Podcast di Robin Johnson

Republican candidate for Illinois Governor, State Sen. Darren Bailey discusses his reasons for running, crime, schools, jobs, taxes and much more.Di Robin Johnson

Scott Kennedy with the center for Strategic and International Studies discusses their recent report, Estimating Chinese Industrial Policy Spending in Comparative Perspective, important research into how China’s targeted investments in its economy far exceed other countries, the consequences, and what the US can do in response.…

Erin Murphy, Des Moines bureau chief for The Gazette, looks at the Mike Franken big win for the Democratic nomination to face Chuck Grassley, GOP primary battles with incumbents toppled, turnout and the impact of Iowa’s new election law, the forecast for November’s election and whether the Iowa caucuses will hang on for another presidential cycle.…

Much is known about Robert Kennedy’s life prior to his brother’s assassination and the 1968 presidential campaign but less on the important period in between. On this weekend commemorating RFK’s death, John Bohrer, author of The Revolution of Robert Kennedy: From Power to Protest After JFK, talks about how RFK emerged from his brother’s shadow, won…

Glenn Hurst, a Democratic candidate for the US Senate in Iowa, talks about why he’s running, economic issues, health care, climate, the partisan divide, globalization and much more.Di Robin Johnson

In part two of my interview with Ray Long, he continues the discussion of his book, The House That Madigan Built: The Record Run of Illinois’ Velvet Hammer, including the former Speaker’s political skills, ideology (or lack of one), lessons for today’s Democrats, and his legacy to the state.Di Robin Johnson

In the first of a two-part interview, Ray Long, veteran political reporter for the Chicago Tribune and author of The House That Madigan Built: The Record Run of Illinois’ Velvet Hammer, discusses some highlights form his book, including Madigan’s rise to power, when ‘time stood still’ on the House floor, ‘Operation Cobra,’ and the ComEd scandal.…

Michael Stewart Foley, author of Citizen Cash, The Political Life and Times of Johnny Cash, reveals the answer along with Johnny Cash’s continuing relevance as an American cultural icon. He talks about his book, the issues that concerned Cash, his political beliefs, and much more.Di Robin Johnson

Businessman Gary Rabine talks about his reasons for running, views on taxes, the economy, budget, schools, crime, and which other Governors across the country he would use for guidance.Di Robin Johnson

Wells King, research director at American Compass, discusses two recent articles he authored on the bipartisan mishandling of globalization and the decline of NASCAR. There are parallels between them and King talks about the need for a fresh perspective on both.Di Robin Johnson

Matt Rosenberg, author of What’s Next Chicago?: Notes of a Pissed-off Native Son, talks abut his book, his return to Chicago, what he sees as failed progressive governance in neighborhoods, crime, schools and corruption, and what should be done about it.Di Robin Johnson

Michael Franken, Democratic candidate for the US Senate in Iowa, talks about the reasons for his candidacy, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, US-China relations, globalization, inflation, Build Back Better, and how to overcome our partisan divide.Di Robin Johnson

Rep. Ro Khanna, (D-CA) talks about his book, Dignity in a Digital Age: Making Tech Work for All of Us, bridging the geographical and urban-rural divides, a 21st Century Jobs Agenda, ‘Democratic Capitalism,’ increasing manufacturing, and much more.Di Robin Johnson

Illinois Republican gubernatorial candidate Jesse Sullivan talks about what he’ll do about corruption in Illinois, the economy, taxes, crime, population loss, and agriculture.Di Robin Johnson

Dwight Chapin talks about his new book The President’s Man, The Memoirs of Nixon’s Trusted Aide, including Nixon’s trips to China and the Soviet Union, his domestic accomplishments, a military spying ring in the White House, Vietnam and anti-war protests, and Watergate. Chapin has an interesting story to tell about Watergate based on new informatio…

Paul Schimpf, Republican candidate for Governor in Illinois, discusses his proposed Parents Bill of Rights, the state’s fiscal and economic conditions, the crime reform bill, political reform and much more.

