Flyover 42 – Soto Returns!

 

Frank Soto joins us this week; pessimistic about the pope, optimistic about conservatives’ political future. Is Marco Rubio out of the race? We’re done talking about Trump, and — given the prescience of Flyover Country — let us simply assume that this is the start of something. Speaking of which, Rob Long points out an article in which Newsmax declares Flyover Country to be the #1 conservative podcast in the Multiverse. You’ve got to read between the lines, but that’s essentially what they’re saying.

Intro includes a song from Ronald Jenkees; closing music this week comes from Public Service Broadcasting; h/t Ricochet member Lance.

James of England’s Rejoice series, here and here.

Published in Economics, Politics, Religion & Philosophy
Like this post? Want to comment? Join Ricochet’s community of conservatives and be part of the conversation. Join Ricochet for Free.

There are 32 comments.

Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.
  1. F - 18 Member
    F - 18
    @Herbert

    Who is suggesting Rubio is out of the race,  seems he is rising in the polls.  Did you confuse him with Walker?

    • #1
  2. Ryan M Inactive
    Ryan M
    @RyanM

    No, it was a joke based on this post from Jon Gabriel.  We all agree (later in the episode) that Rubio is a rising star, and we’d all be happy voting for him if Walker doesn’t end up having a huge turnaround.

    • #2
  3. Vicryl Contessa Thatcher
    Vicryl Contessa
    @VicrylContessa

    TLDR ;-)

    • #3
  4. Ryan M Inactive
    Ryan M
    @RyanM

    Vicryl Contessa:TLDR ;-)

    Hey, that only works with my essays!  This post is only 2 paragraphs long.  You can listen while you’re in the OR.

    “Scalpel… scalpel … hey!!”

    “oh, sorry, I was listening to these guys talk about Rand Paul … what did you want, a sponge?”

    • #4
  5. Vicryl Contessa Thatcher
    Vicryl Contessa
    @VicrylContessa

    Ryan M:

    Vicryl Contessa:TLDR ;-)

    Hey, that only works with my essays! This post is only 2 paragraphs long. You can listen while you’re in the OR.

    “Scalpel… scalpel … hey!!”

    “oh, sorry, I was listening to these guys talk about Rand Paul … what did you want, a sponge?”

    I’m just giving you a hard time. Also, surgical rotation is over. Now I actually have to think and diagnose people. It’s so much harder when the patient is awake and you have to actually talk to them!

    • #5
  6. Ryan M Inactive
    Ryan M
    @RyanM

    To quote Frank: “Walker’s not going anywhere.”

    OK, so we’re only mostly prescient.

    • #6
  7. Frank Soto Member
    Frank Soto
    @FrankSoto

    Ryan M:To quote Frank: “Walker’s not going anywhere.”

    OK, so we’re only mostly prescient.

    He’ll regret it later when Trump drops out and there is oxygen for other candidates again.

    • #7
  8. Ryan M Inactive
    Ryan M
    @RyanM

    Totally agree. Right now I’m pushing for Rubio/Walker, and that is still perfectly realistic.

    • #8
  9. Vicryl Contessa Thatcher
    Vicryl Contessa
    @VicrylContessa

    Ryan M:Totally agree. Right now I’m pushing for Rubio/Walker, and that is still perfectly realistic.

    You don’t like Carly on the ticket with Rubio? You must hate women.

    • #9
  10. Ryan M Inactive
    Ryan M
    @RyanM

    No, I love women, in spite of their handicap.

    • #10
  11. Scott Wilmot Member
    Scott Wilmot
    @ScottWilmot

    I enjoyed your discussion on Pope Francis – you guys were fair and charitable. My only complaint is that I am burned out reading about how Francis is a socialist and doesn’t understand economics, etc, etc.

    Here is a suggestion, you guys know a lot about economics and markets (I was going to add politics, but Frank dropped the ball on that one). Write the Pope a letter, show him how he is wrong (and cc the USCCB – there are a lot of left-leaning bishops there, too), and best of all, invite him on the #1 conservative show on the #1 conservative podcast in America. You will both benefit from the conversation and you, Ryan, will get a leg up to have him confirm you when you enter the Church.

    Good job as always. Thanks.

    Cheers.

    • #11
  12. Ryan M Inactive
    Ryan M
    @RyanM

    Scott Wilmot:I enjoyed your discussion on Pope Francis – you guys were fair and charitable. My only complaint is that I am burned out reading about how Francis is a socialist and doesn’t understand economics, etc, etc.

    Here is a suggestion, you guys know a lot about economics and markets (I was going to add politics, but Frank dropped the ball on that one). Write the Pope a letter, show him how he is wrong (and cc the USCCB – there are a lot of left-leaning bishops there, too), and best of all, invite him on the #1 conservative show on the #1 conservative podcast in America. You will both benefit from the conversation and you, Ryan, will get a leg up to have him confirm you when you enter the Church.

