68 episodes
Matter of Opinion The New York Times
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4.1 • 6.8K Ratings
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Thoughts, aloud. Hosted by Michelle Cottle, Ross Douthat, Carlos Lozada and Lydia Polgreen. Every Friday, from New York Times Opinion.
Listen to this podcast in New York Times Audio, our new iOS app for news subscribers. Download now at nytimes.com/audioapp
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Has Kamala Harris Changed? Or Have We?
Vice President Kamala Harris has gone from being one of President Biden’s many problems to the hope of the Democratic Party. This week Ross, Lydia and Carlos dissect the seismic campaign vibe shift in both parties. Plus, Ross criticizes another self-indulgent addition to the modern era’s Western canon.
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Trump Anoints Himself
The former president was expected to offer “unity” in his convention acceptance speech. But, after a wild week, the speech revealed the same old Donald Trump. In this episode, the hosts debate: Is Trump a “man of destiny”?
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Who’s at the Wheel of the Democratic Party?
“The dam is breaking!” Have the Democrats reached their “break glass in case of emergency” moment? This week, Michelle, Ross and Lydia dig into the Democratic Party fissures, consider what could happen if President Biden refuses to bow out, and debate just how much this moment mirrors the Republican scramble against Trump in 2016.
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Who Should Lead the Democratic Ticket? Six Columnists Weigh In.
Matter of Opinion is off this week, but the news hasn’t stopped. So this week we’re bringing you something from columnists across New York Times Opinion. With President Biden’s candidacy in question, we asked them: Who would you like to see as the Democratic nominee? These are their answers.
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Is Biden Too Old? America Got Its Answer.
Ezra Klein joins Ross and Michelle to dissect the first presidential debate of 2024: “At some point Democrats have to decide if they want to try to win this election, or it is simply too uncomfortable for them to do anything but be on this train as it derails.”
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Can a MAGA Warrior Go Normie? Michelle Cottle Goes to a Biker Bar to Find Out.
We’re getting ready for this week’s presidential debate. In the meantime, we wanted to share an audio essay from Michelle Cottle on a make-or-break vote for the MAGA warrior Lauren Boebert. The controversial lawmaker is facing a primary in Colorado that will determine her political future. Michelle visited a biker bar in Douglas County, Colo., to understand the ways Boebert is tweaking her image in a new district in hopes of winning over more traditional conservatives. Can she do it without losing hard-core Trump fans?
This audio essay was originally made for the NYT Audio app, free for Times subscribers in the Apple App Store.
Customer Reviews
Generally very good.
I enjoy the commentary. And, I often find that it is amusing and witty. I must admit I have difficulty distinguishing between the voices of Michele and Lydia. That is not a problem with the two male speakers. I do wish that Ross could free himself from his Catholic straight jacket. He might find the ability to breathe to be freeing. Otherwise, the subject matters are current and thought-provoking. It is always an interesting time to spend 30 or 40 minutes.
Good discussion from cross-ideological viewpoints
Ross Douthat and Michelle Goldberg were the primary adversaries on the original "The Argument" podcast before it transitioned to the Jane Coaston podcast. I like Jane Coaston as a writer and podcaster, but her iteration of the show wasn't very compelling. So NYT brought back the OG Argument format under the guise of "Matter of Opinion, and all was right with the world. The four-person panel includes Douthat (center right conservative), Michelle Cottle (coastal left), Carlos Lozada (center left), and Lydia Polgreen (queer left). Agree with him or not, Douthat is the fulcrum of the show, since he's the one most likely to gently prod the others into debates. It's a winsome group that manages to disagree often without letting things get too heated. Not many political podcasts successfully pull off cross-partisan disagreements right now, though admittedly they are all agreed on the biggest split in American politics: Love Trump vs. Loathe Trump. In their defense, I'm hard-pressed to think of a Trump-defending voice who would fit in with the "live and let live" ethos of the show, and there's certainly no one who could fit that bill from the New York Times.
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Jesus.