Jon Ward
Verified- Podcast Host, The Long Game Podcast
- Department VP of Public Affairs, The American Property Casualty Insurance Association
Washington, D.C.
Vice President of Public Affairs at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association
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Articles by Jon Ward
RS200 Sailing Chandlery Northern Tour at Budworth Sailing Club Original
RS200 Sailing Chandlery Northern Tour at Budworth Sailing Club by Jon Ward 18 Jun 11:18 BST Budworth Sailing Club hosted the fourth event of the Sailing Chandlery RS200 Northern Tour Series. Six visitors joined nine home boats and the predicted forecast of WNW F4-5 proved pretty accurate, with only the second race being held in noticeably less wind. Race 1 started in a full on F4-5. Dee Osmond & Tom Ellis rounded the mark first with Jon & Heather Ward in second.
Sailing Chandlery RS200 Northern Tour at Staunton Harold Sailing Club Original
Sailing Chandlery RS200 Northern Tour at Staunton Harold Sailing Club by Jon Ward 27 May 11:34 BST The sun was out in full force for the third event in the 2026 Sailing Chandlery sponsored RS200 Northern Tour hosted by Staunton Harold SC on Saturday, 23rd May. Four visitors joined six home boats for the event.
Sara Billups wrote a book for disillusioned evangelicals who don't want to give up on their faith
Sara Billups is a Seattle-based writer whose book Orphaned Believers is out January 24. "In the wake of the culture wars of the 1980s and 1990s, many young evangelicals found themselves untethered, disillusioned, and—ultimately—orphaned as they grappled with the legalistic, politically co-opted churches of their youth and embarked on a search for a more loving, more biblical expression of the faith and discipleship taught by Jesus," she writes. You can order the book here.
Deconstructing Christians who leave the faith are rejecting a "shadow" of the real faith, with James K.A. Smith
James K.A. Smith discusses his new book, "How to Inhabit Time: Understanding the Past, Facing the Future, Living Faithfully Now," which released September 20, 2022, from Brazos Press.
What I'm Reading #1 - "12 Rules for Life" by Jordan Peterson
I'm introducing a new feature to The Long Form podcast, where I'll post short interviews with friends and public figures about the book that they are in the middle of. I don't want polished hot takes about a book someone has finished and fully digested. I want mid-process description of what sparks are flying around people's heads midstream through the book. And I love to know the backstory of how and why people start books. What intrigued them? What attracted them?
The Long Game: Norm Ornstein
He thinks machine politics is a distraction. Norm Ornstein has a different take from Jonathan Rauch and Elaine Kamarck on why our politics is broken. Ornstein believes increasing voter participation and reducing the role of money in politics are better goals, and that the Republican Party is far more of a culprit in creating dysfunction than are the Democrats.
The Long Game: Seth Masket
Seth Masket is the chair of the political science department at the University of Denver. He has dared to say what few will: that for party primaries and maybe all of American politics to be more productive and functional, it might need to be a little less democratic. He and fellow academic Julia Azari wrote a New York Times op-ed in December titled: “Is the Democratic Party Becoming Too Democratic?” Seth is the author of two books.
Fixing Congress isn't a partisan idea. Quietly, a bipartisan group has been working on this.
I talked last week with Yuval Levin about the House Speaker fight and what lessons we might draw from it. This week I've got a different angle on the problems in Congress, and how they might be fixed. House Republicans who blocked Kevin McCarthy’s ascension to the speakership repeated a mantra during the four-day leadership fight that ended after several rounds of dealmaking: Congress is “broken,” they said.
Bonnie Kristian's crucial new book on our knowledge crisis and our "screen-broken brains"
Journalist Bonnie Kristian joins to discuss her new book, "Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community." "We've spent forty years dramatically increasing how much information the average person encounters daily, and we've made no effort to equip ourselves to handle that shift," Bonnie writes.
BUILDER interview: Joel Searby on overcoming broken politics & hopelessness
In American politics, we saw the latest sign of total dysfunction in Congress, as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted for daring to pass a bipartisan solution last week to avoid a government shutdown. Many people are desperate for a new kind of politics, and Joel Searby has dedicated the last several years of his life to that cause.
