The Remnant returns to normalcy today with one of Jonah’s favorite guests: the illustrious Chris Stirewalt. The pair engage in pop culture-infused punditry, focusing on the GOP’s internal war between MAGA advocates and Liz Cheney supporters and America’s supposed entry into a new Progressive Era under President Biden. Prepare to be bedazzled by Chris’ peerless Sebastian Gorka impression, the raw craziness of Donald Trump, and Jonah’s secret history as an adolescent ice cream vendor.

Show Notes:

- Chris’ page at The Dispatch

- Cheneypalooza

- Trump backs Elise Stefanik

- Mike Pence trudges toward 2024

- What the heck is going on in Maricopa County?

- The members-only Wednesday G-File

- The road to Kenya

- Chris: “The era of big government is here”

- The Election Integrity Alliance, yeesh

- Dr. Gorka

- Jonah’s cordial, not-at-all controversial disagreement with Bill Kristol

- “If the paper turns clear, it’s your window to weight gain!”

- “Welcome to the new progressive era”

- When Trump and the Clintons were BFFs

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Jonah flies solo on the week’s first Remnant, as he tries out a format that seeks to provide the footnotes to some of the most commonly landed-on items from the program’s bingo card. On this first explainer, Jonah tackles the straw man and frequent leftist punching bag called social Darwinism, and whether or not such an ideology ever even existed in the first place. Do any conservatives actually believe this stuff? And how did the tables turn on libertarians to such a degree that the most laissez-faire political ideology possible ended up facing accusations of eugenic sympathies? (You can also tune in to learn why you should never trust Wisconsinites.)

Show Notes:

-The (underrated) Tyranny of Clichés

-Obama calls the GOP budget “social Darwinism”

-Schoenwald has some strange opinions on Herbert Spencer

-The University of Wisconsin and progressivism

-Hofstadter’s book on social Darwinism

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In the words of a great album, “How are we feeling out there? How’s your drive-time commute? I need a saga - what’s the saga?” This weekend’s Remnant is less Ruminant-y than usual, as the Greek chorus that has silently watched Jonah during these recordings for the last few episodes finally speaks up. That group includes Ryan, the newest addition to The Dispatch; Guy, noted Mark Steyn impersonator; and Nick, Jonah’s long-suffering research assistant. In this imitation of a kinda-crude FM radio show, the four talk about the latest Gaetzian nonsense, Biden’s joint congressional address, and Chez Goldberg’s interesting history with Newt Gingrich—in addition to Jonah telling some jokes which will get his three companions canceled before they even exit their 20s.

Show Notes:

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Jonah and a brand new guest, Robert Draper of the New York Times, engage in punditry ranker than even the most devoted Remnant listener could imagine before gushing over Draper’s adorable canine companion. If that sounds like a retread of the week’s previous episode with A.B. Stoddard, fear not! Today’s dog talk is entirely spontaneous. The pair have Biden’s joint congressional address to dissect, and Draper has a fascinating new piece on Republican turmoil that stimulates plenty of conversation on internecine party warfare. Will partisanship destroy us all? Can the GOP be saved from insanity? And why do Jonah and Robert both recall Watergate with fondness?

Show Notes:

- Robert’s page at the New York Times

- Robert’s latest piece, “Liz Cheney vs. MAGA”

- “I’m a conservative, but I’m not angry about it”

- “I am a gaffe machine”

- Dispatch Live reacts to Biden’s first joint congressional address

- Ross Douthat: “Biden Should Go Big, and Then Brag About It”

- Ross Douthat: “What Bidenism Owes to Trumpism”

- The Jason Miller tweet that stole Jonah’s heart

- Trump discovers “America First”

- The week’s first Remnant with A.B. Stoddard

- Mark Leibovich on Kevin McCarthy

- David Brooks: “The GOP is Getting Worse”

- Jonah: “Unity Can Be Worse Than Partisanship”

- Karl Rove’s “100-year majority”

- The Wednesday G-File

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Remnant favorite A.B. Stoddard joins Jonah today for an episode of exceedingly rank punditry. The pair discuss how President Biden has fared in his first 100 days, Donald Trump’s lingering presence within the GOP, and why both parties can’t help but be nutty. Tune in for political eggheadery, but stick around for uplifting dog discussion. A.B. has just taken in a new puppy (Chief!), and Jonah is as excited as he can be.

Show Notes:

-A.B.’s page at RealClearPolitics

-Dispatch Live gears up for Biden’s first joint address to Congress

-A.B.’s last Remnant appearance

-Ramesh Ponnuru: “Biden’s Stalled Revolution”

-Joe Biden talks to Hunter “at least every night”

-Biden: GOP used “defund the police” to “beat the living hell out of Democrats”

-Robert Draper: “Liz Cheney vs. MAGA”

-Mark Leibovich: “Kevin McCarthy Still on Defensive Over Trump”

-The McCarthy-Cheney Trump divide deepens

-Mick Mulvaney on The Dispatch Podcast

-Lindsey Graham gave up on Trump, then embraced him again

-Don’t call John Boehner a squish

-Heeeere’s Chief!

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In distinctly Goldbergian fashion, Jonah manages to combine musings on Home Depot, climate change, the Chauvin trial, and the classic “Deep Space Homer” episode of The Simpsons into a single, coherent Ruminant, which includes as many references to infrastructure as you’d expect at this point. Tune in not just for Jonah’s eggheadery, but to hear him face his greatest challenge yet: pronouncing the name “Greta Thunberg.”

