Rephonic
Artwork for Central Air
Donald Trump
Democratic Party
Immigration
Trump Administration
Shutdown
Epstein Files
Immigration Policy
Inflation
House Of Representatives
Jeffrey Epstein
Holiday Cocktails
Identity Theft
Poverty Line
Elon Musk
Republican Party
Tariffs
Polling
Republicans
Political Messaging
Protests

Central Air, the show where the temperature is always just right. Join Josh Barro, Megan McArdle and Ben Dreyfuss every week for a well-centered conversation on American politics. www.centralairpodcast.com

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes41Founded4 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
NewsSociety & CulturePolitics

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Central Air

Latest Episodes

On this week's show: Mike Solana of Pirate Wires joins us to talk about Silicon Valley. He’s been talking with lots of billionaires who are taking steps to exit California in anticipation of a proposed wealth tax. We discuss how credible those threat... more

On this week's show: Jesse Singal, co-host of the Blocked and Reported podcast, joins us to discuss the shift toward more cautious thinking among (some of) the U.S. medical societies about youth gender medicine. (Jesse wrote on this for The New York ... more

On this week's show: The Bulwark's Tim Miller joins to discuss his recent trip to Minnesota, the apparent continuation of significant but less bombastic ICE operations in the state, and why we differ on the extent to which immigration is a political ... more

On this week's show: Cartoons Hate Her joins us to make her argument that Democrats need a presidential candidate who “fucks.” First we try to figure out what this figurative sense of “fuck” means exactly — “fucking is in your heart,” says CHH — and ... more

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.

The Ezra Klein Show
The Ezra Klein ShowNew York Times Opinion
Conversations with Tyler
Conversations with TylerMercatus Center at George Mason University
The Opinions
The OpinionsThe New York Times Opinion

Recent Guests

Mike Solana
Founder of Pirate Wires, CMO at Founders Fund
Pirate Wires; Founders Fund
Episode: Revolt of the Billionaires
Jesse Singal
Co-host of Blocked and Reported; Substack writer
Substack; The New York Times
Episode: Real Accounts (feat. Jesse Singal)
Tim Miller
Host of the Bulwark podcast
Bulwark
Episode: No Audience Capture at Central Air (feat. Tim Miller)
Donald J. Trump
Former President of the United States
Episode: Presidentmaxxing
Natasha Sarin
Professor at Yale Law School and co-director of The Budget Lab
Yale Law School
Episode: This Podcast Is Affordable
Ross Douthat
Columnist for The New York Times and host of the Interesting Times podcast
The New York Times
Episode: We're All in the Epstein Files (feat. Ross Douthat)
Peter Suderman
Features Editor and host of the Reason Roundtable
Reason Magazine
Episode: Bring Your Husband to Work Day
Nate Silver
Author of the book On the Edge, The Art of Risking Everything
Writes the Silver Bulletin newsletter
Episode: Shutdown Fold 'Em, with Nate Silver
Liam Kerr
Co-founder of Welcome and contributor to a Democratic report
Welcome
Episode: Deciding to Win, with Liam Kerr

Hosts

Josh Barro
Host with a long-running involvement in Central Air, known for centrist viewpoints and policy analysis.
Megan McArdle
Columnist with a focus on economics and policy, frequently contributing rigorous takes on affordability and public policy.
Ben Dreyfuss
Co-host and writer known for humorous but pointed takes; contributes to policy and culture discussions with a distinctive voice.

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 678 ratings
  • Margaret Thatcher

    Francois Mitterrand (who would know) said Dame Thatcher had the “eyes of Caligula.”

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Aidan Finley
    United Statesa month ago
  • Nauseating

    Podcasting’s most nauseating personalities, all in one place. Simultaneously glib, shallow, unctuous, small-minded and smug.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Scooter1910
    United Statesa month ago
  • Well they weren’t 4 year olds

    They kinda made it seem like there isn’t anyone implicated in the Epstein scandal but Epstein and that at the time it was more acceptable to hit on 16 year olds. All of them seemed very strange

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Prime Minister Chalabi
    United Statesa month ago
  • Laughing at the sexual commodification of girl children

    Booooooooooooo thumbs down! Sorry Ross and McArdle I don’t think it is laughable when grown powerful adults have sex with teenagers or legal children. McArdle— you are correct that these girls were just “around.” Why do you think that was? Its not a situations your average teen girl falls into. Actually took quite a network that actual journalists have reported on quite a bit. Need some links for research to prep for next time?

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Butfskyg
    United Statesa month ago
  • Creepy weirdos

    Weird people arguing men used to be able to have sex with underage girls without any serious repercussions and therefore we shouldn’t judge those who were hanging out with Epstein knowing he was being sexual with underage girls? I’ll pass

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    grossdothat
    United Statesa month ago

Listeners Say

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

The show is considered a reliable source for thoughtful political discourse by a dedicated audience.
Guests and topics are seen as timely but polarizing depending on the episode.
Listeners praise thoughtful, sane centrism and balanced discussion.
Some reviews criticize delivery or perceived bias or repetitiveness.
Audience enjoys nuanced policy analysis paired with humor and host camaraderie.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#215
United States/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#76
Norway/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#155
Argentina/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#215
Finland/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#216
Hong Kong/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

No Audience Capture at Central Air (feat. Tim Miller)
Q: Can you describe for us a little bit about what things look like on the ground now?
Tim discusses his experiences in Minnesota, noting the ongoing tensions surrounding ICE operations and the feelings of local activists.
Presidentmaxxing
Q: Do you think he's a loser?
A lot of people who like me are losers, quite frankly, I can say it.
Presidentmaxxing
Q: Are you concerned that Republicans might be at risk of being mogged rather than doing the mogging?
I do think it's a problem. I think it's a tremendous problem because Gavin Newsom is a handsome man.
Presidentmaxxing
Q: Should the secret service be looks maxing?
It's a very good question. I mean, don't you want like an attractive looking guard?
We're All in the Epstein Files (feat. Ross Douthat)
Q: So Ross, you have a column this week saying that we need to pay more attention to AI, which I broadly agree with, but I don't know what to do with the instruction. Do you want to explain what Malt Book is?
Mold Book is a good case study where it is essentially, to put it in the crudest possible terms, it was a website where AI agents were communicating with one another. It was a social network for artificial intelligence.

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 Central Air

What is Central Air about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A politics-focused show that centers centrist to center-left perspectives on current American policy, economics, and culture. Episodes frequently cover immigration, inflation, federal policy, and political strategy, often featuring spirited debates among three regular hosts and a rotating string of guests. Notable strengths include a willingness to challenge conventional wisdom with nuanced takes, sharp humor, and a mix of policy analysis with cultural commentary. The format tends to balance rigorous discussion with accessible banter, making it appealing to listeners who want thoughtful but approachable political discourse and perspectives from established columnists and policy minds.

Where can I find podcast stats for Central Air?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Central Air. 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 Central Air and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Central Air get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Central Air, 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 Central Air?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Central Air, 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 Central Air have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Central Air 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 Central Air?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Central Air:

1. Interesting Times with Ross Douthat
2. The Ezra Klein Show
3. Conversations with Tyler
4. The Opinions
5. Plain English with Derek Thompson

How many episodes of Central Air are there?

Central Air launched 4 years ago and published 41 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 Central Air?

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 Central Air?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Central Air 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 Central Air?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Central Air. 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 Central Air?

Recent guests on Central Air include:

1. Mike Solana
2. Jesse Singal
3. Tim Miller
4. Donald J. Trump
5. Natasha Sarin
6. Ross Douthat
7. Peter Suderman
8. Nate Silver

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