Talkin‘ Politics & Religion Without Killin‘ Each Other
Talkin‘ Politics & Religion Without Killin‘ Each Other
Podcast Description
Politics and Religion. We’re not supposed to talk about that, right? Wrong! We only say that nowadays because the loudest, most extreme voices have taken over the whole conversation. Well, we‘re taking some of that space back! If you’re dying for some dialogue instead of all the yelling; if you know it’s okay to have differences without having to hate each other; if you believe politics and religion are too important to let ”the screamers” drown out the rest of us and would love some engaging, provocative and fun conversations about this stuff, then ”Talkin‘ Politics & Religion Without Killin‘ Each Other” is for you!
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast delves into significant areas such as the impact of Christian nationalism, the role of money and power in politics, and the necessity of civil dialogue. Episodes like the discussion with Katherine Stewart on her book 'Money, Lies, and God' highlight how financial and ideological networks affect democracy, while other episodes explore themes like idolatry in contemporary faith and its connections to political ideology.
Politics and Religion. We’re not supposed to talk about that, right? Wrong! We only say that nowadays because the loudest, most extreme voices have taken over the whole conversation. Well, we‘re taking some of that space back! If you’re dying for some dialogue instead of all the yelling; if you know it’s okay to have differences without having to hate each other; if you believe politics and religion are too important to let ”the screamers” drown out the rest of us and would love some engaging, provocative and fun conversations about this stuff, then ”Talkin‘ Politics & Religion Without Killin‘ Each Other” is for you!
“Nobody I know voted for George Bush.” Michelle Cottle has heard that line her whole career, and it explains almost everything about the mess we’re in. A New York Times columnist on the bubbles we live in, the family we love anyway, and why the stereotype falls apart the moment you actually know someone.
Michelle Cottle writes about national politics for New York Times Opinion and hosts the Times podcast The Opinions. She and Corey trace her path from humor columnist at the Vanderbilt Hustler to covering Washington since the Clinton administration, get into what the capital feels like right now and where the 2026 primaries are heading, and land on the father she loved and could never talk politics with. The through line: the caricatures almost always break the second a real person walks into the room.
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Key Takeaways
The bubble is the real problem. After decades in Washington, Cottle’s rule is simple: if you don’t know a single person who votes the other way, that’s on you, not them. The media landscape pays the people ginning up our fear of each other, and the bubbles make us easy to work.
You can love someone whose politics you find appalling. Her late father was a Trump voter she adored and, eventually, could not discuss politics with. Knowing him made the caricature impossible to believe. That, she argues, is the way out for the rest of us.
The 2026 fundamentals favor Democrats, but the brand is toxic. A rough economy and midterm gravity cut against the party in power. Yet Democrats are radioactive enough in rural America that they’re backing independents like Nebraska’s Dan Osborn to take seats they otherwise couldn’t.
About Our Guest
Michelle Cottle writes about national politics for New York Times Opinion and is a host of the Times podcast The Opinions. She has covered Washington since the Clinton administration, with earlier stops at The New Republic, the Washington Monthly, Newsweek and The Daily Beast, National Journal, and The Atlantic. A Chattanooga native, she holds a BA in English from Vanderbilt.
Links and Resources
Michelle Cottle at New York Times Opinion: nytimes.com/by/michelle-cottle
The Opinions podcast: www.nytimes.com/column/the-opinions
Connect with us
Substack: coreysnathan.substack.com
YouTube: youtube.com/@politicsandreligion
Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, X, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn: @coreysnathan
Partners
Proud to be part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts examining what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.
More conversation, less accusation. Now go talk some politics and religion with gentleness and respect.
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