With the election season under way, you are sure to be getting plenty of opinion from the left, right, and center about all things politics. From who to vote for to what positions to support, the barrage of opinions faced by Americans in the months leading up to an election can be overwhelming. And with mainstream media often failing to accurately cover the ins and outs of the current political scene, there must be another way to get accurate information about the things that matter. America is full of millions of people with busy, chaotic lives, so I'm not going to suggest sitting down every day and spelunking through the deep dark caves of the internet to gain insight on the state of the union. Instead, you should be listening to podcasts. No matter where you go and what you do, you can likely listen to a podcast. Instead of spending dozens of hours per week reading the latest newspaper or checking the newest article online, you can listen to these handy soundbites and keep up with the political world around you.
1. Presidential
In this Washington Post podcast, Lillian Cunningham delves into the stories of American presidents of the past past, so that we may better contextualize and understand the presidency as it stands today. She interviews historians from the Library of Congress, Pulitzer Prize-winning biographers, and even some former Presidential candidates, all to bring together our chaotic political present with our seemingly resolute political past.
2. FIveThirtyEight's Elections Podcast
From electoral genius Nate Silver and his crack team at FiveThirtyEight.com comes a wonderful podcast that is sure to help you better understand politics in America today. From the regular analysis of current polls, to the explanation of more complex electoral issues, this podcast is the way to go if you are finding yourself continuously baffled by the campaign lingo of the day.
3. Off Message
This podcast comes from Politico.com's Chief Political Correspondent Glenn Thrush. While travelling the country and interviewing the top political voices of the day, Thrush asks tough questions of everyone from campaign strategists to Hillary Clinton. This podcast is a great resource for those who wish they could know their leaders better, and not see them as some shadowy figure with a political agenda. If you want to know about Nancy Pelosi's childhood or Paul Ryan's love of his hometown, this is the place for you.
4. Whistlestop with John Dickerson
If Presidential is a fond re-visitation of America's cherished past leaders, Slate's Whistlestop is a shocking look at the scheming and jockeying by presidential candidates to reach the prized Oval Office. From hard cider and log cabins to third party candidates and Bill Clinton playing the saxophone, this podcast is an entertaining look at some of the more shocking campaign moments in American history.
5. The Axe Files
Former Obama campaign manager and adviser David Axelrod sits down with everyone from Mitt Romney to Bill Walton to talk about the nuances of American political culture. This podcast is a revealing look at the lives and views of some of America's most popular celebrities.
These five podcasts can help turn even the most politically oblivious person into a governance guru. Be sure to give them a listen, and cast an informed vote in November!
