Beyond Politics

The Fall of Assad Throws the Future of the Middle East Into Uncertainty. Matt is joined by former Middle East editor for the Associated Press, Dan Perry, to discuss the recent fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria and its implications for the Middle East. What will it mean for the stability of Syria and the broader region, and what is the impact on global politics including the US, Israel, Europe, Russia, and Iran? They also touch on the complexities of the US State Department's response, the role of Donald Trump, and the fate of long-held American captive Austin Tice. 00:00 Introduction and Middle East Shakeup Overview 00:51 Guest Introduction: Dan Perry's Expertise 02:58 The Role of Hezbollah and Israel's Impact 04:59 Unintended Consequences and Global Reactions 07:33 The Fall of Assad and Rebel Dynamics 11:47 US and International Perspectives 17:48 Trump's Potential Influence and Future Implications 26:06 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Assessing Nominee Threats, Hunter Biden's Pardon, and 2024's Word of the Year: Matt, Paul, and Alicia engage in a lively debate about which Trump nominee, Kash Patel or Peter Hegseth, poses a greater threat to America. They also discuss President Biden's recent pardon of his son, Hunter, and reach a counterintuitive conclusion. The show wraps up with an amusing yet thought-provoking discussion on Oxford's 2024 word of the year, and its implications for society. 00:00 Introduction and Game Setup 01:11 Who's a Bigger Threat to America? 02:26 Debating the Nominees 04:07 Paul's Profanity-Laced Tirade 06:02 Matt's Turn and Shawshank Reference 12:51 Discussion on Pardons 19:41 The Role of Press Secretaries 23:14 Word of the Year: Brain Rot 24:28 The Impact of Social Media on Society 32:17 Concluding Thoughts and Historical Context

Matt, Paul, and Alicia look at the question from Matt's most recent Newsweek column: is Trump falling into the mandate trap? New numbers from post-election analysis pain a pretty clear picture of what voters want and the limits of what voters want. In the case of Trump, there are very sharp limits on what voters will tolerate, and he seems to be pushing past them already. 01:06 Election Analysis: Trump's Mandate 03:13 Hakeem Jeffries and the Freedom Caucus 05:37 Political Negotiations and Compromises 11:28 Voter Sentiments and Democratic Party Challenges 25:15 Thanksgiving and Final Thoughts

We're joined by Mark Jacob, former editor for both the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times. His most recent book is "Globetrotter: How Abe Saperstein shook up the world of sports. " It's a remarkable story about how a 5-3 Jewish immigrant became one of the most important figures in American sports history. Abe Saperstein founded the Harlem Globetrotters. His drive, determination, and creativity led to, among other things, the integration of basketball, the three-point line, and breaking baseball's color line. He even had a hand at American diplomacy in the 1950s and sixties. We also had to talk politics at the end, and discuss how the media is falling into the MAGA trap in even subtler ways these days. 00:22 The Story of Abe Saperstein 03:10 Saperstein's Impact on Basketball and Baseball 05:33 The Jewish Experience and Racism 13:33 Saperstein's Role in Diplomacy 16:38 The Globetrotters and Minstrelsy 22:13 Connecting Sports and Media 24:10 Pro-Democracy Journalism 29:03 Subtle Media Manipulation 35:24 The Democrat Party Tactic 41:19 Entertainment as Propaganda 47:44 Respecting Different Views 50:14 Concluding Thoughts

Matt Gaetz is out. But Peter Hegseth is still in and so are a bunch of other Trump nominees who have a mix of no qualifications and disqualifications, How are senators supposed to weigh those factors, especially when they depend on accusations> And how do we prevent nominations like this from becoming another polarizing Brett Kavanaugh-esque test that forces each side into their partisan corners and ultimately just results in giving Donald Trump what he wants? Also, Representative Nancy Mace's controversial rules change preventing transgender Congresswoman Sarah McBride from using women's facilities. And finally, an update on Matt's culinary interest in Paul and Alicia's pets. 00:00 Matt Gaetz's Exit 02:01 Controversial Trump Nominees 04:55 Debating Qualifications vs. Allegations 07:07 The Role of Senate in Vetting Nominees 09:14 Personal Conduct and Public Office 24:50 The Matt Gaetz Update 26:52 Transgender Rights in Congress 40:03 Closing Thoughts and Pets on the Menu

Matt Robison and Howard Monroe explore not only why things under Trump may not be as bad as they seem at first, but why it's so critical for people to feel better, more upbeat, and more positive about politics. 00:39 The Dismal Seriousness of American Politics 01:08 The Election and Trump's Cabinet Nominations 02:18 Making Politics Fun Again 03:39 The Impact of Media and Messaging 07:07 Challenges for the Democratic Party 16:33 Trump's Nominations and Their Implications 28:31 Concluding Thoughts and Future Outlook

Trump Appoints Matt Gaetz as Attorney General: Political Comedy or Crisis? Hosts Matt , Paul, and Alicia discuss Donald Trump's controversial decision to nominate Matt Gaetz for Attorney General, examining the political, ethical, and conspiratorial aspects. They also delve into the qualifications of Trump's other nominations, including Marco Rubio and Tulsi Gabbard, and the implications for a closely divided, Republican-controlled Congress. And we close with a genuinely inspirational, historic moment, plus an ironic comeuppance for one of the right-wing's most loathsome figures. 00:06 Trump's Controversial Nominee: Matt Gaetz 03:32 The Ethics Report and Gaetz's Qualifications 06:58 Reactions and Political Implications 11:21 Trump's Strategy and Senate Dynamics 18:05 Potential Recess Appointments and Senate Pushback 25:36 Freedom Caucus and House Majority Challenges 27:36 Marco Rubio and Elise Stefanik's Qualifications 28:01 Tulsi Gabbard's Controversial Appointment 31:15 Pete Hegseth's Military Experience and Concerns 33:18 Trump's Cabinet Picks and Their Implications 39:04 Performative Politics and Peaceful Transfers of Power 43:46 The Onion Buys InfoWars: Satirical Justice

This is a post election essay that I'm calling "Blue Linings Playbook: the Game Plan Democrats Need After a Disaster." The message is that the election WAS a disaster, but we can manage it. And if you look hard, there are even some upsides for the long term. 00:00 Introduction: Blue Linings Playbook 01:01 Short-Term Strategies for Democrats 02:19 Trump's Waning Influence 04:11 Executive Actions and Judicial Appointments 05:57 Long-Term Democratic Reformation 11:53 Rebranding and Refocusing the Party 13:12 Conclusion: Turning Crisis into Opportunity

There's no sugar coating that it was a terrible night. Matt, Paul, and Alicia discuss not just why voters decided to bring Donald Trump back, but also why there are good reasons to believe that we can mitigate the worst damage from Trump's return, and that if Democrats can face some painful truths, they can chart a course back. 00:00 Introduction and Election Overview 00:22 Analyzing the Election Results 04:00 The Economy and Voter Sentiment 06:31 Democratic Party Challenges 20:43 Voter Disconnect and Information 26:23 Looking Forward: Strategies and Hope

Matt Robison discusses why Kamala Harris is more likely than not to win, even if he (and we) can't feel confident about it. And no matter what happens, after a difficult November to come, why there's hope ahead. 00:00 Introduction and Election Day Predictions 01:27 Media Advantage: TV and Digital Ads 06:38 Ground Game: Mobilizing Voters 09:58 Polling Manipulations and Their Impact 17:18 Why Confidence is Still Shaky 20:01 Preparing for Post-Election Challenges 22:08 Conclusion: Nauseous Optimism