This week the hosts discuss what was obscured by the civility of the V.P. debate, and consider what JD Vance and Tim Walz really offer their running mates and their parties’ futures. Plus, Michelle won’t be washing away her stresses any time soon. (A full transcript of this episode will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.) Recommended in this episode: ‘There’s a Trap Here’: Four Columnists Brace for the Vance-Walz Debate by David Brooks, Ross Douthat, Tressie McMillan Cottom and Pamela Paul Thoughts about the show? Email us at matterofopinion@nytimes.com or leav ..read more

This week we're taking a break from the election and turn our attention to the allegations against Sean Combs: Where has #MeToo succeeded or fallen short? And what happens when the lines blur between rumor mill and conspiracy theory? The Opinion columnist Tressie McMillan Cottom and the Opinion writer Jessica Grose join the conversation. Plus, Jessica has a recommendation for Plath-heads. (A full transcript of this episode will be available on the Times website.) Recommended in this episode: “With Love, Sean Combs” by Tressie McMillian Cottom in Vanity Fair “Sean Combs and the Limits of the ..read more

Donald Trump and JD Vance have sparked panic over immigration in Springfield, Ohio. This week, the hosts talk about why our country’s immigration debate is now focused on a distraction instead of the core of the issue. Plus, Ross is hot and cold about a particular pet obsession. (A full transcript of this episode will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.) Recommended in this episode: "Trump Has Crossed a Truly Unacceptable Line" by Lydia Polgreen "What  JD Vance Believes" by Ross Douthat “How the Trump Campaign Ran With Rumors About Pet-Eating Migrants — Afte ..read more

Kamala Harris may have won the debate by baiting Donald Trump. But is it enough to sway undecided voters? This week on “Matter of Opinion,” the Opinion columnist Jamelle Bouie joins our hosts to talk about how each campaign should reconsider its nominee’s visibility in the next seven weeks to win the White House. Plus, Michelle wants to be seen less. Want to see the Valentine's Day card for C-SPAN that Carlos's kids made him? Click here Thoughts about the show? Email us at matterofopinion@nytimes.com or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440 ..read more

Opinion columnist David French is voting for Kamala Harris to save conservatism. Ross  is… skeptical. On this very special episode, the two Christian conservatives debate how to chart the right’s course out of Trumpism and to the future. (A full transcript of this episode will be available on the Times website.) Recommended in this episode: “To Save Conservatism From Itself, I Am Voting for Harris” by David French “This Is Probably Not the Deal the Pro-Life Movement Bargained for With Trump” by Ross Douthat Thoughts about the show? Email us at matterofopinion@nytimes.com or leave a voic ..read more

While we take a quick summer break, we wanted to recommend a new show: “The Opinions.”  Four times a week, in ten minutes or less, you’ll hear one of our columnists — Matter of Opinion hosts included — walk you through their take on an issue or idea you might not have considered. It’s like the Opinion pages come to life. In this episode, our very own Carlos shares what he learned reading Kamala Harris’s two memoirs. He reflects on how her criminal justice message has changed over time, and considers what that may reveal about her candidacy. Listen and subscribe to "The Opinions" on Apple ..read more

The hosts react to Kamala Harris’s convention speech in this special late-night edition of “Matter of Opinion”. Lydia, Ross and Carlos unpack how Harris had a “deft threading of a number of tricky needles” as she accepted her party’s nomination, and look at what the entire week revealed about the Democratic Party. (A full transcript of this episode will be available on the Times website.) Thoughts about the show? Email us at matterofopinion@nytimes.com or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440 ..read more

If you believe JD Vance, the American family is in crisis. But are attacks on “childless cat ladies” and pitches for enfranchising kids actual policy platforms or merely culture war cudgels? This week on “Matter of Opinion,” Jessica Grose joins Michelle, Ross and Carlos to debate the weird ways gender and family are showing up in the election and share their own roads to parenthood. Plus, Jessica suggests a deep dive into a culture of “tin pot dictators wearing LoveShackFancy.” (A full transcript of this episode will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.) Recommende ..read more

This week on the show, Michelle Goldberg joins Michelle  and Ross to debate the gambles or gains Kamala Harris has made by picking  Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota as her running mate. They also discuss the ways the Trump-Vance ticket could recalibrate to regain their lead. Plus, Goldberg is sunny on a new show you probably haven’t heard of. (A full transcript of this episode will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.) Recommended in this episode: Don’t Listen to the Right. The Kamalanomenon Is Real. by Michelle Goldberg The Focus Group Podcast episode “Kamala ..read more

The 2024 presidential race is officially in its identity politics stage. From “White Dudes for Harris,” to “D.E.I. candidate” accusations, the hosts debate how race and racism are being deployed in the second week of the Harris v. Trump election. (A full transcript of this episode will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.) Mentioned in this episode: “Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance” by Barack Obama “Rising Stare: The Making of Obama” by David J. Garrow “Barack Obama: The Story” by David Maraniss “The Olympic Flame Isn’t a Flame at All” by An ..read more