Ricochet Podcast #73: The Devil's Advocate
Blue Yeti ·
June 17, 2011 at 3:28am
We begin this week with some more tales from the glamorous life of Rob Long. Then, Ricochet's own Troy Senik takes time off from his duties at chief wrangler on our Law Talk podcast to come by and give us his insights on Newt, Bachmann, Rick Perry's supposed run, and the rest of presidential field. We also get into Palin's non-event emails, the pluses of organic food and close out with an original Lileks composition. All that and a resigning Weiner too.
Now, a Ricochet first: an embedded podcast and links, sanitized for your protection:
- Rob's appearance on Hannity last week is no longer online, but Fox News has kept Hannity's interview of Mark Foley from the same night available. There's a lesson in there somewhere. Thanks to the miracle of embedding, you can watch Rob and Ann Coulter on Red Eye's 1,000th episode right on Ricochet.
- Joe Trippi is a long time Democratic campaign consultant whose client list reads like the roll call for the league of super villains. They include Edward Kennedy, Walter Mondale, Gary Hart, Dick Gephardt, Jerry Brown and most recently John Edwards. He was indeed the campaign manager for Howard Dean and did pioneer the raising of large amounts of money from small donors via the internet.
- Alan Stock is the afternoon host at KXNT FM/AM, talk radio outlet in Las Vegas. He used bad words on the Hannity show. Maybe that's why it's not online.
- In 2010, journalist Bill Steigerwald retraced the route John Steinbeck took in his book Travels With Charley and discovered that much of it was made up.
- Ed Shultz, the rotund host of MSNBC's cleverly titled The Ed Show, besides being a snappy dresser, also seems to have a problem with name calling. See a shrink, Ed. And then see a tailor.
- Spoiler alert: Lileks' ode to Howard Dean is waiting for you at the end of the podcast.
- We'll be doing a live chat on Ricochet with Ann Coulter on June 29th. Don't know the exact time yet, but it will be around the dinner hour on the west coast. You can get ready by buying her book Demonic and prepping your questions for her.
- Anthony Weiner resigned while we were recording the podcast this morning. Coincidence? We think not. The New York Post will surely miss him most of all.
- Ex-Ricochet member (apparently) Wim de Vriend feels that there is far too much giggling on the Steyn/Goldberg/Long podcast. Fair enough. We had a really good joke for this link, but now you'll never read it.
- Ever wonder what life would be like behind the wheel of an 18-wheeler? Listen to Dave Carter's audio essay The View From the Cab and wonder no more.
- Troy Senik has one of the toughest jobs at Ricochet: keeping the loquacious Richard Epstein on and to the point. We're doing a new podcast with him that will be announced shortly.
- Hours ago, TMZ removed the topless photo of Newt Gingrich sunning himself on a rock from their site because they could be sure it was him. Judge for yourself.
- For those of you playing the Ricochet Podcast/Classical Greek Drinking Game, do a shot: Pericles was a prominent and influential statesman, orator, and general of Athens during the city's Golden Age—specifically, the time between the Persian and Peloponnesian wars. He also basically helped invent democracy.
- Obama's off-the-cuff joke about shovel ready "not being shovel ready" went over like a...lead shovel.
- Ricochet member EJHill just did a spec ad for Paul Ryan that was posted on The Weekly Standard. Wait a minute, why was it posted on the The Weekly Standard?
- Not only is Yuri Yarim-Agaev a distinguished visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution, as well as a scientist and human rights activist, he's also now a member of a very elite group: people that Peter Robinson does an impression of.
- John Fund's column on Mitt Romney in the WSJ does seem to burn Peter's "Romney is toast" comment.
- Kim Philby was a high-ranking member of British intelligence who worked as a spy for and later defected to the Soviet Union. A communist, he served as an NKVD and KGB operative. He wrote My Silent War: The Autobiography of a Spy which was published in 1968 and recounts his life as a double spy.
- The Daily Show did an excellent take down of the media frenzy surrounding the emails Sarah Palin wrote as governor.
- Congratulations to Ricochet member Andrew Barrett for winning the highly coveted, much envied Ricochet Podcast Mention of The Week for his post If Governor Rick Perry Runs for President.... He wins a copy of our Encounter Books pick of the week Treason of the Heart: From Thomas Paine to Kim Philby by David Pryce-Jones. We'll be in touch, Andrew.
