Talkin‘ Politics & Religion Without Killin‘ Each Other

Scan Media, LLC
  • 4.8 (183)
  • Politics
  • Weekly

Politics and Religion. We’re not supposed to talk about that, right? Wrong! We only say that nowadays because the loudest, most extreme voices have taken over the whole conversation. Well, we‘re taking some of that space back! If you’re dying for some dialogue instead of all the yelling; if you know it’s okay to have differences without having to hate each other; if you believe politics and religion are too important to let ”the screamers” drown out the rest of us and would love some engaging, provocative and fun conversations about this stuff, then ”Talkin‘ Politics & Religion Without Killin‘ Each Other” is for you!

  1. 13h ago

    Denver Riggleman on the Midterms, Christian Nationalism, January 6th, and Fighting Bullies

    “I’m Denver Riggleman, damn it. That can’t happen to me.” But it did. The man who’s spent his life fighting bullies is now figuring out how to win back the people he’s lost. Denver Riggleman is back, and this time we did it live on Substack, a few days before the midterms. We start in Apartment A1 in Manassas, where a tiny eight-year-old got locked out of the house and threw his first punch. From there it’s the Air Force, the NSA, Congress, the January 6th Committee, and a distillery in the Blue Ridge Mountains where he says Trump voters tell him things over bourbon that they’d never say to a pollster. Then it gets personal: his mom, the friends who told him he was dead to them, and what it’ll take to build a bridge back. Calls to Action ✅ Leave us a rating or review: lovethepodcast.com/politicsandreligion ✅ Subscribe on Substack: coreysnathan.substack.com ✅ Subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@politicsandreligion ✅ Send this one to the person you’ve been meaning to call About Our Guest Denver Riggleman represented Virginia’s 5th District in Congress from 2019 to 2021 and later served as an adviser to the House Select Committee on the January 6th Attack. Before that, he was an Air Force intelligence officer who worked with the NSA and helped plan the first strikes in Afghanistan after 9/11. He’s the author of The Breach (with Hunter Walker). He and his wife Christine, the real master distiller, run Silverback Distillery in Afton, Virginia, and East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. Married 37 years and counting. Links and Resources Denver’s Substack: substack.com/@denverrigglemanDenver on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@thebreachmediaDenver on Bluesky: @denverrigglemanDenver on X: @Denver4VASilverback Distillery: www.sbdistillery.com Connect with Talkin’ Politics & Religion Without Killin’ Each Other Substack: coreysnathan.substack.comYouTube: youtube.com/@politicsandreligionInstagram, Threads, Bluesky, X, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn: @coreysnathan Partners Proud to be part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts examining what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. “As much as I hate bullies, I don’t like being one.” Denver Riggleman Now go talk some politics and religion with gentleness and respect. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    Denver Riggleman on the Midterms, Christian Nationalism, January 6th, and Fighting Bullies

  2. 3d ago

    Kevin D. Williamson of The Dispatch || “The Saving Grace of Trump Is That He’s Stupid and Lazy”

