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23 December 2024

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Jul 31, 2013 — Bill Scher & Matt K. Lewis
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The DMZ

On The DMZ: How the 2016 GOP primary is like the NCAA’s Final Four. What happens if Rand Paul and Ted Cruz both run? An interview with John McCain supports Bill’s prediction that a Paul nomination would rend the GOP asunder, and Matt recalls some other eerily accurate McCain forecasting. Matt and Bill consider whether Republicans will really try to shut down the government in an attempt to defund Obamacare. Bill is baffled by this strategy, which Matt calls “delusional.”

Jul 30, 2013 — Kevin Glass & Ben Domenech
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Rational Actors

On Rational Actors, Kevin asks Ben to explain libertarian populism. How is it different from other kinds of reform conservatism? What does libertarian populism have to offer middle- and working-class voters? Ben points toward a number of areas ripe for reform: the payroll tax, farm and energy subsidies, and big banks. Would the GOP base accept a more progressive tax code? Kevin and Ben next discuss the changing media landscape, where ad-supported models are collapsing while paid subscriptions are on the rise. Plus: What Glenn Beck, Andrew Sullivan, and Netflix have in common.

Jul 29, 2013 — Harry Siegel & Azi Paybarah
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Jul 28, 2013 — Robert Wright & Shinzen Young
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Nonzero (The Wright Show)
Jul 27, 2013 — Alyssa Rosenberg & Emily Nussbaum
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Critic Proof
On Critic Proof, Alyssa and Emily talk about why Sex and the City deserves to be considered part of the golden age of television. Is Carrie Bradshaw an antihero like Tony Soprano? Was the show glamorizing the wealthy Manhattan lifestyle, or satirizing it? Why has mocking SATC fans become a trope on HBO’s The Newsroom and Girls? Did the show have to end with true love prevailing? Alyssa argues that the show is more generous to its male characters than many prestige dramas are to their female characters. Emily talks about how the show grew on her and encourages skeptics to give it a chance.
Jul 26, 2013 — Bill Scher & Matt K. Lewis
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The DMZ
On The DMZ: Could a Tea Party challenger knock out Mitch McConnell? Is the GOP going to throw away easy 2014 Senate wins? Matt views the recent failed House vote to defund the NSA as a watershed moment for conservatives. Turning to Anthony Weiner’s latest scandal, Matt objects to the idea that Weiner was abusing power to attract women. Bill sighs with relief that Obama is a good family man. Plus: Will the public react differently to Weiner’s sexting antics than to a run-of-the-mill sex scandal?
Jul 25, 2013 — Michael Brendan Dougherty & Travis Waldron
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The Score
On The Score, Michael and Travis begin by discussing MLB’s suspension of Ryan Braun for the rest of the season. Do fans actually care if athletes use performance-enhancing drugs? Travis thinks economic incentives will cause steroids use to continue. So should professional sports just legalize steroids? They next discuss Travis’s new beat covering sports from a progressive perspective. They discuss how sports can be both an agent of political change and a lens for viewing larger issues, but Michael sticks up for the escapism and joy that come from athletics.
Jul 24, 2013 — Glenn Loury & Harold Pollack
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The Glenn Show
On The Glenn Show, Glenn and Harold react to the Zimmerman trial. Harold describes attending a Justice For Trayvon rally. As an example of the unequal application of criminal justice, Glenn recounts his arrest for stealing a car when he was sixteen. Harold argues against racial profiling, but defends aggressive policing against gun violence. Harold praises President Obama’s remarks on the verdict and finds conservative objections to them churlish. Glenn and Harold close by weighing the radical left critique of Obama offered by figures like Cornel West.
Jul 23, 2013 — Robert Wright & Alexey Sidorenko
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Worldwise
Jul 22, 2013 — Sarah Posner & Betsy Woodruff
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The Posner Show
On The Posner Show, Sarah and Betsy talk abortion politics. Does Texas’s passage of a twenty-week abortion ban spell a resurgence for pro-choice politics in the Lone Star State? Is the law a ploy to burnish Rick Perry’s presidential ambitions? Moving on to another Texan, Betsy makes the case that Ted Cruz is not on the fringe of the Republican Party. They discuss Cruz’s and Rand Paul’s recent visit to Iowa to speak to evangelical pastors. Can Paul keep his libertarian base while pandering to the religious right?

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