On this final episode of Politics of Truth we'll wrap up the 2020 election with two of our favorite returning guests, Washington Post National Political Reporter Bob Costa and Mark McKinnon , a veteran political advisor, former musician, and co-host of Showtime's The Circus. We try to make some sense of the electoral warfare being waged on the results of the presidential election, and who it's playing to. We also consider the historic turnout numbers across the country combined with razor thin m...
Nov 13, 2020•40 min
This week CNN's Doug Heye takes over hosting duties for Bob on Politics of Truth . Doug's first guest is ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl . Jonathan has covered four presidents and has become a recognizable face in the last few years for his lively barbs with various Trump White House press secretaries. Jonathan shares this inside perspective in his recent best-selling book "Front Row at the Trump Show," and he and Doug discuss how White House reporters have to do their job...
Oct 22, 2020•40 min
Bob's guest this week is Pete Rouse, former Counselor to President Obama and a man whose government experience is so widely respected that he's known as "the 101st Senator". Pete describes how Barack Obama decided to run for President in late 2006, and shares his insider insights on Obama's leadership style and Presidential legacy. He also explains his surprising role in reuniting the Grateful Dead, and tells the remarkable story of his mother's life journey from Japan to rural Alaska to the Yal...
Oct 07, 2020•34 min
This week Bob welcomes back Bob Costa of the Washington Post, and the two of them speak with the legendary Bob Weir, founder and guitarist of the Grateful Dead and many other musical endeavors across five decades. In this episode Bob Weir explains what he misses most about being on the road performing, and how he and his bandmates are safely rehearsing to prepare for an eventual return. He also shares what the state of California means to him and whether he'd consider running for local office, a...
Sep 28, 2020•28 min
Bob's guest this week is JD Scholten , the Democratic candidate for Congress in Iowa's 4th district. JD grew up on his family farm near Sioux City and travelled the world as a pro baseball player before taking an unexpected turn into politics in 2018. Without any political experience JD took on longtime incumbent Steve King, who for 15 years has been the face of white nationalist immigration policy on Capitol Hill. Scholten lost that race by three points but he gave King his closest contest to d...
Sep 22, 2020•34 min
Bob's guest this week is Chris Shiflett, the lead guitarist for the Foo Fighters who has multiple solo records including 2019's "Hard Lessons" . Chris is also a podcasting veteran, having hosted his own show "Walking the Floor" since 2013. In this episode Chris describes how music created his social consciousness as a young kid and how playing music around the world exposed him to new perspectives that shaped his own political identity. Chris and Bob debate the failures of centrism and whether t...
Sep 18, 2020•42 min
Bob's guest this week is legendary guitarist Warren Haynes of The Allman Brothers, The Dead, and Gov't Mule. When he became part of the Allmans, Warren had the surreal experience of getting to join his favorite band, and we've been fans of his music ever since. They discuss the Allman Brothers shows Warren played at Madison Square Garden just days before the Covid shutdown and what he's working on with touring life on hold. Warren also the roots of Christmas Jam, the annual benefit concert he ho...
Sep 03, 2020•33 min
Bob's guest this week is political reporter Ben Jacobs , who's been doggedly covering Kanye West's bizarre campaign for president in The Guardian, New York Magazine, and other outlets. Despite having no campaign infrastructure and zero chance of victory, Kanye is paying Republican operatives to get him on state ballots and is skirting FEC deadlines to avoid disclosing whose interests he is serving. Ben's been digging into this story all summer and what he's uncovered about the shadowy operations...
Aug 26, 2020•34 min
On this episode Bob speaks with country singer-songwriter Kendell Marvel , who's written chart-topping hits for Gary Allen, Jamey Johnson, Chris Stapleton and many others. Kendell wrote his first hit song, "Right Where I Need To Be" on the day he moved to Nashville in 1998, and after two decades as a writer and guitarist for big name acts, he's broken out as a solo artist with his records "Lowdown & Lonesome" and "Solid Gold Sounds." Kendell's dad taught him most everything he knows, gave hi...
Aug 17, 2020•36 min
This week Bob speaks with author and political consultant Stuart Stevens , whose brand new book "It Was All A Lie: How the Republican Party Became Donald Trump" explain how the GOP and Trump came to represent each other so completely. Stuart has been an advisor to Republican candidates since the 1980s, culminating with him leading Mitt Romney's Presidential campaign in 2012, and his view from the inside about what he and others got wrong is honest and refreshing. Stuart and Bob discuss when it a...
Aug 06, 2020•56 min
On this very special episode of Politics of Truth Bob is joined by Bob Costa, National Politics Reporter for the Washington Post and they're honored to welcome former US Senator Harry Reid of Nevada. Senator Reid served in the Senate for more than 30 years, including his final 8 years in office as the Senate Majority Leader, passing signature legislation like the Affordable Care Act and earning his reputation as a respected leader and fierce negotiator. Bob Crawford and Bob Costa speak with Sena...
Jul 22, 2020•27 min
Bob's guest this week is Margaret Talev , White House and Politics Editor at Axios and a CNN political analyst. Margaret is also a huge music fan who's paid close attention to the soundtracks of campaigns for as long as she's been on the trail. Margaret and Bob discuss which campaigns have harnessed the power of music effectively, and why it's worked. There's also the inevitable awkwardness (and occasional lawsuit) when a campaign co-opts the music of a political opponent, as is happening now wi...
Jul 15, 2020•44 min
On this episode Bob speaks with legendary soprano Renée Fleming about her research with the Kennedy Center and NIH exploring the intersection between neuroscience and music, called the Sound Health Initiative . Renée also explains what she's up to musically during this time, including a new musical collaboration and conversation with the Kennedy Center, bassist Victor Wooten, and neuroscientist Dr. Daniel Levitin. Finally, Renée talks about being on Joe Biden's Artists Council and how musicians ...
Jul 01, 2020•33 min
This week Bob speaks with Dr. Peter A. Wish, a psychologist who has advised candidates for Congress, Senate, and the Presidency on how to connect with voters. Dr. Wish's latest book, "The Candidate's 7 Deadly Sins" , details the biggest mistakes that candidates make when trying to connect emotionally. He explains the forces that dissuade candidates from being their most authentic selves, and why so few choose to project their most likable qualities to the voters whose support they need to win. T...
Jun 23, 2020•40 min
States have begun relaxing restrictions on a range of outdoor activities as the weather heats up and the Covid case numbers slowly come down in some areas. Regardless of the success of these "Phase 1" reopening plans live concerts, where I earn my living and experience some of my greatest joys, will be among the last things to come back as we knew them (though it's exciting to see some bands experimenting with drive-in concerts and other outside the box ideas) So this week I speak with my good f...
May 27, 2020•40 min
This week we've got a very special episode for you. Bob is joined once again by Bob Costa , National Political Reporter for The Washington Post, the host of Washington Week on PBS, and a long-time fan of our other guest, Mickey Hart . Mickey is the legendary drummer and percussionist of the Grateful Dead, as well as countless other musical endeavors over more than 50 years in the business. It's great to have Bob and Mickey here together on account of their mutual admiration and some of the commo...
May 20, 2020•47 min
The state-level responses to the coronavirus have shown incredible displays of leadership from some Governors and local officials as they respond to their local circumstances. But when it so clearly feels like the federal government is failing to step up amidst an unprecedented crisis, how can we parse what's being done for political reasons, and what's being done in good faith? This week Brent Colburn joins us to share his considerable experience with federal disaster response. Brent is a top-t...
May 11, 2020•42 min
As the coronavirus crisis continues to keep most Americans isolated at home, it's struggle to find balance between following the massive, global scale of a pandemic and the deeply personal challenges facing every individual and family. Each new day brings important public health and policy developments that require us all to act together and really come to terms with crucial questions about how we live as a society. At the same time, endless confinement at home with ourselves and our families du...
