417 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 • 42 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.

    Gathering in dark rooms: Sky Sitney on DC/DOX’s upcoming festival

    Gathering in dark rooms: Sky Sitney on DC/DOX’s upcoming festival

    The DC/DOX Documentary Film Festival kicks off its second full festival this month, showcasing a diverse slate of non-fiction stories for a hungry audience in the nation’s capital. From politics, of course, to fashion, health, movie stars, the space program, there is a little bit of everything to choose from. There is also a very interesting constellation of films that concern aspects of the fallout from the 2020 election and the riot on January 6th, 2021 that sought to overturn the election results. We discuss that and more with Sky Sitney, co-founder of DC/DOX and a professor at Georgetown University’s Film and Media Studies Program.
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    • 41 min
    Summertime, and the political news is busy

    Summertime, and the political news is busy

    Forget Hollywood blockbusters: This summer will be all about the politics. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, we'll be witness to a criminal trial for a U.S. senator (oh, and a former president too), make-or-break Senate primaries, the political conventions, Supreme Court opinions on abortion and presidential immunity and much, much more. Inside Elections Deputy Editor Jacob Rubashkin drops by to help get us into the summer state of mind.
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    • 53 min
    Primary colors: Breaking down the latest congressional contests

    Primary colors: Breaking down the latest congressional contests

    The races that will shape November's election continue to take shape now that we have primary results in Maryland, West Virginia and Nebraska, with consequences at the House, Senate and even presidential level. Roll Call elections analyst Nathan Gonzales discusses those races and his latest Inside Elections ratings changes.
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    • 34 min
    How to get yourself on Roll Call's Most Vulnerable Incumbents list

    How to get yourself on Roll Call's Most Vulnerable Incumbents list

    At Roll Call, we periodically update our list of most vulnerable senators and members of the House as we get closer to the election. It's a shifting list, and reflects a snapshot in political dynamics. So how does one land on the list? Roll Call campaign staff writers Daniela Altimari and Mary Ellen McIntire join the Political Theater podcast to discuss.
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    • 32 min
    Jan. 6, 2021 and the people who will never forget

    Jan. 6, 2021 and the people who will never forget

    There is no way to spin being beaten and bloodied and scared. The history of the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 is still being written, which is an important and massive undertaking. Not everyone wants to talk about the bear spray and broken windows. But the new documentary “The Sixth” by Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine gives a fresh voice to some of the people on the ground and in the line of fire that day: police officers, a journalist, a congressional staffer, and a member of Congress. The film is from their perspectives; it’s a sense of what it felt like to be there.
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    • 39 min
    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

Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5
42 Ratings

42 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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