Trey and Ken open the show by outlining the strange disappearance of U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. Both Trey and Ken agree that deep mistakes were made by Austin, but Trey thinks Biden should have noted publicly that it was a mistake. Ken thinks that Republicans have created an environment where Democrats cannot apologize. Next is a discussion of both the Federal District Court Case against President Biden for failing to prevent genocide in Gaza and the ICJ case from South Africa accus...
Jan 12, 2024•1 hr 10 min
Mike talks with Michael Gerhardt, a professor of jurisprudence at the University of North Carolina Law School and a long-time student of presidential impeachment. He’s the author of the just-released book, The Law of Presidential Impeachment: A Guide for the Engaged Citizen, which is the topic of their discussion. Topics Discussed Include: - why impeachment is in the Constitution - if impeachment has been underutilized - the threat of impeachment as a check on abuse of power - the misconception ...
Jan 10, 2024•50 min
Mike and Jay open the preview of this supporters’ midweek episode with a discussion of Nippon Steel’s planned purchase of US Steel. While the pending acquisition has drawn some bipartisan opposition, both Mike and Jay think it’s a good deal for nearly everyone. Next is a look at the New York Times’ lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement. Jay points out that this is almost entirely new territory, with Mike commenting that once again, technology is moving faster than our l...
Jan 09, 2024•23 min
Mike and Jay open with a look at the Supreme Court’s decision to rule on whether or not Donald Trump can appeal on the presidential ballot in Colorado. They both predict that the Court will rule for Trump, with Mike thinking that there’s a greater chance of a near-unanimous decision than Jay foresees. Next is a discussion of President Biden’s unofficial 2024 reelection campaign speech near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. They agree with Biden’s factual accounting of Donald Trump’s actions (and inact...
Jan 06, 2024•1 hr 9 min
Mike talks with Seth Kaplan, a Professorial Lecturer at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. Professor Kaplan has published widely in the area of development, including two books on fragile states, and has served as a consultant to organizations including the World Bank, U.S. State Department, U.S. Agency for International Development, and the OECD. He’s the author of multiple books, the most recent of which is Fragile Neighborhoods: Repairing American Societ...
Jan 03, 2024•56 min
Mike and Jay open the preview of this supporters’ midweek episode with a discussion of the controversy surrounding Harvard President Claudine Gay. Jay thinks Gay should step down or resign, while Mike questions a system that promoted Gay given her sparse publication record, but argues that you don’t have to be a great academic to be a great university president. Next, they discuss a new AP/NORC poll on the state of democracy (it’s not good) and how well they feel democracy in America is working ...
Jan 02, 2024•22 min
Mike and Jay open the episode with a look at multiple state decisions concerning whether or not Donald Trump is eligible to appear on the GOP primary ballot. They consider the 14th Amendment’s Insurrection Clause and whether the elements apply to Trump, the authority of state officials to rule on this, and how (or even if) they believe the Supreme Court will rule on the issue. Following that is a discussion of immigration policy as another large migrant caravan makes its way to the United States...
Dec 29, 2023•1 hr
Mike talks with Richard McGahey, an economist and senior fellow at the Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis and the Institute on Race, Power, and Political Economy, at The New School. He’s served as executive director of the Congressional Joint Economic Committee, assistant secretary for policy at the U.S. Department of Labor, and in senior governmental positions in New York State and New York City. He’s also the author of Unequal Cities: Overcoming Anti-Urban Bias to Reduce Inequality i...
Dec 20, 2023•49 min
Trey & Ken continue through the U.S. Constitution's Bill of Rights by diving into the 1st Amendment's Free Press clause. They also look at how Free Speech and Free Press are intertwined. Finally, they look at the limits of these rights inside of civil actions along with a discussion of prior restraint. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/sup...
Dec 19, 2023•21 min
Trey and Ken start the episode discussing the recently passed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Three key items the hosts zero in on are: the nature of passing it with bipartisan support, the temporary renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, and funding for Ukraine. Next, they discuss the newly passed impeachment inquiry vote in the House along with Hunter Biden's decision to defy a Congressional subpoena. Here things get heated. Trey sees Hunter's decision ...
Dec 15, 2023•1 hr 10 min
In Part 2 of this crossover episode between The Politics Guys and Beyond Politics, Mike and Beyond Politics host Matt Robison consider potential solutions to the problems plaguing Congress. They cover a lot of ground, including the influence of money in politics, the impact of media on political discourse, and the intricacies of the voting system. Specific reforms they discuss include a voucher system for campaign finance, the restoration of the talking filibuster in the Senate, approval voting,...
