Political Gabfest - podcast cover

Political Gabfest

Slate Podcastsslate.com

Voted “Favorite Political Podcast” by Apple Podcasts listeners. Stephen Colbert says "Everybody should listen to the Slate Political Gabfest." The Gabfest, featuring Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz, is the kind of informal and irreverent discussion Washington journalists have after hours over drinks.


Get more Political Gabfest with Slate Plus. Join to unlock weekly bonus episodes—plus ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe directly from the Political Gabfest show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or visit slate.com/gabfestplus to get access wherever you listen.

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Episodes

Almost

Here are some references from this week’s show: David Wasserman for the Cook Political Report: “ What One Florida County Could Tell Us About a ‘Gray Revolt’ on Election Night ” Rosemary Quigley’s Slate diary The Betsy-Tacy Treasury book series by Maud Hart Lovelace Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor The Anne of Green Gables book series by L.M. Montgomery John Dickerson for Slate: “ To the Teacher Who Changed My Life ” Here are this week’s cocktail chatters: Emily: Casey Newton’s ne...

Oct 29, 20201 hr 8 min

Last Debate of Donald Trump’s Career

Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on the Gabfest each week, and access to special bonus episodes throughout the year. Sign up now to listen and support our show. For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, Emily, David, and John discuss Jeffrey Toobin’s suspension from The New Yorker. You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest . Tweet us your cocktail chatter using #cocktailchatter. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) The email addres...

Oct 23, 20201 hr 1 min

A Thursday Message

Slate's Political Gabfest will be published on Friday this week. Listen to this 15 second note to find out why! You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest . Tweet us your cocktail chatter using #cocktailchatter. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) The email address for the Political Gabfest is gabfest@slate.com . (Email may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informat...

Oct 22, 202015 sec

Empty Notepad

Emily, John and David discuss Barrett’s confirmation hearings; the First Amendment and disinformation; and the latest election machinations. Here are some references from this week’s show: Emily Bazelon for the New York Times: “ The Problem of Free Speech in an Age of Disinformation ” On Liberty by John Stuart Mill The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt These Truths: A History of the United States by Jill Lepore The New York Times interactive: “ How To Vote ” “ Better Know A Ballot: Ste...

Oct 16, 20201 hr 11 min

Spitting Into a Sheet of Plexiglass

Emily, John and David discuss the White House virus outbreak, vice-presidential debate, and Senate races Here are this week’s cocktail chatters: Emily: Matt Zapotosky for the Washington Post: “ New Justice Dept. Election Fraud Guidance Could Allow Boosting Of Trump’s Exaggerated Claims, Legal Observers Say ”; Jim Rutenberg for the New York Times Magazine: “ The Attack on Voting ” John: Dave Philipps for the New York Times: “ The Army Rolls Out a New Weapon: Strategic Napping ” David: 99% Invisib...

Oct 08, 202058 min

Slate Plus Special: The President Has COVID

In this special episode of Slate's Political Gabfest, Emily, John and David talk about President Trump's coronavirus diagnosis and what happens next. Here are some references from the show: Matt Stevens for the New York Times: “ Kristin Urquiza, a Debate Attendee Whose Father Died of the Virus, Says Trump Showed ‘No Regard For Human Life.’ You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest . Tweet us your cocktail chatter using #cocktailchatter. (Messages may be quoted by name unle...

Oct 02, 20206 min

What We WILL Know on Election Night

Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Russ Buettner, Susanne Craig and Mike McIntire for the New York Times: “ Long-Concealed Records Show Trump’s Chronic Losses And Years Of Tax Avoidance ” Adam Davidson’s Twitter thread on signs that Trump might have engaged in money laundering . Daniel Shaviro for Just Security: “ Ten Quick Takeaways from the New York Times’ Bombshell Article on Trump’s Tax Returns ” NYT: Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Noah Weiland for The New York Times: “ Study...

Oct 01, 20201 hr 8 min

Bonus: Would you Shut Up Man

In this special bonus episode Emily, John and David debrief and decompress after the first presidential debate of 2020. You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest . Tweet us your cocktail chatter using #cocktailchatter. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) The email address for the Political Gabfest is gabfest@slate.com . (Email may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank. Research an...

Sep 30, 202029 min

Not Even Cold in The Ground

Emily, John and David discuss the unseemly rush to replace Justice Ginsburg, the coming presidential debates, and 200,000 COVID-19 deaths. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Emily Bazelon for the New York Times Magazine: “ Why Ruth Bader Ginsburg Refused to Step Down ” The Long Game by Mitch McConnell Thomas B. Edsall for the New York Times: “ Five Things Biden and His Allies Should Be Worried About ” Linda Chavez for the New York Times: “ Democrats, You Can’t Count On the...

Sep 24, 20201 hr 8 min

Special: SCOTUS After Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Emily Bazelon joins Mike Pesca, host of Slate's Gist, for a special episode on the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. After discussing Ginsburg’s history as a justice and legacy on the court, they begin to unpack the future political ramifications of her death. Emily and Mike talk through the ways a nomination could quickly slip through the Senate before January, the impact a conservative court could have on issues besides abortion rights, and if Ginsburg should have stepped down under Pres...

Sep 19, 202027 min

Giant Fires Everywhere

Emily, John, David and Jamelle discuss the impacts and threats of wildfires and the climate crisis, apocalyptic election talk, and the four of them envision a new and improved post-pandemic work week. Here are some notes and references from this week’s special show -- part of the Texas Tribune Festival!: Abrahm Lustgarten for The New York Times Magazine: “ The Great Climate Migration ” Galen Durke for FiveThirtyEight “ The Challenges Of Holding An Election During A Pandemic” Jamelle Bouie for Th...

Sep 17, 20201 hr 17 min

Rage

What Trump knew about the virus, DOJ’s move to end E. Jean Carroll’s lawsuit, and Matthew Yglesias on One Billion Americans. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Rage by Bob Woodward The Washington Post: “ 32 Times Trump Said the Coronavirus Would Go Away ” One Billion Americans: The Case for Thinking Bigger by Matthew Yglesias Here are this week’s cocktail chatters: Emily: Jaclyn Peiser for the Washington Post: “ A Black Seventh-Grader Played with a Toy Gun During a Virtual...

Sep 10, 20201 hr 4 min

Who Should Get the Vaccine?

Emily, David and John discuss the politics of violence in the U.S. and are joined by bioethicist Ezekiel Emanuel to talk about COVID vaccine distribution, and by Edward Ball to talk about his new book, Life of a Klansman: A Family History in White Supremacy. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Jamelle Bouie for The New York Times: “ Trump Needs His Own Sister Souljah Moment ” Science Magazine: “ An Ethical Framework for Global Vaccine Allocation ” The National Academies of ...

Sep 03, 20201 hr 10 min

Pool Boy

The Republican convention, violence in Kenosha, and whether the Falwell and Conway families’ dramas matter. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Thomas B. Edsall for the New York Times: “ ‘I Fear That We Are Witnessing the End of American Democracy’ ” Omar Wasow for the Washington Post: “ The Protests Started Out Looking Like 1968. They Turned Into 1964. ” Black Lives Matter Protests in Wisconsin: Charles Franklin Marquette Law School Poll 2020-08-26 Here are this week’s coc...

Aug 27, 20201 hr 9 min

I Know a Predator When I See One

Emily, John and David discuss the Democrats’ virtual convention, the U.S. Postal Service, and the bipartisan Senate report exposing more Trump ties to Russia. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: PowerToThePolls.org Vote-absentee.com Election Protection Hotline Here are this week’s cocktail chatters: John: Keith Johnston for Independent Voter News: “ The 18th-Century Reason Biden's VP Pick Should Be a Night Owl ” Emily: Claire Cain Miller for the New York Times: “ ‘I’m Only ...

