Ricochet Podcast

This week, we’re lucky to be joined by the great Dr. Thomas Sowell, (buy his newly revised classic book Wealth, Poverty and Politics: An International Perspective). The good doctor schools us on economics, school choice, and a particularly vivid metaphor for the current election cycle. Spoiler alert: those who fear flying may want to have their thumb on the 30 second skip button for that part of the interview. Also, Hillary’s coughing, Trump ♥ Putin, and it’s a certain TV show’s 50th anniversary that a certain podcast host has some opinions on.

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Let it never be said that this show does not go out of its way to present all points of view on the issues. This week, not one, but two guests from the pro-Trump side of the aisle. First up, Heather Higgins, whose post My Money Is on a Trump Victory has been quoted far and wide. Will she be able to convince the non-Trump supporting podcasters on this show to support the Republican nominee for President? You’ll have to tune in to find out. Then, The Center for Immigration Studies’ Mark Krikorian joins to discuss the upcoming NFL season. No, of course not. He’s here to discuss immigration, Trump, Mexico, and that darn wall and who will pay for it. ¡Ay Caramba!

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This week, another fair and balanced podcast we bring you quixotic Presidential candidate Evan McMullin. His campaign is a long shot, but his qualifications and demeanor are beyond reproach. Later, the WSJ’s Bill McGurn joins the show. Among the members of the WSJ Opinion Page, Bill is the only pro-Trump columnist and he makes the case for his candidate in his typical straight down the middle of road style. Also, Ann Coulter finds herself in a tough spot, the University of Chicago mans up, and a Ricochet member contributes the new member pitch. We podcast, you decide.

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This week, author and Manhattan Institute fellow Heather Mac Donald joins the show to discuss her important new book, The War on Cops: How the New Attack on Law and Order Makes Everyone Less Safe. Also, Paul Manafort exits, auto promotion and Ricochet’s editorial voice (or lack of one), and a heartfelt “bye-bye!” to John McLaughlin, who’s long running show, The McLaughlin Group is a distant relative of this very podcast.

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This week, Hillsdale President Dr. Larry Arnn stops by to make the intellectual and academic argument for Donald Trump (h/t to Ricochet member @rushbabe49 for her post This Might Change some Minds on the Election). Can the good doctor sway @roblong, the resident #NeverTrump representative on this podcast, into voting for the Republican nominee? The answer lies within.

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A few times a year, we banish the guests and open the floor you, our cherished members. And you didn’t let us down — dozens of great questions were submitted. Thanks for participating. We’ll do this again after the election. P.S. If you’re not a member, you’re really missing out. Do the right thing for yourself, your country, and for us and JOIN TODAY.

Music from this week’s podcast:
What Have I Done To Deserve This? by Pet Shop Boys with Dusty Springfield

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We open with some thoughts on the just concluded Democratic convention, and then segue into our guest, Avik Roy. His interview with Vox has been discussed extensively on Ricochet, and we give him the full court Ricochet Podcast press. Is the GOP on life support as Avik suggests and can be saved? Or, is everything just fine, and the party should stay the course? We delve into all of that with Roy in a very provocative (but civil!) conversation. Also, some thoughts on auto-promotion and the new version of Ricochet. If you’re reading this and you’re not a member — what are you waiting for? Join NOW. We need you!

Music from this week’s podcast:
You Can’t Always Get What You Want by The Rolling Stones

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The moment we’ve been preparing for all year finally arrived this week: Donald J. Trump is the Republican Party’s nominee for President of The United States. With the help of the Washington Post’s ace political reporter Bob Costa, we break down the whole week, from the family member speeches, Ted Cruz’s speech, Trump’s own speech (and Peter Robinson’s brush with the Trump campaign), as well as some thoughts on the changes going on this week at Fox News. We are your voice.

