Rephonic
Artwork for It's Just Politics

It's Just Politics

Michigan Public
Donald Trump
Economy
Kamala Harris
Michigan
2024 Presidential Election
Michigan State House
Ross School Of Business
2024 Election
Absentee Voting
Republican Party
Abortion Rights
Biden
World Trade Center
Betsy Kofia
Election 2024
Lisa Trombley
Democracy Defense Project
Mike Rogers
Michigan Election Security
Alyssa Slotkin

Politics can be messy. Politics can be confusing. But, that certainly doesn't mean politics can't be a joy-ride. Join It's Just Politics hosts Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta as they drill down on what’s happening in Michigan politics.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes100Founded13 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
NewsGovernmentPolitics

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for It's Just Politics

Latest Episodes

Calling the state capitol “one of the most dysfunctional places” in America, Democratic State Rep. Alabas Farhat joins the pod for a candid conversation about the challenges facing Lansing

by Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta

Want to get political updates... more

We are two months away from the special election that will determine the functional make-up of the state Senate. The 35th Senate district election is an important race that has folks in Lansing wondering what comes next.

by Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta... more

YouTube

Can former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan win Michigan’s governor race as an independent? We break down his rise, Michigan’s swing voters, and the possible shake-up of two-party politics.

by Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta

Want to get political updates from ... more

YouTube

A ballot proposal to tax the wealthy folds, Michigan’s “fake electors” threaten a lawsuit, and could future primary election dates change? It’s a Lansing roundup edition of It’s Just Politics.

by Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta

Want to get political upd... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Recent Guests

Dustin Walsh
Senior Reporter, Crain's Detroit Business
Crain's Detroit Business
Episode: High stakes for MI’s marijuana tax
Hayley Harding
An expert from VoteBeat discussing voting rights and ballot initiatives
VoteBeat
Episode: State of the state’s budget
Jen Flood
Governor's Budget Director discussing budget plans and challenges
State of Michigan
Episode: State of the state’s budget
Perry Johnson
Businessman and Republican gubernatorial candidate
Independent
Episode: Classroom cellphone ban
Rick Brewer
News director at WCMU, covering the open 35th Senate District race
WCMU
Episode: A Michigan media shakeup and a swing Senate seat
Matt Hall
Republican Speaker of the House in Michigan
Michigan House of Representatives
Episode: Inside the House: Matt Hall on a high-stakes year
Winnie Brinks
Senate Majority Leader of Michigan
Episode: Inside the senate: Winnie Brinks on a high-stakes year
Nancy Caffer
Editorial Page Editor at the Detroit Free Press
Detroit Free Press
Episode: Whitmer’s political future: TBD
Zach Stanton
Deputy Managing Editor of News at MSNOW
MSNOW
Episode: Whitmer’s political future: TBD

Hosts

Zoe Clark
Host of It's Just Politics
Rick Pluta
Co-host of It's Just Politics

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 23 ratings
  • Great political coverage in Michigan

    I love that these hosts are still elsewhere on Michigan Radio but I miss this show. I loved the snappy pace and tone and how well it caught me up on politics after I moved to Michigan.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    andrew.conkling
    United States5 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Guests bring diverse perspectives, boosting the show's value for sponsors and guests alike.
Snappy pace and tone make complex Michigan politics easier to follow.
Strong mix of reporters and experts keeps coverage credible and informative.
Hosts translate policy into practical implications for voters and practitioners.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#204
United States/Government
Apple Podcasts
#241
France/Government

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Michigan’s perception gap
Q: How might national political dynamics influence the governor's race versus state-specific issues?
National dynamics are not driving the race yet, but as it evolves, independent candidates could become more prominent and nationalized trends may pull voters back toward traditional party loyalties as the election nears.
Michigan’s perception gap
Q: Is this issue partisan or cross-partisan, and how do different groups view data centers?
Earlier results show the issue crosses party lines but with Democrats more negative; Republicans are more open if there's a solid narrative about benefits and local impact, and independents vary.
Michigan’s perception gap
Q: What did you find about how many voters have heard of data centers in the past year?
Only a little over half had heard of data centers, and among those, very few spoke positively while a larger share spoke negatively, with a sizable neutral group mostly repeating what they'd seen.
High stakes for MI’s marijuana tax
Q: Dustin, do you think this wholesale tax could become an election-year issue in campaigns?
Dustin notes that it could become a campaign issue in districts heavily impacted by cannabis shops, particularly where communities view the tax as an asset or a burden, depending on local retail presence and public sentiment.
High stakes for MI’s marijuana tax
Q: So first, let's just talk strictly dollars. Fill us in on where things stand with revenue.
Dustin Walsh explains that 2026 has started poorly, with January down and February projections from analysts, indicating a multimonth decline and a pathway to roughly 2.6 billion in yearly sales if the trend continues.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About It's Just Politics

What is It's Just Politics about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show focuses on Michigan politics, with episodes covering ballot initiatives, election law, budgeting, and the broader dynamics of state government. Guests range from reporters and political analysts to policy experts, academics, and government officials, offering practical context on how Michigan's politics unfold and what it means for voters, businesses, and educators. Noteworthy are the frequent, in-depth roundtables and the mix of on-the-ground reporting with data-driven and policy perspectives, which can help listeners understand complex issues, anticipate political developments, and assess their impact on the state's economy and governance.

A standout aspect is the cadence of informed debate and diverse viewpoints, often anchore... more

Where can I find podcast stats for It's Just Politics?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for It's Just Politics. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to It's Just Politics and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does It's Just Politics get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for It's Just Politics, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for It's Just Politics?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for It's Just Politics, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does It's Just Politics have?

To see how many followers or subscribers It's Just Politics has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to It's Just Politics?

These podcasts share a similar audience with It's Just Politics:

1. On the Media
2. Up First from NPR
3. The Daily
4. The Indicator from Planet Money
5. Planet Money

How many episodes of It's Just Politics are there?

It's Just Politics launched 13 years ago and published 100 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact It's Just Politics?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for It's Just Politics?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for It's Just Politics from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for It's Just Politics?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of It's Just Politics. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on It's Just Politics?

Recent guests on It's Just Politics include:

1. Dustin Walsh
2. Hayley Harding
3. Jen Flood
4. Perry Johnson
5. Rick Brewer
6. Matt Hall
7. Winnie Brinks
8. Nancy Caffer

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days