Dec 13, 2023•58 min
Mike and Jay open this supporters’ midweek episode by discussing the fallout from the congressional testimony of the presidents of Penn, MIT, and Harvard. Mike argues that their comments were technically and legally correct but utterly tone-deaf. Jay contends that the presidents’ responses demonstrate a clear bias in academia, a charge Mike doesn’t believe to be entirely accurate. From there they move on to an extended discussion of Israel and the Palestinians. Mike makes the case that the Israe...
Dec 12, 2023•22 min
Mike and Jay open the episode with a discussion of the indictment of Hunter Biden on multiple tax-related charges, as well as the broader House Republican investigation into the Biden family. They agree that Hunter Biden almost certainly cheated the federal government but that there’s nothing yet that links his activities to any illegal actions on the part of Joe Biden. (Though Jay is less certain of this than Mike is.) From there, they turn to Senate Republicans blocking passage of aid to Ukrai...
Dec 08, 2023•1 hr 1 min
Trey & Ken continue through the U.S. Constitution's Bill of Rights by diving into the 1st Amendment's Free Speech clause. What, if any, restrictions can government place on speech? What is and to what extent do people have symbolic speech rights? All of this and a host of court cases covered on this week's episode. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politic...
Dec 05, 2023•19 min
Trey and Ken open the episode covering two recent deaths: Henry Kissinger and Sandra Day O'Connor. Trey outlines the positives and the controversies of Kissinger's international realism, along with both his opening of China and his support for authoritarian regimes. Ken highlights the swing vote legacy of O'Connor, despite her own desire not to be seen in that light during her lifetime. Next, they turn to the U.S. House's expelling of George Santos. Trey outlines the Constitution's flexibility o...
Dec 02, 2023•1 hr 12 min
Mike talks with Colby College political scientists Nick Jacobs and Dan Shea about their book The Rural Voter: The Politics of Place and the Disuniting of America. Topics Discussed Include: - what it means to be a rural voter - misconceptions of rural voters - if conservatives in rural areas are truly distinct - what rural identity is, and why it matters - why Democrats have been doing so poorly with rural voters - Donald Trump’s appeal in rural areas - ruralness and racism - if Democrats can eve...
Nov 29, 2023•1 hr 3 min
In the preview of this supporters’ midweek episode, Mike, Jay, and May open by discussing a federal judge ruling that Pennsylvania mail-in ballots that were incorrectly dated but received on time have to be counted. Jay and May have problems with the decision, and Mike agrees that it doesn’t seem to fit the Materiality Provision of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, but that it may be a violation of the Equal Protection Clause. From there they turn to an unusually high rate of congressional retiremen...
Nov 28, 2023•25 min
Mike, Jay, and May open the episode with a discussion of the hostage-for-prisoner swap between Hamas and Israel. They all agree on the importance of Israel getting their hostages back as well as on Hamas’ determination to destroy Israel. But Mike feels that Israel should find a way to give Gazans a positive path forward, something Jay and May are less optimistic about (not that Mike is all that optimistic). Next, they turn to a Colorado judge’s ruling that Donald Trump is an insurrectionist, but...
Nov 25, 2023•1 hr 13 min
Mike talks with Adam Kovacevich, founder and CEO of the Chamber of Progress and former head of Google’s US policy strategy and external affairs team about the FTC’s antitrust lawsuit against Amazon. Topics Mike and Adam Discuss Include: - FTC Chair Lina Khan’s views on Big Tech and antitrust - if Amazon is hurting consumers - how dominant Amazon is in retail - potential effects of FTC lawsuits against tech firms - if antitrust law needs to be updated for the 21st century Adam Kovacevich on X The...
Nov 22, 2023•48 min
Trey & Ken continue through the U.S. Constitution's Bill of Rights by diving into the 1st Amendment and the Free Exercise Clause. Topics include Reynolds, Smith, and the separation between belief and action inherent in the Supreme Court's understanding of the phrase. The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo we’re @PoliticsGuys. ...
