The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg

At the end of an especially busy week in pundit-world, Jonah sits down with us all to ruminate on some of the more noteworthy topics that may have flown by too quickly to actually wrap one’s brain around them. On the docket: The final debate, some useful counter-programming on the Biden email hullabaloo, getting (erm…) a “grip” on Jeffrey Toobin, and much more. Plus, Jonah has some more evergreen thoughts on the gradual defining down of conservatism, and what the G-File has meant to him after all these years. Show Notes: -Get tickets to The Dispatch’s post-election event – What’s Next: Election 2020 and Beyond -The Dispatch’s final debate wrap-up -Star Trek: “Patterns of Force” -This week’s G-File -The “MacronLeaks” -The Editors podcast talking about the Biden email scandal -The members-only (so to speak) Midweek Epistle -Lucy.co, use promo code DINGO to get 20% off of all products -ExpressVPN.com/Remnant for 3 months free with a 1-year plan -Bradleyfdn.org/Liberty to subscribe to We the People Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last time Tim Alberta, Politico’s chief political correspondent, was on the program, life in America was crazy, but in a typical, everyday, post-2016 kind of way. We figured that it was time to have him back now that we’re in the process of rushing towards a new form of crazy at Spaceballs-levels of ludicrous speed (“They’ve gone plaid!”). Tim takes us through some of the issues that voters in purple states actually seem to care about (Hint: The Hunter Biden drama isn’t one of them) while also touching on the confusing lack of a substantive foreign policy debate in this election cycle, the simpler times of the Christmas Tree tax and the Dubai ports deal, and the shocking value-add provided to one’s life by the purchase of an Arby’s gyro. Show Notes: -Get tickets for The Dispatch’s “What’s Next” event -PoliticoTim’s page at -American CarnageTim’s most recent book, -Matt Glassman talks about the lack of a foreign policy discussion -The Christmas Tree tax -Jonah on the 2006 Dubai ports deal -Congress slowly spending more time on memes -Matt Gaetz’s raiding party -KittyPooClub.com, enter promo code DINGO for 20% off your first order -Bradleyfdn.org/Liberty to watch the latest episode of We The People with Justin Danhof Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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: -Sign up for The Dispatch’s “What’s Next” event -Kristen’s latest research for the Walton Family Foundation - KSA’s Twitter thread on how emotion continues to infiltrate election analysis -FiveThirtyEight’s politics podcast -Pew: Younger people remained far less likely to [view the Vietnam War as a mistake] than those age 50 and older. -Grand New Party, by Reihan Salam and Ross Douthat -Try ZipRecruiter for free at ZipRecruiter.com/Dingo -DonorsTrust.org/Dingo to receive a free copy of “6 Reasons to Use a Donor-Advised Fund” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This weekend’s Ruminant sees Jonah starting off in some classic Remnant Bingo™, but peppered in with a healthy dose of interesting new information on those topics – in this case, anti-Enlightenment nationalism, and the establishment of fair rules under classically liberal societies. This comes along in addition to a rundown of the ham-fisted efforts by many outlets to pretend that “originalism” is actually something much more radical and antediluvian than it really is. Then, Jonah moves on to a topic that our culture could desperately use some clarification on: “Justice” and “social justice” are two different things – and “bending the will of every institution towards social justice … is how you end up with a kind of soft totalitarianism.” And, in this particularly relaxed-fit episode, we even get some rank punditry on the tail end on subjects like the censored New York Post story and much more. Show Notes: -The Dispatch’s “What’s Next”Get your tickets now to event -The most recent G-File -Against Empathy by Paul Bloom -Mazie Hirono being weird -Making fun of originalism to own the cons -Live Not by LiesRod Dreher’s new book, -Morning Joe Rod responds to his appearance -Post The story in question -ExpressVPN.com/Remnant to get three months free off of a year-long plan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here we are, in the wreckage of another simply wonderful Supreme Court confirmation hearing; who better to discuss the aftermath, next steps, and what these hearings do to the court than Ilya Shapiro? As Jonah says, Ilya is likely “the guest most consistently asked to make a comeback - mostly by the guest himself,” but it’s easy to see why. In addition to giving the 411 on why these hearings have transformed into so much “senatorial bloviation,” he also can talk about the bigger picture as a result of the research he did for his incredibly timely new book on the politicization of SCOTUS. It has been a long time coming for this return - and much like Ulysses’ journey back from Troy, it was worth the wait. Show Notes: -Supreme Disorder: Judicial Nominations and the Politics of America's Highest CourtIlya’s book, - Ilya in USA Today: End confirmation hearings -Telefon, mind control scene -Pete Buttigieg’s 5-5-5 Plan -Barrett: Roe is not a super-precedent -Barrett’s article on precedent -Ginsburg’s history with Roe -The history of an internecine fight on the right about judicial activism -Ilya Shapiro on “Team Liberty” - Shapiro on Shapiro -Lucy.co, promo code DINGO for 20% off all products -Bradleyfdn.org/Liberty to hear Trent England on the Electoral College Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we bring you Will Saletan of Slate – after having struggled mightily against the malevolent whims of technology in order to get it ready. Not since Episode 11 has an installment of The Remnant so risked the sanity – nay, the very essence – of all participants involved. Luckily, the conversation more than makes up for these struggles. Jonah asks Will what it’s like to be a genuinely liberal guy in