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Mike, Tim, and Joey open with the ongoing government shutdown. Joey argues Democrats will be blamed because their messaging is fractured and influenced by the left wing of the party. Tim highlights ballooning deficits and sees rebellious Republicans forcing fiscal discipline. Mike concedes Democrats bear responsibility but stresses that Democrats have a good issue in the extension of ACA subsidies.
Next, the guys turn to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and President Trump’s speeches to assembled generals. Tim admires Hegseth’s emphasis on ending “mission creep,” higher standards, and unity over DEI. Mike agrees with the focus on people and culture but criticizes the rhetoric as performative and partisan, noting that the broken windows analogy is outdated. Joey supports the speeches as effective in re-centering the military on warfighting and Western values.
After that, the discussion shifts to Portland, where federal facilities have faced months of, at times, violent protests. Mike opposes violence but warns against overstating Antifa as an “organization” and sees the administration’s moves as smart but authoritarian politics. Tim stresses that crime and disorder resonate broadly with Americans, making this a political winner for Republicans. Joey frames Antifa as part of a historic leftist destabilizing strategy and argues Trump’s firm stance protects America’s institutions and values.
The guys close with reflections on federalism, public perceptions of crime, and the risks of normalizing federal troop deployments in cities. Mike worries about selective enforcement and First Amendment issues, while Tim and Joey emphasize the political gains Republicans are likely to reap from crime as a national issue.
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What the f*** am I listening to? With nearly zero pushback and little to no fact checking, this episode plays like Fox News lite. The fearmonging about “violent leftists” destroying Portland and taking over the Democratic party, the *ss-kissing re: Hegseth and Trump’s dumb military charade, the usual reductive chatter about debts and deficits (while conveniently ignoring how much the GOP has contributed to it)… What happened to thoughtful and rationale debate? This episode is just the usual partisan sludge found on any other generic political podcast.
Thanks for taking the time to comment – I’ll try to address all of the main points you raised. On pushback, you’re right that there wasn’t much. I (this is Mike writing) could have done a better job there, and should have adjusted my approach knowing that I had two MAGA-friendly folks as my co-hosts. I’ve noted this and hope to do better in the future. One fact-checking, I try to do what I can, but it’s wicked hard in real time, especially when I’m trying to also follow arguments and be ready with some of my own. This I chalk up not to any inherent failing on my part but more the nature of the medium.
I disagree that the episode is just the usual partisan sludge found on any other generic podcast, because there are precious few podcasts where MAGA folks and left-of-center people discuss issues. I don’t think that my being to the right of you (but still to the left of both of my co-hosts on that episode) means that I’m not thoughtful or rational – it might just be that my thoughts don’t agree with yours, and I see certain things as more (or less) important than you do.
Again, I appreciate you taking the time to write what you did. I learn a lot more from constructive criticism than I do from praise (though I do love praise), and I feel that your comment on my insufficient push-back was a good one that I’ll try my best ot act on in subsequent episodes. – Mike