PODCAST · news
The Big Picture with Edwin Eisendrath
by Edwin Eisendrath
Complete episodes from my weekly radio show, The Big Picture on WCPT 820am, where I talk to incredible, smart guests about politics and saving our democracy. edwineisendrath.substack.com
Episodes
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Why are Americans turning on Republicans?
The election is underway. People are already voting, and the question before them is pretty simple: Donald Trump and the Republicans hold all the power in Washington. Have they used that power well? As we vote, it isn’t, what did Donald Trump promise. Or whom did he insult. It isn’t a question of...
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Unpopular Trump heads to Alaska to try to save a Senate seat.
I’ve been to Alaska. It is stunningly beautiful, impossibly big, and a place most of us in the lower 48 don’t understand very well. We see Republican election victories and think we know the politics. After talking with James Brooks, the Alaska Beacon’s state reporter, I think we ought to look...
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The president’s brain is broken
Mark Jacob and I covered a lot of ground, but the through line was clear: we are living through a constitutional, media, and civic emergency—and too many institutions are still treating it as a series of disconnected incidents rather than the larger crisis it is. We began with Time Magazine’s...
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Fixing the U.S. Supreme Court should be job 1 for Democrats
Elie Mystal is the Justice correspondent at The Nation, an author, and an attorney who focuses on the Supreme Court. He came to our conversation ready to make the case that America’s political and legal problems are deeply connected, and that the Supreme Court sits near the center of both. He...
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Can a democracy protect itself against political lies?
This week Joe Walsh and I agreed that Senate hearing into Jack Smith laid bare what today’s GOP is. We talked about the next few weeks of the midterms, and about what faces the next Congress. Highlights here (yes, courtesy of AI): * 00:00 — Can Democrats win the Senate? * 01:36 — Eric Schmitt’s...
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Nothing’s the matter with Kansas
Kansans seem to have turned from Republican policies, even if they aren’t in the habit of voting from Democrats. I find that curious, so I reached out to Clay Wirestone, an opinion writer at the Kansas Reflector. Clay called it “the fundamental mystery of Kansas politics.” He then explained it by...
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WATCH: Consequences, accountability and the midterms
This week Joe Walsh and I agreed that the country is beginning to feel the real-world consequences of the Trump administration’s incompetent leadership- our economic pain, his failed war, America’s collapsing international standing. Despite this, Congress opted to go home rather than go to work.…
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WATCH: Dr. Deb Houry on what it will take to rebuild the CDC
Dr. Deb Houry served our country for a decade at the CDC. She was its Chief Medical Officer. Her colleagues described her as brilliant, hardworking, and effective. Her work earned her the AMA’s award for outstanding government service. She resigned a year ago so that she could sound the alarm…
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WATCH: Ben Collins of The Onion mocks tyrants for the benefit of democracy
Ben Collins is CEO of the company that saved and now publishes The Onion, and the guy who took Info Wars from that terrible, cruel, liar Alex Jones. On his watch the Onion has become one of the largest circulation print newspapers in America. As the former CEO of the Chicago Sun Times, I know how...
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WATCH: Progressive candidates have work to do with black and working class voters
Journalist and political analyst Ahmed Baba joined me on my radio show this week. I suggested we have our conversation on video, and despite dealing with an HVAC issue and a summer heat wave, he graciously agreed, and made it look easy. We began where every political conversation for the last...
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WATCH: How to protect and renew our democracy
Ami Fields- Meyer is a senior fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School. What that means is that he held important jobs in government and likely will again when administrations change. His work there is like our work here- it’s all about democracy- how to protect and renew it. He recently co-authored…
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Trump fans tolerance for misery is off the charts
Laura Jedeed gets published by The New Republic, New York Magazine, Rolling Stone and other places that value solid journalism and good writing. You can also find her work at firewalled media. That’s where you will find her fabulous story, The Wet and Wild Freedom Day Catastrophe, where she…
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Happy 4th: What our country is and what it can be are worth celebrating
This year, the Fourth of July holds special meaning because our captured government no longer believes it is self-evident that all are created equal and endowed with rights no one can take away. Yet all across our great nation Americans are celebrating precisely that belief. What’s more, we are...
