Why can’t your guests answer the question? Why is affordable housing taking so long?

Ezra. In your Ross Douthat episode, Mr Douthat repeats an all too common and incorrect GOP talking point that liberals want unfettered abortion choice through the e tire term of a pregnancy. This is entirely untrue. In fact, Colorado and New York are the most liberal states in terms of limits on unfettered choice to have an abortion, and these limits are 24-26 weeks. There are exceptions in the case of threats to the life of the mother and severe baby deformities, just as there are exceptions for the health of the mother in most right wing circles. Ezra - In the spirit of challenging dogma and propaganda with facts, this is a particularly important point to emphasize. Btw - love your show and Abundance!

This particular conversation between these two friends is simplistic, and at times inane. Among other things, they both inaccurately, inappropriately, and offensively use the word "pagan" as a euphemism for autocratic, dictatorial, and extremely cruel behavior—or, to use a religious term, for evil. I finally stopped listening about halfway through.

Hi Ezra, Your interpretation and clear interviewing talent - speaks to my desire to understand… and learn more. Your take on topics while inspiring really great conversation with your guests is most valuable. Thank you for being sincere, thoughtful, and an encouraging voice. Respectfully, Jennifer anne Borthwick-Leslie

Klein’s interview with Douthat is fascinating in that giving a platform to the incoherent ramblings of a superstitious pseudo-intellectual is an odd choice. I’ve had the misfortune of sitting through Douthat’s inane yammering on other podcasts and he’s always struck me as completely out of place, out of touch, and sadly desperate to prove he has some insight into things he clearly knows nothing about. A toddler bumbling around at an adult birthday party, say. My initial instinct was to skip this one, but after reading reviews I just couldn’t resist, and the payoff was worth it! I don’t understand how Klein was able to keep from cracking up the whole time, and it makes me think he may have had him on for our amusement. Ross swings from lecturing on his understanding of his god’s will and comparing trump to Napoleon, to fairies, demons, ayahuasca, and essentially satanic panic in a matter of minutes. He’s 100% positive that taking mind-altering substances leads to a place of “evil,” having never experienced them himself. Ross, buddy, if anyone needs to drop acid and confront their inner demons, it’s you. It’s always funny to me when superstitious people conflate “morals” with subservience and desperation and insist that talking over people without saying anything of substance is the equivalent of having some sort of intellectual debate. 4 out of 5 stars - pretty darn funny!

Loved the longer form convo with Ross. They obviously had strong disagreements, but it was discussed so thoughtfully and respectfully. I learned a lot about both sides, and truly enjoyed the conversation!

I really like your show. I think our country needs to re-examine executive power. How do you think this could be done?

So Ezra can’t talk about the ways Christians who support Trump abandon the central tenets of their faith because he’s not Christian but Douthat CAN talk about the spiritual dangers of psychedelics even though he’s never done them himself? Not to mention the disconnect Douthat fails to acknowledge between Jesus’ teachings and the Old Testament. Douthat’s just looking for ways to support his authoritarian views and pummels poor Ezra who’s afraid of offending him. Please! Someone offend him!!!

Very disappointed in this conversation although I listed to it all the way through hoping, hoping to see some vestiges of knowledge of the basic readings in the two areas of concern. Ezra doesn’t seem to be cognizant of the basics of his culture, not just the Talmud and its various forms of argumentation but also of the Zohar and more importantly the Sefer Yetzirah. On the other hand Russ seems never to have explored the Christian writings from Augustine to St. Bernard. Disappointed.🦉

I don’t dislike Ross and I’ve listened to him on many a podcast. But I truly find his worldview incoherent. He thinks all western morality comes from only Christianity and for people who are not religious morality no longer has any basis?

An Ezra Klein/Ross Douthat collab? I must be dreaming—two of my favorite journalists.

Keep the good work Ezra. Your insights and conversations are much needed in these times. Your voice is heard across America. Always relevant, curious, intellectual, clear.

Real good analysis and synthesis about today’s America role in the world view. Not only did good job explain well the strength and advances Americas competitors, but not falling into the so called Washington narrative to keep misleading people who clearly have otherwise different opinions and eager to learn more. You provide objective yet respectful insights for people to understand better and will help them to make better decisions. You are the fresh air among the mist we are in now.

