follow BhTV

Subscribe to Bloggingheads videos via podcast, RSS or email:

audio fast audio video

May 2012

May 22  —  Walter Frick & Derek Thompson

In the wake of Facebook's public offering, Walter and Derek talk about startups. Is overinvestment in social media harming potentially more fruitful endeavors? They lay out what government must do to foster innovation. Derek makes the case that, despite high costs, a college education is still worth it. Walter and Derek discuss the pros and cons of "crowdfunding," where a new company raises money through many small investors. Finally, they try to figure out why Facebook's stock didn't pop.

May 21  —  Sarah Wildman & Marc Tracy

Guest-hosting on The Posner Show, Sarah talks to Mark about the controversy over whether the 2012 Olympics should memorialize the Israeli athletes murdered forty years ago in Munich. Is anything involving Israel inevitably political? Mark and Sarah move on to the recurring question of whether Benjamin Netanyahu is committed to peace. Is this the year when the two-state solution will die? What, if anything, should liberal American Jews do about Israel? They close by analyzing the constant hand-wringing over the Jewish vote.

May 20  —  Mark Schmitt & Jamelle Bouie

On Fireside Chats, Mark and Jamelle talk about Jamelle's American Prospect cover story arguing that Mitt Romney would be a very conservative president. But would the GOP really push the button on radical spending cuts? Jamelle thinks Romney should back off his recent rhetorical embrace of Bill Clinton. Mark and Jamelle are skeptical of a Romney adviser's argument that states should compete like corporations to provide the best services.  The two discuss the implications of a new super PAC plan that describes Obama as a "black, metrosexual Abraham Lincoln." Finally, they talk about the demise of Americans Elect, which tried to use the Internet to recruit a third-party presidential candidate.

May 18  —  Matthew Duss & Hussein Ibish

On Foreign Entanglements, Hussein offers his take on the Egyptian presidential election and predicts that Egypt's voters will opt for a balance between the presidency and parliament. Is presidential candidate Aboul Fatouh an Islamist that liberals can love? Turning to Israel, Matt and Hussein try to figure out why Kadima's Mofaz joined Netanyahu's government only days after calling Bibi a liar. An American congressman has urged Israel to annex the West Bank—is this at all realistic? Matt argues that Israel's Gaza closure has strengthened Hamas. Finally, will the Arab Spring help or hurt Hamas?

May 17  —  Glenn Loury & Ann Althouse

On The Glenn Show, Glenn and Ann discuss the politics of President Obama's recent endorsement of gay marriage. The two professors, both of whom have gay sons, defend the religious opponents of gay marriage against the charge of "bigotry." They argue that religion can be a force for positive social change, such as during the civil rights movement. Ann laments that politicians so often feel they must demonize their opponents, and Glenn defends Mitt Romney's background in private equity. Ann and Glenn compare the Occupy movement with the Tea Party and find the former lacking. Finally, they celebrate "the leisure of the theory class" and compare their different approaches to vacationing.

May 16  —  Bill Scher & Matt K. Lewis

On The DMZ: Did Sarah Palin get underdog Deb Fischer the Senate nomination from Nebraska? And is Palin favoring gender over ideology? Should the GOP change itself to appeal to women and minority voters? Plus, is Ross Douthat right about the danger of politics becoming religion?

May 15  —  Conor Friedersdorf & James Poulos

Conor and James kick things off by musing on what the most radical social experiment in American history might be (hint: it's not same-sex marriage). James argues that Europe is suffering from a crisis of political leadership and legitimacy, and that countries like Greece have been subsidizing their nationalism. Are idiosyncratic customs like the Spanish siesta doomed? James explains that being a parent is very different than he expected. Will we ever arrive at a science of raising children? Conor argues, contra Tom Friedman, that advertising makes America a more egalitarian country than it would otherwise be. And James explains how to go about being a rock star.

May 14  —  Sarah Posner & Sarah Pulliam Bailey

On The Posner Show, Sarah speaks with Sarah Pulliam Bailey about Mitt Romney's commencement speech at Liberty University and how evangelicals are dealing with Romney's Mormonism. How much will President Obama's endorsement of same-sex marriage impact white evangelical turnout, or black or Latino enthusiasm? They also dissect the theology of Obama's new support for same-sex marriage, the reactions of his spiritual advisors, and whether his new position will hurt him with "new" evangelicals who say they care about more issues than just the culture wars. Are "anti-gay rights" and "anti-gay" the same thing? Plus: The generational divide over same-sex marriage—will megachurches start to lose members?

