Shows / Political Gabfest

Political Gabfest
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.
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Episodes
Political GabfestThe Shutdown and the Great Capitulation
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the capitulation of American media and corporations to President-Elect Donald Trump; the…
Political GabfestSyria’s Collapse, Israel’s Delight
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the fall of the al-Assad dictatorship in Syria with Steven A. Cook of the Council on Foreign…
Political GabfestIs The Democratic Party Doomed?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss President Joe Biden’s pardon of son Hunter and President-Elect Donald Trump’s nomination of…
Political GabfestAre These Trump Tariffs for Real?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs and his pick for Treasury Secretary; the next Federal…
Political GabfestTrump’s Cabinet Keeps Getting Weirder
(Note: The episode was recorded prior to the withdrawal of Matt Gaetz from consideration for Attorney General.) This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and…
Political GabfestGabfest Reads: How Two Rivals Shaped Birth Control in America
Political Gabfest host Emily Bazelon talks with author Stephanie Gorton about her new book, The Icon & The Idealist.They discuss racism and prudishness in the…
Political GabfestAttorney General Matt Gaetz?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Donald Trump’s problematic picks for his Cabinet; the lessons to be learned and way forward…
Political GabfestThis IS Who We Are
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the big wins of Donald Trump and Senate Republicans; the what-next of the second Trump…
Political GabfestFloating Island of Garbage
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the final week of the presidential campaign; the threats to election integrity; and the…
Political GabfestThe Disinhibited Fascist
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Donald Trump’s fascism, disinhibition, and age; the state of young men in America with Rachel…
Political GabfestGabfest Reads: Finding Happiness During This Election Year
Political Gabfest host John Dickerson talks with author Dan Harris about his re-released book, 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress…
Political Gabfest15 Percent of Black Voters Support Trump
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Kamala Harris’s voter outreach to black and Hispanic men; the close races for Republican…
Political GabfestIs The Blue Wall Cracking?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the close race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump; Why Legal Experts Are Worried About a…
Political GabfestJD Vance's Damning Non-Answer
This week, Jamelle Bouie of The New York Times joins John Dickerson and David Plotz to discuss the vice-presidential debate between Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. JD…
Political GabfestNorth Carolina Crazies
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss what’s happening with the Kamala Harris v. Donald Trump race, what to expect with the Tim…
Political GabfestPolitical Gabfest: A Murder Mystery that Uncovers the Excitement in the Everyday and Ordinary
On this month’s edition of Gabfest Reads, Political Gabfest host David Plotz talks with author Elizabeth Strout about her new book, Tell Me Everything. They…
Political GabfestWho Is Responsible For Political Violence?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss political violence and its consequences; the state of the presidential race; and The Rise of…
Political GabfestDonald Trump Takes The Bait
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Kamala Harris’ win against Donald Trump in the presidential debate; the Harris endorsements…
Political GabfestWhy Isn’t Harris Doing Better?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the state of the presidential race; the possibility of a hostages-for-Gaza-ceasefire deal…
Political GabfestWill Harris and Trump Actually Debate?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the Kamala Harris-Donald Trump debate and other campaign goings-on; the January 6th and…
Political GabfestThe Democrats ‘Do Something’ Convention
This week, John Dickerson returns and joins Emily Bazelon and David Plotz to discuss the Democratic National Convention; presidential polls; and overtourism…
Political GabfestGabfest Reads: Where Does the American Jewish Experience Go from Here?
Political Gabfest host Emily Bazalon talks with author Joshua Leifer about his new book, Tablets Shattered: The End of An American Jewish Century and the…
Political GabfestAre We Really Still Talking About Crowd Size?
This week, Emily Bazelon and David Plotz are joined by Marin Cogan of Vox to discuss how the media is reporting on election disinformation and misinformation…
Political GabfestThese Walz Could Talk
This week, Emily Bazelon and David Plotz are joined by Juliette Kayyem of Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government to discuss the Democratic…
Political GabfestThese [Republicans] Are Weird
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the new Democratic line against JD Vance and Donald Trump; the Kamala Harris Veepstakes; and…
Political GabfestThe Coronation of Kamala Harris
This week, hosts Emily Bazelon and John Dickerson are joined by Washington Post associate editor and columnist Ruth Marcus. They President Joe Biden’s big step…
Political GabfestGabfest Reads: Understanding the World Through Notebooks
John Dickerson talks with author Roland Allen about his new book, The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper. They discuss the historical origins of…
Political Gabfest“Fight, Fight, Fight”
This week, John Dickerson is joined by What Next host Mary Harris to discuss Donald Trump’s pick for vice president, the excitement at the Republican National…
Political GabfestEven George Clooney Has Abandoned Biden
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz continue to debate if Joe Biden should stay in the presidential race and who might replace him if he…
Political GabfestTrump Is So Immune
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the Supreme Court decisions on presidential immunity in Trump v. United States and the…
Political GabfestBiden’s Catastrophic Debate
