Episode 9 Grifty Tribune: The Grifty Old Party

On this episode of Grifty, we are kicking off our new ongoing series- The Grifty Tribune. In ancient Rome, the Tribune was a person who upheld or defended the rights of the people. And we plan to do the same with this ongoing series. In this edition of the Grifty Tribune, Azi and Sari break down the latest in American politics with a focus on how the GOP got so darn grifty - from Sarah Palins's $150,000 wardrobe back in 2008 to the Obama Birther Conspiracy to the Trump Mug Shot of 2023. Azi and Sari even go back to the Roman Empire - yes, the Roman Empire - and try to figure out how we got to this place in America, once founded on lofty principles of republican virtue, to one where Trump is able to galvanize and grift off of an anti-intellectual, conspiracy theory obsessed, and bigoted voting bloc.

IN THIS EPISODE

1. Bidens impressive record
2. $150,000 Wardrobe for Palin May Alter Tailor-Made Image
3. Who the hell is Orly Taitz
4. The Mug Shot Is a Warning
5. How Conspiracy Theorists Have Tapped Into Race and Racism to Further Their Message

That didn't stop the smear from gaining traction, in an effort fueled by people including hard-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones of InfoWars — and by future president Donald Trump himself, who fanned the "birther" flames in 2011 as he advanced in the political arena.

According to Trump's longtime associate Roger Stone, it was an effective strategy: "Trump understands among Republicans there's a very substantial majority who have questions about Obama's origins and how he just pops up out of nowhere to become a national figure and whether he was, in fact, eligible to serve as president," Stone told FRONTLINE in 2016.

1. The Genesis of the Birther Rumor: Partisanship, Racial Attitudes, and Political Knowledge
2. There's actually only one conspiracy theory: Democrats are evil
3. How the Republican Party came to embrace conspiracy theories and denialism
4. Tucker Carlson, who is scrounging for attention in an increasingly fractured and competitive right-wing media ecosystem while seeking funders for his new media venture
5. The Weaponization of Loneliness: To defend America against those who would exploit our social disconnection, we need to rebuild our communities By Hillary Rodham Clinton
6. The History of Antisemitic Conspiracy Theories, from the Rothschilds to George Soros