412 episodes

Have you ever asked, “WTF?,” about politics? Or, “who are these people making decisions about my life?” Political Theater pulls back the curtain on the stunts, antics and motivations that drive Washington. Host Jason Dick and the Roll Call team spotlight the spectacle, the players and what’s going on behind the curtain in Washington’s long-running drama: Congress.

Political Theater CQ Roll Call

    • News
    • 4.6 • 40 Ratings

Have you ever asked, “WTF?,” about politics? Or, “who are these people making decisions about my life?” Political Theater pulls back the curtain on the stunts, antics and motivations that drive Washington. Host Jason Dick and the Roll Call team spotlight the spectacle, the players and what’s going on behind the curtain in Washington’s long-running drama: Congress.

    Meanwhile, in non-Trump, non-impeachment and non-speaker news

    Meanwhile, in non-Trump, non-impeachment and non-speaker news

    This has been a momentous week for politics. Jury selection started in the criminal trial of former President Donald Trump. The Senate dispensed with impeachment articles against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. And the House considers a foreign aid package that has made Speaker Mike Johnson a target of his unhappy colleagues. But beyond those headlines: FEC filings show us who raised how much for 2024's election; runoffs in Alabama and another trial that could affect New Jersey races. Roll Call campaigns editor Herb Jackson walks joins the podcast to discuss.
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    • 42 min
    ‘Food, Inc. 2’ filmmakers provide plenty to chew on

    ‘Food, Inc. 2’ filmmakers provide plenty to chew on

    People feel so passionately about food that perhaps it is not a surprise it has yielded that rarest of things: A sequel to a documentary. The makers of 2008’s “Food, Inc.,” are, as the new movie’s tagline goes, back for seconds with “Food, Inc. 2,” a multi-layered look at the food industry, its farmers, workers, scientists, journalists and more. Co-directors Robert Kenner and Melissa Robledo are here to talk about it, from soup to nuts.
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    • 28 min
    When the most powerful people get what they want, Ohio version

    When the most powerful people get what they want, Ohio version

    What does it mean when both Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and former President Donald Trump agree on the same candidate? Because that happened in Ohio’s Republican Senate primary. That was not the only win for the establishment, such as it is, during Tuesday’s elections. Roll Call campaign staff writer Daniela Altimari spent some quality time in Ohio recently, and she and Campaigns Editor Herb Jackson join the podcast to discuss the results in Ohio, Illinois and California.
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    • 28 min
    The highs, lows and weirds of the White House beat

    The highs, lows and weirds of the White House beat

    Covering the White House is one of the most high-profile beats in politics. Covering the Trump, then the Biden White House, and starting during a pandemic and an election year makes it even more high profile. Roll Call Chief Correspondent Niels Lesniewski has been at the helm for a little over four years and shares his experiences as he prepares for a new assignment in the newsroom: The highlights, the lowlights and the weirdlights.
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    • 31 min
    The changing 2024 Senate landscape

    The changing 2024 Senate landscape

    Lost in this year’s highly competitive presidential nominating contest (sarcasm detector!) is the coming-at-you primaries for House and Senate that kicked off with a bang on Super Tuesday. We got some clarity about fall matchups in some high-profile races on that most special of Tuesdays, and some of that clarity came from folks who were not even facing the voters. With us to discuss is Jacob Rubashkin, deputy editor of Inside Elections.
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    • 39 min
    What we talk about when we talk about Super Tuesday

    What we talk about when we talk about Super Tuesday

    Tuesdays can get a bad rap. Sometimes the best that can be said about them are that they're the day that's the furthest from next Monday. But not Super Tuesday! More than a quarter of the House of Representatives faces a primary race on March 5, and there are two high-profile Senate races as well. And while not all of Super Tuesday's races are competitive, there are major implications for November’s general election, especially in California, Texas, North Carolina and Alabama. We’ll discuss the major races and stories shaping up for Super Tuesday with Roll Call campaign reporters Mary Ellen McIntire and Daniela Altimari.
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    • 34 min

Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5
40 Ratings

40 Ratings

andydbaxter ,

Great for politics nerds!

I thoroughly enjoy the cheerful and neutral approach that this podcast usually takes in analyzing the spectacle of politics. The specific theme allows concentration on fun and interesting stories that are often otherwise overlooked. Great for politics nerds!

Also, I have tremendous respect for the reporters’ recent coverage of the invasion of the Capitol. The podcast on the following day was extremely insightful into the events that occurred and the potential next steps. More than anyone else, these reporters were the ones that I looked to in order to make sense of the situation, both during and after, because they are true experts and professionals in their field and have therefore earned my trust.

Nbee2 ,

always timely and enjoyable

great quick hit podcast that brings together timely political news with cultural insights

Hill Staffer ,

Hill Staffer

Audio is terrible and is what holds this podcast back

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