Last month, Jeremy Hobson — host of NPR’s The Middle — joined Created Equal to discuss the geographic, economic and political characteristics of the “American middle” and its impact on national politics.

Subscribe to Created Equal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

This week, Hobson returned to Created Equal  — post-election — to continue his discussion with host Stephen Henderson about the American middle and to reflect on how middle-class concerns helped drive the results of the 2024 presidential election.

Hobson believes that many voters were hesitant to vote for the incumbent party because of their economic struggles under the Biden administration. He explained that although states throughout the country moved towards Donald Trump in this election, this shift was most visible in swing states, leading to a heightened sense of political polarization between the middle of America and the coasts. 

Hobson also discussed how the Democratic Party’s focus on abortion rights may have been misplaced, when many states had referendums about abortion rights on their ballots this election or in the past. 

Use the media player above to listen to the full conversation.

Guests:  

• Jeremy Hobson is the host of the NPR call-in show The Middle and the former host of Here and Now and the Marketplace Morning Report.

Listen to Created Equal with host Stephen Henderson weekdays from 9-10 a.m. ET on 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand.

The U.S. presidential election is just a few weeks away, and early in-person voting has already begun in some communities.

As Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump’s campaigns ramp up in key swing states like Michigan, we continue talking to voters about what’s motivating them to vote in this pivotal election year.

As part of that ongoing conversation, WDET hosted the international special, America Votes: A Cross-Border Conversation  — in collaboration with CBC Radio and NPR — featuring Jeremy Hobson of NPR’s The Middle, and Ian Hanomansing, host of CBC’s Cross Country Checkup.

The U.S. election special broadcasted live across the U.S. and Canada from 4-6 p.m. on Sunday, with many listeners from both the U.S. and Canada calling in to join the conversation and share how the election’s outcome could affect them.

Watch the video below to hear the full conversation.

Jeremy Hobson is the host of The Middle, a National Public Radio call-in show about the geographic middle of our country and how it’s overlooked, but it also reaches into the realm of politics and culture and philosophy to find places where Americans can connect.  

Subscribe to Created Equal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

He joined Created Equal to help define the American Middle and discuss how it’s perceived, the impact of social media on our national discourse, and the important election issues to watch out for.

Later this week, Hobson will join Ian Hanomansing — co-host of CBC Radio’s The National and host of Cross-Country Check-Up — at WDET Studios for a live, international call-in version of Cross Country Check Up and The Middle. 

The broadcast, titled America Votes: A Cross-Border Conversation, will air across Canada and the U.S. from 4-6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20, pre-empting WDET’s regular programming.

Guest: 

• Jeremy Hobson is the host of the NPR call-in show The Middle and the former host of Here and Now and the Marketplace Morning Report. 

Listen to Created Equal with host Stephen Henderson weekdays from 9-10 a.m. ET on 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand.

WDET will pre-empt its regular programming from 4-6 p.m. this Sunday, Oct. 20, to host a special collaboration between Canada’s national broadcaster, CBC Radio, and American National Public Radio to bring a special international call-in version of CBC’s Cross Country Checkup and NPR’s The Middle. 

The broadcast, titled America Votes: A Cross-Border Conversation, will air across Canada and the U.S., bringing international focus to the city of Detroit. The collaborative show will focus on the impending national election’s impact on the U.S. and Canada’s relationship; and WDET’s distinction as a cross-border broadcaster at North America’s largest trade corridor sets us up as the appropriate station to host this international conversation.

Jeremy Hobson, host of The Middle, and Ian Hanomansing, co-host of CBC’s The National and host of Cross-Country Check-Up, will both be present at WDET for the live interactive broadcast.

Here’s how to join the conversation

Call in details:

• Call live: 1-888-416-8333
• Text: 226-758-8924
• Share your story now (anytime): cbc.ca/aircheck

Show pages:

• Checkup page: cbc.ca/radio/checkup
• The Middle page: listentothemiddle.com

Watch live:

• CBC News: cbc.ca/news
• YouTube: youtube.com/@CBCNews
• Tiktok: tiktok.com/@cbcnews?lang=en

Listen live at 101.9 WDET FM in Detroit, or online at wdet.org.

Or, join the conversation by filling out the form below.