

The Political Orphanage
Andrew Heaton
Politics minus bile plus jokes. Comedian and avowed independent Andrew Heaton interviews authors and thought leaders about policy and big thinky stuff.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 21, 2020 • 25min
Rush Limbaugh and Virtue Ethics - BONUS
Every week Heaton makes a special bonus episode of the show exclusively for Patreon subscribers. Recently enough supporters liked and wanted to share his episode on how Aristotelian Virtue Ethics apply to Rush Limbaugh that they asked him to release it on the main feed. Enjoy!

Feb 19, 2020 • 1h 6min
Global Elitists vs. Very Loud Populists - Featuring: Joel Stein
Joel Stein is the author of "In Defense of Elitism: Why I'm Better Than You and You are Better Than Someone Who Didn't Buy This Book." The former Time columnist explores the new and angry fault line between globalism and populism, drawing upon his travels to the most Trumpian county in America, and meeting populist celebrities Scott Adams and Tucker Carlson. Ep 34

Feb 13, 2020 • 38min
Who's the Democratic Candidate Gonna Be?
Heaton records his New Hampshire experience hitting up Biden, Pete, and Yang rallies, plus thoughts on Warren, Bernie, and Klobuchar. He talks about his all-too-brief love affair with the Andrew Yang candidacy, and most importantly--who's going to scoop up the 2020 Democratic Presidential nomination in the wake of the New Hampshire primary. Season 2, Ep 33

Feb 10, 2020 • 1h 11min
Don't Screw This Up, New Hampshire
The New Hampshire Primary is a slingshot which can land underdogs on top and hobble frontrunners. Heaton travels there to see how the state works, how its people think, and what Tuesday's contest will mean for 2020. He speaks with Neil Levesque of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, and Joe Pace and Russell Dean about the unique way New Hampshirites solve problems at the local level. Season 2, Ep 32

Feb 6, 2020 • 1h 11min
How to Talk to Insufferable Ideologues - Featuring: Peter Boghossian
Peter Boghossian says, "Talking to a person with unshakable belief commitments is like playing chess with someone whose only piece is a hammer.” In his book "How to Have Impossible Conversations" he discusses steps we can take to better communicate with people we disagree with. If you've ever walked away from a conversation feeling like you got dragged into a fight, or presented compelling evidence to an unbudging thinker, this episode will change your life! Season 2, Ep. 31

Jan 30, 2020 • 44min
PJ O'Rourke Wants to Leave You Alone
PJ O'Rourke is a wry political satirist, HL Mencken Fellow at the Cato Institute, and most recently the author of "None of My Business." He joins Heaton to talk about economics, socialism, term limits, and why America will never ever be Sweden. Season 2, Ep 30

Jan 22, 2020 • 1h 17min
How to Unstuck Idiot Political Beliefs
How do people wind up with their deepest political convictions? How and when do they change? Dr. Andrea Jones-Rooy is a political scientist, standup comedian, and occasional circus performer. She joins Heaton to talk about where political beliefs come from, and better tools to understand them than the standard "left or right." Ep. 29

Jan 14, 2020 • 49min
Tim Heidecker & Gregg Turkington on Political Satire
Ep. 28 Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington are two notorious comedians, famous for "Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!" and the character Neil Hamburger, respectively. They star in the show "On Cinema," and recently released a political satire mockumentary, "Mister America." They join Heaton to talk about their film, and the making of political satire. 6:15 - Tim Heidecker interview 27:05 - Gregg Turkington interview

Jan 9, 2020 • 1h 1min
What the Hell is Happening with Iran?! Featuring: Matt Welch
Ep. 27 So are we going to war with Iran or not? Why did we blow up some guy, and was it a good idea to do so? What about legal? Matt Welch, host of "The Fifth Column" and Reason editor-at-large joins Heaton to sort out our foreign policy. Interview at 15:30

Jan 2, 2020 • 48min
John McAfee Is On The Lam!
Ep. 26 John McAfee is a cybersecurity expert, international fugitive, and political activist. He joins Heaton to discuss his 2020 presidential campaign, and more. Much more. Lots more.