Video: Kevin Williamson and David French Take Your Questions

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On the latest Dispatch Live, Kevin is joined by David French for an audience AMA (“ask me anything”). The two answer viewers’ questions on hot theological debates, the viability of a third party in 2024, and David’s favorite Dungeons and Dragons edition.

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  1. Avatar photo
    Ben Connelly

    This was really good. I am heartened by David’s answer to the question about moving leftward and I am reminded of why his valuable perspective added so much to the Dispatch. Including his take on Aquaman! I enjoyed that movie! I look forward to seeing the next one.

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  2. Bobby D

    I do take issue to some extent with David’s suggestion that Christian nationalism is something novel. If you look back over the Religious Right’s rhetoric over the past 50 years, that rhetoric is suffused with themes of Christian nationalism. By my observation, conservative Christians argued for religious liberty only in places where they were a minority. But, in places where conservative Christians comprised a majority, they generally favored majoritarian rule.

    I appreciate that David is probably a more consistent civil libertarian. But Christian nationalism has been there all along. What’s interesting to me is why it is only percolating to the top now. I have a friend who pastors a PCA church in a metro area with about a half dozen PCA churches. In recent years, two of the churches have fully embraced Christian nationalism and are basically promoting the establishment of an authoritarian Christian state.

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  3. Jen.Crouch

    Kevin commented that too many Christians want to consider the worthiness of a recipient of their charity. Largely I agree with that viewpoint, finding far too many of my own acquaintances to be quite judgmental at such times. But is it not a more charitable consideration to think that, instead of deeming drug-users, unemployed, & other needy individuals to be undeserving, perhaps the intent is to NOT be an enabler of buying more of the things that may kill them? Much in the way that releasing billions of dollars in Iranian assets enables the purchase of many things not humanitarian? Drink may keep a person warm, but fentanyl-laced drugs are a different phenomenon. I personally have always viewed my own responsibility as helping the less fortunate in whatever way I can, and they will be accountable for the way they put those resources to use. But I can understand the view that giving a drug addict currency may not actually be helping them.

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    Todd T

    David do you ever experience the anti-D&D blowback growing up?

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    KP

    Regarding Dispatch music: I heard the AO theme music on an “Explore Kentucky” podcast ad. Had to do a double-take, thinking I’d skipped to another podcast

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    1. Avatar photo
      Calvin.Siler

      I had a long discussion with producer Caleb at the 500th Remnant meet up about music licensing. It was really interesting.

      I've heard the Dispatch music once, on a James Hoffman coffee video on YouTube. But the longer play on this Dispatch live where it does the James Bond thing at the end. Man, that was epic!

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  6. Barry Arrington

    David French suggests that layers of scrutiny analysis (also known as means-end or interest balancing) would be better in the Second Amendment context. It does not seem like he has actually read Bruen. After Heller and McDonald, SCOTUS let the circuit courts run with development of the law for over a decade. The result was that they refused by and large to enforce the Second Amendment, using the very interest balancing test French advocates as a way around it. In the Ninth Circuit, for example, the government was 50-0 in post-Heller Second Amendment challenges. See Duncan v. Bonta, 19 F.4th 1087, 1165 (9th Cir. 2021). In Bruen, SCOTUS wrote that if the history of Second Amendment litigation had taught it anything, it is that in the Second Amendment context, lower courts are far too willing to defer to the government under the interest balancing test . Id., 142 S. Ct. at 2131

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    1. Bobby D

      Either that or the government’s action was indeed a reasonable exercise of its interests.

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  7. Joe.Valerieniemeyer

    No, the real question for @DavidAFrench is which edition?

    My teenage boys just got into it with 5th Edition (or 5E as the kids say these days) to which I became the wrong side of Psalm 1. I found a repository (probably a major copyright offense) of the race/class rule books and the lore blew their minds.

    They have now decided to land on edition 3.5 (I know…) but still keeping the rule book lore. So, they compromised, but I can’t.

    I still just can’t play without THAC0.

    Although I did create basically a statesman Palladian. He is incredibly fun to role play, but I can’t tell if I vaporized the thief or just self immolated.

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      Alex RC

      I assumed from his answer he plays AD&D - but I too would like the confirmation.

      (5e guy here - though I've lightly dabbled in 3.5 and am about to play a 2e game.)

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    Azlefty

    When is or was this recorded and how do we ask questions?

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    Tom B.

    Regarding David playing Elven Fighter / Magic-Users: does he still play AD&D? Most important question from this Dispatch Live IMO. :-)

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  10. Avatar photo
    Emily Spenla

    I'm just here to say how much I appreciate the Dispatch! I love listening to AO, Dispatch Live, High Steaks, The Dispatch Pod, and The Remnant as I go about my daily chores. I'm a homeschooling stay at home mom and I don't have much time to sit down and read articles. I've been listening every week since the summer of 2020 when I felt so politically lonely. David French, Sarah, Steve, Jonah, Kevin, and Declan, ya'll feel like friends at this point.
    P.S. Come visit Austin for a Dispatch in person event!

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    1. Avatar photo
      Jess_boniface

      I so empathize with this, Emily. I am also a homeschooling SAHM living in the south. Listening to the podcasts is like hanging out with a smart friend/study group and helps me feel more educated and less alone.

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      Adaam James Levin-Areddy staff-badge Editor

      This is was so lovely to read. Thank you, Emily.

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