help_wanted

It’s #Throwback Thursday here on the Ricochet Podcast as we go old skool with just Peter Robinson and Rob Long hosting and we’re joined by long standing podcast guest Mickey Kaus, who returns to discuss his thought provoking essay Coulter’s Challenge on –what else– immigration. Then, Angelo Codevilla, he of the now famous column Does Trump Trump? He also proposes a shall we say, interesting theory on same sex marriage. You’ll want to hear it, trust us on this one.

Thanks to all who joined us in the live chat today — it was a ton of fun.

Music from this week’s episode:

What Is This Thing Called Love by Ella Fitzgerald

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

Trump card, EJHill.

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

Also: Please take our listener survey!

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

 

 

 

 

 

Screen Shot 2015-02-20 at 8.56.20 AMThis podcast is brought to you by Harry’s Shave. For the finest shave at the best price, got Harrys.com 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.

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

There are 108 comments.

Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.
  1. Ario IronStar Inactive
    Ario IronStar
    @ArioIronStar

    When will they ever learn?

    • #1
  2. Penfold Member
    Penfold
    @Penfold

    Peter you really are trying to provoke us.  You ask “How can it be!”  Two words, money and influence.

    • #2
  3. Petty Boozswha Inactive
    Petty Boozswha
    @PettyBoozswha

    Walker is not my first candidate, but he said he would phase out subsidies, not keep them forever or end them immediately. He also compromised by exempting the police and firefighters unions from his changes to the public employee laws. Because of that he’s the hero and Kasich is the goat on this issue.

    • #3
  4. Peter Robinson Contributor
    Peter Robinson
    @PeterRobinson

    Petty Boozswha:Walker is not my first candidate, but he said he would phase out subsidies, not keep them forever or end them immediately. He also compromised by exempting the police and firefighters unions from his changes to the public employee laws. Because of that he’s the hero and Kasich is the goat on this issue.

    Thanks for this. Very good of you to emend the record!

    • #4
  5. Ontheleftcoast Inactive
    Ontheleftcoast
    @Ontheleftcoast

    Trump is a special type of class clown: He’s the guy who asks the question everybody wants to ask but is afraid to.

    • #5
  6. David Williamson Inactive
    David Williamson
    @DavidWilliamson

    Peter – if you had been listening to Rush this week you would not have been so surprised.

    But having Angelo Codevilla on the podcast was worth the Ricochet subscription. Pity about the rather abrupt ending (so to speak)  – I guess he violated the CofC.

    • #6
  7. Dustoff Inactive
    Dustoff
    @Dustoff

    Gentlemen, at 31:28 in the podcast, the light bulb seemed to flicker. The comment was made by Mr. Kaus (more or less) that Trump obviously doesn’t care if he is called a racist by the PC media. You both responded in a way that seemed to indicate this was the first time you had considered Trump’s lack of fear of the media. May I suggest that a huge part of Trump’s appeal is not what many consider his crude, unadvised comments about Mexican immigrants, but the fact that this man is fearless of the press. Have you noticed how he confronts and backs them down , a la Anderson Cooper for example. In my view his complete disdain and lack of fear of the PC media, is the primary reason for his rise. He is doing what no other candidate has been brave enough to do, confront and confound them. While I am not a supporter, I can see that this ability to disarm and disrupt their standard attack is not only effective, but hugely refreshing to a large group of Americans. Those amoung us who are sick and tired of hearing about how uncouth, uniformed and illegitimate our views are anytime they clash with lefty sensibilities. Again at least consider this aspect of his performance. It may relieve some of your incredulity toward his person. Bigger picture, the media is not accustom to and does not seem to know what to do, when someone simply doesn’t care about, or buy their usual bullying. This is the way to neutralize them.

    • #7
  8. GirlWithAPearl Inactive
    GirlWithAPearl
    @GirlWithAPearl

    More Angelo, please!

