Scott Klug was a 32-year Democratic member of Congress from Wisconsin. Despite winning his four elections by an average of 63 percent, he stayed true to his term limit pledge and retired.
During his time in Congress, Klug had the third most independent voting record of any Wisconsin lawmaker in the last 50 years. In September 2023, he launched a podcast, “Lost in the Middle,” to shine a spotlight on the oft ignored political center.
“The podcast was born,” Klug told Madison Magazine, “out of the sentiment that a wide swath of the American public, myself included, can’t figure out how in the hell we got to this place. And more importantly, is there a way for us out of it.”
And now with the election upon us, Klug and The Fulcrum present a series of podcasts titled “Election Countdown.”
Today we offer the third episode, featuring veteran political journalist and podcaster Issac Saul. Nobody does better work than Saul’s Tangle News. In this episode we get his insights on the state of the election and the mutual concerns about America’s mainstream press that he shares with Klug.
Sixty percent of Americans say they are worn out by so much coverage of the 2024 presidential election, according to the Pew Research Center. And then there are the nagging questions of fairness, when only 7 percent of journalists identify as Republicans.
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The mission of “Lost in the Middle” is serious — finding a way to something resembling common ground as a country — but it’s not solemn.
“I’m having fun,” Klug said. “I spent 14 years on TV. It’s telling stories. Getting out there and talking to people. Aside from my personal commitment to the issue, it’s just a lot of fun. I enjoy listening to people and telling stories.”
