Episode

5/13 The Institutionalist’s Dilemma & The Republican Dog That Caught The Car w/ Alex Pareene

May 13, 2022

It’s Casual Friday! Sam and Emma host Alex Pareene, Contributing Editor at the New Republic and proprietor of the AP newsletter on Substack, to round up the week in news. Alex, Emma, and Sam begin with Hannity reassuring his audience that nothing will change with the Roe v. Wade decision, because, of course, the radical left is just hysterical, and the irony of this perspective when the GOP (and Manchin) were just ranting about any legislative codification actually creating a massive imbalance in… keeping the right to abortion the same. This brings them to a problem being faced by both of the party institutions, as now that the fight against Roe has suddenly been won, nobody has a coherent plan for what to do next. Looking to the Democratic leadership, they then dive into their obsession with institutionalism, particularly when it comes to the Senate and Supreme Court, and how it blinds them from the reality that’s unfolding before their eyes, as seen with Nancy Pelosi’s obsession with a “strong Republican party” and endorsing anti-choice democrats, as if a majority control with a party that doesn’t align on fundamental rights could achieve anything when it came to those fundamental rights.  Expanding on this, they explore the countless left-wing policies that somehow are dealbreakers for a Pelosi endorsement, and how the focus on taking down progressives in primaries is a complete waste with an impending midterm where the Democrats have no message and no plan. They wrap up the interview by discussing the out-of-touch nature of the politics of Democratic leadership, Biden’s transactional nature as President, and Sam and Emma touch on stoppages in both COVID and Ukraine support, Elon’s falling stocks, and the GOP’s refusal to look at child poverty as a genuine economic issue.

And in the Fun Half: Sam and Emma discuss the Republican establishment running away from discussions on Roe v. Wade implications, and also from discussions on Rick Scott’s platform, and also discussions on their OWN platform, Oochie Wally compares hosting a podcast to running World of Warcraft, Kilmeade pressures Mark Esper on why he would discuss Trump’s plans to bomb Mexico, and Ryan from TN discusses the real horrors of the Roe decision’s impact on miscarriages. Joe Rogan asks us to imagine gay people facing homophobia, because that’s what’s happening to straight kids RIGHT NOW. Sam and Emma dive into the disturbing videos of the IDF’s assault on Shireen Abu Aqleh’s funeral, Ronald Raygun reflects on the legacy of one Glenn Beck, and Glenn Greenwald discusses self-care tactics such as tweeting death threats, plus, your calls and IMs!

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