    I don’t understand why Peter & Rob were so shocked or dumbfounded (which was it?) by Angelo’s mere suggestion that people find the concept of sodomy disgusting, not to mention painful and humiliating. No, I don’t think the act needs to be described in graphic detail, but I do think frequent friendly reminders about the actual behavior of homosexuals is a good thing. Afterall we are being commanded, cajoled and coerced into applauding this behavior… why the shyness and secrecy surrounding that which is so “loving” and “natural” and perfectly harmless?

    And now apparently, our president is making us de facto ambassadors for this wonderful invention (actually one of the oldest perversions in history) by forcing the product on third world nations. Shouldn’t we at least get a brochure with some talking points and a run down of all the great features?

    • #8
  9. kylez Member
    kylez
    @kylez

    And now apparently, our president is making us de facto ambassadors for this wonderful invention (actually one of the oldest perversions in history) by forcing the product on third world nations. Shouldn’t we at least get a brochure with some talking points and a run down of all the great features?

    And maybe taken out to dinner first?

    • #9
  10. BuckeyeSam Inactive
    BuckeyeSam
    @BuckeyeSam

    The Kaus segment was excellent as is Dustoff’s comment above about Trump and your reaction to him. To many people have been suffering from this PC/affirmative-action nonsense for three or four decades. Except for Trump, and to a much lesser extent Cruz and Walker, the rest of the GOP field is petrified of the media, the GOP establishment, and minorities who demand to profit from victimhood.

    Most of the GOP field and virtually all GOP politicians remind me of a principal and two assistant principals in my HS more than three decades ago. I attended a nice HS in the suburbs of a Midwest metropolitan area. The school had about 1,800 students, with a ratio of 85% white, 15% black. A problem existed that most of the blacks were from a quirky rundown area in the school district, were from poor families, and were poor students. But I’ll tell you, a handful of loudmouth black gals had those principals absolutely terrified any time some issue arose. I’ve never seen adults kowtow to adolescents like that, and it was all because of race.

    Had those principals been like Trump, they would have heard out the loudmouth students, addressed any valid point, and then told them to GTH and slapped them with increasing disciplinary measures.

    Trump is the ENOUGH IS ENOUGH guy. I doubt I’ll vote for him, but I’m enjoying watching the Trump Bull walking around the GOP Establishment China Shop. (Rob, I’ve been using that analogy for weeks and was heartened to hear you use it.) If Trump can rid us of Jeb Bush, he’ll be a hero to me.

    In the meantime, like Commish Gordon in this scene from a Batman movie, when it comes to one of those Trump Make America Great Again hats, “I’ve gotta get me one of those.”

    • #10
  11. dblaiseb Inactive
    dblaiseb
    @dblaiseb

    Wow. Codavilla, is that the name?  There’s a free thinker.   (I heard classical liberal elements, but from an Italian, which is interesting to me.)

    Get that guy back once in a while.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Ella is the best.  The sweetest ever.  Transporting.  And thanks for that.

    • #11
  12. Al Kennedy Inactive
    Al Kennedy
    @AlKennedy

    Peter, I think you were too quick to castigate Mitch McConnell.  Here is Timothy Carney in the Washington Examiner:

    Sure enough, the minority of the GOP that supports Ex-Im got an amendment to the Senate highway bill that would restart Ex-Im. But the House on Wednesday adjourned for the summer without passing the Senate bill, forcing the Senate to pass the House’s short-term highway bill with no Ex-Im provision.

    As National Journal told it, this was McConnell’s plan all along:

    “Going along with the wishes of Ex-Im proponents in the Senate allowed McConnell to get his handcrafted highway bill through the Senate without the fear of actually reopening the bank, since both chambers now plan to pass a three-month highway bill extension.”

    When the House gaveled into recess at 8:28 p.m. Wednesday, it guaranteed that Ex-Im would stay dead for at least another month.

    The National Journal article also thinks the evidence that McConnell lied is very weak.  He simply used the Obama technique and said things in such a way as to let listeners hear what they wanted to hear.

