Politics Unplugged Podcast with Dennis Welch and guest Paul Bentz

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) – Dennis talks with political consultants Tony Cani and Daniel Scarpinato about Kari Lake reaching out to moderates, and a Republican plan to boost pay for teachers. Then Dennis and Colin break down the Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce romance.

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RECENT EPISODES

Paul Bentz: Dennis is joined by pollster Paul Bentz to break down the race to replace Congresswoman Debbie Lesko—a race that now includes Trent Franks. Then Dennis and Colin ask whether we should be nervous about the Phoenix Suns.

Bob Christie and Jeremy Duda: Dennis is joined by two longtime Capitol reporters to talk about how covering the legislature has changed over the years. Then Dennis and Colin make their World Series predictions.

Barrett Marson & Chuck Coughlin: Dennis talks with political consultants Barrett Marson and Chuck Coughlin about the Senate race now that Kari Lake has joined the fight. Then Dennis and Colin discuss the surprising run of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Juan Ciscomani: Dennis talks with Republican Congressman Juan Ciscomani about the ouster of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy – a move he voted against. Then, Dennis and colin discuss the best spooky movies.

Tony Cani and Lorna Romero Ferguson: Dennis welcomes consultants Tony Cani and Lorna Romero Ferguson to the pod to talk about this week’s headlines, including Kari Lake potentially entering the Senate race. Then Dennis and Colin dissect the big Deandre Ayton trade.

Mike Noble: Dennis welcomes pollster Mike Noble to talk about political spending in Arizona and how the senate race could shape up. Then, Dennis and Colin debate the greatest movie soundtracks.

Jevin Hodge and Marcus Dell’Artino: Consultants Jevin Hodge and Marcus Dell’Artino join us to discuss this week’s headlines, including the indictment of Hunter Biden. Then Dennis and Colin break down their list of beloved movies…that really aren’t very good.

Rusty Bowers: Dennis sits down with former Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers, who became a key figure in the fight over the 2020 election. Then, Dennis and Colin celebrate football season with some burning questions for sports anchor Mark McClune.

Kurt Davis: Dennis talks with Kurt Davis, former Executive Director of the Arizona Republican Party, about the evolution of the party and why voters have grown so angry. Also, Dennis and Colin debate the greatest fictional music acts.

Adam Kinsey and Daniel Scarpinato: This week, Dennis is joined by political consultants Adam Kinsey and Daniel Scarpinato to discuss the Republican presidential debate and Donald Trump’s latest legal troubles. Then, Dennis and Colin debate the definitive American rock and roll bands.

Ruben Gallego: On this week’s Politics Unplugged podcast, Dennis talks with Congressman Ruben Gallego about why he’s running for Senate, taking on former Democrat Kyrsten Sinema. Also, Dennis and Colin discuss whether a sitting U.S. Senator should really be referred to as “Coach.”

Chuck Coughlin and Tony Cani: Dennis is joined by political consultants Chuck Coughlin and Tony Cani for a discussion on how the abortion issue will impact next year’s elections. The group also looks at whether we’re locked into a Biden-Trump rematch, and whether voters actually want to seem them battle it out again.

Mike Haener & Marcus Dell’Artino: This week, two of the state’s top politicos, Mike Haener & Marcus Dell’Artino, stop by the pod to give us their takeaways from the longest legislative session in Arizona history. Plus, Colin and Dennis speculate on who’s to blame for killing the Pac-12. Spoiler Alert: It’s not Oregon!

Dawn Penich-Thacker & Paul Bentz: Dennis sits down with Dawn Penich Thacker & Paul Bentz, a couple of Arizona’s finest political pros, to discuss the politics and problems surrounding the state’s school voucher program. Plus, they discuss why Gov. Hobbs may not be as unpopular as one poll suggests.

Chad Campbell: Chad Campbell, the new Chief of Staff for Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, joins Politics Unplugged this week to discuss recent moves and the road ahead.

Jessica Boehm: This week, Axios’ ace reporter Jessica Boehm joins the pod to talk about the heat and the homeless in Phoenix. Then a couple of politicos discuss the possibility of a controversial candidate jumping into one of the most important races of 2024. And we learn just how new Dennis is to this whole podcast thing.

Adrian Fontes: Secretary of State Adrian Fontes joins us to talk about the January 6 investigation and election related issues. In addition, Dennis apologizes to Colin for slandering his musical tastes.

Stephen Richer: Dennis is joined by Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer to talk about his defamation lawsuit against Kari Lake, the former Republican nominee for governor. Dennis also talks to Richer about his political future and whether he will run for reelection or seek a different office.

Doug Ducey: In the debut episode of Politics Unplugged, Dennis Welch sits down with former Gov. Doug Ducey to talk about what he’s been up to since leaving office. They discuss his latest project, MAGA, and the exploding growth and cost of the state’s school voucher program that he championed. Ducey also tells us the rest of the story behind that infamous phone call from the Trump White House while he was certifying the 2020 election results.

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