Jonah and Matt Continetti continue their tremendously nerdy adventure through the history of American conservatism today, taking us from the 1970s to the present. In a conversation tailor-made for holders of the Remnant bingo card, they discuss the Reagan Revolution, the Clinton years, the future of the conservative movement, and much more. Can the contemporary right hold off resurgent anti-Americanism? Could fascism happen here? And how many more times will Matt need to appear for Jonah to ask ...
Apr 19, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 482
After providing an update on his absence this week, Jonah begins today’s Ruminant on a note of uncertainty: He hasn’t decided whether an Elon Musk Twitter takeover is something we should welcome or fear. His mind is also occupied by the idea raised by Megan McArdle that Americans are increasingly “sidestepping institutions” in their daily lives, as well as Matt Continetti’s perspective on the term “right-winger.” Plus, tune in for a predictably nerdy disquisition on populism and why an old-fashi...
Apr 16, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 481
The Remnant ascends to a higher plane of nerdom today, as Matthew Continetti returns to discuss his new book, The Right: The Hundred-Year War for American Conservatism. This episode presents the first half of a two-hour conversation between Jonah and Matt, which takes us on a freewheeling journey from the ‘20s to the ‘70s. They begin by exploring whether it’s possible to provide a simple definition of conservatism before digging deeply into the evolution of the movement. What did conservatism lo...
Apr 14, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 480
The Remnant gets wonky today as Klon Kitchen, AEI senior fellow and author of The Current newsletter for The Dispatch, returns to discuss Russia’s information war in Ukraine. With no end in sight for the conflict, Jonah and Klon explore what America’s intelligence support for Ukraine looks like and what other measures we could take to assist the country. They also touch on the veracity of Russia and China’s COVID statistics, what Putin’s war will mean for Taiwan, and how Klon would advise Joe Bi...
Apr 13, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 479
Jonah’s still in Chicago for today’s Ruminant, and he isn’t terribly comfortable with the pre-summer weather. Still, severe cold in spring is less frustrating than our political dysfunction, and Jonah has plenty to discuss on that front. After exploring the distinction between disinformation and misinformation and the state of American media bias, he turns to the Hunter Biden laptop scandal, Florida’s controversial education bill, and why misusing the term “groomer” is both immoral and tacticall...
Apr 09, 2022•55 min•Ep. 478
Live from the Windy City, Jonah returns to the Remnant driver’s seat. He’s joined by Washington Post columnist Megan McArdle, who has plenty of thoughts on America’s strange plague of mobocratic thinking and workplace safetyism. The pair also explore Jonah’s distaste for public sector unions, Megan’s opposition to student loan forgiveness, and the circumstances in which populism can be put to good use. Plus, for all you bingo cardholders, there’s plenty of dingo discussion and kvetching about pr...
Apr 08, 2022•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 477
While Jonah traverses the Virginia woodlands, David French assumes control of the Remnant. His guest is Jonathan Rauch, who returns to provide a refreshingly calm perspective on our debates over gender and inclusion. After breaking down the history of the LGBTQ movement, Jonathan and David evaluate the Lia Thomas situation, Florida’s controversial education bill, and how conservatives should approach radical gender ideology. They also discuss a potential academic pushback against cancel culture,...
Apr 06, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 476
The drive-time Remnant format returns for another predictably eclectic broadcast. Today’s episode finds Jonah, Guy, and Ryan perplexed by Madison Cawthorn’s claims about D.C. debauchery, amused by conspiracy theories about Will Smith’s Oscar's slap, and fascinated by the lowest moments of otherwise great TV shows. They also touch on Jonah’s latent arachnophobia, Guy’s animated obsessions, and Ryan’s fondness for Lucky Charms. By the end of it all, the Remnant may have conclusively jumped the sha...
Apr 02, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 475
Chris Stirewalt, the Remnant’s official “break glass in case of emergency” guest, returns to explain why there actually is such a thing as a free lunch. Over a sumptuous breakfast of granola and omelettes, he and Jonah discuss Joe Biden’s dismal approval numbers and the state of the Democratic Party heading into the midterms. They also examine Madison Cawthorn’s wild claims about the GOP establishment, Ginni Thomas’ unfortunate texts, and the decline and fall of great TV shows. Stick around unti...
Mar 31, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 474
Adam White, AEI senior fellow and Jonah’s trusted law-talkin’ guy, makes his long-awaited Remnant return. The pair take a deep dive into the Ketanji Brown Jackson hearings and assess what we can expect from her jurisprudence before turning to the state of legal conservatism. With originalism under attack, will common good constitutionalism soon consume legal academia? Is “insurrection” an appropriate term for January 6? And can Jonah suppress his disdain for Adam’s profession and all it represen...
