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our part. You know, I suppose it's just human nature that we tend to elevate the issues that matter the most to us. Uh, you're calling for abandoning the designated hitter weed. We certainly elevate them in our own mind, and then we kind of see the world of politics through those issues. And you know, some people, you're your your main issue is abortion or gun rights, or how about something from the other side of free college For issues have two sides, so free healthcare for everybody, So
you're constantly thinking about that. Maybe I've been elevating this one a lot longer and a lot more than I should have, because it's so important to me. If I was going to define my political needs and philosophy at the in the very first sentence would be fiscal conservative. But I'm not thinking many other people care about it. This is getting a lot of attention. Yesterday a caller to the Rush Limbaugh Show said there's gonna be a
one trillion dollar deficit next year. Rush Trump doesn't really care about that. He's not really a fiscal conservative, to which Rush Limbaugh replied, nobody is a fiscal conservative anymore. All this talk about concern for the deficit and the
budget has been bogus for as long as it's been around. Well, well, exactly, well that okay, Well then I guess um, please welcome Alan each and David and Diane Staff, your research fellow with whoever institution director Domestic Policy Studies lecturer at Stanford and the director in high placed aid of Presidential Canada. It's in the past, long he How are you, sir, great to be with you to take that one step
further before you comment on that. So Trump didn't mention the deficit at all in this State of the Union address, which we mentioned. I think we mentioned it with you the day afterwards. And uh, A report came out that Mick Mulvaney is acting Chief of Staff was was was asked no mention of the deficit in the state of Union. He said, nobody cares. Was his response to it. Russia's response. Mulveney's response, Trump's attitude is that where we are with
politics in America, do you think nobody cares. I don't think it's true that nobody cares. I think it's true that here people care than was the case two years ago, and few people care them probably should. Uh. This is a serious challenge. I mean, arguably it's our biggest challenge.
I think back to when during the Obama administration, I forgot exactly which national security official was, but a very high ranking national security official, I think it was the Chamber of the Joint Chief of Staffs at the time. The biggest threat we face to our national secure is actually our deck clearly because because because it because it imperils our ability to fund our military in the future.
Right if you think about the increasing burden that we're placing on coming generations, and somebody's got to pay that bill at some point. I'm not just talking about military spending here. We're thinking about the big programs that are driving all of this spending increase. Make sure I couldn't agree with you more. And Joe agrees, and you agree, and it matters to us. But you've run political campaigns,
if you're out there trying to win an election. I'm getting a sense, based on what Rush Limbaugh said, that that's not the issue you highlight. No, it's not. And I think you saw that in the Steen cycle. I think you saw it even in twelve, which is the cycle I worked closely and with with Mitt Romney. You know, it was an issue that we wanted to highlight, and it just was not picking up the level of traction. I give up them. So you and Joe talk. I'm
no longer talking about politics. It's pointless. I'm gonna sit down there. Well, yeah, I was gonna waste any everybody's time by putting out that all of this fiscal impending disaster exists at a time of historically low interest rates, and if the rate goes up one percent, that difference in the budget will be more than we spend on
all of our men and women in uniform. We've got the best economy we've ever had, almost everybody's employed, and we're going to run a trillion dollar dead anyway, nobody in deficit, nobody cares, nobody cares who. So you got the squad long here as I refer to him, the freshman cheerleader squad, because that's what they remind me of, UM exerting outsized influence and and got the giant social media accounts, and Nancy Pelosi is having a react to them and the rest of it. And it's been going
on for a little while. Can that outsized influence last? Or are these four gals going to be a flash in the pan? Well? I don't think they're flash in the pan, only because they are the ones driving the conversation. And it's not just the conversation right now. I mean you think about AOC as an example, who I guess is a member of this so called squad. She has been at the forefront of driving the message on Democratic
Party politics, certainly for the entirety of this year. And the reality is that where they are on policy, which is on the far end of the progressive spectrum, that encapsulates a decent number of voters who are going to vote in the Democratic Party presidential primaries when we get
to early next year. So I tend to think that they are in a better position, and frankly, with their use of social media in the way that they're able to manipulate the media generally, I think they're in a great position to influence the conversation well beyond just this period of time we're in. So that brings me to