an industry space that has moved largely past actual liberalism, and then Will turns the tables on Jonah and asks him what it’s like to be genuinely conservative in an era of dwindling conservatism. Afterwards, stick around for SCOTUS punditry and what could be described as a worrying amount of Hegel-talk (for awareness: a worrying amount of Hegel-talk is any Hegel-talk). Show Notes: -SlateWill’s page at -New River Media -Dallas retcons itself -Candidate Trump reacts to the crowd while announcing travel ban -“The 5-5-5 Plan” -“What I Learned From Amy Coney Barrett,” by Laura Wolk -Fukuyama’s piece on social capital -LiquidIV.com, use promo code DINGO at checkout for 25% off anything you order -Keeps.com/Dingo to receive your first month of treatment for free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TO OUR FAVORITE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD! Not seniors this time around, but Remnant listeners, that is. Jonah returns to ruminate with some fire in his belly this week – on the wasting of energy on Twitter, the bizarre phenomenon of the mainstream-media respectable conservative, court packing, The Worst President in History™, a revisiting of the weed conversation from the last Remnant, and more. Also, the quote of the day – or maybe the month, or the year – might be this: “The very essence of serious thinking … is the ability to make distinctions between superficially similar things.” Show Notes: -G-FileThis week’s -Steve Schmidt picks a pointless fight with Matt Lewis and Noah Rothman -“Respectable Conservatives” -Brian Morgenstern invokes HIPAA rights when talking about Trump’s negative COVID test -“A switch in time saves nine” -“Heil Woodrow,” something of a self-own in review form -“TO MY FAVORITE PEOPLE!” -Remnant This week’s with Jonathan Adler -Star TrekIn case you also wanted to get addicted to a -Bradleyfdn.org/Liberty to subscribe to We the People and listen to Frederick Hess on education policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Remnant first-timer Jonathan Adler joins Jonah today, not to watch Cheech and Chong over a bag of Doritos, but to talk about the politics of marijuana. Earlier in the year (right around the time that the world was ending, actually), Adler edited a volume entitled Marijuana Federalism, which explored the legal contradictions within the laws regarding cannabis in the U.S.; the situation is somewhat unprecedented, in that we now have a substance that is a federal crime to possess, while many states have had such an overwhelming turn in public opinion that this same substance has now become perfectly legal within their own jurisdiction. How do individual states get away with this without the feds swooping in? The amusing answer is something like: Eh, turns out that the feds are pretty understaffed. Jonah then moves on to his role - well-known among the Remnant fan base - as Inquisitor of Libertarians, figuring out how Adler feels about total drug legalization. He gives one of the most grounded and logical responses to this inquisition we’ve ever heard on the program, continually emphasizing the fundamental fact of American federalism: “The freedom to live how you want to live also includes the freedom to live conservatively.” This brings the two gents down the avenues of nationalism, post-liberalism, and the hope for a return to localism, all wrapped up with a bow of “420” puns that Jonah just can’t help but put to good use. Show Notes: -Marijuana Federalism: Uncle Sam and Mary Jane -The origin of “laboratories of democracy” -Vitamin E Acetate as the root cause of many vaping illnesses -Libertarianism: A Primer -The Office, a dinosaur in internet years, is Netflix’s most popular show -For the uninitiated, the fusionist’s Bible -Acton.org/Dingo to subscribe to the Acton Line podcast -Gabi.com/Remnant to stop overpaying on your insurance today Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since the first six days of October 2020 have felt like 87 years, who’s better to sift through everything that has happened than one of The Dispatch’s own quadrumvirate of podcasters, Steve Hayes? Here to give Jonah the inside scoop on some of the background reporting he’s done for The Morning Dispatch, Steve has some ideas about how Trump’s overly-cinematic return to the White House could’ve been handled better, why there was a communication breakdown between Trump’s medical staff and his PR people, and, most mysteriously, what on God’s green earth Mark Meadows has been trying to do for the past few days. Beyond these more Machiavellian machinations, they also delve into some of the downright silliness that’s gone on – such as the new pessimism that anything can even be done to stop COVID, since it’s a contagious disease (the stamping out of which has characterized (“Uh… literally the entire history of human civilization,” in Jonah’s words). They also give an update on the State of The Dispatch, and ponder what their place in the conservative media landscape may look like in a post-Trump era – whether that’s sooner or later. Show Notes: -The Dispatch30-day trial at , ends Thursday Oct. 8th at midnight -The Morning Dispatch -Watch as Sean Conley awkwardly flails -A history of the administration’s bipolar relationship with Fauci -“Why do we actually think we can stop the progression of a contagious disease?” – A thing unironically said by an elected official -Mike Pence’s confessional piece on his negative campaign in Indiana -The Joe Biden agenda -The Dispatch’s opening manifesto -DonorsTrust.org/Dingo to receive “6 Reasons to Use a Donor-Advised Fund” -Go to CaucusRoom.com to experience a social network by and for conservatives Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This weekend’s Ruminant features Jonah running through a set of possible scenarios that might play out given President Trump’s COVID diagnosis – if we do say so ourselves, it’s a positively David French-like methodology given the approach to David’s new book (Out now!). Will Trump be able to do a Zoom debate? Will Mike Pence have the opportunity to do more