After a long and draining week of speeches, fancy dinners, and finally acknowledging the existence of his intern, Jonah phones in the beginning of today’s Ruminant by simply reading through the stories in Friday’s Morning Dispatch. Luckily, things quickly pick up speed when Jonah turns to a wacky article by the mother of the recently disgraced CEO of FTX on why we should abandon the concept of personal responsibility. A lengthy philosophical discussion follows on the problems inherent in critical analysis, the necessity of pricing signals, and why bad ideas must be taken seriously. Following some thoughts on judicial activism and the future of the Federalist Society, Jonah wraps things up by discussing hope, optimism, and the nature of despair.

Show Notes:

- Barbara H. Fried: “Beyond Blame”
- “A Moment of Truth for the Federalist Society”

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In recovery mode from a hectic period of midterm punditry, Jonah invites his immigrant amanuensis Guy back to the Remnant to spend some time answering listener questions. A strange and broad conversation ensues, as Jonah provides some rank predictions for the 2024 election cycle, reflects on his career in blogging, and indulges in a few fiendishly nerdy asides about Marvel and Star Trek. And of course, he can’t resist interrogating Guy about his recent voyage on a Kiss-themed cruise.

Show Notes:

- Jonah and Guy’s previous AMA extravaganza

- Haley Byrd Wilt: “The Freedom Caucus’ Reform Opportunity”

- “Florida man makes announcement”

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With demand for rank election punditry at historically high levels, Chris Stirewalt captains today’s Remnant voyage through the convoluted current of midterm results. He’s joined by trusted wonk Ruy Teixeira to discuss the 2022 turnout numbers, the nature of “normie” voters, and the inevitable overinterpreting of Democrats’ success in grasping only a small defeat out of the jaws of a much larger one. Demography-galore abounds in the second half of the show, as Chris and Ruy analyze future trends, crackpot electoral theories, and how Democrats should approach the Lovecraftian maw of the 2024 election.

Show Notes:

-Ruy’s page at AEI

-Chris’ page at The Dispatch

-Ruy: “Democrats Can’t Count on Trump in 2024”

-Chris: “The Wave Against Weirdness”

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Trapped in the urban prison popularly referred to as Manhattan, Jonah surrenders to the call of rank punditry and discusses the midterm results on today’s Ruminant. How did the Republicans squander such an obviously winnable election, and what role did Trump play in the disaster? Furthermore, could Biden really win again in 2024? Have Jonah’s views on Ron DeSantis shifted? And should these results inspire hope that conservatism can right itself?

Show Notes:

- The Remnant with Ken Pollack

- Wednesday’s “news”letter

- The Dispatch Podcast provides a midterm postmortem

- Jonah on 2016’s slow-motion Invasion of the Body Snatchers

- George Orwell: “Second Thoughts on James Burnham”

- Charlie Cooke: “Did Republicans Pick the Right Time to Lose?”

- The Remnant with Yuval Levin

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AEI Senior Fellow Ken Pollack returns to the Remnant for a wonktastic discussion of the Middle East. With continued Iranian protests dominating international headlines, the conversation centers on the stability of the Iranian regime, the goals of the Iranian people, and how the United States should respond. Why do continued mass demonstrations in Iran seem to be an intellectual afterthought in the West? What will happen to Iran’s nuclear program if its government collapses? And what are the best things the Biden administration could do to help the Iranian people? 

Show Notes:

- Ken’s page at AEI

- Ken: “A Stronger But Less Ambitious NATO”

- 

Ken: “The Middle East Abhors a Vacuum”

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Shadi Hamid of the hated Brookings Institution returns to the Remnant to discuss his new book, The Problem of Democracy: America, the Middle East, and the Rise and Fall of an Idea. He and Jonah engage in a nerdtastic exploration of democracy—its strengths, its weaknesses, and how it should be understood in the American context. What is “democratic minimalism,” and should we embrace it? Why is democracy particularly well suited to a society as large and diverse as the United States? And what should primary elections be replaced with?

Show Notes:

- Shadi’s page at The Atlantic

- Shadi’s new book, The Problem of Democracy

- Shadi: “Can Democracy Exist Without Liberalism?”

- Biden’s befuddled speech

- Jonah: “The Cult of Unity Is a Poison”

- Jonah on the “Life of Julia”

- Pajama Boy

- Jonah on Making Sense with Sam Harris

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Jonah finds himself unable to resist the allure of rank punditry on today’s Ruminant. He begins by describing how little he cares about the upcoming midterms before diving into a lengthy rant on that very matter. Next, he tackles the state of Trump’s continued influence on the Republican Party, the ills of the modern legislative process, and the undermining of confidence in elections by both parties. After a brief foray into John Dewey’s “screwed up” view of democracy, Jonah finishes the show with commentary on Putin’s rejection of liberal democratic capitalism, the hypocrisy of his attacks on America, and why Francis Fukuyama was right all along (again).

Show Notes:

- Richard Rorty’s Achieving Our Country

- Jonah: “Putin’s Dangerous Blend of Propaganda and Hypocrisy”

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Addicted to the sensation of power that the Remnant command chair provides, Sarah Isgur takes control of the program once again. She’s joined by famed pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson to discuss the reliability of polls and the future of the polling industry, as well as the midterms and the 2024 presidential election. Tune in also to learn about Sarah’s spindrift habit, Kristen’s exceptional canine companion, and what really appeals to young voters.

Show Notes:

-Kristen’s webpage

-The Fetterman-Oz debate

-Kristen’s The Selfie Vote

-Kristen: “Democrats Just Can’t Seal the Deal with Young Americans”

-

Sean Trende’s 

The Lost Majority

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The Remnant returns to normalcy today as Chris Stirewalt joins Jonah to provide a preview of the midterms. With only a week remaining until election day, what level of turnout should we expect? For that matter, will the Republicans enjoy a red tsunami? How will Dobbs influence the results? And what does the attack on Paul Pelosi reveal about our political climate?

Show Notes:

-Chris’ page at The Dispatch

-Last weekend’s Ruminant

-Last Friday’s G-File

-Chris' book 'Broken News'

-Wall Street Journal: “Republican Election Prospects Rise as Inflation Overshadows Abortion”

-Kari Lake mocks the Paul Pelosi attack

-The Remnant with Yuval Levin

-The Paul Lynde Halloween Special

-Never been KISSed

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Join Jonah on today’s solo episode as he remembers his mother, Lucianne Goldberg, who died peacefully this week surrounded by her people –– and pets! –– who loved her.

Links:

-John Podhoretz’s moving tribute

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