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4 October 2026

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Feb 21, 2012 — Conor Friedersdorf & Mark Oppenheimer
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Friedersdorf

Mark talks about his recent profile of Maggie Gallagher, a leading opponent of gay marriage. He and Conor agree that legal gay marriage is both inevitable and probably a good thing. They disagree about who truly speaks for Catholics. Conor calls for abandoning the norm that says “objective journalists” should hide their opinions, while Mark sees value in it. Is it always best to be charitable toward one’s ideological opponents? They conclude by debating whether homeschooling is bad for a liberal society.

Feb 20, 2012 — Sarah Posner & Emily Belz
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The Posner Show

On The Posner Show, Sarah asks political reporter Emily Belz: what was Darrell Issa thinking? While many political observers look at the GOP’s anti-contraception crusade as an electoral loser, Christian conservatives see their “religious liberty” framing as a long game, mapped out in the Manhattan Declaration, that will play out well beyond 2012. In the GOP primary, though, it seems to be helping Rick Santorum. Is his surge explained by evangelicals who buy Mike Huckabee’s “we are all Catholics now?”  Plus: what Santorum means when he talks about spiritual warfare.

Feb 19, 2012 — Glenn Loury & John McWhorter
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The Glenn Show

Glenn and John begin by debating the merits of Coming Apart, Charles Murray’s new book on the “white underclass.” John likes the book’s focus on the importance of culture; Glenn acknowledges that culture matters while rejecting Murray’s conclusion that public policy can do little to help the poor.  They also debate whether the ascendancy of a black president has led to more emphasis on class and less on race in political discourse. Glenn and John next discuss controversial remarks about gays by CNN’s Roland Martin. They go on to debate the moral status of religiously founded beliefs that homosexuality is immoral.

 

Feb 18, 2012 — Dan Runde & Nitin Pai
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Worldwise
Feb 17, 2012 — Chris Moody & Matt K. Lewis
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The Week in Blog
Matt and guest-host Chris recap the scene at CPAC and relate whether Matt successfully avoided his thousands of adoring fans. They discuss how opposing the payroll tax cut was like a rat’s head in the GOP’s coke can, and marvel at the incredible rehabilitation of Rick Santorum. Is Santorum right to claim that he’s the conservative alternative to Romney? And are Tim Pawlenty and Mike Huckabee kicking themselves right now?  
Feb 16, 2012 — Conn Carroll & Jaime Fuller
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Pros & Conn
On this week’s episode of Pros and Conn, Jaime Fuller talks about whether the payroll tax deal is a win for both sides, debates Obama’s budget and the Buffett Rule, and wonders if Rick Santorum could actually win this thing.
Feb 15, 2012 — Robert Farley & Mark Leon Goldberg
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Foreign Entanglements
On Foreign Entanglements, Rob and Mark Leon Goldberg discuss the latest events in Syria, and the repercussions of recent developments at the United Nations. They ponder the reasoning behind Russia’s commitment to Syria, on both military and diplomatic fronts. Mark and Rob then explore the expanding writ of the International Criminal Court—is it making authoritarian leaders more reluctant to give up power? Finally, they consider the parallels between Syria and Bahrain and the future of the Responsibility to Protect.
Feb 14, 2012 — Robert Wright & Lora Saalman
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Worldwise
Feb 14, 2012 — Conor Friedersdorf & Noah Millman
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Friedersdorf
Noah and Conor kick things off by debating the Catholic Church, health insurance, and contraception. Is this a manufactured controversy, or are lay Catholics earnestly upset by a loss of religious liberty? Noah is a Jewish liberal living in New York City—so what is he doing writing for The American Conservative? Conor wonders whether the GOP should embrace TAC‘s radical critique of American foreign policy. Charles Murray’s new book Coming Apart receives some harsh criticism, as does the right’s politics of symbolic victimization. Plus: who will Noah and Conor be voting for in November?  
Feb 13, 2012 — Sarah Posner & Sarah Wildman
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The Posner Show
On the first episode of The Posner Show, Sarah Posner and Sarah Wildman discuss how framing Iran’s nuclear ambitions as an existential threat assists fundamentalists, both Jewish and Christian. They also worry that the Republican presidential hopefuls rely more on myth than fact when discussing Middle East policy. How has casino magnate Sheldon Adelson so effectively shaped public opinion both in the US and Israel? And Newt Gingrich trivia: he narrowly averted an intifada, and took evangelizing lessons from a Messianic Jew.

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