Steve Hayes and Sarah Isgur kicked off our Iowa conversation with Republican strategist and Iowa guru David Kochel. The three give a play-by-play of the issues plaguing the American people before diving into the GOP candidates’ helpless caucus attempts. Andrew, Chris and Kevin join the stream to answer the question we’re all wondering: Do the Iowa results even matter? Jonah joins for a hot second to give his take on the voters having too much power and David (Drucker) and Mike join in the last half to talk about Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis’ ground campaigns. 
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Dispatch Live Unlocked: On the Ground in Iowa and New Hampshire

Host Sarah Isgur is joined by Steve Hayes, and Jonah Goldberg for a weekly thoughtful discussion on politics, policy, and culture.

News

Politics

Megan McArdle of the Washington Post joins Jonah and Sarah to discuss Trump’s *explicit* trial, vice presidential contenders, and the downfall of the Tea Party.
The Agenda:
—Vice presidential picks
—Let’s keep the Burgumentum going!!!
—Handgate and Marco Rubio
—FreedomWorks closes up shop
—Checking in on third parties
—There are monsters inside of RFK Jr.
—Man vs. Bear debate
Show Notes:
—WaPo's explanation of brain worms
—Biden threatens to withhold military aid from Israel
—"A Huge Gender Gap is Emerging Among Young Voters"
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Embracing Failure | Roundtable

Robert Costa, chief election and campaign correspondent for CBS News, joins Jamie to discuss what a second Trump administration would look like.
The Agenda:
—GOP Rep. Dan Crenshaw’s previous Dispatch Podcast appearance and Costa’s response
—How Trump pressured different Republican leaders leading up to January 6
—Steve Bannon’s motivation and role
—Trump’s ongoing legal cases and how they affect his campaign
—Trump’s possible VP picks
Show Notes:
—NYT "Could Trump Go to Prison? If He Does, the Secret Service Goes, Too"
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The Second Coming of Trump | Interview: Robert Costa

Can you compare the pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses to January 6? What about 1968? Or 2011? Sarah is joined by Jonah and Steve to debate these questions and discuss Trump’s Time magazine interview.
The Agenda:
—Nostalgia for the Civil Rights protests
—Do we have political parties anymore?
—Protests become violent
—Whose fault is this?
—No Jewish hummus
—The UNC frat bros’ Iwo Jima moment
—Trump’s Time interview
—Ron DeSantis bans lab-grown meat
Show Notes:
—Kaitlan Collins interviews J.D. Vance on CNN
—Serge Schmemann: Student Protest Is an Essential Part of Education
—UCLA wins the award
—Jonah’s Wednesday G-File
—McKay Coppins: You Should Go to a Trump Rally
—Ross Douthat: There Will Be No Trump Coup
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The Cult of The College Protest | Roundtable

Qatar hosts a major U.S. air base, but its patronage of radical Islamist terror groups has some Americans questioning the alliance. Jonathan Schanzer, senior vice president for research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, joins Jamie to explain.
The Agenda:
—Introduction to Qatar
—Various actors and terrorist organizations in Qatar
—Qatar’s financial influence in Washington
—Al Jazeera's relationship with Qatar
—Responding to Rep. Dan Crenshaw’s comments on Qatar
Show Notes:
—Jonathan for The Jerusalem Post: Qatar: ‘The arsonist who then claims to be the firefighter'
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Is Qatar an Arsonist or a Firefighter? | Interview: Jonathan Schanzer

Derek Thompson of The Atlantic joins Victoria to answer the question: Why did Americans stop hanging out? The two discuss the steep decline in face-to-face socializing, the rise of loneliness, and the fraternizing role of protests.
The Agenda:
—The decline of social institutions in America
—Smartphones’ effect on teenagers’ lives
—Women turning to pets
—Challenges of raising kids in the digital age
Show Notes:
—Derek for The Atlantic: Meritocracy Is Killing High-School Sports
—Derek for The Atlantic: Concerts? I'll Pass
—Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community
—Watch this episode on YouTube

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Dispatch Live Unlocked: On the Ground in Iowa and New Hampshire

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