If you need a break from the horse race today, here are some great pieces of audio to enjoy that keep with the electoral theme, but avoid punditry, polls and other things you may need a bit of a release from before tonight.
- This American Life's recent "Red State Blue State" show was a good look at partisan gridlock on a local, personal level.
- Backstory is a program about American history, and, in keeping with the theme, they did a show on the history of elections last week.It's full of facts that will make you the life of your election party.
- And take another, shorter, trip back in time with The Memory Palace. Every episode is worth listening to right this instant, but since it's Election Day, you should start with this short piece on Franklin Pierce, "One of our worst Presidents, but, hands down, the saddest guy to ever hold the office." Then you can move on to this installment about a memorial at the Hoover Dam.
- Andrea Seabrook at DecodeDC has put out an election guide that endorses no candidates. Instead, she just talks to smart people about key issues. Check it out.
At 7 p.m. you can listen to WFPLto hear live coverage from the BBC until 8 p.m., then NPR's live coverage (with plenty of local updates, of course) for the rest of the night.
