The French Roast

Have they elected a speaker yet?

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In what is sure to be the first of many appearances in 2023, Chris Stirewalt joins the Remnant to discuss the ongoing debacle that is Kevin McCarthy’s bid for House speaker. He and Jonah explore what McCarthy’s opponents hope to gain, whether it’s true that opposing him makes you more conservative, and why all of this actually may not matter very much. They also touch on whether wokeism has passed its peak, why scripted comedy is in such a strange position, and what’s irritating about generational generalizations. Plus, tune in for a few obligatory shots at the New York Times’ newest columnist.

Show Notes:

– The Remnant with Megan McCardle

– Chris: “The Agonizingly Low Stakes of Today’s Vote for House Speaker”

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  1. Avatar photo
    Gibby

    The port huron statement: On behalf of our city I apologize

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  2. Avatar photo
    Ben Connelly

    Parks and Rec character Jonah couldn’t name: April Luddgate - played by Aubrey Plaza

    Glad to be in the year of the Stirewalt. One thing about generations, though. My parents are Boomers and I’ll defend Boomers here. First, as you both pointed out, generations aren’t monoliths. Also, there’s some blurring of lines at the beginning and end (I’m a late Millennial and my mom was at the end of the baby boom era and doesn’t consider herself a Boomer even though demographically she is).

    Second, I don’t really buy the idea that the Boomers are to blame for everything. In general, there’s never any group that is actually at fault for everything. It’s convenient to have a scapegoat, but life isn’t like that.

    Anyway, loved the episode. For me, I’d be fine if you guys skipped the punditry about McCarthy because I could care less. I’m here for the intellectual discussions and the random digressions that end up going for 20-30 minutes and usually make me laugh even when I don’t know what’s going on.

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    David Smith

    I fully endorse Jonah and Chris’s Gen X chauvinism.

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    Bill Dyer (aka Beldar)

    There are a few comedy shows from past years of network over-the-air television which I might otherwise be inclined to watch, except that I have become absolutely allergic to laugh tracks. I'm perfectly willing, when streaming something, to fast-forward through the commercials. I can forgive the awkward timings within episodes that were inserted specifically to permit commercial breaks. But if something has a laugh track -- including, for example, "Seinfeld" -- I simply cannot bear to watch it, at all, not for even 90 seconds.

    I have grown absolutely intolerant, in other words, to having anyone else tell me, or cue me, as to when I should laugh. And if they do, I absolutely will not.

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    Seth B

    If 2023 turns out to be The Year of Stirewalt, I for one will not complain.

    Now I want to know Chris's favorite Yes songs.

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  6. MaryJane

    If you're going to invoke Thomas Paine (especially as he opposes Edmund Burke) as an example of a liberal, you've got to use "classical" as a qualifier, which actually puts him on the right, right? Maybe there's a better example of a modern liberal philosopher to use as a contrast to progressives on the left?

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    The Bell Tower

    I have this coprophagic obsession with politics where I’m both obsessed with and disgusted by the entire affair. I loathe the old bull (as Chris calls it) mentality that says the Speaker should be some sacred rite of passage nearly as much as I loathe this Gaetzian, pre-pubescent obsession with exercising power over the old guard in order to brandish manliness to the ladies at the local bar.

    I despise all of them with the intensity of ten million suns. And that’s just the Republicans! Don’t get me started on that other assembly of detestable humanity throwing popcorn at the podium.

    Anyway, I would vote against Kevin McCarthy a hundred thousand times over. I would normally say here that he doesn’t belong in the chair once occupied by Lincoln or Washington but I looked at all the Speakers in American History and I couldn’t find a notable example. Henry Clay? Maybe it just shows my historical ignorance of Congress.

    That leaves the worst of all actors in this charade: these awful media types bellyaching about the unprecedented threats to America posed by….. democracy! As far as I can tell, Republicans annd Democrats are all standing around voting. They aren’t rioting or undermining the Constitution for a change. They’re just standing at the controls angrily banging on them because they don’t know how to turn the damned thing on, which is what they will continue to do once they get it started.

    And these same media types, as you fine gentleman alluded to, will immediately switch from the existential dangers of not having a Speaker to the existential danger represented by whatever Republican Speaker emerges to lead the majority of Republicans who already control the House. We’ll go from “Republicans can’t do anything serious” to “Republicans are threatening the lives of women and minorities” before the sun sets. Cue the self important “What do those very serious Europeans think of us?” takes in The Atlantic and the New Yorker. Ask Boris Johnson.

    Anyway, it’s good to have Mr Stirewalt back in the shotgun chair. This is still the best podcast around.

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    Cthocas

    The problem with Stirewalt's taxonomy of nationalist vs conservatism is that these big government nationalists see themselves as the real conservatives, and to them anyone who is not a big government nationalist is not a conservative.

    Whenever some natcon troll shrieks that David French isn't conservative, I ask them what a conservative even is if a small government, pro-gun, pro-First Amendment traditionalist evangelical and Iraq war veteran isn't a conservative. And I get no answer, because there is answer. The "true conservative" label simply refers to someone who obediently presses their nose to Trump's back end.

    But he is absolutely right about Ted Lasso. They gave up on the funny right away. The contrarian takes that ripped the show to pieces were much more enjoyable than the show itself.

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  9. Charley

    Great episode!

    Two quibbles:

    1. The whole "it's hard to make comedy today" / "you couldn't make the office today" thing is just nonsense. Conservatives have just stopped watching funny shows for whatever reason, and have convinced themselves that it's because they can't be created anymore. Check out Derry Girls, check out Catastrophe. These are hilarious shows that "go there", if anything, more than The Office. There are lots of other examples. This is nothing but a meme on the right, pure and simple, there's no there there.

    2. The behavior of the Obamas never matched this description of arrogance that you put forward here. Nothing about that Michelle Obama quote is in any way different than the things she or her husband were saying a decade ago. Once again, conservatives just have this mystifying mass delusion about the Obama era. I won't bother mentioning why that delusion was created...

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    Kevin C. Smith

    “… at least number two…”

    Lololololol

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