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Reasonably Optimistic — News
Reasonably Optimistic

Enough with the doom and gloom — we’re ready to talk about how America can thrive. Hosted by Washington Post Opinion columnist Megan McArdle, “Reasonably Optimistic” is your weekly conversation about how America can get unstuck and build a better future. Stop feeding your rage and start embracing our possibilities. Episodes drop Wednesdays.

Copyright: © The Washington Post

Latest Episodes:

Introducing, "The Sports Moment" Jul 26, 2024

Show notes

Ava Wallace, sports reporter at The Washington Post, is in France to report on the Summer Games — and eat a lot of croissants. Join her through the entire run of the games, for several episodes a week as she captures the highs, the lows and the Paris of it all, along with other Post colleagues.

Follow The Sports Moment podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or YouTube.

Sign up for The Sports Moment: Olympics Edition newsletter here.

Can Kamala Harris win? Jul 23, 2024

Show notes

After all the hand-wringing over the last month, it took only about 24 hours for Democrats to fall in line behind Vice President Harris as their new nominee. Even so, some worry she’s not the strongest candidate that could have been put forward. Our columnists discuss whether she can win, who might join her as a running mate and what it means for her chances to be a woman of color on the top of the ticket in 2024.

Read more from Post Opinions:

“The five groups of Democrats that ended Biden’s candidacy”

“Today's Democrats love unity and hate arguing. Here's why.”

“Democrats should not fear running two women”

“What Harris needs to do, now, to win”

Republicans are euphoric. Can it last? Jul 16, 2024

Show notes

After a truly wild few weeks in politics, our columnists huddle up at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. They discuss the mood on the ground in the aftermath of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, how the unity message seems to be fraying and what recent events mean for the presidential campaign – and the country – going forward. Plus, humorist Alexandra Petri serves up an imagined J.D. Vance infomercial using his own words about Trump.

Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Democrats feel doomed. What’s the least risky move? Jul 09, 2024

Show notes

With falling poll numbers and President Biden's public appearances doing little to reassure voters he’s still got what it takes to win, Democrats are faced with a difficult decision about how to proceed. Biden has dug in, pledging to the public that he isn’t going anywhere. Charles Lane, Karen Tumulty and Perry Bacon Jr. talk through whether Biden can salvage his campaign, how possible it really is to change course now and who else could step up.

Read more from our columnists:

“Kamala Harris walks into the storm — and keeps her footing”

“What if Biden steps aside from the Democratic nomination?”

“If not Biden, who? Five columnists weigh in.”

America, we love you. But it’s hard. Jul 03, 2024

Show notes

It’s the week of the Fourth of July and the word patriotism is as divisive as the rest of American politics. Theodore Johnson, Karen Attiah and Jason Rezaian discuss the good and the bad about the United States, and how to reconcile its shortcomings while pushing for a better future.

Read more from some of our columnists —

Ted Johnson: “American democracy is fine. It's the republic that's in trouble.”

“Buck up, America. Help is on the way.”

Karen Attiah: “How to reckon with the cult of the gun”

Biden finally overshadowed Trump, in all the wrong ways Jun 28, 2024

Show notes

President Biden’s debate performance has Democrats in a panic and Donald Trump supporters gleeful. Columnists Karen Tumulty, Dana Milbank and Jim Geraghty process how things feel the morning after, whether the president should step aside and how the truth was the night’s biggest loser.

Read more from our columnists about the debate:

Karen Tumulty: “The Great Democratic Freakout is upon us”

Dana Milbank: “If America is failing, that debate showed why”

Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Is the smartphone panic dumb? Jun 26, 2024

Show notes

Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy recommended putting a warning on social media for minors last week, while governors from coast to coast have pushed for restrictions on teen phone use. But how worried should we really be, and what is there to do about it? Post columnists Amanda Ripley, Molly Roberts and Theodore Johnson talk through the dumbphone trend, how explicit lyric warnings on CDs backfired and what actually worked in the campaigns to stop kids from smoking.

Listen to Murthy talking to our colleagues on the daily news podcast, Post Reports, about why he sees social media as such a threat to young people.

"How bullying shaped the surgeon general's fight against social media"

Read more from the Washington Post:

“Surgeon general calls for social media warning labels”

“What research actually says about social media and kids’ health”

“Opinion | Why a warning label for social media is so crucial”

Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Movie theaters are dying. Do you care? Jun 19, 2024

Show notes

It’s been a rough few years for movie theaters, and the dismal start to the summer blockbuster season hasn’t helped. If people go to theaters less often, will that change the type of movies that are made? Is the future of moviegoing a boutique, high-end experience? Matt Belloni, host of “The Town,”joins The Post’s Alyssa Rosenberg and Chris Suellentrop to talk about what’s going on with the movies and what, if anything, will get people out of their living rooms and into theaters.

Read more from Belloni here and subscribe to his “What I’m Hearing”newsletter. Or you can find his podcast about the entertainment business,“The Town”wherever you listen.

Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Why can't Americans agree on immigration? Jun 12, 2024

Show notes

A quarter of Americans, most of them Republicans, say immigration is the most pressing issue facing the country. Post columnists Karen Tumulty, León Krauze and Jim Geraghty discuss why this issue is top of mind for so many people, how politics continues to thwart policy and whether Americans still see our country as a cultural melting pot.

Read more from the columnists.

Karen Tumulty: “The U.S. is failing millions of undocumented essential workers”

León Krauze: “Baltimore Francis Scott Key Bridge fall spotlights immigrant workers”

Jim Geraghty: “Why America Needs a Secure Border | National Review”

And here’s more information on the topics discussed in the show:

“Immigration Named Top U.S. Problem for Third Straight Month”

“The Economic Impacts of Removing Unauthorized Immigrant Workers”

“Fueled by unprecedented border crossings, a record 3 million cases clog US immigration courts”

Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

So you married a Supreme Court justice Jun 05, 2024

Show notes

The Alitos are the latest couple to face the question: When you are married to someone in public life — a Supreme Court justice, a member of Congress, a Post Opinions columnist — what compromises do you need to make? Should you be held to the same ethical standards as your spouse? Charles Lane, Ruth Marcus and James Hohmann discuss the politics of marriage, whether the Supreme Court is more partisan now than in the past and why they don’t think Justice Alito needs to recuse himself in the Jan. 6 case.

Read more from the Washington Post:

“The strange case of Alito v. Alito”

“Sam Alito's flag flew upside down. Are his ethics?”

“Read Justice Alito’s letter denying requests to recuse from Jan. 6 cases”

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