A Song of Two Generations

Co-founder of Echelon Insights, Golden Retriever companion, and professional Tea Leaf-Reader Kristen Soltis Anderson breaks ...

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Co-founder of Echelon Insights, Golden Retriever companion, and professional Tea Leaf-Reader Kristen Soltis Anderson breaks a long hiatus from Remnant appearances by returning to the show today. As conventional wisdom on the right settles into the idea that “the polls were wrong in 2016,” Kristen gives us a bit of a reality check on why the conditions in 2020 aren’t that simple. She also talks about her newest research on the attitudes of young voters, with some surprising results. For one, young people aren’t nearly as pessimistic as you may have been led to believe: “Two-thirds of Gen Z and Millenials believe that they can achieve the American Dream … through their own actions.”

Show Notes:

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  1. Jon Chabot

    If you are looking for a solid alternative voice, see if you can get Matt Taibi on. He's very much on the other side of the fence from you, but is a straight shooter and good at old school reporting.

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  2. Jackson

    The first half of this episode, along with Monday's Advisory Opinions, was a really good companion to Rich Lowery's NR interview with the Trafalgar guy in NR over the weekend (which I recommend listening to as well). I'm obviously suspicious people without a long track record going off on their own and coming up with pretty different results, especially when they're as partisan as he obviously is, but listening to him I had a hard time poking many holes in the nuts and bolts of his methodology as he explained it and found myself wanting to hear someone try to challenge him on some of his assumptions, especially whether there are really enough "shy Trump voters" to make any meaningful difference. Kristen Soltis Anderson did a good job helping to flesh some of that out, and I would be very interested to hear her on the same podcast as the Trafalgar guy to hash out some of these differences in opinion over methodology.

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    Graham Avis

    You very briefly mentioned, well you mentioned you wouldn’t mention your thoughts that the greatest generation wasn’t exactly all that great. It might be because you stated it before but I’d love to hear you suss that thought out further. I think I agree, but I’m not sure.

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    Mkapnick

    Dear Jonah’s friends who think conservative voter’s dislike of Trump is an issue of style. Allow me to clarify. Not liking President Obama’s tan suit is an issue of style. Not liking George W’s Texas twang or Al Gore’s condescending tone or excessive “sighing” in his debate with W. are issues of style. With respect to Trump:

    Corruption is not an issue of style.
    Illiberalism is not an issue of style.
    Incompetence is not an issue of style.
    Lying is not an issue of style.
    Laziness is not an issue of style.
    Race baiting is not an issue of style.
    Inciting violence is not an issue of style.
    Abusing the powers of his office is not an issue of style.
    Welcoming a hostile power to intervene in our elections even if you don’t violate the criminal code is not an issue of style.
    Complaining about Trump’s fake hair, obesity and bad make-up—I agree that IS an issue of style and let’s face it Trump has none (sorry had to have one little fun poke in there).

    If Kristen Soltis Anderson is correct that the future of the GOP is one that embraces economic populism, then I am going to be politically homeless for a long, long time. Being pro-immigration and pro-free trade are pro-growth positions. To be sure, there are issues to be sorted out and managed but being a welcoming place for people who aspire to a better life and advancing an open, fair and free trade among nations are two things that can continue to provide dynamism and growth to our economy which will benefit the vast majority of Americans. It will be sad to me in the reasoned position I just articulated is replaced with a self-defeating nativism that does not actually benefit those who advance it (other than to "feel better" based on what they see on Fox News).

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  5. Morris P

    Glad you mentioned at the end the bit about more guests from different ideological perspectives. My favorite Jonah pod was actually not the Remnant, but the Fifth Column. Those guys are way out there but it was such a free flowing, funny and interesting conversation. If I could make a suggestion, it's mix in some more wild cards.

    Also, I think a sidekick would be really fun.

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  6. Mcwaala

    "Generational" politics and overgeneralizations is one of Jonah's meat splatter horses that can always use another beating.

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  7. Pudge

    You’re conference in November. What if you’re already a member?

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      Kaitlin Johnson

      It’s free! Just put in the coupon during checkout

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    Jason Gibson

    If you go back in time....haven't we always picked a leader different than the one before? Just instinctually? We went from:

    machiavellian genius Nixon
    to Mr. "honest as the day is long but kind of wimpy" Carter
    to Cold war warrior cowboy reagan
    to george h w bush (ok this one didn't quite work) but he was seen as disconnected on domestic issues and uncaring
    to Bill Clinton who feels our pain (and not checking his watch when thinking about it) but is famous for being deceitful
    to straight talkin texan cowboy bush (who people saw as not intelligent)
    to college professor Obama who is perceived as just kind of a lecturer about big government
    to non politician (drain the swamp (the big government that Obama lectured us about) Trump

    Sometimes I feel the George Will theory of "who the american people want to see in their living room" is a bit more true than it should be.

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    Jason Gibson

    First time being a first commenter!!!!

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      Angie

      Well, Congrats...lol

      🏆

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        Jason Gibson

        That’s kind of a participation trophy.....lol

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          Angie

          Ha...how is coming in first a participation trophy?
          SHeesh, give a guy a compliment and he can't just accept it the way I meant it?..lol

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            Jason Gibson

            I am well rebuked. Thank you lol

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