    Kevin D. Williamson says the saving grace of Donald Trump is that he’s stupid and lazy. And that’s just one of the things he says on this episode that will make somebody mad. Kevin D. Williamson of The Dispatch joins Corey to talk about growing up in Lubbock, learning to write from Tom Wolfe and the back pages of National Review, and why his reporting method amounts to “send Kevin someplace he doesn’t belong.” Fresh off a week in the Rio Grande Valley and elsewhere in Texas covering the midterms, Kevin explains why Texas Democrats are courting a new constituency: normal people. Then the conversation turns to impeachment, corruption, Catholic and evangelical America, and why your politics shouldn’t be your religion. Calls to Action ✅ Rate and review the show: lovethepodcast.com/politicsandreligion ✅ Subscribe on Substack: coreysnathan.substack.com ✅ Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@politicsandreligion ✅ Share this episode with a friend who treats politics like a religion Key Takeaways Texas Democrats changed their slate. Outside of James Talarico, the party nominated boots-and-cowboy-hat Tejano candidates who talk about healthcare and gas prices instead of identity politics.Corruption is becoming a kitchen-table issue. Kevin argues voters connect $6 diesel to the grifting they see from people in power, and it’s showing up in the polls.Impeachment depends on the Senate. If Democrats win the Senate, Kevin expects impeachment plus a long run of oversight investigations, which he calls how the constitutional system is supposed to work.Politics has replaced church for a lot of people. Bitter political tribalism has grown as participation in religious life has declined. If politics is your religion, Kevin says, you should try to fix that about yourself. About Our Guest Kevin D. Williamson is national correspondent at The Dispatch, where he writes the Monday newsletter Wanderland. He spent 15 years as a writer and editor at National Review, served as theater critic for The New Criterion, and is writer in residence at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. His books include The Smallest Minority: Independent Thinking in the Age of Mob Politics among several others. Links and Resources thedispatch.comBordering on Sanity, Kevin D. Williamson, The Dispatch: thedispatch.com/newsletter/wanderland/texas-democratic-candidates-midterms-talarico-normalWanderland newsletter: thedispatch.com/newsletter/wanderland Connect with Talkin’ Politics & Religion Without Killin’ Each Other Substack: coreysnathan.substack.comYouTube: youtube.com/@politicsandreligionInstagram, Threads, Bluesky, X, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn: @coreysnathan Partners Proud to be part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts examining what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. “If Christians believed their own dogma, the world would look different from the way it looks.” Now go talk some politics and religion with gentleness and respect. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    Kevin D. Williamson of The Dispatch || “The Saving Grace of Trump Is That He’s Stupid and Lazy”

  3. Oct 22

    Two Young Parents in Statehouse Leadership, a Democrat and a Republican, on Bringing the Kids to Work || Terms of Service with Future Caucus

    Terms of Service with Future Caucus A Vermont Democrat and a South Carolina Republican, both young parents in legislative leadership, on what it takes to raise small kids while serving in the statehouse. Terms of Service is a limited series from Future Caucus and TP&R, hosted by Future Caucus CEO Layla Zaidane. People run for state legislature to serve their communities, then find the fine print. This episode brings together Rep. Mary-Katherine Stone (D-VT) and Rep. Brandon Newton (R-SC), assistant majority leaders in their chambers, on bringing a baby to the House floor, scheduling around daycare pickup, and why legislatures need people living through the issues they vote on. This series is a partnership between SCAN Media and Future Caucus. Executive Producers: Future Caucus and Layla Zaidane. CALLS TO ACTION ✅ Leave a rating and review: lovethepodcast.com/politicsandreligion ✅ Subscribe on Substack: coreysnathan.substack.com ✅ Watch and subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@politicsandreligion KEY TAKEAWAYS The norms are built around the 90. When only 10 of 100 lawmakers have small kids, defaults like a 5 p.m. call get built for everyone else. In South Carolina, committee chairs now aim to wrap by 5 p.m., a change in culture rather than in the rules. A baby on the floor lowered the temperature. Stone brought her son Salem to the Vermont House every day of session, starting 10 weeks postpartum. Colleagues from both parties thanked her, and she says it helped her bipartisan bill banning toxic chemicals in baby food. Fixes for parents help everyone. Vermont lets members vote remotely in committee up to three times a session, and older members used it during flu season as much as parents did. Small changes like that make the job workable for anyone with something else going on. ABOUT OUR GUESTS Rep. Mary-Katherine Stone (D) represents Burlington in the Vermont House and serves as an assistant majority leader, first elected in 2022. She is an occupational therapist at the University of Vermont Medical Center. Rep. Brandon Newton (R) represents District 45 in Lancaster County, South Carolina, first elected in 2016 at age 22. He serves as an assistant majority leader and teaches as a college professor. Host Layla Zaidane is president and CEO of Future Caucus. LINKS AND RESOURCES Watch on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@FutureCaucus Future Caucus: futurecaucus.org CONNECT WITH US Substack: coreysnathan.substack.com YouTube: youtube.com/@politicsandreligion Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, X, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn: @coreysnathan PARTNERS Proud to be part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts examining what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. Clarity, charity, and conviction can live in the same room. Yes, really. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    Two Young Parents in Statehouse Leadership, a Democrat and a Republican, on Bringing the Kids to Work || Terms of Service with Future Caucus

