by

Tim Ferriss

Ezra Klein — From College Blogger to Political Powerhouse (#208)

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Ezra Klein

“The things that I wanted and didn’t get are extreme blessings.”
— Ezra Klein

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein) is founder and editor-in-chief of Vox, an explanatory news organization that now reaches more than 100 million people each month through articles, videos, newsletters, and podcasts. Previously, he was a columnist and editor at The Washington Post, a policy analyst at MSNBC, and a contributor to Bloomberg. He was named one of the 50 most powerful people in Washington by GQ.

He’s written for The New Yorker and The New York Review of Books, and his primary podcast, The Ezra Klein Show, is a long-form interview show where he talks to the smartest people he can find, including past guests like Bill Gates, Rachel Maddow, Andrew Sullivan, Atul Gawande, Slack founder Stewart Butterfield, The Daily Show‘s Trevor Noah, and more. He also co-hosts The Weeds, a weekly policy podcast with his colleagues Matt Yglesias, and Sarah Kliff.

In this episode, we discuss:

  • Influencing the rules of the game by which this country is run (overall politics — not partisan)
  • How Ezra lost 60 pounds
  • Ezra’s ascension into the ranks of the most respected media companies in the world
  • And much, much more

Please enjoy my conversation with Ezra Klein!

You can find the transcript of this episode here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

#208: Ezra Klein — From College Blogger to Political Powerhouse

Want to hear a podcast with another media mogul involved in politics? Listen to my conversation with Glenn Beck. In this episode, we discuss hitting rock bottom, Orson Welles, and finding common ground during debates.

#69: Inside the Mind of Glenn Beck Is…Walt Disney and Orson Welles?

QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Selected Links from the Episode

  • Connect with Ezra Klein:

Twitter | Vox | The Ezra Klein Show | The Weeds | Facebook

Show Notes

  • Setting the tone. [07:24]
  • Ezra tells us about being bullied as a kid, and the way context decides people’s lives. [07:56]
  • Advice Ezra would give to his younger self during this time. [11:26]
  • How Ezra went from being a below average student in high school to excelling in college. [12:42]
  • Ezra counts himself lucky for having a second chance with education. [16:45]
  • Ezra talks about being rejected as a writer for City on a Hill Press, and why this rejection turned out to be a blessing. [19:22]
  • On absorbing information and coming up with ideas. [23:47]
  • What prompted Ezra to lose 60 pounds — and how he did it — as a sophomore in high school? [25:05]
  • Why Ezra learns best when it’s a secondary activity. [28:34]
  • What podcasts has Ezra listened to most in the last year? [31:02]
  • In Ezra’s opinion, what makes economist Tyler Cowen’s mind “different?” [32:00]
  • As someone who listens to a lot of podcasts, how does Ezra keep from being overwhelmed with input? [33:46]
  • What would Ezra cover if he had to give a TED Talk on something non-political? [34:26]
  • We talk about the ethics of vegetarianism, veganism, food production and consumption. [35:41]
  • Making a conscious diet change is easier (and more effective) in increments. [41:02]
  • Decisions and lucky incidents that helped Ezra go from an audience of 35 daily blog readers to where he is today. [44:41]
  • What makes politics so interesting to Ezra? [48:37]
  • Was there a piece Ezra wrote that he considers his big break? [52:17]
  • What is New Journalism? [53:42]
  • What is a non-state actor? [56:20]
  • Why Ezra loves working with politics but hates working on campaigns. [59:58]
  • Ezra talks about the time between his big break and the creation of Vox. [1:01:05]
  • On merging the techniques, ideas, and ideologies of blogging with the processes, skills, and tools of journalism. [1:07:07]
  • How Ezra poised himself as an expert in global health care policies by the time “Obamacare” became a national discussion. [1:11:41]
  • What approach would Ezra recommend to someone who’s been daunted by the complexity of politics but wants to understand it better? [1:17:52]
  • Is it better to write half-informed comments about politics on Facebook than not write at all? [1:21:17]
  • You have to choose your battles carefully in the political arena even when you’re in power. [1:23:21]
  • People overinvest in polarizing headline issues. Ezra wants to get them interested in the bigger picture. [1:26:43]
  • People underestimate and underinvest in city and state politics — but it’s an ideal place to start for anyone who wants to create change. [1:31:35]
  • What message would Ezra share on his billboard, and where would he put it? [1:34:14]

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