than he currently does (which, as of now, seems to be standing completely still in a pensive silence like a sculpture of a Roman general)? Then, Jonah discusses the current partisan tendency for “both the right and the left [to] weaponized norms,” chastising opponents for hypocrisy while refusing to adopt responsibility for their own flubs that damage the constitutional order. He explores the ways in which this manifests in both the nationalism debates as well as the current SCOTUS mess, and how the more intellectually serious proponents of nationalism can’t seem to decide whether they actually like to play by the rules or make things up as they go. All of this is followed up by a veritable potpourri of quick hits: Inside baseball on how syndicated column publishing works, how dumb the tax code is, steaks, dogma, and more. Show Notes: -The Dispatch30-day trial at -This week’s G-File -Just in case you were wondering about how the Swiss executive branch works, since it comes up here rather often -Trump’s battleground state polls are… not great -Dispatch Podcast The on the debate -“Facts have a liberal bias” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In true Remnant fashion, Jonah speaks to Seth Masket – a political scientist at the University of Denver – in an attempt to understand why so few people in American life actually get what they want out of their vote. In Seth’s new book, Learning from Loss, he traces the Democratic Party’s inability to come up with a coherent “autopsy” post-2016 as Republicans did post-2012 (which is not to say that the GOP actually followed its own advice; we wouldn’t have Trump if it did). There’s some debate punditry at the beginning, before Seth and Jonah swiftly move into the explanations that Democratic organizers and activists have developed for why Clinton lost to Trump. The primary explanations often focus on a contentious topic: identity politics. As Seth says, “Doing this research helped to remind me that all identity claims are essentially a construction,” but for something so artificial, they have a very outsized effect on our politics. While Seth and Jonah effectively take opposite sides on this issue, they generate much more light than heat, while also arriving at an answer to the fundamentally important question in 2020: For a party so concerned with diversity, how is it that the Dems ended up nominating a septuagenarian white guy? Show Notes: -The Dispatch30-day trial at -Learning from Loss: The Democrats, 2016-2020Seth’s new book, -White liberals have moved farther to the left -Overdetermined phenomena -Weather’s effect on elections -The RNC’s 2012 “autopsy” -The invisible primary -The Party Decides -White Identity PoliticsAshley Jardina’s -Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop -DrinkHydrant.com/Dingo for 25% off your first order -Acton.org/Dingo to subscribe to the Acton Line podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join Jonah on today’s episode of The Remnant with our first-time guest: CBS’s John Dickerson. The subjects included in John’s latest book, The Hardest Job in the World, will allow you to get a fix of incredible nerdiness about presidential history in equal proportion to your daily recommended dosage of rank punditry. Why is it that we’ve made the presidency, in John’s words “essentially an impossible job”? Another shock: Many of the parts of presidential decorum that we consider par for the course are actually pretty ahistorical, and John makes the case that this weird, patristic view of the presidency in which the Executive has to appear in person at every important going-on throughout the country actually erodes some of the prudential, quiet, considered principles meant to undergird the job. Oh, and there’s some mutual Wilson-bashing in store as well, which is always a bonus. Show Notes: -The Hardest Job in the World: The American PresidencyJohn’s book, -Franklin’s final speech at the Constitutional Convention -Theodore Roosevelt and “scientific management” -FDR flying into Chicago to accept the nomination in person -Book of VirtuesBill Bennett’s -Ancestry.com/Remnant to discover your story -Harrys.com/Dingo to receive your free trial offer today Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jonah’s longtime friend Tevi Troy makes his second appearance on the program, this time to discuss not only the history of presidential debates, but also to share some info on how the sausage gets made from his time doing debate prep for George W. Bush. Beyond simply recounting some of the best zingers in the history of these debates (“The youth and inexperience of my opponent…” “You’re no Jack Kennedy.”), they discuss the degree to which these moments are actually staged, and how the pretzel-like overcomplicated logic of certain debate preppers actually contribute to their candidate looking pretty silly on national TV. Keeping this history in mind, Tevi also talks about what he’ll be looking for in the upcoming debates (both campaigns should be taking notes, honestly), and happily discovers that he has reached “Vin Cannato Equilibrium” in the canon of the REU (Remnant Extended Universe). Show Notes: -The Dispatch30-day free trial at -Fight HouseTevi’s latest book, -George H. W. Bush looks at his watch -“Conservatism as a Second Language” -Intra-American migration due to COVID -Quayle/Gore debate highlight -Bush headchecks Gore -Biden decides to be, uh, pugilistic towards Paul Ryan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fellow Dispatcher David French returns to the program on the publishing date of his new book, Divided We Fall: America’s Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation. If you’ve looked around at American politics over the last few years, and you’ve started to view the coastal states and the middle of the country as a bickering couple – wondering, “Why don’t they just break up already? – David’s book is for you. Jonah asks David to outline some of the scenarios by which a fracturing of the republic could happen, and works through the ways that America’s spirit could be successfully restored – all while avoiding an Articles of Confederation-style mess in which the country’s regions become too individually weak to do anything. Join for this enlightening discussion, and stick around until the end for characteristic rankness on Tenet, Amazon’s The Boys, and the mighty Dune. Show Notes: -Divided We Fall: America’s Secession Threat and How to Restore Our NationDavid’s book, -Don’t forget to take advantage of our 30 day free trial of The Dispatch -Jonah’s piece on Supreme Court deal-making -David’s piece on the same topic -Cass Sunstein: “The Law of Group Polarization” -Is Barack Obama the Messiah? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just as there are different Enlightenments, there are different nationalisms, too. In both cases, it’s important to see what points they all converge on. On this edition of the Ruminant, Jonah walks through the ways in which we’ve seen this all before – even in spite of how strange this moment feels. Confucius says: “Enjoy your weekend!” Show Notes: -The Dispatch30-day free trial at -The latest G-File -Rectification of the Names -Divided We FallDavid’s soon-to-be-out book, -HumanProgress.org -Ten Global Trends Every Smart Person Should Know: And Many Others You Will Find Interesting -Brazil’s direct democracy -Address to the German NationFichte’s Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“We need to agree that the Senate doesn’t work,” Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse tells Jonah on today’s episode of The Remnant. “The Founders had this great idea that you separate power vertically and horizontally if you believe in universal human dignity, and the Senate is kind of the most unique single institution that the Founders created in the Constitution.” Sasse’s appearance comes on the heels of his Wall Street Journal op-ed, in which he calls for modified Senate term limits, repealing the 17th Amendment, and cutting the C-SPAN cameras to improve debate on the Senate floor. “The cameras change the dynamic in the room because people don’t ask real questions if they’re instead trolling for a sound bite that they can hope goes viral,” Sasse explains. What’s worse, senators use the C-SPAN camera rules to trick their constituents into thinking they’re debating their colleagues when they’re not. “They regularly do this, hand gesturing to the senator right next to them that they’re supposedly rebutting, but the rules in the Senate require the C-SPAN cameras to be cropped right around their head and shoulders, so you don’t know as a viewer that there’s no one there in the Senate.” After railing against the senatorial political posturing that’s poisoning our parliamentary system, Sasse and Jonah discuss the filibuster, clickbait journalism, and the dangers of perceiving politics as religion. Learn alongside Jonah, and stick around to the end to hear Sasse school his colleagues in real time. Show Notes: -The Dispatch30-day trial at , Sasse’s article: “Make the Senate Great Again,” In celebration of Brian Lamb, what Sasse means by “agglomeration economy,” and Sasse’s opening remarks at the Kavanaugh hearing. -LiquidIV.com, use promo code “DINGO” at checkout for 25% off and ExpressVPN.com/Remnant for three months off a year-long subscription. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let the waves of optimism wash over you as return-guests Ron Bailey (Reason) and Marian Tupy (Cato Institute) join forces as Jonah’s tour guides through the last several centuries of human progress. Listen to the first half to hear why there is actual good news about the human condition – even during a pandemic – and stick around in the second half for a satisfying helping of philosophical eggheadery on education, personal liberty, and the logic of nonviolent protest. Show Notes: -The DispatchTry a 30-day trial membership for -Ten Global Trends Every Smart Person Should Know: And Many Others You Will Find Interesting -Marian’s project, HumanProgress.org -ReasonRon’s page at -Jason Hickel refutes the World Bank’s measurement of extreme poverty -Julian Simon’s bet with Paul Ehrlich -Malthus, the original Thanos -Famines rarely happen in democratic countries with a free press -China’s Social Credit System -University of Edinburgh set to remove David Hume’s name from building -Jonah: Irradiating the Past -DonorsTrust.org/Dingo to get a free copy of “6 Reasons to Use a Donor-Advised Fund” -ExpressVPN.com/Remnant for an extra 3 months free with 12-month plan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when you make a pundit talk about Antifa, the Dune trailer, the Republic of Venice, and 60s Iron Man cartoons all in one go? Tune in to the weekend Ruminant to find out! Show Notes: -The DispatchStart a 30-day free trial of -Jonah’s Wednesday G-File, un-paywalled due to popular demand -RemnantThis week’s second , with Andy Ferguson -Basically what Jonah means by “A Shoshana point.” -Dune The little-known miniseries -Iron Man The bizarre theme song to the 60s cartoon -Neo-barbarism abounds -Federalist no. 39, the one that talks about Venice -Denis Dutton’s bad writing contest -Keeps.com/Dingo to get your first month of treatment for free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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: -30-day free trial of The Dispatch -The AtlanticAndy’s page at -Bob Dole: “I’m not bound by the platform. I probably agree with most everything in it, but I haven’t read it.” -Jonah: The center is a lonely place to be -“The New Journalism” -All Too HumanGeorge Stephanopoulos’ -Donald Rumsfeld releases transcript of Woodward interview -“Springtime for Introverts”: Andy’s piece that was true… for a while -ExpressVPN.com/Remnant for an extra 3 months on a year-long plan -Gabi.com/Remnant to stop overpaying on your insurance now Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fresh off the heels of his new manifesto (not of the communist variety, though), Iain Murray, CEI senior fellow, joins Jonah on The Remnant to discuss The Socialist Temptation: what it is, who it hits hardest, why