Matter of Opinion

This week the hosts discuss what was obscured by the civility of the V.P. debate, and consider what JD Vance and Tim Walz really offer their running mates and their parties’ futures. Plus, Michelle won’t be washing away her stresses any time soon. (A full transcript of this episode will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.) Recommended in this episode: ‘There’s a Trap Here’: Four Columnists Brace for the Vance-Walz DebateThoughts about the show? Email us at matterofopinion@nytimes.com or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440. Soon, you’ll need a subscription to maintain access to this show's back catalog, and the back catalogs of other New York Times podcasts, on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Don’t miss out on exploring all of our shows, featuring everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts.

This week we're taking a break from the election and turn our attention to the allegations against Sean Combs: Where has #MeToo succeeded or fallen short? And what happens when the lines blur between rumor mill and conspiracy theory? The Opinion columnist Tressie McMillan Cottom and the Opinion writer Jessica Grose join the conversation. Plus, Jessica has a recommendation for Plath-heads. (A full transcript of this episode will be available on the Times website.) Recommended in this episode: With Love, Sean CombsSean Combs and the Limits of the ‘Family Man’ DefenseEntitled | How Male Privilege Hurts Women#MeToo Comes for the ArchbishopWhy We Can’t Quit Brad PittRed CometThoughts about the show? Email us at matterofopinion@nytimes.com or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

Donald Trump and JD Vance have sparked panic over immigration in Springfield, Ohio. This week, the hosts talk about why our country’s immigration debate is now focused on a distraction instead of the core of the issue. Plus, Ross is hot and cold about a particular pet obsession. (A full transcript of this episode will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.) Recommended in this episode: Trump Has Crossed a Truly Unacceptable LineWhat JD Vance BelievesHow the Trump Campaign Ran With Rumors About Pet-Eating Migrants — After Being Told They Weren’t TrueThe Real ‘Border Czar’ Defends the Biden-Harris RecordGo WestMelting Pot or Civil War? A Son of Immigrants Makes the Case Against Open BordersChimp CrazyThoughts about the show? Email us at matterofopinion@nytimes.com or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

Kamala Harris may have won the debate by baiting Donald Trump. But is it enough to sway undecided voters? This week on “Matter of Opinion,” the Opinion columnist Jamelle Bouie joins our hosts to talk about how each campaign should reconsider its nominee’s visibility in the next seven weeks to win the White House. Plus, Michelle wants to be seen less. (A full transcript of this audio essay will be available within 24 hours of publication in the audio player above.) Thoughts about the show? Email us at matterofopinion@nytimes.com or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

Opinion columnist David French is voting for Kamala Harris to save conservatism. Ross is… skeptical. On this very special episode, the two Christian conservatives debate how to chart the right’s course out of Trumpism and to the future. (A full transcript of this episode will be available on the Times website.) Recommended in this episode: To Save Conservatism From Itself, I Am Voting for HarrisThis Is Probably Not the Deal the Pro-Life Movement Bargained for With TrumpThoughts about the show? Email us at matterofopinion@nytimes.com or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

While we take a quick summer break, we wanted to recommend a new show: “The Opinions.” Four times a week, in ten minutes or less, you’ll hear one of our columnists — Matter of Opinion hosts included — walk you through their take on an issue or idea you might not have considered. It’s like the Opinion pages come to life. In this episode, our very own Carlos shares what he learned reading Kamala Harris’s two memoirs. He reflects on how her criminal justice message has changed over time, and considers what that may reveal about her candidacy. Listen and subscribe to "The Opinions" on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Thoughts about Matter of Opinion? Email us at matterofopinion@nytimes.com or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

The hosts react to Kamala Harris’s convention speech in this special late-night edition of “Matter of Opinion”. Lydia, Ross and Carlos unpack how Harris had a “deft threading of a number of tricky needles” as she accepted her party’s nomination, and look at what the entire week revealed about the Democratic Party. (A full transcript of this episode will be available on the Times website.) Thoughts about the show? Email us at matterofopinion@nytimes.com or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

If you believe JD Vance, the American family is in crisis. But are attacks on “childless cat ladies” and pitches for enfranchising kids actual policy platforms or merely culture war cudgels? This week on “Matter of Opinion,” Jessica Grose joins Michelle, Ross and Carlos to debate the weird ways gender and family are showing up in the election and share their own roads to parenthood. Plus, Jessica suggests a deep dive into a culture of “tin pot dictators wearing LoveShackFancy.” (A full transcript of this episode will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.) Recommended in this episode: Red Families vs. Blue Families: Legal Polarization and the Creation of the CultureThe Two-Parent Privilege: How Americans Stopped Getting Married and Started Falling BehindThe Party of Julia“Welcome to Bama ConfidentialThoughts about the show? Email us at matterofopinion@nytimes.com or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

This week on the show, Michelle Goldberg joins Michelle and Ross to debate the gambles or gains Kamala Harris has made by picking Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota as her running mate. They also discuss the ways the Trump-Vance ticket could recalibrate to regain their lead. Plus, Goldberg is sunny on a new show you probably haven’t heard of. (A full transcript of this episode will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.) Recommended in this episode: Don’t Listen to the Right. The Kamalanomenon Is Real.Kamala Needs a DEI Pick (Straight White Dude)SunnyThoughts about the show? Email us at matterofopinion@nytimes.com or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

The 2024 presidential race is officially in its identity politics stage. From “White Dudes for Harris,” to “D.E.I. candidate” accusations, the hosts debate how race and racism are being deployed in the second week of the Harris v. Trump election. (A full transcript of this episode will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.) Mentioned in this episode: The Olympic Flame Isn’t a Flame at AllThoughts about the show? Email us at matterofopinion@nytimes.com or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