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No, the newly elected Democrats aren't too far left to win
Several times a year I get the privilege of catching up with John Nichols. John is editor of The Nation. He is also the associate editor of the Cap Times in the important and beautiful state of Wisconsin. He is somehow also the author of books that go right at the essential questions of money and...
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It's time overhaul in SCOTUS
Every Tuesday at noon eastern time Susan J. Demas, the executive editor at Lincoln Square and I talk about the latest news and share our thoughts about the path we are on. Today Susan began by discussing some of the SCOTUS rulings. At one point, after noting that Alito got upset when Justice...
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How great naval battles shaped America but not quite the way you might think
Imagine you lingering at dinner, the wine bottle is open and the conversation is turns to American democracy… that’s what where my conversation began with Tom Nichols, the Atlantic staff writer who spent 25 years teaching at US Naval War College. We talked about the loss of a shared sense of who…
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WATCH: SCOTUS isn't conservative, it's radical.
Lisa Graves is the founder and executive director of True North Research, author of Without Precedent: How Chief Justice Roberts and His Accomplices Rewrote the Constitution and Dismantled Our Rights, co-host of Legal AF on the Meidas Touch network. As busy as she is, she still finds time to talk...
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WATCH: Racism and the Republican majority on the U.S. Supreme Court
Adam Klasfeld is the owner and editor in chief of All Rise News. He created it because traditional media wasn’t meeting the moment when it came to covering the judiciary. His work is timely, clear, and vitally important. We spoke this week after another round of dismal rulings from the U.S.…
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WATCH: Trump and Hegseth are damaging our soldiers in more ways than you know
Margaret is a visiting lecturer at Yale Law School. She served as an assistant U.S. attorney in Connecticut and before that in the JAG Corps for six years as a captain. She writes for Just Security. During this conversation Margaret- who served in Iraq- talked about what it’s like for military...
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Congress is broken. The fix requires new rules, different committee jurisdiction and- (duh) limits on campaign spending
Dr. Maya Hornberg is senior researcher in elections and government program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law. She is the author of articles and papers and books. Her latest is, Stuck- How Money, Media and Violence Prevent Change in Congress. We talked about our broken Congress, and…
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WATCH: Trump's ICE flights are even worse than you think
Gillian Brockell is a careful, thoughtful, hardworking journalist who has turned her talents towards one of the most important and hidden cruelties of the Trump Administration- ICE flights. We talked on my radio show on WCPT820 this week. It was a conversation that stayed with me long after....
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WATCH: My conversation with fearless politics reporter Amanda Marcotte
I sat down with Amanda Marcotte, senior politics writer at Salon.com and star of the podcast Standing Room Only. Amanda is fearless. Her reporting and commentary focus on the where many are afraid to go- race, religion, gender. Where Donald Trump goes to divide us into factions, Amanda goes to…
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Local organizing is still the key to fighting Trump
Amazingly, Indivisible, founded just a decade ago, has become a well-known and powerful organizing force in our politics, giving structure to the collective voices of millions of American. Ezra Levin, the organization’s co-founder and co-executive director is passionate about what Americans can…
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Yes, he will ignore the courts. No reporters should not repeat he tells them. Yes, he is ill.
Every week, Joe Walsh and I catch up on the news of the week. This week we spent little time on the crybaby in the White House (okay, Joe did call him that). A few minutes on the feckless handling of the Iran war. And a few more on his ill health. We talked about important and interesting…
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The do-nothing GOP Congress treats Trump like a deity; Americans think he's the worst
Every week Joe Walsh and I let loose on the state of our politics. There’s a lot we don’t agree on, but both of us are determined to preserve American democracy and American freedom. That’s not something anyone can say about the GOP Congress these days. Get full access to It's the democracy…
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Aaron Parnas brings home the news
Today’s news ecosystem can be confusing to many. But for a generation raised on multiple platforms and social media, it’s second nature. Each news consumer makes the key decision about who to trust. Then they double check to be sure they got it right. Many of them trust Aaron Parnas. I asked him...
