The Dispatch Podcast

With so much going on in the news this week, it’s hard to pick one headline. Is it Liz Cheney being ousted from her leadership role for telling the truth? Or the fact that a major oil pipeline was attacked by ransomware? Or maybe the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine heating up and heating up fast? The gang discuss all of those topics and why a rise in independent voters may not actually be a good thing. Show Notes: -Cheney speech on the House floor -Cheney after her removal -Why more independents is actually bad -Latest version of “The Sweep” -“Doom” by Niall Ferguson -The Remnant with Klon Kitchen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Rep. Liz Cheney’s days as the No. 3 ranking House GOP official numbered, Sarah and Steve are joined by The Dispatch’s own Haley Byrd Wilt and Audrey Fahlberg to talk about what that means for the party. Next Wednesday, the Republican caucus will meet and a vote to oust Cheney is expected to take place. The four lay out what they see happening on Wednesday and what they expect the aftermath may be. Show Notes: -Haley’s latest Uphill -Audrey’s piece from the GOP Orlando retreat -Elise Stefanik on Steve Bannon’s show -Ruthless Podcast -Steve’s piece on the GOP leadership issues -Liz Cheney’s op-ed in the Washington Post Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The fight over who is in and who is out within the GOP leadership has reached a boiling point. Rep. Liz Cheney, who survived a vote in February to oust her from her leadership position, may not be there much longer. Sarah and the guys break down what’s happening and how much of a chance Cheney has to survive another attempt to replace her. Also, the special election in Texas shows a weak spot for Democrats, Jonah asks the group if competitiveness even matters in the global economy, and the gang discusses what happens next in the fight against COVID-19 now that the U.S. seems to be hitting a vaccine hesitancy wall. Show Notes: -Steve’s piece on GOP leadership fight -Former President Trump’s statement on Liz Cheney -Audrey’s piece from the GOP retreat in Orlando -Texas 6th District special election results -The Sweep on the Texas 6th special election -Declan’s piece on cancel culture -Jonah’s column on the “New New Deal” -“The Liberals Who Can’t Quit Lockdown” - The Atlantic -Mali woman gives birth to not seven, but nine babies Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former President George W. Bush has done a number of interviews recently to promote his new book, “Out of Many, One: Portraits of America’s Immigrants,” but none have covered as many topics as Sarah Isgur and Steve Hayes covered with him on The Dispatch Podcast. President Bush touches on everything from his strategy going into painting a portrait, the impact immigrants have on the United States, the future of the Republican Party, and even President Biden’s massive spending spree in his first 100 days in office. Show Notes: -“Out of Many, One: Portraits of America’s Immigrants” by George W. Bush -Transcript of our interview with former President George W. Bush Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s episode starts off talking about every political junkie’s favorite arbitrary threshold, a presidential administration’s first 100 days. Hear what everyone thinks are the Biden administration’s greatest strengths and weaknesses. The gang debates what’s the most important aspect of the John Kerry leaking info to Iran story and how the U.S. Census will affect our politics and our country going forward. Then, stick around to hear if everything has gone to [BLEEP]. Show Notes: -Vice President Joe “put y’all back in chains” Biden -President Joe “worse than Jim Crow” Biden -Biden likes the FDR comparisons -Iran’s Foreign Minister, in Leaked Tape, Says Revolutionary Guards Set Policies - New York Times -U.S. Census Report -TMD on the census -Advisory Opinions podcast page -The Remnant podcast page -Stirewalt’s latest from The Dispatch -The G.O.P. Is Getting Even Worse - David Brooks -Latest French Press -New York Post reporter claims she was forced to write fake story, resigns Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Now that Derek Chauvin has been found guilty of murder, what happens next? Sarah flies solo on today’s podcast in an interview with former United States Attorney in the Office for the Eastern District of Virginia Zach Terwilliger to talk about just that. Sarah and Zach break down all of