Mar 29, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 473
On today’s Ruminant, Jonah, now recovered from Monday’s birthday revelry, has thoughts on everything from hamburger conspiracies to the history of great societies. After beginning with another deep dive into the evolution of media bias, he turns to the Ketanji Brown Jackson confirmation hearings, which have turned out to be surprisingly boring despite a few moments of painful stupidity. Stick around to hear Jonah evaluate Nikole Hannah-Jones’ argument that tipping is a product of slavery, and to...
Mar 26, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 472
Kevin Williamson, the Remnant’s cheeriest regular, is back for another voyage through the strange realm of contemporary America. A free society is messy, and life is all about contradictions, inconsistencies, and trade-offs. But this can be an uncomfortable truth for many to face. In a conversation that will send you scrambling for your bingo cards, Kevin and Jonah explore the problem with social homogeneity. They also touch on the weaknesses of autocratic regimes, realistic climate change solut...
Mar 24, 2022•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 471
Brian Riedl, the Remnant’s “unofficial budget guy,” returns to discuss our economic woes. After kvetching about inflation, the deficit, and supply chains, he and Jonah dig into the mistaken idea that the president can control every needle of the economy. Brian has noticed an interesting trend: Since Reagan, we’ve consistently elected Republican presidents during booms and Democratic presidents during recessions. But what are the implications of that for the economy? Furthermore, did the New Deal...
Mar 22, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 470
After plotting world domination at AEI’s World Forum, Jonah is back in the D.C. swampland for today’s Ruminant. He begins by elaborating on the strange metaphysical ideas discussed in last week’s episode before turning to the war in Ukraine, and the baffling idea peddled by some on the right that Zelensky is trying to incite a global thermonuclear war. From there, things get nerdy, as Jonah explores whether populism may be falling out of style and indulges in a lengthy rant on Woodrow Wilson. Tu...
Mar 19, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 469
Vincent Cannato, noted historian and Jonah’s fellow deracinated New Yorker, returns to the Remnant for a nerdily random discussion of cops, neoliberalism, and latent Russophobia. With tensions rising between East and West, Vin believes we are in the midst of an “ideological Cold War,” but Jonah (whose pronunciation of “Pokémon” may distract from any serious points he raises) is less convinced. How will America’s conflict with Russia and China unfold, and what strategy should the United States pu...
Mar 17, 2022•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 468
Shadi Hamid returns to the Remnant to discuss America’s role in maintaining a safe global order. For years, many on the far left and isolationist right alike have argued that the United States should withdraw from the world stage and take a self-limiting approach to foreign policy. But Shadi believes Russia’s aggression has proved that Western power is essential. Will we soon see renewed support for Pax Americana? Should a no-fly zone be imposed over Ukraine? And how many bingo card items can Jo...
Mar 16, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 467
Jonah gets metaphysical on today’s mumbly Ruminant, recorded live in a chaotic hotel room not far from Stonecutter world headquarters. Unsurprisingly, his under-caffeinated mind is awash with thoughts on conservative intellectual history. Be prepared for an exceedingly nerdy disquisition on the philosophical differences between left and right and the importance of understanding that life is about trade offs. Plus, tune in to permanently change your perception of the theme from Jeopardy! Show Not...
Mar 12, 2022•39 min•Ep. 466
John Podhoretz, the Remnant’s self-professed Paul Lynde, returns to the program to play a game of “Name that Crank.” Throughout history, many brilliant people have also been extremely bizarre. Murray Rothbard hated elevators, Arthur Conan Doyle believed in fairies, and Gandhi was obsessed with bowel movements. John and Jonah dedicate today’s episode to exploring the harmless and not-so-harmless quirks of such figures, before turning to rank punditry on American power, Biden’s floundering preside...
Mar 10, 2022•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 465
Kori Schake, director of foreign and defense policy at the American Enterprise Institute, joins the Remnant for the first time to discuss the state of the liberal international order. As Putin’s invasion of Ukraine continues, what will the next year hold in store for the conflict and his leadership? For that matter, should Ukraine join NATO? What have been the Biden administration’s biggest foreign policy mistakes? And is America’s role in the world in doubt? Tune in to hear these questions answ...
Mar 09, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 464
The drive-time Remnant format returns for another freewheeling broadcast, one that finds Jonah, Guy, and Ryan preoccupied with questions of loneliness and fulfillment following Arthur Brooks’ recent appearance on the program. Together, they explore the malign effects of social media, whether internet access should be regulated, and how the “Japanification” of America’s youth can be reversed. Plenty of nerdish tomfoolery is also mixed in on the nightmares of American bureaucracy, the threat of Wo...
