The Politics Guys

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. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike talks about the Zero To Travel Podcast. Whether you are a seasoned traveler or more of the armchair variety, we hope you’ll enjoy checking out this excellent show.

Elections have consequences for the winning and losing parties. Justin and Jay start this midweek supporters’ episode by discussing how united Republicans are, whether Republicans are ever united, and where there might be dissent that potentially sinks Trump's policy priorities. For the Democrats, will the coalition hold? What does the future of the party look like? Or is it all just the economy? The Politics Guys on Facebook | X 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  The Politics Guys on Facebook | X  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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A discussion of the history of the 14th Amendment as it relates to sexual discrimination. Cases of focus include: Frontiero v. Richardson Craig v Boren United States v Virigina Obergefell v Hodges The Politics Guys on Facebook | X  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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X  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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Jay open the preview of this midweek supporters’ episode with a discussion of why so many Americans aren’t happy with their presidential choices. Mike points out that this is a relatively new thing, and he and Jay agree that changes to the nomination process and social media have played a significant role in this. That leads Mike to wonder if there’s any way out of our crummy candidate, two-party doom loop. He isn’t optimistic but thinks there’s at least an outside chance that a popular centrist billionaire could make a real run at the presidency as an independent, mentioning Mark Cuban as a possibility. They end with Mike explaining why, although he thinks a second Trump presidency will be awful, it won’t end democracy – and it might even be a good thing for Democrats in the medium to long term. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just a quick message to let you know that we'll be recording a special 'all hands on deck' post-election episode of The Politics Guys on Wednesday, November 6. It should be in your feed sometime after 6pm Eastern Standard Time that day.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike talks with Stephen J. Ducat, an author, political psychologist, psychoanalyst, and former psychology professor in the School of Humanities at New College of California. They discuss Professor Ducat’s most recent book, Hatreds We Love: The Psychology of Political Tribalism in Post-Truth America. Topics Mike and Stephen discuss include: - why tribal loyalty often overrides material self-interest - demonizing outsiders to reinforce in-group virtue - conservative disgust vs liberal disdain - the ‘malignant, intuitive genius’ of Donald Trump - the dark side of political purity - the importance of being morally multi-lingual The Politics Guys on Facebook | X 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jay and Justin spend the entirety of this midweek supporters' episode discussing the F word: fascism. It’s been explicitly applied to Donald Trump recently by not only Democrats but several of his former staffers as well. What is fascism? How does it differ from other forms of authoritarianism? Does Donald Trump tick enough boxes to be one? While Trump exhibits some concerning authoritarian tendencies - like his admiration for strong leaders and inflammatory rhetoric about "corrupting the blood of America" - the reality is more nuanced than simple labels suggest. Trump's isolationist views contradict traditional fascist expansionism, and his approach differs from historical European fascism's philosophical roots. Justin and Jay emphasize that while Trump may check some fascist boxes, applying the term requires careful consideration of historical context and specific characteristics. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X 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 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jay and Justin open this episode with their predictions for the upcoming presidential election, with Justin forecasting a narrow Harris victory and Jay expecting Trump to return to the White House. They also discuss how traditional polling methods might be missing key voter segments and how social desirability bias could affect Trump supporters' willingness to participate in polls. Next, they look at early voting patterns and Republican voter registration trends, which they agree could be favorable indicators for Trump. They examine the challenges of predicting likely voters and how different pollsters' methods can yield radically different results from the same raw data. They close by considering Trump's recent proposal for widespread tariffs, including a potential 10-20% baseline tariff on all imports and 60% on Chinese goods. Jay, drawing on traditional Republican free-market principles, expresses serious concerns about these proposals, while both hosts discuss how such policies could impact the American economy. They explore the mythology of 1950s American industrialism and why attempting to recreate that era through tariffs might be both impractical and economically harmful. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X 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 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike talks with Mark Green, founder of The Democracy Project, twice-elected Public Advocate for New York City, and the author of multiple books, the latest being, The Inflection Election: Democracy or Fascism in 2024?, which they discuss in this episode. Topics Mike and Mark discuss include: - the importance of the 2024 presidential election - if Donald Trump is a fascist - if Trump is an existential threat to American democracy - why Mike has more faith in the Supreme Court than Mark does - the rise of right-wing populism in democracies around the world - election integrity and public faith in elections - responsibility for the ‘culture wars’ - if Trump is so awful, why nearly half of all voters support him The Politics Guys on Facebook | X 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 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and May open the preview of this supporters’ midweek episode with their predictions for control of the Senate and House, where they agree that Republicans are all but a lock to win the upper chamber and that things look somewhat more promising for Democrats in the House. Then they turn to a recent ruling in Georgia in which a judge enjoined an election rule that would have required hand counting of ballots to ensure they match the total number of votes tallied electronically. Neither Mike nor May have a problem with the change as such, but they agree that it comes too soon before the election. After that they discuss China, which they agree is the greatest foreign threat to the United States, and consider what China policy would look like in a Trump or a Harris administration. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X 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 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and May open with a discussion of Kamala Harris’ interview with Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier. Mike thinks there were several missed opportunities for Harris, while May argues that Harris is a policy lightweight. Mike believes that the focus on immigration and gender transition surgery for inmates says a lot about what matters to the Fox audience, as does the lack of attention paid to healthcare, abortion, Ukraine, and China. Then they turn to the state of the race and make their presidential predictions – they both think Harris will eke out a win, though neither of them are at all sure about the outcome. In making their prediction, they explain what gives them reason for optimism and what makes them feel pessimistic about the potential outcome. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X 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 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike talks with Pedro Domingos, Professor Emeritus of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington. He’s an AI researcher, tech industry insider, and author of the best-selling book The Master Algorithm: How the Quest for the Ultimate Learning Machine Will Remake Our World. Recently, he’s turned his hand to political fiction, in the often hilariously funny novel 2040: A Silicon Valley Satire, which is very funny but also has plenty to say about serious issues facing us concerning technology and politics/ Topics Mike and Pedro discuss include: - why we should speed up, not slow down AI development - the serious AI dominance threat from China - why our big concern should be incompetent AI - AI transparency and bias - how AI makes direct democracy possible - the limits of AI direct democracy - reasons to be optimistic about AI and politics The Politics Guys on Facebook | X 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.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Jay open the preview of this midweek supporters’ episode with a look at the over 100 lawsuits that have already been filed and how they’re likely to affect the outcome and aftermath of what’s almost sure to be an extremely close presidential race. Next, they turn to a new analysis of how Trump and Harris’ platforms would affect the economy. Mike argues that Jay should be even more concerned about Trump given how much worse his proposals look for the national debt, even after considering lighter regulation in a Trump administration. Jay isn’t fond of all the spending that will almost certainly take place in a Trump administration, but thinks that in the end, a Republican in the White House – even Donald Trump – will be better for the economy. Then it’s a look at a new rule from the EPA that mandates the removal of all lead water pipes in the next decade. Mike thinks it’s a good rule, but wishes the federal government fully funded it. Jay is no fan of leaded drinking water, but is more skeptical about the benefits of the rule relative to the costs. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X 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.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Jay open with a discussion of the lies told by Donald Trump and JD Vance about FEMA in the wake of disaster relief efforts for hurricanes Helene and Milton. They also get FEMA’s role and whether the agency should be doing more in advance of ever-increasing major natural disasters. Next is a discussion of oral arguments in two major cases that opened the Supreme Court’s new term – one involving ghost guns and another in which the state of Oklahoma admits prosecutorial misconduct in a death penalty case. They close with what may be a new media strategy from Kamala Harris, and a look at her 60 Minutes interview, as well as Donald Trump’s call for CBS to have its broadcast license revoked. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X 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 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices