Matter of Opinion

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All Genres #202News #28

Thoughts, aloud. Hosted by Michelle Cottle, Ross Douthat and Carlos Lozada. Every Friday, from New York Times Opinion.Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

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Recent Reviews
  • this too will pass
    Focus Please
    Liked the show more in past. The perspectives can be good. The Heads have fallen in love with their sitcom roles and it comes off as very smug and quippy. Still hope for it if they turn the personality vibes down about 80%.
  • chucksucksforeva
    This used to be my favorite podcast. Now I hate it.
    I loved the old podcast with Ross and Michelle Goldberg (and Frank Bruni and David Leonhardt). Michelle Cottle is atrocious. I can’t stand her attempts to be hip and her use of slang from gen z. I feel her presence brings the overall quality of show down. Without her I’d give it 5 stars. This podcast is not what it could be. I like some of the guests they bring on and Carlos Lozada is a good addition.
  • Jessica Tassan
    This is so brutal
    This is so brutal
  • EMH-PGH
    Ross for the WIN!
    Ross provides a welcome respite from my typical leftist echo chamber. I really appreciate the ability of the hosts to disagree in a convivial manner. My usual podcasts have become too exhausting recently, so Matter of Opinion has become my new favorite listen!
  • Upset and Hangry
    Needs More Ross
    Ross really makes this podcast. Without him it would be just another group shouting into the echo chamber. I find Ross’ perspectives incredibly well-reasoned and honest, attributes that are sorely lacking in today’s discourse.
  • reallygreatproduct
    Normally fairly insightful and fun
    As long as everyone keeps their tones properly in check I tend to enjoy this one! It’s nice to get the range of opinions and the analysis is generally interesting. But I’ve got to say the VP debate episode was a tough listen. Ranking it as if it were a high school debate with a winner and a loser felt one dimensional and totally neglected how people actually consume debates. But aside from an offhand acknowledgement that they weren’t representative of the audience it was hardly addressed and instead the conversation devolved into squabbling over picayune details (I admit I did not finish). Not sure what happened there but not my favorite! I think the best episodes do a good job maintaining a more playful tone. For example, I remember an episode where everyone assembled their fantasy presidential tickets that was actually quite funny. Clearly not every episode topic can reach that level of silliness. But I think podcasts like this play an important role in modeling how to disagree both thoroughly and respectfully (and ideally even amicably). I’ve seen it strike that tone in the past, and that’s what I’m hoping for going forward too. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.
  • C'mon John!
    Ross is annoying
    Love the podcast. Love the deep analysis. Get rid of Ross. He’s annoying.
  • sherry tucker
    Ross D
    “Goaded?” What a poor baby.
  • B Cangany
    Sigh
    Ross reminds me why I am glad I left the Catholic Church.
  • Ajo11246
    Douthat
    Someone needs to tell Douthat that facts don’t care about his feelings
  • definitely not Goldfarb
    I Only Listen for Ross
    This show is 3 liberals and 1 conservative (who doesn’t even support Trump!) and that 1 conservative is apparently too much for most of the listeners reviewing this show. Get a grip, people—it is OK to listen to what people who disagree with you think.
  • Swtessmer
    Ross Douthat is unlistenable
    Ross is a bad faith actor that is desperate to justify bad ideas an bad people having power.
  • DocRock | RockDoc
    Get rid of Ross
    Unsubscribing because I can’t stand Ross — his voice, his looseness with facts, his puppetry for indefensible policy positions and outright misrepresentation of truth. Maybe I’ll start listening again after the election but I don’t need to hear more squabbling right now. Can you please try to model fact-based civil discourse for your listeners?
  • Kiko Blue
    Ross Douthat is unlistenable
    5 stars for Michelle, Carlos, Lydia and others. Ross’s intellectual affectations have become unlistenable. He has great difficulty admitting when his argument or even his side is wrong, which is frequent. The last podcast “unpacking the role JD Vance played” where Ross dresses up Vance’s abject lying about a Fed opinion piece was the last straw. I had to unsubscribe. Sorry, Michelle, Carlos and Lydia.
  • Hermosa B!tch
    Ross Douthat is awful
    I find him so slimy and full of propaganda. Thoughtless mouthpiece for billionaire interests
  • Onlyinmydreams
    Lost respect for all of the participants
    Why is it that none of you challenge Ross on the misinformation and outright lies by Trump, and the detrimental policies he promotes. I will no longer subscribe to this podcast, especially when Ross decides to publish his “opinion” piece on the VP debate midway through the debate with a URL slug from last week. Maybe Ross needs to read The NY Times’ fact checkers where he was labeled as false and/or misleading.
  • bobolabo
    NYT
    Ross is the thin red line that separates the NYT from The Jacobin. I find it hypocritical for people to kvetch about his viewpoints, while also complaining about polarization. He is open minded, intelligent, and clearly a critical member of the group whose refreshing new perspectives make the show a worthwhile listen.
  • loomasauris
    Ross
    I’ll change my rating to five stars when Ross is no longer on the show. Probably not gonna listen anymore because because of him .
  • gnc81
    Great Pod!
    Keep up the good work, MOO crew.
  • Mazikhan
    Not really a conservative va progressive discussion
    I’m not sure what this show is trying to pull off. If it’s supposed to be a discussion of conservative vs progressive viewpoints, then I think it fails. If it is what merely a platform to rant against the other side then it is just tiresome. It’s not for me, and I suspect it’s not for most NYTimes readers…
  • Baby Truman
    Springfield Lies
    I am tired of the news media giving oxygen to an issue. That is a blatant racist lie it’s not about a bigger issue. It’s about racism. There is no issue with illegal immigration in Springfield as you stated in your report Haitians are there legally with temporary status so to use this as an argument regarding illegal immigration and feed into Trump and Vance’s lies is disgraceful. And your conservative reporter in this issue is really really stretching the truth and making excuses for Vance and his blatant lies. Please report the news appropriately and stop giving the “both sides” reasoning. this is just an a racist attack that is causing harm to individuals that don’t deserve it.
  • just another ww
    Sept 13, 2024
    To Ross, President Biden is unpopular because of his age and not his policies.
  • Hackleboro
    Ross and David
    I enjoyed this discussion, however, ‘prolife’ has more meaning than simply abortion. How about prenatal access to healthcare, new mother’s access to healthcare and support, family support through the childhood years, access to safe schools? And I could go on. Compassion for moms and dads and their vulnerable children is’prolife’. You can’t tell me that Trump will provide more support for those folks than Harris will attempt to do. I’m disappointed that you both didn’t bring these issues up. Thanks, Melanie Stephens, CA.
  • Artemia26
    Ross Douthat is a dangerous equivocator.
    He consistently does everything he can to try to establish moral equivalence between Trump and MAGA-ism and progressives. He is very good at it. But there is no comparison between the real dangers that another Trump administration poses and the fanciful dangers of a Douthat consistently spouts of a Harris administration. That makes Douthat’s equivocation dangerous. I wish his fellow podcasters would do more to call out his nonsense.
  • Enid71
    Sept 6 debate on abortion
    You both missed the biggest point: do you just want a law, or do you want abortions to decrease, because they have dramatically increased since Dobbs. Women’s lives are at risk if miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy occurs because the laws are vague and doctors are scared to do anything!! Why do you ignore this issue?? In the name of goodness, do your homework!! Check out Guttmacher: “Abortion rates are highest in more than a decade”!!
  • sal vito
    Trump apologist Douthat
    Listening to Douthat’s ongoing, unending equivocation of Trump’s manifest ignorance and unfitness is beyond tiresome. However, French’s presence rates 2 stars.
  • Alexander Dodge Huber
    Ross is as WEIRD as JD Vance
    As a liberal, I appreciate hearing conservative counterpoints (something I am rarely exposed to in my left wing echo chamber) but Ross is downright creepy - especially the disturbing brand of pronatalism he spews EVERY episode. Unfortunately, he seems to have recently decided that he is going to lead/dominate this podcast when what the show actually needs is for him to take a step back and stop his condescending mansplaining.
