Welcome to Party People
A new podcast that aims to humanize “The Swamp” — one interview at a time
Hey there, everybody. My name is Steve Pierce, and I want to tell you a little bit about this new podcast I’m hosting called Party People that introduces you to the people behind the politicians — the staffers and strategists that silently shape our politics from behind the scenes.
I’ve spent the better part of the last decade working here in DC as a Democratic operative and consultant, and what I’ve found is that — interestingly enough — virtually none of the people I’ve come across in my line of work bears any resemblance to the cutthroat power-seekers portrayed on House of Cards or the hapless buffoons satirized on Veep — much less the evil, swamp-dwelling boogeymen criticized so often by our current president.
In reality, these are real people who just so happen to be some of the smartest, kindest and most dedicated people you’ll ever meet — and I think you’d benefit from getting to know them, just like I have.
So every week on Party People, I’m going to sit down with one of these fine folks for an intimate conversation where we’ll pull back the curtain and explore who they are, how they got here, and what inspires them to do what they do.
Sure, they may not be as consistently clever or perpetually perfect as their fictional counterparts on The West Wing. But even though they don’t speak in wonderfully witty Aaron Sorkin monologues (much to their own chagrin, I might add), they’re still good people who are trying to do the right things for the right reasons. And I think that’s worth lifting up — especially at a time when so many of us feel so fed up with our politics and disappointed in our leaders.
Now more than ever, I think it’s important to remind ourselves that the things we see happening on the nightly news or in our social media feeds aren’t being orchestrated by some shadowy cabal of nameless, faceless supervillains in a secret bunker somewhere. They’re the result of the tireless work of actual human beings just like you and me who have families and friends and feelings — and while they may not always make the right choice (or the choice you want them to make), they’re sincerely trying to do what they believe is best for their country. And I think that’s worth recognizing.
So I hope you’ll join me every week for Party People. We’ll begin releasing fresh episodes in January, so do us both a favor and get ahead of the game by hitting the subscribe button right now in Apple Podcasts — or whatever your preferred podcast listening app may be.
And if you want more info on the show, feel free to poke around this website and see what you can find. We’ll be adding more content in the weeks ahead.
I hope you’ll join us for the ride. Stay tuned.
