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Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has jumped back into the spotlight with a new podcast called High Stakes. She will co-host the series with tech journalist Kara Swisher and Vox Media will produce and distribute it through Swisher’s existing feed. The show debuts this week and is timed to run through the midterm elections, promising weekly episodes aimed at “digging into the issues” before voters head to the polls.
The announcement and the players behind High Stakes
The deal is straightforward: Clinton and Swisher on mic, Vox handling production and ad sales, and the show running as a limited series through Election Day. Clinton says “the stakes” have never been higher, and Swisher promises to show listeners the relaxed, “funny” side of the former secretary. Vox CEO Jim Bankoff is selling it as a business play — audience plus buzz equals success — and the company will share ad revenue with the hosts if advertisers sign on.
Campaign stage or journalism? The line is already blurry
Make no mistake: a prominent Democratic figure using a high-profile platform during the midterms looks a lot like campaigning with headphones. Political podcasts often blur news and advocacy, and this one has obvious upside for people who want to highlight Democratic talking points and favored races. Clinton has also been asked to help candidates on the trail, so the program could easily become an on-air extension of campaign activity rather than neutral reporting.
Will High Stakes move swing voters or just hype the base?
Podcasts are great for energizing the choir; they’re not magic for persuading undecided voters. Clinton’s previous podcasting run showed she can hold an audience, but converting listeners into votes requires more than conversation — it needs on-the-ground outreach, targeted messaging, and local presence. Expect the show to aim at turnout and narrative control more than genuine persuasion of skeptics.
Bottom line: a polished microphone with a clear agenda
Call it what it is: a polished platform run by a friendly media partner for a partisan heavyweight during a critical election window. If you like inside-the-room banter and talking points packaged with top-tier production, you’ll enjoy it. If you want straight, impartial reporting, tune your dial elsewhere and watch closely who shows up as guests, whether candidates get soft interviews, and whether Vox treats the series as news or as a political playbook wrapped in a podcast feed.
