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18 April 2026

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Jun 23, 2012 — Mike Konczal & Christopher Hayes
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Fireside Chats

On Fireside Chats, Mike talks to Chris about his new book, Twilight of the Elites. Chris explains how the American elite embraced meritocracy. Mike suggests some of the ways meritocracy can be critiqued, and Chris addresses them in turn. He describes the “iron law of oligarchy,” which says that all political movements inevitably produce elites. How did the egalitarian premise of meritocracy produce such an unequal outcome? And how does the new meritocratic elite justify itself?

Jun 22, 2012 — Bill Scher & Matt K. Lewis
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The DMZ

On The DMZ, Matt and Bill reconnect after a magical night on the town in Washington. Matt defends his colleague Neil Munro’s interruption of President Obama. Should journalists follow protocol when asking questions of the president? Matt argues that Obama “poisoned the well” for bipartisan immigration reform, while Bill defends the president. Finally, is Politico right that the 2012 presidential race is boring? Or does the political media just not know how to take policy ideas seriously?

Jun 21, 2012 — Matthew Duss & Hussein Ibish
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Foreign Entanglements

On Foreign Entanglements, Matt and Hussein discuss the state of play in Egypt. Hussein addresses the alleged “informal agreement” between the Muslim Brotherhood and the ruling military SCAF. Matt suggests that Egyptians have expressed a desire for normalcy, and Hussein describes some of the factors behind the strong showing for former prime minister Shafiq. Is Islamism compatible with democracy? Will Egypt follow the older Turkish model, in which the military helped build a stable government, or the more dysfunctional model of Pakistan? And should the US have behaved any differently over the last year?

Jun 21, 2012 — Robert Wright & Seyward Darby
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Worldwise
Jun 20, 2012 — Robert Farley & Sean Kay
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Foreign Entanglements
On Foreign Entanglements, Rob speaks with Sean about the recent Greek election. Rob asks Sean how the conservative New Democratic Party managed to put together a winning message on austerity, and Sean points out that Greece’s leverage over the EU may be on the decline. Rob wonders whether the European Central Bank is simply trying to break the southern European social democratic model. Finally, Rob and Sean discuss whether the United States can enjoy the luxury of a dysfunctional political system for the foreseeable future. Rob concludes by acknowledging the existence of a blue whale.
Jun 19, 2012 — Sarah Posner & Jamelle Bouie
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The Posner Show
On The Posner Show, Sarah talks with Jamelle about his piece on how the Democrats shouldn’t count on demographics turning the GOP into an electoral minority. Jamelle suggests we might see a Marco Rubio-George P. Bush GOP ticket at some point in the future. They discuss Romney’s reaction to Obama’s decision to stop deporting children of undocumented immigrants. Is the “browning” of the evangelical movement a real thing? Is the “Catholic vote” a real thing? Plus: Is the evangelical movement losing younger members?
Jun 19, 2012 — Glenn Loury & Ann Althouse
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The Glenn Show
On The Glenn Show, Ann and Glenn discuss the constitutionality of President Obama’s healthcare law. Ann suggests that the Supreme Court striking down the law might help Obama’s political fortunes. Glenn disputes this, while observing that conservatives have certainly benefited over the years from the Court’s pro-abortion rulings. They discuss the uproar over Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren’s Native American ancestry, and, invoking the career of Justice Clarence Thomas, debate the politics of affirmative action. Responding to the failed attempt to recall Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Ann thinks her formerly blue state is turning redder by the day. Glenn defends and Ann criticizes efforts to promote public employment during this recession.
Jun 18, 2012 — Conor Friedersdorf & Noah Smith
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Friedersdorf
On Friedersdorf, Noah begins by accusing libertarians of turning a blind eye to the Bush-Obama national security state. Conor argues that supporting the Libertarian Party in a two-party system is not quixotic, even though libertarianism has an image problem. Moving to the debate over higher education, Noah suggests that a college degree doesn’t just signal intelligence, but that education actually transforms students. Conor, on the other hand, worries that college might cost society more than it’s worth.
Jun 16, 2012 — Robert Wright & Robert Becker
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Worldwise

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