What I'm Reading #2 - Dan Koch - "How to Think" by Alan Jacobs
Dan Koch, host of the Depolarize podcast, joins me to talk about his thoughts while reading "How to Think," by Baylor literature professor Alan Jacobs. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Evolution denial is a bigger deal than I realized
I have never cared all that much about the debate over evolution. But I grew up in an evangelical home and church. So in my world, the origins of the species were definitely up for question. To me, it all seemed rather silly. I didn't see any conflict between evolution and the Christian faith, or even between evolution and the Bible. But I have known others who said quite openly that if they ever came to believe that evolution was true, they feared they would lose their faith.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen on another debt ceiling crisis in Congress
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D) represents Maryland in the U.S. Senate. He was in the middle of the fight over the debt ceiling in 2011, as a member of the House. That was the first of several fiscal fights over those years. Now, we're back in another debt ceiling showdown, and I talked with Van Hollen mostly about that. If you want to read what I wrote about this interview, you can click here.
Steven Levitsky, author of "How Democracies Die"
Steven Levitsky is professor of government at Harvard University. He has spent most of his life studying Latin American politics and history, with a focus on political parties, authoritarianism and democratization, and weak and informal institutions.
What is Christian Nationalism, and what is it not? With Philip S. Gorski, author of "The Flag and the Cross"
The topic of Christian nationalism has been much in the news recently. Republican politicians like Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Marjorie Taylor Green of Georgia both have claimed the term as their own, and Boebert in particular has loudly proclaimed that she does not believe in the separation of church and state. “I’m tired of this separation of church and state junk,” she said.
A New Book by Ben Terris Shows How Badly We've Misunderstood Power in the Age of Individualism
A new book, "The Big Break" by Washington Post feature writer Ben Terris, is a story of how many institutions in Washington are failing those within them. But it's also a cautionary tale of how the idealism and passion of youth is being squandered in today's politics by our focus on individualism and our deemphasis on institutions.
John Blake was a "closeted biracial person" until he met his white mother
I don't know if I've ever read a book quite like John Blake's "More than I Imagine." The subtitle is: "What a Black Man Discovered About the White Mother He Never Knew" John is a senior writer at CNN.
Talking to Shannon Harris about "The Woman They Wanted"
Shannon Harris is on the podcast this week. We talk about her new book The Woman they Wanted: Shattering the Illusion of the Good Christian Wife I have a particular interest in this book because it's a behind the scenes look at the culture of the church I grew up in: Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland. There is national relevance for Shannon's story, however, because she was married to Joshua Harris, author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye, for 21 years.
Yuval Levin is back with an optimistic take about the lessons from Kevin McCarthy's agonizing fight to become Speaker
Back in the summer of 2017 when I started this podcast, my first guest was Yuval Levin. And over the years, Yuval has been one of my most consistent conversation partners, in informal lunches and on this podcast. Levin is director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). This is his fifth time on this show now. Each time has been a really rich and deep conversation, and this time is no different.
Understanding the political radicalization of Charismatic Christians, with Matthew D. Taylor
This interview is with Matthew D. Taylor, who wrote and created a recent podcast series called "Charismatic Revival Fury." Taylor is the Protestant Scholar at the Institute for Islamic, Christian and Jewish Studies, in Baltimore. We know about the Proud Boys, and the Big Lie, and former President Trump's role in spreading it and deceiving millions of Americans into believing the 2020 election was stolen from them.
Where Have All the Democrats Gone? With Ruy Teixeira
This week's podcast interview (audio above) is with Ruy Teixeira, about his new book with John Judis, Where Have All the Democrats Gone?: The Soul of the Party in the Age of Extremes. It is an argument that both parties have been co-opted by big business. It spends all its time blaming the Democrats for their part in this, but that's because the authors believe the Democrats used to be the party of the working person, and that it can and should be again.
Paul D. Miller untangles the confusion around Christian Nationalism
Paul D. Miller is currently a professor of global politics and security at Georgetown University, and a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. He worked at the National Security Council under Presidents Bush and Obama, and was a military intelligence officer in the U.S. Army prior to that. Miller's book is "The Religion of American Greatness: What's Wrong with Christian Nationalism." There are all kinds of books out there on Christian nationalism.
How Russell Moore Learned to Stop Worrying and Embrace the Apocalypse
I interviewed Russell Moore on the podcast this week about his new book Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America, which is out next Tuesday, July 25. In his book, Moore refers to the "post-2016 era" as an "apocalypse." Now, you hear that word, and you might think Zombies! Both those reactions to the word "apocalypse" have to do with the end of the world. Yet that's not how Moore is using the term. "Apocalypse literally means unveiling and revelation,” Moore told me.
