Dinner Table Politics

Remember when Republicans were opposed to spending $1 to $2 trillion on prom barrel politics? Jim does, but Abby doesn't. President Trump's refusal to work with Democrats on an infrastructure bill reminds Jim of his father Bob Bennett's TARP vote (for) and stimulus package vote (against). The history of presidents working with Congress while under investigation also comes under scrutiny, with a review of the Independent Counsel Statute, the Saturday Night Massacre, and Abby's grandfather winning the coveted Iron Butt Award, which Abby wants to recreate using actual iron, welders, and butt models. 

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The slate of new restrictive abortion laws creates an uncomfortable conversation around the dinner table, with Abby wanting - and trying - to talk about anything else, including the Beatles, Twilight, and seahorses. Jim predicts it will likely get worse before it gets better, seeing the Alabama law in particular as a particularly misguided idea on every level. Will Roe v. Wade be overturned? Will Justice Roberts preside over such a massive shift in precedent? And what does South Carolina's transgender bathroom law tell us about the federalist implications of Alabama's trajectory? 

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The New York Times gets its hands on Trump's taxes, and it isn't pretty. Abby and Jim break it all down and discuss what's appropriate to share on social media, especially in light of the social media giant's decision to ban Alex Jones and Linda Loomer. Is social media a public accommodation like a bakery or a grocery store, or is it a media platform like the soon-to-be-nonprofit Salt Lake Tribune? And why did Donal Trump pose as his own PR person once upon a time? And is Abby's idea of selling donuts that look like planets a good business model?

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Jim and Abby discuss Nancy French's article in the Washington Post titled "Romney was never Christian enough for some Republicans. Somehow, Trump is." Jim recalls the 2012 presidential campaign, in which Mitt Romney's personal faith went largely undiscussed, and how his cousin Grant Bennett spoke about Mitt's church service at the 2012 convention. How much does a president's personal morality matter? Is it acceptable to vote for a bad man who does what you think are good things?  Also, what's the best definition of a "cult?" (According to Abby, most anthills qualify.) 

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Jim is joined by his youngest son Jamie Bennett, aged 13, who really wants to talk about sports more than politics. Nevertheless, Jamie offers insight into whether or not Donald Trump should be impeached, which four Republican senators would be most likely to vote for impeachment, and Jamie discovers how Richard Nixon played the piano at his great-grandfather's 75th birthday party. Jamie also blames Donald Trump for destroying the USFL and recalls the starting lineup of the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2006. Father and son also sing an impromptu duet of a song both learned at the age of three. 

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This episode was recorded the day Notre Dame caught fire, and Jim and Abby recall their visit the previous summer and the iconic role that landmark building has played in world history. They also discuss Julian Assange, and the role Wikileaks played in burning down the Hillary Clinton campaign, not to mention the Church of Scientology. What is the impact, good or bad, of whistleblowers like Assange, Edward Snowden, and Chelsea Manning play in revealing government secrets? And when you're using your mobile devices, who is more likely to be listening to you - the NSA or Amazon? Also, Abby refuses to discuss the new Star Wars trailer. 

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What does it take to run for president? Abby and Jim review the history of the campaign for the Oval Office, beginning with George Washington's (non) campaigns, Abraham Lincoln's debates with Stephen Douglas, and the history of campaigns that Jim and Abby can remember personally. (Jim remembers celebrating Nixon's win in '72 riding Big Wheels in preschool, while Abby remembers playing with Polly Pockets when W. won in 2000.) Reagan, both Bushes, Clinton, Obama, and Trump all come under the Dinner Table Politics microscope, and Abby comes out in full force against bumper stickers. 

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Abby and Jim review things that have happened in the past week that aren't funny - notably Utah Senator Mike Lee's stand-up comedy routine on the Senate floor that featured tauntauns and Aquaman. Would he have been as condescending if Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had been a middle-aged man? Jim also introduce Abby to a speech by Senator Lee's father Rex Lee that read like a primer on why you shouldn't vote for Mike Lee. The other unfunny event of the week, Joe Biden's gropey public behavior, also gets the once-over, and Abby and Jim assess what this means in the coarsening Age of Trump. 

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COMPLETE EXONERATION! That's what Donald Trump is saying about Robert Mueller's nothingburger of a report. Abby and Jim break it down and figure out what we got out of those two years and $30 million that produced this, and whether there are time bombs in it we just don't know about yet. (Spoiler alert: There aren't.) The discussion includes analysis of Internet bots on Facebook, Doonesbury, Joe Biden, the Electoral College, and Jim's longing for "politics as usual," as well as the impartiality of alien lawyers. 

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Eliza returns to Dinner Table Politics to discuss her experience as an intern for Senate President Stuart Adams in Utah's latest legislative session. She gives a behind-the-scenes look at Medicaid expansion, the failed conversion therapy and tax overhaul bills, criminal justice reform, and education funding. She also explains, much to Jim's chagrin, why Kim Kardashian is the greatest American hero in the world today. 

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