Carlos Lozada is a columnist for The New York Times, and before that, the longtime nonfiction book critic for The Washington Post.
In 2019, Lozada won the Pulitzer Prize for criticism for a series of pieces that judges described as “trenchant and searching reviews and essays that joined warm emotion and careful analysis in examining a broad range of books addressing government and the American experience.”
Well, he's now collected nearly a decade of such reviews in what he calls “The Washington Book: How to Read Politics and Politicians,” which was released this week.
“If the art of politics can be to subtract meaning from language to produce more and more words that say less and less,” he writes, “then it is my purpose as a journalist to try to find that meaning and put it back.”
He reads a lot of books by politicians. As he likes to say, he reads all those books so that you don't have to.
But he's found a way to use those books to say something interesting about those same politicians.
So what does Carlos's close reading of the likes of Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Mike Pence, Ron DeSantis and many others reveal about our politics in 2024?
It turns out quite a lot. On this week’s episode of Deep Dive, host and Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza sits down with Carlos in POLITICO's offices to find out more.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Carlos Lozada is an opinion columnist and co-host of the weekly “Matter of Opinion” podcast for The New York Times.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Lost & broken in Congress
The British ambassador spills the tea on Biden, Sunak, & Ukraine
Rahm “the un-diplomat” Emanuel reports from Japan
How evangelicals are setting the stage for Trump's return
Why federal prosecutors may have handed Trump a huge gift
How gamblers, party animals, and true believers are hitting it big in Washington
Inside the debt ceiling vote with GOP Whip Tom Emmer
How Ron DeSantis went from GOP prom queen to MAGA wallflower
AOC’s advice to Joe Biden on the debt limit showdown
Moderate Dem says Title 42 was Biden’s border blunder
Why Asa Hutchinson isn’t scared of Trump, Biden, or impossible odds
Bonus: Live from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner
Why this week’s media meltdown was years in the making – and what comes next
White House Plumbers
DeSantis & the Florida speaker are just getting started. Here’s what’s next.
How Vivek Ramaswamy thinks he’s got Trump & DeSantis beat
Donald Trump’s indictment: Our reporters dig into the repercussions for 2024
Porn stars, felons, and spin doctors: Who will jurors believe in Trump’s case?
What Iran and China stand to gain from an Iraq AUMF repeal
AI is advancing faster than Congress. Here’s why that’s a bug
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Tiny Desk Concerts - Video
The Axe Files with David Axelrod
Left, Right & Center
The Jason Stapleton Program
Podcast for America