socialism isn’t really even an economic theory, and what to do about it. Show Notes: -The Socialist TemptationIain’s new book, -BBC’s generously donated show sets, to spruce up your Zoom background -Iain refuting Thomas Piketty -Josh Muravchik’s “Theories of the New Class” -“Socialism is the name of our desire” -Corporatism and Comparative Politics: The Other Great “Ism” -Ten Thousand Commandments 2020 -Violence and Social OrdersNorth’s -#NationalizeMySpace -Reagan’s speech at Hillsdale in the 70s -Jonah at the Oxford Union -“Socialism is so hot right now” -DonorsTrust.org/Dingo for access to “6 Reasons to Use a Donor-Advised Fund” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who actually believes the media anymore? Can you really call yourself a liberal if you’re also a socialist? And what dog species does Zoë hate with a burning passion? It’s the weekend, and you know what that means: These questions and many more will be answered on this edition of Jonah’s Ruminant. Show Notes: -“Fiery, but mostly peaceful” -The New Guinea Singing Dog -The Socialist TemptationIain Murray’s -is What… Debbie Wasserman Schultz doing with her life nowadays? -NYT The always-lovely Op-ed page: “Yes, We Mean Literally Abolish the Police.” -The Conspiracy of Equals -DrinkHydrant.com/Dingo for 25% off your first order -Ancestry.com/Remnant to discover your family’s story Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the words of a famed conservative activist, “When they go low, we go high.” That’s what we’re doing today on The Remnant by getting out of the muck of American domestic politics and having a conversation with veteran guest Kenneth Pollack on the intricacies of the Israel-UAE deal instead. What does this mean for the region, and what are the historical corollaries (Hint: It might be on your Remnant Bingo card)? Show Notes: -Foreign PolicyKen’s piece for -Iran’s weapon facilities keep exploding -The 1907 Anglo-Russian Convention -Make Vienna Great Again -1979’s mosque seizure in Mecca -LiquidIV.com promo code DINGO for 25% off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A solo Jonah returns, surrounded by cold beverages, to finish up his thoughts from last time about the final day of the RNC. He then moves on to the tactics of political grandstanding, the autocephalous (uh, Google it) nature of the activist left, and the importance of identifying the correct microclimate of the Loch Ness Monster. Show Notes: -Yuval’s latest Remnant appearance -Tom Cotton, sending mixed messages about America First -Harassing diners in Adams Morgan -“Vegetable rights and peace!” -Is the Loch Ness Monster a swamp-dweller? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While it may be the middle of the week, there’s no law against Jonah recording Ruminant-style (i.e. alone) – at least not yet. He discusses the RNC – and invents the fun tongue-twister, “Ceaușescu-esque,” while doing so – the “Biden is a vessel for radicals” theory, and the economically confused obsession with Jeff Bezos. Show Notes: -Kimberly Guilfoyle’s speech is pretty meme-y -Jonah’s spat with Erielle Davidson -Remnant veteran Jim Pethokoukis talking about why Jeff Bezos is unironically great -China’s post-Soviet “Princelings” -Milton Friedman explains why you shouldn’t get to take inherited money away from children -Jonah on Marx’s antisemitism -Why Nations Fail -Bradleyfdn.org/Liberty for weekly new episodes -DrinkHydrant.org/Dingo for 25% off your first order Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jonah makes a triumphant return to the Remnant on this episode, where he finally has a stable enough connection to record after a saga of perambulations around America’s western half. Jonah and Nick - his fearful amanuensis - discuss Alaska, the awkwardness of America’s largest political party holding a Zoom convention, and the potential for two actual crazy people to become elected officials within the GOP. Show Notes: -Jonah’s glacial ice chunk -“The Green Room,” within Hell’s Canyon -Row Adventures, for the brave vacationers among the audience -CarShield.com, use promo code Dingo to save 10% -Bradleyfdn.org/Liberty to watch Conceived in Liberty with Mitch Daniels -ExpressVPN.com/Remnant for an extra 3 months Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Remnant Hall-of-Famer Jim Geraghty joins the show with the continually-put-upon David French, who is heroically guest-hosting as Jonah continues to galavant around in the land of [REDACTED]. On COVID, Jim gets to reminisce a little about the early weeks of reporting on the pandemic while also updating us. The guys then move on to the election, the “convention” (if you can call it that), and Best Spanish Language Heist Show of 2020 - a category with shockingly little competition. Show Notes: -Jim’s Morning Jolt -California vs. New York in the pandemic times -Alan Grayson is a strange man -Why are so many people dying of COVID in Belgium? -The treason of epidemiologists -The Postmaster General’s statement -Does Trump want to lose? -Money Heist -ExpressVPN.com/Remnant for 3 months free off a year plan -Keeps.com/Dingo to receive your first month of treatment for free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have no fear, dear listener: while Jonah is still radio silent as he swan-dives in slow-mo off of waterfalls (or something), The Remnant hasn’t forgotten you. David French returns to guest host this episode with return favorite Ramesh Ponnuru from National Review and AEI. There’s the requisite Kamala Harris talk, but also deeper questions about ideology and the “Burn It Down” debates. Show Notes: -Ramesh’s page at NR -Henry Olsen: Kamala changes nothing -Kevin Williamson summarizes the “Burn It Down” debates -The inside baseball of Trump’s teleprompter troubles -Ramesh on why the Republicans need to keep working-class voters -“Always twirling towards freedom” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Throwing recent rank punditry onto the back burner, Jonah speaks with his AEI colleague and UVA Professor Brad Wilcox, whose memory for statistics crashed over