Mike Lee and Limbaugh

Got a post-debate hangover? We’ve got the cure with this week’s installment of the world-famous Ricochet Podcast. On deck for today’s installment: Ricochet Editor-In-Chief Jon Gabriel sits in for James Lileks and we welcome two powerhouse guests — Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) who recaps the debate, the House, Iran, and yes, mayonnaise.

And then, our old pal David Limbaugh checks in with another typical low energy podcast hit. Come on David, perk up!

Music from this week’s episode:

I Lost My Sugar in Salt Lake City by Johnny Mercer

We always call EJHill.

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

Yes, you should absolutely subscribe to this podcast. It helps!

Help Ricochet by Supporting Our Sponsors!

mzl.zlixsgsvFor a limited time The Great Courses has a Special offer for Ricochet listeners. Order any of these 4 Business & Presentation courses – for just $9.95. Go to thegreatcourses.com/RICOCHET

 

 

 

 

logo-sanebox-2013-blue-0332326abbde49780ec9732c1b25e21eGet control of your inbox. Try SaneBox yourself with two free weeks of SaneBox. Visit sanebox.com/ricochet to start your trial—no credit card needed.

 

Casper-Red-Antler-eyes-mark-011-960x589Get premium mattresses for a fraction of the price delivered to your door! Casper is revolutionizing the mattress industry by cutting the cost of dealing with resellers and showrooms and passing that savings directly to the consumer. Get $50 off your first purchase! Go to Casper.com/Ricochet and use the coupon code RICOCHET at checkout.

Subscribe to The Ricochet Podcast in Apple Podcasts (and leave a 5-star review, please!), or by RSS feed. For all our podcasts in one place, subscribe to the Ricochet Audio Network Superfeed in Apple Podcasts or by RSS feed.

Published in: Podcasts

Now become a Ricochet member for only $5.00 a month! Join and see what you’ve been missing.

There are 33 comments.

Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.
  1. 1967mustangman Inactive
    1967mustangman
    @1967mustangman

    Peter the Ghostbuster look is very becoming on you.

    • #1
  2. Rightfromthestart Coolidge
    Rightfromthestart
    @Rightfromthestart

    Nothing wrong with the expression ‘balls out’:

    Originally referred to the governor on old steam engines that had two balls that rotated across one another that would control speed depending on how fast they spun. Balls out meant going full speed or power.

    • #2
  3. EJHill Podcaster
    EJHill
    @EJHill

    Thursdays are work days for me during college football season. Every time I try to pre-produce a graphic someone can’t show. Oh, well. It is Halloween week. Therefore I know James was with us “in spirt” even though my Photoshop didn’t seem to have a ghost of a chance this week.

    Besides, what could be scarier than that perennial holiday classic that aired on CNBC last night, “It’s the Great Trumpkin, Charlie Brown!”?

    • #3
  4. Austin Murrey Inactive
    Austin Murrey
    @AustinMurrey

    Love the shop as always EJ! Personally though, I see Peter as Egon and James as Ray in our Ricochet trio.

    Rob is of course perfect as Venkman.

    • #4
  5. kgrant67 Inactive
    kgrant67
    @kgrant67

    Vegan mayo is like gay marriage.  Mayonnaise IS eggs and oil. Always has been, always will be.  Other spices/flavors optional. Now, we can argue about whether or not the Feds should be involved with this but it doesn’t change the fact that a product without eggs is not mayo any more than a marriage without cisgendered male and female is a marriage.

    • #5
  6. EJHill Podcaster
    EJHill
    @EJHill

    Jon Gabriel gets in on the act…

    Stay Puft

    • #6
  7. Peter Robinson Contributor
    Peter Robinson
    @PeterRobinson

    1967mustangman:Peter the Ghostbuster look is very becoming on you.

    I’m Bill Murray, right?

    • #7
  8. Dick from Brooklyn Thatcher
    Dick from Brooklyn
    @DickfromBrooklyn

    Such a great episode. Nice job, fellas.

    • #8
  9. EJHill Podcaster
    EJHill
    @EJHill

    Peter Robinson: I’m Bill Murray, right?

