Reasonably Optimistic

Did the debate cause a vibe shift? Columnists Charles Lane, Megan McArdle, Dana Milbank and Jim Geraghty discuss how much voters care about policy, whether Trump made any good points and how his false claims about pet-eating immigrants mask a genuine issue.

And don't forget to check out the first two stories in our series, “Who is Government? Seven writers go in search of the essential public servant.” 

The Canary, by Michael Lewis

The Sentinel, by Casey Cep

Keep an eye on Washington Post Opinions each Tuesday morning to see future installments.

The evidence is in. American men are facing a crisis — in health, in education and in the labor force. But under all of that runs deeper trends — disconnection, loneliness and a lack of role models. Columnists Theodore Johnson and Shadi Hamid talk with Richard Reeves, founder of the American Institute for Boys and Men, about the dueling visions of masculinity on the political stage and a hopeful way forward for the modern man. 

Check out some of the work Richard Reeves mentioned in the show:

“Men are having a health crisis. Why aren’t we paying attention?”

“The State of Working Class Men”

And read more from Washington Post Opinions on this topic:

Theodore Johnson: “I grappled with masculinity. My mother showed me the truth.”

Christine Emba: “ Men are lost. Here’s a map out of the wilderness.”

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As American kids head back to school, columnist Daniel Pink makes the case for paying teachers more money. High-quality teachers, he argues, significantly improve student learning, so shouldn’t they be paid as much as somebody assessing insurance premiums on your car? Plus, humor columnist Alexandra Petri discusses sending her child to school for the first time. 

This essay by Daniel Pink is part of a year-long project with Washington Post Opinions called “Why Not?” Check out some of the other columns in his series:

Why not ban left turns on busy streets?

Why not shake up the Olympics? 

Why not overhaul America’s national holidays?

Why not require a civics test as a rite of passage for all Americans?

Don’t miss any of Daniel Pink’s “Why Not?” columns. You can follow his LinkedIn newsletter here.

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We are in Chicago, where it's Kamala Harris's party now. Columnists Dana Milbank, Jennifer Rubin, Jonathan Capehart and Jim Geraghty discuss why gender isn’t being talked about in this campaign so far, and they do the math on what percentage of the Democrats’ energy is from excitement, relief and just avoiding existential dread.

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Pulitzer Prize winner Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was part of August’s massive prisoner exchange with Russia, sat down to talk with Post Opinions editor David Shipley about his time in jail, the importance of freedom of speech and what the future holds for Putin’s regime.

Today’s show was produced by Charla Freeland. It was edited by Allison Michaels and Damir Marusic and mixed by Emma Munger.

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Tim Walz went from being a little-known Midwestern governor to Democratic vice-presidential candidate in a matter of a few weeks. But in this sprint of a campaign, nothing is moving slowly. Charles Lane, Molly Roberts and Matt Bai talk through whether Walz can keep up the momentum of the Harris campaign, if the “weird” strategy is good or bad, and how much of a unifier Walz will be for the Democratic ticket.

Read more from our columnists about Kamala Harris’s choice of a running mate here:

Karen Tumulty: “Tim Walz made ‘weird’ happen. What he offers the ticket is much more.”

Perry Bacon Jr: “Tim Walz is a bold, smart choice for Harris’s running mate”

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Airline travel is increasingly exasperating. Any blip, whether it’s a weather event or a technical problem, leads to cascading days of delays and cancellations. Why does it all seem so fragile? Charles Lane, Catherine Rampell and Marc Fisher discuss the economics of flying and how customers might be helping drive a race to the bottom. 

Stay until the end to get humor columnist Alexandra Petri's take on flying.

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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.

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”

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.

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