"The title of Ross Douthat's podcast is characteristically absent of a value judgment. It's called Interesting Times, rather than Foreboding Times, Quixotic Times, or Bleak Times -which is an indication of where he stands. At the tumultuous end of the American Century, Douthat is prepared to hear everyone out. Interesting Times is an interview show. On it, Douthat hosts a slew of rabble-rousers and firebrands from across the political spectrum-think Steve Bannon and Hasan Piker-and peppers them with questions about how they've developed their ideology."
"Douthat finds plenty of disagreements with just about everyone who passes through the studio. He examines those fault lines and probes moments of tension, approaching the brink of an altercation without ever fully tipping over. But Douthat, of course, is a conservative. So that means that the spirit of debate on the podcast-he and J.D. Vance batting around how Catholic teachings interact with immigration policy, rather than examining the fascistic lurches of the Trump administration-is refracted through a much different light."
"Since starting at the New York Times in 2009, he has made no secret of his reactionary leanings, which run counter to established Democratic doctrine. (Douthat is against abortion, gay marriage, and the theology of Pope Francis.) But nevertheless, he's managed to cultivate a bastion of Times readers that find his commentary compelling, or at least odd enough to be worth considering."
Ross Douthat hosts Interesting Times, an interview podcast that brings together provocative figures from across the political spectrum. The show emphasizes extended, civil interrogation of guests' ideological development while maintaining a conservative lens. Conversations probe tensions and disagreements without erupting into full altercations, often refracting debate through conservative priorities such as religion and policy. Douthat's conservative positions—opposition to abortion, gay marriage, and the theology of Pope Francis—have not prevented him from cultivating a readership within elite liberal circles. Interesting Times functions as an extension of Douthat's career and as a showcase of his influence within a newly empowered MAGA coalition.
Read at Slate Magazine
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