Iowa WONKS!

Iowa is known for its first-in-the-nation caucuses, but only WONKS! has the infamous war stories of the political wannabes as they out-huckster the midway barkers for Iowans’ attention. Enjoy!

He’s best known for being Stormy Daniels’ attorney, but Michael Avenatti is at the Iowa State Fair, doing what candidates do, hanging with local Democratic political operatives and seeing if there’s …

The chemistry & conflict of sports goes beyond the teams and events. It's in the media coverage. It's in the administration by owners, coaches and boards. It's even among the athletes themselves. In …

Our May WONKS! looked at "Women & Politics" and we focused on the experiences of our panelists. In this Wee WONKS!, Bonnie Campbell may surprise you with her assessment of future female empowerment.

WONKS! Questioners Ann Selzer and Kay Henderson - both successful in their fields - talk of their experience with gender prejudice and whether they feel they've reached the "mountaintop."

Mary Kramer was invited to be one of the panelists for the WONKS! "Women & Politics" show in May. You may know we record our podcasts at the Noce Jazz Cabaret, where there is always a piano present. …

Five Democrats running for Governor have their say in the final debate before the Iowa Primary. WONKS! Regulars Matt Paul, Matt Strawn and Ann Selzer join Kevin Cooney to see who got the hits, errors…

A former president of the Iowa Senate and former Iowa Attorney General join two experienced political campaign experts to assess the past, present, and future of women in Iowa politics. With Mary Kra…

Previewing our Women & Politics WONKS!, some thoughts on women and how they are treated differently in the political world. With Ambassador Mary Kramer, Melissa Gesing, who resigned as head of the Io…

If Millennials are soon to be the “biggest generation,” you would think they’d have some big-time political clout... right? Well, a questioner at WONKS doesn’t think politicians are listening. Why is…

We heard a lot about Millennials and their impact in the 2016 election. Mostly the focus has been on the Sanders and Clinton campaigns. But the director of Donald Trump’s Iowa campaigns in the caucus…

They’ll soon outnumber Baby Boomers as the biggest generation. But who are they and how do they feel about issues? Former Branstad & Reynolds spokesman Jimmy Centers and  Trump Iowa Campaign Director…

Ann Selzer knows the best questions to ask and — perhaps more importantly — the best people to ask! But there’s a ton of science that goes into polling. Money too! These are just some of the topics S…

The Iowa Caucuses attract worldwide attention as America’s first indicator of presidential preference. But these neighborhood meetings are not without controversy, history and humor. In this edition …

Erin Murphy heads up the Des Moines bureau for Lee Enterprises, reporting for several newspapers across Iowa. His career started in the new millennium, giving him insight into the role and requiremen…

Live vans and satellite trucks pale in comparison to the changes brought by the internet. Dave Busiek talks with Kevin Cooney about TV news in the digital age.

They're interesting and tell good stories. Michael Gartner has been listening to - and hearing from - politicians for decades. In our Wee Wonks with Michael, he talks about the good, the bad, and the…

What’s the role of the news media when it comes to covering politics? Is that role different in the eyes of the politicians? Should print reporters be on TV? Are cable news outlets trying to change t…