast for the past few years.
I beg to differ. Mona Charen is just an old necon, totally out of touch. Literally can't comprehed why anyone would ever criticize the Iraq War, for instance, or why anyone could criticize Israel. Zero ability to even try to understand progressives.
Sisters in Law. -Four lawyers with extensive experience in the government/political law discuss most current news of the week. They lean left but are factual and appropriate and make things seem very clear (at least to me). Usually very pleasant, no conflict between them, just trying to educate the listener from a legal (and intelligent and ethical perspective).
He did like 5 podcast about Israeli/Hamas conflict, check those out. Covered it from every angle, guests were from every generation, Palestinians ,Israeli, old American diplomacy leaders, every conversation had its sub theme and even though I hate the word "balanced" with all my heart, because it usually means just being unable to make your mind up, this was really a balanced look at a very complex issue. Ezra is probably my favorite podcaster, I highly recommend everything he does. He is definitely left leaning, but he is a pure, old school journalist at heart.
I don't have any particular favorites, but they're all pretty good. He usually interviews an expert about a particular topic and he's very fair and interested in different perspectives, which is why I think you'll like him. All of the episodes are titled by topic so I'd recommend scrolling through and seeing if any jump out at you
That’s great, I’m glad you liked it. I’ve used Copilot/GPT at work but never touched Gemini or Claude, but now I’m tempted to try these too. I feel like I barely understand their possibilities
Knowledge Fight is what came to mind for me. But I'm biased because I'm obsessed with it. I've been digging into the past with them lately and it's hilarious and concerning. In the early Oughts, Alex Jones tried to sound like Rush Limbaugh, which makes me wonder if there's a show that focuses on unpacking Rush Limbaugh?
I really like that show and the hosts, but my tolerance for hearing Jones for three hours is pretty low. It's not good for my mental health. I'll check in now and again, but that's it.
Knowledge Fight might be alittle too focused on Alex Jones for what OP is looking for but Dan does do a great of disspellong a lot of right wing crock that the GOP leans heavily on these days with actual sources in the context. And Jordan just yells about a “soft yes”
The right wing crock is what I appreciate. Unfortunately, for normal conservatives their party is becoming the party of conspiracy theories, and OP may appreciate taking that aspect down a peg.
Conservative thought is not evil or wrong, but those two podcasts dig into what I would consider plain wrong about the current right movement(or the movement that I am aware of).
>Knowledge Fight might be alittle too focused on Alex Jones
This is why the podcast is so cringe to me. If i wanted to hear that much about Alex Jones, I would watch/listen to Alex Jones, not some random losers that are obsessed with him
Know Your Enemy is incredibly thorough and thoughtful. It is focused on examining right wing thinkers/thought from a left perspective, so that could be an interesting bridge for you.
Things Fell Apart by Jon Ronson -
He investigates the origins of issues that have become touchpoints of the 'culture wars' with a very curious, observational lens. He's an excellent writer outside of the show, and his takes and interviews are usually really interesting (he gets compared to Louis Theroux often).
Beau of the Fifth Column. He is primarily a YouTuber but his videos are uploaded to Spotify as a podcast and are only about five minutes long and cover a variety of topics and not only politics. He’s southern and commands a certain type of respect that most leftists cannot approach.
Beau is fantastic. I didn’t initially consider him because he doesn’t nearly fit into what I think of as a “podcast,” but you’re right that he very much belongs in this discussion.
My favorite bit of Beau info is that for a while there was a group that was paying for his videos to be promoted when someone was looking for information about how/why to carry out certain types of extremist violence. He looks like the kind of guy who would be a prepper/gun nut, but then he’s give them info to contradict their reasons for wanting to carry the act out in the first place. Pretty cool.
Any recommendations from your perspective? I’m definitely left leaning and also enjoy hearing intelligent conversations from the other side. Thank you!
I’d add All-in. 4 rich venture capitalists covering science, economics, politics, etc. 3 out of 4 skew right but they are brilliant with good depth. There’s lots I disagree with them on but there’s real insight.
Yes! And for those unfamiliar, these are all part of the dispatch media network. So same level of quality. AO is excellent for cutting through all the legal noise to really understand the specifics of the issues. I’ve learned so much from Sarah and David.
100% Sam Seder. He’s informed and intelligent. Not an out right socialist but leans very left and can explain to you why. Love his debates. I watch MR everyday.
This might not be exactly what you're looking for, but Behind The Bastards is written by a left wing journalist and talks about a lot of right wing figures like Alex Jones, Jordan Peterson etc and criticises their points of view.
But he also has episodes going after left wing people like communist dictators & tech guys. And then a bunch of more apolitical episodes on cult leaders, scam artists, medical grifters etc.
I think he's pretty fair but he does poke fun at everyone he covers.
I’d start with historical bastards first; Tsar Nicholas II, Christopher Columbus, King Leopold II, or That Time Britain Did a Genocide in Ireland before starting on more modern bastards like Kissinger or Alex Jones.
For a deeper dive on Alex Jones, and the modern right wing talking head circuit, I'd check out Knowledge Fight. The host was an expert witness on Alex Jones in his trials last year.
Eh, I’d maybe hold off on BtB. I think Robert is an exceptionally talented journalist but it might be off putting for someone who’s more right leaning to hear his take in a logical way.
Eh, that's fair.
I know I personally am far more willing to listen to a fun conversation between people that I disagree with than sit down and listen to a guy lecture me for an hour.
One of my old favourite podcasts, Those Conspiracy Guys went quite right wing but I kept listening to them for ages after.
I used to listen to Jordan Peterson's lectures but as soon as he started being more mask off with his bigotry I stopped listening.
Depends what OP is most receptive to I guess.b
Most left wing podcasts will be preaching to the choir unless they're super centrist. That's kindof how things are set up at the moment. Right wing podcasts do the same thing because what OP is doing is kindof rare, most people stay in their little bubbles.
Why does it have to be academic?
I’m currently listening to BtB and what I like about it is that the host grew up conservative and does a great job empathizing with aspects of conservative culture in a way that others on the left typically don’t. He openly talks about views he’s changed on but doesn’t deny previously having (ie homophobia being normalized growing up in the south) and is the kind of anarchist that, by his own words, has a lot of libertarian tendencies. Also, he owns a ton of guns.
As someone who grew up in a very conservative family, I find it very relatable!
Behind the bastards has an undeniable liberal bias and perspective on pretty much every topic. It also annoys me how they apply modern liberal standards onto past historical figures without providing the necessary context of the cultural/societal norms at the time.
They also take a ton of liberties in the historical sense of creating their stories and just pick the first hand accounts, anecdotal evidence and perspectives that align with the story they’re trying to tell.
I would not describe the podcast as fact based, unbiased or genuine in trying to “see both sides”
Robert is an anarchist and is super critical of liberalism, so no, I wouldn't really say it has a liberal bias. It has a left wing bias because it's a left wing podcast, which is specifically what OP asked for.
They also go out of their way to clarify if gross things were more accepted (but still morally wrong) at the time. In the latest episode the Bastard dated a 16 year old and Robert went out of his way to say "this was common at the time. Yes, she was a child, but this was the least terrible thing he did to women."
As for historical inaccuracies, yeah probably. That's the case with every history podcast. He often openly states when sources are potentially biased (in the latest episodes he said that constantly. Most sources were written by his coworkers that had him murdered so they're likely hit pieces, but we're interpreting what we can from them.)
