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From a Friend with High Standards
When he downloaded the podcast that Rob, James and I recorded yesterday, a friend (in Manhattan, of all places) dropped me this line about last week:
I admit it. I missed the Ricochet podcast dearly while it was on hiatus.
You guys do a terrific job. There are not any other intelligent, funny conservative podcasts that I’m aware of.
Keep it up.
Ah, me. The occasional pat on the back feels lovely.
And we will keep it up.
Published in General
That was a good one. Funny, contentious and interesting. I thought both Peter and Rob made their respective cases as to whether we are safer 13 years later well. Both had good points, though I tend to agree with Peter more, I thought Rob’s summary of the Islamic Terrorist problem and Saudi Arabia was spot on.
I’ll consider us serious about Islamic terror when we drill domestically, drop the bottom out on oil pricies and experience some ‘weapons malfunctions’ in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan.
I know all you guys need a break once in awhile, but the sun does seem to shine a little less brightly when there are no new Ricochet podcasts for a couple of weeks.
“Ah, me. The occasional pat on the back feels lovely.”
Here’s another: I’m in the middle of listening to that podcast. The intro before the first guest was great! You and Rob going at it passionately, neither of you backing down. Wonderful! Rob was in top form, none of the usual halting search for words; his argument was alive, flowing effortlessly and logically. Great job.
The best parts were when Rob said, “Peter’s wrong and here’s why” (By the way, I thought that particular locution was verboten?) and when Peter thundered, “Let me finish!”
Agreed. The opening spat was excellent. And the part is that the FG Wife and I will finish listening on date night!
It’s the only podcast I listen to. (Ok, sometimes Milt Rosenberg) It’s actually the only anything I listen to. It’s even the only thing I watch on television!
Law Talk is good, too. Even if I understand only approximately in the aggregate to which I am able somewhere in the range of one third to two fifths (or is that the other way around) of the words that tumble from Richard Epstein’s mouth and in general I’m not entirely convinced that he would not, given the time and inclination, be able to use at least half as many of the aforementioned words as he currently does to get across to us, his listeners, the points that he makes, with more clarity, but on the other hand it still, when I reflect on it, irritates me less, that is, his verbosity, than other certain people who employ a similar technique and whose names rhyme with Arak Dalama. Also, John Yoo is great.
It’s the only podcast I regularly defame people for. Well, that and anything Senik does.
I love the podcast for the same reason I first tuned into Bill Bennett’s radio show years ago. Intelligence, candor and good will. This is the only podcast I know of that exemplifies this…like a little kid with her favorite story, I listen multiple times. I feel like I know you guys. I enjoy long road trips from DC to Atlanta with you.
But an unexpected benefit is that the podcast provides multiple opportunities for interesting conversations with my 13 year old son. I can’t wait to play this weeks and hear his thoughts on Peter and Rob’s disagreement. That discussion is a great illustration of how good friends argue. “Peter you’re wrong, and here’s why” may be my current favorite quote for a while. Plus that whole episode embodies an important tenet of conversation at our house – you can disagree, you can be angry, but you can’t be disrespectful.
Thanks for all you do.
What, you guys were on hiatus?
No seriously, I too missed the podcast, I listen to all of the Ricochet podcasts, but the flagship is my favorite. I aslo listen to Denis Prager and Adam Carolla, so you guys are in great company. James does a wonderful job of herding cats as well!
Domo!
You guys are going to need to issue James a whistle.
<> Syllogism contained an affirmative conclusion from a negative premise. Fifteen yards and loss of axiom.
Read “tweet” for the angle brackets.
While I’m handing out compliments – EJ, your defamations are the only defamations I regularly consume.
The opening argument was so great that I re-listened to itthree times so I could get all the nuances.
I love it when my dads fight.
James is getting so good at his commercial segues that the almost-silent sniggering on the podcast is all that is needed as commentary.
This is now my ringtone.
Oh that is awesome! I envisioned Peter untying the sweater from his neck and slamming it down on the desk!
Well I love the podcasts and look forward to the end of the week when they are posted. There some vindication to keep it up from this simple woman in Connecticut.
You know what could be fun? (for the listeners, at least…) You should record two or three “evergreen” podcasts to have on hand for when schedules or vacations don’t allow you to record. I think you could delve into topics like how you became conservative (or were you always?), a favorite president, or favorite book, etc. My friend and I have a ongoing conversation about our “Mount Rushmore of Books” where we occasionally add or subtract from the four books in our personal cannon. I know you guys probably want to keep the focus on events, but I think I speak for a lot of the listens when I say Peter, Rob, and James are pretty interesting in your own right. Keep up the great work.
I was so surprised to hear what sounded like actual vexation from Peter Robinson that I nearly dropped my coffee. The Ricochet podcast is so good because it sounds like intelligent, reasonable people who may (in general) agree but who don’t adopt the hectoring tone of talk radio or British comedians.
Just to be awkward, I want to add my two cents to Peter’s side of the argument. As the SNL man said, Obama has been untouchable among the opinion-formers. I was at Yale in 2008, and lived in New York 2010-12, and it was nigh-impossible to find anyone who could even conceive the idea that one would want to oppose or disagree with Obama. By such means is culture dragged irretrievably leftwards.
Also, I think Rob underestimates the importance of culture. If a gun was put to my head, I rank it higher than economic freedom, which is an over-simplification but this comment is quite long enough already.
Thanks, Peter, for that promise. You and Rob and James have every right to feel proud of Ricochet and your weekly podcast is a highlight for many, many people. God bless you, Rob, James and this enterprise.
Yes, I was bereft last week. Thursdays after work are one of the highlights of my week. You guys keep me going. Thanks so much!
It was great!even though I was a little disquieted about the conflict (I hate conflict), it was so refreshing to have a civil conversation.
Amen!
http://blogright.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/let-me-finish-ringtone.mp3
Excellent! It might be a little too busy and cacophonous for a ringtone but I think it might be a nice little ditty for a segue.
The initial dust-up was fantastic. If our political discourse was conducted with 50% of that passion, erudition and conviction, we might actually get somewhere. I happen to agree with Peter (as would Andrew Klavan, when he quoted Shelley about poets being the unelected legislators of our time), but Rob raised a number of good points & provided the tempering that prevents us from going into unadulterated despair.
One note about Rob’s question to David Limbaugh, which boiled down to: Why is it that when Christians get serious about their faith, I’m encouraged; when Muslims get serious about their faith, I get nervous. Great question. From a societal standpoint (we’ll save the theology for another time), Christians getting serious are more repentant, humble, compassionate and confident without being arrogant. In other words, we are being conformed to the image of Christ. Such people tend to be good citizens. The evidence from the Islamic world doesn’t show the same thing to be true, on the whole. This is not a circumstance for self-congratulation; rather, it is a clear reminder of my utter dependence on God. Any good thing that comes out of me is from Him.
Good stuff and keep it up.