I am absolutely loving the new videos. Really serves as a compelling visual to an already impactful show.

I listen to many political podcasts, but Ezra’s take holds the most relevance for me.

I originally enjoyed this when Ezra questioned people and seemed moderate, but lately he has gone off the rails leftist with fearmongering and inviting extremist looneys on his show. Sorry Ezra i have to stop listening.

That this dude who once said conservatives have different brain types that makes them less empathetic is now a face of sanity of the democrats.

What about the military? What role does it play? Pinochet was part of the military.

A superb thinker and analyst, an excellent interviewer, one of the clearest articulators of complex issues and ideas - and with “Abundance”, likely to be one of the most influential voices for a new liberal agenda.

Always worth listening to

Great interview - I learned so much. Thank you

Great to hear the tag team of Larry Summers and Ezra Klein absolutely pwn Sacks and Chamath in their ridiculous defense of DJTariff’s economic policies. If guys as smart as Sacks and Chamath can provide no clear defense of the objectives of Trump’s economic policies I’m not sure anyone can. It’s a losing policy all around and the quicker the right and its pundits come to realize it the better off we’ll all be.

Alongside Yuval, Davis Frum - one of my favorite opinionists

Brilliant discussions with nuanced perspectives. Really appreciate the approach and design to the episodes.

Ezra Klein knows how to listen and what to ask!

Ezra Klein gives really thoughtful and informed perspectives on today’s culture and political climate. I listen to it regularly, and I find that he not only has a way of artfully articulating concepts and ideas that have been rattling around in my own brain, but he does a good job at bringing on a variety of guests who also give me insight into perspectives I am aligned with but also those with countering perspectives. I do find that there are sometimes missed opportunities in covering important subject matters with certain guests, especially things that might be controversial with them. A recent example would be the interview with Jonathan Haidt where his contentious views about trans folk were completely ignored. But overall, this is a very good show that I would recommend to others.

I’ve been listening/reading Ezra show as well as his regular opinion pieces and love them all/mostly. His talent/intellect and probing mind shine through and his research thorough. Thank you so much! Please keep it up.

I like the host, very sympathetic, but he has the most braindead takes sometimes. Why does Ezra keep platforming that terrible queer-phobic Jonathan Haidt? Haidt’s reasoning is backwards from horrible conclusions. Ezra is doing a bad job of convincing people he’s a liberal in terms of policy.

Right now Xi is saying to himself: should I sell all China’s U.S.T’s or blockade Taiwan ?? “We have the determination, the ability and the preparedness to deal with Taiwanese independence, and if we do not deal with it, we will be overthrown.” Xi 2016

I mostly enjoy his show. Sometimes he talks too fast. It’s unfortunate that he denies biological reality and denies that that denial harms progressive causes. Progress will occur when women’s sex-based rights are acknowledged and achieved. When anyone can be a woman, then women’s rights cannot be upheld.

All these experts running around being safe, saying the obvious. Jesus, duh. Where are the Bernstein’s! Nobody is bold anymore. I hear more on skylight than this podcast.

Calming, interesting, insightful.

This show can and probably will lower your IQ… and cause prolonged loose stool!

Ezra is a skilled presenter and fair writer. The problem is that he presents his ideas as novel when in reality they’ve already tried, and failed, like “green growth”. He’ll never say “green growth” unless it’s to disparage it, but he’s still a strong proponent of capitalism, with all its unsustainable growth, just with a bit less inequity and a lot of “green growth”. At the end of the day he’s “working his hustle” to make his money, and that his “product” should be seen in that light. Don’t give him a pass for playing “fast and loose” with facts, because such a pass is both unwarranted and unwise. Five stars for “ruling class propaganda”, one star for everything else.

The intro to the abundance episode is comically long and self indulgent. To drag your listeners through this is just plain cruel. The “intellectual genealogy” is unlistenable. Please look up two terms…brevity and succinct. Would have loved to heard the episode, just can’t take the intro.

I’m super happy I found this podcast. I don’t agree with everything said but I respect the way it’s delivered and the thoroughness of the research. You can tell that Ezra cares, regardless of the topic, and it shines through on the podcast. I think it’s one of the most important podcasts out there and grateful that folks like Ezra are doing this type of work.