Andrew Whitehead argues against Christian empire with data and his own personal conviction in American Idolatry
Andrew is Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of the Association of Religion Data Archives (theARDA.com) at the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture at IUPUI, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.
Are We Really Stuck With Biden Vs Trump, Again?
Large numbers of Americans are unhappy with the idea of a Biden vs Trump rematch, polls show, but both the Democratic and Republican parties appear to be paralyzed, unable to do anything about it.There’s a reason why.Both parties are shells of their former selves, and strong political parties are the foundation of a healthy democracy, many political experts agree.
David Leonhardt's book joins a chorus of warnings for the Democrats
The 1950's and 60's were an age of widely shared prosperity in the U.S. — across class and economic lines — that have never quite returned. Things were improving for all parts of society during the post-war period, and for all groups including Black Americans, despite the real presence of racial bias and discrimination against them. And things have not improved equally in recent decades. Things have improved since then.
Karen Swallow Prior's "Evangelical Imagination" Describes a Culture in Crisis
Karen Swallow Prior is the author of multiple books, including On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Books. Her new book is called The Evangelical Imagination: How Stories, Images & Metaphors Created a Culture in Crisis. It's out August 8 from Brazos Press. She is a professor of English literature and a popular speaker and writer. Karen's new book argues that "so much ...
BUILDERS Interview: Matt Murphy on how community & music help him fight the paralysis of our times
This is a Builders conversation. I'm doing these about once a month to highlight people who are not just cursing the darkness but are also building up their local community — and the country — through making something beautiful, through problem-solving, and by stitching together places of belonging and meaning. (Thank you Joy Moore for the inspiration!) This past summer, we took our kids to visit WERU in Maine, which is near Acadia National Park.
Yascha Mounk's measured response to the "Great Awokening"
I've interviewed Yascha Mounk about his book The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time, which was released this week. "Mounk has told the story of the Great Awokening better than any other writer who has attempted to make sense of it," The Washington Post wrote in a review. Yascha's book says that we can reach across our differences and understand one another, and that we need to make the effort to do so, through conversation, debate, and relationship.
Congress is set to pass a compromise between gay rights and religious freedom, says Tim Schultz
Tim Schultz is president of the First Amendment Partnership, a group whose core mission is to advocate for religious freedom for all faiths and rights of conscience. Schultz and others say this bill gives something to both gay rights groups and to religious conservatives. It's a compromise, a tradeoff. On the left, there are some activists who say it doesn't do enough, but by and large they say they want it to pass anyway.
The Stanford Free Speech Incident with David Lat
Nobody has covered the Stanford free speech incident more closely than David Lat. He's a legal affairs writer at his Substack, Original Jurisdiction. David is a Harvard undergrad and a Yale law school graduate who has a fascinating backstory. He was originally an assistant U.S. attorney who prosecuted federal crimes under former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie, who of course went on to become governor of New Jersey and ran for president in 2016.
Tim Alberta's new book portrays a tug of war for the soul of American Christianity
Tim Alberta's new book: The Kingdom, The Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals In An Age of Extremism, is a sobering look at the results in history when a religious movement morphs into a political movement, and allows its identity to be taken over by political imperatives and goals. Alberta's book documents the spread of Christian Trumpism, aided and abetted by conflict profiteers who have made "fear and hatred a growth strategy" inside the evangelical subculture for decades.
My conversation with Jonathan Rauch about his new book "Cross Purposes"
Jonathan Rauch is an important voice for our time. He was for free speech and free thought way before it was cool. In 1993, he published a book called Kindly Inquisitors: The New Attacks on Free Thought. It was while reading his latest book, Cross Purposes: Christianity's Broken Bargain With Democracy, in preparation for this interview, that I realized that Jonathan's work over the past few years has been in pursuit of one overarching goal.
Eliza Griswold's new book Circle of Hope is a cautionary tale about placing too much hope in your church
Eliza Griswold's new book Circle of Hope: A Reckoning with Love, Power, and Justice in an American Church is about a church in Philadelphia that was started by a couple who became dramatic converts to Christianity in the 1970's. They became Jesus people. And unlike many others in that movement, they stayed pretty radical. Griswold's book tells the story of this couple's attempt to hand the church off to the next generation. It doesn't go well.
