Month: January 2019

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This week Trey and Ken tackle a number of listener questions including:
* Can we avert civil war?
* How can I think critically?
* Is failing to federalize elections voter suppression?
* How would The Politics Guys fix the nomination process?

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. If you’re interested in supporting the show, go to patreon.com/politicsguys or  politicsguys.com/support.

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This week Trey is joined by Ken. In a surprise ending Trey and Ken deeply disagree! Before that the pair look at a potential hidden sentence in the inditement of Roger Stone. Then they turn to the Covington Catholic so-called smirk, focusing more on the complexities of social networking combined with constant recording making non-news events seemingly news worthy. Next Trey and Ken turn their attention to Giuliani and ask if there might not be a coherent strategy to his seemingly unending number of statement walk backs. Finally the pair end on a heavy bit of discord as the two disagree over not only the blame of the shutdown, but the normative and ethical requirements of budgets for an exciting show close!

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. If you’re interested in supporting the show, go to patreon.com/politicsguys or  politicsguys.com/support.

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This week, Mike is joined by Republican policy analyst (and podcaster) Kristin Matheny. Mike and Kristin start things off by talking about the continuing government shutdown, including what it’s costing, the back-and-forth between Donald Trump and Nancy Pelosi, Mitch McConnell’s role, and how (and when) they think it will all end.

After that, they discuss the Senate hearings to confirm William Barr as Attorney General. Mike thinks liberals should be suspicious of President Trump’s pick, especially considering that Barr would be in charge when Robert Mueller wraps up his investigation. Kristen, who’s on board with far more of Barr’s policy views than Mike is, agrees that it’s reasonable for liberals to have at least some suspicions.

Next, Mike and Kristen consider whether there should be a citizenship question on the 2020 Census, as well as whether or not Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross broke with legal requirements in attempting to include the question. Kristen isn’t as convinced as Mike is on the potential damage from including a citizenship question, but she agrees that there are some major issues in how Ross attempted to insert the question.

The show closes with a discussion of New York senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who this week announced her candidacy for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. Mike calls Gillibrand ‘Hillary Clinton 2.0’ and argues that she’d be a bad choice on multiple levels. Kristen agrees, and says that Gillibrand is vulnerable in a number of areas, and isn’t very likely to win the nomination.

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. If you’re interested in supporting the show, go to patreon.com/politicsguys or  politicsguys.com/support.

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Mike is joined by Beth Silvers from the Pantsuit Politics podcast to talk about some ideas he has for changing the U.S. Constitution. They discuss:

• Doubling the size of Congress
• Semi-proportional representation in the Senate
• Eliminating the Electoral College
• Mandatory voting
• Campaign finance reform
• Mandatory national service
• 20 year term limits for federal judges (including the Supreme Court)

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. If you’re interested in supporting the show, go to politicsguys.com/support.

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Mike and Will open with a continued discussion of the government shutdown. With employees now not receiving pay for the first time, it feels as if it has reached a new level of seriousness. Neither Mike nor Will see an easy path to the shutdown coming to a close, although they do agree with the premise of Rob Portman’s proposed legislation to prevent future shutdowns.

Then they turn to a more detailed discussion of Trump’s first Oval Office address. Discussion focuses on both the idea of the address and its overall substance—including considering the pros and cons of building a wall. While neither are entirely convinced the address deserved national play, Will believes it was one of Trump’s better addresses while Mike still questions Trump’s use of facts—especially when speaking off-the-cuff and in campaign mode. Both agree that there isn’t an inherent media bias in allowing Trump to make this address while not airing Obama’s 2014 immigration address. Will believes part of the decision related to timing and Trump’s lack of previous Oval Office addresses while Mike adds that the uncertainty surrounding what Trump might say is good for viewership.

From an effectiveness perspective, both Mike and Will raise doubt on whether a full border wall will have the desired impact. Mike believes stronger border control through agents or electronic monitoring would do just as much good while Will believes the symbolism of a wall is as important as its function. Will does argue that criminal activity by individuals who come across the border with the sole intent of immediately returning to Mexico could be thwarted by a physical wall.

Finally, they turn to Trump’s decision to withdraw from Syria. Beyond just examining the possible impact of withdrawal, they discuss the reasons for a slow withdrawal, why the United States was ever interested in Syria to begin, and the future of our relationship with Turkey. Mike argues that a rushed withdrawal could lead to long-term issues in the already complex region while Will worries about whether Turkey can actually be trusted to execute at this time.

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Mike and Jay open with a look at the ongoing government shutdown due to the impasse over border wall funding. The Guys actually agree as to their preferred solution – a package that includes funds for border security and comprehensive immigration reform. Neither Mike nor Jay sees this as coming to a quick and happy ending given the forces on both sides pushing against any compromise.

Next is a discussion of the 116th Congress, focusing on the new Democratic House majority. Mike comments on record number of women, noting that around 90 percent of them are Democrats. He believes that a more female Congress is a good thing, a view Jay doesn’t entirely share.

After that, the Guys discuss Elizabeth Warren’s announcement of her presidential candidacy and look at the other top contenders. They also discuss whether or not Mitt Romney, or any other establishment Republican, is likely to challenge Donald Trump for the GOP presidential nomination.

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. If you’re interested in supporting the show, go to politicsguys.com/support.

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On this listener mail episode, Mike and Jay discuss:

• If Jay is spreading vote fraud falsehoods to advance a right-wing agenda.
• Two international views on mandatory voting
• If term limits lead to more courageous politicians
• The sneaky (but legal) way the Michigan legislature undid a minimum wage initiative
• The difficulty of correcting gerrymandering through elections

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. If you’re interested in supporting the show, go to politicsguys.com/support.