Elwood and Carlton, Keepin It Real

A special Bonus episode with Carlton's friend and former coworker, Anang Mittal. Come along for a special story of a 1st generation immigrant who went from being a college drop put to walking the halls of power of Washington DC. We also talk about the rash of anti-Indian sentiment that has broken out in recent weeks, and where Anang sees this trend going next. Anang's Website Anang's C...

Doc and Carlton take on a weighty episode as they break down the horror of the Cornell 57, a similar episode at LSU, and the culture that tolerates r*pe and sexual abuse. On a happier note, the fellas revel in the GOP polling woes and the increasing panic as the midterms creep ever closer. Their angst is our delight, and hopefully it will be the nation's in 5 weeks Doc's Column on the Corn...

Carlton welcomes Dr. Andy Jackson of the John Locke Foundation to talk the 2026 election, the changing shape of North Carolina's electorate, with digressions on how to fix the broken confidence in elections. Also, since Carlton's Mom is celebrating her birthday, remember to call and text your Mom today. Dr. Andy Jackson on Twitter The John Locke Foundation Civitas Institute Partisan Index

Both Carlton and Elwood are in the saddle to take on two heady topics. First the recent column by Nikole Hannah-Jones on the issues facing her daughter's schooling, and the backlash she has faced. The role of race in education and is front and center in a timely discussion. And the President's recent attacks on the press, with the banning of CNN, MSNOW, and Politico from the White House, p...

In a bonus episode Carlton welcomes Brian Lewis of New Frame, a lobbying firm in Raleigh, NC, to talk the dynamics of state capitol politics, times of old on Jones Street at the Legislative Building, and where Brian and Carlton get it right and wrong. If you want to know how the decisions that shape your life are made in state politics this is a must listen episode! Subscribe to the Do Politics Be...

Summer is ending, and the midterm election is fast approaching. The GOP had the novel concept of having a midterm convention, and it was....well....something. Doc and Carlton break down why the need for this gathering, and where things went off the rails for the GOP in Trump 2.0 The fellas also break down Bo French's racist attack on Longhorn fans of Indian descent, and where each party has it's i...

After a week off for the Labor Day Doc and Carlton return for a heavy discussion on the world September 11, 2001 created. The anniversary offers a time of reflection for where we were, where we have been, and what it all means. 25 years offers a lot for us to dwell on, and I hope for those who remember that day we hope it speaks to the feelings this anniversary elicits. We also remember the legacy...

As the Campbell Camels and East Tennessee Buccaneers battled in Johnson City the fellas took time to salute the life and legacy of Miss Dolly Parton. She made her life the sermon of her faith, and became a unifying legend that transcended the dividing lines in our culture. We will miss her life and unifying presence. From unity we turned to the infuriatingly dumb dispute between the United States...

We continue our dissection of the politics of North Carolina and the South with one of it's preeminent experts, Dr. Michael Bitzer of Catawba College. With the wound of losing Dolly Parton still in the shock phase, Carlton and Dr. Bitzer tackle South Carolina's runoff, the road ahead for North Carolina, and the shift in American political power to south of the Mason-Dixon line. Call it you...

A heavy episode, but tackling these weighty topics is what we do on Keepin' It Real. The Lindsay Clancy trial has created quite the conversation in America about the law, post partum depression, and the different lens through which we all look at the same set of facts. Doc and Carlton look at how this trial breaks down on gender lines the way the OJ Simpson trial did on race. We take a journey...

Today Carlton takes us for a trip down I-85 to the Peach State. Joined by Atlanta Journal Constitution reporter Greg Bluestein we dissected the changes in Georgia's politics, the 2026 US Senate race, the battle for the Gold Dome, and talk the Georgia Bulldogs football chances. A mini episode with a lot of insight packed in! Subscribe to the Atlanta-Journal Constitution Buy Greg's Book, &qu...

Carlton welcomes NC Democrat consultant Thomas Mills to the podcast. Thomas has long written that the GOP takeover of North Carolina has provided the blueprint for MAGA's work in Trump 1 and 2.0. This framework provides understanding for why we are where we are, and how we can reverse this American Carnage. They turn next to the blockbuster US Senate race that so far isn't. Democrat Roy Co...

