Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em Podcast 233. Mary Katharine Ham on Keeping Calm in the Political Storm
Nov 26, 2025
In this lively conversation, Mary Katharine Ham, a seasoned journalist and political commentator, shares her journey from liberal roots in Durham to becoming a contrarian conservative. She discusses the impact of her late husband on her perspective in the political arena and reflects on Trump's influence on the GOP. With humor, she critiques cancel culture and media panic while emphasizing the importance of diverse viewpoints in political discourse. Ham’s insights challenge conventional narratives, making for a thought-provoking exchange.
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Formative Years In Durham Schools
- Mary Katharine Ham grew up in Durham, NC, in majority-black public schools and noticed early that the system wasn't working for many students.
- Her parents supplemented her education, which shaped her contrarian view on education and policy.
Speak Up As The Productive Weirdo
- Ham tells young people to be the 'weirdo' who speaks up and introduces dissenting views into rooms dominated by consensus.
- She warns to do it without being a jerk and to value intellectual disagreement.
Conservatives Built Outrage Immunity
- Ham argues conservatives learned to compartmentalize cultural outrage as a survival mechanism within a liberal-dominated entertainment industry.
- That immunity helped fuel the backlash when liberal consensus fractured and cancel culture escalated.
