A Glitch in the Matrix

As we recorded this week’s podcast, Mitt Romney was giving the stem-winding speech of his life in Utah against the candidacy of Donald Trump. We cover that in real time with our guest Rick Wilson.

Prior to that, our old friend and Ricochet Super Fan, Purdue University President Mitch Daniels stops by to talk about political correctness on campus and throw some light in the state of the country at large. Makes us wistful… Also, Trump and the KKK and a possible movement afoot to draft a new candidate.

Music from this week’s episode:

Jeremy by Pearl Jam

The opening sequence for the Ricochet Podcast was composed and produced by James Lileks.

We’re going to learn Ju-Jitsu, EJHill!

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There are 52 comments.

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  1. Quinn the Eskimo Member
    Quinn the Eskimo
    @

    I love the picture!!!

    • #1
  2. The King Prawn Inactive
    The King Prawn
    @TheKingPrawn

    Ack! I called in sick today and missed the live recording. I’m not very good at this.

    • #2
  3. lesserson Member
    lesserson
    @LesserSonofBarsham

    Quinn the Eskimo:I love the picture!!!

    Same here, Peter’s looking pretty impressive…

    • #3
  4. EJHill Podcaster
    EJHill
    @EJHill

    LesserSon of Barsham: …Peter’s looking pretty impressive

    Nobody rocks badass alligator coat like him.

    • #4
  5. Hercules Rockefeller Inactive
    Hercules Rockefeller
    @HerculesRockefeller

    Thanks for having Rick Wilson on to talk about all the vitriol as if he’s had nothing to do with it.

    • #5
  6. Aaron Miller Inactive
    Aaron Miller
    @AaronMiller

    Another factor in the job market which was not addressed is the shadow economy. Victor Hanson has written about this. The ubiquitous and unreasonable regulations encourage many workers to focus on cash exchanges and simply skip all the paperwork, taxes, and fees.

    That’s particularly common among illegal aliens, though there are of course other reasons they bypass economic laws. As Victor has noted, politicians pointedly avoid enforcing business restrictions against illegals, so they are free and legal citizens are not.

    • #6
  7. Aaron Miller Inactive
    Aaron Miller
    @AaronMiller

    An uninterrupted segueway, the fourth sign of the Apocalypse!

    • #7
  8. Israel P. Inactive
    Israel P.
    @IsraelP

    Under a President Trump, the Republican Senate will be much less cooperative with the executive branch than under President Obama.

    • #8
  9. Stoicous Inactive
    Stoicous
    @Stoicous

    Instead of asking what the name will be, ask what will be different?

    I suggest building a new coalition around libertarianism, instead of conservatism. Just building another coalition around conservatism and running people like Mitt Romney is going to leave us with all the same problems that let Donald Trump take the GOP over.

    • #9
  10. Aaron Miller Inactive
    Aaron Miller
    @AaronMiller

    It’s insufficient to argue that Democrats’ strategy against Trump will revolve around accusations of racism and such. As the “War on Women” proved, Democrats don’t need facts to accuse the Republican candidate and most Republicans are too inept to counter their lies.

    If the candidate is Rubio, Cruz, or anybody else, that candidate will be smeared and Republicans will accused of racism, cronyism, and much else.

    So the most relevant consideration is not whether there is anything in a candidate’s background that Clinton could use, but rather which person is best suited to countering the inevitable demonization.

    There are many reasons to reject Trump as a candidate, but this isn’t a strong one. Trump is more likely than anybody else to respond aggressively with counter-accusations and to embarrass the Democratic candidate.

    • #10
  11. Hercules Rockefeller Inactive
    Hercules Rockefeller
    @HerculesRockefeller

    Also, why doesn’t Senator Sasse endorse Ted Cruz? Ted Cruz campaigned for Sasse and is the only candidate that has the ability to beat Trump. No, no it’s better to talk about a 3rd party run, which will only ensure a Hillary victory.

    • #11
  12. PJS Coolidge
    PJS
    @PJS

    The finest EJHill photoshop OF ALL TIME!!!!!!!!!

    • #12
  13. John Hendrix Thatcher
    John Hendrix
    @JohnHendrix

    Lileks already has a fragment of Mitt’s speech in the intro. That didn’t take long.

    • #13
  14. Pencilvania Inactive
    Pencilvania
    @Pencilvania

    “Fat Judas Chris Christie” – classy Mr. Wilson. Or I guess ‘spicy’ is the new fun descriptor.

    • #14
  15. Yeah...ok. Inactive
    Yeah...ok.
    @Yeahok

    Which ill informed voters were mainly responsible for the disproportionate lack of anti Trump advertising compared to anti Rubio advertising?