A wide ranging episode that takes the madness of 2026 and asks how the heck we got here. We first look back at the recent efforts to target Dr. Fauci by Senate Republicans, while also reliving the "fun" hits of Covid-19 pandemic and it's lingering effects. Doc and Carlton then take some time to dissect the cultural moment that was the Montgomery Brawl of 2023. Steel chairs, throw hat...

We take another journey back to the Tarheel State as Carlton welcomes Andrew Dunn of Long Leaf Politics to the podcast. Andrew and Carlton delve into the recent changes in the race for North Carolina's 11th Congressional District and what they mean in the race to November. They then turn to Andrew's book, "The Change Agent," and the life and legacy of former North Carolina Govern...

The fellas are back after a summer hiatus, and boy do they have a bit to dissect. The (hopefully) fall of Andrew and Tristan Tate is a beautiful thing to behold, but is it the end of the toxic aspect of the manosphere? The fellas talked about the WNBA weeks ago, but shoo boy there has been some high level drama in the meantime. Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham are the centers of conversation re...

Doc and Carlton return to another tragedy in the Magnolia State as they take on the details of the Nolan Wells drowning. Combined with the Kohen Wiley case, they take on the state's current status along with its pained legacy. The fellas turn to the march of the Patriot Front in Washington on July 4th, where it fits in with the history of the country, and the looming menace of political violen...

Doc and Carlton bring some heavy thoughts about the 4th and 250 years of this experiment in self government. Looking at the arc of America's history we step back to compliment the good, while remaining committed to pursuing that more perfect union. And we bring it in for a close talking about the recent flare up over the WNBA. We talk Caitlin Clark, Brittney Griner, and how race, sexuality, an...

A punchy episode as Doc and Carlton take on appropriate memes, the police shooting that killed 1 year old Kohen Wiley, and the Socialist surge in the New York primaries. An equal parts fun and light hearted balanced with the heaviest of heavy, a journey of an episode for all to enjoy! Doc's Column on Kohen Wiley Doc's Column on the internal Democrat Debate

Another sizzling episode in sizzlin summer temperatures as Doc and Carlton record on the date of Juneteenth. They break down the history of the holiday, it's meaning, and where it fits in 2026 America. One week, two different visions of America emerge, as the Obama's open the Presidential Library while UFC fighters insult Michelle Obama from the White House Lawn. The legacy and current pla...

Doc and Carlton don't tiptoe around the difficult topics, and this episode starts off with an in depth discussion of the Karmela Anthony verdict. This unvarnished discussion also opens up how so many of these cases and incidents break down on racial lines, and how we need to get beyond that. The show wraps up with a review of the South Carolina Republican Primary, a preview of Tuesday's Ge...

Carlton and Doc both come in hot on this latest episode. They talk the (for now) nixed slush fund for January 6th Insurrectionists, the on again then off again Iran War, and the NAACP's call for black college athletes to boycott schools in Southern states that are attacking voting rights. This one offers some unvarnished commentary, so if you're MAGA friendly consider yourself warned.

10 years after Harambe was slain at the Cincinnati Zoo his impact in pop culture lives on. Doc and Carlton dissect the ins and outs of, arguably, the most famous zoo animal killing in American history. Our dynamic duo then delves into the FIFA World Cup coming to the USA, the complicated image that the world has of the United States at this time, and why it's difficult to get excited for what...

Doc and Carlton take on the fallout from the recent Roast of Kevin Hart. They delve into the legacy of lynching in America, some personal reflections, and on how recent the history is to the present. And then things got spicy in taking on the Donald Trump Revenge Tour in the Republican primaries. Doc's Substack on the Roast

Doc and Carlton welcome Western Carolina University professor Dr. Chris Cooper to break down the politics of the Tarheel State. We take a look back as well as ahead for the 2026 election and the 11th Congressional District race. Anatomy of a Purple State - Buy Chris's Book Chris Cooper Substack

Hacks on Tap and former GOP Strategist extraordinaire Mike Murphy joins the show to talk 2026, redistricting, Iran, California, and the gospel of electric vehicles! Hacks on Tap - Like and Subscribe