It sounds like you just don't like the podcast, which is fine. I don't think your criticisms are very fair though, you're allowed to just not like something.
Not only does he not apply modern standards to past historical figures, more than most podcasts he goes out of his way to state the historical norms of the time he's talking about and how that person fits within them.
What Trump Can Teach Us About ConLaw. Roman Mars and a constitutional law, professor breakdown the tweets and other post by the former President Trump and breakdown the constitutionality of the post and other activities. There’s a lot of law history in constitutional information that comes out that many aren’t aware of.
Throughline connects history to present day. It doesn’t actually lean left or right, except for those who assume liberalism whenever they hear any suggestion that their white ancestors weren’t perfect. It’s a smart show. Highly recommend.
Strict Scrutiny covers SCOTUS current events. It’s very much left leaning but also very much based in understanding of constitutional law.
I’ve tried them a couple times but get turned off by this same thing. And more importantly, they never(slight exaggeration) see any value in the other side. I’m ok w left leaning podcasts (Ezra Klein, Hard Fork, Hidden Brain) but all of these provide the other side and not just to ridicule them.
This is the same reason I don’t listen to Ben Shapiro and others that are purely conservative.
I'd recommend "Citations Needed" which is a great and very informative podcast about news coverage and how it conflicts with power structures.
While they don't generally discuss current day political events, they talk in-depth about how mainstream media and journalism use tactics and selective information to perpetuate bias and how this has a major effect on how society thinks about and discusses political issues. It is also quite firmly left-wing in its leanings and I find generally matches up well with a concern for more informational and well-informed podcast. Those guys definitely do their research on whatever topic they cover.
Left right and center has people involved in the republican and Democrat party and they talk about stuff and try to fond common ground. Usually 3 people talking about recent political news.
I’d recommend Best of the Left maybe.
I don’t know how great it is for conservatives, but feel like it does a good job talking history and educating. Might be a little judgey feeling if I didn’t agree with lots, but overall, I think it’s more educating how and why leftists view certain things.
i would say behind the bastards has done some awesome stuff exposing how the modern conservatism has shaped over the years ..
i would recommend the manosphere ones to start with..
Opening Arguments is a legal podcast that frequently touches on politics because Trump is in so much legal trouble.
They do a very good job explaining the legal arguments conservatives make in court around a variety of issues.
Pod Save America— they aren’t very nice when they talk about conservatives, but you will hear the arguments of the establishment left from articulate, intelligent hosts.
And they are pretty funny.
Edit: and they do lots of political analysis about conservative issues. Like, was DJT’s abortion statement politically helpful, etc. and they give honest answers.
Pantsuit Politics is great if you’re looking for grounded analysis of politics from the perspective of two women who approach a topic from a genuine place of curiosity.
Some NPR podcasts might be a good fit. On the Media (sort of a meta show, covers issues in the media itself) and Throughline (hour-long eps, usually giving historical perspective on contemporary issues) could both be good fits.
I'm also a fan of Reveal - it's an investigative journalism podcast so sometimes they're doing things that are very polarizing while other times it's like a deep dive into the recovery industry, things that aren't necessarily left-right political issues. Either way, they're thoughtful and extremely well researched.
Pod Save America and Hysteria by Crooked Media. They're both very progressive podcasts with intelligent hosts who have all worked in politics. I listen to them all the time and wonder if there's anything like it on the right side of things. Do you have any suggestions?
Nerd quibble, but the Pod Save guys aren't really "far left" in the sense of working class power, they're just Democrats who are jerks about it sometimes.
Not even Left. Liberal at best. But *extremely* partisan.
I stopped listening finally after a series of unhinged rants calling everyone who owns a gun a psycho baby killer who doesn't care about children.
What they may be (crudely) insinuating is that the podcasts you have mentioned aren't educational or balanced. They are all podcasts that wolf whistle to a certain audience. You even said Rogan was 'centred,' which is simply not true.
You have asked for podcasts that are 'the other side of the aisle', educational, intelligent, and tolerant.
The podcasts you have mentioned you listen to don't tick any of those boxes. Why are you holding 'left' podcasts to a higher standard than what you think is 'conservative' podcasts?
I'm not here to shit on you, I truly hope you discover the differences between podcasts that are simply pandering to a known audience versus those who genuinely want to discuss social and political issues.
The podcasts you have been given are mostly not *left*, rather, they are educational. People who discuss topics rational tend to be seen as left when really they are *progressive*.
I agree, most of my regular shows are not up to the standards I'm asking for. I never said they were. All I ask is for people to recognize that I ask these things to learn more, and educate myself further. I also plan to seek out more "balanced" conservative podcasts. It's just simply that I don't listen to as many podcasts as some others might, and I chose to start with the big names, because I had to start somewhere.
It's the internet - people are going to react wildly. I'm left leaning and also seek out contrasting information sources from the right and it's really hard to do given current divisiveness. It's been interesting to watch Jon Stewart re-enter the fray recently and so many folks from the left calling him out and rejecting him because he's trying to show a centerist view as opposed to just shitting on Trump, which is what they'd like to see. Things have reached a point where I think a lot of people view the outcome of the next election could potentially cause a Civil War so tensions are high and civil discourse has pretty much left the building.
That’s not what they are saying.
Are your right wing podcasts “balanced?”
I’ve yet to hear one, and I read columns for years that tried to be balanced overall, while admittedly from a rightist view.
C’mon now. Don’t be a dick. This guy is trying to broaden his horizons and hear the opposing viewpoint. If we all did that the world would be a better place.
It's funny that a strongly conservative person is asking for an intelligent, fact based, left leaning podcast. I counter with, show me the same but for a conservative podcast.
Thank you everyone for the suggestions so far, I'll be checking out as many of these suggestions as possible over the next week, and I'll try to remember to come back and post the ones I liked best. For those who were requesting my suggestions of the opposite, I mostly ask this because I felt that I was listening to a few too many hard right podcasts and nothing else. Mostly Joe Rogan, Jordan Peterson, Tim Pool, and Charlie Kirk. I would recommend them all but be advised they probably won't be for you if you're on the left, unless you're pretty open minded.
Would be very curious for you to check out the Majority Report with Sam Seder. I hesitate to say he's directly the left counter to the names you listed. While still punditry, the first hour interview portion of his show does much more serious, researched, insightful discussions with academics, researchers, writers, activists, etc. than any of the right wing hosts do.
But the latter half of each show is often spent debunking/poking fun at the types of personalities you listed.
^(Oh, maybe a few; lemme think... :)
**Ezra Klein show**, but that one looks pretty well-attested to here already.
**Pivot** - Kari Swisher & Scott Galloway. Covers news, esp. business. Hosts have a good banter dynamic—pretty enjoyable considering the dryness of some of the subjects.
**Amarica's Constitution** - entirely focused on con-law and hosted by esteemed Yale prof. Akhil Amar*. If you've ever needed an antidote to feelings of rage at the left for seeming to want to legislate from the bench, this is it—Akhil is so ruthless about not letting his preferences color his objectivity when reading a text, it took me several episodes to be convinced that he actually leans left. Forewarning: this one is about 1-1/half hours at a time, and while you don't need a legal background going in, it does get *very* wonky.
^( * yes, the title is a cringey pun on his name. I can only urge you to overlook this transgression against comedy standards—I swear its a very serious, highbrow show)
**Robert Wright's *Nonzero*** - bloggingheads (if u know, u know) founder Robert Wright, put out erratically on a wide variety of subjects. This one might be harder to get into, although I find his level-headed analyses of a geopolitical moment's ethics indispensable.