Vice President Kamala Harris has gone from being one of President Biden’s many problems to the hope of the Democratic Party. This week Ross, Lydia and Carlos dissect the seismic campaign vibe shift in both parties. Plus, Ross criticizes another self-indulgent addition to the modern era’s Western canon. (A full transcript of this episode will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.) Mentioned in this episode: Is It a Mistake for Democrats to Go All In on Harris? Four Columnists on the Party’s Moves.Harris’s Michigan event on abortionHarris’s first presidential rally in Milwaukee speechThoughts about the show? Email us at matterofopinion@nytimes.com or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

The former president was expected to offer “unity” in his convention acceptance speech. But, after a wild week, the speech revealed the same old Donald Trump. In this episode, the hosts debate: Is Trump a “man of destiny”? (A full transcript of this episode will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.) Recommended in this episode: Donald Trump, Man of DestinyThoughts about the show? Email us at matterofopinion@nytimes.com or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

“The dam is breaking!” Have the Democrats reached their “break glass in case of emergency” moment? This week, Michelle, Ross and Lydia dig into the Democratic Party fissures, consider what could happen if President Biden refuses to bow out, and debate just how much this moment mirrors the Republican scramble against Trump in 2016. (A full transcript of this episode will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.) Mentioned in this episode: George Clooney: I Love Joe Biden. But We Need a New NomineeThe Case for Joe BidenEzra Klein: A Path to DefeatThoughts about the show? Email us at matterofopinion@nytimes.com or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

Matter of Opinion is off this week, but the news hasn’t stopped. So this week we’re bringing you something from columnists across New York Times Opinion. With President Biden’s candidacy in question, we asked them: Who would you like to see as the Democratic nominee? These are their answers. (A full transcript of this episode will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.) If your opinion has changed on President Biden since the debate, we want to hear from you, too. What do you hope to see happen before the Democratic convention? Leave us a voice mail at 212-556-7440 or email us at matterofopinion@nytimes.com This audio essay was originally made for the NYT Audio App, free for Times subscribers in the Apple App Store.

Ezra Klein joins Ross and Michelle to dissect the first presidential debate of 2024: “At some point Democrats have to decide if they want to try to win this election, or it is simply too uncomfortable for them to do anything but be on this train as it derails.” (A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.) Thoughts about the show? Email us at matterofopinion@nytimes.com or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

We’re getting ready for this week’s presidential debate. In the meantime, we wanted to share an audio essay from Michelle Cottle on a make-or-break vote for the MAGA warrior Lauren Boebert. The controversial lawmaker is facing a primary in Colorado that will determine her political future. Michelle visited a biker bar in Douglas County, Colo., to understand the ways Boebert is tweaking her image in a new district in hopes of winning over more traditional conservatives. Can she do it without losing hard-core Trump fans? This audio essay was originally made for the NYT Audio app, free for Times subscribers in the Apple App Store.

Populism, offered as a solution to economic and cultural woes, has gained ground in Europe following a slew of recent elections. Across the pond, the Ohio senator and potential Trump running mate J.D. Vance is championing an American version of populist politics that is also gaining traction. On this week’s episode, the hosts discuss Vance’s embrace of the ideology and consider why many voters find it so appealing. Plus, Ross shares a literary deep cut that not even Carlos has heard of. (A full transcript of this episode will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.) Recommended in this episode: What J.D. Vance BelievesWhat Will Become of American Civilization?Thoughts about the show? Email us at matterofopinion@nytimes.com or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

Amid politically charged flag flying, secret recordings, and eyebrow-raising financial disclosures, there’s something fishy about the behavior of the nation’s top judges. Are they ruining faith in the Supreme Court? Or is that the partisan reaction to the decisions coming from on high? Michelle, Carlos and Lydia are joined by the Times editorial board member Jesse Wegman to discuss just how low the bar has gotten for the justices, and what could be done to restore America’s faith in the court. Plus, Michelle weighs in on the beef of the summer. (A full transcript of this episode will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.) Recommended in this episode: Not Like UsEmail us at matterofopinion@nytimes.com or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

Former President Donald J. Trump’s appearance at a U.F.C. match this week seems to be part of a larger strategy to attract men — especially young men — to his cause. But what can President Biden do to change the narrative that “the left doesn’t like men”? This week, Michelle Cottle and Carlos Lozada are joined by their (male) Opinion colleagues Jamelle Bouie and David French to debate why men are becoming more conservative and whether Trump’s masculine appeal is about policy or his “manliness.” (A full transcript of this episode will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.) Audience of One: Trump, Television and the Fracturing of AmericaAmerican SniperMay 2024 Times/Siena pollThoughts about the show? Email us at matterofopinion@nytimes.com or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

In a special intercontinental episode, Lydia Polgreen reports from South Africa as the country challenges Israel for its attack on Rafah in southern Gaza. The post-apartheid nation has emerged as a critical leader and a moral voice in some (but not all) superpower struggles. Yet back at home, South Africa’s 30 years of multiracial democracy is undergoing major political upheaval. What does the nation’s recent election offer young nations hoping for postcolonialist democracy? Lydia opens her reporter’s notebook and explores these questions with the South African journalist William Shoki and her editor, Max Strasser. A full transcript of this episode will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website Mentioned in this episode: Many voters are hooked on their abusive rulersSouth African election turns populist as parties play anti-foreigner cardNeither Settler Nor NativeThoughts about the show? Email us at matterofopinion@nytimes.com or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440