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It’s the dog days of summer and that means we load the podcast up with a panoply of guests. To kick things off, the great Victor Davis Hanson, who opines on the academic view of Trump and the Iran deal. Then, the dulcet tones of David Limbaugh (aka El Rush Bro) joins. Yep, he also has some views on The Donald as well as Hillary. Not to be missed. Finally, stick around as we give some podcast fame (and advice) to our summer interns. Also not to be missed.
We’re off next week for a little R&R. See you on the flip side, folks.
Music from this week’s episode:
I Can’t Feel My Face by The Weekend
The opening sequence for the Ricochet Podcast was composed and produced by James Lileks.
A little bit louder now, EJHill.
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Remember Alcibiades!
Now that’s a slogan we can all get behind.
The dog days of summer ended August 11. Sirius is no longer rising in conjunction with the sun.
“…and knit…”
There goes Rob’s campaign.
I had no idea that’s where the expression comes from. Thanks!
Great party today…
Two of my favorite Contributors!
I’m surprised everyone agreed with Victor’s claim that Obama is what has put Democrats in disarray. I don’t see that at all. Democrats are disorganized because they are a party of ruthless strongmen and it is no longer clear who will succeed Obama as leader.
Clinton undermined her own appeal to voters through endless scandals and a cold, aloof distance from the press. Also, years of bad blood between the Clintons and fellow Democrats has left many anxious to stab her in the back.
With Hillary too weak to keep competitors in line, the party is left with a variety of less cunning lords and ladies playing the game of houses.
If Clinton is not the final candidate, Schumer might be clever and brutal enough to orchestrate the party regardless of whether or not they win the presidency.
Why are we surprised that the high school students who choose to be Ricochet interns are politically informed people?
I mean, isn’t our selection process like “First, are you a crazy winger?”
I think the interns need to write a post…I’d like to know the history of their pre-voting thoughts, since they will be contributing to vote soon enough.
Leave it to VDH to remain levelheaded when explaining the Trump phenomenon.
Another fun one–you guys talk and stuff for a while with my dearly respected professor (who sounds sad), take a short break from it and speak among yourselves, then you have David Limbaugh bust in (atta boy!; fun) and speak of things I understand, then, a bit more, then ~
interns
(which concept I love; they’re your midshipmen. And you’re teaching them the math and the navigation, which must be done. Ask Aubrey, a member round here).
And than, after more, go out with some (what must be a hot song this summer, or could have been) “I can’t feel my face when I’m with you…”
Interesting.
~
Who was that person howling with laughter? Was it Peter?
If it was he, then it was even better, unless it was VDH.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I do so look forward to your podcasts. Glad I’m a member! And I’m glad that Berlinski is out there recruiting, too!
Thanks, guys, for inviting Contributors onto the podcast who could reflect the divided opinions among Ricochet members about Trump.
Also… “El Rush Bro”? Mistaking his brother’s comments for his? Give the poor guy a break!
“I Can’t Feel My Face” is this summer’s big hit. It’s kinda catchy.
LOL, it was funny hearing James get frustrated as others kept stealing his questions and segues.
OK, on Trump; VDH is right, the more you vilify the guy, the further you’ll drive his supporters away. And you need his supporters. Argue policy positions with him, forcefully so if needed, but treat him with respect, even if he doesn’t return it. Stuff like Kevin Williamson’s “Witless Ape Rides Escalator” is entertaining stuff, but it only serves to make Trump more popular among those that are beginning to distrust their own right wing media. It’s the kind of thing that gives off a stench of “We the establishment are going to pick your candidate, and you’re going to eat it and like it”. Ted Cruz has been very wise to be respectful to Trump. I think it’ll pay him dividends down the road when those Trump people need somewhere to go.
I’ve said it before. Trump exists because of the void that the GOP itself created. That void was created when the leadership and many conservative media outlets started shutting down the base when they complained about things like illegal immigration, GOP politicians that campaign one way, but rule like RINO’s after they’re in office, etc. There’s a good reason the base doesn’t trust the GOP right now; the GOP earned that mistrust by backstabbing the base every time there was a conflict between the base and the donor/establishment class.
His Classicist podcast is pretty good. I’d like to see it get more attention.
My kids were sadly Barney watchers and yes, indeed, it was brought to use by PBS, all the more reason to defund them. Thankfully, commercial television, NBC, put it to good use.
Everything I know about popular music I learn from Blue Yeti.
VDH and Limbaugh are great guests. More, please.
Invite Mark Krikorian on as a regular guest for some straight dope about illegal immigration, legal immigration, and the ridiculous refugee resettlement program by which Obama’s flooding the zone with Muslims.
The interns are certainly more aware of the world than I at that age. But I will say that for my first election (1980) I was damned fired up to vote for Reagan to get that wussy Carter out of office.
Check out my post called Obama’s Wasteful, Regressive Community College Plan.
I will. thanks!
A very, very good idea, Jules. Boys, are you listening?
Yes, yes, young Mr. Thompson. But don’t you and Mr. Moffat really need to write end-of-the-summer, what-I-learned-about-America-while-working-at-Ricochet posts?
Ricochet is not my usual source for pop music, but I really enjoyed this one. I can’t remember a single so heavily influenced by Michael Jackson (which counts for it IMO).
James, James, James…
So it seems to be the popular thing to do to compare Trump to Mussolini. This seems to violate the spirit, if not quite the letter, of Godwin’s law. Can’t we just be honest and say that Trump’s appeal has a number of great similarities to Hitler’s?
To my knowledge, Trump is not declaring that we’ve been stabbed in the back by ineffectual leaders and Jews. Our ineffectual rulers have screwed up quite publicly in front of us.
We’re in a group in which the distinction between Mussolini and Hitler (and Franco and Pinochet for that matter) are significant, and while we don’t care for any of them, some are better than others.
You don’t think that Trump’s message rests heavily on a betrayal theme?
No. I’ve not heard anything about selling us out -he’s been hammering corruption and incompetence.
Albert Speer was a loser. Trump could design better buildings blindfolded.
The one by William was great.
The Mussolini/Hitler allusion is probably more relevant than y’all realize… but not because of the dangers of consolidated power under a popular bully.
As I argued in some other thread, the Constitution was designed for defense. It was designed to deter, impede, and frustrate expansion and centralization of power in government. Gridlock and competition were intended.
Restoration of limits already abandoned is not facilitated by gridlock. That’s an offensive game. Even in its crippled state today, the Constitution provides some protection against growing tyranny. But it will not help to undo the damage already done.
Unless a convention of the states overrules the national government, a strongman might be the only way the Leviathan can be broken. Only aggressive force of some kind can roll back the nanny state.