The Neal Larson Show

5.22.2026 - S4C: Rev'D Audio, 3 Doors Down - Election Aftermath, FLASHPOLL: Data Center Debate

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390029/fan_mail/new] Neal Larson and Julie Mason close out a whirlwind post-election week in classic Friday form: a little Capitol Hill intrigue, a little local weirdness, and a lot of “where are we headed from here?” They kick things off riffing on Trump’s continued dominance inside the GOP—how one endorsement can flip a Senate race overnight—and what that kind of bully-pulpit pressure does to senators who don’t love being told who stays and who goes. From there, it turns into a very “us” kind of hour: poking fun at cultural tribes (yes, even the Subaru people), reacting to a local bathroom-bill lawsuit getting dropped, and taking a caller’s frustration seriously about how many voters showed up to the election knowing basically nothing—while PAC mailers and tiny penalties keep rewarding bad campaign behavior. Then the show shifts into the fun part: Studio Four Covers brings in Rev'D Audio (Jade, Brad, Kyle, Kenny) for a live Three Doors Down cover of “Here Without You,” followed by a quick band interview and a reminder why Fridays are different around here. In hour two, they hit media and politics again—Colbert’s cancellation and the performative grief from Democrats—then dig into what Idaho’s primary results *actually* mean versus the spin. The biggest meat of the episode becomes a flash poll on data centers in East Idaho: callers are split between “we have to stay in the tech race” and “not if it spikes water and power or disrupts communities.” Neil and Julie land in a cautious, conditional “yes”: build them smart (think desert/INL adjacency), protect ratepayers and water, and don’t let insiders game the system—because like it or not, the future’s coming and we need to be part of shaping it. ### Highlights - Trump’s endorsements and the Senate power dynamic: why senators bristle when the president picks winners and losers   - Voter ignorance + PAC mailers: low-information voting, misleading advertising, and weak enforcement penalties   - Rev. Audio live in-studio: Three Doors Down’s “Here Without You” + band background and how to find them   - Flash poll: East Idaho data centers—economic upside vs. water/power impacts, surveillance fears, and community disruption   - Media wrap: Colbert’s exit, partisan framing of Idaho primary results, and what “wins” really mean statewide Let’s talk advertising. When you want to advertise on the radio, you call the station, right? But what about Facebook, Instagram, Hulu, Disney+, Peacock, and other streaming platforms? You could try clicking around, reading books, or taking online courses to figure it out—or you can let us handle it. At Sandhill Media Group, we’re your local experts in both radio and digital marketing. Visit SandhillMediaGroup.com today.

5.21.2026 - Team Politics, Voter Turnout, Truth Fatigue

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390029/fan_mail/new] Neal Larson and Julie Mason debrief a bruising stretch of East Idaho politics and the hangover from Tuesday’s results. Neal talks through his “mental palate cleanse” road trip to Dillon, Montana—part therapy session, part prayer, part 1980s playlist—and the bigger realization it led to: we’re sliding into a toxic “team sport” way of voting where people pick a slate or a brand instead of weighing candidates on their own merits and outcomes. That dynamic, he argues, is warping representation, feeding scorched-earth tactics, and making it harder to stop looming ballot initiatives like marijuana and abortion. He also reflects on how misinformation spreads (including in races where people get unfairly tied to the Idaho Freedom Foundation), and lands on a steadying conclusion: we still fight for good policy, but God’s in charge—and we also need to live our lives, love our families, and refuse to let politics consume everything. The conversation opens up into calls and listener feedback: one caller admits she sat out voting entirely out of frustration over national issues and the “Save America Act,” which sparks a firm pushback that disengagement is basically forfeiting—especially when local races can come down to a single vote. Another caller raises the fog of misinformation (including around Israel/Netanyahu narratives), reinforcing how hard it is to find clean truth in a dirty information environment. Neal and Julie also take aim at low turnout, dark money, and the way “moderate” branding can mask values that don’t match the Republican platform. They end with a practical path forward: better tools and better habits—like unfollowing political rage-bait online, and building a customizable online “toolkit” that scores legislators based on the *issues you actually care about*, using real votes (not mailers, not rumors, not teams). ### Highlights - Neal’s road-trip reset leads to a hard critique of “team politics” and slate voting in Idaho. - The scorched-earth brand problem: IFF-style endorsements becoming campaign poison, similar to what happened with Reclaim Idaho after Prop 1. - Low turnout + dark money + misinformation = distorted representation, even in deep-red areas. - A listener calls for re-centering on foundational principles (Thomas Paine, Declaration of Independence). - Neal teases a future online voter “toolkit” that weights lawmaker scores by *your* priorities, based on actual legislative votes. Let’s talk advertising. When you want to advertise on the radio, you call the station, right? But what about Facebook, Instagram, Hulu, Disney+, Peacock, and other streaming platforms? You could try clicking around, reading books, or taking online courses to figure it out—or you can let us handle it. At Sandhill Media Group, we’re your local experts in both radio and digital marketing. Visit SandhillMediaGroup.com today.