Aug 20, 20201 hr 3 min

Cheap, Mediocre Testing

David, John and Josie Duffy Rice discuss the Biden-Harris ticket, stimulus gridlock, and rapid, ubiquitous coronavirus testing-- with guest Dr. Michael Mina. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Monica Potts for The New York Times: " In the Land of Self Defeat " Zak Cheney-Rice for New York Magazine: " Tara Reade Is Making It Harder to Hide Joe Biden " This Week in Virology , “ Episode 640: Test Often, Fast Turnaround, with Michael Mina ” Here are this week’s cocktail chatte...

Aug 13, 202059 min

Stop Counting Now

Messing with the census, undermining the election, and guest Juliette Kayyem on competent crisis response. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Alex Thompson for Politico: “ Trump’s Campaign Knocks on a Million Doors a Week. Biden’s Knocks on Zero. ” Ben Smith for the New York Times: “ How the Media Could Get the Election Story Wrong ” Franklin Foer for the Atlantic: “ Putin Is Well on His Way to Stealing the Next Election ” Alice Miranda Ollstein for Politico: “ Lawmakers D...

Aug 06, 20201 hr 2 min

Twilight of Democracy

David, John and Ruth Marcus discuss Biden’s campaign, Big Tech, and author Anne Applebaum joins to discuss her new book Twilight of Democracy. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: John Dickerson for the Washington Post: “ The Ultimate Test of Presidential Character Is Restraint ” Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism by Anne Applebaum Anne Applebaum for the Atlantic: “ History Will Judge Trump’s Enablers Harshly ” Here are this week’s cocktail chatter...

Jul 30, 20201 hr 8 min

Invading America

Emily Bazelon, David Plotz and Jamelle Bouie discuss Trump’s assault on Portland, the filibuster, and Julian Zelizer’s new book about Newt Gingrich’s power tactics. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on the Gabfest each week, and access to special bonus episodes throughout the year. Sign up now to listen and support our show. For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Jamelle, David, and Emily discuss the people they consider the greatest living Americans after the death of John Lewis. Here ar...

Jul 23, 20201 hr 5 min

Find Something New

Emily, David and guest host James Forman Jr. discuss the pandemic catastrophe, the racial justice movement, and “cancel culture.” Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on the Gabfest each week, and access to special bonus episodes throughout the year. Sign up now to listen and support our show. For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment James, David, and Emily discuss the program James has started at Yale Law School to help individuals from the New Haven area to get law degrees, who wouldn’t othe...

Jul 16, 20201 hr 17 min

Ministerial Exception

Emily, John and David discuss Biden's understated presidential campaign, the new Supreme Court decisions, and Hamilton . Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Jamelle Bouie for The New York Times: “ Maybe This Isn’t Such a Good Time to Prosecute a Culture War ” David Weigel for The Washington Post: “ The Trailer: Who's Afraid of Joe Biden? ” Michael W. McConnell for the New York Times: “ On Religion, the Supreme Court Protects the Right to Be Different ” Thomas Jefferson and ...

Jul 09, 20201 hr 12 min

Open the Damn Schools

Emily, John and David discuss the Supreme Court’s abortion decision, reopening schools--with guest Emily Oster, and Russia’s bounties for U.S. Troops. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Melissa Murray for The Washington Post: “ The Supreme Court’s Abortion Decision Seems Pulled From The ‘Casey’ Playbook ” Linda Greenhouse for The New York Times: “ How Chief Justice Roberts Solved His Abortion Dilemma ” Jeffrey Toobin for The New Yorker: “ John Roberts Distances Himself fro...

Jul 02, 20201 hr 9 min

Global Pariahs

Emily, John and David discuss the rising numbers of COVID cases, the politicization of the DOJ, and they are joined by Slow Burn's Josh Levin to talk about the new season focused on David Duke. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Austan Goolsbee and Chad Syverson: “ Lockdown, and Diversion: Comparing Drivers of Pandemic Economic Decline 2020, University of Chicago, Becker Friedman Institute for Economics Working Paper No. 2020-80.” Kasra Zarei and John Duchneskie for the Ph...

