In the course of a six-hour drive last Thursday, I tuned in the NPR station on my satellite radio in our truck. I found myself laughing out loud periodically during an interview on a show called “Ballot Talks” with David Boaz, the executive Vice President of the Cato Institute. He has written a book, The Libertarian Mind, which was recently updated, hence the current invitation to the NPR show. Please spend the 30 minutes to enjoy this yourself. Here’s what I found amusing.

I sensed the mood when the interviewer stated that most people think of “wealthy white men” and the Koch brothers when one talks about libertarians. However, Boaz responded consistently with humor, charm, and a variation of “I reject that premise…” or “I just do not agree…” It really threw her off her game each time he failed to sound annoyed, apologetic, or defensive.

As the show continued, the interviewer became a little defensive, or astonished that her assertion was completed denied. I’m confident that some of the information that Mr. Boaz presented was unknown to her. Several times, he turned upside-down certain historical “facts” or common perspectives that are treated as truths — especially regarding free trade and child labor laws– yet are simply one point of view about society.