Beyond Politics

Last month, one of America's most celebrated pollsters put together the most comprehensive, detailed explanation of what actually happened in the 2022 elections that anyone had done, and shared it with a group of campaign insiders.  We wanted all of our listeners and viewers to get access to the same expert insights, so we were delighted when our old friend Jef Pollock agreed to come onto the show to talk about it. Jef is the founding Partner and President of Global Strategy Group, counting a who's who of elected Democrats among his clients. And after looking at all of the data at his disposal, here's what he found out.

2022 was the year of the crypto crash, when hundreds of billions of dollars in investor savings suddenly evaporated. For years, cryptocurrencies, NFTs and the technology they are built on have been sold by true believers as game-changers that will revolutionize the world and solve everything from banking to health care to law.  Those evangelists still believe. But the question many of have been wondering is: is this all bullshit? A few years back, that exact question was on actually on the mind of one of the most powerful business leaders on earth. In 2016 Andy Jassy, then the CEO of Amazon Web Services, now CEO of all of Amazon, approached our guest, and asked him to answer it. As for what happened next, that’s what Tim Bray is here to tell us all about.

Does the Biden classified document revelation matter, or is a nothingburger? Also, why we're in for a world of hurt after the MAGA nutjob deal that Kevin McCarthy struck to get the Speaker job, and how it could fracture DC on defense spending and fracture America's economy altogether.  Plus, a special bonus for audio listeners of our Blue Amp channel SDE ad.

The ongoing Kevin McCarthy Speaker saga seemed to make a little progress on Friday, as McCarthy lost a 13th round by a little less.  But actually, he's walked right into a trap where the far-right band of nihilists in Congress is only gaining power, and McCarthy's future in the Republican Party is getting hazier by the hour.  Matt Robison and former Biden admaker Cliff Schecter of the Blue Amp channel run through why things have gotten so dicey not just for McCarthy, but for all of us. 

Democrat and former Congressional staffer Matt Robison and conservative political consultant Alicia Preston unpack one of the wildest days in Congressional history and what it means. We hit questions like: what’s the scene usually like Congress on swearing in day? What is driving House Republicans' bizarre tantrums? Why the difference between McCarthy and McConnell? Do actually have a Congress right now? What does all this say about the Republican Party?And what’s going to happen next?

The Democrat who used to Represent George Santos's district tells the inside story of how a lying con man could fool Democrats, the oblivious media, and even Republicans to win a seat in Congress. Steve Israel wrote an inside account in The Atlantic and he joins the Beyond Politics podcast, also available on video on YouTube.

What was the best news story of the year? The biggest innovation? Who was the biggest idiot?  And who won the year?

Who was the MVP for Republicans...for Democrats?  What new bill or law was the biggest deal? What did we learn about ourselves this year? Part One of an action-packed two part year end episode. 

You're going to hear a lot of Russian disinformation from House Republicans in the next few months.  As they gear up to rehash the Hunter Biden laptop story, Republicans are preparing to spread what they know full well to be a noxious mix of salacious personal detail, mixed with invented Russian intelligence material. Veteran reporter Lindsay Beyerstein provides  definitive rundown of the distortions, tall tales, and outright lies that are coming, and why legitimate media was right to be so skeptical of this story. For the video version, check out the Blue Amp channel part one here.

Chris Hill of Motley Fool Money hits the things going DOWN right now: inflation, the reputation of cryptocurrencies, and Twitter's business model. Also: CEO of the year award, and the government steps in to block Microsoft.