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PoliGAF 2017 |OT4| The leaks are coming from inside the white house
- Thread starter Spoiled Milk
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Yup, said the same thing a few days ago.
I thought Franken was fine, if dry. The PSA folks were slavishly fawning over him in a way they don't even do for Obama, though, which was genuinely cringeworthy to listen to.
If anything, it cemented that he's not interested in being President.
Dan and Favs are good interviewers. Favs/Vietor/Lovett are terrible.
Find Vietor insufferable, so rarely listen to PSTW.
Lovett or Leave It is terrible and his recent interview of Villaraigosa was like softball after softball, and he still managed to come across as a total sleazebag.
Deray's interview with McAulliffe was decent, though I generally have an incredibly low tolerance threshold for activist-speak
Here is a thought. If one of the main justifications given in that legal opinion for why the President can't pardon himself is the common law precedent that one can not be their own judge, shouldn't that logic also extend to him being unable to pardon for crimes that he had participated in?
That one I expect to be challenged in court at some point.
BoogieWoogie
Banned
That Kelly Anne Conway shit is about the biggest example of "you can't trust your lying eyes" we've seen yet in this shitshow.
Quoted for the new page because this is some good shit
They kind of fawn over every guest they bring on and don't really ask tough questions. Their podcast is more of a platform than an avenue for serious interviews.
I've been gradually losing interest in PSA as time goes on. They don't spend enough time on anything to go really in depth on stuff, fill the episodes with ads and promotions for other podcasts, and giggle their way through lame jokes all the time. With Friends Like These is dramatically better.
PSA makes for easy listening. Nice way to catch up on any Sunday show shenanigans on Monday. I still think the Thursday shows are really good and a lot more interesting, probably because Dan's the only one who actually had any non-communications role in the Obama White House.
Lovett is the quintessential sidekick character who fails time and time again as a leading man. On PSA he actually manages to make me laugh.
Bonen no Max'd
Banned
I lost interest in PSA as I moved away from liberalism towards socialism because it just doesn't really offer anything interesting except for maybe interviews with powerful people. But like, if I want a podcast just for news there's NPR, if I want a more interesting liberal perspective I can listen to The Weeds, and if I want a leftist perspective I'll listen to Chapo or Jacobin's podcasts. Lovett is pretty good and smart but the rest of the hosts are just not all that interesting now that I've moved away from liberalism.
I agree that the Thursday shows are better. Lovett's pod is just embarrassing, I tried twice to listen to it and couldn't finish either time.
I have a love/hate relationship with Chapo. Sometimes they come off like the biggest assholes and idiots in the world that hate liberals more than Republicans.
Funkyhamster
Member
On the topic of Russia shenanigans, what is the deal with that Jared Yates Sexton character? He's the one who claimed that he was working on the Donald Jr. story for a year before Jr. tweeted out the emails. That tweet got a lot of attention, but he also posted a bunch of other tweets around the same time (one thread starts here) with claims of other nefarious details that will supposedly emerge eventually.
At first I thought he was a legit journalist, but apparently he was pursuing the Russia stories as an "independent journalist" or hobbyist, so he might just be yet another rando Twitter conspiracy theorist. I'm curious, though, is he claiming that a source told him about the Donald Jr. meeting and also told him these other things? That would be a pretty bold claim. Apologies if this has already been discussed and/or he's been dismissed as a crank.
At first I thought he was a legit journalist, but apparently he was pursuing the Russia stories as an "independent journalist" or hobbyist, so he might just be yet another rando Twitter conspiracy theorist. I'm curious, though, is he claiming that a source told him about the Donald Jr. meeting and also told him these other things? That would be a pretty bold claim. Apologies if this has already been discussed and/or he's been dismissed as a crank.
Bam Bam Baklava
Member
He's a confirmed fraud.
IggyChooChoo
Member
Same. They can be funny as hell, though, and I relate to their interest in conservative fringe weirdo culture. I recommend Brian Beutler's Primary Concerns for a more serious, insightful, liberal take on the news than PSA. Any other political podcasts out there that anyone would recommend?
Bonen no Max'd
Banned
Primary Concerns is occasionally incredibly interesting but usually not all that interesting to me. Brian Beutler is pretty cool and smart though.
I couldn't stand Chapo. In general, I don't like listening to people who preach to the converted, which is the sense I got from the few eps I listened to. Maybe they're more generous than they let on, idk.
