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This week, Larry Kudlow sits in the Long Chair ® as the President and his new BFF’s Chuck and Nancy strike a deal over dinner, Heritage’s Steve Moore on the administration’s tax plan and Tevi Troy on how the President did on Storm Watch ’17.
Music from this week’s podcast: The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead by XTC
You’re a good egg, @ejhill
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Suggestion: When Kudlow is hosting let Peter act as mc rather than James. With the one Trump-sceptic holding back, these podcasts can become distractingly one-sided.
I think Larry Kudlow and James Lileks would make an interesting hosting duo for when Rob and Peter are unavailable.
Interesting podcast. Lileks was conspicuously silent throughout since he clearly disagreed with this week’s groupthink that the President is doing good work for the economy in particular, and the country as a whole.
But I’m with Lileks. His silence speaks volumes … and certainly speaks for my disillusion.
And how two intelligent people like Robinson and Kudlow could believe that single payer is not an inevitability is beyond my comprehension — a clear case of hope crowding out common sense. Because Lileks is right: Obama, Pelosi, et al. were all playing the long game — and playing us in the process. The Affordable Care Act was a Trojan horse designed to fail and usher in European (and Canadian, and Australian)-style single-payer health care.
What’s more, it is going to keep gathering steam and become a reality in 5-10 years. Why? Because most people prize security over liberty — and Americans are no different. Not anymore they’re not. I’m not sure when this Big Changeover occurred (in the last 20 years maybe?), I know only that it did.
I love Lileks recognition of how politics can make some people so incredibly stupid at 53:30. Life in America is pretty good but there seems to be an insatiable yen for misery among so many on the left.
Briefly noted:
Can we just get it over with and give Larry Kudlow his own show. I like the podcast for it good three person dialogue and questioning of the guest. This was monologue not dialogue. I couldn’t listen to it all.
Way too much Trumpsplaining for me. I turned it off.
When Larry says Trump is focused like a laser beam he sounds down right silly.
correction: Steve Moore gave the Laser Beam statement. Which is courious as he was less optimistic?
Great guests who were, again, allowed less time to speak because of host over-speaking. I find it humorous that Larry needs to qualify his relationship to everyone he references – “…a piece written by Benny Finkelstein, who I love, he’s a great guy, we don’t agree on everything but on the main points we do, we worked together in the RQS office back in the Coolidge administration, anyway he says…..”
I quit early, which only seems to happen on the Kudlow casts.
Look, I really like Larry, I do. I really enjoy the counterpoint of optimism to a lot of the “crushing morosity” that I otherwise get from Richochet’s line up of podcasts. But it is not entirely Ryan’s and McConnell’s fault that legislation hasn’t worked out the way it should—especially in the senate with its razor-thin margin and recalcitrant factions on the left and right of the majority. And when Trump publicly steps all over their efforts, backs away from what he says he wants, or otherwise double-crosses them, they have very little incentive to try to help him out. Yes, they ought to consider themselves duty bound to do what is right regardless of Trump’s behavior toward them, but I totally understand the natural human response of wanting to say, “To heck with it.” If Trump could try a few carrots and exercise a little loyalty himself instead of “spanking” them, he would doubtless get a better response. That’s politics.
I really only like “Mayor of Simpleton,” which holds together lyrically pretty well. And maybe “King for a Day,” but that’s pushing it.
Me too. One senses James would too, if he could.
Larry comes across like a bright guy who’s got his head in the sand. He seems not to know — or fully believe — that Leftism among the “Feel the Bern!” young (the biggest voting bloc in the country, by the way) is on the ascendant. He honestly thinks that 3 percent growth is going to stave off our rapid march toward European-style social democracy and boy oh boy is he kidding himself. And Peter, for the most part, agrees with him. It really is amazing.
XTC’s “sweet spot” is their “English Settlement,” any of their “Dukes of Stratosphere” songs, or “Skylarking.”
“Peter Pumpkinhead” has some fun, if inconsistent, analogies to our orange POTUS, so it was a good pick for a show closer. It’s curious how the left longs for some charismatic leader that will “empty churches and shopping malls.” For what? A People’s Glorious Community Restoration Initiative? So we sack the Vatican – then what magic will happen? Judas promised the same glorious result.
@fredhoustan gets it.
Hearing Trump’s voice at the beginning of the podcast is causing me PTSD. Is it possible to start with Reagan’s voice first?
#NeverTrump,
Gary Robbins
I like Larry, though I don’t share his enthusiasm for Trump. But fer Pete’s sake, I wish he recognize that he is just one of three people we’d like to hear from, and not the sole voice. He sucks the air out of the conversation. To reduce James to doing ads is a criminal waste of a prodigious talent. I suppose Peter sensed this towards the end and actually asked James a question, but frankly the whole show was way too heavy on the Kudlow and way too skimpy on the Lileks.
It was very ironic and entertaining to hear Larry and Peter, two pillars of the Republican elite establishment, try to outdo each other in singing the praises of “Amnesty Don”. I missed the absence of Lileks’ always insightful comments.
So….. tried to find the ricochet store on my iPhone. I’d certainly buy some swag. Can you post a link?
My two cents? James was keeping mum all on his own, and his silence spoke volumes.
I share his contempt for the Trump love-fest.
ricochet.com/store
Kudlow is fine as an infrequent guest. Basically he is a one note band. I accept his message but I don’t need it relentlessly.
He is a lousy host.
Couldn’t agree more… Larry is a superb, insightful and experienced economist, but he’s not a talented podcaster in the same vein as James, Rob and Peter imho. And then monopolizes the podcast on top of that.
I love Larry Kudlow. He was never a small presence, and then he spent half a decade with Jim Cramer.
He’s best in the two-person booth. Passionate and with a very appealing sense of humor, which relies on inside jokes and bar buddy insults. Takes a good punch too and is willing to be openly critical of himself.
Honestly, has anyone else ever made Tim Pawlenty consistently lively and entertaining?
That said, the three-person booth with guests is not his game.
As for James, the hosting tasks, apart from the segues with Rob (consistently brilliant), cramp his freewheeling inventive style.
Okay, it’s his gig, but why not fill in for Peter or Rob with Troy as mischievous host once in a while and let James loose a little?
Coming soon.
Well, that’s a tantalizing blurb if ever I saw one. I’m definitely intrigued. Lileks unchained is a wonder to behold — the man extemporizes better than just about anyone else in North America. No idea how he does it. And he is bust-a-gut funny, too.
In fairness to Larry, it was Steve Moore who said that Trump was “focused like a laser beam” – I believe it was tax reform policy that was the subject of this concentrated gaze. But I agree that it’s a pretty ludicrous description of a guy with a short attention span and no taste for policy details.
I don’t mind Larry being on because he’s a Trump guy, I mind that he’s so predictable in being a Trump guy.
1. The thing he’s doing is the exact right thing
2. Reagan!
3. Something, something, GOP Establishment
Lather, rinse, repeat
Personally, I like the Crash Test Dummies version of The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead. They perform it with a slightly faster tempo which makes the lyrics more whimsical than cynical. Also, Ellen Reid didn’t, as it were, take center stage too often and she nailed the vocals.
4. “Do I think (such and such Left Wing goal) is ever going to happen? Nah. Nah, I don’t think so.”
And let’s not forget Peter’s revival-tent response to Larry’s monologue-ing: “Yes!” … “Exactly!” … “Thank you!”
Preach, brother. Get it said.
Predictable indeed.