Reviews For KCRW's Left, Right & Center

Update: Sarah’s inappropriate laughing at serious topics gets nauseating. She’s so busy trying to be the “right” representative that she says some truly appalling and easily provable false things. It’s getting to the point that I can no longer enjoy a podcast I have enjoyed thoroughly for years. She’s very different than she is in other podcasts like Advisory Opinions. On this show she becomes smug and works hard to be a character. ——————————————————————————— In general, I usually enjoy this podcast. I appreciate the range of left to right discussion. The only real flaw of the podcast from this Texan’s view is the constant application of the East coast view on all the topics. Like so much of our sources of policy information, there is the perpetual assumption that the East Coast is representative of the country as a whole.

Without Liz Bruenig on the show there’s really no left voice. This show should be called Center, Right and Center It’s funny when they will have someone from “the left” on and introduce them as “now a senior fellow at the Kissinger institute for foreign relations”

Had to unsubscribe:( Sarah is insufferable.

What a lot of the reviewers get wrong about Sarah is that she doesn’t have “partisan brain”- she doesn’t parrot the party line of Republicans. Moa, on the other hand, won’t criticize democrats unless he can lump it with criticism of “the right”. Free-thinking conservatives appreciate Sarah. Partisan Republicans…less so.

I am totally on the side of Israel but I thought Sarah was being excessively rude by talking over the men trying to present the Palestinian side. I cannot stand this type of behavior and if Left Right and Center cannot stay true to its mission of civil discussion, there are plenty of other podcasts who can. 4/12. Again, Sarah talks over the more liberal guest. It seems that nobody else talks over her. She is the only one who thinks that hers is the only option that matters. So rude and arrogant. It reminds me of the talking heads on CNN who talk over each other, at which point I change the channel.

OMG ! Sarah is exhausting in both a good & bad way. She needs to remember most voters are not looking too deep into who ends up covering their student debt that they possibly no longer have to pay They are just so relieved they themselves no longer need to worry about it

But they put Elizabeth Bruenig on sometimes

Listening to former trump officials make stuff up is really disheartening to hear on a NPR show

I enjoyed listening when she was a regular. Nice to hear again this week and hope she is in more often.

I used to regularly listen but the new host, coupled with the same guests every week, are just boring and often times irritating. They don’t seem capable of doing serious research or in being skeptical when they report on what politicians say rather than what they do. This week’s episode on abortion was almost unlistenable because both host David Greene and fill in guest Liz Bruenig seemed to take Trump at his word about leaving abortion to the states despite his past actions and words. Are these even journalists anymore or just pundits spewing their seemingly uninformed and often stale opinions? I might not have always agreed with Josh Barrow but at least he was funny. Disappointing.

What is up with the awful democratic representation lately? This guest didn’t even understand the question

I was happy to hear at the top of this episode that Liz Bruenig would be back on the show, but not until listening to their discussion and ensuing horseshoe politics did I realize why I was a fan of Liz when she was a regular on the show and am a fan of Sarah now. I feel that both passionately represent positions on opposite sides of a spectrum that, although embedded in American politics, transcends them. Both are ready and willing to criticize their own political factions where appropriate and especially to condemn the parties that ostensibly represent them. I respect Mo and his beliefs, but I get frustrated that he too often falls into political tribalism and fails to separate himself from the politicking of the day. I realized while listening that I held a similar opinion about Rich Lowry when he was a regular opposite Liz, so it should be no surprise that having Sarah and Liz together on the panel works so well. David did fine moderating, but one episode was really too short for Liz to hit her stride back on the show. I, for one, would love to hear Liz on the show opposite Sarah far more often in the future.

Still left tilting but used to be more so. They’ve done a nice job at balancing it out more. Really enjoy the podcast as it’s one of a dwindling number of media shows that presents serious views from both sides and not just talking heads. Keep it up

Change your show name so it accurately depicts your true viewpoints. There is nothing center or right about this show. Get real! - ALL of your pundits are so obviously anti-Trump and very liberal.

I have listened to LR&C since the “old days” when it was Robert Scheer, Ariana Huffington, and Matt Miller. I enjoyed the days of Josh Barro, Elizabeth Bruenig, and Rich Lowry. I’ve grown increasingly frustrated with the current incarnation of the show. It seems under-prepared, with Mo and Sarah just shooting from the hip without much that actually helps to expand or inform the news of the week. There is a weekly diet of too much of histrionics and uncritical looks at news headlines, without the more in-depth, thoughtful, and through-provoking conversations I once appreciated. I get way more nuance and clear-eyed assessments of news from Substack - it seems like the current pundits on LR&C might benefit from more research and better planning of their talking points before each show.

Please replace Mo Elleithee with Ruy Teixeira!!! Someone else stated “This should be renamed the "Left, Far Left, and Left of Center" or "I Hate Trump"” This show just keeps moving farther and farther left!

Last Left, Right, and Center Episode was the most Disappointing The following is a copy of the comment I submitted to Left, Right, and Center produced by KCRW in LA hosted by David Greene. I am a regular listener to this show. I have, on occasion, been frustrated by the lack of pushback on commentators on the show when they make either false or non verifiable statements. This last one was the worst because both the left and the right were making statements that needed evidence and none was provided. Here’s the statement: “This is less a question than a comment. I am very disappointed with the direction that this show has taken, specifically with the last episode. It has become less of left right and center and more of RIGHT and center. Ruy was not a left perspective. Or, if he was, he was not a good representative of it. He is apparently directly engaged with the modern mass panic over campus culture, specifically regarding DEI. He made several inflammatory statements that needed more pushback for actual evidence, such as saying that universities required DEI statements of loyalty for tenure professors or that professors are being fired now in this new intolerant liberal environment. He provided none. These were throwaway comments that David Greene provided no pushback on. We were just supposed to accept the veracity of his claims of out of control liberal campuses with no evidence or pushback from our moderator David Greene. Even cursory personal research myself has failed to reveal anything similar to what he claimed. But perhaps the worst part was at the end of the episode where they discussed the Atlantic article “The War at Stanford”. The opening anecdote is of an undergraduate student section leader with extreme opinions. Both Sarah and Ruy bandwagon on this as an example of out of control campus culture, even though it’s a single student teacher in one section with no context given for the conversation. Instead it’s just reaffirmed as an example as how CAMPUS ADMINISTRATION is out of control. Still, even with this dishonest characterization, you can’t deny the underlying free speech issue here. You can have pretty awful opinions protected by free speech, which conservatives always have wanted to be the case on campus. But Ruy dismisses this offhand by saying “it’s a computer class and not a Middle East studies class.” He says this without even knowing the context for the comments of this “student” section leader. Maybe someone else started the conversation? But David Greene, our ostensible moderator, provides no pushback to this. Despite the blatant logical inconsistency between valuing free exchange on campus and condemning speech on campus you find reprehensible, David Greene says nothing. I love NPR. David Greene is one of my favorite reporters. But this show has devolved into one that is allowing talking heads to say their favorite talking points with no pushback. Even when what they say is blatantly false. That isn’t news. That isn’t debate. That’s just propaganda. That’s not what I listen to NPR for.”

Oh my goodness … it’s tough being a congressman in this polarized world. I’ll quit in the middle of term. Sure wish I quit every-time the going got tough … Afghanistan, Iraq, life. Serve out your term. You owe to your constituents. Civil servants are pathetic.

I had to stop listening after the regular host who brings a rightward perspective has become more combative and misleading. This isn’t a discussion with multiple perspectives any longer. It has become a show where facts and arguments are presented from the center and center-left to be rebuked by non-sensical arguments and what-aboutisms from the right. I miss the days where the guests rotated offering differing perspectives from within the political spectrums.

This show has become unlistenable. Isger is bad faith all the time and loves to conveniently leave out facts to push her talking points. Other hosts have become increasingly disappointing in their inability to push back. You guys had something good going for a while but you jumped the shark a while ago.

This show is the exact same every week. Absolute garbage. They never debate anything interesting. Isgur is such a fraud, bring on some decent guests and switch up the panel like the show use to be. These people think they are so smart with their lukewarm takes and it’s hilarious

I cannot believe that Sarah Isgur is on this week when it is well known that she is advising Robert Hurr. She is currently taking about lying in politics and she’s purposefully associated herself with a liar. Please get rid of her.

I greatly appreciate this podcast and wonder why such shows aren’t more common. I would say I’m center-left, but I try to understand opposing viewpoints as best I can. What I’m particularly concerned about is understanding the far right. I don’t think that voice is represented on this show. Sarah is the voice of the 1980’s conservative. Mo sounds like the 80’s and 90’s liberal. Today’s liberals and conservatives seem much more extreme. I never hear anything mature or rational from these extremes; they both play the victim card endlessly (blaming someone else for America’s problems). Would it be possible to rotate in an educated/rational modern Republican or Democrat occasionally while keeping Sarah, Mo, and David as buffers against irrationality?