I should listen to Brian Buetler's pod. He's one of the best follows on Twitter (along with fellow TNRer JEET). Kinda impressive how they've turned the ship around at TNR after the Hughes debacle, though it'll probably never regain the cultural criticism cachet it once held.
I still religiously listen to the Axe Files, even though it's more apolitical than anything.
I enjoy the Crooked Media folks a lot still, but they have to expand their conversation beyond just "how do we message better". Yes, we get it, you're comms staffers. Great. Stop talking just about messaging.
I should listen to Brian Buetler's pod. He's one of the best follows on Twitter (along with fellow TNRer JEET). Kinda impressive how they've turned the ship around at TNR after the Hughes debacle, though it'll probably never regain the cultural criticism cachet it once held.
I still religiously listen to the Axe Files, even though it's more apolitical than anything.
I enjoy the Crooked Media folks a lot still, but they have to expand their conversation beyond just "how do we message better". Yes, we get it, you're comms staffers. Great. Stop talking just about messaging.
Bonen no Max'd
Banned
if you like socialism or socialist perspectives I'd recommend all of Jacobin's podcasts, though The Dig in particular is my favorite.
whyamihere
Banned
Chapo is awful. The Dig is better.
IggyChooChoo
Member
Downloading the Appalachian episode now. Thanks!
Bonen no Max'd
Banned
Oh yeah Sarah Jones is good as hell. Some of my other favorite guests include Matt Bruenig, Mark Blyth, and the new Sarah Jaffe one.
Since finishing White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America, I was wondering if PoliGaf had any suggestions for books that are an introduction to or considered must read books on class and/or socialism?
I read The Communist Manifesto back in high school, but that's about it.
I read The Communist Manifesto back in high school, but that's about it.
Pretty much. I do enjoy when they do dramatic readings though.
Pretty spot on. They don't really know anything outside of the white male socialist bubble and get extremely mad and dismissive at anyone who doesn't adhere to it. They can be funny but the negatives are outweighing the positives for me far more every time I listen.
Beer Monkey
Member
Which makes them Russian dupes. From the Russian playbook on geopolitics for the USA:
All liberals have to work together and ditch this divisive shit. Bernie Bros contribute to our losses.
UberTag
Member
Well, at least there's a consensus building across all sides of the political spectrum that the Trumps are stupid. We should take that as a minor victory.
What I think of people who use the word cuck all the time...
aspiegamer
Member
If the new long-term plan is to try to say that Obama set Trump up and deliberately set things up with Russia, do people realize how freaking stupid it would make Trump to have to admit he was outsmarted by and wholly humiliated by Obama? He'd never go down that route. He couldn't possibly speak ill of himself, ever. His most ardent supporters would have to admit it, too, because it's that or treason.
Some sort of basic economics course for the latter if you haven't been exposed to it. Ujnder stranding why command economies crash and burn and why social democracies are perfectly ok w a capitalist framework is really important.
You have to jump through so many hoops for that logic. Is the end goal to somehow say Trump was entrapped into colluding with foreign governments?
A British perspective on the current state of the Trump presidency:
The rot inside Americas first family
The rot inside Americas first family
David Harvey and Richard D. Wolff are good starting points.
Spoiled Milk
Banned
nature boy
Member
Chapo sucks, but in the same way Pod Save America does imo. They're both slight and surface level. Its kind of a cheap, bullshit critique to level the white, socialist male critique at chapo. I find the PSA guys far more insufferable than chapo (funny that Chapo gets hit with the white label - while this doesn't absolve them, they have a woman on regularly at least). Chapo is far less douchey and funnier than PSA too.
To me though, Chapo has far more interesting guests. PSA gets congresspersons, but they rarely say anything. Chapo gets lots of authors, usually from the New Republic, that have really challenging and interesting things to say.
And lets be real - they shit on liberals, but it isn't as if liberals aren't equally dismissive of the DSA.
I find Slate's gabfest to be my favorite political podcast.- down the fairway liberalism, but very informed and very comforting.
Is Don Jr. just a complete moron or does he get off on thinking he can get away with this?
aspiegamer
Member
He and his entire family have never once been held accountable for a single thing in their entire lives. Of course he assumes he's getting away with it. Even when they're complete fuckups on something, they get bailed out (bankruptcy, foreign investments, russian political intel, etc) so they can go on and be even more reckless the next time.
neurosisxeno
Member
Yes.