- While Tim Pawlenty declined to go after Romney at the debate, he has now apparently taken the fight to Twitter. Way to go, tough guy.
- Ben Shapiro's piece on NRO.com Right TV: The 12 Best Conservative TV Shows was adapted from his book Primetime Propaganda: The True Hollywood Story of How the Left Took Over Your TV. He'll be on the podcast in the very near future.
- James' post on the looming flavored milk crisis in L.A.'s public schools should be read by everyone who is or knows a parent.
- Organic food? Sure it tastes good, but you have to put up with a lot to buy it (shot mostly in the parking lot of the Venice Whole Foods, the official grocery store of Rob Long).
- Mexican central bank Governor Agustin Carstens is indeed a long shot candidate for the job of head on the IMF. A few weeks ago, Drudge (among others) was screaming about Hillary taking the job, but the smart money is on France's Christine Lagarde. They pretty much have to give it to a woman, don't they?
- Through a special arrangement with Lileks Worldwide Entertainment, we are able to make his smash single Yeagh! available as a free download for a limited time only. Get it today!
Music from this week's episode:
- Hallogallo by Nue!
- Yeagh! by Howard Dean and James Lileks
The direct link to this week's episode (great for mobile devices!). But be shovel ready and subscribe. Don't use iTunes? Visit our Feedburner page for a number of other subscription options.
The Ricochet Podcast is proudly sponsored by Encounter Books. This week's featured title is Treason of the Heart: From Thomas Paine to Kim Philby by David Pryce-Jones. Available in all formats at EncounterBooks.com.
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Re: Ricochet Podcast #73: The Devil's Advocate
Disclosure: while I do write my own ditties (Jetson fans may enjoy the Uniblab Mix) the Yeagh! tune was cobbled together from loops and audio detritus I had sitting around, and it is to composition what Warhol was to painting.
Sep '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #73: The Devil's Advocate
Ed Shultz in jorts. Thanks for that image, Rob.
Nov '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #73: The Devil's Advocate
Kim "Philbin" is, I think that you will find, actually Harold "Kim" Philby.
Jul '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #73: The Devil's Advocate
Wow.
Who knew that the Venice Whole Foods was so cut-throat?
And E.J., what are you doing pitching that awesome ad to the Standard first?
Edited on June 17, 2011 at 4:15amRe: Ricochet Podcast #73: The Devil's Advocate
Good catch, now fixed. Too often I mix up British spies with morning talk show hosts.
Feb '11
Re: Ricochet Podcast #73: The Devil's Advocate
So Kim Philby was "disappointed in many ways" to find himself living in Moscow.
According to The Onion, the 9/11 murderers were disappointed to find themselves in Hell.
To quote Pete Seeger, "When will they ever learn?"
May '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #73: The Devil's Advocate
Always a pleasure. Sadly, I have fallen behind on these podcasts.
Before the primaries began, I expected Gingrich to end up near the top with Romney. He has the political experience many voters prioritize, and he's skilled at making compelling arguments (though that skill works against him when he's wrong, digging himself deeper by lingering on his mistakes). I'm surprised he's polling as poorly as he is. If Troy is right that Newt will remain in the race, I still think he will move up in the polls.
Bachmann, Cain, Perry (if he runs), Ron Paul — they are all fighting for the voters who want drastic change and want it now. Romney, Pawlenty and Gingrich suit those looking for political experience and a long-term strategy without a loud and abrupt confrontation with America's entitlement junkies. Palin is a wild card. If she runs, she will color all candidates around her.
How will Obama's team craft his image? The answer is obvious: they will lie and demonize, as always. I also agree with Peter that Bush will be mentioned... though perhaps only as part of Obama's own impulsive outbursts.
May '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #73: The Devil's Advocate
If Palin does not enter the race, I hope that she remains outspoken and does not endorse anyone. The lamestream media will not take their eyes off her. Even past the point at which everyone knows she's not running, the Left hates her with so much passion that they would continue to report on her... and those stories would distract from their assaults on the Republican candidates. If Palin does not run for President and yet does not return home to a quiet life, the Left will tie themselves in knots trying to shoo her away.
Oct '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #73: The Devil's Advocate
What do you thinkg about this historical analogy:
Bush = Hoover
Obama = FDR
Bush created the TARP bailouts, Hoover the tax increases, government spending, and trade restrictions.