5.20.2026 - ELECTION RESULTS, Listeners react

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390029/fan_mail/new] Post-election day hit like a gut-check. We walk through the East Idaho results—overall a big night for incumbents, with the major standout being Tonya Burgoyne narrowly losing to Jennifer Miles, and a handful of races (especially Barbie Hart vs. Connor Cook) landing uncomfortably close. We also touch the federal/statewide top-lines (Risch, Fulcher, Simpson, Little, etc.), local levies passing easily, and what turnout looked like in some places—especially the head-scratcher of low participation in certain legislative districts where a couple hundred votes could have changed the whole story. But the bigger conversation is the mood underneath the numbers: the confusion a lot of conservatives are feeling watching candidates campaign as conservatives and then govern like moderates (or worse), while voters say they want limited government, lower taxes, immigration enforcement, and protection for women’s and girls’ spaces—yet keep electing lawmakers who stall or oppose those priorities. We talk about dark money and PAC influence, the way endorsements from high-profile “referee” roles (mayors, sheriffs, Secretary of State) deepen community divides, and why trying to solve spiritual/cultural rot strictly through legislation is a mismatch. Then we open the lines for profanity-free venting: frustration, disappointment, a little hope, and a renewed call for regular people to actually show up, do the homework, and vote like it matters—because it does. ### Highlights - East Idaho incumbents mostly held; Jennifer Miles’ narrow win over Tanya Burgoyne was the key upset. - Barb Ehardt won, but by a razor-thin margin—plus discussion of the Harriman State Park messaging hit and PAC tactics. - “Confusion” as the defining theme: voters want conservative outcomes but keep rewarding candidates who don’t deliver. - Concern about dark money/PAC pipelines shaping Idaho politics through “center-left Republicans.” - Critique of endorsements by figures expected to be community referees (mayors, sheriffs, Secretary of State) and how that erodes trust. - Caller questions about voting procedures (spoiled/spent ballots, party call-outs) and how to build confidence in election systems. Let’s talk advertising. When you want to advertise on the radio, you call the station, right? But what about Facebook, Instagram, Hulu, Disney+, Peacock, and other streaming platforms? You could try clicking around, reading books, or taking online courses to figure it out—or you can let us handle it. At Sandhill Media Group, we’re your local experts in both radio and digital marketing. Visit SandhillMediaGroup.com today.

5.19.2026 - ELECTION DAY, Stump Speeches!

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390029/fan_mail/new] We’re in the final stretch of Election Day with polls open and we’re basically counting down the hours until this thing is done—while still pushing hard for everyone eligible to vote to get out and do it. Neal Larson and Julie Mason remind unaffiliated voters they *can* participate by selecting a party ballot at the polls, and we spend the morning taking rapid-fire “stump speeches” from candidates who call in, email in, or stop by the studio. It’s a mix of serious, heartfelt pitches and a little levity (including an HOA “campaign” speech that honestly deserved its own award), but the common theme is giving candidates one last clean shot to speak directly to voters without getting dragged into constant crossfire. Along the way, we hear closing messages from Rep. Rod Furniss on budgeting, taxes, energy, and committee work; judicial candidate Randy Neal making the case for contested elections and accountability; and legislative candidates including James Lamborn, Julie Ann Young, Aaron Bingham, Julie VanOrden, and Stephanie Mickelsen—each framing service, local priorities, and trust in their own way. We also dig into what’s hanging over a lot of these races: outside spending and “dark money,” how some PACs are transparent and others are essentially pass-throughs from out of state, and the resentment that can follow when voters feel like seats are being bought. We end with a strong reminder: turnout matters (sometimes down to a handful of votes), use the election toolkit/results links, and no matter who wins—Bingham County and the region will need to heal and move forward after a bruising season. ### Highlights - Unaffiliated voters can choose a party ballot at the polls; registered party voters must vote their party ballot.   - Rapid stump speeches from multiple races, plus a few memorable in-studio visits (including Superman).   - Conversation on PAC layers: transparent advocacy vs. out-of-state dark money and pass-through groups.   - Reminder that tiny margins are real in East Idaho—turnout can flip races.   - Tools/results links promoted to help voters find ballots, polling places, and live election-night results. Let’s talk advertising. When you want to advertise on the radio, you call the station, right? But what about Facebook, Instagram, Hulu, Disney+, Peacock, and other streaming platforms? You could try clicking around, reading books, or taking online courses to figure it out—or you can let us handle it. At Sandhill Media Group, we’re your local experts in both radio and digital marketing. Visit SandhillMediaGroup.com today.

5.18.2026 - Stump Speeches on Election Eve!

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390029/fan_mail/new] It’s election eve, and we’re all feeling that mix of “let’s get this done” energy and pure exhaustion—mostly because we’re about 48 hours away from the political ads, mailers, and doom-scroll campaign videos finally disappearing. Neal and Julie kick things off reacting to a clip from a candidate who claimed the only “official debates” he was invited to were with “Neal Larson and Julie Mason” (wrong names and all), then used that to call the show biased. From there, we push listeners to actually make a voting plan for tomorrow, reach out to three like-minded people, and remember that first-time voters can register at the polls (with the usual party-affiliation caveats). We also point everyone to the station’s “toolkit” (text **TOOLS** to **208-542-1079**) with candidate interviews, sample ballots, donation info via the Sunshine Report, and Neal’s “party cohesion index”/data sheet so people can evaluate real voting patterns instead of vibes. Then the show turns into a rapid-fire open mic for candidates—especially precinct committee officer races—who call, text, email, and even stop by the studio to deliver stump speeches. We hear from challengers and locals across East Idaho: Neal and Julie hear from a Congressional candidate, along with several legislative contenders, a coroner candidate, and PCO candidates as well. Along the way there’s plenty of inside-baseball radio humor (including a mock “stump speech” for a four-step lawn program), a quick correction about a local road-meeting location change, and some blunt commentary about out-of-area PAC money influencing even small local races—plus a strong defense of the show’s debate format and fairness after being criticized by a candidate who refused to participate. **Highlights** - Election-eve push: make a voting plan, recruit three people, and help first-time voters register at the polls   - The “TOOLS” toolkit: interviews, Sunshine Report, sample ballots, and Neal’s party cohesion index/data sheet   - Stump-speech parade: congressional challenger, local commissioner/coroner races, legislators, and lots of PCO candidates   - Discussion of PAC/outside money targeting local races (even precinct positions)   - Defending the show’s debates/forums and calling out candidates who avoid tough questions  Let’s talk advertising. When you want to advertise on the radio, you call the station, right? But what about Facebook, Instagram, Hulu, Disney+, Peacock, and other streaming platforms? You could try clicking around, reading books, or taking online courses to figure it out—or you can let us handle it. At Sandhill Media Group, we’re your local experts in both radio and digital marketing. Visit SandhillMediaGroup.com today.