Michael Lovito
editor@thepostrider.com
The Postrider Roundup: Musk-Trump Breakup and Turmoil in LA
Politics Editor Lars Emerson and Editor-in-Chief Michael Lovito discuss the Elon Musk-Donald Trump breakup and how both Democrats and Republicans can avoid their worst impulses when addressing the turmoil in Los Angeles. Follow Postrider Podcasts on Spotify Follow Postrider Podcasts on ...
The Postrider Roundup: The Big Beautiful Bill, Congress, and You
In the latest Postrider Roundup, Michael and Lars discuss the Big Beautiful Bill and the Democrats’ alleged old person problem.
Trump is in Danger of Repeating Biden’s Biggest Mistake
If you know one thing about Gerald Ford, it’s probably that he pardoned Richard Nixon. What you might not fully grasp is just how controversial this pardon was. A New York Times editorial called it “a profoundly unwise, divisive, and ...
The Postrider Roundup: An American Pope and State-Subsidized Media
Politics Editor Lars Emerson and Editor-in-Chief Michael Lovito consider the first American Pope, the Republican war on NPR and PBS, and probe some of the first big moves in the 2026 midterms. Follow Postrider Podcasts on Spotify Follow Postrider Podcasts ...
The Postrider Roundup: The Deportation Wave and Signalgate II
On the latest Postrider Roundup, Michael and Lars discuss Donald Trump’s suddenly unpopular immigration policies and yet another Signal-related scandal from Pete Hegseth.
The Postrider Roundup: Not a Tariff-ic “Liberation Day” After All
Politics Editor Lars Emerson and Editor-in-Chief Michael Lovito gripe about tariffs and economic uncertainty, agonize over the administration’s strategy at hand, and take note of cracks in the administration’s unified face — as well as a scattered Democratic response beginning ...
The Postrider Roundup: Signalgate, Deportations, and the Dems’ Babysitter Problem
On the latest episode of the Postrider Roundup, Michael and Lars discuss Signalgate, the Trump administrations aggressive moves to deport alleged gang members and detain pro-Palestinian visa and green card holders without due process, upcoming elections in Wisconsin and Florida, ...
As America Tries to Explain Trump, The Apprentice Uses Trump to Explain America
During Donald Trump’s first presidency, one of the most recycled op-ed templates was something along the lines of “Stop saying this isn’t America,” which wasn’t a response to the president so much as a response to those who found Trump’s ...
Natalia Grace: The Final Chapter is a Dull End to a Sleazy Series
Perhaps no series better represents Warner Bros. Discovery’s ongoing fall from grace than The Curious Case from Natalia Grace. At first blush, the true story told by these documentaries is a compelling and tragic one: a Ukrainian orphan with dwarfism ...
The Postrider Roundup: Schumer’s Folly and the Democratic Response
The Postrider‘s Lars Emerson and Michael Lovito discuss the continuing resolution, Chuck Schumer’s flagging support, frustration with Democrats at large, and what to make of the numerous high-profile Senate Democratic retirement announcements. Follow Postrider Podcasts on Spotify Follow Postrider Podcasts ...
The Postrider Roundup: The White House vs. Zelenskyy and Budget Resolutions
Michael and Lars talk about the big blow up between Donald Trump, JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the weekend, as well as the looming budget deadline, angry town halls, and some early embarassments for the Trump administration. ...
The Postrider’s 97th Academy Awards Preview
As someone who writes about both politics and pop culture, I often strive to find the connections between the two – the areas where politics does indeed seem to be downstream from culture, and the way that relationship feels like ...
The Postrider Roundup: Trump v. Pop Culture, the System, et al.
Politics Editor Lars Emerson and Editor-in-Chief Michael Lovito discuss Trump’s pervasive impact on pop culture before turning to Michael’s article on DOGE and “solutionism.” Then, they assess (with some optimism for the system) what checks and balances may limit Trump going forward. ...
Musk, DOGE, and the Problem of Government Solutionism
If you’ve paid even a speck of attention to the news since January 20th, you know that Elon Musk, the centibillionaire head of Twitter (I still refuse to call it X), Tesla, and SpaceX, is now also a special government ...
Biden Derangement Syndrome is Not the Way Forward for Democrats
Last week, Matthew Yglesias wrote a Substack post titled “Throw Biden under the Bus.” If you couldn’t tell from its title, the main thrust of the post was that Democrats, in order to reclaim the electoral ground they lost in ...
The Postrider Roundup: EOs and Tarrifs and Memos, Oh My
Michael and Lars try to make sense of a chaotic first few weeks of Trump 2.0, including a wave of controversial tariffs, executive orders, and cabinet hearings, as well as how the Democrats are trying to pick up the pieces ...
The Postrider’s Top 20 Albums of 2024, Part 2
Going into this year’s albums of the year list, I knew two things for certain: I wanted a list of at least 20, but I could only name five off the top of my head that were absolute locks to ...
The Postrider’s Top 20 Albums of 2024, Part 1
Going into this year’s albums of the year list, I knew two things for certain: I wanted a list of at least 20, but I could only name five off the top of my head that were absolute locks to ...
The Postrider’s Top 25 Songs of 2024, Part 2
It happens to me almost every year – I fret that I’ve only been listening to the same five artists on repeat, and that I won’t be able to put together another Top Songs or Albums of the Year list. ...
The Postrider’s Top 25 Songs of 2024, Part 1
It happens to me almost every year – I fret that I’ve only been listening to the same five artists on repeat, and that I won’t be able to put together another Top Songs or Albums of the Year list. ...
The Postrider Roundup: Hi Don and Bye-den
The Postrider‘s Lars Emerson and Michael Lovito discuss Trump’s inauguration, his first day back in the job, and his executive orders. Then they pivot to some reflections on the Biden era and the last weeks of his presidency. Follow Postrider ...
Trump Drove Me to the Democratic Party. Biden Kept Me There.
Back in 2020, I wrote a personal essay for a grad school course about what was, essentially, my political coming of age. Reading it again just over four years later, it’s fascinating to see how much my political identity changed, ...