    Ghost Busters (1984) Directed by Ivan Reitman Shown from left: Bill Murray (as Dr. Peter Venkman), Dan Aykroyd (as Dr. Raymond Stantz), Ernie Hudson (as Winston Zeddmore)

    • #9
  10. Dick from Brooklyn Thatcher
    Dick from Brooklyn
    @DickfromBrooklyn

    Peter Robinson:

    1967mustangman:Peter the Ghostbuster look is very becoming on you.

    I’m Bill Murray, right?

    Egon if there ever was one.

    • #10
  11. Benjamin Glaser Inactive
    Benjamin Glaser
    @BenjaminGlaser

    Thankful for Mike Lee

    • #11
  12. Robert McReynolds Member
    Robert McReynolds
    @

    OMG Rob you sort of do look like Bill Murray in your pic there.

    • #12
  13. Robert McReynolds Member
    Robert McReynolds
    @

    Austin Murrey:Love the shop as always EJ! Personally though, I see Peter as Egon and James as Ray in our Ricochet trio.

    Rob is of course perfect as Venkman.

    “Ray, what did you do Ray?”

    “It’s the first thing that popped in my head.”

    “What Ray? What just popped in your head?”

    • #13
  14. jmelvin Member
    jmelvin
    @jmelvin

    Peter Robinson is the Coco Founder, eh?  I’m thinking someone needs to graft Peter’s head onto Coco Austin’s body and use that for the next Ricochet Podcast!

    • #14
  15. Wineguy13 Thatcher
    Wineguy13
    @Wineguy13

    David Limbaugh was better than usual, and he is usually pretty great.

    • #15
  16. Peter Fumo Inactive
    Peter Fumo
    @Wolverine

    Did not realize that Brit Hume despises Cruz. Anyone know why?

    • #16
  17. Quinn the Eskimo Member
    Quinn the Eskimo
    @

    Great interview with Mike Lee.  Especially the question about Cruz vs. Lee on relations with McConnell.  I like seeing more nuanced pictures of our people.

    I know the composition of the Senate would have to change a lot before this happened, but Mike Lee sounds like the kind of guy I would want to lead the Republicans in the Senate.  Smart, conservative but diplomatic within the caucus.  The kind of guy who may not get us all that we want, but will get us everything we have the votes to get.

    • #17
  18. David Limbaugh Member
    David Limbaugh
    @DavidLimbaugh

    I didn’t mean to overstate the case re my friend Brit Hume. I don’t know how he actually feels about him personally, but it seems he strongly disapproves of his tactics on the budget, and it seems to go further than that. Brit is not alone. Many people on our side don’t warm up to my main man Ted Cruz, and I wish that weren’t so. I think he is a great patriot, brilliant, and effective, even if he doesn’t win every battle. You can’t solely measure progress in the short-term and you can’t underestimate the importance of some of our guys honoring their promise to fight back and take our case against Obama and the drunken march of liberalism — to the public.

    • #18
  19. David Limbaugh Member
    David Limbaugh
    @DavidLimbaugh

    I might add one provocative point. There seems to be peer pressure among GOP establishment media figures against approval of Cruz, who is depicted as an opportunistic, lone-wolf interested only in advancing his career and not the nation’s interests. I reject that. If you are part of the GOP beltway punditry and admit you are for Cruz, you are one step closer to being an unsophisticated, talk-radio screamer, and Lord knows we can’t have that. Or, maybe peer pressure has nothing to do with it; maybe they just all think alike. I’m not being snarky here, or not intending to, anyway.

    • #19
  20. Crabby Appleton Inactive
    Crabby Appleton
    @CrabbyAppleton

    The brief reference to the federal bureaucracy harassing the vegan mayo makers reminded me of the name of my all-time favorite government agency. It’s from a running gag in an old Bob And Ray routine:

    “Here is a supplementary bulletin from the Office of Fluctuation Control, Bureau of Edible Condiments; Soluble And Indesoluble Fats And Glutenous Derivatives. In the directive above-named, the quotation on groundhog meat should read ‘ground hogmeat* …”

    • #20
  21. Ryan M Inactive
    Ryan M
    @RyanM

    Rob…

    “Passes the savings directly to the computer.”

