Best Unaffiliated Politics Podcasts (2024)

1
Political minorities must be protected, whether you like them or not. 6:08

14h ago6:08

6:08

Political minorities must be protected, whether you like them or not. By Jon Caldara Hunters are deviant perverts. Men convinced they’re women are to be celebrated. The left works hard to make the bizarre mainstream. The transgender movement is a shining example of just how good they are at it. Ya know, if only you’d learn about all 64 genders and …

1
What's influencing voters this election season? 38:15

27m ago38:15

38:15

Earlier in the year, host Tim Boyum asked national pollster Tom Jensen with Public Policy Polling, or PPP, about what topics he thought would influence voters the most. This week, he rejoins Tim to revisit that conversation, and talk about how the 2024 election has shifted since President Biden dropped out and Democrats nominated Vice President Kam…

1
Raise a glass to the Coors Foundation 5:32

14h ago5:32

5:32

Raise a glass to the Coors Foundation By Jon Caldara When I was a kid, I’d collect old tin cans and the newfangled aluminum beer cans. My father would drive me down to the Coors distribution warehouse in Littleton. They’d weigh them and they gave me cash, real cash in my hand for recycling. This was my first interaction with “Coors.” Coors invented…

1
Catching our breath: N.C. political consultants break down recent political headlines 46:52

6d ago46:52

46:52

On this week’s podcast, Democratic consultant Morgan Jackson and Republican consultant Jonathan Felts provide insights on a politically eventful month in North Carolina. The two touch on topics like the impact of Biden dropping out of the race from the perspective of both sides, why Gov. Roy Cooper took his name out of the VP running before the vet…

1
Republican convention was a grand old party 5:28

7d ago5:28

5:28

Republican convention was a grand old party By Mike Rosen Well, the Grand Old Party certainly threw a grand old party in Milwaukee. The delegates and spectators were revved up and joyous from start to finish. What could have been a tragic and somber mood — with who knows what outcome — had Trump not miraculously dodged an assassin’s bullet, turned …

1
Colorado legislature anti-choice when it comes to your wallet 5:41

11d ago5:41

5:41

Colorado legislature anti-choice when it comes to your wallet By Jon Caldara Maybe you disagree, but I think competition and innovation are good things because, though they cause disruptions, consumers win. The Colorado legislature strongly disagrees. If there were an award for sabotaging financial innovation and harming consumers, they’d be giving…

1
We need a hunger: N.C. Democratic Party chair talks 2024 presidential race 37:09

14d ago37:09

37:09

North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton rejoins host Tim Boyum this week to talk about the tumultuous month since the debate. Their conversation spans from President Joe Biden’s exit to her role in leading the state party’s delegation, which unanimously supported Vice President Kamala Harris during the uncertain time. “Every single d…

1
Men don’t talk about suicidal thoughts, but they should 5:29

19d ago5:29

5:29

Men don’t talk about suicidal thoughts, but they should By Jon Caldara A friend just told me of his relatively recent suicide attempt. Like me he’s around 60 years old. Unlike me he survived a great deal of war trauma in the military. And trauma will come for you sooner or later no matter how far down and how long you bury it. The suicide rate for …

1
VP candidate Roy Cooper? The NC impact of a presidential reset 11:32

20d ago11:32

11:32

With all the news swirling this week about the presidential campaign and the possibility of Gov. Roy Cooper as a vice presidential candidate, we’re bringing you a segment from WUNC’s Due South. Host Jeff Tiberii spoke with Western Carolina University political scientist Chris Cooper and WUNC Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell about where things st…

1
Senior N.C. House Republican will resign next month. He tells Tim why. 39:30

21d ago39:30

39:30

Rep. Jason Saine of Lincoln County abruptly filed his resignation letter July 15, confirming he would step down from his 97th House District seat, effective Aug. 12. Rep. Saine tells host Tim Boyum his reasons for leaving public office while his party holds the supermajority and what’s next for him in the private sector. Boyum and Rep. Saine also t…

1
How many Coloradans will green energy kill? 5:56

26d ago5:56

5:56

How many Coloradans will green energy kill? By Jon Caldara How many people might green energy kill this summer? If you are reading this column in a comfortably air-conditioned room on a stifling hot day, thank fossil fuels. I’ll spell it out: Green energy is weather-dependent. And, though Colorado recently baked with triple digit temperatures, ther…

1
Beware the ranked-choice voting Trojan horse 6:08

26d ago6:08

6:08

Beware the ranked-choice voting Trojan horse By Mike Rosen In the last hours of the 2024 Colorado legislative session, a group of county clerks crafted an amendment to Senate Bill 24-210 to temper the rush-to-judgment of a November ballot initiative that would impose statewide ranked-choice voting. They were concerned about public confusion over RC…

1
Breaking the gridlock: Views from N.C.'s first unaffiliated congressional candidate 35:30

28d ago35:30

35:30

On this week’s podcast, host Tim Boyum talks with 9th congressional district candidate Shelane Etchison. She’s becoming the first unaffiliated congressional candidate to ever appear on a ballot in North Carolina, but making history is not new to her. She was also among the first women to serve in combat in the Army and earn two master’s degrees fro…

1
NC's only unaffiliated congressional candidate charts a unique path 26:58

1M ago26:58

26:58

North Carolina law makes it extremely hard to run for office if you’re not willing to register as a Republican or Democrat and go through the party primary process. This year though, an unaffiliated candidate for Congress has made it onto the ballot for the first time in memory. Shelane Etchison is an Army veteran who served in special forces units…

1
Race and class: New book 'White Poverty' looks at how to reduce racism 49:22

1M ago49:22

49:22

On this week’s episode, Tim talks with Rev. Dr. William Barber and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove about their new book, “White Poverty.” The book looks at historical myths about race and class and makes a case that addressing white poverty might be key to mitigating racism and uniting a massive group of voters to demand change.…

1
Calm in the storm: How Spectrum News 1 meteorologists track hurricanes 40:20

1M ago40:20

40:20

Hurricane season continues to ramp up in North Carolina. Spectrum News 1 meteorologists are hard at work tracking the tropics and Atlantic for any forming storms and their impacts. This week host Tim Boyum sits down with Spectrum News 1 meteorologist Lee Ringer to talk about the upcoming hurricane season, the forecasting behind storms, misconceptio…

1
Why we’re not spending money to bring ballot initiatives this year 5:36

1M ago5:36

5:36

Why we’re not spending money to bring ballot initiatives this year By Jon Caldara In the fight for limited government, resources are remarkably scarce. Many of Colorado’s right-leaning donors are understandably fatigued of putting money into losing efforts. By contrast, the left’s deep pockets have seen incredible political returns on their investm…

1
My Very First Heart Attack 4:54

1M ago4:54

4:54

My very first heart attack By Jon Caldara I am writing this from my hospital bed in the intensive care unit at Denver Health. I’m recovering from my very first heart attack. You can only imagine my pride of reaching my goal of a heart attack before 60. While driving to my job at Independence Institute my chest started feeling, well, really weird — …

1
Democrats hammer gun owners, coddle criminals 5:33

1M ago5:33

5:33

Democrats hammer gun owners, coddle criminals By Jon Caldara Politics has the best euphemisms. “Undocumented residents” are illegal aliens. “Investing in children” is a tax increase. “Celebrating diversity” is racial quotas. “Currently experiencing homelessness” is, well you know. It’s “I want to spend more time with my family,” not “What hooker?” …

1
Decision 2024: N.C. AG candidates Dan Bishop and Jeff Jackson debate in Charlotte 57:52

2M ago57:52

57:52

It's one of the most hotly contested statewide races in the country between two members of Congress. North Carolina attorney general candidates Dan Bishop (R) and Jeff Jackson (D) go after each other from the first moment of the debate. On this week's episode, host Tim Boyum shares the debate he moderated for the North Carolina Bar Assocation on Fr…

1
Private records: A look at NC legislature's transparency problems 27:56

2M ago27:56

27:56

Thanks to a budget provision last year, state lawmakers can now deny the public access to their emails, documents and other records that most other branches of state government are required to release. That move toward secrecy is just one of many transparency concerns at the legislature. A few weeks ago, Democrats in the legislature filed a propose…

1
Keeping AI out of America's election 32:27

2M ago32:27

32:27

On this week’s episode of Tying It Together with Tim Boyum, Tim goes back to school, visiting with Duke University professor Phillip Napoli about the challenges regulating artificial intelligence and the election. Even if regulations are put in place to stop the spread of misinformation, would they be effective? Napoli is the James R. Shepley Profe…

1
While the state party implodes, GOP lawmakers lead 5:32

2M ago5:32

5:32

While the state party implodes, GOP lawmakers lead By Jon Caldara God hates the Colorado GOP. But oddly not Republican legislators. The Colorado GOP again became a national laughingstock by suggesting we should burn gay pride flags. Their blast email, video and slogan “God hates flags,” was of course meant to parrot the Westboro Baptist Church slog…

1
The Assembly: A new perspective in reporting politics 35:41

2M ago35:41

35:41

In an era where newspapers are shutting down and capitol press corps are shrinking, Kyle Villemain is doubling down his business venture, The Assembly. It’s a magazine-style digital publication racking up a number of fascinating stories with a unique business model. Host Tim Boyum and Kyle talk about its origins, the future of political reporting, …

1
Bidenflation Explained 6:19

2M ago6:19

6:19

Bidenflation explained By Mike Rosen Joe Biden’s speechwriters are grasping at straws to give him something positive to say about the economy, hoping he doesn’t go off script and fumble it too badly. When the April Consumer Price Index (CPI) came out in May, he bragged that year-to-year inflation had increased a mere 3.4%. But prices are still incr…

1
Democrats gaslighting on judicial activism 5:56

2M ago5:56

5:56

Democrats gaslighting on judicial activism By Mike Rosen Getting creamed in the polls on illegal immigration, the economy, inflation, Biden’s creeping senility, betraying Israel, and Kamala’s incompetence, Democrats are hanging reelection hopes on the abortion issue, a low priority for most voters and with the pro-abortion faction already committed…

1
Sterilizing history at Arvada High condemns the young to repeat it. 5:41

2M ago5:41

5:41

Sterilizing history at Arvada High condemns the young to repeat it. By Jon Caldara Kill the Redskins! Remember the scene from Charlton Heston’s “The 10 Commandments” where the pharaoh orders Moses’ name stricken from the history books? The state of Colorado is now pharaoh. So let it be written, so let it be done. Arvada High School has been around …

1
Catherine Truitt on her primary loss and politics in education 41:03

2M ago41:03

41:03

Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt joined host Tim Boyum for an exclusive interview this week. Truitt is addressing her loss in the primary election for the first time. She talks frankly about her opponent and her concerns about politics infiltrating education and the potential impact on students and our communities. Later in the…

1
The Tuscarora Nation's long struggle for recognition in NC 21:31

3M ago21:31

21:31

Members of the Tuscarora Nation of North Carolina recently visited the state legislature to push for a House bill that would grant them formal state recognition as an American Indian tribe. They've been fighting for the benefits provided to other tribes for decades, and the history of conflict stretches back centuries to the 1700s war between Tusca…

1
Hamas Scholarship 5:46

3M ago5:46

5:46

Investors should consider what scholarships promote in future. By Jon Caldara Canceling college loan debt isn’t enough! You heard me. Confiscating money from people who never went to college, as well as those who foolishly paid off their own college loans, to give the booty to those who knowingly agreed to pay back their loans isn’t enough. Why? We…

1
United in Grief, Divided on Solutions, Part 3: A Foggy Future 20:42

3M ago20:42

20:42

On this last episode of our three-part series, “United in Grief, Divided on Solutions”, the Maine legislature wraps up its work and a final decision is made on potential new gun laws after the Lewiston mass shootings last October. Find out how this community and state will try to move forward and what it means for the future. This story takes place…

1
Looming gas price hike entirely Jared Polis’ doing 5:21

3M ago5:21

5:21

Looming gas price hike entirely Jared Polis’ doing By Jon Caldara The Hayman fire in 2002 was one of the worst in Colorado’s history. What’s more appalling is it was started by one person whose responsibility it was to make sure forest fires don’t happen in the first place. That’s what is going on today with the one person who should have prevented…

1
United in Grief, Divided on Solutions, Part 2: A Renewed Debate 32:23

3M ago32:23

32:23

In part two of “United in Grief, Divided on Solutions”, we hear how the Lewiston, Maine mass shooting, inspired a victim’s father to push for change. Host Tim Boyum also takes you inside the passionate gun debate playing out in Maine this winter and spring after the October incident. Tim also talks with Maine’s top gun rights group, Maine’s former …

1
Ignore ‘demands’ of campus Hamas apologists 6:30

3M ago6:30

6:30

Ignore ‘demands’ of campus Hamas apologists By Mike Rosen The outbreak of disruptive protests by anti-Israel students on college campuses and the predictably feeble response of many school administrators and faculty leftists brought to mind the turmoil of an earlier era. During the Vietnam War, America was sharply divided with many millions opposed…

1
Colorado undisciplined legislature disregarded constituencies 5:13

3M ago5:13

5:13

The Colorado state Capitol in Denver... By Jon Caldara I was that kid in high school who would wait until the night before the term paper was due to even get started, as you can tell, a practice I honor to this day with this column. Of course, it was good enough to slide through high school; the paper was always lousy. That’s OK, coming from a slop…

1
United in Grief, Divided on Solutions, Part 1: Grief and Guns 22:01

3M ago22:01

22:01

In part one of a three-part series on guns in America, “United in Grief, Divided on Solutions”, host Tim Boyum takes us to Maine, where we meet the father of a man killed in the October Lewiston mass shootings. His heart-wrenching story will leave you in tears as he details that night and the days that followed. Later, we meet a gun collector and s…

1
State auditor candidates face off in rare statewide runoff election 32:03

3M ago32:03

32:03

Polls will once again open all across North Carolina on Tuesday, May 14. But with mostly down-ballot races on the ballot, will Republican primaries be decided by a tiny number of voters? Political scientist Chris Cooper of Western Carolina University shares some turnout trends and other dynamics for North Carolina’s rare runoff primaries with WUNC'…

1
Legacy lacking long-term commitment to charter not legacy at all 5:07

3M ago5:07

5:07

Legacy lacking long-term commitment to charter not legacy at all By Jon Caldara You are going to die. It brings me no pleasure to inform you of this. But, unless you are Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones, someday you are going to die. Which begs a question: what are you going to do about it? We pack our lives with distractions to avoid thinking …

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Trailer: United in Grief, Divided on Solutions 2:26

3M ago2:26

2:26

Exploring the aftermath of the mass shooting in Lewiston last October, host Tim Boyum takes on the issue of gun violence and the subsequent debate over gun laws in Maine in this special three-part series. Though it may take place in Maine, the debate and emotion mirrors conversations occurring around kitchen tables, in barbershops and communities a…

1
Opponents of educational choice target charter schools 5:25

3M ago5:25

5:25

Opponents of educational choice target charter schools By Pam Benigno One of the most, if not the most, reprehensible anti-charter bills ever introduced in Colorado, House Bill 24-1363, was soundly killed in the House Education Committee. Five Democrats and all three Republicans voted against the bill, while three Democrats voted in support. This 5…

1
The political weaponization of phobias 5:52

3M ago5:52

5:52

The political weaponization of phobias Written and read by Mike Rosen The clinical definition of “phobia” is a psychiatric disorder related to “an irrational, excessive, and persistent fear of some particular thing or situation.” Examples are Acrophobia: a fear of heights, Claustrophobia: fear of confined spaces, Octophobia: fear of the figure 8, C…

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Exclusive bonus: Sen. Berger’s firsthand account of Iran’s attack on Israel 37:57

3M ago37:57

37:57

In this special bonus episode, Tim sits down for an exclusive with North Carolina Senate Leader Phil Berger to discuss his recent trip to Israel. The trip took an unexpected turn when the night before he was flying back home, Iran attacked Israel. Berger recounts the moments he had to take shelter, his thoughts on our country’s role in the war and …

1
Capitol Speech 6:19

4M ago6:19

6:19

Among all protections throughout human existence for political minorities, none greater was ever created before the First Amendment. For the better part of my life, it was classic liberals and the political left who fought for the right of dissent, guaranteeing government shall not abridge speech. It was the cultural warriors of my childhood throug…

1
Second primary: What separates the state auditor Republican candidates 31:44

4M ago31:44

31:44

This week, the two Republican candidates for State Auditor, Jack Clark and Dave Boliek, join host Tim Boyum. The two aim share their backgrounds with voters, what they hope to bring to this elected position and their focus if elected. Neither got the 30%+ necessary to avoid a runoff and face the current state auditor, Democrat Jessica Holmes, in th…

1
Previewing the 2024 legislative session with Sen. Gale Adcock 18:39

4M ago18:39

18:39

State lawmakers are back in Raleigh to begin what’s known as the short session – several months in which they’ll make adjustments to the state budget for the upcoming year and consider a variety of other legislation that didn’t make it across the finish line in the 2023 long session. One of the biggest partisan battles is likely to be over educatio…

1
Can a true third party ever succeed? 35:03

4M ago35:03

35:03

Just weeks after No Labels announced it would not have a presidential ticket, one of the original leaders of the third party joins host Tim Boyum to talk about why. Former North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory discusses the failed effort and whether a third party ever has a chance of success in our country. Later, the two talk about the North Carolina go…

1
In a world of instability, Colorado misses former Rep. Buck’s leadership 5:20

4M ago5:20

5:20

The speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, has called for a vote on funding for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. He has done so at sizable professional risk. His isolationist Republicans might remove him from his leadership position for it. By the time you read this column, you’ll likely know how those votes went. As I writ…

1
New bill taxes booze at the wholesale level so taxes are hidden. 5:55

4M ago5:55

5:55

New bill taxes booze at the wholesale level so taxes are hidden. By Jon Caldara State Sens. Kevin Priola and Chris Hansen are doing their very best impersonation of Carrie A. Nation, the early 1900s prohibitionist who attacked liquor establishments with a hatchet in one hand and a Bible in the other. But “Mother Nation” just beat up drinkers. She d…

1
Legislature is showing ‘deep contempt for the voters.’ 6:04

4M ago6:04

6:04

Legislature is showing ‘deep contempt for the voters.’ By Jon Caldara Every conversation about the Colorado state Legislature should begin with this preface: “And these are the people who say Donald Trump is a threat to democracy. …” The Legislature is moving forward with a bill to rip away direct elections of the Regional Transportation District B…

1
The left’s assault on American patriotism 6:06

4M ago6:06

6:06

The left’s assault on American patriotism By Mike Rosen The conventional definition of patriotism is love for and loyalty to one’s country. A 2023 survey published in the Wall Street Journal found that only 38% of respondents thought patriotism was very important to them, down sharply from 70% when that question was first asked in 1998.While 59% of…

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