Music from this week’s podcast:
Imperial Death March (Vader theme) by John Williams and the London Philharmonic Orchestra

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This week, Lileks is on vacation so we asked our good friend Larry Kudlow to sit in his chair as we welcome the Manhattan Institute’s and Wall Street Journal columnist Jason Riley to the show to discuss the events of the last week. Yes, we also cover the presumptive nominee, and Larry makes a valiant effort to convince one of the hosts to support his candidate. Was Larry successful? Tune in to find out.

Music from this week’s podcast:
What’s Goin’ On by Marvin Gaye

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This week, we take a little break from politics to bring you one of our favorite people — writer/director Whit Stillman, who’s new movie Love & Friendship is in theaters now. We talk Jane Austen (the movie is based on Austen’s novella Lady Susan), his writing process, and some of Stillman’s favorite films. Then, Charles C.W. Cooke, newly minted National Review Online Editor (and co-host of the wildly popular Mad Dogs and Englishmen podcast) stops by to discuss the seemingly endless Brexit fallout. Also, Ricochet member Brian Wolf’s Confessions of an #AlmostNeverTrumper … And What Could Make Me Change My Mind makes our podcasters confess what might change their mind.

We’re off next week. Have a great 4th, everyone!

There’s a sit-in in the House, and the Emperor has no money. Seems like old times, except for the fact that we invited Twitter-famous Sonny Bunch to sit in for the traveling Peter Robinson. In addition to the fore-mentioned topics, in this completely Member Feed inspired show, the guys cover Gaius’ post A Thought Experiment: Inspired by Sen. Rubio, Robert Zubrin’s Campaign Launched to Free the Delegates, among others. Also, what’s their most anticipated summer movie? The answer may surprise you.

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This week, a debate about guns, some inside dope about Trump, courtesy of the great Byron York, one final conversation about Brexit compliments of the ever brash James Delingpole, and the complexities of giving up the thing you know.

Music from this week’s episode:

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Another momentous week calls for a momentous podcast with Ricochet Editor-In-Chief Jon Gabriel sitting in for Rob Long. We’ve got Washington Post political correspondent Bob Costa on Trump and Bezos, and almost independent Presidential candidate David French, who clues us in on what might have been. Finally, some thoughts about The Greatest, Muhammad Ali. RIP.

Music from this week’s episode:

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It’s another Super-Sized edition of the Ricochet Podcast (1 hour and 20 minutes!) and we’re all over the map and all over the news to bring you very best in podcast punditry. First up, the great George Gilder (his new book The Scandal of Money: Why Wall Street Recovers but the Economy Never Does is a must read) stops by to talk about why conservatives have such a hard time winning the economic debate in the court of public opinion and (perhaps related), the rise of digital currencies. Then, our pal Toby Young (listen to London Calling, the podcast he hosts with James Delingpole) stop by to discuss the looming Brexit and the new book he just edited Just Say No: The Spectator On The 1975 Referendum. Should Britain head for the economic exit? Let us know in the comments below. Finally, each we week take post from Ricochet’s world renown Member Feed and give it some Ricochet Podcast love. This week’s featured post from DocJay (welcome back, sir) is titled What Will Happen to the Conservative Pundits When They Are Completely Unstuck and suffice to say it kindles a –shall we say– very passionate (but civil!) conversation. So come for the economics and stay for the punditry. You’ll be glad you did.

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We recorded this one yesterday in New York City, and due to travel and other issues, we’re posting it now. We talk Trump, the now official Republican nominee, get the inside scoop on that Facebook meeting from our guest Brent Bozell, and a theory about Joe Biden. Yes, Joe Biden. Finally, what’s Peter Robinson’s favorite Bob Dylan lyric? The answer may surprise you (it surprised us). Happy summer, everyone!

Music from this week’s episode:

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This week, we present a super-sized edition of the Ricochet Podcast (75 minutes plus of thoughtful jabbering!) where within, we attempt to answer a few burning questions: First, is Peter Robinson in the tank for Trump? Rob Long and James Lileks investigate.

