Dinner Table Politics

Abby and Jim make predictions for 2019, but neither predicted that Mitt Romney would come out swinging against Donald Trump in a scathing op-ed in the Washington Post. Jim predicts that there are rough times ahead and laments that our president, supposedly a great businessman, doesn't have the first clue about basic economics. We also review the history of Bill Clinton's "It's the Economy, Stupid" and finally find out what T.A.R.P. stands for. (The T does not stand for Titus, our fat dog who kept barking at the dinner table.) 

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In preparation for the New Year, Abby and Jim clean up after 2018. From the lowlights - Donald Trump shutting down the government over the wall Mexico won't pay for to his conversation with a 7-year-old' "marginal" belief in Santa Claus - to the highlights, notably the president's surprise visit to Iraq. We also discuss the disconnect between a Democratic Party that wants someone entirely new and/or Joe Biden, Mitt Romney's decision to only run for one term, and why people on both sides are obsessed with Ruth Bader Ginsburg's health. Plus: Jim does, in fact, know who the Notorious B.I.G. is. 

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Abby is buried in finals, so her cousin Steven Prawitt joins Jim to discuss the Republican gamesmanship that's putting the country on the brink of another government shutdown. Jim tells his nephew how that didn't work out well for Newt Gingrich and the Republicans in '94, or for Ted Cruz and Mike Lee in 2011, and it won't help Trump get his wall in 2018, either. Then Eliza joins the podcast to discuss how Christmas won the "War on Christmas" and how William Shatner's defense of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" probably isn't a good idea. Then, at the very end, Eliza tells everyone what the real reason for the season is. (Hint: She was born December 26th.) 

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Abby and Jim discuss Donald Trump's deepening legal woes as Robert Mueller's long-running investigation draws closer to a conclusion. How much trouble is Trump really in? Can a sitting president be indicted? Can he pardon himself? And why is every federal building in West Virginia named after former Klu Klux Klansman Robert C. Byrd? (It's all related.) Abby also learns about her family legacy and how Richard Nixon played the piano at her grandfather's 75th birthday party. Plus - the correct way to pronounce Robert Mueller's name. (Hint: Ferris Bueller fans will be sorely disappointed.) 

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Abby and Jim discuss the passing of George H.W. Bush, which calls to mind Abby's policy disagreements with our 41st president, as well as the misunderstood history of the broken "No New Taxes" pledge and the mislabeling of the World War II hero as a "wimp." Jim takes the occasion to recall the thoughtfulness and personal kindnesses of former President Bush, his penchant for handwritten letters, and the importance of basic human decency in the Oval Office. 

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Happy Thanksgiving from Dinner Table Politics! Abby and Jim discuss the history of Thanksgiving in America, notably the first pardoned turkey inspired by Abraham Lincoln's youngest and "dumpiest" son. (We didn't make that up.) We also explore the fate of 21st Century turkeys that don't live long after their moment of glory on the White House lawn. Discussions of what we're thankful for lead to a conversation about whether or not Jim Acosta and CNN have a constitutional right to a White House press pass, and we conclude with a really strange joke about a giant orange head to kick off your Thanksgiving celebration. 

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The votes are (mostly) all in, and Abby and Jim discuss the trends going forward. What are the demographic characteristics that best determine how someone will vote? (Hint: Its not Zodiac signs, as Abby incorrectly guessed.) Why did only 1/2 of millennials show up to the polls? Which is worse - voter fraud or voter suppression, and are either of them really happening? 

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Abby and Jim, live from the United Utah Party Election Night Headquarters! The Democrats win the House; the Republicans keep the Senate. What does this mean for the country? Also, Utah sends a Democrat to DC, Mitt Romney wins but doesn't dominate, and the Beehive State approves medical marijuana. And is Ted Cruz really the Zodiac Killer? 

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Abby and Jim discuss the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting and the MAGA bomber and why entrenched racism and partisan hatred show no signs of going away. What will this mean for the upcoming midterm elections? What does "Braceros" mean in Spanish? And what does Apu from The Simpsons have anything to do with all this?

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