Dear listeners,
We’re back again with another talkative podcast for the political center. This week we’re (unsurprisingly) focused on the ongoing actions of DOGE: the firings and freezes that Megan correctly identifies as less a cost-cutting effort than a strategy to punish and diminish institutions that Republicans see as dominated by the left, including universities, the civil service, and the nonprofit sector. Letting Elon Musk break these things indiscriminately is unwise, even from a conservative perspective — Republicans are likely to find they need some of the things these institutions do — but people in the institutions should reflect on how they let themselves become so partisan in the first place.
We also talk about Musk’s family drama. Two different mothers of his children are publicly demanding that he attend to those children’s needs. Not very long ago, social conservatives would have found it very disreputable for a man to have at least 14 children from 4 different mothers, especially if that man appears to be neglectful. Megan chalks up the shrugs at Musk’s personal life to the downscaling of the Republican coalition, while Mike says Musk is treated like a cartoon figure to whom normal rules don’t apply.
We also look at the imminent return of Andrew Cuomo to New York politics, as he holds a commanding lead in the New York City mayoral race that he, technically, has not yet entered. I am somewhat dreading the Cuomo restoration, though Mike says I’m not giving him enough credit for how he managed our state’s intractable government — and I realize, at least he’s not Eric Adams.
Plus, we talk about the imminent release of the woke Snow White movie. Man, how long has this thing been in development? It feels like forever, and indeed, the movie seems poised to feel like a dated relic of an earlier time (2023). But at least Ben has gotten what he demanded two years ago: the dwarves will, indeed, be short.
We hope you enjoy the episode,
Josh
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