HD204 - The Undecided Voters [11:15m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

There’s nothing the punditocracy class (including the likes of Hawke and Dove) hate more than undecided voters. When the choices seem so clear to the media, who are constantly pushing a frontrunner narrative onto a race that is still plainly up for grabs in both parties, those fewer and fewer undecided voters seem willing to be swayed by just about any interaction with a candidate. Indeed, an individual’s pick for President sometimes seems to matter exclusively to whom such a voter is talking to. If they are guesting on a left-wing talk show, they will support whomever the host seems to favor, and vice versa on the Limbaugh show (which means that most callers in to Rush are fed up with the entire Republican field, yet can’t bear to support Ron Paul). Some are straight-out asking for advice on how to vote via the web.

Perhaps most thought-provoking is the idea that these undecided voters are just civic-minded enough to vote, but not enough to actually care.

Hawke and Dove bring two undecided voters into the studio to delve into their minds and find out their reactions to each of the candidates for President on both sides of the aisle. Can either man sway them to his or her side?

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 HD203 - The Independent (Indie) Voter [13:39m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Given the ruckuses in the caucuses and the pendulum swing of popularity between front-running candidates in both parties, this primary season has come to be called the season of the Independents. While the Republican machine appears to be running out of steam and Democrats are on the rise this cycle (turnout for Democrats has increased while Republican turnout has fallen in all primary states thus far), registration numbers for both parties have gone down, while the numbers of “Decline to State” Voters have gone up.

Just what drives these independent voters? Why, despite the mainstream media’s best attempts, do they refuse to be pigeonholed into one of two camps? In this episode of the Hawke and Dove Political Punditry Podcast, Hawke and Dove interview just such an independent voter. Will either be able to sway her to their side? Will she share vast insights that illuminate the reasoning of the independent voter? Is anyone even taking the “other” New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg seriously?

This is not a new phenomenon. John Anderson ran a somewhat successful independent Presidential campaign in 1980, though today he has endorsed Barack Obama. And who can forget the charts, graphs, and Yoda-like appearance of perhaps the most famous independent candidate, Ross Perot? But neither of these gentlemen had truly strong showings in the final polls.

If the blogosphere is any indication, independence is on the rise. Which party will be able to claim these independents as supporters come November is anybody’s guess, though dissatisfaction with the Bush Administration appears to have pushed many towards the left at this point in time. Truly, though, when the November election comes, it may come to be remembered not as a boon for either party, but rather as Independents’ Day.

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 HD202 - The Shock Jock Visit [9:03m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

National Public Internet Host Myron Bunkerling is out this week, and has supplied his cousin as a replacement. His cousin normally hosts a radio show in the vein of Mancow, Howard Stern, or Don Imus, on a small network based out of Poughkeepsie, NY.

Hawke and Dove discuss the many revelations involving the Iowa Caucuses, the New Hampshire primaries, and the upcoming Michigan and Nevada contests, and how frontrunner status still appears to be up for grabs in both parties.

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 HD201 - Inside the Iowa Caucuses (Hawke and Dove go Undercover) [10:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The first Hawke and Dove Political Punditry Podcast episode of 2008 (Season 2, Episode 01) sees Bricke Hawke and Attacus Dove undercover inside the mysterious and puzzling Iowa Caucuses, observing and commenting on a process barely understood and more frequently misunderstood by the rest of the country that in some cases involves secret deals, back-room handshakes, and even the occasional coin toss.

Since only Iowans are allowed to participate in the process, Hawke and Dove each adopted disguises and were in position for their caucuses 24 hours in advance of the actual Caucus start. Communicating by cell phones, we were able to capture their conversation live, as the actual action was happening within the respective Democratic and Republican rooms on opposite sides of the state.

How did fundamentalist evangelical Mike Huckabee and progressive populist Barack Obama pull out their wins? Just what kind of maneuvering went on behind the Iowa curtains? We are proud to present this unprecedented and never-before-seen look into the heart of what actually happens at the Iowa Caucuses. An exclusive, world-wide first from the top-notch journalistic team of Hawke and Dove.

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 HD037b - Xmas Party Aftermath (part II - bonus episode) [11:24m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

A special bonus episode rounds out 2007 here at hawkeanddove.com. This episode picks up where Episode 37 left off - join Hawke and Dove as they journey to a twenty-four hour establishment in order to perk up the soused Myron Bunkerling with copious amounts of coffee, salt, and starch.

Thank you for being a part of the Hawke and Dove Political Punditry Podcast over the last year. We’ve enjoyed talking at you and hope that we get to know you better in the New Year. Won’t you join our discussion forum at http://hawkeanddove.com/bb/?

See you in 2008 with analysis of the primaries and the Presidential race, and other bells and whistles yet to be introduced.

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