« Commentary Magazine Podcast

Biden His Time

2019-04-01 | 🔗
Today's podcast takes up the question of Joe Biden and his hands and his lips and his logorrhea and whether these are disqualifying to his presidential candidacy. Also, how do you pronounce that guy's name who's lighting up the Democratic primary pre-season, the guy from Indiana? And...cars. What good are they. Noah's out but the rest of the gang is here. Give a listen.
This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Welcome to the commentary magazine. Progress today is Monday April. First, twenty million team. Yes, it's April fool's day, but we have no Thanks for you today, year, very serious commentary magazine these seventy eight year old, monthly of intellectual analysis, political, probably in cultural criticism. From a conservative perspective, we invite you to join us as always have Montero magazine dive COM, where we give you a few free, reeds and ask it to subscribe for now humanity. Five that'll get you a digital subscription, and twenty men, and eighty five will get you in all access subscription, including a beautiful monthly magazine in your mailbox
eleven times a year. Nor Rossman is out this week. So with me in studio. Senior editor Greenwell hi hi John and senior writer Christine rose in Washington high Christine TAT, so I guess rejected as everybody who follows politics could have predicted. The imminent entry of Joe Biden into the democratic presidential nominating process has occasioned a me to peace by a the vat a politician, I may loosely Flores who, whose claims to have had a horrible horrible experience of having Joe Biden kissed the back of her head at a campaign rally and the heart of this moment of having her pet.
Kissed in the back. Apparently, has sir we're not allowed to make fun of these experiences, though really having the back of your head kissed by somebody does not strike me as the most horrific form of abuse. Anyone could possibly suffer, and there are also indications aside the relative pettiness of the charge that she is from a different ideological camp. On the left. From from I am thus is delivering an early hit, the purpose of which is maybe to make him bethink his entry into the race. The reason that I say that its expected is that one of the great troops of the
closing years of the Obama administration on the ride were was noting how frequently vice President Biden seemed to get hands with women at various events. We have actually also this weekend. Perhaps those notorious these, which was Biden having his hands all over the wife of Secretary Nominee, then Soda Ash Carter, claiming that Biden was an old and of theirs and that he was actually comforting heard during a very signify a day. I dont know why she may comfort tat her husband was being named sector defence, but nonetheless, that debt, that this was a friendly gesture and she took it as such has been misunderstood the whole time, but that that video,
her of him with his hands on her shoulders and whispering interior and she Weird Covington, Kentucky photographic moment, there's a moment at which she looks extremely uncomfortable. That photographed and circulated around the right around the world and she says completely misrepresented the actual spirit of the occasion. But you know there's actually there there a lot of images and there's a bunch of footage of Biden, sort of doing this like really little girls as well, just sort of making making them uncomfortable in that, oh, my god, like a bug Paul leave me alone kind of way. Let you know I just wanted to break free of of of an old, affectionate person right. So the thing is, it Biden is a politician from a different era in which being physical with your constituents and other people was taken to be a way in which politicians, if they weren't being creepy, where breaking down the boundaries between themselves and their constituents are
leaders or people they were dealing with, that the the use of hands was an informality intended to be to draw some one closer, not to make them not to express dominance or make them feel uncomfortable or something like that, and in the NEO Victorian ISM into which we seem to be slipping in an odd way. The very fact of any kind of physical contact between people so thoroughly, therefore, is seen to have a sexual connotation and a sexual subtext.
And that is where Biden finds himself as he dangles on the verge of getting into the race. Christine lie think it's. There are two things that struck me about their hands. He Biden stuff gone on this weekend. The first is that when we were discussing so that all of us, the attacks, which is that the Democrats of kind of painted themselves into a corner on this, because they got rid of Al Frank and for pretending to grope someone as a joke right. So that was enough to remove a sitting senator. So if that's your standard Then you know sorry binds gotta go. If that's your standard, I think what your arguing and I think, what a lot of sensible people on both sides. The I would argue that that's not a good standard to have, but one thing that to me it was another was appalled at the Harvard instead of politics, pull that recently came out that showed
we ve seen Biden and commanding lead in most of the pole so far, but in this pole of eighteen to twenty nine year olds, Sanders is ahead. He's a thirty one percent binds at twenty percent and its that eighteen to twenty nine year old demographic that, I think, is adopting a different view of what constitutes assault they, many of them believe words, constitute assault. If you look at what is going on in college campuses. So, although I think this Biden thing has been blown up in part by an obvious idea, log like Floris, who you know she was pro sanders than she got booted out of Sanders Organization and now she's claiming she hasn't endorsed a candidate should clearly once too a player or a kind of many kingmaker here which is sort of ridiculous. Given her lack of qualification for doing so. But the eighteen to twenty nine year old demographic which by needs the support of their right now, support centres- and I think this sort of thing is exactly what turns them off candidates of his generation.