  4. Oct 19

    2026 Midterm Senate Forecast | Polls vs. Models with Silver Bulletin’s Eli McKown-Dawson

    Two weeks out, Silver Bulletin's forecast gives Democrats a 75% chance to win the Senate. But as our guest reminds us, one in four chances happen all the time. Corey sits down with Eli McKown-Dawson, senior elections analyst at Silver Bulletin, to look under the hood of the midterm forecast. They cover how polls get weighted, why a four-point lead can mean a 90% chance to win, and go state by state through the Senate map, from Texas and Maine to Kansas and Nebraska. Calls to Action ✅ Leave a rating and review: lovethepodcast.com/politicsandreligion ✅ Subscribe on Substack: coreysnathan.substack.com ✅ Watch and subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@politicsandreligion ✅ Share this episode with the friend who says the polls are always wrong Key Takeaways - Polls are snapshots, forecasts are probabilities. A poll captures opinion at one moment. The model combines polls with fundamentals and simulates the election many times. - Not every poll counts the same. Silver Bulletin weights pollsters by track record, recency, and transparency, and adjusts for partisan house effects. - The Labor Day shift was real. Once pollsters moved to likely voter models, the generic ballot went from about D+6 to D+9, reflecting Democrats' recent turnout edge. - Candidates still matter. Maine is competitive mainly because of Susan Collins, and Ken Paxton's weaknesses help explain why Texas leans toward Talarico. - Try to understand why people believe what they do. Eli's advice is to separate someone's politics from how you feel about them as a person, and to bring some intellectual humility. About Our Guest Eli McKown-Dawson is a senior elections analyst at Silver Bulletin, where he writes about polls, politics, and elections and develops polling averages and election forecasts. He previously contributed to YouGov's U.S. politics team. Links and Resources Silver Bulletin: www.natesilver.netEli on X: @emckowndawsonVotebeat, "Experts say the midterms could face challenges, but are less concerned than in the spring": www.votebeat.org/national/2026/10/15/fall-2026-election-expert-survey-troops-polls-seize-ballots-voting-fraud/ Connect with TRP&R Substack: coreysnathan.substack.comYouTube: youtube.com/@politicsandreligionInstagram, Threads, Bluesky, X, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn: @coreysnathan Partners Proud to be part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts examining what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. "One in four chances happen all the time." – Eli McKown-Dawson Now go talk some politics and religion with gentleness and respect. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    2026 Midterm Senate Forecast | Polls vs. Models with Silver Bulletin’s Eli McKown-Dawson

  5. Oct 16

    Glad I Got Disillusioned || Retired Pastor Pat Kahnke on the Evangelical Trump Vote

