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The stories that count on money and politics in the race for the White House

The fact that this medium played a leading role in the US election campaign shows where we are when it comes to podcasting. While Kamala Harris gave interviews on Shannon Sharpe’s show Shay Shay Club, Unblocking Us with Brené Brown And Call her daddy podcasts, Donald Trump appeared on Andrew Schulz Flagrantthe Nelk Boys Complete shipment and, more recently, on The Joe Rogan Experience – not only the most popular podcast in America but around the world.

But there are better ways to understand the political landscape and voter motivations than listening to candidates in self-promotion mode. I spent the last week glued to We live here nowin which podcasters Lauren Ober (Spectacular failures, Beautiful gorilla person) and Hanna Rosin meet with activists demonstrating in support of insurrectionists imprisoned after the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Ober and Rosin are partners who live in a staunchly Democratic neighborhood in northeast Washington, D.C. where, a little over a year ago, new neighbors moved in with “Free Our Patriots” and “J4J6” bumper stickers. (Justice of January 6) on their car. They turned out to be Micki Witthoeft, the mother of Ashli ​​Babbitt, a protester who was shot and killed in the Capitol building; Nicole Reffitt, whose husband Guy was the first person to be tried for crimes related to the riots; and Tami Perryman, whose partner, Brian Jackson, was jailed for assaulting police officers with a flagpole.

There was an initially tense exchange between Ober and her new neighbors, with the former loudly remarking on the presence of “this fucking militia mobile.” This prompted Reffitt to lean out of his car and yell, “We live here now, so suck it, bitch.” » But Ober then apologized, after which these women from opposing political backgrounds began to get to know each other.

For Ober and Rosin, that meant entering a world where people continue to believe that the 2020 election was stolen and that those involved in the riots are martyrs and heroes. For Witthoeft, Reffitt and Perryman, the fight for justice for their loved ones dominates their lives as they hold all-night vigils in the U.S. capital. They all believe that Donald Trump, who demanded that Babbitt’s killer be brought to justice, represents their interests.

So we listen as Ober and Rosin spend time with these self-proclaimed patriots and hear about their anxieties and how they channeled their grief and rage. What they find are individuals and families who feel disenfranchised and ignored, who have been trolled and trolled online, and who have dedicated themselves to what they see as a just cause. At no point are Ober and Rosin convinced by this cause, but the empathy, humanity and depth of their reporting speak volumes about this febrile time and how political adversaries can find something to laugh about. they were willing to sit down and talk.

theatlantic.com/podcasts/we-live-here-now