The Greatest Clown Show On Earth: The Republican Presidential Lineup for 2016. Democratic Perspective takes a long, flabbergasted look at the list of seventeen Republican presidential hopefuls for 2016. Should we laugh, cry, or, like Madame Defarge, go quietly back to our knitting? We report, you — or lots of somebodies very like you — decide.

A Credible Alternative to War: Why the Critics Are Wrong About the Nuclear Agreement with Iran. Gary LaMaster and Steve Williamson review the recently announced agreement between Iran and the P5+1, an ad-hoc negotiating group composed of representatives from the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China), with the invited participation of Germany. Gary and Steve discuss the provisions of the agreement and what they mean for Iran, the U.S., and the international community. The benefits of the agreement to all parties are clearly significant, which makes the uncertain prospects for congressional approval in the face of Republican and Democratic hard-line opposition look very much like another potentially tragic failure of American foreign policy.

Frustrated with an Unresponsive Government? How About Running for Office? Democratic Perspective interviews Arizona State Senator Katie Hobbs (Dem., 24th District). What happens when a social worker realizes that the needs of her clients are being ill-served by local and state government policies, and decides to run for office in the state legislature? One woman’s success story, and a classic example of how effective political engagement can contribute to a better future for all of us.

Fault Lines: the Greek Crisis, the European Union, and the U.S.  Mike Cosentino,  Gary LaMaster, and Steve Williamson discuss the Greek crisis, the outcome of the most recent summit of Eurozone leaders, and the economic and political consequences not only for Greece and the European Union, but also for the U.S.

A Session of Surprises at the Supreme Court: Conservatives Lose a Few for a Change.  Steve Williamson returns from his sabbatical, and joins Mike Cosentino and Gary LaMaster in a Democratic Perspective review of the recent Supreme Court decisions on gay marriage, independent redistricting commissions, employees’ right to wear Muslim headgear at work, and a number of other important cases. Do these decisions signal an end to the majority’s romance with right-wing ideology, or were they merely a brief pause in the partisan storm that began with Bush v. Gore?

National Monument Status for the Sedona-Verde Valley Area: Tom O’Halleran on the Need, the Politics, and the Process. Democratic Perspective’s Mike Cosentino talks to Tom O’Halleran, former Arizona State Representative and Senator, and former President of Keep Sedona Beautiful, about the campaign for a Sedona Verde Valley Red Rock National Monument.

Journalist, Writer, Environmentalist: A Man of Many Parts. Democratic Perspective’s Mike Cosentino talks to James Bishop Jr., 25 year Sedona resident and visionary, about his life, his writing, his long association with Sedona, and his hopes for the future.

Not-So-Great Expectations: Arizona Is Now Dead Last in Per-Pupil Education Spending.  Democratic Perspective  talks to Jim Ledbetter, Verde Valley Attorney and Past President of the Mingus Union High School District Governing Board and Ann Shaw, District Director of the New Visions Academy charter schools, about the abysmal level of state support for public education in Arizona, and the demoralizing effect it’s having on those trying to prepare our children for a better future.

Putting the Community Back in Our Community College:  Mike Cosentino and Gary LaMaster welcome Bob Oliphant and Ruth Wicks to bring our audience up-to-date on the latest news from the Verde Valley Community College Citizen Advocates push for home rule — a separate administrative district for the Verde Valley campuses of Yavapai College.

Wines and Winemaking: How To Do The Hard Stuff and Still Have a Good Time. Democratic Perspective talks viticulture (the science of vines) and oenology (the science of wines) with Michael Pierce, Director of Enology at the Southwest Wine Center, Tom Schumacher, President of the Verde Valley Wine Consortium,

and Paula Woolsey, Vice President of the Consortium, co-owner of the wine consulting business Cellar Door Unhinged, and all-around Arizona Wine Cheerleader.

If you’re a consumer who wants to know more about wines and how to choose them; if you’re an amateur winemaker who wants to know how to improve the quality of his vintages; if you’re a commercial producer or someone wants to make a career in wine production or marketing, and need to know more about the real world of climate and soil analysis, capital requirements, infrastructure costs, cash flow, government regulation and return on investment, these are the folks to talk to.