Since none of FDR's policies ended the Great Depression, and none of Obama's policies are working either, there is great symmetry. Obama expanded the welfare state with Obamacare, and strangled the financial sector with Dodd-Frank. FDR created Social Security and did banking reform.
The largest problem is the uninformed voter. Even today with talk radio, Foxnews, Ricochet and National Review, most people vote on personalities. If Republicans put up inauthentic and moderate candidates like Romney (Alf Landon), we are doomed.
Aug '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #73: The Devil's Advocate
Ken Sweeney: What do you thinkg about this historical analogy:
Bush = Hoover
Obama = FDR
Personally, I've been feeling the analogy ever since Obama won the election.
Have you read Shales' The Forgotten Man?
Jul '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #73: The Devil's Advocate
Midget Faded Rattlesnake
Ken Sweeney: What do you thinkg about this historical analogy:
Bush = Hoover
Obama = FDR
Personally, I've been feeling the analogy ever since Obama won the election.
Have you read Shales' The Forgotten Man? · Jun 16 at 9:13pm
Barry is Hoover.
McCain was right about that, if not much else besides the "Surge."
He's an incompetent, reactionary, protectionist, commitment-phobic, meddling, mostly well-meaning buffoon.
W fit some, but not all, of those descriptions.
May '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #73: The Devil's Advocate
Kim Philby was portrayed by Tom Hollander in the excellent TNT miniseries The Company (seen at 1:04 and ominously at 1:39 of the trailer). The six part series starts out at Langley before he is discovered as a mole. It focuses on the paranoia all around him while he maintained the absolute trust of his closest friends and colleagues.
Near the end of the series, years after his defection, his former cutout in Washington pays him a social visit in his humble Moscow apartment. Hollander subtly expresses Philby's disappointment you talked about in the podcast as he prepares his friend a martini:
Even as he says those words it is apparent that the people's paradise is not as he expected.
It's available on Netflix, by the way.
Edited on June 17, 2011 at 7:56amMar '11
Re: Ricochet Podcast #73: The Devil's Advocate
Mr B. Yeti, you didn't happen across a link to the particular Palin email that Rob mentioned, did you? The one she wrote to family and friends regarding the birth of Trig?
Oct '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #73: The Devil's Advocate
I am not he, but it is included in this article. (By the way, typing 'Palin Trig Email' into the Google search box is pretty frightening. The sheer amount of bile...)
May '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #73: The Devil's Advocate
The Dean Scream kerfuffle was not unfair to Dean. I keep hearing that, but seeing it live was shocking. I was in a hotel room typing away on some accounting stuff, and had the live coverage on a very low volume in case anything happened. Midway through his list of states, I sat bolt upright in bed, reaching for the remote. Then came the Scream. Un-be-lievable. The phrase slack-jawed perplexity springs to mind.
I had never seen anything like it in an American political speech. The attention paid to it was neither unfair nor exaggerated. That night, he was truly unhinged.
Sep '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #73: The Devil's Advocate
That night, he was truly unhinged.
Dare we say it was Weinerian?
Mar '11
Re: Ricochet Podcast #73: The Devil's Advocate
genferei
I am not he, but it is included in this article. (By the way, typing 'Palin Trig Email' into the Google search box is pretty frightening. The sheer amount of bile...) · Jun 17 at 2:39am
Thanks so much genferei. It is moving indeed.
Jul '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #73: The Devil's Advocate
"I went to cooking school, I cooked" Rob Long
Hmmm .... I think I would like to hear more about that.
Mr Long?
Oct '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #73: The Devil's Advocate
Midget Faded Rattlesnake
Ken Sweeney: What do you thinkg about this historical analogy:
Bush = Hoover
Obama = FDR
Personally, I've been feeling the analogy ever since Obama won the election.
Have you read Shales' The Forgotten Man? · Jun 16 at 9:13pm
Yes I loved "The Forgotten Man," as well as Jonah's "LIberal Fascism." Both should be required reading for all Americans during these economic times.
May '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #73: The Devil's Advocate
And because old ombudsmen never die, it should be noted that the topless photo was not Newt Gingrich, just some chubby old Euro guy with a lot of white hair. TMZ removed the post and retracted.