Writer Max Blumenthal, who reported on an attempt by one of the show's staff to advertise at a rally for former Alaska governor and Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, described "The Political Cesspool" as having a "racist ideology", and highlighted anti-Jewish, racist, and homophobic comments that Edwards had made on his blog. The Stephen Roth Institute has also written about the show, noting that "[James] Edwards openly espoused many of his guests' views and during speeches to extremist audiences, including members of the white supremacist Council of Conservative Citizens and the racist League of the South, he gained the support of a wide array of extremists." In an article about antisemitism in Belgium, the Stephen Roth Institute commented on the show's interview with Filip Dewinter, a member of the Belgian Parliament and a leader of the Vlaams Belang movement. "Newsweek" magazine used one of co-host Winston Smith's statements to argue that the rise in popularity of white racism is due to the combination of the late-2000s recession and the election of a black president. Many such groups have been attempting to gain new recruits and increase their political power by rebranding themselves as defenders of "white heritage" while trying to hide their dislike of minorities and Jews. Smith states, "[t]he emphasis is different now. We don't talk as much about what blacks have done to us; we're more focused on ourselves and our own culture."