    • #12
  13. Israel P. Inactive
    Israel P.
    @IsraelP

    Peter, the insight  about Trump’s not willing to be intimidated as the source of his popularity is true for someone else as well.

    Binyamin Netanyahu.

    • #13
  14. Titus Techera Contributor
    Titus Techera
    @TitusTechera

    Al Kennedy:

    Thanks for this. I’m not a great fan of Sen. McConnell, but he seems to need defending now. The GOP is not doing brave, wonderful things in Congress, but it’s not sharpening the knives to betray America or conservatives or whoever… Things are coming along ok. Lots to complain about–but no reason to despair & destroy the party…

    • #14
  15. Robert McReynolds Member
    Robert McReynolds
    @

    Israel P.:Peter, the insight about Trump’s not willing to be intimidated as the source of his popularity is true for someone else as well.

    Binyamin Netanyahu.

    That is a great thought.  Bibi is loved by many Conservatives for the simple fact that he doesn’t lick the boots of the Bamster and defends what is right for Israel instead of what is right for the Bamster’s desire to be a heralded statesman.

    • #15
  16. Titus Techera Contributor
    Titus Techera
    @TitusTechera

    This is simply not as obvious as you make it seem. You’re close to saying, everyone unloved by conservatives is a bootlicker. That kind of talk would leave no room for dignity & your kind of talk makes no show of dignity. Were I in the mood for funning, I’d say you’re leaving stuff on the table: You haven’t called everyone else a loser yet.

    Now, as for the conservatives passion: Wait–unless you think you’re a really good judge of political events. You’re otherwise making a fool of yourself with these statements: We do not know whether PM Netanyahu is as prudent as he seems to us. That is the sort of thing one judges retrospectively.

    What Israeli PM has ever licked the boots of any American president? What meaningful distinction are you even drawing here?

    As for this notion of conservative love: Is anyone who is unfriendly to Mr. Obama someone you love–how about really ugly tyrants? I assume you would think they’re the bad guys & Mr. Obama the good guy in that picture; what is your simple fact really worth anything to you or anyone else, if you admit this much?

    To sum it up: This is no great thought. It is a bit of an insight, but it is not a great thought by any stretch of partisan imagination. It is not even clear it is true–it’s worth investigating the claim, but that’s it!

    • #16
  17. Al Kennedy Inactive
    Al Kennedy
    @AlKennedy

    Titus Techera:

    Al Kennedy:

    Lots to complain about–but no reason to despair & destroy the party…

    Titus, I agree.  I think the money and organization necessary for a successful third party effort cannot happen before November 2016.  At this point, a third party effort simply ensures that the Democrat candidate wins.

    • #17
  18. Leigh Inactive
    Leigh
    @Leigh

    I’m only half through.  On Trump being a “sophisticated bull in a china shop” — note the difference between his attacks on McCain and Graham and his attack on Walker.  He was very personal in his treatment of McCain and Graham.  He attacked Walker on policy (straight from the Wisconsin Democrats’ talking points, but still policy).  Now maybe that’s because Trump himself personally likes Walker a little better, like he said.  Or maybe he figures Republicans dislike Lindsey Graham so much he can get away with giving out his cell phone number.  Maybe he wouldn’t do that to Fiorina or Carson or Rubio, because it wouldn’t go over all that well.

    • #18
  19. John Hendrix Thatcher
    John Hendrix
    @JohnHendrix

    David Williamson:
    But having Angelo Codevilla on the podcast was worth the Ricochet subscription. Pity about the rather abrupt ending (so to speak) – I guess he violated the CofC.

    Heh, if Rob had been hooked up to a stress monitor when Angelo Codevilla brought up gay marriage that machine’s needle would have banged against its stop .  Rob couldn’t end that segment fast enough.

