Trump Davidians

"I've watched people eat soup and be more exciting than Mike Pence."

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Sarah, Steve and Jonah welcome Jamie Weinstein, who’ll be taking over the Monday Dispatch Podcast. They discuss:

-Pence’s dazzling personality

-2024 GOP check-in

-Mike Johnson’s speakership win

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  1. Avatar photo
    PaulH

    I was disappointed to hear the rumor that No Labels is now looking to just run spoiler favorite son candidates in various jurisdictions -- that seems like a way to doom itself to irrelevancy. While I think the likelihood of a No Labels run being successful is/was low, it is probably increasing. With Cornell West and RFK Jr. running and potentially siphoning off support from each of the extremes (RFK is oddly more popular on the right), the threshold for winning states has gone down. And I don't think that either Biden or Trump is getting any more popular. A ticket of two competent pragmatists might actually get people excited (given the alternatives). It would at least be worth trying -- the favorite son approach just seems pointless.

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  2. Sunilsaha2

    A good one.

    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-good-fight/id1198765424?i=1000633670070

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  3. Brett F.

    I would like to see The Dispatch have a discussion based on Thomas Friedman's suggestion that "targeted use of force with limited, achievable goals may serve Israel’s long-term security and prosperity more than an open-ended war to eradicate Hamas."

    Even if Hamas is totally eradicated militarily, another terrorist group will spring up. They always have. And it will have plenty of angry young men to draw members from.

    It doesn't matter that deals been have turned down in the past. Israel can't keep two million people in a pen in perpetutity. The situation has to be resolved. Israel's invasion of Gaza appears more retribution than resolution. Justified but is it in Israel's best interest? It's worth discussing.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/29/opinion/israel-hamas-ceasefire.html

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    1. MathewA

      How do you resolve it though? One side wants to kill all the Jews, kind of hard to strike a deal there.

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      PaulH

      I just don't see how allowing Hamas to remain in power is going to lead to any resolution; Hamas has made it clear that it seeks the elimination of Israel and it is not going to allow any Palestinian in Gaza to advocate for any other approach. Israel has tried to just contain Hamas for the past 15 years (including periodically pushing back militarily) and Hamas has just continued with its terrorist agenda. Why would this time be any different?

      I agree that Israel does not want to administer Gaza going forward, but the only way to change the administration of Gaza is to eliminate Hamas. If Israel does that, there is some possibility that the Sunni states or some international coalition would eventually take over the administration of Gaza.

      While there is obviously some element of retribution to Israel's action, I think it also represents a very clear eyed assessment that it cannot tolerate the security threat of having a terrorist state dedicated to its destruction on its border.

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      1. Brett F.

        A subjugated Palestine will always be a threat. If Netanyahu had been paying attention this wouldn't have happened.

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        1. Avatar photo
          PaulH

          A Palestine that is uninterested in peace with Israel will always be subjugated. What choice does Israel have? I don't think you understand the causality here. The idea that it is in Israel's power to bring a "resolution" to the situation when Hamas does not accept its right to existence is fanciful. You don't seem to be able to respond to address that basic fact and instead seem want to blame Netanyahu for Hamas' terrorism. I say "seem" because I really don't understand what you are trying to say other than that you blame Israel.

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    3. April

      I agree with your points. That would be a great discussion if it includes someone who realizes pounding Gaza into ruins will hurt Israel in the long run.

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      1. Avatar photo
        PaulH

        @April: Will it? Why are you so sure of that? Is Israel better off allowing Hamss to launch terrorist attacks against it whenever it pleases?

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      2. Brett F.

        JPod and The Commentary gang are downright bloodthirsty. Not helpful.

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  4. Avatar photo
    Chany Ockert

    One thing I am thankful for... Of all of the Democrats who could be Secretary of State right now, that it is Blinken, given his family history. It could be much worse.

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  5. Sunilsaha2

    Wise words IMHO.

    https://www.threads.net/@podsaveamerica/post/CzOg2GfJdU_/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

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  6. Kara

    I have been avoiding coverage of Donald Trump, so I think I need to know more about what Steve was talking about when he said that Trump is increasingly openly authoritarian.

    I have to admit that my reaction was—ok, the choice is between an open authoritarian or covert authoritarianism. Maybe that’s not from Biden, but it feels like it’s coming from what Jonah calls “the commanding heights of culture”. Is my perception off? I am genuinely curious about my own reaction and how the Dispatch will treat this question.

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    1. Avatar photo
      Scarlette Tarte

      What is Biden doing that is "covert authoritarianism"?

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    2. Hikingguy

      If it's "covert authoritarianism", how do you even know about it?

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    3. Sunilsaha2

      The choice will be between Trump and Biden. They are not comparable on the authoritarian scale in my opinion.

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  7. CB76

    “Vote Trump!”

    Is what the Dispatch is telling you

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    1. Hikingguy

      Funny. It's not at all what TD is telling me. Perhaps listen less to the voices in your head?

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    2. Christopher Lake

      CB76, you can't be serious with that assertion-- or at least, I *hope* you're not being serious, because if you are, you're out of touch with objective reality on this particular subject. Jonah Goldberg, Steve Hayes, Kevin Williamson, Nick Cottogio, and many others at this site have been *consistently critical* of Donald Trump, and of MAGA populism in general. Your assertion is either deluded, patently dishonest, or blinded by your own ideological partisanship. If you had spent much time at "The Dispatch" at all, you would, or should, already know that this is *decidedly not* a Trump-supporting MAGA website. This is a *conservative* website which was founded, partially, *in opposition to* Trump's poisonous effect on the Republican Party and the conservative movement.

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  8. Rob

    I'd like to hear more about this fascinating soup-eater...

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  9. Randall Briggs

    Sarah, at about 13:45: "Enough with this criticism of Donald Trump! Let's talk about some other Republicans who might win." (Or words to that effect.)

    Why should we want Republicans to win? Their party is now a cult worshiping the Orange God-King.

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    1. MathewA

      "Why should we want Republicans to win" Because I oppose the vast majority of Democrat policies. So I would happily vote for just about any other Republican besides Trump (excepting Ramaswamey etc)

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      1. Randall Briggs

        Overwhelmingly, the Republican candidates on any general election ballot will be beholden to the MAGA cult. They will still be doing Trump's bidding out of fear that they will be primaried if they do not. I do not want cowardly elected officials in thrall to a would-be tyrant running the show in local, state, or federal government.

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    2. Hikingguy

      I want to see Republicans lose. All down the ballot. Why in the blue hell should I WANT to see more Republicans in power? More Tommy Tuberville? More House Republican hijinks? Sarah has a blind spot bigger than that red spot on Jupiter.

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  10. John Giardiniere

    I feel pretty comfortable as a conservative saying the Fed isn't broke, so don't fix it. Is it ideal in its current state? Probably not. But it seems to be one of the few competent agencies these days, and may even manage the seemingly impossible of pulling us out of this inflation without a big recession. Seems like there are many, many bigger fish to fry.

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    1. MathewA

      "But it seems to be one of the few competent agencies these days"

      Recent 10% inflation says otherwise.

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