Times reader Arif Merali wrote to say that slate.com’s Political Gabfest is “a witty, yet detailed and insightful look at the Washington political week. There is great chemistry between the guests and it never takes itself too seriously.” Anything political that doesn’t take itself seriously seemed like my cup of meat, and so...
Well, two things straight off the bat. One, anything political that advertises itself as “a gabfest” is maybe being a bit too loose for its own good, especially when at least one of the people on it talks like a duck. On the other hand, it was being presented by a man named David Plotz, so there could be wacky times ahead.
What was surprising was how easily all three commentators (Plotz, John Dickerson and Emily Bazelon) seemed to deal with: a) the idea that if you don’t have enough money (as Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson don’t) you aren’t going to be President, and b) that the Clintons fight dirty. “The Clintons are toxic,” said Plotz, a self-confessed admirer of the Clinton presidency. “It’s like... if you’re not with me, you’re against me,” Bazelon said. “I may have garbled that.” Er, no, you just summed it up – boringly, but accurately. Pity you were straining for something more profound. “It’s not gutter politics, it’s politics,” said Plotz, either revealingly or tautologically.
It was obvious that everyone was treading water before the Big One – next week’s Super Tuesday; Super Duper Tuesday; Giga Tuesday; Tsunami Tuesday, or Tuesday of Destiny (select hyperbole according to taste), which was why the most revealing segment of the podcast was Bazelon’s analysis of the Gaza wall contretemps between the Egyptians and the Palestinians. In 30 seconds she put every party in its right shellhole. Impressive.
What you can be assured of is that once the results of Super/Duper/Giga Tuesday are in, slate.com will try to be there firstest with the mostest. It updates its podcast menu on the turn, with the result that an analysis of Obama’s victory last weekend was available just as quickly as a real newspaper had it.
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Away from politics (please) there was also a fascinating analysis of what chemicals might have been inside Heath Ledger when he died. It was called “Did Heath Ledger Dream Before he Died?” and it considered just that. It was there at the time of writing. I hope it’s still there now. If you have a podcast you want me to hear, e-mail chris. campling@thetimes.co.uk