  • Cmenges
    The Tone Has Changed
    I have loved this podcast for exposing me to different opinions and allowing me to be able to have better conversations with people. Lately it has felt like something has changed. First, Ross has become insufferable, like he’s not even trying to have conversations with the other hosts, but is just sometimes allowing them to speak so that he can be condescending and dismissive. Second, I had been looking forward to hearing the coverage of the DNC, which I thought was an historic event, full of hope, real promise, and (yeah I’m gonna say it) joy. I’m not sure what these hosts saw or if no one could stand up to Ross, but that show was so cynical and negative, I wondered if maybe this was now a Fox News X NYT crossover show. Third, regarding how the tone has literally changed, the Upspeak has got to stop. Everyone is doing it now, and it is grating to the ears. Please stop ending every sentence fragment at a higher pitch. Three stars because the show used to be great, two off because you have to see something has changed and needs work.
  • Slimeball_wr1d
    Love this podcast
    I think that this podcast is great. Every Friday I am excited when I wake up for a new episode. All the haters can yap all they want, but I’ll keep loving this show
  • JSMorano
    Lacks insights of other political podcasts
    Go to the New Yorker, The Daily, Ezra Klein for actual substance and insight.
  • Koojinbop
    Buzzkilllllll
    Not here to criticize the opinions (it’s an opinion podcast, you get what you get), but omg the vibes are OFF. There’s an air of negativity that leaves you feeling as deflated as the kid who smoked too much pot in the 90’s DARE commercial. My brain’s doom and gloom enough as is, and needs to network with more positive brains. Sageing the apartment, taking a multivitamin and sitting in my sun lamp for a bit to shake this feeling off.
  • Tgwdeb61
    More of the same in the genre
    I would like to a hear a Black voice on this podcast. None of them knows the name of VP Harris sorority. It just speaks to the homogeneity of the discussion.
  • MissFantastico
    Frustrating
    I have been listening to this podcast since it was The Argument, and I used to really love hearing both sides having a civil discourse. Now it has become decidedly more one-sided and not at all balanced, even with the episode titles, like “will THIS a lose Biden the presidency”. Stop the clickbait and get back to having real, necessary conversations. Adding onto my review from earlier. I will be unsubscribing from this podcast. There are no actual liberal points of view—in covering the conventions, they basically say that Kamala hasn’t given an interview so no matter what she can’t be good, with no one offering any other opinion. Funny that some people are saying that this proves that NYT has a liberal bias—that’s not it at all. This proves to me that NYT is not showing both sides. I’m very sad to lose this podcast, it used to be good.
  • Michelle 1025
    They need to do better than Ross
    It’s hard for me to get through an episode. Ross is so sanctimonious and contrary for the sake of being contrary. They could get a conservative that expresses their view without coming across as condescending all of the time.
  • sydoc
    Complacent convention
    Seriously? The DNC felt like a “complacent convention” as assessed by Ross. I used to enjoy aspects of this podcast but I just can’t anymore. I had to turn it off right then and there. Instead of picking apart the nuances of the DNC, as well as Kamala’s speech, how about you address the simple fact that the choice in 2024 is between DEMOCRACY and AUTHORITARIANISM? The media has learnt nothing in 8 years. STOP continuing to normalize the choice given everything we now know.
  • makeupmyname
    Right?
    Could someone ask one of the hosts (who will remain nameless) to PLEASE stop asking “right?” over and over? Sometimes several times in a response. It’s a habit I’ve noticed being used in verbal commentary now more and more, and it’s simply annoying. Someone will either agree with what you’re saying or not. Asking “right?” every other sentence would not cause someone to agree with you more.
  • Easy Eaze
    Ross gets too much time to prattle on…
    It’s good to have different opinions and Douthat is definitely representing the “weird” political camp. But he doesn’t need this much airtime (it’s consistently about 1/2 the podcast every time). Also I wish they would actually check him on many of his half baked non-points.
  • TheLizziest
    Ross has become insufferable, I can’t listen anymore.
