Chapter 1: Richard Brookhiser

The Hangover begins with Richard Brookhiser (American historian and longtime editor at National Review) making a statement ...

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The Hangover begins with Richard Brookhiser (American historian and longtime editor at National Review) making a statement that is both clear and simple and yet seems like a revolutionary point to be made among Republicans: “Trump had his day, but it passed.” The question remains, why aren’t they acting like it? Furthermore, how did the Republican grassroots go from Tea Partiers tidying up after themselves on the National Mall to rioters breaking into the Capitol in the space of just over a decade? Brookhiser explains this populist overthrow within the tradition of political factionalism stretching all the way back to Madison.

Show Notes:

–Founder’s Son by Richard Brookhiser

–I Love You, but I Hate Your Politics, by Jeanne Safer

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  1. Avatar photo
    Angie

    I am late, way behind...but, love the music and the pod, keep it up...now on to week 2...lol

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  2. Avatar photo
    VladimusPrime

    There is no fixing a party base that supported Trump in the 2016 primaries, and twice turned out in large numbers to vote for him in 2020. The Republican base loves Donald Trump, not his policies or the McConnel agenda Trump basically pushed. They love the "Stop the Steal" lies, the Rapist Mexican comments, the xenophobia, the least subtle dog whistling in decades. These are the people who in the early 90's still voted for David Duke to be Governor and Senator from Louisiana. That's who the party base is that is what they love. And Republican elected officials are seeing this and finding ways to accommodate it not reject it. So the future of the Republican party is to double down on all the worst aspects of Trump because that is what is popular about him.

    And the Republican have done an autopsy of the last election, and their conclusion is that what went wrong is that it was too easy for the wrong people to vote, and too many state officials lacked the guts to overthrow the popular votes in their states under flimsy pretexts. So they are clearing the election commissions of any Republican that will not steal an election for Donald Trump. In 2024 Republican legislatures in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania will decertify votes if they have too. The Republican will seek to kill the Republic to maintain the Big Lie, because their base believes it.

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    David M

    Thanks Chris, the first two episodes have been fantastic!

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    Kevin Johnson

    Really good. I reiterate my suggestion for regular Chris pod and or a pod with Sarah. The Texas-WVA and other contrasts plus joy in the bizarre nature of politics is a natural fit. Great music at end. More Stirewalt, please. Cant emphasize enough how wonderful it is to read and listen to smart people who have a sense of humor in general, but especially about the crazy world of politics. It is now hard to even imagine TD without Chris. Here’s hoping he wins some battles in the SNL-esque writers rooms at TD where others might try to suppress his charm, humor, and simply-stated wisdom!

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  5. Uzelle Williams

    Paused ‘Hangover’ half way through and can’t take up where I left off. Tech glitch?

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    Tracie

    That Jefferson and Madison thought Hamilton and the Federalists were "opulent" elitists and maybe closet monarchists, and Hamilton thought the Democrats were Rosseauian revolutionaries wguillotine guillotines- that is a wonderfully cartoonish illustration of the two parties of the 1790s for a person like myself who's unlikely ever to curl up with a Federalist Paper on a Sunday morning.

    Based on Brookhiser's derisive descriptions, it sounds like Jefferson's and Madison's Democratic fantasies were more like Marie Antoinette playing milkmaid than the storming of the Bastille. (I think the Marie playing milkmaid bit came from a Remnant/Ruminant episode, but not sure.)

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  7. Richard Fulmer

    I was disappointed in Brookhiser's responses. The GOP’s future isn’t at all hard to predict. Trump owns the party lock stock and barrel. We saw this most recently when Liz Cheney was replaced with a progressive Trump sycophant. Rather than pointing this obvious truth out, Brookhiser continued the gaslighting: Trump is gone, he’s no longer president.

    Trump isn’t gone. His people run the RNC. He’s actively working to get rid of Republicans who voted for impeachment or who didn’t show him proper fealty. It’s the Trump name that is most often used to raise money from the party faithful.

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  8. Chase Choate

    This is a great conversation, I always enjoy listening to Chris.

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    Adicesa14

    Thank you for a great conversation. The comparison to the Republican Party recovery in the late 1970’s was particularly prescient. In the mid-70’s, the Republicans absorbed one blow after another: Spiro Agnew was indicted for money related crimes. He resigned the Vice Presidency and pled no contest; Richard Nixon chose to resign the Presidency rather than force Congress to impeach and convict for the Watergate coverup; and Gerald Ford was demonized by the press and Democrats (a coalition that persists) for pardoning Nixon which probably cost him the 1976 election. Graciously, each retired from active National politics allowing the Republican party to coalesce, and Ronald Reagan to emerge.

    Today, Donald Trump refuses to accept defeat, and continues actively seeking loyalty from Republicans. In fact, he seems to relish continued conflict and strikes out against any opposition. Graciousness is not a Trump attribute. I appreciate Mr. Brookhiser’s seeming optimism but fear that Trump’s interference will thwart a Republican party recovery, and so far, there is no Ronald Reagan facsimile on the horizon.

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  10. ROBERT

    Excellent stuff! Great start and actually encouraging. Hearing the history of how bad things have been in other periods provides a hopeful perspective.
    Thank you! I've got to read the Lincoln book- Founders Son. Sounds excellent!
    One question: being a West Virginia guy and hosting a podcast named "The Hangover", shouldn't there be some Moonshine involved. A slug at the beginning with a toast between host and guest sure seems appropriate to me!😁

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