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21 June 2026

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May 7, 2012 — Sarah Posner & Gabriel Arana
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The Posner Show

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 6, 2012 — Robert Wright & Liza Mundy
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Nonzero (The Wright Show)
May 5, 2012 — Robert Wright & Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry
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Worldwise
May 4, 2012 — Conor Friedersdorf & Phoebe Connelly
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Friedersdorf
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 3, 2012 — Matthew Duss & Daveed Gartenstein-Ross
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Foreign Entanglements
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 3, 2012 — Bill Scher & Matt K. Lewis
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The DMZ
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 2, 2012 — Mark Schmitt & Tevi Troy
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Fireside Chats
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 1, 2012 — Sarah Posner & Anthea Butler
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The Posner Show
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.
Apr 30, 2012 — Glenn Loury & Timothy Noah
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The Glenn Show
Glenn and Tim talk about the problem of increasing inequality in the US, which is the subject of Tim’s new book, The Great Divergence. Tim and Glenn debate international comparisons of inequality between the US and other countries. Tim explains why some common explanations of American inequality—race, gender, and immigration—don’t hold water. He argues that education, skill-based technological change, and globalization play a much stronger role. Glenn asks about the role of unions—good for equality but, perhaps, not so good for productivity. Tim recommends a less antagonistic culture of labor-management relations as a possible antidote to rising inequality.
Apr 29, 2012 — Michael Brendan Dougherty & Daniel Strauss
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Washington Squares
On Washington Squares, Michael talks to Daniel about politics and baseball. They begin by analyzing Obama’s varieties of coolness, and discussing whether Romney is underrated by the media. Daniel reviews Marco Rubio’s recent foreign policy speech and what it means for the veepstakes. Will Rubio be the Sarah Palin of 2012? Michael and Daniel next turn to the political writers’ pastime, baseball. They conclude by examining whether sports can elevate culture.

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