    Good job as always. Thanks.

    Cheers.

    I failed to point out what I think to be something of an irony – that St. Francis himself lived more modestly than even the poorest person in the developed world, and likely not much different from the poor around the world.  Where capitalism prevails, the poorest are better off.  Where tyranny prevails, the poor are seriously downtrodden.  When people talk about “income inequality,” they’re talking about capitalist countries, but the real income inequality is in these tyrannical countries where the poor are not free at all, and they have no income at all…  This is why I say the focus is what I have a problem with.  The converse is not that greed is good (I’ve argued around here that greed is most emphatically not good), but that if your focus is actually an objective look at the poor, their plight in virtually any tyrannical regime is far, far worse than their plight under any free-market system.

    • #12
  13. The King Prawn Inactive
    The King Prawn
    @TheKingPrawn

    R’s control the state senate.

    • #13
  14. Ryan M Inactive
    Ryan M
    @RyanM

    The King Prawn:R’s control the state senate.

    No, I said conservative.  ;)

    ok, I might be totally wrong.  I am so disillusioned that I don’t even follow WA politics anymore.  Maybe I should start?

    • #14
  15. The King Prawn Inactive
    The King Prawn
    @TheKingPrawn

    Ryan M:

    The King Prawn:R’s control the state senate.

    No, I said conservative. ;)

    ok, I might be totally wrong. I am so disillusioned that I don’t even follow WA politics anymore. Maybe I should start?

    The R’s did hold the line on taxes this go round and got the entire legislature found in contempt of court for not spending more on education. That’s downright radical for this state. Inslee has negative favorability, so there exists a slim possibility that with the right candidate (and the right coattails at the top of the ticket) we could maybe get an R governor. I am very tired, though, and may be hallucinating.

    • #15
  16. Ryan M Inactive
    Ryan M
    @RyanM

    I do not agree with their stance on education, though. We spend too much; the problem is the teacher’s unions… I say implement vouchers and let the free market do it’s work.

    • #16
  17. The King Prawn Inactive
    The King Prawn
    @TheKingPrawn

    Ryan M:I do not agree with their stance on education, though. We spend too much; the problem is the teacher’s unions… I say implement vouchers and let the free market do it’s work.

    We’re hamstrung by the state supreme court’s interpretation of the state constitution on education. It would take some pretty heavy lifting to make it right.

    • #17
  18. Ryan M Inactive
    Ryan M
    @RyanM

    I gave up when Sanders lost his seat on the court.

    • #18
  19. Kaladin Inactive
    Kaladin
    @Kaladin

    Yeah Frank, I think there was more to it than just consolidating anti Trump forces. Troy Senik makes the point over in the Walker is gone thread that dropping out this early smells like his heart wasn’t in it. This is exactly what I was thinking. Maybe he saw the writing in the wall, but maybe the the campaign criticism coincided with him thinking perhaps he would rather support someone else than be the man himself.
    Either way, if I were a remaining candidate I would be on the horn with Walker. He still has a lot of support if our Ricochet micro community is any indication.

    • #19
  20. John Penfold Member
    John Penfold
    @IWalton

    Republicans continue to accept the blame for “shutting down the government” should Obama veto PP funding or something else.  And they say they’ll get blamed because the media will blame them.  And that as bad, condescending obnoxious as Obama is, people love him and hate Republicans.  A few points.  1)  It is Republicans who talk about not shutting down the government.  Instead they should say, they do not think Obama will shut down the government in order to defend abortion, or selling baby parts.   2)  You can’t win something with nothing.  Allowing Obama’s veto threat to shut down the Republicans is doing nothing.  3)  The people hate the Republicans because the media and the Democrats have unchallenged monopoly on hate speech.  Do establishment Republicans really believe that these kinds of vacuums will remain unfilled?  Have they not noticed the hate growing?  Do they think this is because they do too much or because they challenge Obama too much?  Do they think posturing and then caving in is doing something?   Why isn’t this failed habit, this lack of backbone, principle,and  substance obvious?

    • #20
  21. Frank Soto Member
    Frank Soto
    @FrankSoto

    John Penfold:  1)  It is Republicans who talk about not shutting down the government.  Instead they should say, they do not think Obama will shut down the government in order to defend abortion, or selling baby parts.

    And what percentage of the country will actually hear that do you think?

    John Penfold: 2)  You can’t win something with nothing.  Allowing Obama’s veto threat to shut down the Republicans is doing nothing.

    Do you have any alternatives that aren’t lawless or an act of electoral suicide?

    John Penfold: Why isn’t this failed habit, this lack of backbone, principle,and  substance obvious?

    If you die nobly on the hill, then you are not there to fight the next, winnable battles.