**The Glenn Show** - Robert Wright's associate, Glenn Loury identified as a conservative economics professor for most of his career before becoming politically homeless with a lot of left-leaning instincts. Fantastic at steelmanning the opposite position in a dispute, rather than trying to make it seem fatuous for purposes of winning the argument. Regularly co-hosts with John McWhorter.
**Rational Security** - Just covers a lot of fascinating foreign-policy stuff.
**The Congressional Dish** - host might not identify as liberal, but I tend to agree with them on most stuff, and their deep-dives on Congressional workings are too good not to recommend regardless.
Don't forget reddit's own **Neoliberal Podcast**
And these last two in case you wanted some fare that couldn't care *less* if they offended conservatives or not:
**The New Abnormal** - mostly domestic politics
**Behind the Bastards** - politics and history, esp. deep dives on important figures. This one in particular is almost entirely offroad.
EDIT: "**Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other**", "**Ken Rudin's Political Junkie**", "**Deep State Radio**", and the (usually) bizarre & surreal but occasionally touching "**The Necessary Conversation**." • EDIIT: Also, if you'd like to time-capsule what it was like to be a liberal news junkie during the Mueller Report days, check out the archives for "**Mueller, She Wrote**" by Alison Gil (sp?). She has multiple current podcasts in production now\*, but she was at her apex when she responded to the report's long-delayed release by spending ~20 episodes of MsW reading through the entire 450-page document (well, the main body text, anyway), with copious commentary along the way by her & her cohosts.
^( * "You Don't Know Jack", "Cleanup on Aisle 45", "the Daily Beans" (or did that last one wrap up?)^)
Politics Politics Politics is a good “moderate” one, although I’d say it leans slightly left. Justin is a great host and tries to cover both sides fairly. A lot of his guests are very liberal though so you get that perspective a lot. Either way, it’s a very well done podcast.
The Ezra Klein show. He works for NYTimes so in many circles that is to liberal. But to me he is intelligent, fact based and has interesting guests to discuss issues.
Ezra Klein probably lines up best with what you're asking about.
Some other options...
Pod Save the World is generally a good liberal take on foreign policy news.
Why is this Happening? with Chris Hayes
Pitchfork Economics
These are all mostly interview podcasts, so they're not necessarily going into the weeds on facts and statistics. They usually have an expert on or someone who has just written a book to talk about their area of expertise. The facts and footnotes will be in the book if you want to read it.
I'm not sure what you're looking for with regards to "fair." These are all left leaning podcasts and none of them purport to be otherwise. They all think the Republican party is a joke but they'll at least be conscientious of the concerns of Republican voters in the topics they talk about. With the exception of the Pod Save crew, they're not going to really be big boosters for Democrats either.
Anything Brene Brown. She is a social science researcher which is sort of naturally left leaning but also treats people she disagrees with with compassion.
Letters from an American (Heather Cox Richardson) is now available as a podcast. Fascinating to hear current events framed through the lens of history.
I’m not suggesting you’re a conspiracy theorist. The podcast series ‘Things Fell Apart by John Ronson Season 1 & 2 have been fascinating on the origins of the culture wars. It’s well researched and i feel gives fair exposure to both sides but with an emphasis on debunking conspiracy theories.
Please give this a listen:
https://pca.st/podcast/623163d0-bb54-013a-d910-0acc26574db2
It's a pretty small circulation podcast but the content is exactly what you're looking for.
For specificly left leaning urbanism, so more public transit, less cars, you know that side of policitcs.
''The urbanist agenda'' from the same guy that does not just bikes.
I'm generally libertarian, but I subscribe to several right-leaning and left-leaning podcasts, even ones that make me mad, to understand a wide range of arguments.
On the left, I like: On The Media, Vox's The Weeds, and The New Yorker Radio Hour. Also Reveal, and NPR's Throughline, which are more documentary/history, but pretty leftist. Then there's Counterspin, which is hard left, but brings up issues and arguments I often don't hear elsewhere.
They're not current news podcasts, but I would suggest checking out a few (semi) historical podcasts from NPR. I'm thinking the best way to expose yourself to the liberal ideas, is to be immersed in deep and empathy inducing stories written from the liberal perspective. A left wing talking head telling you why some student loan debt should be forgiven, or abortion access should be expanded, or why the rich should be taxed more unless you've been exposed to real stories about how those things would improve our world. Below are my suggestions:
Throughline
*The past is never past. Every headline has a history. Join us every week as we go back in time to understand the present. These are stories you can feel and sounds you can see from the moments that shaped our world.*
Embedded
*NPR's original documentary podcast unearths the stories behind the headlines. Police shootings. Towns ravaged by opioids. The roots of our modern immigration crisis. We explore what's been sealed off, undisclosed, or never brought to light. We return with a deeply-reported portrait of why these stories, and the people behind them, matter.*
https://www.futuromediagroup.org/thesumofus/
The Sum of US podcast by Heather McGhee. Based on her book, The Sum of Us: The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together
The author spent a few years traveling around the United States, speaking with people across the political spectrum, of different races and ethnicities. Their stories she features are incredibly moving.
The Gist with Mike Pesca.
the show isn't strictly political, and he's not nearly as left-leaning as Pod Save America. His politics tend to be pretty pragmatic, he says he tries to be more of a centrist. He doesn't seem to mind last-decade republicanism, but he clearly thinks Trump is a clown.
I love Stay Tuned with Preet. Preet Bharara was US attorney for SDNY during the Obama administration and also worked in the Senate for Chuck Schumer. He’s obviously smart but also funny, a huge Bruce Springsteen fan, and a great interviewer. He and Joyce Vance, a former US attorney from Alabama, do a lot of news analysis/debate, or sometimes Preet does interviews himself (the best is when he has on Ian Bremmer from Eurasia Group — he also has a really interesting podcast about foreign policy)
I'd tentatively recommend "If Books Could Kill", which looks at very influential but problematic books from a very leftist perspective. I say tentatively because they can be a bit flippant, but both hosts are phenomenal researchers. I'd particularly reccomend the episodes on "Freakanomics", "The End of History", "The Coddling of the American Mind", and "God and Man at Yale".
I like [The Left Show](http://theleftshow.com/) podcast.
Jeff is a veteran struggling with health problems, his kids, and shares a wealth of perspective.
The show includes recaps of news items as well as deep dives into various topics. The show is clever and playful, while also very personal.
All-In Podcast. It's 4 successful businessmen. 3 left-leaning and 1 right. They discuss current events, business, politics, etc, and offer different points of view.
It might not be exactly what you're looking for, but you might want to give We're Not Wrong a listen. It's a show where three podcasters, Justin Robert Young of Politics Politics Politics, Jennifer Briney of Congressional Dish, and Andrew Heaton of The Political Orphanage, get together and discuss current topics. They aren't exactly left-leaning, more center-left, but they are independents.
Justin likes to look at the nature and mechanics of politics. Andrew likes to look at systems and how things work, and look at how to possibly provide solutions. Jennifer tracks Congress, looking at the bills and what Congress is actually doing.
I would suggest beginning with Rabbit Hole -NYTimes to set the stage. I don't endorse NYTimes in general but this specific piece was done really well.
Contrapoints - it's not a podcast but a YouTube channel but you don't have to watch you can just listen while doing something else if you don't appreciate her "showmanship" ha. Her older stuff from 3&4 years ago is my favorite.
