Matter of Opinion

We’re taking a break to enjoy the Memorial Day weekend and will be back next week. Until then, enjoy an audio essay from NYT Opinion’s other Michelle — Michelle Goldberg — on what Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign could mean for President Biden and Donald Trump.

Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voice mail at (212) 556-7440.

This week, the hosts debate what the latest Times/Siena poll reveals about Joe Biden’s weaknesses and mull over the question of whether Vice President Kamala Harris is one of them. Plus, Carlos on some advice that’s gold, Jerry, gold.

(A full transcript of this audio essay will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.)

Mentioned in this episode:

• “Biden’s Polling Denial: Why He Doesn’t Believe He’s Behind” by Hans Nichols and Alex Thompson in Axios
• “An Interview With Kamala Harris on What’s at Stake in 2024” from “The Run-Up”
• “Kamala Harris Should Try to Be Really Popular” by Matthew Yglesias on his blog, Slow Boring
• “What Happened” by Hillary Rodham Clinton
• “Did the President Call?” mash-up from HBO’s television series “Veep”
• “The Last Politician: Inside Joe Biden’s White House and the Struggle for America’s Future” by Franklin Foer
• “Democrats Have a Better Option Than Biden” from “The Ezra Klein Show”
• “This New Book About ‘Seinfeld’ Is Worth Double-Dipping” by Carlos Lozada in The Washington Post
• Jerry Seinfeld’s 2024 Commencement Address at Duke University
• “Why Conservatives Give Better Commencement Speeches Than Liberals” by Carlos Lozada in The Washington Post

Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

Donald Trump is searching for a running mate, and his list of potential candidates is getting smaller and smaller. This week, the hosts discuss whether Trump is considering other qualities beyond loyalty, and they debate what his eventual choice could mean for the future of Trumpism in the Republican Party.

Plus, Michelle wants to worm her way into candidate medical records.

(A full transcript of this audio essay will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.)

Recommended in this episode:

• “How Trump Plans to Wield Power in 2025: What We Know” by Jonathan Swan, Maggie Haberman and Charlie Savage in The Times

Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

On this episode, the hosts get heated about the political divisions and contradictions revealed by the recent campus protests and ask why some in Washington seem so invested in perpetuating the demonstrations.

(A full transcript of this audio essay will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.)

Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

How worried should we really be about the threat of political violence? On this week’s episode of “Matter of Opinion,” columnist Jamelle Bouie joins the hosts to set the record straight on whether we’re actually living through an unusually violent era, and they discuss whether the new movie, “Civil War,” could come true.

Plus, Keanu Reeves in his most beautiful form yet.

(A full transcript of this audio essay will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.)

Recommended in this episode:

• “Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning” by Liz Cheney
• “Johnny Mnemonic: In Black & White,” a 2022 rerelease of Robert Longo’s 1995 film

Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

Will Israel and Iran’s unprecedented attacks escalate into a wider mideast conflict? A “forever war”? This week, columnist Tom Friedman joins the hosts to unpack the latest developments, what it means for Gaza, and the implications for the region writ large.

A full transcript of this audio essay will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.

Mentioned in this episode:

• “How to Be Pro-Palestinian, Pro-Israeli and Pro-Iranian” by Thomas L. Friedman
• “Iran Just Made a Big Mistake. Israel Shouldn’t Follow.” by Thomas L. Friedman
• “A Biden Doctrine for the Middle East Is Forming. And It’s Big.” by Thomas L. Friedman
• “Netanyahu Must Go” by Bret Stephens

Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

This week, the hosts debate how religious voters will react to Donald Trump’s betrayal of anti-abortion positions, the evolution of Christianity as the domain of the right and whether religion is actually as powerful as it seems in modern U.S. politics.

Plus, Ross finds aliens, again.

(A full transcript of this audio essay will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.)

Mentioned in this episode:

• “This Is Probably Not the Deal the Pro-Life Movement Bargained for With Trump” by Ross Douthat
• “Can the Left Be Happy?” by Ross Douthat

Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

It’s not just bad vibes — America’s kids are not OK. As study after study shows worsening youth mental health, a popular theory has emerged: The rise of smartphones and the addictive nature of social media is making young people miserable. But can it really be that simple?

This week, the hosts debate the myriad possible factors contributing to teenagers’ unhappiness, and discuss how parents, schools and the government can protect kids without doing further harm. Plus, a sui generis Lozada family vacation.

(A full transcript of this audio essay will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.)

Recommended in this episode:

• “The Anxious Generation,” by Jonathan Haidt
• “Reclaiming Conversation,” by Sherry Turkle
• “A Canticle for Leibowitz,” by Walter M. Miller Jr.

Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

The sociologist and New York Times columnist Tressie McMillan Cottom joins the hosts this week to discuss the role of celebrity in politics. Could Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, with their tens of millions of fans, sway the presidential election? And beyond brand-name pop stars, what role does celebrity play within the political system?

Plus, Tressie goes a little “Dr. Oz” on us.

(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 [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

It can often feel as if politicians use a lot of words without saying much of anything. So how do journalists and citizens make sense of what’s said (and unsaid) in the many congressional reports, court decisions and campaign memoirs that pour out of Washington?

This week on “Matter of Opinion,” Carlos Lozada makes the case for reading the Capitol, and uses insights from his new book, “The Washington Book,” to help his co-hosts decode everyone from Donald Trump to Mike Pence to Barack Obama.

(A full transcript of this audio essay will be available within 48 hours of publication in the audio player above.)

Recommended in this episode:

• “The Washington Book” by Carlos Lozada
• “What Were We Thinking” by Carlos Lozada
• “The Woman at the Washington Zoo” by Marjorie Williams
• “Postwar” by Tony Judt
• “The Emerging Republican Majority” by Kevin Phillips
• “The Emerging Democratic Majority” by John Judis and Ruy Teixeira
• “Chain Reaction” by Thomas B. Edsall and Mary D. Edsall
• “Dead Right” by David Frum
• “The Grand New Party” by Ross Douthat and Reihan Salam
• “The Speechwriter” by Barton Swaim

Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.