    Twenty years in the pulpit. Ten years of disillusionment. He says he’s better for it. Pat Kahnke cast his first vote for Ronald Reagan, spoke on behalf of the pro-life movement, and picked his church because he walked in on Pro-Life Sunday. Then 2016 sent him back to rethink all of it. In this Substack Live conversation, Corey and Pat talk about why the “binary choice” argument falls apart in the primaries, what “if love is obedience” says about authoritarian faith, the Somali community and the ICE occupation in Minnesota, and Pete Hegseth’s push to livestream an execution. Calls to Action ✅ Leave a rating and review: lovethepodcast.com/politicsandreligion ✅ Subscribe on Substack: coreysnathan.substack.com ✅ Watch and subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@politicsandreligion ✅ Share this episode with someone who’s been told voting is a binary choice Key Takeaways Disillusionment can be a gift. Pat has lost his illusions about the movement he came from, about the average voter and even about Minnesota. Seeing what actually is helps him get past most of the anger and try to be useful. The binary choice is a myth. White evangelicals chose Trump over every other Republican in the primaries. Pat says that blows the “lesser of two evils” excuse out of the water. Earned authority vs. positional authority. Pat’s biggest fights with his own church elders were over whether authority is owed or earned. He sees an authoritarian kind of Christian who will back anyone willing to exercise power over the people they fear. Pick one issue. Instead of arguing with friends and family about everything, Pat suggests learning one issue well and discussing it calmly, with facts. For him, that issue is immigration. About Our Guest Pat Kahnke is a retired evangelical pastor who spent 20 years in ministry in the Twin Cities, including a church he planted in St. Paul’s Frogtown neighborhood. He’s the author of MAGA Seduction: Resisting the Debasement of the Christian Conscience (2020) and A Christian Case Against Donald Trump (2024), and he hosts Culture, Faith, and Politics on YouTube and Substack. Links and Resources Culture, Faith, and Politics on Substack: culturefaithandpolitics.substack.comCulture, Faith, and Politics on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@culturefaithandpolitics“Religious Groups Differ Widely in Their 2026 Midterm Preferences” (Pew Research Center): www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/10/13/religious-groups-differ-widely-in-their-2026-midterm-preferences/ Connect with Talkin’ Politics & Religion Without Killin’ Each Other Substack: coreysnathan.substack.comYouTube: youtube.com/@politicsandreligionInstagram, Threads, Bluesky, X, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn: @coreysnathan Partners Proud to be part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts examining what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. “Find something that you care passionately about.” Now go talk some politics and religion with gentleness and respect. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    Glad I Got Disillusioned || Retired Pastor Pat Kahnke on the Evangelical Trump Vote

  6. Oct 13

    Calling the 2026 House & Senate Races || To the Republic... To the Pub: The Prognostipalooza Edition

    Last time we promised unreasonably irresponsible midterm predictions and got sidetracked. This time we actually make the calls. Chip is back at Doc’s Inn for another round of “To the Republic... To the Pub.” First comes a fight over whether the polls lean left, what Nate Silver actually said in 2016, and whether 2024 Trump voters are staying put. Then the House, and the Senate map race by race, from Georgia to a wild card in Nebraska. Also featured: a Kalshi bet, a Montblanc pen, and a shot riding on the outcome. On the Map The House, plus Senate races in Georgia, Minnesota, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Kansas, Ohio, Maine, Texas, Alaska and Iowa. Corey also brings a wild card: Nebraska. Some calls we agree on. Some we definitely don’t. Calls to Action ✅ Leave a rating and review: lovethepodcast.com/politicsandreligion ✅ Subscribe on Substack: coreysnathan.substack.com ✅ Watch and subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@politicsandreligion ✅ Share this episode with the friend who already knows exactly how the midterms will go Connect with Us Substack: coreysnathan.substack.comYouTube: youtube.com/@politicsandreligionInstagram, Threads, Bluesky, X, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn: @coreysnathan Partners Proud to be part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts examining what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. Pull up a stool. Folks we disagree with? It’s more fun to talk to ’em than to talk about ’em. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    Calling the 2026 House & Senate Races || To the Republic... To the Pub: The Prognostipalooza Edition

