Dinner Table Politics

Donald Trump called all Never Trump Republicans "human scum" this week, and Jim and Eliza note how all the people who affiliate with Trump end up getting closer to that description themselves. From Rudy Giuliani to congressional Republicans, anyone who gets close to this president is sullied by the experience. Eliza and Jim discuss how far party loyalty ought to go, and why a post-Trump GOP should be listening more to Pierre Delecto than Donald Trump.

Plus: Bill Gates's worm toilets!

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Mick Mulvaney, Donald Trump's Chief of Staff, admits to a quid pro quo! Donald Trump doubles down on impeachable offenses by violating the emoluments clause and holding the G-7 at his own hotel! More and more Republicans, including Gov. John Kasich and Rep. Francis Rooney of Florida, are saying impeachment should move forward, and a growing majority of Americans agree. 

What's a Republican to do? Jim and Eliza give the Republican Party their best advice and debate whether Mitch McConnell or Nancy Pelosi is the smartest politician in Washington. Also, are politicians generally good or bad people? 

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Dinner Table Politics returns! Impeachment takes center stage as Jim and Eliza discuss President Trump's fate, which Jim points out has a greater-than-zero percent chance of resulting in removal from office. Will Mitt Romney save the nation and unwittingly fulfill a dubious prophecy? Are there really 35 Republicans who, behind closed doors, want Trump removed? Should the House of Representatives arrest Rudy Giuliani? And does anyone listening want to buy Eliza a Tesla? 

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Sam Bennett, age 18, joins Dinner Table Politics for the first time, despite the fact that he hates politics. (His friend Chandler Glauser whispers the right answers in his ear.) Where does Sam stand on issues like gender equality, international relations, and whether America is the greatest country in the world? We go through the Pew Research on Gen Z politics and discover where the generations differ. Also, does Sam know who the Vice President of the United States is? (Spoiler alert: he does now.) Also, why does Sam have Joe Biden's personal phone number? 

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President Trump's 4th of July speech talking about the liberation of 18th Century airports serves as the catalyst for Abby and Jim's discussion about patriotism. The rising generation is less interested in visiting old patriotic landmarks like Colonial Williamsburg and the National Air and Space Museum than were generations past. Is this a good or a bad thing? How much does patriotism and national identity matter? And could it be possible that we are moving toward a post nation-state world? All this, plus Abby tells you more about het Webkins collection than you ever wanted to know. 

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Abby and Jim begin by discussing the horrific treatment of children detained on the Southern border, which both agree will be a defining moment in American history for generations to come, and not in a good way. Jim then introduces Abby to the concept of Godwin's Law, the Internet standard for Hitler analogies, and how Godwin himself has stepped into the discussion. They then discuss the recent presidential debates, and Jim reveals the secrets to winning a debate. (You're welcome to try this at home.) 

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Are we heading to war with Iran? As the Trump administration tries to figure out a commensurate response to the downing of an American spy drone, Abby and Jim review the possibility of what a war would look like, and why it would likely be more disastrous than the invasion of Iraq. Jim introduces Abby to "Wag the Dog," the movie that chronicles a fictional president mounting a war to secure his reelection chances. Could that be what's happening here? And what are Trump's reelection chances, anyway? Joe Biden is stumbling; Elizabeth Warren is on the rise. Is wagging the dog Trump's best hope for 2020?

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Debt! Everyone's favorite thing. How much is too much - for a future medical student like Abby or for the country at large? As the Trump administration continues to run up the red ink and the deficit looks to approach the $1 trillion mark for the first time since the 2008 financial meltdown, Jim and Abby look for the answers that will bring the budget into balance. The focus is on mandatory spending - Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Possible solutions include higher taxes, lower spending, or, according to Abby, cloning. Also, Abby explains why Stevie Wonder is blind. 

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Since Donald Trump seems to be stealing his European itinerary from the Bennett trip to Europe last summer, Abby and Jim rate his performance (high marks for D-Day tribute; low marks for bate outfit with the Queen) and review what every single candidate running for president is doing. Turns out neither Abby nor Jim had heard of most of them. Sure, there's Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Mayor Pete with the unpronounceable name - but who's the new age guru and the guy names Swalwell? And how do you pronounce Swalwell? And who will be left standing when the Iowa caucuses roll around?

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Has Jim changed his mind about the wisdom of impeaching Donald Trump? Abby and Jim review the political ramifications of impeachment in the wake of Robert Mueller's pointed non-exoneration.  Professor Allan Lichtman of American University says Trump will be reelected unless the Democrats impeach. Is this different from the '98 impeachment of Bill Clinton? Is there value in an impeachment that doesn't remove a president from office? And why doesn't Abby catch any of Jim's Star Trek references?

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