us in a refreshing wave of sheer competency. Tune in for a discussion of marriage, the concept of “family diversity,” and the three things Brad would do if he suddenly became Czar of America. Show Notes: -Brad’s page at AEI -Nicholas Christakis’ most recent book -Kevin E. Stuart on his baseball studies -Most NBA players grew up in a two-parent household -Brad Wilcox on elites not preaching what they practice -Ross Douthat on, among other things, liberalism’s method of undercutting the married-parent household -Some of Brad’s work on marriage vs. cohabitation -The Disparate Effects of Family Structure Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jonah stops to ruminate on the pathway between two menacingly-named locales—Snake River and Death Canyon (no Cliffs of Insanity, though). The topics today: why the mainstreaming of “white” identity is a genuinely awful idea, why being pro-Israel might cause you to get punched at synagogue, how progressives have adopted some of the worst parts of the European right, and much more. Show Notes: -How to punch a shark -Virginia Dare, and the disappearance of the Roanoke colonists -The Omni-Americans by Albert Murray -Joseph de Maistre’s feelings on “man” -Jerry Falwell Jr.’s, uh, “Fall” -President Reagan, Mastermind -Jonah’s heresiarchal opinion on chicken thighs -Buckley’s line, “Cancel your own [G-D-] subscription” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we present the second part of Jonah’s conversation with Washington Post opinion columnist Megan McArdle. The punditry was just too rank, so their conversation became a two-episode-long saga. In addition to some COVID punditry, some women’s issues, and some libertoid-speak, they also reminisce on their shared old stomping ground, New York City, and how it has changed. Show Notes: -Susan Hennessey calling out people who say Kamala Harris is too ambitious -Megan on Stephanie Cutter for the Daily Beast -Truly terrifying GDP numbers -Vin Cannato’s book, which Megan loves -Gabi.com/Remnant to see how much you can save on your insurance -Bradleyfdn.org/Liberty to watch Conceived in Liberty weekly Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a world where people run amok on the internet screaming their heads off, Megan McArdle stands (or in this case, sits by a microphone) as a model for the cool and collected. After a pre-game round of dog talk, Megan and Jonah settle in for some candid words on bread, being nice, and feminism — commentary so well-informed, we’re posting Megan twice in one week. Show Notes: -The Big Tech Four vs. Congress -Maxine Waters asks a particularly garbled question to Bank of America -“The Great Relearning,” by Tom Wolfe -Megan’s book, not actually titled Permission to Suck. -Charlie Kirk’s mask terribleness, as featured in Jonah’s Wednesday G-File -Louie Gohmert blames the mask for his COVID-19 -Megan on why racism kills -ZipRecruiter.com/Dingo to try it now for free -DrinkHydrant.com/Dingo for 25% off your first order Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jonah’s had a long week, so grab an Irish whiskey (so long as it’s not Bushmills) and join him for some ruminating punditry on the tactical errors being made by conservative advocacy groups, “Cancel Rent” insanity, “Plandemic” insanity, and additional flavors of insanity. Also, Jameson, if you’re reading this, call us. Show Notes: -The glories of Jameson Caskmates -The most recent G-File -The (underrated) Tyranny of Cliches -Plandemic movie picking up speed -Our episode on conspiracy theories, with Joe Uscinski -Obama floats a falsehood about Rutherford B. Hayes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A.B. Stoddard is a refreshing presence on today’s podcast as she and Jonah delve into starkly rank punditry and a discussion of the eerie intentionality behind Trump’s coronavirus response. In fact, A.B.’s wise words—on Fauci, on Trump’s fantasies, on panicked Texans—leave only a singular major question remaining: will Jonah end up rocking a man bun? Show Notes: -Steve’s piece on the canceling of Liz Cheney -Jonah’s recent appearance on the Chuck Toddcast -The Washington Post’s reporting of the Trump clan retweeting misleading doctor videos, that have since been deleted -Trump’s weirdly made-up invitation to throw the first pitch for the Yankees? -Jonah on NPR at the crack of dawn on July 28 -A.B.’s Bulwark piece on how the Republican Party can’t be reformed from within Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A clean-shaven Michael Strain joins the perennially bearded Jonah to talk about the topic that always brings encouraging news: the economy. Lowering the national debt and the closing of movie theaters are two bullets in this chin-stroking chamber, complemented by banter about barbecue sauce and how to retrieve small children from the sewers. Show Notes: -Michael Strain’s new book, The American Dream Is Not Dead: (But Populism Could Kill It) -Jonathan Chait’s book on Obama’s legacy (got awkward when Trump won) -The Montreal Cognitive Assessment -2001 anthrax attacks -Ayanna Pressley’s wise words to cancel everything -G-File in which Jonah talks about how the House Freedom Caucus is a bunch of hacks -DonorsTrust.com/Dingo for your free resource, “6 Reasons to Use a Donor Advised Fund” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do canned meats and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment have in common? Are there any real rebels in American culture? Why shouldn’t gerbils be allowed to eat beets? Join Jonah in the passenger seat of his car to have all of these pressing questions and more answered on this weekend’s Ruminant. Show Notes: -The latest G-File -The most horrifying term: Forcemeat -The test Trump took, in case you want to test yourself -Silliness in our law enforcement conversations -The longstanding Marxist focus on heightening contradictions -David’s controversy-causing newsletter -David Brooks on nonconformity -Hegel’s Dialectics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The punditry is strong today as Jonah and Luke Thompson meet at