Mar 05, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 463
True happiness can feel elusive, especially in our chaotic age. Thankfully, former AEI president and current Harvard professor Arthur Brooks seems to have cracked the code for achieving it. On today’s Remnant , he joins Jonah to explore common mistakes people make in the pursuit of fulfillment, lies the world tells us about satisfaction, the “fear-based cultural polarity” consuming Western society, and what we can do to address America’s alarming loneliness problem. Be prepared to revise your bu...
Mar 04, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 462
Paul Miller, regular Dispatch contributor and professor of international affairs at Georgetown, joins the Remnant to discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the difference between patriotism and nationalism. With a new Cold War looking increasingly likely, how should America prepare itself for what may be a major global conflict? For that matter, what does it mean to be a “foreign policy realist?” Has Putin always been this crazy? And what should unify all Americans? Show Notes: - Paul’s work a...
Mar 02, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 461
No babies were harmed in the making of today’s Ruminant , which features puppy parades, obscure German philosophers, and an appropriately large supply of bagels. Putin’s use of Nazi rhetoric to demonize the Ukrainian government has reminded Jonah that we don’t talk enough about the importance of language in public life. The invasion has also prompted him to think about the relationship between language and nationalism, and how national interests should influence foreign policy. Are babies born a...
Feb 26, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 460
Katherine Mangu-Ward, editor in chief of Reason magazine, joins the Remnant for the first time today to explore whether America’s libertarian spirit is still intact. In a moment where Americans are losing faith in authority, the right is succumbing to power worship, and pluralism is becoming increasingly unpopular, how can we avoid a “squishy apocalypse?” Moreover, is hypocrisy really a problem? Why can’t the government love you? And would the United States be a better place if dog catchers were...
Feb 24, 2022•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 459
While Jonah traverses the sunny wilds of California, Chris Stirewalt steps in to host today’s Remnant. He’s joined by Amy Walter, publisher and editor in chief of the Cook Political Report, for exceptionally rank punditry on what we can expect from this year’s midterms and the 2024 presidential race. Would the American people accept a second Trump presidency? Why do certain states stay purple while others become firmly partisan? And could peace and goodwill soon be restored in Congress? Show Not...
Feb 22, 2022•51 min•Ep. 458
Sleep-deprived and bracing for a lengthy flight, Jonah begins today’s Ruminant with an insatiable thirst for coffee. Conveniently, he has plenty of topics to ramble about while enjoying his morning brew. First on the docket is the San Francisco school board recall, which prompts Jonah to ponder why Democrats keep getting the culture war so wrong. From there, a potpourri of nerdery begins, as Jonah explores the origins of rights and freedoms, Russia’s potential invasion of Ukraine, and the import...
Feb 19, 2022•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 457
New developments in John Durham’s investigation into the origins of the Trump-Russia probe are electrifying conservative media and dominating the headlines. But for those who haven’t kept up with the story, it may be difficult to fully understand what’s going on. Thankfully, Dispatch associate editor Andrew Egger is on The Remnant to break things down. Together, he and Jonah discuss everything you could ever want to know about the Durham probe. Plus, they indulge in some obligatory kvetching abo...
Feb 17, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 456
Tevi Troy is back on The Remnant to explore the strange state of the American presidency. In recent years, presidents have used the power of the executive branch to profoundly alter our system of government—indeed, the presidency Joe Biden inhabits is far removed from that which Bill Clinton left behind. But could the increased importance of the presidency to American life actually be a good thing? Furthermore, why have our recent presidents failed to become figures of national unity? What went ...
Feb 15, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 455
Haunted by a certain infectious Swedish pop song, Jonah begins today’s Ruminant by expanding substantially on a recent point from the G-File: Americans are addicted to despair even though life has never been better. In a moment where anger merchants dominate the media and environmental pessimism is spreading rapidly, how can the optimistic spirit on which our country was founded be restored? And what responsibilities do prominent figures in journalism and politics have in this regard? Also, stic...
Feb 12, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 454
Demographer and Institute for Family Studies research fellow Lyman Stone returns to The Remnant to make the case for having more babies. With America’s birth rate in decline and increasingly large numbers of people living lives devoid of real connections, Lyman believes that we urgently need more pro-family policies. But though Jonah agrees completely that babies are good, he’s less sure about Lyman’s proposal of lowering the voting age to zero. Tune in for distinctly nerdy debate, but stick aro...
Feb 10, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 453
