This week I’m sending a little shout out to the podcast Pantsuit Politics, which I discovered last summer, but started listening to more regularly just in the past couple weeks. The podcast is hosted by two women, Beth Silvers and Sarah Stewart Holland, who knew each other in college, went in different directions for awhile and reconnected in their thirties around the idea of starting a show where they could talk about American politics from two fairly different perspectives. Sarah is a hardcore democrat and Beth is conservative.

It’s not a tit-for-tat discussion format. Instead, they aim to have what they describe as “grace-filled” conversations where they can speak and listen with respect to the opinions of a friend who sees things differently. The podcast started in 2015 and last year they released a book about what they’ve learned called I Think You’re Wrong, But I’m Listening. I haven’t read it yet, but I listened to the first chapter (which was released as a bonus podcast episode) and will read or listen to the rest when I can.

Beth, the conservative one, did change her registration last year to democrat because she cares immensely about this country and did not feel that the Republican party under President Trump reflects her values. She wants to fully participate in the primary elections, so she did what she had to do.

The primary reason I appreciate this show so much is that it is just so damn refreshing to listen to analysis of current events discussed by two women and two women only. Their conversations elevate perspectives that are too often reduced or ignored. Their tagline is “Keep it nuanced, ya’ll,” as a nod to the fact that very few issues are straightforward. There are always layers and they make it a point never to oversimplify, even if that just means acknowledging the other person’s position as valid.

I also really love that Sarah is a crier, and I say that with full recognition and affection. I am a crier and claim it as a fully normal emotional reaction to anything that drives it. That is not to say that there aren’t situations that merit self-regulation of one’s emotions – there definitely are – but I think that list is much smaller than we generally accept in our culture. I’ve listened to several episodes in which Sarah shares her thoughts and reactions to various political developments through tears. And it’s not a thing. She’s not being overly dramatic or sensitive or trying to manipulate Beth’s feelings (all things I’ve heard people accuse women of when they cry). She simply shares her position with the full range of emotion that the topics evoke for her. To me, it is usually a good reminder of how much political issues really do impact the day-to-day lives of all of us.

Finally, I rarely agree with Beth, but I appreciate her so much. I’m pretty far left of center in most of my beliefs and, though I’m not proud of it, I live in a pretty liberal bubble. It has been so good to hear her voice and the way she explains her views. Even if I get frustrated and sarcastic about certain political positions, I try very hard never to denigrate people who see things differently than I do. I know there’s a fine line and I’m sure I come across as more condescending than I would like to much more often than I mean to. But I try. And Beth is helping me try harder.

Anyway, that’s all I’ve got this week. If it sounds interesting to you, I hope you’ll check it out.