Nazgul_Hunter
Member
oh fuck Don Jr. just royally fucked up by getting a Time cover. Dad's gonna be pissed
Poodlestrike
Banned
Chapo is garbage. I have exactly no patience for the segment of the left that puts Democrats and Republicans in the same box and hates both equally. They can get fucked and I don't give a damm if it's not politic to say it so don't @me.
As for PSA, they're news but they're also at least as much entertainment. I think they straddle it fairly well. Objective is to keep people interested and activated more than to engage in serious discussions of policy, which is where something like The Weeds comes in. Pod Save The People is kind of a necessarily more serious take on the format. PSTW is more explanatory than entertaining or investigative, with a lot of inside baseball stuff going on. I think it works. Lovett or Leave it is super uneven but when he's got the right guests it sings.
Friends Like These is too nice for my blood. I listen but like, I had to cut my dad out of my life when I was 18 and I've barely seen him since so I don't get the "oh you shouldn't disassociate from people just because they hold monstrous views" thing doesn't land for me.
As for PSA, they're news but they're also at least as much entertainment. I think they straddle it fairly well. Objective is to keep people interested and activated more than to engage in serious discussions of policy, which is where something like The Weeds comes in. Pod Save The People is kind of a necessarily more serious take on the format. PSTW is more explanatory than entertaining or investigative, with a lot of inside baseball stuff going on. I think it works. Lovett or Leave it is super uneven but when he's got the right guests it sings.
Friends Like These is too nice for my blood. I listen but like, I had to cut my dad out of my life when I was 18 and I've barely seen him since so I don't get the "oh you shouldn't disassociate from people just because they hold monstrous views" thing doesn't land for me.
Chapo doesn't do that so...
Poodlestrike
Banned
Neodiablo22
Member
I'm guessing he wants to get footage to use in future advertisements.
And now, for all my thoughts on political podcasts:
It was just really strange. Lovett was fawning hard over Franken, but Franken didn't seem to give a shit, and Lovett seemed to take that personally, which spiraled into bad questions with bad answers and a weird uncomfortable mood all around. It's like they were all on completely different wavelengths with each other.
I like Tommy, but most of his PSTW interviews are with people he worked with, so they're not terribly challenging exchanges. They're also really boring. His PTSW with Greenwald was tremendous, I thought, and it worked so well because they were coming at it from different sides. Dan, eh. I guess he's an ok interviewer, he's never really stood out to me on that front, but I don't think he's a good host (more Alyssa Mastromonaco plz).
I listened to the first episode of Lovett or Leave It and thought it was a total mess. Also only did just the first ep of Pod Save the People, and Deray came off like a complete amateur -- terrible follow-ups, actual pauses in the interview for Deray to take down notes like he was in a class (you could hear him writing during the dead air!). When he had Andy Slavitt had on and asked him to explain the difference between Medicare and Medicaid I knew this was a waste of time.
I used to listen to Axelrod a lot but haven't in the last several weeks. He's just a really dull interviewer, and constantly does this thing where he talks over the guest (and will keep talking over them until they shut up) to make a point that takes him 30 seconds to actually get out of his mouth. I don't know if that's a bad interviewer thing or just an old man thing, though.
It was just really strange. Lovett was fawning hard over Franken, but Franken didn't seem to give a shit, and Lovett seemed to take that personally, which spiraled into bad questions with bad answers and a weird uncomfortable mood all around. It's like they were all on completely different wavelengths with each other.
I like Tommy, but most of his PSTW interviews are with people he worked with, so they're not terribly challenging exchanges. They're also really boring. His PTSW with Greenwald was tremendous, I thought, and it worked so well because they were coming at it from different sides. Dan, eh. I guess he's an ok interviewer, he's never really stood out to me on that front, but I don't think he's a good host (more Alyssa Mastromonaco plz).
I listened to the first episode of Lovett or Leave It and thought it was a total mess. Also only did just the first ep of Pod Save the People, and Deray came off like a complete amateur -- terrible follow-ups, actual pauses in the interview for Deray to take down notes like he was in a class (you could hear him writing during the dead air!). When he had Andy Slavitt had on and asked him to explain the difference between Medicare and Medicaid I knew this was a waste of time.
I used to listen to Axelrod a lot but haven't in the last several weeks. He's just a really dull interviewer, and constantly does this thing where he talks over the guest (and will keep talking over them until they shut up) to make a point that takes him 30 seconds to actually get out of his mouth. I don't know if that's a bad interviewer thing or just an old man thing, though.
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