Jun 25, 20201 hr 4 min

Because of Sex

Emily, John and David discuss Trump’s Tulsa rally, Bolton’s book, and this week’s historic Supreme Court ruling on LGBTQ rights--with attorney Chase Strangio. Episode Notes Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Kathryn Dunn Tenpas for Brookings: “ Tracking Turnover in the Trump Administration ” Anne Applebaum for the Atlantic: “ History Will Judge Trump’s Enablers Harshly ” Dylan Scott for Vox: “ What Mike Pence Got Wrong About the New Coronavirus Spikes ” Margo Vansynghel an...

Jun 18, 20201 hr 15 min

He Is Going to Change the World

David, Emily, and John present a special livestream of the Political Gabfest on police abuse, the 2020 election, and John’s new book, The Hardest Job in the World. Here are this week’s cocktail chatters: Emily: Charlie Savage and Adam Goldman for the New York Times: “ Outsider Tapped in Flynn Case Calls Justice Dept. Reversal a ‘Gross Abuse’ of Power ” David: Emily Cochrane for the New York Times: “ That Trump Tweet? Republicans Prefer Not to See It ”; Aaron Blake for the Washington Post: “No, I...

Jun 11, 20201 hr 16 min

Inspecting the Bunker

Emily, John and David discuss the protests against police brutality and racism, Trump’s increasingly authoritarian response, and the pandemic--with guest Jamelle Bouie. Here are this week’s cocktail chatters: John: Emily Bazelon for the New York Times Magazine: “ What Will College Be Like in the Fall? ” Emily: A River of Stars by Vanessa Hua David: The Ballad of Songbirds And Snakes by Suzanne Collins; Anne Applebaum for the Atlantic: “ History Will Judge Trump’s Enablers Harshly ” Listener chat...

Jun 04, 20201 hr 9 min

It's Not a Lie, It's a Tweet

Emily, John and David discuss the Trump vs. Twitter battle, the realities of this partisan pandemic, and U.S.-China relations with guest Sheena Chestnut Greitens. Here are this week’s cocktail chatters: John: Lori Dorn for Laughing Squid: “ A Timeline of the Most Popular TV Shows (1951-2019) ” Emily: Willa Paskin for Slate: “ Mrs. America’s Showrunner on the Show’s Lessons and Its Detractors ” David: NASA Office of the Inspector General: “ Examining the Future of the International Space Station ...

May 28, 20201 hr 15 min

L-Shaped Recovery

Emily, John and David discuss the state of the pandemic; insider trading allegations in the Senate; and Trump’s firing of the watchdog investigating Mike Pompeo. For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment David, Emily, and John discuss the online videos that have educated and entertained them during social isolation. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on the Gabfest each week, and access to special bonus episodes throughout the year. Sign up now to listen and support our show. You can tweet su...

May 21, 20201 hr 9 min

There Is No Plan

Emily, John, and David discuss COVID without federal leadership; challenges to Trump at the Supreme Court; and novelist Isabel Allende joins the show to talk about her new book A Long Petal of the Sea , and how crisis can be an opportunity for change. For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment David, Emily, and John discuss (what would be) epic historical counterfactuals. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on the Gabfest each week, and access to special bonus episodes throughout the year. Sign...

May 14, 20201 hr 11 min

Vote By Mail

Emily, John and David discuss states reopening as numbers of cases continue to climb; this year’s election security challenges; and they're joined by guest Gene Sperling to talk about “economic dignity.” For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment David, Emily, and John discuss how to save the summer. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on the Gabfest each week, and access to special bonus episodes throughout the year. Sign up now to listen and support our show. You can tweet suggestions, links,...

May 07, 20201 hr 13 min
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