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On a website devoted to debate (civil, mind you), we can all agree that politics is not the arena for shrinking violets. Who better to remind us of this fact than the former governor of the Garden State, Chris Christie? He gives us the lowdown on his successes in a Blue State and his thoughts on how Republicans need to keep their eye on the prize. Even with the mention of “Christie Porn,” we promise listeners a PG-rated podcast.
Also, the regular gang go from the economic blockage to “Let’s Go Brandon,” from intellectuals talking about third parties to Captain Kirk back in space. (Well, kinda-space if you wanna get technical.)
Music from this week’s podcast: Man At The Top by Bruce Springsteen
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My hope is that Republicans will see their real political enemy, the Democrats, and turn out to vote against them, if not in favor of whatever Republican is on offer for them. I certainly will.
As far as Trump’s comments go, I learned of them from my lefty friends. I didn’t hear it from Trump. I have only myself to go by, so take it for what it is worth, but it doesn’t seem to me that Trump is running the party. It seems to me that Democrats want moderate voters to think Trump is running the party. Because they believe their best shot at defeating Republicans in the mid-terms is hanging Trump around their necks. They may be right.
Whatever Matt wants, Matt Gaetz.
Forgetful Americans will relearn from new experience (will they learn in any other way?) why it was important to remove the Taliban and their jihadist partners from power and keep them out of power all this time. With the Taliban back in power, they will host the necessary instruction.
The long term prospects could be worse than the past.
It was difficult to completely defeat the Taliban because they always had the option to retreat into Pakistan where they had supportive jihadist allies.
If the Taliban now consolidate their own power and control, they will be in a position to return the favor of support for those within Pakistan who, like the Taliban, reject the infidelity of moderated Islam.
If those Pakistani jihadists who are most aligned with the Taliban take control in Pakistan, we will also be reminded of a not inconsequential fact.
From Pakistan and weapons of mass destruction
While I appreciate the effort, the fact that you have to explain, parse, rationalize, and spin these two short statements in such detail pretty much makes my point: Trump’s sloppy, shoot first explain later style of rhetoric constantly leaves him open to misinterpretation or second guessing.
I prefer politicians (and people) who speak directly, plainly, and with precision. You know, like the guy in this interview.
Agreed.
Look, the Trump Years brought policies and I largely agreed with. But it also brought fights we didn’t need to have. “Yeah, that’s not what he meant…”
That doesn’t mean I’m happy with Biden. It just means I want better…
I get the idea of “F— Joe Biden” as samizdat, but I think chanting obscenities in public, often in front of young children, is better left to Antifa types. Why do we want to lower ourselves to their level? And what would our side be saying if it were leftists chanting “F— Trump” loud enough to be picked up over microphones at sporting events? Yes, discourse has deteriorated, but one thing that had distinguished us from the other side was our unwillingness to take part.
No it’s not. He’s still trying to get himself declared the winner a year later. Come on.
Chris Christie reminds me of Mr. “Flounder” Dorfman of Animal House fame.
Chris Christie is pathetic. He has the wrong politics and principles. He is consumed with what other people think of him. Vanity of vanities, beyond extreme contemptibility. He is vain, unprincipled and a statist bully when it suits him. Not a leader for an authentic conservative movement.
I must say, the middle part was just great – he had a lot of solid observations and I would take Christie on Afghanistan and Christie on vaccination outreach every day over the current mess.
The first and last part was misguided attacks on the previous President, and only weakly on his administration – where there are abundant faults to be found, but those faults come with names that many on the right seem to not mention.
I hope I’m not the only one who thinks that the thing President Christie would have done differently when it came to handling Covid was… to focus on election law changes? Uh. No. That would be the jobs of each of the State Republican Parties, the National level positions, and whatever national legal groups we have. But I guess it is way easy to just blame the President who was focused on travel restrictions, press conferences (not the best idea. Lol), expediting medical developments, and pretty much doing everything one would think of doing. Those at fault were not named, or even hinted that they held the responsibility. The idea that the POTUS would be focused on legal election challenges while (even mentioned by Christie) there is Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, Covid, a campaign to be elected, etc. is rather silly. Glad we didn’t have a president focused on legal challenges from March forward – there were those who should have, but I didn’t hear their names….
That aside, LOVE that Christie is on the re-districting counter-punch team – that is great! I won’t point out that litigating past redistricting maneuvers by the left as possibly costing us the House is a mirror image of what he criticized 45 for when it comes to shoring up future election laws. Thankfully we have different groups doing different things – if they only could stop sniping at each other for cheap “look at me I’m tough” moments.
I liked the interview overall, loved the middle bits, and was disappointed by the bookends.
I’d rather hear James, Peter, and Rob talk amongst themselves for an hour, rather than waste time with a Chris Christie or JEB!
Whatever Matt Waentz, Matt Gaetz.
