Who Wants a Third Party, Anyway?

Political Gabfest

Slate Podcasts

Politics, Government, News

4.5 • 8.3K Ratings

🗓️ 10 July 2025

⏱️ 71 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This week, David Plotz and guest hosts Mike Pesca and Susan Glasser discuss what to make of Elon Musk’s quixotic attempt to start a third political party in America, how Trump’s conflation of national interest with self-interest creates an incoherent foreign policy, and the tedious but impactful “summer rerun season” of Trump’s tariff folly. Here are this week’s chatters: Mike: ABC7 New York: Traffic deaths across NYC at record low so far this year as City sees historic drop; Tomoki Chein for The San Francisco Standard: Policing has little effect on SF traffic deaths, decades of data show; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: NHTSA Announces Traffic Fatalities Decreased in the First Quarter of 2025. Susan: Meg Anderson for NPR: Murders are down nationwide. Researchers point to a key reason David: Kyla Scanlon on Substack: Kyla’s Newsletter; Clan of the Cave Bear (1980) by Jean M. Auel; Leah Dearborn for LitReactor: What Is ‘The Clan of the Cave Bear,’ and Should You Read It? Listener chatter from Alan Spatrick in Newton, Massachusetts: Podcast by Andrew Hickey: A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, David and guest hosts Mike Pesca and Susan Glasser discuss whether ICE agents should be allowed to do their jobs in masks. In the latest Gabfest Reads, David talks with author Alison Bechdel about her new book, Spent. Email your chatters, questions, and comments to [email protected]. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Kevin Bendis Research by Emily Ditto Want more Political Gabfest? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Political Gabfest show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or visit slate.com/gabfestplus to get access wherever you listen. HostsDavid Plotz, Mike Pesca, and Susan Glasser Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello and welcome to the Slate Political Gab Fest.
0:06.6	July 10th, 2025, the Who Wants a Third Party Anyway edition?
0:21.9	I'm David Plotz of Citycast in Washington, D.C.
0:24.1	Also in Washington, D.C., I think, or possibly, because she lives down the block for me.
0:31.2	Susan Glasser, staff writer at The New Yorker, making her GabFest debut, I believe.
0:36.1	Hello, Susan.
0:37.3	Hey, I'm so happy to be with you and indeed
0:40.3	down the block from you here in Swamp Lake, Washington, D.C. Yes. And in swampy New York City,
0:48.2	unless he is traveling, the beloved former colleague Mike Peska, host of the Daily News podcast,
0:54.1	The GIST, Hello, Mike.
0:55.5	Hello. What an institution is the Gap Fest? You can't even keep track if people have been on before.
1:00.5	Steem New Yorker writers, maybe, who knows? I feel like maybe Susan was a guest before, but I don't...
1:06.7	She's certainly informing it, if not, explicitly. I feel like I've been in the Slate family of podcasts many times, but I feel like this invitation has eluded me up until now, David.
1:18.8	So I'm honored to have finally made the cut.
1:21.3	I know she wasn't ever on Hang Up and Listen.
1:23.3	That I could tell you.
1:24.4	She's not, I don't think Susan's like the sports center.
1:27.1	No, you are.
1:27.8	You don't you like tennis or something?
1:29.5	I do.
1:30.3	I do, but please don't quiz me.
1:32.7	Anyway, John and Emily are both continuing to enjoy their well-deserved vacations.
	...

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