The host is disappointing.

Too many of these comments are coming from people who don’t expect a right-leaning host to defend the positions. Let’s be real guys, the host is left, Mo is left and most of the guests they bring on are left. We need her sass and her aggressiveness to actual have any semblance of balance.

This podcast needs a right commentator more like the guests that have filled in. I’d like to hear Ms Isgar even once be able to acknowledge accountability for herself or other conservative subjects being discussed.

Update: 2/23/24 Michaela is great! I hope she is on the pod much more often. 10/13/23 aannnddd she’s back. Glad to hear Mo pushing back, but Sarah cannot handle it - constantly interrupting him and talking to him like he’s 4. Wont be listening again. There are so many others who would do better than Sarah, this pod doesn’t need her snark and condescending righteousness. With all of the negative listener feedback re Sarah provided in these reviews, one would think LRC would want to find a replacement for Sarah. Apparently they don’t. Contrary to the pod’s name, LRC is just another media source that’s ok with giving more air time to one side. Update: 9/1/23 episode felt like the LRC I know and love. Mo and David were much livelier and engaged. The banter was respectful. —— For years LRC presented different perspectives that really got me thinking and challenged my beliefs. Now I can predict what each person is going to say. I’ve really tried to like this pod again but I cannot listen to Sarah Isgor any longer - her condescending tone to her fellow panelists is unprofessional and distracting. She’s the weakest link and she repeatedly compromises the quality of the pod. Mo and David are great, but seem to always let Sarah go on and on and on, long after she made her point. Mo’s and David’s counter arguments are always brief and to the point, but get totally overshadowed by Sarah’s need to dominate the podcast. Hopefully some changes will be made to strengthen LRC, as I see several people have similar complaints. For now, I’m looking for another pod that can fill the void.

Some of the discussions are good, but I don’t know if these three honestly believe they’re anything but progressive Dems-maybe they should look for additional hosts. It’s in my rotation but I’m inevitably disappointed because I’m forever seeming to be on the hunt for balanced views.

Not quite balanced but, OK. I stopped expecting a mainstream conservative opinion on anything other than The Daily Wire. It’s a great addition to my political podcast though. I rarely miss an episode.

But Green’s move to install 2 permanent panelists was a step backwards. And Green himself is a class below the former host. Just not as interesting or insightful as it used to be. But if you want to hear Mo quote the same polling results every week, you’re in for a treat. Reduced from 4 to 3, now from 3 to 2 due to the above reasons. Bring back the rotation and get some new centers. This lineup is tired and boring.

Would be nice to see actual balance and for the so-called middle host to stop blaming right for all the problems and ignoring the totalitarian tendencies of current administration.

I’ve been a listener since 2016. The show used to be interesting and insightful. These days, it is a weekly rehashing of clichés about how “nobody can have a civilized debate anymore” and aren’t we so enlightened as to be doing so? Sprinkle in some junior-high sass from Sarah Isgur and self-congratulatory “fearlessness” from David Greene, whose favorite phrase must be “I feel like,” and you’ve got yourself an episode of Left, Right, & Center. Mo is fine.

This show used to be a favorite, but it’s grown increasingly stale and combative over the last year. I’ll be back when there’s a return to civility and rotating panelists.

One of my absolute favorite podcasts. The frequent hosts Mo and Sarah articulate things so astutely and insightfully, things that I’ve been thinking about for years but have never been able to fully explain. That could be anything from polarization to understanding the MAGA world to the intricacies of the US’s role as the global super power. It’s really validating and comforting (and interesting and educational!). David is calming and kind too. This also gives me great insight into parts of America that are outside my bubble. So grateful for this pod! Thanks all so much, keep it up!

Mo is great! So nice to have a break from Sarah and have a dose of sanity from what’s left of the right. Bring back Antonia respectful and thoughtful!

They all do a great job presenting differing viewpoints with civility and facts.