Then, Tevi Troy stops by to opine on his recent Politico piece, How GOP Intellectuals’ Feud With the Base Is Remaking U.S. Politics. Then, our old pal Mickey Kaus (aka The World’s Most Unlikely Trump Supporter) joins to take a victory lap. Why? Because he’s been saying for years that immigration would be a make or break issue for Republicans and he was right. But how does a liberal Democrat square his support for The Donald. You’ll have to tune in to find out.

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As we adapt to a world where Donald Trump is the Republican nominee for President, we figured we ought book some very grounded guests for this week’s show. So listen in as we welcome Texas Governor Greg Abbott. The Governor has a new book, Broken But Unbowed: The Fight to Fix a Broken America. We also discuss bathrooms and his good friend Ted Cruz’s plans for the future. Then, The Weekly Standard’s Stephen Hayes stops by to proclaim that he will never, ever, endorse Donald Trump, and goes deep into his reasoning. Sigh, it’s going to be a long summer.

Music from this week’s episode:

One of the nice things about being the Top Conservative Podcast is that we get to have the coolest and smartest people on the right stop by to chat. Case in point this week as we welcome two of the biggest brains on the right, Yuval Levin and Dr. Thomas Sowell. Yuval’s WSJ essay The Next Conservative Movement is a must read, and while you’re at it, order his forthcoming book The Fractured Republic: Renewing America’s Social Contract in the Age of Individualism. Re-building the party is topic of Yuval’s segment, and we welcome your suggestions in the comments below. With Thomas Sowell, things get a little more somber as he is no fan of the presumptive nominee of the party. The good doctor explains why he’s not a fan of The Donald, or of the voters who have propelled him to where he is today. Finally,we send out 90th birthday greetings to Jerry Lewis from a certain podcaster with a French brother-in-law. Guess who.

Music from this week’s episode:

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It’s not often that a news story breaks while we’re recording the podcast, but that’s exactly what happened today. We started off talking politics with Bill Kristol and Michael Barone (the former on #NeverTrump and the possibility of a third party and the latter on the now very important California primary and Michael’s WSJ piece “Trump Can’t Break the Republican Party”) and wound up discussing the passing of Prince and Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday. Eclectic, thou art our brand.

Music from this week’s episode:

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A little more than 6 years ago on a rainy day in the back room of a bungalow in Venice, California, we recorded the first Ricochet Podcast on an old school MacBook. The cast has changed slightly since then, but through one and a half Presidential cycles, two mid-terms, countless culture wars, good guests, bad guests, Skype glitches, and even bad weather, we have persevered. So it’s with great pleasure that we bring you this, our 300th show with guests Harry Shearer and Pat Sajak. We won’t delve into the topics here, but rest assured, they are widely entertaining and diverse.

Thanks to all you, our loyal listeners who tune in each, and thanks to our sponsors, who help keep the lights on. On to #301!

Rapid-fire commentary from a center-right perspective

Ep. 319: A Little Bit O’ Sowell

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Ep. 318: Trump to Mexico

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Ep. 317: The Impossible Dream

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Ep. 316: Law and Order

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Ep. 315: The Doctor Is In

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Ep. 314: Question Time: Summer Edition

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Ep. 313: RIP GOP?

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Ep. 312: The Republican Standard Bearer

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Ep. 311: Chasing Pokémons

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Ep. 310: Pride and Prejudice

Ep. 309: Throwback Thursday

Ep. 308: Guns and Brexit

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Ep. 307: The Greatest

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Ep. 306: Bitcoins, Brexit, and The Plight of The Disappearing Pundit

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Ep. 305: Summer

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Ep. 304: Build That Wall

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Ep. 303: Bigger In Texas

Ep. 302: Sweet Sowell Music

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Ep. 301: The Purple Reign

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Ep. 300: Number 300 with Sajak and Shearer

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