the legal jargon you may hear about this case and explain what to watch out for next in Derek Chauvin’s sentencing. Plus, Zach offers some advice to all of the wannabe federal prosecutors out there. Show Notes: -Zach Terwilliger Bio Page -Judge in Chauvin case talking about Maxine Waters -Definitions of manslaughter and degrees of murder -Minnesota Supreme Court/Chauvin case explainer -Women’s hockey coach assault case -Advisory Opinions podcast -DOJ announcement on Minneapolis PD -5 Minutes with Michele Roberts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People across the political spectrum had all sorts of different reactions to Officer Derek Chauvin being found guilty on all three charges in the death of George Floyd in Minnesota. Jonah says most of those reactions have been far from encouraging, “While a lot of the right-wing reaction makes me ashamed and embarrassed and infuriated and disgusted … a lot of the left-wing reaction, or a lot of the MSNBC reaction, has been very bad, too.” Plus, the gang also discusses Biden’s plan to withdraw from Afghanistan and how the news of Officer Brian Sicknick’s cause of death will affect the history of January 6, and Chris Stirewalt explains the Cook Political Report’s new Partisan Voter Index. Show Notes: -Derek Chauvin found guilty -The 1619 Project -David’s French Press on racism in America, adopting a black daughter -President Biden’s remarks on withdrawing from Afghanistan -Latest casualty status from the Defense Department -Cook Political Report’s Partisan Voter Index -Latest Sweep from Sarah, Chris, and Andrew -Officer Brian Sicknick dies of stroke -Sohrab Ahmari’s tweet on January 6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah and David (who is stepping in for Steve this week) talk to the author of Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation, Kristin Du Mez, about how the definition of masculinity for white Evangelical men has had a damaging impact on the whole country. “Once you have the eyes to see this, it’s hard not to see its pervasive reach,” she said. “The politics and the faith are so intertwined, and that’s what I try to pull through, those threads, and see how the influence really does go back and forth.” Plus, find out what friendly, neighborhood, sweater-wearing, former PBS television star is surprisingly not impressive to the mainstream Evangelical community. Show Notes: -Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation -Kristin’s Blog “The Anxious Bench” -Kristin’s next book on Christian femininity announcement -Kristin’s Twitter -Donald Trump riding a velociraptor -Kristin’s Faculty page at Calvin University -“A Man For All Seasons” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the FDA decided to pause the Johnson & Johnson vaccine following reports that six women—of the nearly 7 million Americans who have received the J&J vaccine—developed serious blood clots after getting the jab. Is pausing the vaccine worth the tradeoffs? Will the FDA’s move fuel vaccine hesitancy? Sarah, David, Chris and Jonah give us the scoop. Today, our hosts also chat about New York Times columnist Ross Douthat’s latest piece on what Bidenism owes to Trumpism, the GOP’s First Amendment retribution against woke corporations, and what Democratic pollsters have learned from their poor electoral forecasting leading up to the 2020 election. Show Notes: -“What Bidenism Owes to Trumpism,” by Ross Douthat in the New York Times. -“Confronting 2016 and 2020 Polling Limitations” by Pew Research Center. -“How Trump Steered Supporters Into Unwitting Donations” by Shane Goldmacher in the New York Times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you a “scout” or a “soldier”? What do those terms even mean? In Julia Galef’s new book, The Scout Mindset, she argues the scout mindset is underrepresented in today’s world. “The scout’s role, unlike the soldier, is not to go out and attack or defend,” she says. “It’s to go out, and see what’s really out there as clearly as possible and to put together as accurate a map of the territory or a situation as you can.” Plus, listen closely for Steve’s John McLaughlin impression and why Julia believes bouncing between Airbnbs is way better than signing an actual lease. Show Notes: -“The Scout Mindset” by Julia Galef -Rationally Speaking Podcast -Julia Galef on Twitter -Julia’s TED Talk -The Dispatch Manifesto -Dr. Tom Gilovich -Julia’s Twitter thread about Airbnbs -Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices