Episodes

Our democracy is brittle. Many would say our Constitutional Republic is in trouble. So what kind of work can we do on "actually renovating our institutions"? We were fortunate to be joined by Dr. Danielle Allen, a democracy advocate, Harvard professor and nonprofit leader who's doing something about it. We talked about how to maintain a loving spirit when faced with "a lot of bleeps"; Danielle's fascinating family legacy and her "obsession" with democracy; what the heck a eudaemonist democratic...

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

Why is it that when there's a criticism of Donald Trump, that some folks who support him react as if it's an attack on them personally? On this installment of our program, host Corey Nathan explores this phenomenon. There have been a number of times when Corey and/or the guests have examined the words, actions and character of Donald Trump - and let's face it, there's much to criticize. Like, every day. But it becomes problematic when a friend who happens to support Trump takes that critique as...

What’s it like to be targeted by Donald Trump? What’s it like to be viciously attacked and to have one’s family under threat due to the ex-President’s middle of the night rage tweets? This is a story of resilience. It's a story of making a difference. But it's also about life being unpredictable and messy - and even having a messy kitchen! Mostly, it’s about how to “keep moving forward.” Rachel Vindman is Co-host of The Suburban Women Problem, an excellent and timely podcast produced by Red Wi...

How do we harness the power of communication in bridging societal divides? We spoke with Elliot Kirschner, an Emmy award-winning journalist and documentary filmmaker, to help us “Through the Fog…” Elliot shares his journey from CBS to his Substack “Through the Fog,” his dedication to science communication, and reflections on the role of journalism and science in democracy. We delve into his collaboration with Dan Rather, his academic pursuits in history and literature, and his current endeavors...

Some might be inclined to believe recent discussions about totalitarianism are hyperbolic. In fact, the U.S. has a long history in which law, culture, medicine and religion have all been in the mix on exactly such experiments. In our latest visit with Jon Rauch, we go into depth on his recent piece in The Atlantic, THE U.S. SHOULD APOLOGIZE TO GAY PEOPLE, which profiles America's historical attempts at erasing homosexuality, the impact this pervasive practice had on people's lives and what shou...

If the goal here is to reach across our differences and at least to try and understand each other better, this was an epic FAIL! This edition recounts an experience Corey had with someone he's known for a long time and has had many conversations with. But this pseudonymously named "Evan" did something after October 7th that put all subsequent dialogue on a much more strained path. Corey shares some of the comments that were made in the immediate aftermath of war breaking out in Israel as well a...

Gotta admit: This was fun! Tina Nguyen, national correspondent for Puck and author of THE MAGA DIARIES, gives us an inside look at the complexities within the right-wing movement, Trump's influence, the dynamics at play in today’s Republican party and her behind-the-scenes perspective at different political events (yes, those events). She also talks about what it was like to write this book and her approach to handling social media and online interactions. Oh, and Corey couldn’t help asking Tina...

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

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

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

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

"I'm the bad guy?" This is about the whole idea of being part of group - the word "tribe" is often used - that thinks of itself as the good guys and anyone outside of that group as the bad guys. But do we ever stop to ask whether "I'm the bad guy?" Here's the reference from the movie FALLING DOWN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLmuF-0P4tk In this episode, Corey discusses the concept of personal accountability in the context of political and religious engagement. He explores his experiences w...

Donald Trump's supposedly "perfect call" was the furthest thing from perfect. In this episode, Alexander Vindman tells us what was so dangerously wrong about it as well as WHY IT MATTERS. Alexander Vindman, retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel and the director for European Affairs on the White House’s National Security Council, shares valuable perspectives on the Trump administration, Donald Trump’s unhinged lawlessness and the dangers the country faces if Trump is given another term. Dr. Vindm...

I know, I know! Not everything’s okay. And yeah, there’s so much we can worry about. But, seriously. It’s gonna be okay. In this episode, we take stock of a number of ways things have gone off the rails as well as what we’re looking at down the road. We get into the potentials of a second Trump term and its implications on American democracy. We outline potential threats of another Trump administration such as weaponizing the department of justice, using the military against domestic protest, a...

Do political conversations leave you feeling like a 'combatant', a 'cynic' or just 'exhausted'? Are you a 'disappeared one' or do you have 'disappeared ones' that were a part of your life? Curtis Chang provides a roadmap to become a 'disciple' – Hopeful and humble. In today’s episode, we welcome Curtis Chang, who's been on this program previously, to discuss The After Party, a timely, much-needed new project he launched with Dr. Russell Moore, David French and Nancy French. We dove deep into th...

Did we really just ask whether voters are like "hungy baby, tired baby or poopy diaper baby?" Did we really say folks can find one of these fellas by looking for the horse's patoot? Oh yes. Yes, we did. (This is actually part 1 of a 2 part fun, informative, thought-provocative crossover episode. No, really.) In this conversation, we engage in a detailed discussion with writer, podcast host, and political analyst, Matt Robison. We delve into the intricacies of the political landscape, the role o...

What's the defining principle of (what passes for) conservatives today? Hating the Left. In this edition, we talk about the fact that hating the left is NOT a governing philosophy; NOR is it a winning strategy; and it's NOT even conservative. First, we get into how this all came about going back to the emergence of Rush Limbaugh as an early pioneer of the anger-tainment, conflict entrepreneur business model, followed in the early 90s by Fox News and now by an entire industry of television, o...

Are science and belief in God incompatible? Dr. Francis S. Collins, renowned for having led the Human Genome Project and the former Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), says science and faith are two different ways of understanding God's creation. We dove right in and had so much to explore! His father's folk music collection that is a true national treasure; Connecting music with the mysteries of the universe both as a scientist and a person of faith; An encounter with a hea...

Tackling the hard truth that so many of our votes are actually empty calorie votes. "Empty calorie votes!?!? What in the world is that?" you might ask. It's important to state at the top that it's still important to vote. So, go out and VOTE! But there are several factors that render a vast majority of votes as electoral stuffing for all intents and purposes. It could be due to some voters always going for the Rs or always going for the Ds right down the line and would never even consider the p...

On this episode, Corey was part of a roundtable conversation over at Freedom Road with Lisa Sharon Harper. We were also joined by Rev. Dr. Waltrina Middleton and Dr. Claudia Owens Shields. This circle of friends came together to reflect on 2023 and consider what's ahead for us in 2024. It was originally recorded for the Freedom Road Podcast which you can find on all the major podcast apps. Waltrina is the executive director of Community Renewal Society and a senior consultant with Freedom Road,...

If you don't like nuance, you're gonna hate this episode. If you see everything through a binary, either/or partisan lens, this edition ain't for you. If you think those who don't share your political views are the enemy, just don't bother. For the rest of us... This talk is about the economy. Corey recently posted about the S&P hitting a record high as a way to initiate a conversation about the domestic macro economy. And boy howdy! Some folks just didn't want to hear it. So this is a response...

In this episode, we're joined by Will Wright and Josh Burtram of the Faithful Politics podcast. They’ve been on the show before and we have a lot of crossover listeners. Will did a great job with the show notes. So here's our "duplicative language..." "...We explore the evolving role of churches in promoting diversity and inclusivity, reflecting on how religious institutions navigate today's political and social landscape. The discussion also tackles the varied perceptions of Donald Trump's fai...

In this conversation, we're joined by Greg Lukianoff, the President of FIRE, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. As illiberal tendencies are on the rise among extreme factions of our democracy, it was refreshing to speak with Greg whose organization is on the front lines of protecting the basic freedoms outlined in the First Amendment. We discussed: Greg's own background and how he came to form his views on free speech; a benchmark Supreme Court case from the late 70s when the...