Politics: Meet Me in the Middle

CurtCo Media
  • 4.9 (25)
  • POLITICS
Politics: Meet Me in the Middle

In an age when saying the wrong thing in a Twitter post could leave you ghosted by onetime friends—or worse—we find our country torn apart at the political seams. But things don’t need to be this way. Constructive social discourse is not dead, it just needs a little resuscitation. From CurtCo Media. ​ Consider Meet Me in the Middle your political rehab. Each week, Ed Larson (Pulitzer Prize winning historian, author, and world-wide lecturer) invites guests from across the ideological spectrum—including politicians, activists, and celebrities—to sit down, discuss the issues, and if not find consensus, at least find common ground. So bring an open mind and remember, we’re more alike than different.

  1. 12/27/2021

    74 - Don’t Mess with The Mooch (Anthony Scaramucci)

    Join Bill Curtis and Jane Albrecht as they speak with Former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci about 2022 elections, Republican tactics, and some of the most divisive political topics in the United States. What if Trump decides to run again? How will The Mooch plan to stop him? They cover politics, voting rights, bit coin, abortion, Biden, and vaccines…all as we close out year two of the pandemic with the death toll still rising. Episode Timestamps: 03:26- Were you always a Republican? 03:50 - Is Trump the same you knew? 04:31 -  Republican Party Tactics are working 08:28 -  Is the Republican party healable? 10:21 - The Mooch’s Assessment of Trump 12:23 - What if Trump runs again? 16:19 - 2022 and The House 20:00 - How do Trump supporters think? 21:13 - It’s too early to know who can replace Trump 22:51 - Vaccines 23:19 - The U.S. and China 24:52 - Abortion 27:19 – Brief explanation of how Crypto works ---------------------- Learn More:  https://www.curtco.com/meetmeinthemiddle Follow Us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/politicsMMITM Hosted by: Bill Curtis and Jane Albrecht Edited and Sound Engineering by: Joey Salvia Theme Music by: Celleste and Eric Dick A CurtCo Media Production https://www.curtco.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    32 min

  2. 07/27/2021

    73 - Dissecting the Democratic Party with Lanae Erickson and Quentin James

    What will it take for Dems to connect with black & brown voters? How can Democrats keep Republicans from branding them, radicals? What can Democrats do better to keep the house? All this and more is discussed on the season finale of Politics: Meet Me in the Middle. Bill and Jane are joined by Lanae Erickson (Senior Vice President for the Social Policy Program at The Third Way) and Quentin James (founder and president of The Collective) to explore their six month study and report that was praised by The NY Times. Episode Timestamps: 5:52 Defining The Third Way, The Collective, and The Latino Victory Fund 7:54 The Origins of coming together 8:51 The Democratic Coalition 11:05 Black Voters 15:51 The Failure of “Defund the Police” messaging 17:26 The Trump Effect 19:14 Learning from the report 22:44 The Democratic Brand 26:45 Dems -The Less Racist Party? 29:36 What do Democrats stand for? 31:17 Full disclosure 33:30 Advice for the moderates 34:27 Closing statements to the Democratic party  ---------------------- Learn More:  https://www.curtco.com/meetmeinthemiddle Follow Us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/politicsMMITM Hosted by: Bill Curtis and Jane Albrecht Edited and Sound Engineering by: Joey Salvia Theme Music by: Celleste and Eric Dick A CurtCo Media Production https://www.curtco.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    39 min

  3. 07/19/2021

    72 - The Power of Putin’s Russia (Part Two)

    There are ways to improve the relationship between Russia and the United States, but it's going to be a long road. This week Timothy Frye continues his look at the possibilities of joint gains and the mutual benefits of better political relations between the two countries. Timothy Frye is the Marshall D. Shulman Professor in Political Science at Columbia University and Co-Director of a research laboratory at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow. He worked for the US Information Agency in the Soviet Union in the late 1980s, advised the Russian Securities and Exchange Commission in the 1990s, and directed the Harriman Institute at Columbia from 2009 to 2015. Born in Utica, New York, he earned a BA in Russian Language and Literature from Middlebury College and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Columbia University. He is the editor of Post-Soviet Affairs and the author of 4 books. He lives in New York City. Episode Timestamps: :30 Next steps to a better US/Russia relationship 2:31 Putin in Power until 2036? 7:12 Putin and Hillary Clinton 9:33 Trump’s Idol: Putin 11:34 What did Putin have on Trump? 13:08 Trump’s a Putin Wannabe 16:55 Putin – Biden Relationship 23:15 Should the US appease or help Putin? 28:00 The Path Forward for a Better US/Russia relationship ---------------------- Learn More:  https://www.curtco.com/meetmeinthemiddle Follow Us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/politicsMMITM Hosted by: Bill Curtis and Jane Albrecht Edited and Sound Engineering by: Joey Salvia Theme Music by: Celleste and Eric Dick A CurtCo Media Production https://www.curtco.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    33 min

  4. 07/05/2021

    71 - The Power of Putin’s Russia (Part One)

    Timothy Frye kicks off our series on US-Russia relations. Timothy Frye is the Marshall D. Shulman Professor in Political Science at Columbia University and Co-Director of a research laboratory at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow. He worked for the US Information Agency in the Soviet Union in the late 1980s, advised the Russian Securities and Exchange Commission in the 1990s, and directed the Harriman Institute at Columbia from 2009 to 2015. Born in Utica, New York, he earned a B.A. in Russian Language and Literature from Middlebury College and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Columbia University. He is the editor of Post-Soviet Affairs and the author of four books. He lives in New York City. Episode Timestamps: 2:55 The U.S. view of Russia and Russia's view of the US 8:51 Russian Backgrounds and Diversity 11:14 Power distribution in Russia 14:10 Experiencing 911 from Russia 21:20 Putin’s Rise to Power  Additional Links: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08KWP9X92/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i0  ---------------------- Learn More:  https://www.curtco.com/meetmeinthemiddle Follow Us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/politicsMMITM Hosted by: Bill Curtis and Jane Albrecht Edited and Sound Engineering by: Joey Salvia Theme Music by: Celleste and Eric Dick A CurtCo Media Production https://www.curtco.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    36 min

  5. 06/21/2021

    70 - A Ted Lieu Talk on Cybersecurity and Hackers (Part Two)

    Bill Curtis, Jane Albrecht, and Ted Lieu continue their discussion with Congressman Ted Lieu about cybersecurity and the potential threats to America’s infrastructure. According to Lieu, the Trump Administration did not take cybersecurity as seriously as it should have, even eliminating government cybersecurity positions. The new administration seems to be taking the issue of cybersecurity with more gravity. He wants more people to realize that the severity of an attack could go well beyond individual businesses and affect the quality of the lives of many Americans. Then, he speaks about cryptocurrency and the potential dangers of not being able to monitor it and control it. He also speaks about the spam and scams people receive and how to protect yourself. This term, Ted was elected Co-Chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee. Ted was also appointed as an Assistant Democratic Whip. He serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Judiciary Committee. Ted has taken a leadership role in Congress on a number of vital policy issues. Episode Timestamps: 3:51 Cryptocurrency and Bitcoin Abuse 7:51 Is this problem of cyber-attacks accelerating? 9:02 Nuclear Power Plants 9:37 Break 1 10:10 Personal Cyber security Advice from Ted Lieu 16:43 Break 2 17:06 Spam and Scams 21:06 Email and Wire Instructions 23:17 Closing Thoughts  ---------------------- Learn More:  https://www.curtco.com/meetmeinthemiddle Follow Us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/politicsMMITM Hosted by: Bill Curtis and Jane Albrecht Edited and Sound Engineering by: Joey Salvia Theme Music by: Celleste and Eric Dick A CurtCo Media Production https://www.curtco.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    25 min

  6. 06/14/2021

    69 - A Ted Lieu Talk on Cybersecurity and Hackers (Part One)

    Bill Curtis, Jane Albrecht, and Congressman Ted Lieu discuss computer hackers, cyber warfare, America's infrastructure, and how we can keep our country safe from these attacks. This is part one of our two-part series on cyber security with Representative Ted Lieu. Congressman Ted W. Lieu represents California’s 33rd Congressional District. Serving his fourth term in Congress, Ted has already made a significant impact in Washington. He was elected President of the Democratic Freshman Class by his colleagues during his first term. Last term, after being elected Vice Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Ted led efforts to take back the House, helping Democrats win 9 Republican-held house seats in his region. This term, Ted was elected Co-Chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee. Ted was also appointed as an Assistant Democratic Whip. He serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Judiciary Committee. Ted has taken a leadership role in Congress on a number of vital policy issues. Episode Timestamps: 3:22 Ted’s Cybersecurity Background 4:20 Biggest Cybersecurity Threats to the USA 7:12 Types of Hackers 11:13 Russia Aggression 15:08 Microsoft and Hacking 20:21 The Space Infrastructure Act 26:06 Digital Gorilla War 30:07 Final Words: Is there universal Goodwill? ---------------------- Learn More:  https://www.curtco.com/meetmeinthemiddle Follow Us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/politicsMMITM Hosted by: Bill Curtis and Jane Albrecht Edited and Sound Engineering by: Joey Salvia Theme Music by: Celleste and Eric Dick A CurtCo Media Production https://www.curtco.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    34 min

  7. 06/07/2021

    68 - The 2nd Amendment & Gun Control with Eugene Volokh (Encore Edition)

    Nowadays there's not much that enflames passions more than a conversation about gun safety, the NRA, and the "right to bear arms." In this episode, Constitutional law professor Eugene Volokh goes toe-to-toe with Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Ed Larson and host Bill Curtis as they argue what the framers meant when they crafted the second amendment on this encore edition of Politics: Meet Me in the Middle. Episode Timestamps: 2:10 2nd Amendment Lesson 4:06 Deeper Dive into the 2nd Amendment 5:39 What is the militia? 6:25 Individual Rights 7:40 The right to bear arms 8:07 break 1 8:32 The Changing View of the 2nd Amendment 10:05 Types of Arms Allowed 13:00 Cars as Weapons vs Guns and background checks 16:10 break 2 16:54 The NRA Influence and reasonable purpose 18:20 Defining Assault weapons 21:20 Protecting rights strategy 22:36 Do we need protection from our government 24:00 Is it really a 2nd Amendment issue? 27:32 Closing Remarks ---------------------- Learn More:  https://www.curtco.com/meetmeinthemiddle Follow Us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/politicsMMITM Hosted by: Bill Curtis and Jane Albrecht Edited and Sound Engineering by: Joey Salvia Theme Music by: Celleste and Eric Dick A CurtCo Media Production https://www.curtco.com   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    29 min

  8. 05/31/2021

    67 - Hacked: Cyber Security with David Holtzman (Part Two)

    Bill Curtis and Jane Albrecht continue their discussion on cybersecurity with author and tech-wiz, David Holtzman. What’s a Zombie Bot? Has a Trojan attacked your computer? How can we protect ourselves from Hackers? This episode will both scare and enlighten you to all matters of personal and business cybersecurity. David Holtzman is a world-class information technologist, currently working with global block chain companies, with deep expertise in privacy, encryption, ethics, cybersecurity, digital registries and intellectual property. Episode Timestamps: 00:52 Hacking, Phishing, and Personal Attacks 1:52 How Hackers Attack YOU 4:07 Antivirus Software 5:34 No Real Protection Against Hacking 6:55 Real Life Hacking Examples 7:43 Things you can check before being Hacked 10:37 Hacking Cases during Covid 11:48 What not to do to stay safe from Hackers and VPN 13:07 Passwords 15:07 Password Lockers and Hacks 15:52 Positive Takeaways and Hacking 19:42 Insider Threats and Business 21:48 Individual Responsibility and Old-World Business Tactics 24:06 Final Words  ---------------------- Learn More:  https://www.curtco.com/meetmeinthemiddle Follow Us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/politicsMMITM Hosted by: Bill Curtis and Jane Albrecht Edited and Sound Engineering by: Joey Salvia Theme Music by: Celleste and Eric Dick A CurtCo Media Production https://www.curtco.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    26 min
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4.9
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About

In an age when saying the wrong thing in a Twitter post could leave you ghosted by onetime friends—or worse—we find our country torn apart at the political seams. But things don’t need to be this way. Constructive social discourse is not dead, it just needs a little resuscitation. From CurtCo Media. ​ Consider Meet Me in the Middle your political rehab. Each week, Ed Larson (Pulitzer Prize winning historian, author, and world-wide lecturer) invites guests from across the ideological spectrum—including politicians, activists, and celebrities—to sit down, discuss the issues, and if not find consensus, at least find common ground. So bring an open mind and remember, we’re more alike than different.

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