This week, Daily Kos Political Director David Nir and Daily Kos Elections contributing editor David Beard joined C-SPAN’s Washington Journal to discuss the current state of politics and their podcast The Downballot, as part of the program’s series highlighting podcasts. The interview focused on the podcast—what it's about, the format, who our guests are, and other related topics. The 45-minute segment included questions and comments from social media and callers from all parts of the political spectrum.
Political podcasts in particular have taken off in recent years, with Pod Save America being the most notable in the center-left sphere. But before The Downballot, there was no popular podcast dedicated specifically to the work that Daily Kos Elections does so well: down ballot races and detailed election analysis from a progressive perspective. That’s everything from Congress and governor down to mayor and district attorney. More than a decade of Morning Digest newsletters proves that there's ample content for the podcast to cover. And while this subject matter has a specific audience, Daily Kos Elections' own successes show that there's real interest in these races and elections—and that it's grown in recent years.
One of Daily Kos’ advantages is its ability to cover topics rigorously from a progressive point of view. Listeners who may get frustrated by a constant airing of GOP talking points or right-leaning guests find a home at The Downballot. At the same time, while its viewpoint is well-known, Daily Kos Elections is regularly cited by traditional news media for a variety of election information. The team has a well-earned reputation for reliable work and can appeal to listeners with both its progressivism and its analysis.
You can listen to the full interview here:
