Blacksite Podcast

We get the gang back together and reminisce about 2017! There were lots of low points... but the highs were high! Also, we discuss our hope for 2018! Also, pop quizzes are involved.  We also tease our very NSFW Christmas album! Merry Christmas, ya'll!

Teena Porter Horlacher is the Davis County GOP Chair. She shares her thoughts on the state of the Republican party and why she believes the caucus/convention system is indispensable to Utah politics. On our panel, Teena, Ryan, and June Hiatt with the Salt Lake County Democrats Women's Caucus react live to Doug Jones' surprise victory in the Alabama Senate race. Maybe things aren't as horrible as we feared? We also discuss the myth of Donald Trump's populist message in the wake of the GOP tax bill. Plus: Orrin Hatch. Will he stay or will he go?  Join us for all this and more! Happy Christmaholidays!

Carol Surveyor is a Native American and a member of the Navajo Nation. She walks us through her reaction to life in the Trump era, including his move today to drastically scale back National Monuments protecting her homeland. She also tells us why she decided to run for Chris Stewart's Congressional seat.   

Chase Thomas, Policy and Advocacy Counsel for the Progressive watchdog group Alliance for a Better Utah tells us about his organization's success in pushing to balance Utah politics and hold our elected officials accountable to the people, and about what it's like to come out as gay while a law student at BYU (not as bad as you'd probably think!). In our panel discussion, we consider whether Orrin Hatch can really care about "the poor people" and still support the GOP tax plan, as he claims. We also discuss the progress and potential pitfalls of the #metoo movement. Plus: Donald Trump is coming to Salt Lake City. Wendover's calling!

"Choosing the Right" is a new book exploring the seemingly unbreakable bond between the Mormon church and Republican politics. How did we get here? Are conservative politics really so compatible with Mormon doctrine? How has the political polarization of the church affected both politics and religion in Utah? Where do we go from here? Larry Alan Brown takes us through all of these questions, with an expert's grasp of both history and church doctrine. Plus, Ryan wonders if we've finally reached "Peak Pride Cycle" in 2017. Join us!

For Democrats, it's the first good day in over a year. For Republicans, it's a warning that they may not have it so easy in 2018. What does this election mean for the nation? What does it mean for Utah? An all-star panel of local political activists and experts walk us through the results. But first, newly elected Sandy City Councilman Zach Robinson tells us how it feels to actually win an election. Spoiler: it doesn't suck.

Spencer J Cox - our conservative bae, bipartisan crush (who just happens to be our lieutenant governor) - ventures into the Blacksite! We talk about television, growing up rural, and the state of the Republican party. 

Chris Wharton is running for SLC City Council, Ben McAdams enters the race for Utah CD4, A Farewell to SLC's Twilight Concert Series, and Sandy City Councilman Steve Smith is straight racist, y’all! Also, does John McCain stop by? Tune in to find out!   http://www.votechriswharton.com/

Chris and Jeremy Voros tell us about U Work 4 Utah's creative methods to influence Utah's representatives to moderate their views.  We discuss political gerrymandering.  Steve Bannon wants to unseat Orrin Hatch and a bunch of other “establishment” Republicans. Ben McAdams seriously considers running for UTCD4. Also featuring Nic Dunn of Utah Young Republicans!  http://www.uwork4utah.com/    

Tinesha Zandamela is a biracial BYU student running for Provo City Council. She tells us about what motivated her to run at such a young age.  In our panel discussion, we consider why nothing ever seems to change after these mass shootings and what we can possibly do to break this cycle. Also: Utah has the highest upward mobility rate in the nation. What are we doing right? Please donate blood to help Las Vegas victims by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS.

Dillon Clarke, leader of the University of Utah student group Young Americans for Freedom, joins us to discuss his decision to invite controversial Conservative pundit Ben Shapiro to campus, sparking a firestorm of protests. Our panel compares the Shapiro controversy to this week's NFL debate to uncover what they both tell us about what free speech means in 2017. Did you burn your Steelers' jersey this week? If so, you might want to skip this one!

Bret Hutchings is running for City Council in Bountiful! All politics are local and hear about Bret's story and vision for Bountiful.We feel our age when Nick Coleman of the University of Utah College Republicans joins the panel. We talk extreme Healthcare plans. Bernie's Medicare for all and the Graham-Cassidy bill. We get local by talking about Salt Lake City council's proposal about ADU's - Accessory Dwelling Units. 

Immigration lawyer Dan Black joins the pod to talk DACA and Dreamers. Mitt Romney is the anointed heir to Orrin Hatch's senate seat. The debate about wedding cakes and religious freedom. Also, a philosophical discussion about what divides 'Merica.

Blacksite Podcast is six months old. The original co-founders of the show come back together to take stock of where we've been and lay out a vision for where we're going. We then move into a panel discussion on DACA and whether Congress will save the dreamers. In local news, we review Democrat Kathie Allen's latest campaign commercial, which you've probably seen if you have a tv. 

We had this great idea to bring in the President of the Young Democrats of Utah, Lorcan Murphy, and then have him square off against our recent guest Nic Dunn, chair of the Utah Young Republicans. We were expecting a knife fight, but what we got was a respectful, reasoned, and occasionally funny discussion on how to build bridges with the other side while still pushing for things you believe in. That's not gonna sell any podcasts! We also discuss Provo's Love Loud festival and the horrifying prospect of Sheriff Joe Arpaio becoming a US Senator. ::Shudder::