Remember when Bill O'Reilly branded his show as the "No Spin Zone."

Well, I have to admit that if O'Reilly didn't "spin" exactly, he certainly pushed a certain point of view. Love him or hate him, he was a conservative who fit right in on Fox News' evening shows. 

The closest political show I have found that really is devoid of spin is Mark Halperin's, which has been growing in influence and with good reason. 

Mark is a seasoned reporter with connections up the wazoo, and it shows. He has been around the block many times, and people from both sides of the aisle like to share information with him because he is something of an information broker. Because operatives on both the left and the right want to know the scoop, they share with him what they know and get information back in return. 

It's how politics and journalism used to work in a healthier time when politics was more of a profession for the operatives and less of a war between ideologically-charged terrorists blowing each other up. Think Tip O'Neil and Reagan, who didn't really like each other but shook hands after a fight and chatted amiably enough. 

What are the tells when a campaign thinks it is losing?

Join us for "The Morning Meeting" on @2waytvapp at 9am ET today:https://t.co/c9XFDVEEQk@seanspicer @danturrentine

— Mark Halperin (@MarkHalperin) October 24, 2024

Mark's "Morning Meeting" features Republican operative Sean Spicer and former Democrat operative Dan Turrentine. The conversations are civil, informative, and usually enlightening. Sean and Dan are unabashedly partisan, but not in the talking-points sort of way. They have been inside players for a long time and share their insights without vitriol or spin. When things go well for a candidate, each of them says so. When things go badly, they generally agree on why. 

It's a relief. The bulls**t is so deep in political discussions that you can get lost in it. To have two seasoned operatives sharing their perspective and a reporter of the caliber of Mark Halperin discussing the news of the day, the inside scoop, and strategy is a good way to start the morning. I usually can't watch it live because I am furiously scribbling, but I like to catch it when I can take a breath.

Halperin took a major hit on his reputation because of salacious allegations about which I neither know nor care. He is good at his job and is fun to watch if you are interested in how things work and what people are saying behind the scenes. 

What I do care about is that he is whip-smart, extremely civil in a way that few people are, and connected like few people are. He likes to say to the audience--who can participate on the 2-Way app--that the mood should be "peace, love and understanding," and that is how he runs his show. It is about providing information and analysis, not spewing talking points or even arguments about policy or character. 

The state of play matters, and Halperin, Spicer, and Turrentine provide the goods you need to understand the nuts and bolts of the political scene. 

I highly recommended if you are interested in seeing behind the curtain.