The Politics Guys

This week, it’s a seriously foreign-policy centric Politics Guys, with Jay and Mike discussing the presidential candidate forum moderated by NBSC’s Matt Lauer, an agreement between Russia and the US on Syria, North Korea’s nuclear advances, and a bill to allow victims of 9/11 to sue Saudi Arabia. After that, Mike channels his inner Bernie Sanders over financial regulation.

This week, Mike and Jay start off by talking about Donald Trump’s surprise trip to Mexico, where he sounded almost moderate at times. That was followed up by a more characteristic Trump appearance in Arizona, where he was back to his usual ‘we’ll build a wall, and Mexico will pay for it’ form. Trump’s week was actually pretty good – or at least not bad – and the polls have started to tighten. The Guys remind everyone that this was to be expected, and that much of the media is, once again, overreacting. Mike has no interest in spending more time talking about Hillary Clinton’s email, but Jay presses the point (at least a little). Then it’s on to Georgetown University’s attempt to make amends for its slave-owning past and reactions to San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s refusal to stand for the National Anthem.

Here’s this week’s Ask The Politics Guys question: “A while ago, Mike said he was running for president. What are his positions on the issues and can people actually vote for him? Jay, if Mike were a real candidate, would you vote for him?”

This week’s show starts with a look at what appeared to be Donald Trump’s softening stance toward illegal immigrants. Has Trump really changed his tune? If he has will it matter? Then it’s a discussion of the Clinton Foundation. Mike doesn’t think there’s much to see in the AP’s report on Foundation donor influence in the Clinton-run State Department, but Jay disagrees. What they both agree on is that EpiPens cost too much, and that the only way to fix that is to have a more competitive market for pharmaceuticals (good luck with that). This week’s Under The Radar story is a federal appeals court’s decision to allow Ohio to eliminate ‘Golden Week’ voting – a period in which people can register and vote at the same time. Surprisingly, Mike actually agrees with Jay and the court on this. Finally, the Guys talk about the University of Chicago’s statement on free speech and trigger warnings on campus.

This week’s question comes from Jennifer, in Green Bay Wisconsin, who writes, “Who the heck are the libertarians and what do they really stand for?”

This week’s show starts with a look at the latest shakeup in the Trump campaign. Is Donald Trump still trying to win, or is he putting the pieces in place for a media network to challenge Fox? Next, it’s a look at Hillary Clinton’s continuing email problems, and the questions she’s being forced to answer – after the election. Then The Guys talk about Obamacare, which seems to be reeling after Aetna announced it would be dramatically pulling back its involvement in Obamacare exchanges. Is this the beginning of the Obamacare ‘death spiral’ conservatives have long predicted, or can President Obama’s signature policy achievement be salvaged? Finally, Mike and Jay take a look at what happened in Seattle more than a year after the city’s $15 per hour minimum wage ordinance went into effect.

Here’s this week’s Ask The Politics Guys Question: “You guys don’t seem to like either of the presidential candidates. If you could make anyone the nominee of your party, who would it be, and why them?”

It was another rough week for Donald Trump, and Jay & Mike start by looking at the GOP nominee’s troubles and the lasting damage he may be doing to his party and the country. Then, it’s on to new Hillary Clinton email revelations, a comparison of Trump and Clinton’s economic plans, discussion of the DOJ’s blistering report on the Baltimore Police, more Russian hacking, and some under-the-radar changes in marijuana policy by the DEA.