Some More News & Even More News
It Could Happen Here
The Tiger Bloc Podcast
I'd even add Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and anything Jon Stewart has done.
They need educational podcasts, the RW propaganda is too much for them to fight, so political shows don't help so much, they need to learn critical thinking, logic, philosophy, civics, US History, World History, Religious history, ethics, economics, literature...
I like Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps. He is a moderate left leaning gay Australian Jewish journalist who talks in a very measured way to controversial characters from the left and right.
I know you said podcast, but have a look at a YouTube Channel called WHAT IS POLITICS.
The guy is left libertarian, maybe a touch anarchist, but is both the most eloquent critics and promoter of left sing politics.
In particular, his last few videos are bangers, especially "Why Every Communist Country is One Party Dictatorship" and "Rainbow of Inequality: When Social Control Masquerades as Social Justice".
If nothing else, it'll be a different look at left politics than what you're used to seeing it as.
Not sure if you’re interested in UK politics, but if so The Rest is Politics is a very popular current affairs podcast with Alistair Campbell (left wing, former press secretary for Labour PM Tony Blair) and Rory Stewart (former centrist Conservative MP) talking about politics in the UK and the wider world. They also have a podcast called Leading where they interview various well known leaders about politics. Whilst it represents both left and right wing views, both Campbell and Stewart are from the centre of those respective ideologies so provide a fairly balanced take.
Pivot - not exactly what you requested. A lesbian technology journalist and a successful capitalist regularly explain why they strongly favor Democrats.
Just found out Ruy Teixeira has a new podcast called The Liberal Patriot. Based on what I’ve read of his articles, i think it will very much fit this bill.
https://www.liberalpatriot.com/p/welcome-to-the-podcast-w-david-leonhardt
I like the daily wire. Knowledge Fight deconstructs Alex Jones so well they were material witnesses in his trial (or so I've heard). The Trillbillies are some good werking class folks from Kentucky. Deep Fat Fried are a gab show by some lefties, they talk about all kinds of stuff but talk politics quite a bit.
*Well, There's Your Problem* is a very good podcast about engineering disasters. The hosts are all vocal leftist, communists, anarchists and so on, so they do have strong opinions about how the disasters could have been prevented that you might not agree with, but over all its a very good show.
No Agenda! They are all over the map but tend to lean libertarian if anywhere.
Dave Rubin. Reformed lefty but still somewhat socially liberal. Not serious, easy listening for a long drive.
The Fifth Column. Moynihan, Welch, and Foster. Entertaining banter on a variety of subjects.
On Being talks about bigger perspectives, living the questions of life. Not sure it’s left leaning but I think it’s the best show out there for anyone wanting to think deeper on subjects.
I’m sure this will be in thé recommends somewhere, but The Rest is Politics is a great discussion podcast. One left wing spin doctor, one old Etonian ex-MP. UK based but a lot of focus on world events.
If you’re US based you might also enjoy The News Agents US podcast.
Nothing comes close to “Know Your Enemy” https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/know-your-enemy/id1462703434
A very fair-minded show that engages seriously with the substance of conservative intellectual traditions, not the antics of the current news cycle. One of the hosts is a former conservative scholar and activist (and a practising Christian if that matters), so he knows some of the subjects personally.
What’s a good episode to start with?
I personally love the Kissinger episodes, but it depends what you’re looking for. Look for a topic that interests you and dive in.
Specifically for the subject of this thread I would recommend Midnight in the Garden of American Heroes, Frank Meyer: Father of Fusionism and Nixon Agonistes.
Political Gabfest Stay Tuned with Preet
I love Political Gabfest. John Dickerson is the best political/news commentator imo. Ezra Klein is also great
The Bulwark are some former conservative/moderates who have become more leftist/moderate. The discussions are really enjoyable and fair IMO.
They’re not leftist in any sense of the word, they’re just libertarian style never trumpers
that's the problem with todays "conservative" movement, the moment you disagree with them on anything you become a "leftist"..........even when they're making the "liberal argument" and you're actually still conservative on a subject.........
Have the staff of The Bulwark really changed that much, though? Isn't it the GOP that has changed around them? Hasn't the GOP in fact changed into the cult of Trump? The staff of The Bulwark are never Trumpers after all. OP, the flagship podcast is called **The Bulwark.** I think that your best bet is to simply check out the current episode on any given day. The host is Tim Miller, who formerly served as communications director for Jeb Bush, and as a spokesman for the Republican National Committee. [About - The Bulwark](https://www.thebulwark.com/about) The Bulwark was founded to provide analysis and reporting in defense of America’s liberal democracy. We publish written articles and newsletters. We create podcasts and YouTube videos. We give political analysis from experts who have spent their lives in the business. *The Bulwark* was founded in 2019 by Sarah Longwell, Charlie Sykes, and Bill Kristol. The idea, then and now, was to tell you what we think—with honesty and good faith. **To put country over party. / To know that we’re all in this together. / And to build a home for the politically homeless.** To engage and create the kind of community that’s not supposed to be possible on the internet: a place where people oppose tribalism and polarization, have respectful conversations, and show empathy for one another.
They formed when the Weekly Standard was dismantled. I think they are still on the conservative - moderate range. What they are is thoughtful -- they are utterly detached from the GOP talking points of the day so their commentary is far more interesting and thought through. They are fiercely pro-democracy. This Progressive Democrat reads their newsletters and listens to their podcasts pretty much daily.
Holy hell the Overton Window is FUBAR if Tim Miller, Charlie Sykes, and Bill Kristol are considered leftists. They're anti-Trump, but they're still conservatives. It's my favorite podcast for the past few years.
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Not leftist at all but it's a great podcast
The Bulwark is still very conservative. The Republican Party has simply thrown itself that far to the right.
Beg to Differ is good as well.
I beg to differ. Mona Charen is just an old necon, totally out of touch. Literally can't comprehed why anyone would ever criticize the Iraq War, for instance, or why anyone could criticize Israel. Zero ability to even try to understand progressives.
Sisters in Law. -Four lawyers with extensive experience in the government/political law discuss most current news of the week. They lean left but are factual and appropriate and make things seem very clear (at least to me). Usually very pleasant, no conflict between them, just trying to educate the listener from a legal (and intelligent and ethical perspective).
The Ezra Klein show
Probably the best answer I know of
Any episode recommendations? Some of your favorites? I plan to add all suggestions to a list to sample them.
He did like 5 podcast about Israeli/Hamas conflict, check those out. Covered it from every angle, guests were from every generation, Palestinians ,Israeli, old American diplomacy leaders, every conversation had its sub theme and even though I hate the word "balanced" with all my heart, because it usually means just being unable to make your mind up, this was really a balanced look at a very complex issue. Ezra is probably my favorite podcaster, I highly recommend everything he does. He is definitely left leaning, but he is a pure, old school journalist at heart.
Damn thanks for putting me on. Enjoying the latest one about ai.
AI is his passion, he did ton of podcasts on it. Glad you like it!
I don't have any particular favorites, but they're all pretty good. He usually interviews an expert about a particular topic and he's very fair and interested in different perspectives, which is why I think you'll like him. All of the episodes are titled by topic so I'd recommend scrolling through and seeing if any jump out at you
The recent one on how to interact with AI. Really interesting perspective for someone like me who doesn’t really understand the topic.
Definitely will catch you up.
