Andrew Ferguson, Master of Introversion

Andrew Ferguson’s follow-up appearance on The Remnant has been a long time coming, and you ...

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Andrew Ferguson’s follow-up appearance on The Remnant has been a long time coming, and you can tell; he and Jonah are filled with plenty of wisdom on the state of modern journalism, what the conservative media landscape used to be like, and how to not go completely hollow while keeping up with the news cycle.

Show Notes:

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  1. Avatar photo
    Victor Clairmont

    A man with cats? Interesting...

    Kidding aside, that was an good dive into The New Republic and a lot of the other journalistic magazines/newspapers/media.

    But man, hearing Rachel Maddow and Tucker Carlson on this podcast, who’d a thunk it!

    I still think it’s funny how when Tucker had a show on MSNBC, Rachel Maddow was on his show. Then his show got canceled, Maddow got hired and was pulling in ratings. Then Tucker got hired at Fox and well...

    The world came to and end.

    Kidding.

    I guess the journalism/news world is a small one eh? You all seem to run into each other.

    Like moths to a flame burning their wings.

    Kidding!

    Thanks for the podcast.

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    CynthiaW

    Very interesting. I've liked Andy Ferguson for a long time. I guess he's old now ...

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    Adicesa14

    That was great! Very satisfying to hear ‘insiders’ speak of the apparent haphazardness of government, the press, etc. From the outside it often seems manufactured and diabolical, so this viewpoint is soothing. More, please.

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      Tracie

      I was thinking that this morning, intermittently switching b/t this pod and npr. All the news is stressing me out. Spending more and more time here. Hope I'm not missing anything.

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    Tracie

    Was struck by the similarity in how Ferguson describes Woodward's "New Journalism", a phrase I think was coined around the same time as "Ziggy Stardust," requires a lot of the same things that conspiracy theories or masterfully edited reality TV require: neat narratives and melodrama with heroes and villains, and carefully set scenes in a way that real sequences of events rarely provide.

    This also makes me think of the prior discussion about socialism, and it's moral and thematic appeals. In the post-modern age we're supposed to be cool with random events without assigned meanings, and relativism of all sorts. We're not though, are we? Trump is this crass, not exceptionally bright or competent opportunist with a few basic consistent behaviors, but we need him to be a grand villain, the way the MAGAs need him to be a vigilante hero.

    It's all more mundane and random than that, isn't it?

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  5. PM

    The Bob Dole mention was interesting. I've been thinking about Bob Dole a little bit of late.

    It was baffling to me that TAS and National Review would write critically of Bob Dole seemingly for years and then lo and behold he becomes the Republican nominee for president.

    If I've learned anything over the years, and perhaps I haven't, it's that all three branches of government have to be in alignment. If they aren't, then whatever the President or Congress is campaigning for, isn't going to happen.

    So while Bob Dole was criticized for not doing this or that when he was in the Senate, it wasn't going to happen because the numbers weren't there.

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  6. linda

    Enjoyed hearing the old name come up. Jeez....a far better time for politics and discussion. Now it's all Jabberwocky seasoned with Q.

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    Cornelius O’Brien

    That Gabi segue was cringeworthy

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    1. ROBERT

      Agreed! Never joke about drinking and driving.

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    Pastorfbt

    Thoroughly enjoyed it. A fine conversation partner he is.

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