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America’s most beloved podcasters return for another dose of politics, pop culture, and predictions. This week, in the effort to defend ObamaCare, if everyone is a RINO, who’s actually a Republican? Also, Breaking Bad’s almost over, should kids have smartphones, iOS7 mini reviews, and will there be a live GLoP in New York City next month? Tune in to find out.
The walrus was EJHill.
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I must say I agree 100% with the utter terribleness of the Dexter finale. When he went of into the storm after euthanizing his sister I thought, man that is not that good of an ending, but when 1 minute later I found out he lived I thought, what a piece of (expletive). In fact in retrospect they failed to do either of the things that might have made it work. Which is he goes down for being the Bay Harbor Butcher or he comes to live a life without serial killing having gained humanity or something like that.
a) Obamacare is here to stay so get over it.
The lesson was you need to win elections to remove Obamacare.
But that depends on young, healthy people actually going to the new exchanges and signing up in large numbers, right? What’s in it for them besides an unlimited supply of free contraceptives?
If they don’t sign up, the insurance companies will lose money next year, and respond by raising premiums on older folk for 2015 and beyond.
Thou dost protest to much about being establishment…says something if… the glove doesn’t fit please stop whinning
You didn’t detect negative inferences? ….
Mask, I’m sorry to be late in replying, but I live in Japan, and just saw your comments.
There has been name calling on both sides of this. I don’t condone it; don’t participate in it; and didn’t mean to imply it. I didn’t think the podcast was unduly harsh to Senator Cruz.
There were some harsh words spoken during the Ford-Reagan fight for the nomination in 1976. Reagan was a successful, popular governor, so most took the form of “Can an over-the-hill movie actor direct American foreign policy?” Reagan’s speech at the convention where he conceded was a classic unifying speech. He actively campaigned for Ford in the Fall. As hard as it is to believe, in those days California was a majority Republican state. Republicans were united for Reagan in the 1980 election.
My only point was that when conservatives agree on a goal, we should be able to disagree on a tactic without calling each other names.
This is the first Ricochet podcast that I’ve just abandoned.
Looking at some of the other comments, apparently there was some talk about actual pop culture. I didn’t actually hear it of course because this week’s lead-in topic was, apparently, Three adults whine about being called RINOs while simultaneously tearing into a GOP Senator without any sense of irony.
I don’t expect you to have your A game on every outing but, that was ridiculous.
My only point was that when conservatives agree on a goal, we should be able to disagree on a tactic without calling each other names. ·12 hours ago
I agree that name-calling from any side of a divide in our camp is uncalled for and unfruitful. I think Cruz/Lee comments were aimed at trying to light a fire under *some* of their colleagues to act (and I think that his actual words have been taken a little out of context and were not as incendiary as some claim). I don’t think comments to others that they need to show some spine and make a stand are beyond the pale.
But this podcast certainly qualified as engaging in this sort of negative behavior.
As a previous poster said it was full of sneering, impugning motives, calling into question the intelligence etc of Cruz.
Podhoretz engages in hyperbole on a regular basis so maybe I should take his comments with a grain of salt but this podcast – my favorite on Ricochet and one of my favorites available anywhere – was very jarring for me.
“Glop for Brains”, would be a better name for this podcast. If Republican leaders are too embarrassed to stand up for Republican principles, they should step down and let someone else take the job.
Looking at some of the other comments, apparently there was some talk about actual pop culture. I didn’t actually hear it of course because this week’s lead-in topic was, apparently, Three adults whine about being called RINOs while simultaneously tearing into a GOP Senator without any sense of irony.
I don’t expect you to have your A game on every outing but, that was ridiculous. ·17 minutes ago
I agree with your summary. But heartily disagree about abandoning the podcast. This is one of the best podcasts out there. They’ve definitely earned a bad episode now and then in my mind.
(Don’t tell the higher ups this but I’d pay a subscription fee just for this podcast).
You didn’t detect negative inferences? ….
My only point was that when conservatives agree on a goal, we should be able to disagree on a tactic without calling each other names. ·12 hours ago
Tell it to the establishment SOBs who tweeted opposition research about Ted Cruz to Chris Wallace.
Good luck gaining Senate seats and keeping the House when you have done nothing to keep your base happy. A little Wendy Davis style TV time does not hurt.
Oh, and one reason for all of the electoral debacles and poor GOP showing is that the GOP before the Tea Party really, really lost its way on small government. Rebuilding a brand is hard.
If it makes you feel better to believe this, then fine. But the battle is now. If Obamacare is implemented, it is here to stay.
Go back and listen to this podcast.