Thanks for the suggestion. I listened today and it’s fascinating
That’s great, I’m glad you liked it. I’ve used Copilot/GPT at work but never touched Gemini or Claude, but now I’m tempted to try these too. I feel like I barely understand their possibilities
Stick to his political topics - he is very good. If you go back to when he was with Vox he has a great one with George Will
Just checked it out. Very good.
Absolute right answer
Knowledge Fight Strait White American Jesus
I came to suggest Straight White American Jesus as well. If he's interested in hearing from religious scholars this is a great one!
Knowledge Fight is what came to mind for me. But I'm biased because I'm obsessed with it. I've been digging into the past with them lately and it's hilarious and concerning. In the early Oughts, Alex Jones tried to sound like Rush Limbaugh, which makes me wonder if there's a show that focuses on unpacking Rush Limbaugh?
Maybe when Jones is forced to retire/jailed the boys could do it?
I really like that show and the hosts, but my tolerance for hearing Jones for three hours is pretty low. It's not good for my mental health. I'll check in now and again, but that's it.
Knowledge Fight might be alittle too focused on Alex Jones for what OP is looking for but Dan does do a great of disspellong a lot of right wing crock that the GOP leans heavily on these days with actual sources in the context. And Jordan just yells about a “soft yes”
The right wing crock is what I appreciate. Unfortunately, for normal conservatives their party is becoming the party of conspiracy theories, and OP may appreciate taking that aspect down a peg. Conservative thought is not evil or wrong, but those two podcasts dig into what I would consider plain wrong about the current right movement(or the movement that I am aware of).
>Knowledge Fight might be alittle too focused on Alex Jones This is why the podcast is so cringe to me. If i wanted to hear that much about Alex Jones, I would watch/listen to Alex Jones, not some random losers that are obsessed with him
Citations Needed! They do media criticism and cover a wide range of political topics.
Good on ya for seeking out an opposing viewpoint that isn’t a straw man or a caricature! I’m a very left leaning guy, and I respectfully salute you.
I was looking for this, good on you OP. I don't expect you to always agree, but perspective is important for all of us.
Know Your Enemy is incredibly thorough and thoughtful. It is focused on examining right wing thinkers/thought from a left perspective, so that could be an interesting bridge for you.
Things Fell Apart by Jon Ronson - He investigates the origins of issues that have become touchpoints of the 'culture wars' with a very curious, observational lens. He's an excellent writer outside of the show, and his takes and interviews are usually really interesting (he gets compared to Louis Theroux often).
I think David Pacman did a good job of being analytical and presents views from both sides.
David Pakman. Agree he's really good. It's a a syndicated radio and TV show, but you can get it as a podcast. https://davidpakman.com
Beau of the Fifth Column. He is primarily a YouTuber but his videos are uploaded to Spotify as a podcast and are only about five minutes long and cover a variety of topics and not only politics. He’s southern and commands a certain type of respect that most leftists cannot approach.
Beau is fantastic. I didn’t initially consider him because he doesn’t nearly fit into what I think of as a “podcast,” but you’re right that he very much belongs in this discussion. My favorite bit of Beau info is that for a while there was a group that was paying for his videos to be promoted when someone was looking for information about how/why to carry out certain types of extremist violence. He looks like the kind of guy who would be a prepper/gun nut, but then he’s give them info to contradict their reasons for wanting to carry the act out in the first place. Pretty cool.
Any recommendations from your perspective? I’m definitely left leaning and also enjoy hearing intelligent conversations from the other side. Thank you!
I’d add All-in. 4 rich venture capitalists covering science, economics, politics, etc. 3 out of 4 skew right but they are brilliant with good depth. There’s lots I disagree with them on but there’s real insight.
The Dispatch. Highly highly recommended. Very honest and clear reporting and analysis.
Seconded. Also Advisory Opinions for conservative legal analysis and The Remnant for a mix of punditry and wankery discussions
Yes! And for those unfamiliar, these are all part of the dispatch media network. So same level of quality. AO is excellent for cutting through all the legal noise to really understand the specifics of the issues. I’ve learned so much from Sarah and David.
The Majority Report with Sam Sedar.
100% Sam Seder. He’s informed and intelligent. Not an out right socialist but leans very left and can explain to you why. Love his debates. I watch MR everyday.
Majority report and the Thom Hartmann Show when I really want to know what the super left left progressives are thinking and saying.
This might not be exactly what you're looking for, but Behind The Bastards is written by a left wing journalist and talks about a lot of right wing figures like Alex Jones, Jordan Peterson etc and criticises their points of view. But he also has episodes going after left wing people like communist dictators & tech guys. And then a bunch of more apolitical episodes on cult leaders, scam artists, medical grifters etc. I think he's pretty fair but he does poke fun at everyone he covers.
I’d start with historical bastards first; Tsar Nicholas II, Christopher Columbus, King Leopold II, or That Time Britain Did a Genocide in Ireland before starting on more modern bastards like Kissinger or Alex Jones.
For a deeper dive on Alex Jones, and the modern right wing talking head circuit, I'd check out Knowledge Fight. The host was an expert witness on Alex Jones in his trials last year.
Thanks for the recommendation, will check that out.
Eh, I’d maybe hold off on BtB. I think Robert is an exceptionally talented journalist but it might be off putting for someone who’s more right leaning to hear his take in a logical way.
Eh, that's fair. I know I personally am far more willing to listen to a fun conversation between people that I disagree with than sit down and listen to a guy lecture me for an hour. One of my old favourite podcasts, Those Conspiracy Guys went quite right wing but I kept listening to them for ages after. I used to listen to Jordan Peterson's lectures but as soon as he started being more mask off with his bigotry I stopped listening. Depends what OP is most receptive to I guess.b
BTB is my all-time favorite!
BTB is fun, but it very clearly preaches to the choir. And it's not terribly academic. I'd look elsewhere for this kind of recommendation.
Most left wing podcasts will be preaching to the choir unless they're super centrist. That's kindof how things are set up at the moment. Right wing podcasts do the same thing because what OP is doing is kindof rare, most people stay in their little bubbles. Why does it have to be academic?
I’m currently listening to BtB and what I like about it is that the host grew up conservative and does a great job empathizing with aspects of conservative culture in a way that others on the left typically don’t. He openly talks about views he’s changed on but doesn’t deny previously having (ie homophobia being normalized growing up in the south) and is the kind of anarchist that, by his own words, has a lot of libertarian tendencies. Also, he owns a ton of guns. As someone who grew up in a very conservative family, I find it very relatable!
Behind the bastards has an undeniable liberal bias and perspective on pretty much every topic. It also annoys me how they apply modern liberal standards onto past historical figures without providing the necessary context of the cultural/societal norms at the time. They also take a ton of liberties in the historical sense of creating their stories and just pick the first hand accounts, anecdotal evidence and perspectives that align with the story they’re trying to tell. I would not describe the podcast as fact based, unbiased or genuine in trying to “see both sides”
Robert is an anarchist and is super critical of liberalism, so no, I wouldn't really say it has a liberal bias. It has a left wing bias because it's a left wing podcast, which is specifically what OP asked for. They also go out of their way to clarify if gross things were more accepted (but still morally wrong) at the time. In the latest episode the Bastard dated a 16 year old and Robert went out of his way to say "this was common at the time. Yes, she was a child, but this was the least terrible thing he did to women." As for historical inaccuracies, yeah probably. That's the case with every history podcast. He often openly states when sources are potentially biased (in the latest episodes he said that constantly. Most sources were written by his coworkers that had him murdered so they're likely hit pieces, but we're interpreting what we can from them.) It sounds like you just don't like the podcast, which is fine. I don't think your criticisms are very fair though, you're allowed to just not like something.
