Month: November 2024

Heather Cox Richardson on Trump 2.0

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Mike welcomes back Heather Cox Richardson, a professor of history at Boston College and author of the “Letters from an American” Substack. Professor Richardson is also the author of Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America, which has recently come out in paperback.

Topics Mike & Heather discuss include:
– why the elections went so well for Republicans
– why Harris’ messaging failed to carry the day
– the media and political misinformation
– leftism and liberalism in contemporary America
– voter (mis)understanding of economics
– why Heather is still optimistic

Here’s Mike’s 2023 interview with Heather Cox Richardson.

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The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Fundamentals Matter, Trump’s Cabinet Takes Shape

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Jay and Justin open by explaining why the election results weren’t really all that surprising – at least for those who believe that fundamentals matter more than candidates or campaign strategies. That said, Jay and Justin agree that Republicans generally fielded stronger candidates this time around than they did in the 2022 midterms, which probably helped them to maintain control of the House and retake the Senate.

Following that they turn to President-Elect Trump’s cabinet picks, from mainstream choices like Marco Rubio to more unconventional selections like Tulsi Gabbard, Matt Gaetz, and RFK Jr.

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Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo we’re @PoliticsGuys.

The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Putin, Power, Sanctions, and Economic Power

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Trey talks with Stephanie Baker, author of the new book Punishing Putin: Inside the Global Economic War to Bring Down Russia.

Topics Trey and Stephanie discuss include:
– Putin’s rise to power
– the economic transition in Russia
– the size and scope of sanctions on Russia
– the effectiveness of sanctions on Russia
– the future of Russia under Putin
– the war in Ukraine

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Check out the Sustainable Planet podcast, as well as the free Sustainable Planet Substack.

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo we’re @PoliticsGuys.

The 2024 Election Aftermath and Germany

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Trey and Ken delve into the aftermath of the 2024 election, focusing on Pennsylvania and the contested Senate race. Trey notes the Wall Street Journal has declared a Republican winner, while Ken holds out hope that the New York Times has not. They also examine the remaining House races and what the losses mean for Democrats. Ken sees it primarily as a messaging issue, but Trey believes there are structural issues with Democrats. They both agree that the American electorate wants closed borders and Democrats will be forced to respond. The pair also discuss the ballot initiatives on abortion.

They close the show by discussing the German parliament, including a breakdown of the coalition government. Ken believes it is a tilt to the right globally and examines its reasons.

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The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Trump Wins Big – Election Reactions

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In this special post-election episode, Mike, Trey, Ken, and May get together to discuss their initial thoughts in the wake of Donald Trump’s biggest win to date. They talk about the issues, the campaigns, fundamentals, shrinking vs growing electoral coalitions, what to expect from a second Trump term, where Democrats should go from here, and lots more.

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Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo we’re @PoliticsGuys.

The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Closing Arguments, Newspaper Non-Endorsements

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Mike and Jay open this final pre-election episode with a look at the closing arguments of Trump and Harris, with a focus on Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally. Mike is feeling fairly pessimistic but thinks that Harris may have an edge in voter enthusiasm and grassroots organization that might just put her over the top. Jay argues that while Trump should be taken seriously but not literally, Harris should be taken neither seriously nor literally.

From there they turn to a discussion of the non-endorsements by USA Today, the LA Times, and the Washington Post. Mike sees in this wealthy media owners hoping to avoid being included on Trump’s enemies list should he regain the presidency. Jay doesn’t exactly buy that, but he agrees with Mike that journalism is under more threat than it has been in recent memory.

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Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo we’re @PoliticsGuys.

The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.