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smokeempodcast.substack.comMary Katharine Ham is a journalist and political commentator who’s worked for both CNN and Fox. Her book End of Discussion: How the Left’s Outrage Industry Shuts Down Debate, Manipulates Voters, and Makes America Less Free (and Fun) came out in 2015 but basically predicts the next decade. A “natural contrarian,” Ham came to conservatism at a time when culture (and her Durham hometown) was dominated by liberals. It’s made her a rigorous and original thinker, clear-eyed and calm amid the political circus.
She talks with Nancy and Sarah about why Trump isn’t a conservative, how her faith helped her endure the death of her first husband, and how that experience shaped her perspective on Erika Kirk’s role since her husband Charlie’s assassination, when Ham found herself playing “widow defense.” We also talk the Trump-Mamdani summit, motherhood, and the utility of political commentary.
Also discussed:
* It’s good to have a weirdo in the room.
* Unintended lessons of a ‘90s public-school education
* MKH early inspiration: Rachel Campos-Duffy from The Real World
* “Politics is just not fun,” and yet…
* What is conservatism?
* What Obama and Trump have in common
* The Russiagate delusion
* Marjorie Taylor Greene folds
* The Tetris movie: Go, capitalism!
* “Charlie himself, as an example, was a bulwark against so many bad examples.”
* Admiration for George W’s post-presidential ride into the sunset
* The radical efficiency of freaking people out
* The hunger to find hypocrisy among people of faith
* A sunnier portrait of motherhood
* “God is good no matter what.”
* The necessary solace of Jeremiah 29:11
* Enthusiasm plus delusion is a very bad combination, and yes, we’re looking at you, Candace Owens
* Mary Katherine to Nancy: “Get lifting.”
* Sarah “resisted Apple TV for a heroic amount of time.”
Plus, Kelsea Ballerini wonders what she missed, the over-selling of freezing one’s eggs, Usha Vance gives good advice, and much more!
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