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This Week’s Ricochet Podcast: Question Time
Every few months, we throw out the guests, don the Riddler suits (yes, they actually wear them when we tape these shows), and open the floor to you, our faithful members to ask anything of our two founders and James Lileks. You can ask anything you want, on any topic (questions do have to be CoC compliant, of course!). Leave them in the comments below and we’ll get to as many as we can in tomorrow’s broadcast.
P.S. Members, you can listen in live and chat with each other. Wait, you’re still not a member? What the heck are you doing? Join today and ask a question!
Published in General
What do the Texas primary results say about the political “death” of the TEA party? Is the TEA party (I’m not dead yet) getting better, or are the results the reflection of Texas conservatism?
Seawriter
How many Ricochet members are there?
Can James take several minutes to talk about the contrasting styles of Captains Kirk and Picard? I think I speak for Rob when I say, the longer this answer goes the better.
Why is it supposedly impractical to organize a half-million conservatives to move to Tasmania and declare independence?
UPDATE: okay, let me frame that question is a slightly more serious way: what’s your favorite political escapist fantasy? (You now know what mine is.)
Claims like these require non photo shopped proof:
(don the Riddler jackets (yes, they actually wear them when we tape these shows),
Inquiring minds and all that…
What do you think the two or three key Republican messages heading into the 2014 midterms should be, and what do you think they’ll actually end up being?
A (non-exhaustive) list of possibilities:
Edit: My bulleted list wasn’t, originally. Then I clicked Edit, and it was. SHA-ZAM! 8^)
Which of the two founders and James will come to Seattle for a Ricochet meet-up this summer, and when can we plan that event?
For Rob: Best meal, in Europe? In America? (Could be a segue for James lying hidden in there about FoodieDirect.)
For all three principals: Any liberal guest you’d like to have, even if you have to restrict the questions to stop him/her from storming off in a huff?
When are you guys (i.e., Rob) going to do another less-formal, less-interview podcast? Or do you have to wait until Ann Coulter and Mickey Kaus are available so they can go at it?
Any of you guys going to be near Philadelphia on June 4 or June 11?
For James: What he does think the American newspaper industry will look like a decade from now?
For Rob: What does he consider the 2-3 most underrated TV series of all time?
For Peter: What was the most daunting interview he ever conducted for Uncommon Knowledge? Alternately, which guest surprised him the most?
This was a question I was going to pose to the members at large to get their opinions, but since you’re asking for questions, I’ll put it here, in case you have a shortage.
As a conservative, what should I think about the Confederacy? On the one hand, the Confederates were all Democrats, and it seems to me, especially after reading and listening to Kevin Williamson, there is a definite continuity between the Democrats of that time and the Democrats today. So, I could say the Confederacy has nothing in common with the GOP or conservatives. However, I also know many southerners claim that the Confederacy was more about liberty from the federal government than slavery, and it seems like those arguments today are more likely to come from Republicans than Democrats.
Basically, I can see a strong case that conservatives should not think highly of the Confederacy, but my impression is that a lot of conservatives would not agree. What do you think? (This question might be better as a member post. If you think so, just let me know.)
When a conservative wins the White House in 2016 what big thing should he or she do?
YES! We demand attendance. The Philly Meet Up requires representation of the founders of Ricochet in the city our great nation was founded. June 11th preferred.
P.S. Who is your favorite founding father?
P.P.S Which is Rob’s least favorite podcast illustration? Personally, I think he never looked sillier than when they put him in that WWI doughboy outfit. Yikes.
Like.
The most daunting was the very first: George Shultz. Details, if anyone would care to hear them, on the podcast.
What’s going on in Australia? Why is PM Tony Abott so hated by my Progressive friends? Did he side with the hated giant Aussie spiders? Is the Aussie situation a good or bad thing? How does it relate to our situation here? If I don’t know half of all this, how am I supposed to engage my Aussie Progressive friends?
When will the following be asked to be guest contributors – submitting a discussion topic and actively engaging with Ricochet members or at least guests on Uncommon Knowledge:
Trey Gowdy, Ted Cruz, Glenn Beck, Jon Voigt, Gary Sinise, Marco Rubio, Bill Whittle?
And aside from money, why can’t Ricochet have a talk show on television? I mean at least shoot a pilot episode for goodness sake.
I have a BRILLIANT idea for a sitcom, how can I contact Rob Long’s people ?
I’ll ask the obvious question ( for me, anyway): What do you think of a the chances for a conservative anti-EU alliance forming between say UKIP and the AfD [Alternative fuer Deutschland] after these EU election results?
I bought my suit from Matthew Lesko.
Yes. I asked that question two podcasts ago and never got an answer..
Unimpressed unless you paid for it with free money from the government.
Funny you shd ask. I mentioned this to Ted Cruz just last Friday–he was on a swing through California–only to learn that the Blue Yeti had already been in touch with his office. The good senator plans to be on a podcast next month.
For all hosts:
What cultural issue have you long wanted to rant on but never had the opportunity?
Where’s a place you’ve visited that was just the worst?
Okay, I’ll bite. Assume that one of the biggest polling companies in America gives you the chance to ask a question (or maybe two or three) of your fellow citizens, and that this will be a large enough sample that no one could wave it away. What is the question, what are the permitted responses, and what would the results tell you about America?
No push-polling, no overt political subjects, no hot-button issues. What would be a good question to expose the psyche of America?
In comparison to massive liberal dominance of most cultural forces has the conservative movement in general, and the Tea Party in particular, placed too much focus on the electoral process, and in particular an often frustrating attempt to transform the Republican Party? Are those efforts likely to be unsuccessful while the political environment is so generally hostile?
Or, more simply, is replacing squishy Republican candidates with Tea Party ones the best use of limited resources? Is there a better way?
What’s the world’s deadliest food, and where can I get some?
Are there any issues that can unite the Republican base and the Republican donor class? If so, what are they? (And I don’t mean general principles, I mean specific legislative priorities.)
Excellent! Thanks, Peter.