Kyle Kondik, a political analyst and author of "The Long Red Thread," joins the discussion to explore the heated political landscape leading up to the midterms. They dive into the unfolding Ukraine crisis and Canada's response to truck protests. Kondik shares insights on Biden's plummeting approval ratings and their potential impact on his re-election. The conversation also critiques media biases in covering protests and examines the disconnect between public sentiment and government action, forecasting key electoral trends.
AOC's reluctance to criticize party leadership raises questions about her effectiveness and whether she is willing to challenge the status quo within her own party.
AOC's focus on culture wars and her belief that Republicans are an existential threat prevents her from adequately addressing the real issues facing the country.
The majority of Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters want a different candidate for the next presidential election, indicating growing dissatisfaction with Joe Biden's leadership.
Deep dives
AOC avoids criticizing Pelosi's leadership
In an interview, AOC avoids directly criticizing Nancy Pelosi's leadership, despite being asked multiple times about it. She instead makes generalized comments about generational change in leadership in the Democratic Party. This is a departure from her earlier days when she protested outside Pelosi's office. It indicates a shift towards playing the inside game of politics rather than using her platform and public pressure to push for change. AOC's reluctance to criticize party leadership raises questions about her effectiveness and whether she is willing to challenge the status quo within her own party.
AOC warns of a potential loss of democracy
AOC expresses concern that the US may no longer be a democracy within 10 years, comparing current issues to Jim Crow. This kind of rhetoric reflects a deep-seated fear and paranoia that clouds her judgment. AOC's focus on culture wars and her belief that Republicans are an existential threat prevents her from adequately addressing the real issues facing the country. Her analysis fails to acknowledge that the true danger lies within the institutional structures that perpetuate inequality and the erosion of collective power. By prioritizing individual-level conflicts, she undermines the potential for collective politics and true progress.
Increasing dissatisfaction with Biden and potential primary challenge
Polling shows that a majority of Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters want a different candidate for the next presidential election, indicating growing dissatisfaction with Joe Biden's leadership. This poses a significant challenge for Biden if he decides to run for re-election. Additionally, Biden's lack of strong support within his own party opens up the possibility of a legitimate primary challenge. This is compounded by Biden's declining approval ratings and his perceived inability to address key issues effectively. The current landscape suggests that the Democratic establishment may face difficulties in maintaining their grip on power.
Political Salience of Race and Elite Co-optation
The podcast episode highlights how race has become a politically salient topic that can distract from discussions on wealth inequality and trust busting. It argues that the elite use racial narratives to divert attention from issues that challenge their power, such as wealth redistribution.
New York Times Libel Case Dismissed
The podcast explores a recent court case where Sarah Palin's defamation suit against The New York Times was dismissed. The case was related to a 2017 editorial that wrongly linked Palin's website to a shooting incident. Despite acknowledging the error and issuing a correction, the court ruled that the case did not meet the legal standard of 'actual malice'. The discussion emphasizes the importance of press freedom and the potential implications of limiting such freedom.
Envy for the Effectiveness of Truckers and Occupy Movements
The podcast episode expresses envy for the effectiveness of recent protests by truckers and the Occupy movement. It discusses how the trucker protests in Canada were able to cause significant disruption and led to policy changes, while highlighting the lack of similar mobilization on the left. The episode reflects on the historical impact of the Occupy movement and contrasts it with the partisan treatment of recent protests, emphasizing the need for a unified movement to challenge the power dynamics in society.
Krystal and Saagar cover the latest on the Ukraine-Russia situation, Canada's new emergency measures against the truckers, a new set of awful polling for Biden and Trump, AOC's weak comments on Pelosi, Sarah Palin's defamation lawsuit against the New York Times, Trevor Noah's DNC comedy, why the truckers won, 2022 midterm forecast with Kyle Kondik, & more!