    I liked that. ;)

    • #21
  22. Commodore BTC Inactive
    Commodore BTC
    @CommodoreBTC

    re Peter: the ability to think on one’s feet is probably (and unfortunately) the most important quality for a presidential candidate, and the least important quality for a president.

    Being able to provide an instant, thoughtful-sounding response to an unprompted question is a useless skill for being an effective president. But if you can’t do it well, you can never be elected.

    • #22
  23. Eeyore Member
    Eeyore
    @Eeyore

    Peter Robinson would be completely unable to host a GOP primary debate until the field is significantly winnowed. He would be unable to even see over the huge stack of books before him.

    This is because each question would begin something like “Ted Cruz, you wrote provocatively in A Time for Truth [holds up copy]…”

    Just the physical logistics are frightening.

    • #23
  24. Peter Robinson Contributor
    Peter Robinson
    @PeterRobinson

    EJHill:

    Peter Robinson: I’m Bill Murray, right?

    Ghost Busters (1984) Directed by Ivan Reitman Shown from left: Bill Murray (as Dr. Peter Venkman), Dan Aykroyd (as Dr. Raymond Stantz), Ernie Hudson (as Winston Zeddmore)

    Dan Ackroyd? Me? EJ, say it ain’t so!

    • #24
  25. Peter Robinson Contributor
    Peter Robinson
    @PeterRobinson

    Eeyore:Peter Robinson would be completely unable to host a GOP primary debate until the field is significantly winnowed. He would be unable to even see over the huge stack of books before him.

    This is because each question would begin something like “Ted Cruz, you wrote provocatively in A Time for Truth [holds up copy]…”

    Just the physical logistics are frightening.

    You know what? You have a point.

    • #25
  26. Peter Robinson Contributor
    Peter Robinson
    @PeterRobinson

    Quinn the Eskimo:Great interview with Mike Lee. Especially the question about Cruz vs. Lee on relations with McConnell. I like seeing more nuanced pictures of our people.

    I know the composition of the Senate would have to change a lot before this happened, but Mike Lee sounds like the kind of guy I would want to lead the Republicans in the Senate. Smart, conservative but diplomatic within the caucus. The kind of guy who may not get us all that we want, but will get us everything we have the votes to get.

    Am in agreement with every word of this, Eskimo.

    • #26
  27. Peter Robinson Contributor
    Peter Robinson
    @PeterRobinson

    David Limbaugh:I might add one provocative point. There seems to be peer pressure among GOP establishment media figures against approval of Cruz, who is depicted as an opportunistic, lone-wolf interested only in advancing his career and not the nation’s interests. I reject that. If you are part of the GOP beltway punditry and admit you are for Cruz, you are one step closer to being an unsophisticated, talk-radio screamer, and Lord knows we can’t have that. Or, maybe peer pressure has nothing to do with it; maybe they just all think alike. I’m not being snarky here, or not intending to, anyway.

    David, may I ask a completely unsophisticated question? One that’s so simple it might seem silly, but that I myself believe is actually pretty important? What about Ted’s likability? Even Reagan’s worst enemies had hard time disliking him. Can anything remotely similar be said of Ted? And if not, isn’t that a serious liability for him as a candidate?

    • #27
  28. Judge Mental Member
    Judge Mental
    @JudgeMental

    RE: David Limbaugh’s comment that the establishment brought on their own hell.  My formulation is that Trump is the price of 2014.

    • #28
  29. David Limbaugh Member
    David Limbaugh
    @DavidLimbaugh

    Peter: Your question about Cruz’s likability is very fair and one I hear from various people. I discount it a bit from establishment supporters because I am not sure they can get past their own political prejudices against him. Based on my conversations with them, they mostly believe he is a thorn in the establishment’s side as a result of his personal ambitions, not because he really believes in what he’s doing.  In their eyes, “how can you like someone who is annoyingly sabotaging the legislative process and stoking false expectations among the grassroots that impossible goals are possible?” (I, of course, strongly reject such perceptions and assessments, but they are real from my establishment-leaning friends).