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Can data centers actually lower energy costs? Will the U.S. lose the race for sustainable energy?
David Roberts built Volts - a community built around his newsletters, podcasts, and social media focused on the intersection of politics, policy and climate. You won’t find reporting like Dave’s anywhere else. He also has some views on American politics that make a lot of sense. We cover a lot of...
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You have no idea how many ways your life is better because of international law, but Oona Hathaway does.
Oona Hathaway is a Yale professor multiple times over: at the Yale Law School, in the Department of Political Science, and at the School of Global Affairs. She directs the Yale Law School Center for Global Legal Challenges. And, she has recently become president of the American Society of...
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The Iran war, and the future of the Middle East- a conversation with Dana Stroul
Dana Stroul directs research at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. She previously served America as deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East. That’s the Pentagon’s civilian official for that complicated part of the world. She has also worked at the Senate foreign...
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Katie Paris isn't just organizing to win, she also building stronger communities across America
Katie and I talked about building communities of small d democratic purpose. Red Wine and Blue is a fast-growing powerhouse and part of the reason I’m optimistic we will successfully put an end to this terrible chapter in American history. I think you are going to like what she has to say. Give a...
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This week Trump wants to be bigger than Jesus, but every week he's just a little man
This week Susan and I discuss Trump’s effort to pass himself off as Jesus. His continuing failures in Iran, his destruction of our economy, the rule of law, and the values that make us American. We also talk about the fall of Orban in Hungary and the growing resurgence of democracy around the...
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Unvarnished with Joe Walsh and Edwin Eisendrath
As usual… let us know what you think! Get full access to It's the democracy, stupid at edwineisendrath.substack.com/subscribe
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Donald Trump promises to destroy a civilization by 8pm
Who talks of obliterating an entire civilization? Only madmen and monsters. Susan and I try to make sense of Trump’s horror show and to square it with the America will still believe in. Give a listen and let us know what you think. Get full access to It's the democracy, stupid at...
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What did I see at No Kings? Something surprising!
Sometimes on WCPT I join other show hosts to discuss important topics. This morning I joined Richard Chew to talk about the No Kings rally in Chicago and where we go from here. Listen, and let us know what you think. It's the democracy, stupid is a reader-supported publication. To receive new…
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Planners knew America's options were limited and bad in Iran- Trump went to war anyway
Ilan Goldenberg is Senior Vice President and Chief Policy Officer at J Street. He comes to that role after serving as Middle East Advisor to Vice President Kamala Harris and Iran Team Chief at the Department of Defense during the Obama Administration. We talked about the war in Iran, the lack of...
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Unvarnished with Joe Walsh and Edwin Eisendrath
As always…. thanks to those who joined us live. For those didn’t, give a listen and let us know what you think. Get full access to It's the democracy, stupid at edwineisendrath.substack.com/subscribe
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Heading into No Kings weekend, I asked G. Elliot Morris, where do Americans stand?
Instead of more conversation about the disastrous war in Iran, the mess Donald Trump has made of the law, or the door mat that is our Congress, G. Elliot Morris and I talk about something we love- the American people. As we head into No-Kings weekend, it’s worth considering how far Americans have...
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Antisemitism and politics- a poisonous mix
Give a listen and let us know what you think Get full access to It's the democracy, stupid at edwineisendrath.substack.com/subscribe
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Is the US war in Iran legal? This expert says no.
Todd Huntley is Director of National Security Law Program at Georgetown Law, and a retired US Navy JAG captain. He joined me to talk about the legality of the various uses of our military this past year: in the Caribbean, in Venezuela, and in Iran. We discussed OLC opinions, AUMFs, the war powers...