I would say I am a someone in the center that leans left. This new Republican Party has me not leaning left but fearful of the right. I am really trying to understand the perspectives of the right, but they just seem like to angry to have a civilized conversation. I used to love this podcast. I keep trying to continue to listen but Sarah is just proving the that the right is a bunch of angry people who can’t have a calm conversation without throwing jabs and hate. Please, please replace her with someone that can actually have a calm conversation without all the anger!!!! I truly want to understand.

Great show! Just listened to a recent episode on… our Election Year! I know, big groan, except our Hosts looked at the vast differences in how both Biden and Trump will lead with what they know and feel comfortable with—- AND —- their blindspots. Excellent show that wrapped up with a call to lead with our better-selves… Always a good reminder.

This was significantly better when Josh Barro hosted it.

I need sources on Sarah’s statistics on the young black communities views on affirmative action, Donald Trump, republicans etc. And why must we all think the same? But I love Mo he gets 4 stars from me. I do respect Sarah for being on a liberal leaning platform but pump the brakes on my people.

Too many people don’t like to hear criticisms of their beliefs. If you are one of those people, and you just want to be spoon fed confirmation bias over and over again, this show isn’t for you. If you are comfortable with dissent and enjoy the intellectual exercise of considering it, you will appreciate this show and may even learn something. I like how this show allows you to see all sides of an issue. I truly look forward to listening every Friday. Most importantly, the commentators are super smart AND respectful. They aren’t trying to win an argument for the sake of sharing a clip on Twitter so their followers can see how they went all scorched earth on someone from the other side. They are trying to have real, insightful conversations with multiple perspectives about difficult and nuanced issues. If you don’t like that, then go watch MSNBC or Fox News where you’ll be happier.

Edit: This podcast has finally found its place. The host, Green, is a liberal but does well at finding the middle. The right has be taken up by someone who can articulate a conservative position. The left has someone who can do the same. Below is my old review so it’s good to see this podcast get back to delivering on its promise. Highly recommend you listen if you’re looking for a perspective from both sides. ____________________________________ I’ve unsubscribed. Please find someone that’s a moderate Republican that has some idea what the talking points are. There’s no debate. If you hate Trump this is for you. Let me know when you get people that can have a reasonable debate. You’ve ruined this show. The host couldn’t find the center if he was standing under the net next to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in game 6. This should be renamed the “Left, Far Left, and Left of Center” or “I Hate Trump”. This use to be a must listen to hear both sides of a debate. Usually moderate folks brought a reasonable point from their side and I learned from it.

Sarah Isgur's rant regarding Hunter Biden was a sheer utter waste of bandwidth and storage. No one cares except gullible rebublicans, few of them listen to LRC. Really Sarah, you must do better. ##

IStriking a balance between different viewpoints is always challenging, but it seems like you didn’t even try when talking about women’s athletics.

I think this show is now the best it’s ever been. Very thoughtful and civil. I see in the reviews a lot of negative singling out of Sarah Isgur but I just don’t understand the criticism. Even though I don’t agree with a lot of her politics, she is excellent: smart and insightful, and also friendly and civil, as far as I have heard.

It was truly scintillating radio to hear Kim Jones and host Sarah describe all the ways that trans women will never be “real” women. (As a trans woman myself, I recognize there are all sorts of differences between cis women and trans women, but I found the tone of the show to be unnecessarily derisive and divisive.) Sarah seems to suggest that trans women are never assaulted by men in dark parking lots, and that apparently our bodies are identical to those of cis men. Thank you NPR for taking my donations and highlighting all the ways I will never measure up to your standard of womanhood.

Most reasonable, consistently interesting and intelligent political podcast you could listen to. I see other reviews complaining that this show is “too left” or that “Sarah is annoying”. The point of this podcast is that it has some knowledge and discourse for everyone. Do I like everything the hosts and guests say? No… but that’s the point! If you’re complaining that this show leans too left, then you are not used to reasonable media. Just because the right side of this show does not spout racism, sexism, and right wing talking points, does mean it’s not conservative. Sarah is not your typical republican who you see on Fox, but she is an intelligent conservative with nuanced takes. If that bothers you, then go listen to Ben Shapiro, Tucker Carlson or some other uninformed right wing media nut. This show talks about interesting topics and gives opinions you might disagree with, but at least you’re hearing facts and researched opinions. Most of the time this show is very reasonable and talks about important current news events. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to keep up with political issues.

Used to like to listen to this show. Alas no more. Need to find someone to represent the right who doesn’t reason like a child. No kudos for your claim to a civilized conversation.