Yeah, even when he makes decent points like he sometimes does in the podcast, I still see that picture of him slopping sugar all over Obama in the last days of the 2012 election. It was pretty sick-making.
Perhaps the corporate Republicans are hoping for some crumbs from Big Tech’s table, even if they have no support among the rank-and-file.
One could make the argument that Big Tech will use its control of communications, and alliance with the Democratic Party, to no longer allow Republicans to be in charge of Congress or the White House, ever again.
But they will still need Republican minorities in Congress and plausible-looking “polite loser” Republican Presidential candidates, to maintain the appearance of democracy. It’s sort of the way Augustus kept the Roman Senate around, to rubberstamp his edicts.
Please clap!
Yes. This. With the data we have now we see that, for those under 50, the risk of a Covid hospitalization resulting in death or long-C19 is roughly identical for vaccinated and unvaccinated. The focus should be on those that benefit – which is exactly the group that is most vaccinated. One-size-fits-all (OSFA) vaccination regulation is foolish and unscientific. I think it might be that one gets labeled “anti-vax” if one disagrees with this broad-brush approach. Another chance to be a truly brave leader and speak out against this OSFA push that conservatives are usually cognizant of.
Agreed. NC had their laws changed through a lawsuit that didn’t include the Legislature in the, “sue and settle” maneuver they did. I assume they will have Molly Hemmingway on soon to discuss her book – it should be fascinating, it sounds great. I have heard things I never knew in other interviews. Look forward to it.
Georgia did that too, with illegal “consent decrees” involving Stacy Abrams and her cohorts.
And it’s so nice to give the irrelevant, polite losers an arena to show us the way.
And your point is?
Yes, and speaking of losers — can you remind me under who’s administration R’s lost control of the House, the Senate, and the White House over the past 4 years?
Do you guys ever think about what you write or do you typically only say it to people you know already agree with you? Because this is too easy.
Yes, and speaking of winners, can you name the one and only Republican Presidential candidate who managed to break through in the age of Social Media and Big Tech? Hint: In spite of grotesquely biased news coverage, constant attacks by fake conservatives, as well as outright censorship by the media monopolies, he nearly repeated the trick four years later.
While supposedly losing the election*, Trump’s coattails almost gave back Republicans the House; and in spite of everything the Senate is 50-50. Democrats expected big gains in both.
When they shut him down, Trump had 89 million Twitter followers. Has any other Republican leader made one-tenth of that?
*Mollie Hemingway‘s new book chronicles some of the Democrats’ innovative ways to fix elections.
And he made major inroads in minority votes, something which Gary and many others appear to be willing to give back just so it’s not Trump – or anyone “Trumpy” – again.
I don’t understand all the confusion. Trump was reinstated as president back in August.
No. I will not “come on” with you unsupported, nonsensical take. I speak with, live around, and am marinated in what, “these people,” think – they are motivated, excited about winning election reform, thrilled about every step that reveals the rot that needs fixing and not one speaks what you think. They follow everything this man says and they are angry about schools, mad about inflation, upset about Afghanistan – and yes, they don’t like the election “reforms” that happened with a bunch of lawyers and facebook money. My points are supported by data.
The simple reduction of these people to one issue, ignoring all the other issues that 45 speaks on, how well those that “follow” him are versed in the multitude of policy arguments that are forming the realigned GOP is not my position – I know these folks. It is some people’s caricature position, and I am sorry for these folks.
I agree with much of your pushback Yeti, often I find myself agreeing with you and just wishing you would pull back on the snark – but I guess Seneik was as unavailable as Gaetz was. Keep up the good work, I still want you in the tent, and I will always try not to characterize your position unfairly.
Haha. Thanks for this. I lol’d!
Still no “Like-to-the-Nth-degree” button…
Is this a serious comment? Someone took time to flesh out what the thoughts are for someone who listens to this man and you think that the best approach is to twist and mislead with two links that are not supporting what you say? Man. I am shocked at this display from you this week.
Good lord Yeti – they are of the same party and the other photo happened in the runnup to 2012 election. But you know that. This is so sad, I feel bad for you.
Well – anyway – I really enjoyed listening to everyone on the podcast, and several of the comments this week got me looking at old comics, thinking about the various shifting elements in the GOP’s ongoing realignment, chuckling at some good jokes, and thinking of how the multiples of strategies that are being implemented by various folks on the Right are bearing fruit, winning hearts and minds, and otherwise preparing the space for a hopeful new trajectory for this party and this nation – huzzah! Thanks to all involved, The Hosts, Christie (still like you a bunch man!), and for the unseen work you do as well Yeti – all of y’all made a good time for this member. This year has been good to me (Fam wise, job wise, church wise, life wise) that I think I can finally jump to that Reagan tier I have been eyeing for years. :)
Peace to all.
I wish I could afford to. But even if I had the $500 there are a lot of things that have priority.