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We’ve got a super-sized edition of the podcast today, as our esteemed panel — National Review’s Jonah Goldberg, Commentary’s John Podhortez (also of The NY Post) and our own Rob Long– covers the malaise over the polls, ponders why this campaign cycle isn’t nastier (and therefore more entertaining), dissects the trouble with the undecideds, celebrates the fact that Google is now a moody teenager, makes fun of Apple’s map fiasco, reviews The Master, and much, much more. Hope you have a long road trip or jog in your future — you’ll need it for this one.
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I suggest the working title Bourgeois Theatre. I’ve seen Marxist circles use that pejoratively. A center-right podcast ought to own it.
Titles:Hat TrickThree-WayThree-peatThree Amigos
Love this podcast so much. The observations about the recent past compared to now were great (eg last podcast about how you could know every TV show, this one the commercials twenty years ago re mobile phone carriers). I remember being fascinated by power windows in cars too, evoking these memories is very interesting! So many of these observations are obvious, yet I don’t make those connections because I’m too busy living life and not thinking about these things.
I have just listened to you podcast and I must say I am in complete agreement with Rob’s opinion about the Republican tax cut argument. Republicans have been beating the dead horse known as tax cuts for the last 20 years. Mostly because in the past when tax rates where much higher the results of tax cuts were much more clear.
The US has moved far away from the staggering rates of the past. We won that argument. Why must we try to fit the old narrative and appeal to the new circumstances. The new frontier in taxes is creating a rational system, not cutting rates. It frustrates me to no end to know that the thing that makes us different from the Dems is we want a tax rate of 35% vs 39%….I mean come on! No one who isn’t a wonk really gives a fig leaf about 4%…
4% is not an idea and it is not a rallying cry. It is a math error to most people. Republicans need to run on the idea that they will make a tax code that the average person can understand.
I love J-Pod; he’s entertaining and incisive. But he talks a lot (which is good) and doesn’t leave much room for the other entertaining and incisive voices (which is bad) on this podcast. Either give him his own podcast or pair him with a setup man who is willing to play that role; I just don’t think this podcast is big enough for the three of them.
I absolutely loved “Liberal Fascism,” but something has happened to Jonah. He’s morphing into David Frum/Bill Kristol/Kathleen Parker before our very eyes and ears…
We’ve got a super-sized edition of the podcast today…
Yea, they were complaining about “mass issues” last podcast. Maybe they should get in touch with Paul Ryan about P90X.
I agree but this is a different podcast.
Which one of you guys prepared the MOST for this podcast?
I enjoyed the podcast very much. But I think John seemed to praise EZPass a bit too much. Jonah also suggested he would pay more if it was a simple flat tax. We’re praising the efficiency gains of revenue collection with too little discussion of the waste of that collected revenue.
Moved this comment to the correct thread.
What does Romney need to do? He’s got the same problem that Reagan did before meeting Carter; he’s been painted as (too old/too elitist).
Until the debates (I did a post on this myself earlier), all that people know about Romney is what the media have told them. They have painted him as a weird rich boy. He’s out of touch.
All he’s got to do is say something in-touch.
Not trendy, or hip, or pretend to be anything he really isn’t. But if he stands up and says that we spend too much, that’s something that everyone gets and understands. That’s in-touch.
If Romney says that it’s funny how politicians in the Beltway spend the money first, then decide that others aren’t contributing enough to fund their spending, and then try to shake down small business owners by claiming that they’re not paying their fair share, everyone gets that and understands it.
Reagan won when he said, “there you go again.” He won when he showed that he wasn’t weird. Romney only has to show that he isn’t weird.
You know, if EZPass had been around in the 1950’s, Santino Corleone might have lived to a ripe old age.
And we would not have had to listen to that fool talk like a donkey in a film marred by having Sophia Coppola cast to play Michael’s daughter.
Oh, the missed opportunities!
John Podhoretz says that we no longer get a “bang for our buck” by cutting taxes. But the economy grew at 7.5 percent in the quarter after the 2003 “Bush tax cuts”, and strongly for many quarters to follow.
I guess Romney feels he can’t defend any Bush policy, but I wish he would say “Do you think that 7.5 percent growth after the tax cut was a coincidence?”
If it’s not inconceivable, call yourselves The Brute Squad.
I agree with Ed G. about the flow of speakers. John Podhoretz is great, but I think he takes over the podcast a bit. There needs to be a better rotation through speakers like in the Flagship or the Young Guns podcasts.
Also, I know it was used in the abstract of the 2nd podcast, but I like Two and a half Mensches as the title of the podcast. It’s witty and has a slight pop culture reference, as does the podcast.
Don’t criticize panels–isn’t this in effect what we are doing in listening to these podcasts? Albeit the podcast is a more “intimate” setting. “People” love them!
I’m pretty sure John is wrong when he says we eliminated the 2nd house mortgage deduction because that is one of the current changes under discussion. What did happen is that the mortgage deduction was limited to mortgages of $1,000,000 and less. Perhaps one of the solutions to this problem is the gradual reduction of the limit until it goes away, perhaps lessen it by $100,000 every two years.
John makes a great point about Fortune 500 companies now and 50 years ago. My dad worked for Eastman Kodak and was one of 15,000 laid off in the early 90’s. That is more people than work for Google.
To be quarrelsome and contentious, and to make sure the podcast won’t be called “Defiantly Untitled,” let me suggest that the title of this podcast ought to be called “Defiantly Untitled.”
Great podcast, but after listening to (and knowing the tastes of) Jonah’s and John’s judgments regarding The Master, I’ll withhold judgment. I don’t think Boogie Nights or There Will be Blood or Magnolia or Punch Drunk Love are good movies. This guy Paul Thomas Anderson is overrated. But his movies are interesting in the sense that allegedly intelligent people who know movies must talk about them. They are considered to be important.
But, then again, I don’t think John or Jonah have the best taste in movies either–John liked Ted and Bridesmaids (basic crapola) and Jonah can’t move beyond Star Trek (good in its day 40 years ago).
Consider me a loyal fan of this podcast who takes the option of “Disgruntled Disagreement.”
I know that title sucks too. So sorry, the Long GoldPod remains the best title.
Political Vaudeville seems as good a title as any for this podcast. The show covers much beyond the realm of politics and, owing to the personalities involved, it throws an inventive and clarifying light on politics. At least, that’s how it seems to me. That’s of course not to say I’m trying to stereotype Episcopalians here, Rob.
Ok, done shilling. Where’s my swag?
My suggestion for the podcast title:
Electric Windows
This is a great group.
For those interested in a GREAT discussion of infrastructure spending, I would recommend an hour-long discussion between Robert Frank and Russ Roberts on Russ’s Econtalk podcast. See http://www.econtalk.org/archives/2012/09/frank_and_rober.html
My title suggestion: “John Podhoretz Speaks. . . and speaks and speaks and speaks.”