the intersection of conservatism and the Constitution. Stopping briefly for some quick jabs at Rep. Mike Gallagher and some comments that will definitely be taken out of context, we hear deep insights about big-kid words like “impoundment” and “rescission.” Show Notes: -Constitutionally Speaking, a podcast with Luke and Jay Cost -The Wisdom of Conservatism by Peter Witonski -Anti-impoundment act -Luke’s article in the Spectator about the veepstakes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rank punditry and eggheadery dominate the docket today as Matt Continetti joins Jonah on a mournfully swampy day in D.C. From Biden huddling in his basement to William F. Buckley Jr. naming his boat “Splendid Isolation,” the guys go backward from politics today to politics yesterday in a convention of nerd-dom, spiced up by mentions of Klingon weddings and Dungeons and Dragons. Show Notes: -Andy Kessler’s WSJ piece on June 1 being Trump’s official downfall date -Nate Cohn on a tiny but influential portion of American voters -A squirrel with bubonic plague in Colorado -Chris Wallace interviews Trump (transcript) -In which Jonah references Albert Jay Nock’s preference to living in Belgium over the United States -Conor Friedersdorf’s list of conservatives to follow on Twitter, scroll for associated bashing and criticism -Conservatism as an Ideology, by Samuel P. Huntington -What is Conservatism? -George Nash: -Bob Novak’s The Prince of Darkness -Gabi.com/Remnant to stop overpaying for your insurance -ExpressVPN.com/Remnant for 3 months free off a 12-month plan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A rental-car bound Jonah invites his research assistant Nick Pompella onto the show from the reclusive Zoom cave in which Nick usually resides — or in this case, the dankness of Jonah’s basement as Nick housesits. Topping the docket today is a discussion of “whiteness,” along with verbal distress over how to pronounce “Parler” and the chilling acknowledgment that the government is the only entity that can legally kill you. Show Notes: -Barton Fink -Page about “Whiteness” from the NMAAHC -Pew data on church attendance by race/ethnicity -Michael Burleigh’s The Third Reich -Fukuyama’s Origins of Political Order -Slavoj Žižek -David Skarbek on the Remnant -The article Nick found about Slack channels as the new water coolers -David French’s hosting of the Remnant earlier this week -Wednesday’s G-File, written from Alaska Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Jonah traipsing about somewhere in the Alaskan wilderness, David French takes over the hosting duties to welcome David Bahnsen back on. David and David talk COVID, policy, and faith. After a jab at Jonah — will he really write a book on bigfoot erotica? — the Davids discuss team good vs. team lesser evil, noting that while Scripture anticipated the Assyrians, it didn’t predict Hillary Clinton. All hail King Dave! Show Notes: -Jonah, off the grid in Alaska -Bahnsen’s daily missal -Tennessee COVID-19 response -Francis Schaeffer -Crisis of Responsibility (with a foreword by your host!) -The abandonment of Reagan’s 3-legged stool -God’s warning for the people of Judah not to seek help from Egypt against the Assyrians -“Jonah’s first book.” -Advisory Opinions, with Official Jonah Impersonator David French -ExpressVPN.com/Remnant for an extra 3 months free on a 12 month plan -Gabi.com/Remnant to get free quotes and to stop overpaying on your insurance Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode, Jonah ruminates from his igloo (we hope - wouldn’t that be cool?) on some Alaska stories, the American founding, relativism in language, and why good manners are more important (and more complicated) than you might think. Show Notes: -Alaskans plug in their cars -The mighty Gavora Mall -The members-only Wednesday “news”letter -Remnant with John McWhorter -Tony Montana … asserts his dominance? … by eating the lemon in the washing bowl -Orwell’s Orphans -Jonah’s dueling essay with Patrick Deneen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andy Smarick, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, joins a sleep-deprived Jonah in a discussion of schools in the time of COVID — all 14,000 districts’ worth. After nerding out over Supreme Court cases, civics, and badly misremembering an episode of M*A*S*H, Andy ends on a note of optimism while Jonah (hopefully) goes to get some sleep somewhere in Alaska. Show Notes: -Adrian Vermeule’s common-good constitutionalism -Sohrab Ahmari vs. David French debates, because why not -What is Conservatism? With a foreword by Jonah -Bostock v. Clayton County, court opinion delivered by Gorsuch -AEI survey about parents’ feelings with the approaching school year -Smarick’s piece on how pundits ought to have governing experience -Lyman Stone on The Remnant -Thomas Sowell’s recent book on charter schools -Andy: What the Espinoza Decision Means for Other Aspects of Religious Freedom -Blaine Amendment -Pierce v. Society of Sisters -Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, Inc. v. Comer -CarShield.com, promo code “dingo” to save 10% Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jonah has long awaited the chance to have Columbia University linguist John McWhorter on the show, and now he’s finally here. In a particularly un-rank episode of The Remnant, Jonah asks John about the shifting nature of language, and if it’s really a good thing that usage shifts so rapidly (e.g. “literally”). Also, what grammar police campaigns have been successful in preserving grammatical order, and where have they failed? Show Notes: -John’s many, many books -John’s podcast, Lexicon Valley -Jonah’s piece on Biden’s use of “literally” -Once more, Paul Bloom’s Just Babies -DrinkHydrant.com, use promo code “dingo” for 25% off your first order Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jonah gratefully drags a harried Niall Ferguson onto the show, which begins with Angela Merkel and ends with “copious quantities of claret.” Listen to Jonah and Niall — mostly Niall, of the Mellifluous Voice — speak in