Major Garrett talks about Neil Postman's book "Amusing Ourselves to Death"
Major Garrett is chief Washington correspondent for CBS News, and as he told me in our conversation, he is an "accidental television journalist" who "never imagined" working in TV and "never wanted it." He was a print reporter for 17 years before entering the world of television. Since then, he's proven to be one of the most formidable, best prepared interviewers in journalism. This dude is rigorous, smart, and fun! And you know what? Damn it, he cares.
Moderates Keep Fighting & Don't Look for the Easy Way Out, with Aurelian Craiutu
Aurelian Craiutu is the author of Why Not Moderation? Letters to Young Radicals. Craiutu is the chair of Indiana University's political science department. He is reclaiming a word and idea — moderation — that is typically despised and criticized as weak and cowardly. This is a misunderstanding of what moderation is, he insists. Moderation is not for the weak or the indecisive, Craiutu says. Instead, it is a fighting creed which requires courage, strength, and savvy. It's not for everyone, he says.
Yuval Levin's "American Covenant" is a blueprint for peace-making and effective governance
It is the 80th anniversary of D-Day. I just finished watching the ceremony in France, where they honored WWII vets who still live, and those who never came home. It was incredibly moving. But we can't just look back and grow emotional during inspiring video montages. We must think about how to avoid the paths of division that could send future young men and women to similar fates.
Higher ed has lost sight of mission and purpose, John Inazu says
John Inazu's new book is Learning to Disagree: The Surprising Path to Navigating Differences with Empathy and Respect. John teaches on criminal law, law and religion and the First Amendment at Washington University in St. Louis. He is an expert on religious freedom. And he is a senior fellow with Interfaith America. He is also a former Air Force officer who was working in the Pentagon on 9/11 when a hijacked airliner hit the other side of that massive building.
Higher ed has lost sight of mission and purpose, John Inazu says
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Aaron Rodgers for vice president? What to know about Robert Kennedy Jr.’s running-mate strategy.
For the last two months, U.S. politics was focused on President Biden and former President Trump, as both men competed in multiple state contests and won their party nominations. But Kennedy, who is running for president as an independent, has reinserted himself into the news by floating potential running mates that have drawn skepticism but ultimately the most valuable currency in politics: attention.
2024 election: Is being an alternative to Trump enough for Biden to win a second time? Original
With a general election rematch between President Biden and former President Donald Trump all but official, some Democrats worry that simply being an alternative to Trump might not be enough for Biden to win this time around. Yahoo News Chief National Correspondent Jon Ward explains how the anti-Trump playbook’s record has fared in past elections and what makes the 2024 election different. View comments
Biden and Trump look to clinch presidential nominations Original
President Biden and former President Donald Trump are both likely to clinch the nomination for president inside their respective parties Tuesday in the next round of state primary contests. Trump knocked Nikki Haley out of the Republican race for the presidential nomination last week, winning 14 out of 15 states on Super Tuesday. One week later, he’ll be the only competitive candidate still in the race, as Georgia, Hawaii, Mississippi and Washington hold nominating contests.
State of the Union 2024: What to watch for Original
The annual State of the Union address is usually a ho-hum affair, marked by political pageantry and a lengthy speech by the president to Congress. But in 2024, the event will focus the nation’s attention on a question that has become unavoidable for President Biden: is he sharp enough to lead the country for another four years? 🤔 Will a 'senior moment' swamp the rest of the speech?
The big election news this week that didn’t involve Trump or Biden
There was far more to Super Tuesday than two sleepy presidential primary contests. In Texas, a political civil war inside the Republican Party played out in primary elections for the state Legislature. In North Carolina, the Republican Party nominated a self-proclaimed conspiracy theorist for governor, who other Republicans called “unelectable” in the fall election.
Why Super Tuesday might give Trump a knockout blow
It’s taken quite a bit longer than expected, but on Tuesday, March 5 — which is known as Super Tuesday — former President Donald Trump aims to deliver a knockout blow to former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s hopes of winning the Republican nomination for president. Meanwhile, President Biden is expected to easily defeat his minor Democratic challengers in his party’s nominating contests.
Why Super Tuesday might finally give Trump a knockout blow Original
It’s taken quite a bit longer than expected, but on Tuesday, March 5 — which is known as Super Tuesday — former President Donald Trump looks poised to deliver a knockout blow to former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s hopes of winning the Republican nomination for president. Meanwhile, President Biden is expected to easily defeat his minor Democratic challengers in his party’s nominating contests.
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