Titus Bond, President of Remington Research Group, a Republican polling firm, talks about the political climate heading into the 2022 midterms, lessons learned from the VA Gov race where he helped the winner Glenn Youngkin, the impacts of Trump and Ukraine on the elections, and some interesting thoughts on the changing nature of political campaigns…

David Paul Kuhn, author of Hardhat Riot: Nixon, New York City, and the Dawn of the White Working-Class Revolution, talks about his book that centers on a riot in May 1970 in downtown NYC pitting college students against construction workers. Kuhn discusses the continuing legacy of the riot including the move of the working class towards Republicans…

John Miller, co-director of Moundsville, discusses his film about a small town in West Virginia, the town’s familiar story of factory closures and economic decline but also stories of renewal that provide hope for smaller towns throughout the Heartland.Di Robin Johnson

Chris Leonard talks about his new book, The Lord’s of Easy Money: How the Federal Reserve Broke the American Economy, how the Fed contributed to worsening income inequality, incentivized excessive risk taking, created asset bubbles and overstepped its original mission. An excellent account of an opaque institution at the heart of our economic lives…

Michael Sandel, professor of Philosophy at Harvard University, discusses his book The Tyranny of Merit, rethinking success and failure in the age of globalization, credentialism as “the last acceptable prejudice,” the dignity of work, and the enormous divide between those with college degrees and those without. He also takes aim at common political…

Angus Deaton, co-author of Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism and 2015 Nobel Prize winner, discusses his book, updates deaths of despair during the pandemic, weaknesses in our health care system, Democrats’ struggles with working class voters and much more.Di Robin Johnson

Washington Post Chief Correspondent Dan Balz discusses major governmental and political issues including US democracy, the filibuster, Roe V Wade, election reform, the economy, the 2022 elections and much more.Di Robin Johnson

Frank Luntz, who pioneered opinion research techniques and messaging, talks about the state of our politics and takes aim at both parties for the partisan divide and failure to reach out, even talk, to the other side.Di Robin Johnson

Kris Maher, author of Desperate: An Epic Battle for Clean Water and Justice in Appalachia and a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, talks about the complexities, personalities and mixed outcome of a classic battle between small communities and a coal company. He discusses the area’s history, including the Hatfields and McCoys and Matewan Massacre…

Author Reg Ankrom discusses the first two books of his three-part biography of Stephen Douglas. He talks about the major influences that shaped him, his diverse governmental career prior to running for Congress, his ability to produce compromise, views on slavery and the controversial issue of whether he owned slaves.…

Veteran political writer James Lynch from the Cedar Rapids Gazette looks back at the top five issues from 2021 and looks ahead to major stories likely to emerge in 2022.Di Robin Johnson

Veteran journalist and reporter Scott Reeder takes a look back at the top political stories from the current year and looks ahead to what will we’ll be talking about politically in the new year.Di Robin Johnson

Author Sam Quinones discusses his latest book, The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth, and how seeds of hope are sprouting up across the land through innovative programs that are repairing people and communities. The key is reconnecting people at the local level and moving away from isolation.…

Josh Kraushaar, national political columnist for the National Journal, talks about the election results from earlier this month and looks ahead to the 2022 midterms. He’ll discuss what made newly elected VA Governor Glenn Youngkin a ‘political unicorn,’ Democratic messaging struggles, the internal challenges facing both parties, analysis on trends …

Veteran Democratic consultant Hal Malchow, who did pioneering work on data analytics and micro targeting, suggests a different way for Democrats to reach out to voters and offers his take on the 2021 elections.Di Robin Johnson

Farah Stockman, editorial board member of the New York Times and Pulitzer Prize winner, talks about her new book American Made: What Happens to People When Work Disappears. She follows the lives of three people from the Heartland who are thrown out of work after a factory shuts down to go overseas. But her personal journey described in the book is …

Evan Osnos, staff writer for the New Yorker, talks about his new book, Wildland: The Making of America’s Fury, that captures his thoughts on America after a decade living overseas. It bookends two key dates, September 11 and January 6, to explore the roots of our current political tensions through the stories of individuals in three places he lived…

