DiscoverReasonably Optimistic‘The weirdest Democrat in America’
‘The weirdest Democrat in America’

‘The weirdest Democrat in America’

Update: 2025-12-17
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There’s no one in politics quite like the Democratic governor of Colorado, Jared Polis. He's a serial entrepreneur who cashed in on the dot-com boom and has pushed back on over-regulation of artificial intelligence and the tech industry. He’s in favor of abortion rights, but was against overregulation of mask mandates. He's pro-business and pro-weed. The “pro-liberty” governor joins host Megan McArdle to discuss Trump’s tariff and immigration policies, transgender care and how to make housing and health care more affordable.


Timecodes

00:00 Welcome Gov. Jared Polis

01:27 Jared Polis’s entrepreneurial start

03:54 Three most important qualities in an entrepreneur

04:28 Most important qualities in a governor

05:00 Transition from tech to government

05:52 Transition from Congress to governor

07:03 First year as Governor

08:20 Regulation of Tech Companies

11:45 The “Pro-business,” “Pro-trade” Party

15:02 Are tariffs shifting voters?

16:35 Being pro-freedom

17:22 The only Democrat in The Liberty Caucus 

18:39 The polarization of transgender care

22:59 The Jared Polis brand of politics

23:29 Making health care more affordable

27:40 Making housing more affordable

31:14 Does his politics have national appeal?

32:22 Jared Polis’s MAGA uncle

33:24 Can Americans be civil again?

34:55 How to fix Congress 

36:02 The activist base of the Democratic Party

37:36 One thing to praise Trump on 

38:32 Collecting Coins

41:02 What is Jared Polis reasonably optimistic about?


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‘The weirdest Democrat in America’

‘The weirdest Democrat in America’

The Washington Post