Show Notes:

- Ben Shapiro gets wood

- “It’s an inanimate carbon rod!”

- Jonah on Thanksgiving

- The Wednesday G-File

- Cornel West: “Howard University’s Removal of Classics is a Spiritual Catastrophe”

- Rep. Karen Bass: “It’s open season on black folks”

- David Brooks: “The GOP is Getting Even Worse”

- Rep. Katie Porter’s daughter thinks we’re all going to die

- “How dare you!”

- GOP senators release their infrastructure plan

- Greg Gutfeld on the Chauvin verdict

- The week’s first, ultra-nerdy Remnant with Brian Riedl

- The week’s second, Kissinger-loving Remnant with Thomas Joscelyn

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On today’s episode, Vital Interests author and national security extraordinaire Thomas Joscelyn makes his first Remnant appearance. With a healthy supply of Hayek references on hand, Jonah seems determined to outdo the wonkiness of Brian Riedl’s visit earlier this week. Al-Qaeda, Afghanistan, China, and the meaning of necrocracy are all discussed peacefully by the pair, until a certain name is mentioned; If you thought Jonah’s contempt for Woodrow Wilson was unparalleled, just wait until you hear the disdain that overtakes Tom at the mere mention of Henry Kissinger.

Show Notes:

- Tom’s journal, Long War

- Vital Interests at The Dispatch

- Just in case you happen to know Siraj Haqqani

- The history of the institutionalized form of al-Qaeda, the AQAP

- Bin Laden’s files

- Tom: “The Flawed Reasoning Behind Biden’s Afghanistan Withdrawal”

- Jonah: “Biden Citing the Wrong Reasons for Afghanistan Withdrawal”

- The Remnant with Bing West

- Kissinger makes WWI metaphors in regards to China

- Hitchens: “A necrocracy?”

- The Remnant with Oriana Skylar Mastro

- “The Longer Telegram,” by an anonymous official

- Lin Wells’ memo

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Senior Manhattan Institute fellow Brian Riedl joins Jonah on The Remnant for an uber-wonky discussion of economic policy. Fresh from testifying before the House Committee on Financial Services on President Biden’s madcap “infrastructure” plan, Brian provides insight on all manner of economic fallacies peddled by Republicans and Democrats alike. What’s to be done about infrastructure? Are inflation and debt really a big deal? And why is everyone turning on free markets? Also, take a shot of your favorite alcoholic beverage every time the words “infrastructure” and “buy gold” are uttered. You’ll soon realize how Jonah felt at the end of last week’s Mike Gallagher episode.

Show Notes:

-Brian Riedl - The Manhattan Institute

-Brian’s recent House testimony

-Last week’s astonishing Remnant with Rep. Mike Gallagher

-Jonah shakes his fist in the direction of infrastructure

-The good old days of complaining about Obama’s stimulus

-“That’s a shark”

-The GOP is more concerned with Green Eggs and Ham than spending

-Brian: “The Entitlement Crisis Ignored”

-David Beckworth and Ramesh Ponnuru: “Stop Worrying About Inflation”

-Brian: “Liberal Economists Say Debt Doesn’t Matter. They’re Wrong.”

-Brian: “Who Will Fund $24 Trillion in New Government Debt?”

-Brian: “Taxing the ‘Rich’ Won’t Pay for Politicians’ Promises”

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Today’s refreshingly (or regrettably, depending on your perspective) sober Ruminant finds Jonah surrounded by boxes of books so nerdy that even Goodwill won’t take them. Preoccupied with thoughts on the strange state of the right, and the equally strange state of Joe Biden, he swiftly reaches levels of wonkiness so high that they could cure sleep deprivation. What’s the matter with the Claremont Institute? Will the oft-discussed “Liberal Fascism Revisited” piece ever be completed? And what new euphemism for a mild hangover will soon be sweeping the nation?

Show Notes:

- Jonah’s pre-coffee reproval of Ryan Williams

- The Wednesday G-File

- J.D. Vance’s Democrat-esque response to David French

- The decline of the Lincoln Fellowship

- The week’s first Remnant with Andy Smarick

- The week’s second Remnant with Mike Gallagher, which must be heard to be believed

- Horseshoe theory

- Last Friday’s G-File

- Jerry Nadler: “We are not packing the Supreme Court, we are unpacking it.”

- The Decadent Society, by Ross Douthat

- Biden wears a mask alone in Arlington National Cemetery

- Jonah: “Biden Puts Feelings Over Facts in Afghanistan Withdrawal”

- The Rectification of Names

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On today’s career-ruining episode, recorded deep within the headquarters of Half-Baked DARPA, Jonah is joined by frequent guest Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Packers) for a jaunt through the land of new and creative ideas that still need some more time in the oven. The show sees the guys return to the idea of annexing Greenland while also bringing new life to half-baked concepts such as spray-painted meteors, an $800 quadrillion infrastructure plan for salvaging the experience of the midpriced American hotel, and the joys of director commentaries when combined with drinking games. Emphasis on the drinking part. Also, find out what masterful modern novel Gallagher thought “sucked.”

Show Notes:

-Rep. Gallagher’s webpage

-Rep. Gallagher’s appearance on the Remnant’s super-spectacular 200th episode

-Trump’s hand on the Ohio Senate primary

-“We’re gonna have… tryouts”

-Jonah shakes his fist in the direction of infrastructure

-Jonah: “Greenland Should Be Ours”

-Obi-Wan v. Darth Vader, gloriously re-imagined

-It’s “I’m Eighteen,” Jonah

-The Jewish space lazer conspiracy

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