The morning after, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the first presidential debate of 2024 and President Joe Biden’s disastrous…
Political GabfestA Law Trapped In Amber
This week, Emily Bazelon and David Plotz discuss the recent Supreme Court rulings on emergency abortions and guns with Yale Law School’s Linda Greenhouse and…
Political GabfestPresidential Debate Preview
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the 2024 presidential debates; a possible warning on social media and another ban of…
Political GabfestGabfest Reads: When a Sex Robot Catches Feelings
David Plotz talks with author Sierra Greer about her new book, Annie Bot. They discuss how much discomfort Annie (a “Cuddle Bunny” type of robot) can feel, how…
Political GabfestBiden’s Risky Asylum Policy
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss President Biden’s new asylum policy; the recent European Parliament elections with The…
Political GabfestWill Trump’s Conviction Help Biden?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the fallout from Donald Trump’s felony conviction; the spin-up for Hunter Biden’s trial; and…
Political GabfestJohn Dickerson’s Navel Gazing: The Meaning Behind All This Navel Gazing
In this week’s essay, John discusses instinct versus obligation, his daughter’s wit, how he has changed since episode one, and more. Notebook Entries: Notebook…
Political GabfestDonald Trump is Convicted! Plus, Who is Winning The Senate?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the U.S. Senate seats that might turn from blue to red in 2024; The Fall of Roe with The New…
Political GabfestJohn Dickerson’s Navel Gazing: Time Travel Via an Assortment of Journal Entries
In this week’s essay, John discusses Mothers’s Day, playing tennis with the Attorney General, medical scares, and more Notebook Entries: Notebook 19, page 16…
Political GabfestJustice Alito's Upside Down Flag
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s right-wing flag-flying; David Leonhardt’s take on A New…
Political GabfestGabfest Reads: Why Americans Care About Animals
Emily Bazelon talks with authors Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy, about their new book, Our Kindred Creatures: How Americans Came to Feel the Way They Do About…
Political GabfestJohn Dickerson’s Navel Gazing: Moving in New York Twenty Years After September 11th.
In this week’s essay, John discusses the differences between moving around New York in 1991 and 2021; remembering 9/11 twenty years later; and more. Notebook…
Political GabfestHow Bad Was The Poll For Biden?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the latest New York Times presidential poll and the Maryland primary results; the…
Political GabfestJohn Dickerson’s Navel Gazing: The Sneaky Pitfalls of the To-Do List
In this week’s essay, John discusses the Pomodoro Routine (among other productivity routines), why he especially needs a meditation pillow, and how a…
Political GabfestTrump Wore Pajamas
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Stormy Daniels’s testimony in Donald Trump’s New York criminal trial; marijuana rescheduling…
Political GabfestJohn Dickerson’s Navel Gazing: Remembering Early 1990s New York
In this week’s essay, John discusses an onboarding memo for his assistant Laura, and recounts his early days living and working in New York City. Notebook…
Political GabfestShould Student Protesters Be Arrested?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the increasing and increasingly violent campus protests of Israel’s war in Gaza, Emily’s…
Political GabfestJohn Dickerson’s Navel Gazing: The Power of Four Numbers
In this week’s essay, John discusses the art of attention and how to develop the skill of slow-looking. Notebook Entries: Notebook 75, page 8. September 2021…
Political GabfestElection Fraud Pure and Simple
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the testimony of prosecution witness David Pecker in Donald Trump’s criminal trial, student…
Political GabfestJohn Dickerson’s Navel Gazing: Remembering George and Defending the Morning
In this week’s essay, John dives deep into the loss of his beloved dog, George, the essayist’s dilemma, the comfort of quiet mornings, and more. Notebook…
Political GabfestGabfest Reads: Can America Survive Its Relationships with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin?
John Dickerson talks with author David E. Sanger about his new book, New Cold Wars. They discuss how Russia and China came to reach their new levels of power…
Political GabfestCould You Be A Trump Juror?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Donald Trump’s first criminal trial and the Supreme Court argument on a criminal charge…
Political GabfestJohn Dickerson’s Navel Gazing: Sending our Son to College
In this week’s essay, John remembers dropping his son off at college, and trying to hold onto moments and feelings while you can. Notebook Entries: Notebook…
Political GabfestArizona Territory’s 1864 Abortion Law
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the revival of Arizona’s 1864 abortion ban; the end of No Labels; and the past and future of…
Political GabfestJohn Dickerson’s Navel Gazing: An Exploration of Inklings
In this week’s essay, John Dickerson looks back on a Sunday morning in 2021, and ruminates on the empty spaces left behind by the people that once filled our…
Political GabfestFlorida Bans Abortion Again
Here are this week’s chatters: Emily: Scott Bauer for AP: Wisconsin voters approve ban on private money support for elections and Unfair Share: The…
Political GabfestJohn Dickerson Introduces: Navel Gazing
Political Gabfest host John Dickerson has been a journalist for more than three decades, reporting about presidential campaigns, political scandals, the…
Political GabfestGabfest Live In Washington, D.C.!
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz are live in Washington, D.C. to discuss the Supreme Court (again) and abortion (again); Donald…
Political GabfestWhen Is Government Speech Coercion?
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the Supreme Court’s busy week on government speech and immigration authority; Donald Trump’s…
Political GabfestGabfest Reads: How Tana French Uses Genre Tropes to Tell Great Human Stories
Emily Bazelon talks with author Tana French about her new book, The Hunter. They discuss the different perspectives French uses throughout her books, how…