VPR Writer Cole Patterson joined the Vanderbilt Political Review today initially to compare the figures of the late Charlie Kirk and the ascendance of now-Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. The conversation, as you will see, got a bit sidetracked (as a happy accident) with the question of the degree to which right-wing figures like Kirk embody "the f-word": fascism.----Theme by Purple Planet Music

Welcome back to another season of the Vanderbilt Political Review Podcast! We look forward to a great year of programming for all our viewers and listeners. To that end, we are kicking things off today with our new Editor-in-Chief, Alícia Isasi, who discussed her goals for VPR this year and, later in the episode, engaged in a discussion with VPR Podcast Director Noah Jenkins on the merits of having the National Guard present in DC and other cities. That discussion prefigures VPR's first debate, which, unlike what was said in the episode, is taking place on September 30. More details on our Instagram and AnchorLink.

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Matthew Ye, VPR's Social Media Director, sat down with VPR's director, Noah Jenkins, to discuss the fundamental questions of political orders including what the point of a state is, whether flourishing can be objectively defined, and what constitutes virtue and to what extent a state ought to encourage/compel virtue among its citizens.

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Matthew Ye, VPR's Social Media Director and our resident Canadian, shared his thoughts on the now-decided Canadian federal election, wherein, as predicted, the Liberal Party secured a minority government. Ye also shared his thoughts on the parliamentary system as a whole.

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RaeAnna Morales, one of VPR's newest contributors, sat down with Podcast Director Noah Jenkins to discuss what role DEI ought to play in American institutions. They also tackled the broader question of whether ideas such as diversity and equality should have as prominent a place in the public consciousness as they do now. Read RaeAnna's article here: https://vanderbiltpoliticalreview.com/12402/us/opinion-diversity-and-equality-can-coexist-just-not-under-dei/----Theme by Purple Planet Music

Tubi Ganguly and Bao Le, founders of Vanderbilt's chapter of BridgeUSA, discussed what they hope to see from their new club and what strategies are best to foster productive political dialogue in the contentious era of politics in which we live.----Theme by Purple Planet Music

Andrew Kyung, Editor-in-Chief of the Vanderbilt Political Review and president of the Vanderbilt College Democrats, sat down with Noah Jenkins, the Review's Podcasting Director and president of the Vanderbilt College Republicans, to offer their reflections on American politics post-Election Night and President Trump's first month in office. The duo also shared their long-term hopes and dreams for their parties going into the 2030s and beyond.----Theme by Purple Planet Music

Adam Hosein, senior editor with the Vanderbilt Political Review, sat down to discuss his latest article wherein he described President Trump as a "Green Lantern" president who is viewed as having the ability to make anything happen at the snap of two fingers, much to the chagrin of the other two branches of the federal government.Read Adam's article here: https://vanderbiltpoliticalreview.com/12269/us/opinion-donald-trump-a-green-lantern-president-but-at-what-cost/

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Professor J Andres Gannon is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Vanderbilt University and a Faculty Affiliate at the Data Science Institute. His research broadly focuses on the political origins of military power, what capabilities states arm themselves with and why, and how that affects states' conduct in international affairs. He has previously held fellowships at the Council on Foreign Relations, Harvard Kennedy School, NATO Defense College, and Notre Dame International Security Center. His academic work has been published in the Journal of Conflict Resolution, International Studies Quarterly, International Interactions, and the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics and his commentary has appeared in The New York Times, BBC, France 24, and The Japan Times.

Jon Meacham is the Carolyn T. and Robert M. Rogers Chair in American Presidency at Vanderbilt University. He is a Pulitzer Prize winning author and biographer, writing books on prominent figures in American history including John Lewis, Andrew Jackson, George H.W. Bush, and many more. Meacham is also an advisor to President Joe Biden, providing rhetoric and historic context to many of President Biden’s speeches throughout his campaign and in the White House. Meacham is also the first ever Canon Historian at the National Cathedral.Timecodes:0:00 - Intro0:55 - Meach-isms4:25 - Shaping Biden's rhetoric9:50 - Political bias and President George H.W. Bush eulogy12:57 - Fragility of democracy17:32 - January 6th21:10 - Ronald Reagan “fake news”23:44 - Importance of voting25:43 - "Folksy" upbringing