    But — I concede I also hear from others that Ted doesn’t seem affable enough or have the right look, or whatever, to be electable. I don’t believe that’s true. I think when he has an opportunity to present himself in less formal settings he is quite likable. I met him in one such setting about a year ago and found him to be delightful, relaxed, engaging, even non-lawyeresque. I think Ted’s problem is that he is so naturally smooth and perfectly cadenced in his delivery that he might come off as a bit stiff, but he isn’t really like that in real life (Don’t tell me his real life now is media. I know that. My point is he can work on this). If I were his speech or debate coach I would try to persuade him to be less perfect in his pauses and mix up the rhythm a bit — something to make him seem less robotic — if that is the complaint. Sometimes he needs to show more emotion — as with his smackdown of the CNBC moderators. Everyone loved that — Frank Luntz said it set a record on his meter — and I don’t believe that was only related to substance. His delivery there was impeccable.

    I am sure this won’t sit well with certain people but I think Ted’s problem has less to do with likability than that he has been affirmatively demonized, and mostly from people on our side. If they were less antagonistic toward him it might change how many perceive him. It’s hard to decouple the two, because almost every time we see him on television we have juxtaposed commentators telling us how annoying he is. I dare say that he doesn’t come off as stiff in personal appearances.

    Yes, this is a television age and no, Ted doesn’t have Rubio’s looks, but some may believe Rubio looks too young to be presidential. If so, he sure doesn’t sound too young, does he? Is Sarah Palin likable? I think she is enormously so, but many of her political detractors consider her grating. Even Alec Baldwin seemed to be impressed with her when he met her in person on the Saturday Night Live set.

    So, I get your point but I don’t think that he is unlikable. And — he would be perceived less so if our side would quit trashing him so much. When the entire left and a good segment of the right depict someone as extreme it is bound to negatively impact his image. I think some of them dislike him him so much that they might not even vote for him in the general. I know many are that way on Trump, but I think there is some of that with Cruz as well.

    Let’s not overlook the power of the media — on both sides — to influence perceptions. Look at how they effectively demonized Dick Cheney, who is anything but Darth Vader. Even George W. Bush. The left hated him so intensely that they made him seem far less likable than he is, yet you won’t find a more genuine, personable guy.

    So, to summarize my rambling non answer I’ll say: 1) I grudgingly admit there is somewhat of an issue; 2) it is less of a problem than we might think; 3) it would be less of a problem if our side would quit dumping on him; 4) to whatever extent it exists, it can be fixed — there is no inherent unlikability here; 5) he needs you as a likability coach; 6) we are sometimes defeatist in buying into this likability stuff — thinking back to the Kennedy/Nixon debate and the contrasting perceptions from those watching vs. those only listening. People who support someone who may be less telegenic than other candidates don’t have to surrender because their guy is said to be unlikable or unelectable for any other subjective reason. Think about it — Hillary is absolutely unlikable, not genuine, a congenital liar, phony, and every other pejorative I can imagine — but their side wouldn’t countenance for a second that she’s unelectable, so let’s quit being such wimps. So, yes, it’s perception — but it’s not all inherent qualities driving the perception. We can counter this; 7) I am not so naive as to assume that more than 30% of your readers will agree with more than 25% of what I’ve written in this meandering post, which the evil Scott forced me to write when I should be working on preparing for my book launch. So 8) Shame on Scott, and you, Peter, for distracting me — and giving me another opportunity to demonstrate yet another subject on which I am less certain than I usually am and thus to project the false impression that I am squishy — perish the thought; 9) A sincere apology to readers who have come this far expecting more coherence. I never promised you that :-) 10) Nothing further, but I wanted to have ten points.

    • #29
  30. Peter Fumo Inactive
    Peter Fumo
    @Wolverine

    Interesting response Dave. To me it is actually Rubio who comes across in his answers as a bit too perfect, robotic and canned. I am amazed at how fluid both of them are. I do have issues with both of them. I fear Rubio will get steam- rolled by the likes of Shumer, and there is something I don’t trust about Cruz. He does truth be told come across to me as a used car salesman, as someone who is opportunistic and ambitious. I also have a problem with young, inexperienced Senators who serve for just a few years with no legislative accomplishments thinking they are qualified to be President. Sound familiar?

    • #30
Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.