Apr 24, 2020•1 hr 10 min
This week we zoom in on a subject a lot of folks have been thinking about as we follow the news during lockdown, and that's vote-by-mail. Even before COVID-19 we were likely to see an increase in absentee ballots in November. But after Wisconsin held their primary amidst a health crisis and social distancing restrictions, the whole country got to see the risks of a massive uptick in absentee voting across all 50 states, all of which administer their own elections differently. How can states use ...
Apr 17, 2020•47 min
Our focus shifts from the 2020 campaign to the covid-19 crisis that's reshaping every dimension of Americans' lives, while reminding voters about the importance of political leadership in uncertain times. First Bob speaks with Robert Costa , National Political Reporter for The Washington Post and host of Washington Week on PBS, about how life as a connected reporter changes in a disconnected world as millions shelter-in-place. How should we follow the changing messages coming from the White Hous...
Mar 31, 2020•1 hr 2 min
Several big states held their primaries but the presidential campaign, like the rest of the country, is racing against a public health crisis that's keeping most Americans indoors. On Politics of Truth we'll continue to cover the presidential election, however it proceeds from here. But as the coronavirus crisis unfolds we'll look at how its impacts, from economic slowdown to social distancing, may affect not just the 2020 election but the future of American political life. This week Bob spoke w...
Mar 20, 2020•49 min
There's a lot to discuss this week as coronavirus concerns resonate across the Democratic primary and the country at large. Bob spoke with Jake Sherman , senior writer for POLITICO and co-author with Anna Palmer of " The Hill to Die On: The Battle for Congress and the Future of Trump's America ," about attempts by both Congress and the Administration to respond to the crisis in our healthcare and financial systems. They discuss Joe Biden's big victories in Tuesday's primaries and whether the upc...
Mar 12, 2020•42 min
With Bob on the road this week, we're joined by two outstanding guest hosts who help us understand how the Democratic primary is consolidating after Super Tuesday— Doug Heye of CNN and The Wall Street Journal and Margaret Talev , Axios's Politics and White House editor and CNN contributor. After Doug and Margaret's Super Tuesday recap you'll hear Bob's interview with Colin Meloy of The Decemberists about the intersection of music and activism. Meloy and the band have for years used their platfor...
Mar 05, 2020•1 hr 2 min
In this week’s episode we look back at Bernie Sanders’ resounding win in the Nevada Caucus, and ahead to this weekend’s pivotal South Carolina Primary. Bob speaks with Jon Ralston , founder of The Nevada Independent and the authority on Nevada politics, about the aftermath of Sanders’ win in Nevada and what it means for the future of the caucus system in future campaigns. Then we’ll look ahead to South Carolina with Dr. Scott Huffman , founder of Winthrop University’s Center for Public Opinion &...
Feb 26, 2020•50 min
On this week's episode Bob speaks with John Heilemann , the best-selling author of Game Change , co-host of Showtime's The Circus , MSNBC contributor, founder/editor-in-chief at The Recount, and former staff writer for Wired and New York Magazine. Bob and John discuss where the Democratic primary race stands with Iowa and New Hampshire in the books, and assess the state of the top contenders' campaigns as the race moves to Nevada and prepares for Michael Bloomberg's entry. More than just the hor...
Feb 17, 2020•42 min
On the first episode of "Politics of Truth", Bob speaks with Washington Post National Political Reporter Bob Costa about the Iowa Caucuses and the aftermath of the vote reporting disaster. They discuss what complications in Iowa mean for the race as the candidates move on to New Hampshire, and whether the Iowa Caucus can survive intact for future election cycles. Finally, the guys reflect on the intersection of music and politics in their own lives; Bob Crawford as a member of The Avett Brothers...
Feb 05, 2020•38 min
The Politics of Truth, hosted by Bob Crawford of The Avett Brothers, is a show focused on the intersection of politics, music and activism. In interviews with prominent journalists and politically-minded musicians, Bob aims to educate and empower listeners at this important time leading up to the 2020 election. Episode 1 premieres Friday, February 7. Subscribe now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 21, 2020•46 sec