Not only does he not apply modern standards to past historical figures, more than most podcasts he goes out of his way to state the historical norms of the time he's talking about and how that person fits within them.
What Trump Can Teach Us About ConLaw. Roman Mars and a constitutional law, professor breakdown the tweets and other post by the former President Trump and breakdown the constitutionality of the post and other activities. There’s a lot of law history in constitutional information that comes out that many aren’t aware of.
Prof G show with Scott Galloway
Throughline connects history to present day. It doesn’t actually lean left or right, except for those who assume liberalism whenever they hear any suggestion that their white ancestors weren’t perfect. It’s a smart show. Highly recommend. Strict Scrutiny covers SCOTUS current events. It’s very much left leaning but also very much based in understanding of constitutional law.
Check out Decoding The Gurus - the breakdown rhetoric from popular online figures from a liberal perspective.
In some of their episodes they sound just like bullies, can't hide their contempt for the subject. I don't like them.
I’ve tried them a couple times but get turned off by this same thing. And more importantly, they never(slight exaggeration) see any value in the other side. I’m ok w left leaning podcasts (Ezra Klein, Hard Fork, Hidden Brain) but all of these provide the other side and not just to ridicule them. This is the same reason I don’t listen to Ben Shapiro and others that are purely conservative.
Wait, how is Hidden Brain left leaning? I've never noticed any of their content was political at all.
Which episodes are you referring to?
I can understand where you're coming from. For me personally, it's refreshing to hear some taking the piss out of people spreading bad ideas.
The Run Up with Astead Herndon is a great one that is respectful to both sides. I Second Pod Save America- not as respectful, but plenty intelligent.
The Run Up is excellent. I love PSA, but wonder if it isn't too strongly partisan for the OP.
Yeah, I guess it doesn't really fit the tolerant guidelines. You've got a good point
Citations Needed is a critique of media and I believe the hosts are left-leaning.
Also suggested this! And yeah I don’t think the hosts make any secret of their political beliefs.
fuck it, try Chapo
If this question was posted two years ago my answer would unironically be Cumtown
Majority Report with Sam Seder. American Prestige for more foreign-policy oriented content.
The dollop
I'd recommend "Citations Needed" which is a great and very informative podcast about news coverage and how it conflicts with power structures. While they don't generally discuss current day political events, they talk in-depth about how mainstream media and journalism use tactics and selective information to perpetuate bias and how this has a major effect on how society thinks about and discusses political issues. It is also quite firmly left-wing in its leanings and I find generally matches up well with a concern for more informational and well-informed podcast. Those guys definitely do their research on whatever topic they cover.
Left right and center has people involved in the republican and Democrat party and they talk about stuff and try to fond common ground. Usually 3 people talking about recent political news.
Beau of the Fifth Column
I’d recommend Best of the Left maybe. I don’t know how great it is for conservatives, but feel like it does a good job talking history and educating. Might be a little judgey feeling if I didn’t agree with lots, but overall, I think it’s more educating how and why leftists view certain things.
i would say behind the bastards has done some awesome stuff exposing how the modern conservatism has shaped over the years .. i would recommend the manosphere ones to start with..
Some More News and Knowledge Fight are both empathetic podcasts that engage with the conservative zeitgeist in intelligent and funny ways
Absolutely agree with previous statements on “Know Your Enemy “ !! It’s a real gem.
Opening Arguments is a legal podcast that frequently touches on politics because Trump is in so much legal trouble. They do a very good job explaining the legal arguments conservatives make in court around a variety of issues.
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Pod Save America— they aren’t very nice when they talk about conservatives, but you will hear the arguments of the establishment left from articulate, intelligent hosts.
And they are pretty funny. Edit: and they do lots of political analysis about conservative issues. Like, was DJT’s abortion statement politically helpful, etc. and they give honest answers.
Pantsuit Politics is great if you’re looking for grounded analysis of politics from the perspective of two women who approach a topic from a genuine place of curiosity.
Some NPR podcasts might be a good fit. On the Media (sort of a meta show, covers issues in the media itself) and Throughline (hour-long eps, usually giving historical perspective on contemporary issues) could both be good fits. I'm also a fan of Reveal - it's an investigative journalism podcast so sometimes they're doing things that are very polarizing while other times it's like a deep dive into the recovery industry, things that aren't necessarily left-right political issues. Either way, they're thoughtful and extremely well researched.
These are all great. Big upvote for **On the Media.** It is not some huge lefty podcast. Top notch investigative reporting.
Second BIG upvote for On the Media.
Pod Save America and Hysteria by Crooked Media. They're both very progressive podcasts with intelligent hosts who have all worked in politics. I listen to them all the time and wonder if there's anything like it on the right side of things. Do you have any suggestions?
I would not recommend Pod Save America to a conservative. It's super duper far left.
Nerd quibble, but the Pod Save guys aren't really "far left" in the sense of working class power, they're just Democrats who are jerks about it sometimes.
I was gonna say they’re as establishment Dem as it gets lol
I stopped listening after just a few episodes after they had Andrew Yang on and kept giving him a hard time for "abandoning his party."
I would not recommend Pod Save America to anyone, not because they're "super duper far left" (lol no they ain't), but because they're insufferable
Not even Left. Liberal at best. But *extremely* partisan. I stopped listening finally after a series of unhinged rants calling everyone who owns a gun a psycho baby killer who doesn't care about children.
Yeah that's a good way to put it. I also stopped listening because of how hyper partisan they are.
Agreed - may put OP off.
I'm sure your conservative podcasts are fact based lmfaooo be fr
Why is it so hard to believe that someone is conservative and wants to educate themselves about the left? I am being for real.
What they may be (crudely) insinuating is that the podcasts you have mentioned aren't educational or balanced. They are all podcasts that wolf whistle to a certain audience. You even said Rogan was 'centred,' which is simply not true. You have asked for podcasts that are 'the other side of the aisle', educational, intelligent, and tolerant. The podcasts you have mentioned you listen to don't tick any of those boxes. Why are you holding 'left' podcasts to a higher standard than what you think is 'conservative' podcasts? I'm not here to shit on you, I truly hope you discover the differences between podcasts that are simply pandering to a known audience versus those who genuinely want to discuss social and political issues. The podcasts you have been given are mostly not *left*, rather, they are educational. People who discuss topics rational tend to be seen as left when really they are *progressive*.
I agree, most of my regular shows are not up to the standards I'm asking for. I never said they were. All I ask is for people to recognize that I ask these things to learn more, and educate myself further. I also plan to seek out more "balanced" conservative podcasts. It's just simply that I don't listen to as many podcasts as some others might, and I chose to start with the big names, because I had to start somewhere.
It's the internet - people are going to react wildly. I'm left leaning and also seek out contrasting information sources from the right and it's really hard to do given current divisiveness. It's been interesting to watch Jon Stewart re-enter the fray recently and so many folks from the left calling him out and rejecting him because he's trying to show a centerist view as opposed to just shitting on Trump, which is what they'd like to see. Things have reached a point where I think a lot of people view the outcome of the next election could potentially cause a Civil War so tensions are high and civil discourse has pretty much left the building.