May 13  —  Michael Brendan Dougherty & Daniel McCarthy

On Washington Squares, Michael and Daniel discuss the dilemma that same-sex marriage presents to conservatives. Daniel lays out how civil equality has replaced religious virtue as the basis for marriage. Has gay marriage exposed a philosophical conflict between liberalism and democracy? Daniel counsels Christians to focus on preserving their way of life rather than seeking political power. The discussion then turns to the presidential election and the choice facing anti-war conservatives. Finally, the two discuss how to build effective conservative institutions in Washington.

May 10  —  Robert Farley & Matthew Yglesias

On Foreign Entanglements, Rob and Matt discuss the election of François Hollande in France and how it will affect the future of the European Union. Matt suggests that a face-saving deal may be in the works to paper over differences between France and Germany. Matt explains how a Greek exit from the Eurozone could cause the whole thing to collapse, while Rob questions why many on the American left seem to favor Greece over the EU. Matt and Rob talk about the effects of another Euro crisis on the global economy (not to mention the US election), and whether foreign leaders should be campaigning for each other. They conclude with some thoughts about punctuation.

May 09  —  Bill Scher & Matt K. Lewis

On The DMZ: Why did Indiana Republican voters go all 2010 on Sen. Dick Lugar? And was Lugar all that good at bipartisanship anyway? Why don't old politicians just retire? How important is Obama's position on same-sex marriage? Plus, Matt and Bill size up the potential third-party presidential candidates.

May 07  —  Sarah Posner & Gabriel Arana

On The Posner Show, Sarah speaks with Gabe Arana, web editor for The American Prospect, about the magazine's current financial crisis. Gabe says conservatives are smarter about funding a media infrastructure, while the liberal donor class has not been. Sarah worries about the future of long-form journalism in an age of rapid-response online media. She cites Gabe's article on his experience with reparative gay therapy as a great example of this kind of reporting. Turning to the presidential race, Gabe thinks the resignation of an openly gay foreign policy advisor shows that Romney is a wimp. Sarah wants to know why Obama can't evolve on gay marriage already.

May 04  —  Conor Friedersdorf & Phoebe Connelly

Conor and Phoebe talk about photos of cute animals and the copyright implications of republishing them. Conor demands that pundits stop using the phrase "the most important election since..." Phoebe explains why she likes the sitcom New Girl—does it capture something important about how twentysomethings live today? They next discuss Hulu, its business model, and the best way to watch television. Conor shares his experience watching Glenn Beck's new subscription-based online TV network. They conclude by discussing the departure of Newt Gingrich from the presidential race and the fascinating figure of Callista Gingrich.

May 03  —  Matthew Duss & Daveed Gartenstein-Ross

On Foreign Entanglements, Matt and Daveed discuss Obama's visit to Afghanistan. Daveed thinks the GOP makes a fair point about politicizing the Bin Laden killing. Matt and Daveed then compare how politicians use and misuse the legacies of Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush. Daveed assesses the state of Al Qaeda a year after Bin Laden's death, and Matt takes issue with a recent column arguing that the Arab Spring has encouraged "electoral Bin Ladenism". Finally, Matt and Daveed defend Richard Grenell, the openly gay advisor forced to resign from the Romney campaign.

May 03  —  Bill Scher & Matt K. Lewis

On The DMZ, Matt and Bill scratch their heads at the unnecessary departure of Richard Grenell from the Romney campaign, but Matt has a theory about what really happened. By using Bin Laden's death in a campaign ad, has Obama sullied what should be a unifying moment? Bill defends Obama's political strategy on Bin Laden, but Matt sees evidence of cynical politics. Plus, Matt explains how Ayn Rand is conservatism's "gateway drug."

May 02  —  Mark Schmitt & Tevi Troy

On Fireside Chats, Mark and Tevi think about think tanks. Tevi argues that think tanks have become too politicized. Do the think tanks that claim ideological diversity actually hew to a partisan line? They discuss the battle for the control of Cato, and Mark argues that the right has sought to discredit expertise. How much influence do funders have over what think tanks produce? They debate whether the liberal Center for American Progress has become merely a mouthpiece for the Obama administration and take a closer look at Cato's claims of ideological independence.

May 01  —  Sarah Posner & Anthea Butler

On The Posner Show, Sarah speaks with Anthea about the controversy over Mona Eltahawy's "Why Do They Hate Us?" piece in Foreign Policy, and whether her broad-brush approach, which provoked much criticism, could contribute to a more robust discussion of international women's rights. Turning to the domestic "war on women," Sarah wonders whether the term is politically useful, and argues that the fight over contraception coverage raises a much bigger issue—a long-term goal of redefining the First Amendment. While the Vatican investigates and "reforms" American nuns, Anthea contends that the American bishops are completely out of touch. Plus: Anthea lays out a harsh critique of Ross Douthat's new book, Bad Religion.