Nov 21, 2023•20 min
Trey and Ken start the episode with a discussion of the escalation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip. Trey argues that Israel's drive south is the result of the asymmetric nature of the conflict. Ken agrees, but believes that Israel must account for the human suffering and collateral damage a push out of Gaza City entails. Next they turn to the meeting between Xi Jinping and Biden in San Fransisco. Trey lauds the positive rhetorical improvement from a few months ago and attributes this to the nee...
Nov 18, 2023•1 hr 10 min
Mike talks with Ganesh Sitaraman, a Professor of Law at Vanderbilt Law School, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, and a longtime advisor to Senator Elizabeth Warren. He's also the author of multiple books, including The Counterinsurgent’s Constitution, The Great Democracy, The Crisis of the Middle Class Constitution. His latest book is Why Flying is Miserable and How to Fix It, which they discuss in this episode. Topics Mike and Ganesh cover include: - what makes flying miserable...
Nov 15, 2023•1 hr
Mike and Jay open the preview of this supporters’ midweek episode with a look at recent polling that shows Donald Trump beating President Biden in five of the six key battleground states. While it’s still a year until the election, Biden’s weakness is worrying a lot of Democrats, including Mike. Jay points out that if Trump is convicted things might change, though Trump being behind bars by election day is improbable, even if he’s convicted (of something or other) and sentenced to prison. Next, ...
Nov 14, 2023•24 min
Mike and Jay open the episode with a discussion of West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin’s decision to not run for reelection in 2024. Mike thinks it makes sense given his likely defeat, and Jay makes a case for a Biden-Manchin 2024 ticket. They also consider what Manchin would bring to the No Labels presidential ticket, and how a No Labels candidate might affect the race. Next they turn to the elections in Ohio, Kentucky, and Virginia. Abortion rights were a big winner in Ohio and played...
Nov 10, 2023•1 hr 10 min
The preview of this supporters’ midweek episode opens with a discussion of the multiple state lawsuits concerning whether or not Donald Trump can even appear on the ballot. Some are arguing that he’s ineligible because he’s either engaged in or aided insurrectionists, which under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment makes him ineligible. Mike and May are skeptical of this line of reasoning and explain why they expect Trump to be on the ballot in all 50 states. Next, they look at two Supreme Court cas...
Nov 07, 2023•26 min
Mike and May open with a discussion of the latest developments concerning Israel and Hamas. They look at the case for and against a temporary pause in Israel’s military response in Gaza, the House of Representatives approving $14.3 billion in aid to Israel, and why the U.S. would consider giving billions in aid to a wealthy country like Israel in the first place. After that, they turn to President Biden’s Executive Order on artificial intelligence. Mike likes it overall but thinks that the admin...
Nov 04, 2023•1 hr 7 min
Mike and May open the preview of this supporters' midweek episode with a discussion of the tentative labor agreement between the United Auto Workers and Ford. May doesn’t see how the economics work out for Ford and predicts a government bailout at some point. Mike is more optimistic and believes it’s a reasonable deal for both sides. Following that they consider Donald Trump’s ongoing legal cases – the Georgia election case in the wake of a fourth defendant pleading guilty, gag orders in two of ...
Oct 31, 2023•26 min
Mike and May open the episode with a discussion of recently elected Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. May sees the whole Speaker saga as embarrassing for her party while Mike argues against the portrayal of Johnson as a radical far-right election denier. After that they turn to the Middle East, discussing whether or not Mike was right to suggest Israel is a colonialist oppressor, whether that’s inherently antisemitic, UN ceasefire resolutions, and a Senate proposal for standalone Israel aid, as...
Oct 28, 2023•1 hr 2 min
In the preview of this supporters' midweek episode Mike and Jay open by discussing the guilty pleas by Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro in the Georgia racketeering case. Mike thinks it’s a reasonable prosecution and that these pleas may make it easier for prosecutors to get Trump. Jay thinks that “getting Trump” is exactly the problem with this prosecution that he believes shouldn’t have happened in the first place. Then they turn to the revised indictment against New Jersey Senator Robert Men...
Oct 24, 2023•24 min
Mike and Jay open with the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Jay gives President Biden credit for his response but argues that Biden’s words of sympathy for Palestinian civilians were ill-timed. They consider the larger issues involved – whether Gazans are rightfully angry with Israel, what Hamas wants and whether Israel is giving it to them, and if we’ll ever see a two-state solution – as well as responses by pro-Palestinian groups in the US and their doxing by conservative groups. Then they t...
Oct 20, 2023•1 hr 4 min