That’s not what they are saying. Are your right wing podcasts “balanced?” I’ve yet to hear one, and I read columns for years that tried to be balanced overall, while admittedly from a rightist view.
C’mon now. Don’t be a dick. This guy is trying to broaden his horizons and hear the opposing viewpoint. If we all did that the world would be a better place.
It's funny that a strongly conservative person is asking for an intelligent, fact based, left leaning podcast. I counter with, show me the same but for a conservative podcast.
did you see what he listed above as examples?
Thank you everyone for the suggestions so far, I'll be checking out as many of these suggestions as possible over the next week, and I'll try to remember to come back and post the ones I liked best. For those who were requesting my suggestions of the opposite, I mostly ask this because I felt that I was listening to a few too many hard right podcasts and nothing else. Mostly Joe Rogan, Jordan Peterson, Tim Pool, and Charlie Kirk. I would recommend them all but be advised they probably won't be for you if you're on the left, unless you're pretty open minded.
Can you recommend evidence based ones since the ones you mentioned aren't? Would like to hear from earnest people citing data to support their points.
Check out 404 Media as well. Not specifically liberal but they do a good job with critical meta analysis of all media.
Would be very curious for you to check out the Majority Report with Sam Seder. I hesitate to say he's directly the left counter to the names you listed. While still punditry, the first hour interview portion of his show does much more serious, researched, insightful discussions with academics, researchers, writers, activists, etc. than any of the right wing hosts do. But the latter half of each show is often spent debunking/poking fun at the types of personalities you listed.
hacks on tap
^(Oh, maybe a few; lemme think... :) **Ezra Klein show**, but that one looks pretty well-attested to here already. **Pivot** - Kari Swisher & Scott Galloway. Covers news, esp. business. Hosts have a good banter dynamic—pretty enjoyable considering the dryness of some of the subjects. **Amarica's Constitution** - entirely focused on con-law and hosted by esteemed Yale prof. Akhil Amar*. If you've ever needed an antidote to feelings of rage at the left for seeming to want to legislate from the bench, this is it—Akhil is so ruthless about not letting his preferences color his objectivity when reading a text, it took me several episodes to be convinced that he actually leans left. Forewarning: this one is about 1-1/half hours at a time, and while you don't need a legal background going in, it does get *very* wonky. ^( * yes, the title is a cringey pun on his name. I can only urge you to overlook this transgression against comedy standards—I swear its a very serious, highbrow show) **Robert Wright's *Nonzero*** - bloggingheads (if u know, u know) founder Robert Wright, put out erratically on a wide variety of subjects. This one might be harder to get into, although I find his level-headed analyses of a geopolitical moment's ethics indispensable. **The Glenn Show** - Robert Wright's associate, Glenn Loury identified as a conservative economics professor for most of his career before becoming politically homeless with a lot of left-leaning instincts. Fantastic at steelmanning the opposite position in a dispute, rather than trying to make it seem fatuous for purposes of winning the argument. Regularly co-hosts with John McWhorter. **Rational Security** - Just covers a lot of fascinating foreign-policy stuff. **The Congressional Dish** - host might not identify as liberal, but I tend to agree with them on most stuff, and their deep-dives on Congressional workings are too good not to recommend regardless. Don't forget reddit's own **Neoliberal Podcast** And these last two in case you wanted some fare that couldn't care *less* if they offended conservatives or not: **The New Abnormal** - mostly domestic politics **Behind the Bastards** - politics and history, esp. deep dives on important figures. This one in particular is almost entirely offroad. EDIT: "**Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other**", "**Ken Rudin's Political Junkie**", "**Deep State Radio**", and the (usually) bizarre & surreal but occasionally touching "**The Necessary Conversation**." • EDIIT: Also, if you'd like to time-capsule what it was like to be a liberal news junkie during the Mueller Report days, check out the archives for "**Mueller, She Wrote**" by Alison Gil (sp?). She has multiple current podcasts in production now\*, but she was at her apex when she responded to the report's long-delayed release by spending ~20 episodes of MsW reading through the entire 450-page document (well, the main body text, anyway), with copious commentary along the way by her & her cohosts. ^( * "You Don't Know Jack", "Cleanup on Aisle 45", "the Daily Beans" (or did that last one wrap up?)^)
Politics Politics Politics is a good “moderate” one, although I’d say it leans slightly left. Justin is a great host and tries to cover both sides fairly. A lot of his guests are very liberal though so you get that perspective a lot. Either way, it’s a very well done podcast.
The Ezra Klein show. He works for NYTimes so in many circles that is to liberal. But to me he is intelligent, fact based and has interesting guests to discuss issues.
Ezra Klein probably lines up best with what you're asking about. Some other options... Pod Save the World is generally a good liberal take on foreign policy news. Why is this Happening? with Chris Hayes Pitchfork Economics These are all mostly interview podcasts, so they're not necessarily going into the weeds on facts and statistics. They usually have an expert on or someone who has just written a book to talk about their area of expertise. The facts and footnotes will be in the book if you want to read it. I'm not sure what you're looking for with regards to "fair." These are all left leaning podcasts and none of them purport to be otherwise. They all think the Republican party is a joke but they'll at least be conscientious of the concerns of Republican voters in the topics they talk about. With the exception of the Pod Save crew, they're not going to really be big boosters for Democrats either.
Tangle is pretty balanced. Even Bill O’Rielly gave it a shout out recently.
Anything Brene Brown. She is a social science researcher which is sort of naturally left leaning but also treats people she disagrees with with compassion.
Left, Right and Center from KCRW is always interesting
Letters from an American (Heather Cox Richardson) is now available as a podcast. Fascinating to hear current events framed through the lens of history.
I’m not suggesting you’re a conspiracy theorist. The podcast series ‘Things Fell Apart by John Ronson Season 1 & 2 have been fascinating on the origins of the culture wars. It’s well researched and i feel gives fair exposure to both sides but with an emphasis on debunking conspiracy theories.
The Church of Lazlo podcast
The rest is politics
Please give this a listen: https://pca.st/podcast/623163d0-bb54-013a-d910-0acc26574db2 It's a pretty small circulation podcast but the content is exactly what you're looking for.
‘From What if to What Next’ is great. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/from-what-if-to-what-next/id1538281063
Op, are you looking for news, news commentary, or opinion?
I would say news commentary is what I prefer, but I'm open to any format.
For specificly left leaning urbanism, so more public transit, less cars, you know that side of policitcs. ''The urbanist agenda'' from the same guy that does not just bikes.
I'm generally libertarian, but I subscribe to several right-leaning and left-leaning podcasts, even ones that make me mad, to understand a wide range of arguments. On the left, I like: On The Media, Vox's The Weeds, and The New Yorker Radio Hour. Also Reveal, and NPR's Throughline, which are more documentary/history, but pretty leftist. Then there's Counterspin, which is hard left, but brings up issues and arguments I often don't hear elsewhere.
I really like The Deprogram
They're not current news podcasts, but I would suggest checking out a few (semi) historical podcasts from NPR. I'm thinking the best way to expose yourself to the liberal ideas, is to be immersed in deep and empathy inducing stories written from the liberal perspective. A left wing talking head telling you why some student loan debt should be forgiven, or abortion access should be expanded, or why the rich should be taxed more unless you've been exposed to real stories about how those things would improve our world. Below are my suggestions: Throughline *The past is never past. Every headline has a history. Join us every week as we go back in time to understand the present. These are stories you can feel and sounds you can see from the moments that shaped our world.* Embedded *NPR's original documentary podcast unearths the stories behind the headlines. Police shootings. Towns ravaged by opioids. The roots of our modern immigration crisis. We explore what's been sealed off, undisclosed, or never brought to light. We return with a deeply-reported portrait of why these stories, and the people behind them, matter.*
https://www.futuromediagroup.org/thesumofus/ The Sum of US podcast by Heather McGhee. Based on her book, The Sum of Us: The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together The author spent a few years traveling around the United States, speaking with people across the political spectrum, of different races and ethnicities. Their stories she features are incredibly moving.