There is always something enlightening in Ezra‘s opinions, observations, discussions, and interviews.

Ezra loves creating insane Rube Goldberg contraptions that lower rent 5%, temporarily over ten years, in two American cities and then waiting for other fawning mid wits to clap like seals. This podcast is the neoliberal equivalent of repeatedly slamming your head in a car door. The latter would atleast give you exercise.

We hear about voters staying home, sitting on the proverbial couch, but what about voters like me who always vote, but could not bring myself to vote for Biden or Trump?

Seriously what is up with Roge and Ezra? Listen to them speak. They are clones. The same pacing, inflections, use of vocal fry and even the cute little lisp. It’s weird. Is it some cultish worship? Who did it first? Whom is imitating whom?

Just more propaganda

Regarding the March 18th episode on Why Trump Won, I was surprised no one discussed how the Democrat’s policies might be undemocratic. The host and guest both acknowledged “the things we’re most concerned about tend to be the most unpopular” twice, but then successfully side-step the issue of whether their policies are for (or against) what the American people believe is right. They just don’t care. And as a “Free Palestine” liberal myself I laughed out loud at the last three minutes as Klein and Shor chose to plug their top 3 authors: Salzman, Rosenfeld, Zahler, and Eisenberg.

Ezra regularly being interviewed by one of his subordinates simply doesn’t work. I realize, like in the “ask me anything” episodes, the throngs are waiting on Klein’s answers with bated breath (and, I suppose, the conceit — no pun intended — attracts a bigger fan base). But the self-interview, as it were, comes off as kind of contrived and simply weird. Just lose the bit and stick to a Klein one-sided narrative or interview (of others).

Thank you, Ezra. Yours is one of the few podcasts I depend on to help me make sense of the world and to talk with the people in my life about how to take action. But in answering the question “How did we get here?” you talk about the rise of right-wing populism globally - neglecting the role centrist liberals have played in derailing and demeaning a vital alternative: Left-wing populism. And in thinking about who’s inspiring or effective in this moment, you make no mention of the liberal left that’s taking the message to the people: Walz, AOC, Bernie. You may or may not agree with their tactics, but I hope you will keep them in view. If we leave populism to the right, they will keep winning.

Get real guts, guys. DOGE dodges the real waste: cut one week from DOD’s budget.

I was truly surprised by the analysis of why Dems lost. IMO the number one reason was racism not elitism. We have made some progress since Brown vrs The Board of Ed but not much. Yes there were many other factors: Biden should have not run as he said going into his term, there should have been an open primary, Dems should have said we welcome everyone and all are deserving without hyper-focusing on any one group but racism was IMO absolutely at the top.

This is a wonderful discussion of a problem that is right in your (NYC) backyard: The City of Yes. Mayor Adams has pushed this through and tomorrow at 10:30 there’s a protest on the steps of City Hall. You have rightly complained that NYC and other Blue cities/states are driving people to Red states because of housing costs. Well, here’s a plan (perhaps not ideal) that addresses lack of affordable housing in Manhattan and all of NYC. This is a perfect opportunity for you to highlight a real problem, where the two sides can get together and reach a compromise: DO A PODCAST: The City of Yes

I listened with anticipation to the conversation with David Shor. I was mildly disappointed with the overall discussion, but greatly disappointed that the discussion dodged the issue of sexism. Although Shor’s graph showed young men trending to Trump in significantly higher numbers than young women, you just moved on. Trump won against the first woman nominated by a major party and against the second woman, but lost - by a healthy margin - against the man nominated between.

First, 5 stars usually, but 3 today, because one of the recent reviews about the polling was so right. Political correctness notwithstanding, how could the pollster ignore that the younger vote shift was because Biden was in his 80s, not the future of the country, and for other ages, racism is alive and well. Bottom line: the Dems had the worst candidates—and keep ignoring it!

I’ve been listening for a few months and I really like what I’m hearing. There is no shortage of things to criticize Trump about, but Ezra is looking for ideas, alternatives and progress. “Abundance” yes! It’s all in the perspective. Ezra’s voice is a gift.