Scott Carter has been Executive Producer for Real Time with Bill Maher for the past 14 years. He has a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at political types from all across the spectrum, from Kellyanne Conway to Christopher Hitchens. We chat about the current election, politics in Hollywood, and some of the best Real Time guests. Mr. Carter is also a playwright, and his play Discord has become a huge success for its take on religious beliefs, so we discuss the play as well as his career in general.

Show Notes

• How the Bill Maher show works
• What he thinks of the Trump phenomenon
• How Trump’s rise and race issues have intertwined
• What the two major parties can do to work together after November 8th
• How Trump’s personality leveled his challengers in the Republican primary
• The evangelical argument for Trump
• What the fight will be within the Democratic party once Hillary is elected
• Why some people have the sense in this election that we just need to blow things up
• How Politically Incorrect started
• Why he agrees with many critiques that conservatives have of liberals
• What Kellyanne Conway used to bring to Bill Maher’s show in terms of opinion and knowledge
• The most knowledgeable celebrities that have been on the show
• Memories of the late Christopher Hitchens
• Political leanings of comedy and late-show television
• About his play Discord
• How Scott’s religious beliefs have changed
• How he got into his industry and became successful

Links

• Listen, Liberal: Or, What Ever Happened to the Party of the People?
• Christopher Hitchens
• Andrew Sullivan
• H.L. Mencken
• A Confession by Leo Tolstoy
• Jefferson Bible
• A Child of the Century