NEW EPISODE · AUGUST 19, 2026 · EP 603
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Vol. V · No. 603Wednesday Edition
Righteous MediaSince 1776. Est. 2019

The Michael Smerconish Program: Paul Rieckhoff on 3rd Party Candidates After New Hampshire

The Brief

→ Four things from today’s episode
01

Why Danny enlisted instead of commissioning. and what soldier care taught her about leadership

02

The interdisciplinary path from philosophy to psychology to. The interdisciplinary path from philosophy to psychology to law to forensic psychology, and why a prosecutor needs all of it

03

Running an independent campaign while Spokane County burned. 800 structures gone, 60,000 displaced, voters still turning in ballots

04

The toxin exposure story national media missed. paints, insulation, fumes, and why recovery takes generations

Independent voters, like the two of us, played a powerful role in the New Hampshire primary, driving support for Nikki Haley and Dean Phillips. Neither won. But both overperformed and showed the challenges both Trump and Biden will face this November if they are indeed the Democratic and Republican nominees.

Could 2024–finally–be the year in which independent voters get some respect? Or will they continue to suffer the same fate as Rodney Dangerfield in a political culture driven by partisan actors with unlimited budgets and powerful algorithms?

Read the rest of Paul Rieckhoff’s exclusive Op-Ed on Smerconish.com, “Will Anyone Listen to Independents After New Hampshire?” The Michael Smerconish Program, 02/05/24.