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Nobody trusts the addled and confused President who can't explain why he launched a war
It’s St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago. It’s also election day. Two things we do well here. Susan, Joan, and I talk about that normal stuff, and the absolutely abnormal behavior of our President. Give a listen and let us know what you think! Get full access to It's the democracy, stupid at...
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Unvarnished with Joe Walsh and Edwin Eisendrath
This week we talked: * War in Iran * Kristi Noem and where the blame for ICE’s terrible behavior really belongs * The primaries in Texas and N. Carolina * GOP voter suppression As always, we have some fun and we disagree amicably. Thanks to all who participated live. For those catching the...
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One side believes in shared facts and the pursuit of truth, The other is all about shared lies and the pursuit of power
In a conversation about news, and how news works, we talked about * Jared Kushner and foreign money * The gap between the law and the reporting on tariffs * Disappearing Epstein files * What breaks through * The media habits we all need As always, give a listen and leave a comment to tell us what...
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Unvarnished with Joe Wash and Edwin Eisendrath
This week Joe and I catch up on a few things: * The State of the Union * Trump’s latest effort to undermine the upcoming elections * Whether the GOP will survive its fawning deal with the devil * The missing Epstein files * Our mutual love for Texas (really) Thank you to all who joined us live,...
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Former Obama Science Advisor John P. Holdren talks about what keeps him up at night
You are going to want to hear this. Get full access to It's the democracy, stupid at edwineisendrath.substack.com/subscribe
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International relations in the Trump era- America is less safe and less able to benefit economically, plus- nuclear threats are growing
Starting with a discussion of the recent Munich Security Conference and moving on to the so-called Board of Peace this conversation gets off to a quick start. Towards the end we discuss the capture of the State Department by Elon Musk and the consequences for our democracy. Leave a comment and…
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HuffPost's Jen Bendery talks about DC and Minnesota- two areas she's been covering
We discuss tariffs, the upcoming state of the union, the current state of the ICE invasion in Minnesota, the tragedy of kids in ICE detention facilities, and the amazing resilience and resistance on display by Americans. Get full access to It's the democracy, stupid at...
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A country arrests a senior leader involved with Epstein. Another sends a former president to jail for life. Ours hangs Trump's banner on the Justice Department
From women’s hockey to the Bagavad Gita, Joe and talk about it all. Thanks to all who watched live- your comments were great. For everyone else… tell us what you think. Get full access to It's the democracy, stupid at edwineisendrath.substack.com/subscribe
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Republicans and Democrats: one party has a future- if we have the courage to go for it
As always… thanks to all the folks who joined us today. For those who missed us live, please give a listen and tell us what you think! Get full access to It's the democracy, stupid at edwineisendrath.substack.com/subscribe
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Unvarnished with Joe Walsh and Edwin Eisendrath
Dems now have real leverage over Trump. Joe and I talk about whether they will use it. Plus: a thought experiment about the future. Plus: Joe announces a national tour where we Americans actually hear each other As always- tell us what you think! Get full access to It's the democracy, stupid at...
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Are we strong enough to save the country? Will congressional Dems stop ICE now? Will Dem Gov's call up their National Guard to protect citizens from out of control ICE thugs?
Joe and I have had a lot of good conversations. This one was one of the best. I think you will like it. After you watch, please tell us what you think in the comments section. Meanwhile, stay strong, and keep the good folks in Minnesota in your thoughts. Get full access to It's the democracy,...
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Big Picture with Edwin Eisendrath have?
The Big Picture with Edwin Eisendrath currently has 50 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Big Picture with Edwin Eisendrath about?
Complete episodes from my weekly radio show, The Big Picture on WCPT 820am, where I talk to incredible, smart guests about politics and saving our democracy. edwineisendrath.substack.com
How often does The Big Picture with Edwin Eisendrath release new episodes?
The Big Picture with Edwin Eisendrath has 50 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Big Picture with Edwin Eisendrath?
You can listen to The Big Picture with Edwin Eisendrath on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Big Picture with Edwin Eisendrath?
The Big Picture with Edwin Eisendrath is created and hosted by Edwin Eisendrath.
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