The Goldberg Variations

Twenty-one years after Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan revolutionized the chick-flick with Freaky Friday, the powers that be have finally greenlit a remake. Fans were surprised to discover that the studio has taken a different approach to the reboot; this iteration of the film will feature two of the foremost voices in American political punditry, and will concern the intellectual history of one Jonah Goldberg.

Jonathan Rauch of the Brookings Institution has taken over Jonah’s role as host extraordinaire to flip the script and provide you, dear listener, with an understanding of Jonah’s intellectual journey throughout his career, ultimately hoping to understand how Jonah prevented himself from turning into a grifting, red-hatted pod person. Jon forces Jonah to revisit his first book, leading to an epic dive into the history of the American conservative movement, along with some hypothesizing behind its disappointing pivot to populism. Further lines of questioning from Mr. Rauch cast a wide net: Did Jonah pioneer horseshoe theory? Can we blame all of this on Sarah Palin? How did Jonah process the rise of Trump and prepare his defensive strategy? Was Jonah ever tempted to join the ranks of the sellouts? The host with the most who is no longer the host reveals all, including The Dispatch’s origin story, the final word on Hillary Clinton, and the hope that rests in the moral minority.

Show Notes:

—Liberal Fascism

—Jonah and Jon on the weakness of parties

—Steve Hayes, Donald Trump, and John McCain

—National Review: Against Trump

—Jonah on the body snatchers

The Remnant is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a non-partisan, conservative perspective. To access all of The Dispatch’s offerings—including Jonah’s G-File newsletter, weekly livestreams, and other members-only content—click here.

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