The Gist with Mike Pesca. the show isn't strictly political, and he's not nearly as left-leaning as Pod Save America. His politics tend to be pretty pragmatic, he says he tries to be more of a centrist. He doesn't seem to mind last-decade republicanism, but he clearly thinks Trump is a clown.
Oh, also Cognitive Dissonance
Meidas Touch Network. Present backup evidence for their statements. Definitely left, but not a bunch of made up nonsense.
I love Stay Tuned with Preet. Preet Bharara was US attorney for SDNY during the Obama administration and also worked in the Senate for Chuck Schumer. He’s obviously smart but also funny, a huge Bruce Springsteen fan, and a great interviewer. He and Joyce Vance, a former US attorney from Alabama, do a lot of news analysis/debate, or sometimes Preet does interviews himself (the best is when he has on Ian Bremmer from Eurasia Group — he also has a really interesting podcast about foreign policy)
I'd tentatively recommend "If Books Could Kill", which looks at very influential but problematic books from a very leftist perspective. I say tentatively because they can be a bit flippant, but both hosts are phenomenal researchers. I'd particularly reccomend the episodes on "Freakanomics", "The End of History", "The Coddling of the American Mind", and "God and Man at Yale".
Meidas Touch
The Political Animals
I like [The Left Show](http://theleftshow.com/) podcast. Jeff is a veteran struggling with health problems, his kids, and shares a wealth of perspective. The show includes recaps of news items as well as deep dives into various topics. The show is clever and playful, while also very personal.
All-In Podcast. It's 4 successful businessmen. 3 left-leaning and 1 right. They discuss current events, business, politics, etc, and offer different points of view.
White Flag with Joe Walsh, he is a conservative who is crossing the aisle to have conversations about protecting democracy
The Bulwark
Is Left / Right / Center still a thing?
"If Books Could Kill"
It might not be exactly what you're looking for, but you might want to give We're Not Wrong a listen. It's a show where three podcasters, Justin Robert Young of Politics Politics Politics, Jennifer Briney of Congressional Dish, and Andrew Heaton of The Political Orphanage, get together and discuss current topics. They aren't exactly left-leaning, more center-left, but they are independents. Justin likes to look at the nature and mechanics of politics. Andrew likes to look at systems and how things work, and look at how to possibly provide solutions. Jennifer tracks Congress, looking at the bills and what Congress is actually doing.
Chapo Trap House
Not a podcast, but [Beau of the fifth column](https://www.youtube.com/@BeauoftheFifthColumn) on youtube is pretty good.
I would suggest beginning with Rabbit Hole -NYTimes to set the stage. I don't endorse NYTimes in general but this specific piece was done really well. Contrapoints - it's not a podcast but a YouTube channel but you don't have to watch you can just listen while doing something else if you don't appreciate her "showmanship" ha. Her older stuff from 3&4 years ago is my favorite. Some More News & Even More News It Could Happen Here The Tiger Bloc Podcast I'd even add Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and anything Jon Stewart has done.
True anon
They need educational podcasts, the RW propaganda is too much for them to fight, so political shows don't help so much, they need to learn critical thinking, logic, philosophy, civics, US History, World History, Religious history, ethics, economics, literature...
Legal AF! The Meidas touch network.
Secular Talk! You can either listen to the full pod or watch the smaller clips on YouTube but he uploads M-F
Hacks on Tap, they have Mike Murphy (McCain's campaign guy) and David Axelrod (Obama's guy) go through the issues in a fun way.
Means Morning News and Better Offline
I like Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps. He is a moderate left leaning gay Australian Jewish journalist who talks in a very measured way to controversial characters from the left and right.
I know you said podcast, but have a look at a YouTube Channel called WHAT IS POLITICS. The guy is left libertarian, maybe a touch anarchist, but is both the most eloquent critics and promoter of left sing politics. In particular, his last few videos are bangers, especially "Why Every Communist Country is One Party Dictatorship" and "Rainbow of Inequality: When Social Control Masquerades as Social Justice". If nothing else, it'll be a different look at left politics than what you're used to seeing it as.
Two Worlds One Country if you want the rural Democratic angle and some cool stories too.
George Galloway MOATS Jimmy dore show
The Gist by Mike Pesca
Not sure if you’re interested in UK politics, but if so The Rest is Politics is a very popular current affairs podcast with Alistair Campbell (left wing, former press secretary for Labour PM Tony Blair) and Rory Stewart (former centrist Conservative MP) talking about politics in the UK and the wider world. They also have a podcast called Leading where they interview various well known leaders about politics. Whilst it represents both left and right wing views, both Campbell and Stewart are from the centre of those respective ideologies so provide a fairly balanced take.
Pod Save America
Making Sense with Sam Harris.
Beg to Differ is a good centrist podcast - center left to center right pundits.
It's definitely David Parkman's pod
Pivot - not exactly what you requested. A lesbian technology journalist and a successful capitalist regularly explain why they strongly favor Democrats.
Breaking Points.
The Dollop, Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff, Behind The Bastards, Yo is this racist,
Just found out Ruy Teixeira has a new podcast called The Liberal Patriot. Based on what I’ve read of his articles, i think it will very much fit this bill. https://www.liberalpatriot.com/p/welcome-to-the-podcast-w-david-leonhardt
I like the daily wire. Knowledge Fight deconstructs Alex Jones so well they were material witnesses in his trial (or so I've heard). The Trillbillies are some good werking class folks from Kentucky. Deep Fat Fried are a gab show by some lefties, they talk about all kinds of stuff but talk politics quite a bit.
The Chris Spangle Show
*Well, There's Your Problem* is a very good podcast about engineering disasters. The hosts are all vocal leftist, communists, anarchists and so on, so they do have strong opinions about how the disasters could have been prevented that you might not agree with, but over all its a very good show.
Honestly with Bari Weiss is the best.
No Agenda! They are all over the map but tend to lean libertarian if anywhere. Dave Rubin. Reformed lefty but still somewhat socially liberal. Not serious, easy listening for a long drive. The Fifth Column. Moynihan, Welch, and Foster. Entertaining banter on a variety of subjects.
Pivot
With these perfectly reasonable standards what conservative podcasts would you recommend?
On Being talks about bigger perspectives, living the questions of life. Not sure it’s left leaning but I think it’s the best show out there for anyone wanting to think deeper on subjects.
Election Profit Makers
Politicology
What a wonderful thought, perhaps you find this to be something you like https://podcasts.apple.com/no/podcast/game-changing-history/id1591757832
I’m sure this will be in thé recommends somewhere, but The Rest is Politics is a great discussion podcast. One left wing spin doctor, one old Etonian ex-MP. UK based but a lot of focus on world events. If you’re US based you might also enjoy The News Agents US podcast.
Some More News on youtube
Bro Tim Pool is fucking toxic are your serious? And you want to make sure the left leaning pod is quality? You should be on a list.
I’m in love with this questions honesty & openness!