Christians often vote remarkably consistently, even on issues with little or even no connection to Christianity itself.

This episode looks at how faith, politics, identity, and decades of coalition-building became so tightly intertwined. What I refer to as the "Bundle effect" and the dangers that may be hiding inside the package.

What happens when the sacrifice is clear, but the reason isn’t?

How much does having a reason change what we’re capable of enduring? What happens when there’s no clear end date, no finish line, and the explanation keeps changing?

After reading Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning, I couldn’t stop thinking about the sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, my own time in the Navy, and the old idea that every service member writes Uncle Sam a blank check.

Why do political ads spend so much time showing punishment and so little time talking about prevention?

Is that because punishment is more effective... or because we've accidentally turned politics into entertainment and prevention gives us nothing to watch at night?

We say we vote on policy, competence, and results. So why do politicians spend so much time showing us workouts, carefully staged photos, perfect hair, makeup, posture, and strength? What do those images communicate before a candidate ever says anything meaningful, and how much of our judgment is already formed by then?

This episode explores what appearance does to political perception, why some traits feel like leadership even when they have nothing to do with governing, and whether we are electing an official or casting a character.

This episode explores the psychology behind political heroes and villains, and how fear, identity, and the need for a protector can transform a political leader into something much bigger: a symbol. Instead of starting with why people develop such intense loyalty to Donald Trump, I wanted to work backward and explore how they got there in the first place.

Political arguments often feel like debates, but many of them are really two people talking past each other. We tend to focus on proving our point before we’ve taken the time to understand what the other person is actually saying, why they believe it, or what concern is driving their position.

Immigration issues are real. But does every problem in America deserve the “illegal immigrant” prefix? We look at the evidence behind crime, immigration, and the tendency to turn a complex country into a simple story with a convenient villain.

Why do we embrace some shared benefits while fiercely opposing others? From roads and public schools to healthcare and poverty assistance, many systems only work because we participate together.

In this episode, we explore why political disagreements are often driven less by facts and more by fairness, identity, and who we think deserves to benefit.