Pay attention to the mocking, sneering, condescending tone.
I did listen to it this afternoon. It didn’t strike me as a “mocking, sneering, condescending” tone at all, but perhaps that’s because I agreed with nearly everything they said.
I’m not seeing much on this thread or elsewhere in the way of substantive rebuttal of the actual points they made.
I also disagree with your premise that Obamacare, once implemented, cannot be undone. I actually think it’s so badly constructed that it’s likely to collapse all by itself. Also, it was sold to the public as the “affordable” care act. If premiums keep going up for the middle class over the next few years, as we all expect they will, it will only grow more and more unpopular.
I actually think it’s so badly constructed that it’s likely to collapse all by itself.
Just how do you see this happening? And how likely is it to replaced with single payer?
I think we FAIL because we don’t really articulate why the ACA is so disastrous–it goes way beyond prices going up (to with Obama and friends can so “no it won’t!”)
Bingo! That is the real fight.
The progressives were never happy with Obamacare in the first place. Their real goal is single payer.
Obamacare won’t work. When it fails, the progressives will make their play for single payer. This could be as soon as 2016, or a bit further down the road, but I’d say within a decade.
This is just the preseason. The inevitable showdown over single payer is the Super Bowl.
I also disagree with your premise that Obamacare, once implemented, cannot be undone. I actually think it’s so badly constructed that it’s likely to collapse all by itself. Also, it was sold to the public as the “affordable” care act. If premiums keep going up for the middle class over the next few years, as we all expect they will, it will only grow more and more unpopular. ·8 minutes ago
Laws don’t just collapse. The entire health care system may collapse. The federal government may collapse. But acts of Congress signed into law by the President don’t just collapse.
I think we FAIL because we don’t really articulate why the ACA is so disastrous–it goes way beyond prices going up (to with Obama and friends can so “no it won’t!”)
You’re quite right, at the moment it’s a he said/she said situation. We say prices will go up, Dems say they will go down (though I doubt they actually believe it), and uninformed voters don’t know who to believe.
My point is, over the next few years, we’re going to find out. We’re going to run the experiment. As those uniformed voters keep seeing their premiums go up, or try out the new exchanges and experience sticker shock, some will start to think “hey maybe those conservatives were right after all.”
My point is: if we’re right about the effects of the law, it will get even less popular when people actually experience those effects.
I also disagree with your premise that Obamacare, once implemented, cannot be undone. I actually think it’s so badly constructed that it’s likely to collapse all by itself.
Laws don’t just collapse. The entire health care system may collapse. The federal government may collapse. But acts of Congress signed into law by the President don’t just collapse. ·3 minutes ago
You’re right, thanks for the clarification. I meant the health care system constructed by Obamacare is likely to collapse, or at least become so dysfunctional that both parties agree it has failed and the law needs to change.
The only remaining question will be how to fix it: free market or single payer?
On AOS last night, a map of, I think the Hudson Institute, shows premiums going down for many people who aren’t 27 years old. If prices go up for young people, but stay the same or decrease for older folk, that’s a net-win for the Dems; I don’t think relatively small premium increases (or being forced to buy insurance for relatively little) is going to alienate youth from the Dems; and Dems gain with older people.
I agree with your summary. But heartily disagree about abandoning the podcast. This is one of the best podcasts out there. They’ve definitely earned a bad episode now and then in my mind.
(Don’t tell the higher ups this but I’d pay a subscription fee just for this podcast). ·4 hours ago I agree with your summary. But heartily disagree about abandoning the podcast.
Oops – I should have been more clear. I abandoned the episode not the show. I looked down at the progress bar and, I think, there was 22 minutes left and they were still going on about RINOs. I just couldn’t take it anymore; it was so repetitive and dull.
Too bad because Jonah has great insights on Breaking Bad and I could easily listen to that discussion for 90 minutes.
Patrick, I have a proposal for you. Check your private messages.
BY
So, five minutes into this drivel, I am vomiting. I cannot listen any more. BTW, loved last week’s discussion of old TV shows, old movies, whatever.
Just can’t stand our standard bearers sounding like Bob Michel, Bob Dole (later years), Denny Hastert, Lowell Weicker, on and on. They are all the same: career politicians who have no regard for the average middle class citizen.
And they have fooled you guys for years about their supposed intelligence and tactics. It is always the same–We’re with you and we would love to do that, but we just don’t have the votes, blah, blah, blah.
They don’t want the votes to be in charge. When we got them, they raided the Treasury like the first Irish (insert any other ethnic preference here, I am Irish) mayor who found himself at the table and wanted to eat as much as he could in case it was all a dream.