  7. Oct 9

    A Conservative Votes Blue || Matt K. Lewis on the 2026 Midterms

    He almost never votes for Democrats. This year, he’s making an exception. Matt K. Lewis has spent his career on the right. He’s won a Buckley Award, he was named CPAC Blogger of the Year, and he once wanted to grow up to be Alex P. Keaton. In this Substack Live conversation, Corey and Matt dig into why he’s voting blue in 2026, how Trump broke up his own coalition, the Senate races worth watching four weeks out, and what both parties could learn from a wave, if one comes. Calls to Action ✅ Leave a rating and review: lovethepodcast.com/politicsandreligion ✅ Subscribe on Substack: coreysnathan.substack.com ✅ Watch and subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@politicsandreligion ✅ Share this episode with someone who’s rethinking their vote this year Key Takeaways A vote meant as a message. Matt sees a blue wave as the lesson Republicans need to finally put distance between themselves and Trump. If the wave doesn’t come, he worries the party decides it has to stick with him. Connect the dots. Warnings about norms and the rule of law don’t move enough voters on their own. “He’s building a ballroom while you can’t afford gas” does. Don’t get high on your own supply. Matt argues that a wave won with candidates like Roy Cooper and Mary Peltola isn’t a mandate to move left. He thinks the smarter read is economic populism without the culture-war baggage. 2028 is wide open, his vote included. His 2026 vote is a message about Trump. In 2028, either party has to earn it. About Our Guest Matt K. Lewis is a political columnist for The Washington Sun and a former senior columnist at The Daily Beast. He’s a podcaster, YouTuber, and frequent political commentator on television, and he wrote Too Dumb to Fail and Filthy Rich Politicians. Links and Resources Matt K. Lewis at The Washington Sun: washingtonsun.com/columnist/matt-k-lewisMatt on Substack: mattklewis.substack.com Connect with TP&R Substack: coreysnathan.substack.comYouTube: youtube.com/@politicsandreligionInstagram, Threads, Bluesky, X, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn: @coreysnathan Partners Proud to be part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts examining what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. “Help me help you.” Now go talk some politics and religion with gentleness and respect. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    A Conservative Votes Blue || Matt K. Lewis on the 2026 Midterms

  8. Oct 6

    Trump Has Finally Lost the Plot || with Jonathan Rauch & Peter Wehner

    For ten years, Pete Wehner's email subject line for every new outrage was "No bottom means no bottom." Now he and Jon Rauch think they may have found one. Jonathan Rauch and Peter Wehner join Corey to talk about their New York Times essay, "Trump Has Finally Lost the Plot." They lay out where Trump succeeded, where his effort to remake American society failed, and why Minneapolis, the courts, and his falling approval numbers made the difference. Jon stayed for some bonus time to talk about when to keep a hard conversation going and when to walk away. Calls to Action ✅ Leave a rating and review: lovethepodcast.com/politicsandreligion ✅ Subscribe on Substack: coreysnathan.substack.com ✅ Watch and subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@politicsandreligion Key takeaways Rauch and Wehner put Trump's agenda into three buckets: lowering the country's norms, running the government as a family business (Max Weber's "patrimonialism"), and using federal power to rewire civil society. He mostly succeeded at the first two and failed at the third.They credit the people of Minneapolis, the lower courts, and approval ratings in the 30s with forcing the administration to retreat.Drawing on a sermon by Rabbi Michael Holtzman, Rauch says walking away from someone is sometimes fine. Walking away with contempt is the problem. About Jonathan Rauch Jonathan Rauch is a senior fellow in the Governance Studies program at the Brookings Institute, a contributing writer at the New York Times and The Atlantic, and the author of The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth. About Peter Wehner Peter Wehner is a senior fellow at The Trinity Forum and a contributing Opinion writer at The New York Times and The Atlantic. He served in the Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush administrations and is the author of The Death of Politics: How to Heal Our Frayed Republic After Trump. Links "Trump Has Finally Lost the Plot," The New York Times: www.nytimes.com/2026/09/19/opinion/trump-vance-turning-point-minneapolis.html Connect with us Substack: coreysnathan.substack.comYouTube: youtube.com/@politicsandreligionInstagram, Threads, Bluesky, X, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn: @coreysnathan Partners Proud to be part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts examining what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. Turns out there's a bottom after all. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    Trump Has Finally Lost the Plot || with Jonathan Rauch & Peter Wehner
See All (473)

4.8
out of 5
183 Ratings

About

Politics and Religion. We’re not supposed to talk about that, right? Wrong! We only say that nowadays because the loudest, most extreme voices have taken over the whole conversation. Well, we‘re taking some of that space back! If you’re dying for some dialogue instead of all the yelling; if you know it’s okay to have differences without having to hate each other; if you believe politics and religion are too important to let ”the screamers” drown out the rest of us and would love some engaging, provocative and fun conversations about this stuff, then ”Talkin‘ Politics & Religion Without Killin‘ Each Other” is for you!

Information

You Might Also Like