The Stephen Mansfield Podcast

The college admissions scandal, Smollett, #MeToo, Manafort, Cohen, Nassar… we live in an age of justice, and Stephen celebrates it. This reformist impulse happens from time to time in history, and we are witness to it now. In this episode, Stephen discusses how we may live through these fascinating (though sometimes disorienting) times so that we may become more effective leaders who are better equipped to bring about change.

Here is a truth of leadership: if you don’t fix it, somebody else is going to. And they’re probably going to fix it in a clumsy and heavy-fisted way. The AMA failed to address our healthcare issues, and so we got Obamacare. Several administrations failed to address trade issues, and so we got the Trump approach. Police your industry, or it will get policed for you.

Those of us in the West spend little time and money on food. Only one in 50 people work in food production, and less than 10% of personal income is spent on food. For comparison, 82% of Ethiopia’s population works in food production… and 60% of a person’s income in the Philippines is spent on food. The good news is, from 1990 to 2015, one billion people were lifted out of extreme poverty. In the last 36 months of that period (2012-2015), 200 million people were lifted out of extreme poverty. The pace is quickening. The catalyst? Food. In this episode, Stephen discusses how access to food can revolutionize an entire nation. Want to be a part of the change? Check out Convoy of Hope: https://www.convoyofhope.org/.

Many in our current class of Congress are proponents of socialism. They point at our warped version of capitalism and say, “Capitalism doesn’t work! We must throw it out and do something different!” Of course, the system we have today is not a free market economy with a fair playing field. (Warren Buffett’s secretary pays a higher tax rate than he does.) Those of us who believe in a traditional, free market American system need to be prepared to debate and defend the position.

Throughout American political history, the people of this nation have treasured the Cincinnatus image. Cincinnatus was a Roman gentleman farmer who left his plow to serve his state in a time of crisis, after which he returned to his farm. George Washington embodied this ideal, as do many individuals on both sides of the political aisle who run for office as “outsiders,” as “one of the people.” In this episode, Stephen questions the Cincinnatus myth in light of Donald Trump’s recent declaration of a state of emergency.

Most conservatives lack appeal because they lack the ability to make their case. The right cannot survive simply by vilifying the left. Those of us right-of-center must be ready to give an answer in defense of our beliefs. It’s not enough to cling to traditional values. We must possess informed and compelling language. Do you know your history? Are you able to show why socialism doesn’t work? In this episode, Stephen challenges listeners to examine the foundations of their beliefs and fill in the gaps in their education, as needed.

If you’ve been watching the news, you know there have been two state initiatives regarding abortion: one in New York and one in Virginia. What’s happening today is a reaction to steps taken by President Trump, who has appointed two Supreme Court Justices with pro-life leanings. Pro-choice state legislators are wary that the Supreme Court may overturn Roe v. Wade. In response, they are expanding abortion rights, codifying them into state law in the event of an overturn. This week, Stephen takes on the abortion debate with history, facts, and fresh perspective.

We don’t want a government comprised of politicians who are too chummy beyond a certain level of civility. We don’t want politicians swept into Potomac Fever, as Truman called it. We need tension. Though we’re currently experiencing a brief reprieve, the government shutdown is slated to return. How can it be avoided? The solution is going to come from those who roll up their sleeves and stay up late at the negotiating table. Real governing doesn’t come from the wingnuts, who try to shift the center lines to the right and left. Real governing is produced through compromise by those who hammer out solutions in the middle of the political spectrum.

Bill Lee, the newly inaugurated Governor of Tennessee, is a model for both the GOP and broader politics in America. Just 30 days before election day he was polling behind by double digits. His opponents slung mud and tried to smear him. “This campaign’s starting to feel like a race to the bottom,” he stated in one ad. But Lee didn’t give in. Bucking the Trump-led trends of bickering and pettiness, Lee strove for nobility, honesty, and character. May we see more campaigns of the same integrity in the elections ahead. Image via https://transition.billlee.com/about-bill/

You know that Stephen tends to pay attention to macro-trends and verified stories, but he’s intrigued by something he’s heard from people in the administration and on the Hill. Some are saying that there is at least the hope of the tiniest possibility (how’s that for a disclaimer?) that President Trump may not run for re-election. In this episode, Stephen discusses the implications of such an event, as well as what that hope says about our nation and our politics – regardless of whether anything of this rumor materializes.