Fortunately, Rob partially redeemed himself on the main Podcast. :)
Your enemies can never hurt you, only your friends can.
…
“Every single person who lived in DC in 1995 knows the shutdown was a calamity…”
Wow! Did somebody actually say that? How are things at the Palace of Versailles these days?
Every single person? Even infants were crawling out of their cribs ready to punch Newt Gingrich in the testicles? Gosh, I don’t remember it being quite that bad.
The reaction in real America is –yawn.
So we now have two parties of DC. Great! Where’s my party?
This podcast was very depressing for me. There are many good comments here so I will make just a few quick points.1) While I am not sure Cruz’s path is the best course, the GLoP crew unnecessarily piles on, and offers no alternative. Surely the GOP leadership should be doing at least some fighting at the margins. Holding the House is not nothing.2) Get over it, and stop the whining about purity, RINO and such. You sound like Hillary preemptively complaining about being unpatriotic when no such charges are leveled.3) Cruz has been popular with the grass roots since Boehner and company are seen as doing nothing.4) Do you rally think that Dole had NOTHING to do with Clinton’s re-election in ’96???? The only nominee worse than him has been McCain.
Rachel Lu eloquently summed up the animus that strikes at the heart of the conservatives eating their own while not standing up for what they say they believe in. The podcast was another in a long line of center rights doing a great job of eating their own, so why does the left need to worry? John McCain, my state senator, couldn’t wait to get in front of a camera and decry Senator Cruz, then the pile on began. What happens on the ‘other’ side when Nancy says the most bizarre things? Total silence from her party. (add sound of crickets here)
So conservatives believe they are so smart that they can come up with another ‘centrist strategy’ to finally be ‘happy warriors’ and not offend anyone, and make sure to tear up the extremists in their party- all together now say ‘Tea Party’… then we will finally win an election? Hasn’t worked so far has it? So the new Republican motto; ‘Be a Pointless Warrior, why fight it, they won, we lost?”
I only got as far as Rob saying that any party that comes up with a strategy as bad as Ted Cruz’s does not deserve to be in power, or words to that effect. Really? For me, there is nothing he could have said after that that could have won me back. I had to stop listening.
At what point would the GLoPers say, “This is as far as I go, here is where I fight.”? I don’t think it is the same place I or most conservatives drawn that line.
Sadly, it seems all three men live in the right states.
“Still, if you will not fight for the right when you can easily win without bloodshed; if you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not too costly; you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival. There may even be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than live as slaves.” -Winston Churchill
I really don’t understand this reaction. You can’t even stand to listen to someone express opinions you don’t agree with? Everything you listen to must echo and reinforce your own opinions or you turn it off immediately?
I really don’t understand this reaction. You can’t even stand to listen to someone express opinions you don’t agree with? Everything you listen to must echo and reinforce your own opinions or you turn it off immediately? ·23 minutes ago
If Establishment types can dismiss Cruz and his supporters as “wacko birds”, why shouldn’t Cruz’ supporters reciprocate? Double standard much?
I sat through over 20 minutes of the glop-for-brains crew dumping on Cruz. Or more accurately, taking a dump on Cruz. The gist of their argument was: Cruz is dumb, m’kay?
You can’t even stand to listen to someone express opinions you don’t agree with?
I am sure most people are willing to listen to many opposing views about matters with which they do not have strong opinions, but there are some matters for which some of us are not willing to compromise.
I’ve always instinctively thought that one of the things that made this a great country was that Americans are often forced to look inward to themselves when it comes to matters such as health care expenses. There really aren’t that many things that make the United States that different.
In 1955, William F. Buckley declared that, “(National Review magazine) stands athwart history, yelling Stop, at a time when no one is inclined to do so, or to have much patience with those who so urge it.” This was the battle to fight, but none or few of our leaders seemed to understandany of this.
Rob keeps saying Bill Clinton won because of the shutdown. Uh, no. Bill Clinton won in large part because Bob Dole got the nomination… “it was his turn”… and Clinton was smart enough to more or less adopt the most popular parts of the GOP platform and claim them as his own. His own party was constantly complaining about how he had abandoned liberalism. He ran as an Eisenhower Republican in 96, and still couldn’t break 50 percent. The shutdown had precisely squat to do with the POTUS results. I remember being embarrassed by Bob Dole’s campaign. A clown doing balloon tricks could have matched Dole’s vote total.
Whew, there for a minute I thought Rob was foreshadowing a name change from “GLoP Culture” to the “RINO Chez” podcast. Don’t scare me like that.