    • #19
  20. Mate De Inactive
    Mate De
    @MateDe

    Only 4 minutes into the Podcast and Rob drops that he took a container ship across the Pacific. Please elaborate on that one. One does not just “take a container ship”. There is a story there.

    • #20
  21. Leigh Inactive
    Leigh
    @Leigh

    Petty Boozswha:Walker is not my first candidate, but he said he would phase out subsidies, not keep them forever or end them immediately. He also compromised by exempting the police and firefighters unions from his changes to the public employee laws. Because of that he’s the hero and Kasich is the goat on this issue.

    I’d also quibble that Walker did “one good thing” and that’s it.  He’s only famous for the one thing.  He recites the list often enough himself, but I’ll note one thing:  Walker opposes abortion even in cases of rape and incest.  That, to me, has always been a key indicator of genuine conviction: no one fakes that position, unless perhaps you’re deep in Mississippi.

    • #21
  22. Titus Techera Contributor
    Titus Techera
    @TitusTechera

    Does anyone have a notion about what’s going to come of Wisconsin a few years down the line? Is the GOP getting the consensus needed to make sure these changes stick? Or are they going to be overturned by the next change in partisan majorities or the next Dem governor?

    • #22
  23. Leigh Inactive
    Leigh
    @Leigh

    Titus Techera:Does anyone have a notion about what’s going to come of Wisconsin a few years down the line? Is the GOP getting the consensus needed to make sure these changes stick? Or are they going to be overturned by the next change in partisan majorities or the next Dem governor?

    Act 10 will stick.  Mary Burke ran away from repeal.  It is done.

    It will be hard for the Democrats to take back the Assembly (the Senate, not so much).  That means most things will be hard to repeal.  The Supreme Court is conservative and likely to stay so for at least the immediate future.  They’ve made some effective structural changes — voter ID, changes in Milwaukee County government, and above all removal of mandatory union dues — which are going to stick.  They’re going to change the trifecta of bad laws that led to the John Doe situation, and that will have an impact.

    • #23
  24. Dustoff Inactive
    Dustoff
    @Dustoff

    BuckeyeSam, I’m down with one of them Trump hats myself.

    • #24
  25. Titus Techera Contributor
    Titus Techera
    @TitusTechera

    Leigh:

    Titus Techera:Does anyone have a notion about what’s going to come of Wisconsin a few years down the line? Is the GOP getting the consensus needed to make sure these changes stick? Or are they going to be overturned by the next change in partisan majorities or the next Dem governor?

    Act 10 will stick. Mary Burke ran away from repeal. It is done.

    It will be hard for the Democrats to take back the Assembly (the Senate, not so much). That means most things will be hard to repeal. The Supreme Court is conservative and likely to stay so for at least the immediate future. They’ve made some effective structural changes — voter ID, changes in Milwaukee County government, and above all removal of mandatory union dues — which are going to stick. They’re going to change the trifecta of bad laws that led to the John Doe situation, and that will have an impact.

    That’s good news. I remember reading that Mrs. Burke did not make any noise about repeal. I hope the next elections will show that that means people are decided on this. That’s the thing, though: These changes have to attain the kind of consent & ratification implied in not being changed or fought over in subsequent elections. It’s still early to tell…

    Does the Gov. talk about any things to be done in the near future? What’s the conservative agenda now, after these victories?

    • #25
  26. BuckeyeSam Inactive
    BuckeyeSam
    @BuckeyeSam

    Dustoff:BuckeyeSam, I’m down with one of them Trump hats myself.

    To me, the hats are an indictment of the Obama years and of DC, and I don’t have a problem letting the world know I’m not satisfied with almost anything that’s been done in the past decade or more. I seem to have plenty of company in the “wrong direction” polls.

    “I’ve gotta get me one of those.”

    • #26
  27. SoDakBoy Inactive
    SoDakBoy
    @SoDakBoy

    GirlWithAPearl:More Angelo, please!