    You know how hearing Donald Trump’s voice is somehow physically repulsive? That is how I have grown to feel about Ross Douthat. Carlos is the star of this show. I will seek out other ways to listen to him because I think he’s fabulous! I very much appreciate Michelle and Lydia; they are measured, thoughtful, and always give me something new to think about. But at this point I just can’t listen to Ross anymore; he is dismissive, pretentious, full of sh*t, and yet empty at the same time. He adds nothing but gross vibes to the show. I am surprised the other hosts are still putting up with him.
  • Cat5/6/99
    Hosts Can Be a Bit Out of Touch
    I do like listening to this podcasts sometimes, but I often get a bit frustrated at their attitudes. Ross is pretty much always annoying because he criticizes the Democratic constantly while refusing to really reckon with the state of the other major party. Even the other more liberal hosts are a bit much. They just sound like they’ve been in their ivory towers too long and don’t really know what real life is for normal people. Listening to them can kind of feel like listening to a movie critic who feels like they have to be overly negative and nitpick just because they’re a critic. You don’t have to be a cynic about everything to have interesting opinions.
  • Cram_Case
    I’ve never written a podcast review
    But these people are so insufferable, my thumbs became sentient and simply took on a mind of their own. No one reads long reviews so I will say simply: Ross = chode of epic proportions (lol). Listen elsewhere.
  • Convention downer
    DNC convention episode
    I guess everyone was tired, but I thought the tone of “puncturing the balloon” of the energy and optimism of the DNC convention was unfortunate.
  • LilRedheadedGirl7
    Ross - just go away please
    I enjoy this panel a lot. But Ross is an ugly human being. He is incredibly negative and condescending and cynical. He ruins everything.
  • LauraT001
    Ross, try a different tone
    Ross is making this show very hard to listen to. I can’t take his mean spiritedness. I genuinely enjoy hearing from everyone else. It’s not him being conservative, that’s fine, it’s his tone and he seems to taunt the others on purpose.
  • aericagirard
    So Cynical
    Disappointing, and tired commentary about an absolutely inspiring DPC performance which totally changed the game. Never would have guessed it from this podcast. Poor synopsis of the moment, with an over reliance on the horse race, which additionally failed to capture the stakes and the fact that the goals of the campaign were achieved, which were clearly not acknowledged by the biased pundits.
  • Colin bringo
    8/28 DNC Recap
    These three are doing the most in terms of overthinking. Wow. And Ross’ condescending is laughable considering where his party has gone.
  • Madmadie
    For the love of God please get a serious conservative
    There are writers on the right side of the political spectrum that have actual, serious thoughts and opinions about issues the world faces and I would like to hear them. Not Ross’s own weird pet preferences and cynical condescension of his own hosts with actual ideas. It’s actually hilarious to try and listen to Ross paint JD Vance as anything other than his ideological twin. Every complaint or criticism is him trying to grapple with his own personal and ideological limitations and he’s too self-involved to hear himself. Due to his own inability to be of substance, he instead just plays MC and reply guy to hear his own voice and feel involved…. Which, he sadly always is because he’s the only host who isn’t busy with actual journalism. When the show WAS the Argument, there was actual discussion and comparisons of views. Jane Coaston did a better job of representing conservatism as a moderator than Ross ever has as THE conservative of the show. And for what it’s worth.. “Hot/Cold” 💀 The epitome of Gen X cringe. Even the segment title is the work of some Boomer editor who thought to themselves “Dur why don we call it HoTcOLd because hot mean good and cold mean bad” Just…. I don’t know try harder if you were trying in the first place.
  • 2501123
    Great podcast
    Love the show but Ross must go. Conservative perspective, yes but with substance. Stuff a sock in it Ross
  • hdsaoirse
    Ross is insufferable
    I can’t listen anymore. Ross Douthat just keeps getting more and more intolerable.
  • Gus McCrae
    Consistently thoughtful discussion
    Except for Ross. I wish they had a conservative participant who isn’t so sanctimonious and supercilious. Come on bro, you don’t have to be condescending to the rest of the panel.
  • Raincloud06
    Great discussions
    As a liberal I am very grateful for Ross on this pod. He brings up opinions that actually make me think instead of immediately dismissing them, and I love having multiple viewpoints on these topics. We need more conservatives who are willing to sit down and respectfully offer their views.
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