    • #15
  16. 1967mustangman Inactive
    1967mustangman
    @1967mustangman

    That is one badass trio of hosts.

    • #16
  17. Yeah...ok. Inactive
    Yeah...ok.
    @Yeahok

    So Rick Wilson thinks that the MSM is actually reporting things in a way that supports Trump?

    I think the opposite is the case. I think all of Trump’s blemishes have been widely reported but the information didn’t move the needle in the direction expected. But I don’t watch much TV and I do not live in a state with an early primary.

    Also I don’t know as much as Rick knows.

    • #17
  18. Lidens Cheng Member
    Lidens Cheng
    @LidensCheng

    Hercules Rockefeller:Thanks for having Rick Wilson on to talk about all the vitriol as if he’s had nothing to do with it.

    Another fat cat from the consultant class who brings us loser after loser candidate.

    • #18
  19. Yeah...ok. Inactive
    Yeah...ok.
    @Yeahok

    In the old days, one could read “Obamacare delenda est” around here.

    If the Republican controlled congress drafted a short bill that, let’s say, just suspended the individual mandate and they hand that to Donald in the first month, don’t you think he’s sign it?

    Since the consensus seems to be that Trump is a buffoon, I suspect some brainiac in congress could draft something even more effective that could kill obamacare and Trump wont know any better.

    Don’t you believe that smart Republicans can get Trump to sign a budget that funds the fence we’ve already agreed to build and doesn’t fund planned parenthood?

    • #19
  20. Peter Robinson Contributor
    Peter Robinson
    @PeterRobinson

    EJHill:

    LesserSon of Barsham: …Peter’s looking pretty impressive

    Nobody rocks badass alligator coat like him.

    You took the very words from my mouth.

    • #20
  21. Peter Robinson Contributor
    Peter Robinson
    @PeterRobinson

    Aaron Miller:Another factor in the job market which was not addressed is the shadow economy. Victor Hanson has written about this. The ubiquitous and unreasonable regulations encourage many workers to focus on cash exchanges and simply skip all the paperwork, taxes, and fees.

    That’s particularly common among illegal aliens, though there are of course other reasons they bypass economic laws. As Victor has noted, politicians pointedly avoid enforcing business restrictions against illegals, so they are free and legal citizens are not.

    A vital point. (We count on you for those, Aaron.)

    • #21
  22. BD Member
    BD
    @

    A discussion of civility, then Rick Wilson. Nice.

    • #22
  23. Scott R Member
    Scott R
    @ScottR

    Trump’s bragging in his book about affairs with married women is an untapped line of attack, and bravo to Romney for having brought it up.

    Will Rubio or Cruz have the guts to do the same tonight? If so it would be the story of the night, and it would work. How could it not? It would be news to many, it’s memorable, and it goes to the heart of his repulsiveness.

    Go for it, guys.

    • #23
  24. Wiley Inactive
    Wiley
    @Wiley

    If Rick Wilson reflects the GOPe, then the party is willing to self destruct rather than have a Trump presidency. That necessarily means they would prefer a Hillary presidency, than a Trump presidency. 

    • #24
  25. 1967mustangman Inactive
    1967mustangman
    @1967mustangman

    Can we do a meetup where Peter gets to dual wield Uzis?

    • #25
  26. Wiley Inactive
    Wiley
    @Wiley

    Wiley:If Rick Wilson reflects the GOPe, then the party is willing to self destruct rather than have a Trump presidency. That necessarily means they would prefer a Hillary presidency, than a Trump presidency.

    Hmmm… just found this:

    Kristol Lays Out Strategy to Give White House to Hillary: Trump ‘Shouldn’t Win’

    • #26
  27. Whiskey Sam Inactive
    Whiskey Sam
    @WhiskeySam

    No thanks.  Never care to hear from Wilson again.

    • #27
  28. The Cloaked Gaijin Member
    The Cloaked Gaijin
    @TheCloakedGaijin

    Call me crazy, but I get the feeling that this Rick Wilson guy doesn’t really like this Donald Trump person very much.

    • #28
  29. Benjamin Glaser Inactive
    Benjamin Glaser
    @BenjaminGlaser

    I’m glad to see other Ricochetti are on the same wavelength as myself on Rick Wilson.

    • #29
  30. Don Tillman Member
    Don Tillman
    @DonTillman

    Guys, I count several CoC violations from Rick Wilson.  It doesn’t seem good to me to have him as a guest.  He’s certainly not elevating the conversation.

    • #30
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