tongues, lament the destruction of critical thinking in universities, and sneak in a jab at Woodrow Wilson [dun dun dun]. Show Notes: -Angela Merkel on “the toughest situation” in Europe’s history -Communities of fate, coined by our grave German friends -The New Republic’s contest for the most boring headline -Rescuing the nation-state, commentary by Alan S. Milward -Colossus: The Rise and Fall of the American Empire by Niall Ferguson -That whom Niall is not -The Parliament of Man: The Past, Present, and Future of the United Nations, by Paul Kennedy -Cornell, guns-on-campus -Too many educated men, by Boyle -NBER paper on how more people actually stayed home during the protests -Schumpeter’s Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy -Civilization: The West and the Rest, by Niall Ferguson -Piece by Niall and Eyck Freymann -Faces At The Bottom Of The Well: The Permanence Of Racism, by Derrick Bell -For fun, the Yale Course Catalog, which Jonah perused a few years ago -ExpressVPN.com/Remnant for 3 months free off a year-long plan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On his second Remnant appearance, National Review’s Kevin Williamson travels down a series of tangent-friendly avenues with Jonah. What are statue-defacers actually accomplishing? Why are Americans “a bunch of maniacs” compared to our continental comrades? And what is Kevin’s obsession with Switzerland all about, anyway? Show Notes: -Kevin’s upcoming book, Big White Ghetto -Kevin’s smash-hit, The Smallest Minority -Kevin’s aptly-titled Tuesday newsletter, “The Tuesday” -Houston Rockets manager tweets in support of Hong Kong protests -China is now sterilizing Uyghurs -U. Topia -The genuine wackiness of Richard Delgado -The Helvetica Type -Stein’s Law -DrinkHydrant.com/dingo for 25% off your first order Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the weekend, therefore it’s time for another Ruminant. This time, it’s a monologue in which Jonah truly realizes how Remnant-y he’s really become. In his own words, “the point of conservatism is not to get the Republican Party elected.” In short, this is a “down with majoritarianism, up with principles” kind of episode. Show Notes: -This week's G-File -Wednesday's "news"letter -Suicide of the West (now out in paperback!) -The non-scandal of Tina Fey and Jimmy Kimmel -Steve Teles (Robert Saldin): Never Trump: The Revolt of the Conservative Elites -Patrick Deneen’s piece for American Compass -Hofstadter’s book on social Darwinism -Herbert Spencer and his infamous phrase -“The Fourteenth Amendment does not enact Mr. Herbert Spencer’s Social Statics.” -Leonard’s “Origins of the myths of social Darwinism” -The Pilgrim’s Progress Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Wallace, host of Fox News Sunday, stops by to discuss his new book Countdown 1945, the state of American politics, and the intersection of technology and journalism. Show Notes: -Chris' new book Countdown 1945 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Remnant regular and Fox News politics editor Chris Stirewalt joins to discuss the newsiest events of the day: sausage varietals, Teddy Roosevelt’s legacy, and 1800s newspapers. In addition to nerding out on these rather specific topics, they do get around to some more modern rank punditry on everything from early voting to the future of cable news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why are politicians so reluctant to take responsibility for the history of their own ideas? Everything from the minimum wage to community policing has a sordid past if you just look back far enough, and Jonah thinks that putting on your partisan blinders only for the specific policies you happen to dislike leads to bad outcomes. In this particularly chaotic era of American politics, Jonah points out evidence of this sort of thing happening everywhere. Show Notes: -The Problem With Claiming That Policing Evolved From Slave Patrols -This week's G-File -The Blue Eagle program -The New Republic’s… interesting piece… on canceling conservative books -The Bolton book, preorder before the DOJ gets to it -An early Remnant with Matt Continetti, with talk about neoconservatism -ScoutandZoes.com, promo code DINGO at checkout Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the microcosm of right-of-center news, we have been blessed with two great writers by the name of Robert George. This podcast sees Jonah talking to one of them. No, not that one, the other one! They talk about what it’s like to work for two of the most spirited publications in New York (the Post and the Daily News), and take a trip down memory lane to their time as pundits in the last dominant years of live TV. Show Notes: -Robert’s author page at New York Daily News -The long history of Jonah and Julianne Malveaux’s swipes at each other (with a cameo by Robert) -Robert on BLM’s echoes to the Tea Party -R.I.P. Denny O’Neil -Keeps.com/dingo for your first month free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Escaping household chaos, a car-bound Jonah talks prisons with Brown University’s David Skarbek. Bolivian jails and Soviet gulags are just two choices in this long game of Where’d-You-Rather: Incarceration Edition. Skarbek takes us through the highlights of his upcoming book and touches on the delicate subject of policing. Show Notes: -Skarbeck’s upcoming book: The Puzzle of Prison Order: Why Life Behind Bars Varies Around the World -Skarbek on EconTalk -Pirates, Prisoners, and Lepers: Lessons from Life Outside the Law, by Paul and Sarah Robinson -Chained Heat -Caged Heat (There’s more than one of these???) -Jonah on the CHAZ -Rule of clans -German phrase for “Attaining freedom once you reach a city” -Alex Tabarrok on street safety policy -1982 “Broken Windows” essay -Vin Cannato on The Remnant -Andersonville prisoner of war camp -Peter Leeson, The Invisible Hook: The Hidden Economics of Pirates -Emma Goldman, anarchist -Elinor Ostrom, economist -Gabi.com/remnant -ExpressVPN.com/remnant for 3 months free with a year plan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices