Postrider Podcasts

The Postriders pitch their ideas, directors, and cast for the next "great" movies about American politics—two historical dramatizations and one fiction.

For every dollar the national Democratic Party has, how should they allocate it per Senate race? Michael makes Lars justify how each cent is spent as they chat about what states Democrats are underperforming in.

What does modern American believe deserves permanence? Lars and Michael propose new national monuments to commemorate the nation's 250th birthday.

As the Postriders catch up on the previous month, it's time to play "Trail Markers" here on the Postrider Roundup: can Michael successfully connect every single trail marker subject to the major news events of May 2026?

In this Roundup, Lars gets 100 points to divvy up how the Democratic Party focuses on reclaiming ground in the 2026 redistricting war. Should Democrats abolish independent commissions, find a clever legal strategy, just try to make the better pitch to voters, or a bit of everything?

The Postriders play "Something, or Nothing?" again as they discuss May 2026's major news stories with potentially long-term consequences and justify whether they're worth keeping an eye on or being blown totally out of proportion.

The Postriders discuss why Democrats are struggling to find a host city for their 2028 convention, what city they should choose, and what cities might be better choices to hold a convention in the future.

In this Roundup, Michael gets 100 points to divvy up the generic Democratic nominee's focus on each swing state in 2028. Should the Democrats maintain the Rust Belt strategy, reclaim the Sun Belt, diversify towards new states, or spread themselves thin doing all of the above?

In a new segment, The Postriders are given a series of political trade-offs to determine whether they'd take the deal or let the cards fall as they otherwise may.

The Postriders assess which parties in America they feel are getting too much, too little, or just enough blame for the Iran War, and whose future careers will be tied to it.

Starting with Bill Clinton and the "Golden Age of Television," Lars and Michael catalogue what they see as the definitive television show that reflects the zeitgeist of each presidency.

In this Roundup, Michael gets 100 points to divvy up to various Democratic policy issues as he crafts a messaging strategy, while Lars provides real world polling data to supplement the numbers. Does Michael go all in on affordability and leave foreign policy off the table, and does that make sense?

The Postriders are back with another segment of "Out to Pasture," in which Lars and Michael each present an idea in the discourse, kick it around, poke some holes, and determine whether it's worth riding out on, or whether it should stay in the stable. This week: is Graham Platner what Democratic "moderation" looks like and would we be better off had Trump won in 2020?

The Postriders play "Something, or Nothing?" as they discuss five major news stories with potentially long-term consequences and determine whether it's worth keeping an eye on or being blown totally out of proportion.

To cover the dizzying array of stories over the last few weeks, the Postriders engage in a round of Quick Draw, concisely giving the summary and take on every topic from Iran to the Supreme Court's tariff ruling, the Texas primary, the Clintons testifying in the Epstein investigation, and much more.

Michael and Lars share which 2028 Democratic presidential prospects are overrated and underrated and pivot to addressing what might really be explaining Trump's diminished approval ratings.

The Postriders try something new with a segment called "Out to Pasture," in which both Lars and Michael present an idea in the discourse, kick it around, poke some holes, and determine whether it's worth riding out on, or whether it should stay in the stable.

Michael Lovito highlights a notable shift in popular culture away from villainizing conspiracy theorists and towards increasingly justified paranoia, and how this connects to contemporary American politics.

Horror in Minneapolis and tensions across the Atlantic dominate this episode, forcing conversation on how far Trump might go and whether MAGA can be reconciled with isolationism.

The Postriders issue their awards for 2025. Who won, lost, fell on their face, was chronically overrated, or made the biggest moves in the last year? Listen to our picks and let us know yours!

As the year comes to a close, the Postriders talk about Indiana's failure to redistrict despite Trump's urging and have some fun making some predictions about 2026.

It's time for a foreign policy roundup as the Postriders try to suss out what the Trump administration's plan is for Ukraine and its continued military buildup in the Caribbean.

What did the 2025 elections mean? What is going on in the Republican Party? And what did the end of the shutdown and the return of the Epstein files tell us about the current moment in politics? Michael and Lars hop on the Roundup to find out.

Lars and Michael preview the upcoming off-year elections in New York City, California, Virginia, and New Jersey. How should you assess the results and what will these elections mean for the national scene?

The Postriders discuss the continued government shutdown and the series of text-related scandals that have beleagured prospective candidates and nominees over the last month.

Lars and Michael unpack the government shutdown, how we got here, how we get out, and then pivot to the origin of (and potential solutions to) the Democratic Party's malaise.

Michael and Lars discuss the shocking assassination of Charlie Kirk, the ensuing fallout, and a looming shutdown fight on Capitol Hill.

Lars and Michael talk about what Congress is up to now that it's back from recess and take a critical look at Trump's attempts to weaken the independence of the Federal Reserve.

On the latest Roundup, Mike and Lars discuss the presidential prospects of the suddenly buzzy Gavin Newsom and some early Senate-related moves made by the Democrats.

In the latest Roundup, Michael and Lars discuss Trump sending the National Guard into Washington, DC and the ongoing battle over redistricting congressional maps.

The Postriders dig into the Trump/Epstein drama, what both parties can do about and learn from it, and then check in on the 2026 midterm news.

The Postriders explore the political and policy implications after the signing of the "One Big Beautiful Bill" and unpack all you need to know about the national takeaways for the New York City mayoral election.

Michael and Lars bury the lead by discussing the No Kings protests and Trump's controversial military parade before addressing the big story of the last two weeks, the (possibly concluded) war in Iran.

Lars and Michael discuss the Musk-Trump breakup and how both Democrats and Republicans can avoid their worst impulses when addressing the turmoil in Los Angeles.

In the latest Postrider Roundup, Michael and Lars discuss the Big Beautiful Bill and the Democrats' alleged old person problem

Lars and Michael consider the first American Pope, the Republican war on NPR and PBS, and probe some of the first big moves in the 2026 midterms.

Michael and Lars discuss Donald Trump's suddenly unpopular immigration policies and yet another Signal-related scandal from Pete Hegseth.

The Postrider's Lars Emerson and Michael Lovito gripe about tariffs and economic uncertainty, agonize over the administration's strategy at hand, and take note of cracks in the administration's unified face -- as well as a scattered Democratic response beginning to show signs of life.

Michael and Lars discuss Signalgate, the Trump administrations aggressive moves to deport alleged gang members and detain pro-Palestinian visa and green card holders without due process, upcoming elections in Wisconsin and Florida, and the Democrats' "babysitter" problem

The Postrider's Lars Emerson and Michael Lovito discuss the continuing resolution, Chuck Schumer's flagging support, frustration with Democrats at large, and what to make of the numerous high-profile Senate Democratic retirement announcements.

Michael and Lars talk about the big blow up between Donald Trump, JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the weekend, as well as the looming budget deadline, angry town halls, and some early embarassments for the Trump administration.

The Postrider's Lars Emerson and Michael Lovito discuss Trump's pervasive impact on pop culture before turning to Michael's article on DOGE and "solutionism." Then, they assess (with some optimism for the system) what checks and balances may limit Trump going forward.

Michael and Lars try to make sense of a chaotic first few weeks of Trump 2.0, including a wave of controversial tariffs, executive orders, and cabinet hearings, as well as how the Democrats are trying to pick up the pieces in time for 2026.

The Postrider's Lars Emerson and Michael Lovito discuss Trump's inauguration, his first day back in the job, and his executive orders. Then they pivot to some reflections on the Biden era and the last weeks of his presidency.

Michael and Lars discuss the anticlimactic speaker election before diving into their 2024 year in review, where they discuss the best, worst, and schlubbiest of last year's politics.

The Postrider's Lars Emerson and Michael Lovito discuss Trump's controversial nominees, checking in on Pete Hegseth and digging into FBI nominee Kash Patel, then discuss Biden's controversial pardon of his son and what meaning January 6 holds nearly four years later.

Michael and Lars discuss Donald Trump's picks for his second cabinet, breaking down who they're cautiously optimistic about and who they're scared/angry are even being considered at all.

The Postrider's Lars Emerson and Michael Lovito debrief the 2024 election, its aftermath, and its consequences. They reflect on the media ecosystem's coverage of the election and its results, the impact of Donald Trump in the grand scheme of American history, and where the Democratic Party goes now.

In The Postrider Roundup's inaugural episode, Michael Lovito and Lars Emerson discuss the impending elections for president, Senate, the House of Representatives, and a handful of governor's mansions. They discuss what an odd last few weeks of the campaign it's been, the Postrider Election Model, and who they think will ultimately end up winning, all while attempting to cut through the noise and balance their vibes with the data. It's a jam packed pre-election extravaganza, perfect to get you pumped up (or freaked out) for November 5th.

The Postrider Roundup is a new biweekly podcast from The Postrider, offering a dynamic, up-to-date look at American politics, from Congress to the campaign trail. On the Roundup, Lars Emerson and Michael Lovito dive into the latest developments in DC, analyzing elections, legislation, and the complexities of the ever-evolving political landscape with a unique blend of pragmatism, enthusiasm, and humor.