Category Archives: National Politics

The Republican Presidential Candidates, All 17 of Them: Podcast August 3, 2015

The Greatest Clown Show On Earth: The Republican Presidential Lineup for 2016. Democratic Perspective takes a long, flabbergasted look at the list of seventeen Republican presidential hopefuls for 2016. Should we laugh, cry, or, like Madame Defarge, go quietly back to our knitting? We … Continue reading

Posted in Campaign Finance, Citizens United, Conservatives and Reactionaries, Dark Money, Democratic Governance, Elections, Foreign Policy, International Relations, Mass Media, Movement Conservatism, National Politics, Podcasts, Political Action Committees, Political Contributions, Political Theory, Polling, Propaganda, Racism | Tagged , | Comments Off on The Republican Presidential Candidates, All 17 of Them: Podcast August 3, 2015

Terry Goddard Interview — Podcast March 2, 2015

Dark Money: How Industrialized Lying Poisons the Well of Democracy. Democratic Perspective’s Mike Cosentino and Gary LaMaster welcome Terry Goddard, former Mayor of Phoenix, Attorney General of Arizona, and twice Democratic Party candidate for Governor, to another in our series of discussions on the … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona Politics, Citizens United, Constitutional Issues, Corruption, Dark Money, Democratic Governance, Elections, Government, Interviews, Media Campaigns, National Politics, Podcasts, Political Action Committees, Political Contributions, Propaganda, Special Interest Legislation, Supreme Court | Tagged | Comments Off on Terry Goddard Interview — Podcast March 2, 2015

Fair and Balanced: the Trivialization of American Journalism — Podcast January 5, 2015

Not What You Want to Know, but What You Need to Know? Not Any More: Mike Cosentino, Gary LaMaster, and Steve Williamson look at the dismal state of current American media reporting. Consolidation of ownership, 24/7/365 news cycles, infotainment and the ratings … Continue reading

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2014: Democratic Perspective’s Year in Review — Podcast December 29, 2014

Looking Back AND Forward: Democratic Perspective’s 2014 in Review. Mike Cosentino, Gary LaMaster, and Steve Williamson review the most prominent themes of Democratic Perspective’s broadcasts in 2014. From the growing inequality in income and wealth in the U.S. to dark money and phony Republican scandals in national … Continue reading

Posted in Affordable Care Act, Anti-Federalism, Anti-Gay Discrimination, Arizona Economy, Arizona Politics, Bigotry, Capital Accumulation, Capitalism, Citizens United, Civil Rights, Class Conflict, Conservatives and Reactionaries, Constitutional Issues, Corruption, Dark Money, Democratic Governance, Department of Veterans Affairs, Domestic Extremism, Economic Policy, Economic Theory, Government, Immigration, Income Inequality, Jobs and Employment, Journalism, Law Enforcement, LGBT Issues, Localist Movement, Marriage Equality, Mass Incarceration, Middle East, Middle East Policy, National Politics, National Security, Nullification, Paul Gosar, Podcasts, Political Action Committees, Political Contributions, Political Lies, Political Polarization, Racism, Scandal Mongering, Supreme Court, Unemployment, Veterans' Issues | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 2014: Democratic Perspective’s Year in Review — Podcast December 29, 2014

Israel and the Palestinians: the Fulcrum of Conflict in the Middle East — Podcast December 15, 2014

The U.S. As Honest Broker, the Oslo Accords, the Peace Process, the Two-State Solution: Does ANY of This Still Make Sense Today? Democratic Perspective’s Mike Cosentino, Gary LaMaster and Steve Williamson consider the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and what appear to be the … Continue reading

Posted in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, International Relations, Military Policy, National Politics, Palestinian/Israeli Conflict, Podcasts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Israel and the Palestinians: the Fulcrum of Conflict in the Middle East — Podcast December 15, 2014

President Obama and Edward Snowden: Two Perspectives On the State of the Nation — Podcast December 1, 2014

American Dream or American Nightmare? It Depends On Who You Ask: Democratic Perspective’s Mike Cosentino reflects on the story of the United States in the Twenty-First Century as told from two very different viewpoints: first, that of Laura Poitras’s film Citizenfour, about the fugitive NSA … Continue reading

Posted in Bigotry, Capitalism, Class Conflict, Constitutional Issues, Corrections Policy, Democratic Governance, Economic Policy, Financial Sector, Fiscal Policy, Foreign Policy, Government, Homeland Security, Immigration, Income Inequality, Intelligence Agencies, International Relations, Jobs and Employment, Justice System, Law Enforcement, Mass Incarceration, Military Policy, Minimum Wage, National Politics, National Security, Penology, Podcasts, Policing, Poverty, Public Education, Racism, Renewable Energy, Surveillance Programs, Unemployment | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on President Obama and Edward Snowden: Two Perspectives On the State of the Nation — Podcast December 1, 2014

The Death Penalty: Our National Debate Intensifies — Podcast July 28, 2014

Lethal Injection: Incompetence In the Service Of Barbarism? Democratic Perspective’s Mike Cosentino, Gary LaMaster, and Steve Williamson investigate the roots of the political infighting which led us to the recent spate of botched executions by lethal injection in Ohio, Oklahoma and our own state, Arizona. Why is it now … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona Law Enforcement, Arizona Politics, Capital Punishment, Constitutional Issues, Death Penalty, Justice System, National Politics, Penology, Podcasts, U.S. Court System | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Death Penalty: Our National Debate Intensifies — Podcast July 28, 2014

Michael Austin Interview — Podcast July 21, 2014

The U.S. Constitution: Holy Writ, Or a Framework for Democratic Governance? Professor Michael Austin, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Newman University in Wichita, Kansas, returns to Democratic Perspective to continue his earlier discussions with Mike Cosentino, Gary LaMaster and Steve Williamson on … Continue reading

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Immigration: Political Gridlock and the Latest Crisis At the Border — Podcast July 14, 2014

The Golden Door: Is It Now Closed for Good? Democratic Perspective co-hosts Mike Cosentino and Steve Williamson discuss the latest immigration crisis: 90,000 unaccompanied children detained at the U.S./Mexico border, with many more apparently to come. Are they refugees with rights to due … Continue reading

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Understanding the Veterans Affairs Scandal — Podcast July 7, 2014

The Veteran’s Affairs Scandal: Bad Management or a Shortage of Resources? Democratic Perspective’s Mike Cosentino, Gary LaMaster, and Steve Williamson look at the recent scandal involving long wait times for appointments at VA health care facilities. The Department of Veterans Affairs is … Continue reading

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