The Political Conversation

The podcast in search of an honest conversation about the vast political changes going on in America.

The Political Conversation is a news podcast hosted by Wally Knox, with 46 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Wally Knox hosts The Political Conversation, a news show with 46 episodes published.

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  The Political Conversation

  From Conservative Economist Jessica Riedl: The Case Against Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill”

  Aug 14, 202553 minS0

  <p>Democrats like myself have exhaustively criticized Donald Trump’s so-called Big Beautiful Bill.  But coming from Democrats like me, folks say: “So what?  You’re just another Democrat who opposes Trump.  Big deal!”  </p><p><br></p><p>My guest  today is an economist with impeccable conservative credentials — Jessica Reidl. </p><p><br></p><p>She is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, specializing in budget, tax, and economic policy. She previously served as chief economist for Senator Rob Portman (R‑OH) from 2011 to 2017, and worked as Staff Director of the U.S. Senate Finance Subcommittee on Fiscal Responsibility and E...

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  The Political Conversation

  Julie Pitta on the Billionaire-Led Campaign to Flip San Francisco

  May 14, 202538 minS0

  <p>A handful of ultra-wealthy donors have quietly fueled a campaign to swing San Francisco politics to the right -- according to Julie Pitta, the founder of The Phoenix Project. </p><p>In our conversation, she maps the forces transforming San Francisco, from tech billionaires funding ballot campaigns to the rise of YIMBY politics and a new mayor few had heard of a year ago. </p><p>How has this city, long seen as a progressive beacon, become ground zero for privatized governance?</p><p>Warning: no discussions of reopening Alcatraz included. </p>

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  The Political Conversation

  Understanding Populism & The Trump Presidency's Chaos, with Chris Lehmann

  Feb 19, 202541 minS0

  <p>Chris Lehmann, Bureau Chief for The Nation in Washington, D.C., objects to the easy characterization of Trump as a populist by both left and right-leaning media, which misunderstands the term grossly. He explains that the idea of Trump as a populist is a tool in Trump's narrative—one that suggests he’s fighting for “the people.” This plays right into his hand, giving him a cloak of legitimacy that obscures his authoritarian nature.  </p><p><br></p><p>The past weeks' barrage of executive orders are keeping most of us, including those in the media, feeling underwater. But we don't have t...

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  The Political Conversation

  Are we just in a "crappy political period"? With Mo Fiorina

  Jan 17, 202542 minS0

  <p>The dust has settled. The inauguration is around the corner.</p> <p><br></p> <p>In an effort not to disconnect, I turned to a wise friend for some insight and levity -- Mo Fiorina. </p> <p><br></p> <p>A professor at Stanford, Mo is one of the most respected political scientists in our country, and he's navigating this season with an informed, blunt perspective and --thank God-- some lightheartedness.</p> <p><br></p>

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  The Political Conversation

  Breaking down the 2024 Election, with John Mark Hansen

  Dec 24, 202429 minS0

  <p>Pundits are, at the end of the day, motivated by attention. Their takes need to provoke and intrigue -- which is why, when looking for insight on this election, I prefer to turn to a people who are motivated instead by the drive to understand the moment, and to embed it in its context: Academics.</p> <p><br />I sat down with John Mark Hansen, a Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago. Hansen recently wrote a piece of post-election analysis that hit the mark for Project Syndicate, so I invited him onto TPC to continue the conver...

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