    I don’t understand why Peter & Rob were so shocked or dumbfounded (which was it?) by Angelo’s mere suggestion that people find the concept of sodomy disgusting, not to mention painful and humiliating….

    And now apparently, our president is making us de facto ambassadors for this wonderful invention (actually one of the oldest perversions in history) by forcing the product on third world nations. Shouldn’t we at least get a brochure with some talking points and a run down of all the great features?

    Yes, I was very disappointed that Rob and Peter ran away from that discussion.  A guest brings up a relevant topic in a new light and he is dismissed.  Let’s hear it-why are we supposed to support this?  Why are our governments supposed to subsidize this activity in the same way that it supports married heterosexuals who engage in procreative sex?  Are they similar?  Do they provide similar advantages to the State, culture, or citizenry?

    You complain that Kennedy and the “cultural elites” are trying to make it impossible to talk about but then you roll over and acquiesce by NOT talking about it!  We need people with some cajones.  If podcasters can’t ask these questions, then is there any hope that a politician will?

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

    Al Kennedy:Peter, I think you were too quick to castigate Mitch McConnell. Here is Timothy Carney in the Washington Examiner:

    Sure enough, the minority of the GOP that supports Ex-Im got an amendment to the Senate highway bill that would restart Ex-Im. But the House on Wednesday adjourned for the summer without passing the Senate bill, forcing the Senate to pass the House’s short-term highway bill with no Ex-Im provision.

    As National Journal told it, this was McConnell’s plan all along:

    “Going along with the wishes of Ex-Im proponents in the Senate allowed McConnell to get his handcrafted highway bill through the Senate without the fear of actually reopening the bank, since both chambers now plan to pass a three-month highway bill extension.”

    When the House gaveled into recess at 8:28 p.m. Wednesday, it guaranteed that Ex-Im would stay dead for at least another month.

    The National Journal article also thinks the evidence that McConnell lied is very weak. He simply used the Obama technique and said things in such a way as to let listeners hear what they wanted to hear.

    Thank you for this, Al–thank you very, very much. The idea that McConnell would suddenly turn on the conservatives in his caucus, trying to jam the Ex-Im bank down their throats, never made any sense to me at all–he’s too canny for that, and too conservative himself. But until you brought this to my attention, I’d felt forced to conclude that that was just what McConnell had done. Tim Carney shows that McConnell was instead playing to form: Making shrewd and sometimes very complicated use of parliamentary rules to achieve the most conservative outcome he judged possible.

    Memo to self: You live in California, for goodness’s sake, Robinson. Think at least twice before mouthing off on the day-by-day play back in Washington. There’s just a whole lot going on back there that you’re unable to see.

    • #28
  29. Dustoff Inactive
    Dustoff
    @Dustoff

    BuckeyeSam:  Let’s hope your/our company swells.  I’m not yet accustomed to Americans behaving like total wimps.  Have a good day.

    • #29
  30. Titus Techera Contributor
    Titus Techera
    @TitusTechera

    Peter Robinson: Thank you for this, Al–thank you very, very much. The idea that McConnell would suddenly turn on the conservatives in his caucus, trying to jam the Ex-Im bank down their throats, never made any sense to me at all–he’s too canny for that, and too conservative himself. But until you brought this to my attention, I’d felt forced to conclude that that was just what McConnell had done. Tim Carney shows that McConnell was instead playing to form: Making shrewd and sometimes very complicated use of parliamentary rules to achieve the most conservative outcome he judged possible.

    Mr. Robinson, do you think there is anything Congressional leadership can do to announce they’re somewhat more trustworthy than people say?

    Do you get the sense that the Ricochetti are not friendly toward them? This is a bad situation to be in, especially after an electoral victory & before a really tough Senate election (24 GOP names on the ballot…).

    The GOP needs unity in Congress, both between houses & between the different factions; then it needs some kind of popular support. Otherwise, the political significance of the last elections is really not good news.

    Even those who do not want scalps will take convincing…

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