    • #21
  22. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

    To sum up the optimism:

    Just wait until 2018, and then we will really see something!

    Somehow edited instead of posting a new post. Deleted and reposted

    • #22
  23. Ryan M Inactive
    Ryan M
    @RyanM

    Bryan G. Stephens:To sum up the optimism:

    Just wait until 2018, and then we will really see something!

    Fingers crossed!

    • #23
  24. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

    I am just tired of losing all the time. Even when we controlled the POTUS and the Congress, we could not get judges through, and we cannot get permanent tax cuts.

    Just not seeing that we will get anything close to like what the other side got.

    • #24
  25. John Penfold Member
    John Penfold
    @IWalton

    Frank Soto:

    You are accepting establishment fears.  I don’t think it works that way and there is no evidence that it does.  They win when we do nothing.  We leave a vacuum and Democrats fill them.  Does Trump get media time because he says politically correct things?  Because he is silent and polite?  Imagine if all Republicans actually spoke clearly and didn’t accept Democrats talking points.  Alternatives?  Speak the truth,  don’t accept their talking points, and when the media uses them, attack the premises.  Make him veto and make statements why he is vetoing.  Then override the veto and make Democrats either support the override or shut down the government.   Preemptive capitulation doesn’t work.  Unified strength does.   I simply do not understand how the establishment got this so struck in their brains from one instance in which the outcome is  ambiguous

    • #25
  26. Frank Soto Member
    Frank Soto
    @FrankSoto

    Bryan G. Stephens:To sum up the optimism:

    Just wait until 2018, and then we will really see something!

    Not right.

    You can repeal Obamacare after winning in 2016 providing we held the senate.  The Dems passed it via reconciliation, and McConnell, Boehner, and basically everyone else is on record as prepared to use it repeal once we have a Republican president.

    Further, defunding Planned Parenthood is exactly the type of thing that can be done via reconciliation.

    There are lots of victories to be had if we win the presidency, but things like serious entitlement reform are also on the table after the 2018 midterms.

    • #26
  27. Frank Soto Member
    Frank Soto
    @FrankSoto

    John Penfold:

    Frank Soto:

    You are accepting establishment fears. I don’t think it works that way and there is no evidence that it does. They win when we do nothing. We leave a vacuum and Democrats fill them. Does Trump get media time because he says politically correct things? Because he is silent and polite? Imagine if all Republicans actually spoke clearly and didn’t accept Democrats talking points. Alternatives? Speak the truth, don’t accept their talking points, and when the media uses them, attack the premises. Make him veto and make statements why he is vetoing. Then override the veto and make Democrats either support the override or shut down the government. Preemptive capitulation doesn’t work. Unified strength does. I simply do not understand how the establishment got this so struck in their brains from one instance in which the outcome is ambiguous

    The outcome of a shutdown is not ambiguous.  I did not inherit a fear of this tactic from the establishment, I saw the polls with my own eyes.

    • #27
  28. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

    Frank Soto:

    Bryan G. Stephens:To sum up the optimism:

    Just wait until 2018, and then we will really see something!

    Not right.

    You can repeal Obamacare after winning in 2016 providing we held the senate. The Dems passed it via reconciliation, and McConnell, Boehner, and basically everyone else is on record as prepared to use it repeal once we have a Republican president.

    Further, defunding Planned Parenthood is exactly the type of thing that can be done via reconciliation.

    There are lots of victories to be had if we win the presidency, but things like serious entitlement reform are also on the table after the 2018 midterms.

    Frank,

    I have been waiting for out side to do something since we controlled Congress and the Presidency. Back then it was “Wait until we get more seats in the Senate, then we will do something. We can’t use the Nuclear option”

    Then it was “Well, we have to get Congress back.”

    Then it was “Well, we have to get back the House”

    Then it was “Well, we have to get back the Senate”.

    Now it is “Well, we have to get back the White House.”

    It boils down to this: I Do not trust Republican Leadership to carry through. What have they done when they have had the chance? Under Bush they did nothing to advance Conservatism. What evidence can you offer that it will it be different in 2017?

    • #28
  29. Frank Soto Member
    Frank Soto
    @FrankSoto

    Bryan G. Stephens: We can’t use the Nuclear option”

    Can you explain to me what you think this means?  The nuclear option.

    • #29
  30. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

    Frank Soto:

    Bryan G. Stephens: We can’t use the Nuclear option”

    Can you explain to me what you think this means? The nuclear option.

    When our side was trying to get judges through, and they were being fillibustered, our side would not use the “Nuclear Option” to get them through.

    Harry Reid had no problem pushing that button when he needed too.

    My point is, when we *had* all three, our side gave us NCLB, Medicare Part D, Temporary Tax Cuts, Homeland Security, the TSA and TARP.

    Did I miss where they advanced the cause of conservatism or liberty?

    • #30
Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.