Earlier this week, Jazza made a video recommending brilliant, independent political podcasts that provide more substance and better sound quality than what The Spectator seems to be able to throw together in their lunch break (the shade).
Here are the podcasts he recommended, with a couple extra thrown in for good measure. We hope this post will provide a library for people looking for production that doesn’t come out of a national newspaper or radio station (*cough* BBC *cough*).
We urge you all to let us know if you think we missed any and we can add them as annotations. Search for them in iTunes or follow the hyperlinks to their websites.
1. The Right Dishonourable – Jazza John & Jimmy Nicholls
Yes this is our podcast. Yes this is shameless self-promotion. But we think we’re good.
With hosts and guests of varying levels of expertise, TRD aims to be more of a casual chat down the pub than an episode of BBC’s Question Time. Episodes arrive every week and address three topics from the worlds of politics, current events and social issues, with banterful consequences.
Ideology: Jazza voted remain, Jimmy voted leave but both think Trump is a bad idea.
2. Common Sense – Dan Carlin
Dan Carlin comes from a traditional broadcasting background but has been podcasting for over a decade. Also famous for his Hardcore History podcast, he is able to put all of the shit that’s happening into historical context. Liberals and conservatives may not agree with very much that he has to say, but it’s all worth hearing.
Ideology: “Political Martian” who would have been pissed if Clinton OR Trump had won. Wants the presidency to stop taking the piss with its sweeping powers.
3. Party Games – Paul Osbourne
Satirical, dry and sarcastic, this is genuinely one of the best produced and most entertaining podcasts about British politics out there since The Bugle. He’s hilarious and informed and equally insulting to everyone. BAMF.
Ideology: Corbyn should quit. May is evil. Take this piss out of everyone.
4. The Pollsters – Margie Omero & Kristen Soltis Anderson
Opinion polls have taken a beating in the last few years, but it still influences our political systems to a huge extent. Omero and Anderson are from Democratic and Republican backgrounds respectfully, and really know their shit when it comes to polling.
They’ll call out poor polling, explain how it can be more accurate and teach you how to question the percentages that fly through your social feeds.
They have great chemistry, and most importantly know what they’re talking about.
Ideology: From different sides of the political aisle, but seem to agree on an awful lot. Also there is too much polling on Trump.
5. Talking Politics – David Runciman
Student fees in the UK are skyrocketing, so why not get yourself exposed to some of the best education in the world for free?
Runciman hosts this podcast from the Cambridge University politics department, and as such has access to a tonne of clever people. They focus not only on Brexit, Corbyn and Trump, but are able to tie global events together with some of the most informed experts on the planet.
How is Trump’s America like Turkey? Will France’s elections signal the end of liberal democracy? Should satirists be humouring authoritarian regimes? Be prepared to be informed.
Ideology: Analysis direct from the ivory towers of the Cambridge University Politics Department. They’re all so bloody clever.
6. The 451 – Summer Brennan, Jessie Hirsch & Jonathan Mann
“A podcast for the resistance” in the age of Trump, the hosts of this podcasts feel bad that they’ve taken liberal democracy for granted.
Despite the amount of liberal bias and guilt, Summer and the crew have great advice for Americans on how to dissent and be an active citizen during the Trump presidency. Invaluable.
Ideology: Lashings of liberal guilt but copious amounts of advice on political action.
7. The Renegade Republican – Dan Bongino
Get past the fact that Bongino seems determined to get all of his viewers addicted to protein shakes (#spon for days) and this podcast can be a fascinating insight into the world of shock jocks in the US.
Bongino is different in his ability to articulate and thoroughly explain why he and his listeners believe what they believe. Does it feel like all of the podcasts you listen to are sitting in an echo chamber? Disrupt that with a regular dose of The Renegade Republican.
Ideology: Anyone I dislike is a liberal. Liberals are evil and destroying the world. Hitler was probably a liberal.