my next question. Is there any limit to the extent to which a candidate can go way left or right for that matter, in the primary and then say, wait, an, I didn't mean that stuff and come back to the middle in the in the general election, or can you just say anything? Can you raise your hand and say, yeah, I think illegal should have free healthcare in the walk that back if you want the nomination. Is that possible? Well, you know, it's tough in this era of of you know,
politics that we're in. It is a very different era than even just a few years ago. So I'm tempted to say that there are fewer repercussions for making crazy promises like the one that we're hearing. I mean, my think is, my instinct is, look, no one should be able to get away with saying that. You know, as Kamala Harris said in an interview, I think it was yesterday on CNN She basically said, well, I'm for medicare for all, but I don't want tax increases on anyone
in the middle class. If she thinks that's ever gonna happen, I got a unicorn to offer her. I mean, it's it's it's not. It is simply unrealistic to make those kinds of promises. But they're making them under the assumption. To the point you guys are making you can just turned around in the general and say I didn't really mean that. Actually, here's what I meant. So we'll see if people are willing to hold them accountable. But I'm not convinced in this era that it matters as much
what people say. Wow, I don't know what are politics now? Then what what? What is the conversation? It's a Twitter poll? And and and if what you said is true, well then yeah, you should raise your hand for free healthcare for illegal Yes, why not? Yeah? Yeah, lan he Chan is on theline, Hey, lan he I've noticed lately the
popularity of certain weasel phrases in politics. One of my favorites is they're talking about speaking of absurdities, the idea of slave reparations, and the thing that like Corey Booker, and all the reasonable people say is, yes, I'm I'm in favor of of starting a commission to study this. I'm gonna study this, and I'd imagine when we get to the general they say, well, we really should study medicare for illegals because they're humans too. We're going to
study it. What are some of your favorite weasel words and phrases in politics? Yeah, we'll study it. Boy, that's something i'd like to consider. I hear that one. A lie, let's consider that. And it's like, well, yes, let's actually let's do it right now. And then tell me what do you think. Why don't we Why don't we do out now? Why do we do that today? Yeah, I'll consider it. We'll think about it. You know, this is
an idea that's worth worth discussing. And and they do that because they want to signal hey, you know, actually I'm with you. But the reality is they're never going to do anything about the particular thing they're talking about. And to get back to our competition earlier about the general election versus the primary. This is exactly how some of these politicians get away with it. In the primary.
They make it sound like they're for something, and then when they get to the general they said, we don't know. I never said it before it I just said I was going to consider it and study it carefully, and and we can still study it. So yeah, this is a big problem. You know. If I'm a single guy asked the really cute girl at work out and she says that is something we should really consider, I'm gonna walk away with a different feeling than if she said
hell no, never ting to happen. Hey, I was watching the Trump probably last night and thinking he would be unbeatable. This would be fantastic for him if we're July next year or October next year? Is he peeking too soon? And is there anything you can do about that? The wind is just at his back right now? Yeah, No, I think it's I think it's interesting because the confluence of different factors is really setting up well for him. But you're right, it's setting up well about a year
too early. Um. I don't think there's a whole lot he can do about it. On the economy. The economy is what it is. For example, there are some things on the margins that will affect it. I think the FED will play a role here, which is why you continue to hear him trying to influence what the FED does, but ultimately that a lot of that policy lags a few months anyway, and then you've got other factors like
the Democrats basically blowing themselves up. There's no indication by the way that the Democrats are gonna stop blowing themselves up. So maybe it's the case that it's not going to matter whether it happens now or next year, but it is certainly the case that he's experiencing I think, a very very good trend a little bit early in the cycle. So we'll see what happens. To keep an eye on
it as we get to the fall. If I'm Trump's advisors, I suggest he declares war on Canada next July and brings the word to a quick and victorious conclusion before the election and just rides that way. That's my idea. Lana Chen, I'm afraid we're out of time, But Lania Chan, director of Domestic Policy Studies at Stanford University, also a research fellow with the Hoover Institution, host of the podcast Crossing Lines with Lana Chen. Lani, it's always enlightening. Thanks
a Milian. Looking forward to the next time. Great to be with you guys, Thank you, thanks, fiscal conservative and doesn't matter and you can say anything you want that doesn't matter. That's the takeaway from that conversation. Well then yeah, no kidding, huh. When you're ready to ride Metro, we want you to know we're ready for you. Here are just a few of the people at Metro to tell you how we're doing our part to keep riders safe. We're cleaning like nevill before. You've found halfs out of
no mask, No Metro need one. We have a few extras at Metro. We're doing our part to keep the DC area moving. Find out more at well Matta dot com slash doing our apart