The holidays are nearly here, and there’s nothing more likely to encourage festive cheer than a wide-ranging, ultra-rambly Ruminant. Today’s episode offers musings on Trump’s removal from Colorado ballots, the complicated politics of abortion, and the enduring dumbness of populism. But those also looking for an uplifting seasonal message will find it in Jonah’s thoughts on why gratitude is so important this time of year. Merry Christmas!

Show Notes:
- The Remnant with Frederick Kagan
- Advisory Opinions on the Colorado Supreme Court decision
- Advisory Opinions with Will Baude on Trump’s presidential eligibility 
- Yuval Levin on the anti-Trump 14th Amendment strategy
- Jonah on Trump’s dictatorial flirtations
- The Dispatch Podcast on abortion law
- Ramesh Ponnuru’s The Party of Death
- Jonah on Claudine Gay and diversity
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Christmas with the Cranks

In “The Remnant," Jonah Goldberg enlists a “Cannonball Run”-style cast of stars, has-beens, and never-weres to address the most pressing issues of the day. Is America doomed? Has liberalism failed? And will mankind ever invent something better than ‘90s-era “Simpsons?” Mixing political history, pop culture, rank punditry, and shameless book-plugging, Goldberg and guests will have the kinds of conversations we wish they featured on TV. And the nudity will (almost) always be tasteful. Brace your bingo cards.

News

Politics

Stranded on a highway, gazing into the smoggy horizon, Jonah contemplates plaintively social media's latest display of statistical illiteracy demonstrated by a proclaimed preference of many women to be stranded alone with a bear, rather than a man. If you were wondering why you all didn't receive a G-File today, ladies and gentlemen, there you have it.
Show Notes: 
—Nick Catoggio’s “Never Trump” piece
—Wednesday G-File
—Last week’s Dispatch Podcast
—Megan McArdle on man vs. bear
—Jean Twenge on The Remnant
—Jonathan Haidt on The Remnant
—Liberal Fascism
—Yesterday’s Dispatch Podcast
—The Remnant on prices
—Ghosted by Nancy French
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Man vs. Bear, Revisited

Get your bingo cards at the ready, because Jonah is joined by Ryan Bourne—a policy scholar at the Cato Institute and author of The War on Prices: How Popular Misconceptions about Inflation, Prices, and Value Create Bad Policy—for a decisively wonky Remnant on all things prices. What are prices? Why doesn’t price fixing work? And what's up with the libertarians?
Show Notes:
—Ryan's new book The War on Prices: How Popular Misconceptions about Inflation, Prices, and Value Create Bad Policy
—Ryan’s profile at Cato
—Economics in One Virus: An Introduction to Economic Reasoning through COVID-19
—Suicide of the West
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Fair Markets for Me, Protectionism for Thee

Voters weighing actual policy positions? A man can dream. No, it’ll be vibes—not issues—driving voters to the polls in November. Jonah invites Seth Masket, director of the Center on American Politics at the University of Denver, on today’s episode of The Remnant to commiserate over the sorry status of the current American electorate, Sister Souljah strategies, and the lack of centrist Democrats.
Show Notes:
—Seth’s newsletter
—Why anti-Biden books aren't selling
—Seth's previous appearance on The Remnant
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On Vibes and Crises

What peeves Jonah about the Biden administration’s increasingly hostile stance towards Israel isn’t just the geopolitical recklessness, but also the political incompetence. This Ruminant is a fuming rant about abandoning allies, the Cult of Youth, and the war against all things normal. Jonah also responds to the drama he stirred up among the anti-Trump (and anti-anti-Trump) crowd.
Show Notes:
—This week’s episode of The Dispatch Podcast
—Jonah’s tweet about anti-Trumpers and Biden
—Tim Miller’s response
—Chuck Toddcast with Jonah
—The Fierce Urgency of Tao
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The Straussian Tangent*

Back from his trip to the Commentary offices in New York, Jonah is joined by Kevin Williamson to discuss his review of fatherhood so far, Jonah’s thoughts on the Broadway production of Tommy, and the corrupting influence of populism. The two also get into the state of U.S.-Israel relations and why rooting for your team is easier than reading Hayek. Stick around to learn about Kevin’s sorry football career.
Show Notes:
—NYT article on a pro-Trump non-profit
—Revolutions podcast
—The Remnant with John Podhoretz
—Michael Brendan Dougherty’s piece on Sam Francis
—Biden interview with CNN
—Poll on the most important issues for college kids
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Christmas with the Cranks

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