Elaine Godfrey, a Burlington-area native and staff writer for the Atlantic, talks about her recent article on the decline of the Burlington Hawk Eye and it’s meaning for the community and how it furthers the nationalization of politics.Di Robin Johnson

Adam Tooze, author and professor at Columbia University, talks about his recent book, Shutdown: How Covid Shook the World’s Economy, including lessons learned, supply chain disruptions, the role of China, inequality, health care, the partisan divide in the US and much more.Di Robin Johnson

State Rep. Ryan Spain (R-Peoria), head of the state Republican campaign committee, talks about Madigan. Trump, redistricting, the crime bill, the state budget and much more.Di Robin Johnson

Illinois State Treasurer Mike Frerichs talks about his college and retirement savings plans, programs to help the disabled and farmers, the status of the American Dream and his advocacy for downstate and rural Democrats.

Author Scott Eyman’s book is a tonic in these days of politics dividing the nation on almost every topic. He takes us to a time when two Hollywood stars maintained their long-term friendship in spite of differences that came between them including actions of their children during the Vietnam War. A very useful lesson for our times.…

The former reporter and NBC News anchor shares a very personal battle with cancer based on his book A Lucky Life Interrupted. Brokaw also talks about his Midwestern upbringing and how it shaped his life and career.Di Robin Johnson

Marc C. Johnson discusses his new book, Tuesday Night Massacre on how four US Senate elections in 1980 laid the groundwork for the ‘radicalization of the Republican Party. One of these races occurred in Iowa when Chuck Grassley defeated incumbent John Culver after a dry run for new conservative methods defeated incumbent Dick Clark two years earlie…

Bruce Springsteen’s life, music and impact on America was celebrated in a book called Long Walk Home that was published to celebrate his 70th birthday. Jefferson Cowie discusses his essay on ‘The Boss,’ Springsteen’s impact on today’s polarized society, his take on American identity and much more.Di Robin Johnson

Jimmy Hoffa’s disappearance ranks right up there with the JFK assassination on unsolved mysteries and conspiracy theories. Jack Goldsmith, stepson of Hoffa’s right hand man, Chuckie O’Brien, talks about his book that debunks many myths, including Martin Scorcese’s The Irishman, and offers his take on what really happened.…

Craig Whitlock, investigative reporter for the Washington Post, discusses his new book, Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War, which is based on thousands of interviews and direct source materials from those involved at the top levels of our government and military and those at the ground level. Whitlock discusses mission creep, nation bu…

On the 60th anniversary of that fateful day, Lawrence Lehmer talks about his book that chronicles the grueling nature of the bus rides on two-lane roads in the dead of winter, Iowa’s major role in the tour, and decisions that led to the crash that took the lives of Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens, and Holly’s impact on American music…

Dale Maharidge talks about his book, Bringing Mulligan Home, and his mission to locate the remains of his dad’s friend that takes him to Okinawa and on a very personal journey familiar to those of us with relatives who served in combat.Di Robin Johnson

Bill C. Malone, author of Country Music USA and advisor to Ken Burns’ PBS documentary on country music, provides the answer and talks about the appeal of country music, its roots, impact on our culture and more.

Bill Medley, half of the famous Righteous Brothers, shares how his music spanned five decades in popularity, its impact on American society and other stories from his autobiography, The Time of My Life.Di Robin Johnson

Bob Mann, author of Backrooms and Bayous: My Life in Louisiana Politics, takes you inside the halls of power in Washington and Louisiana, through his career transitions in journalism, politics and academics, experiences with legendary Louisiana political figures, and provides important advice for young people entering politics including the ability…

Sam Quinones, author of Dreamland, the best account of the opioid epidemic, talks about his book and the perfect storm that led to this scourge that became a leading issue in the 2016 presidential campaign.Di Robin Johnson

I was fortunate enough to land JD Vance as a guest just before his popularity skyrocketed and led to a movie by Ron Howard and his current candidacy for the US Senate in Ohio. He discusses his book and applies a more even-handed approach to the politics of the white, working class based on his early, hardscrabble life in Appalachian Ohio and Kentuc…