The Dispatch Podcast

The Dispatch Podcast occupies an interesting spot in the political media ecosystem. Founded by Steve Hayes and Jonah Goldberg -- both prominent conservative writers who left established institutions over disagreements with the direction of the right -- the show offers what it calls a non-partisan conservative perspective. Episodes run about an hour to an hour and a half, publishing weekly with a panel format. Hayes typically hosts, joined by rotating panelists including Goldberg, Megan McArdle, David French, and Sarah Isgur. The discussion follows a structured agenda with labeled topics, moving through the week's major stories with a deliberateness that sets it apart from more reactionary shows. They take time to reason through positions rather than scoring quick rhetorical points. The intellectual seriousness is the selling point here. These are people who take conservative principles -- limited government, rule of law, institutional integrity -- genuinely seriously, even when that puts them at odds with the current Republican coalition. That creates some fascinating tensions, particularly when they grapple with stories where traditional conservative values clash with populist politics. With a 4.6 rating across more than 3,200 reviews and over 600 episodes, the show has built a loyal following. It includes occasional lighter segments for cultural commentary, but the core appeal is thoughtful, principled policy discussion from a right-of-center vantage point.