To be honest, I do want to say that I am not completely dismissive of the Biden. Hands e strange interpersonal contact line. I I wish I was struck by how, on its face ludicrous, it is to complain about getting a kiss on the head from up on the back of the head from a senior citizens whose the vice president I'd states far. So I wanted to stipulate that I think that or something silly about that, but Biden is a person whose general misunderstanding of boundaries, both verbally and maybe even Biennale behaviorally, has subject throughout his career,
told the story before in print. I think on this package that I was he before he was anybody when he was a junior senator from Delaware in the minority. I met him for the first time in like night, eighty six, he came to an editor aboard lunch at the Washington, I'm where I was working and the hum of the once these, where these lunches work is a nuisance. Here comes in, everybody, sits down, they bring your plate of food, and you have a sort of you know. Informal group interview, while you're eating and drinking and stuff like that, and it's very it's supposed to be kind of put people at their yes and have us or a more friendly conversation So somebody asked by an question like what's going on in the Senate Judiciary Committee this week Biden, opened his mouth and then forty five minutes later he closed his mouth. And that he was then relatively yogi. He was in his. He was in his early for
these or something like that. He'd been a senator fur a dozen years and and and he was excruciating to be around and there's a story about Obama on the floor. The Ceta his first cut months in the Senate Biden gets up to give a floor speech and he opened his mouth and Obama's lips and note, I think, to Joe Liebermann. Did I tell the story on the packaging, though I am now have some weird data flashback, the told somebody else we Ben Obama passes a note to the persons at the desk maxim that says, kill me now pictures he can't because he's a logarithmic lunatic. He cannot show that kind of lack of misunderstanding of himself, but is a thing with Biden and always has been theirs is also. I would even make a ever so slightly woke point here, while I don't think that is being hands even kissing the backs of heads
the occasion of his you know, hoping to molest anyone. I do think it's in five of his understanding of other people as serve means and not ends in themselves and it it's it's. A sort of obnoxious can a character trade while obnoxious, he is my they have not just as a perfectly, and you know he has used that's a good political effect, his performance in the they with Paul Ryan and twenty twelve as an indication of that, like he unnerved. Why and and won the debate by being so in of obnoxious. Since, oh you know that that can be equally useful and factors of noxious, this, I think, is one of the reasons that Democrats might think that he somebody to go up Toto total with Trump that he will not be a nerve by trumps, a menagerie. You can call Trump obnoxious. He goes to some other realm of personal. You know. Interaction of a negative sort right with people but
Abiden is, is unlikely to be phased. In fact, might you know, Sir feed off trumps? The energy negative energy of his own, were they to go to tow well in. There was plenty of glean from Trump supporters about this floor s story over the weekend, and you know that all these still tweets about how inappropriate this was- and you know you can't even get all the people in your own party, and yet you criticise Trump and and that's to be expected that I think honestly, the Democrats need to figure out what their line in the sand is for these sorts of infractions. May we ve already seen better get tripped up on a few things in terms of how we spoke about his wife and their marriage, I'm sure, there's gotta be something Bernie Sanders has done. You know to women that that's gonna come up. He said these. These issues are not going to stop in
among the Democrats, but the Republicans are also certainly the Trump supporters are being incredibly hypocritical to to be pouncing all over this. This Biden story when they were happy to overlook any of the the you no kind of sexist in an obnoxious remarks at trumps, made over the years yep Bernie got into a little trouble for running a campaign, supposedly wife with liking dismissal of sexual harassment. That was that was me and also supported. Etiologically by this, Sir Team of kids were called the Bernie Bros, who is who's posture toward woke? Women was, shall we say, anti delusion. You know at best. I do think
you mentioned- L, Frank and earlier christine- and that is a very opposite thing, because Frank and was driven- and I think in a quit because he was heat. Misguided Lee took one for the team. He believed in believed that if Roy more was gonna win the Senate in Alabama with these credible accusations that he was a pedophile, the Democratic Party needed to be pure as the driven snow. In me, two terms in order to take the road Balkans down and use Roy more as a single issue. Throughout twenty eighteen to destroy the Damn republican Party, and then Roy more lost, so Frank and quit in order to clear the decks for aid for the Democrats,
that did not need him to have quit right. Well, that's why they poetic, I mean look at Ralph North and we as employers, Sir Ralph North, is sitting there. He didn't quit and the story faded. You know if our frank in you know just because christened jewelry and insisted that he quit he he needed to have quit as time has made very clear, and the end. So if your Biden the let it would, I think it would be a mark of what a coward you weren't, you ended, not running for president on the grounds that you know this person said that you were get out. She felt so I made so uncomfortable by him, but there's no way. There's no it's gonna be want just one. I mean with his record. It's it's
But that's why you got it. You got out and further preemptively to do that, but in a way I mean is this his sister soldier moment, except it's about about her sexual harassment, not race right, is he gonna kind of say but he'd he apologized rather than kind of coming out and saying you know. Well, it was a really good. An apology. To be honest, I mean it was kind of complicated state exactly he understands. We need to listen to these stories right and eighty to understand that women have the right to tell their stories and have their feelings, but that Your feelings, not you know, he did not believe, was inappropriate at the time rights as a kind of another party can take as you will, but I think that you know there's a there's. A fillip Ross novel, the human Spain, which is best known for being a portrait of AY professor who serve you know, falls into terrible chaos because
he call he uses the word spooks and he's called a racist, and then it turns out that he secretly himself black and never told anybody based on the life of the critic. Anatole broiler, there's a coward when the human stay name, Daphne row, who is a professor of a feminist professor, the same college, and there is a chapter and entire chapter the book she attempts to write a personal add to place in the Europe of your books. Looking for a boyfriend, you remember this vague land. It is her inability. This is twenty years ago almost, but language has become such a tree for everybody on that. There's no word that she can use that doesn't have multiple, meaning that are politically and horribly inappropriate and she sits power wised unable to write a personal add looking to find some do. I have dinner with because
every word that she might use will be politically misconstrued or get her into trouble, and that is where the Democratic Party is going into this elect. I mean these, these, the woke it s. The weakness bind means that no one is getting away with anything about anything ever and there will always be some body for on another. Campaign in another court, the party, a journalist looking for click bait, which get to in a minute about peace and Slade Slate about somebody else who will say that so in so doing, acts means that they did why. That was just a grievously offensive to one or another identity in the identity: politics, my asthma of the Democratic Party. No all gonna stand there and the debate stage and unless they're specifically attacking Trump for all of these quality is that they wove. How are they
be able to make a proper accounting for themselves using the english language of I'm serious, I've been its march and recanted ape better work. He said to apologize for thanking his wife for doing such a great job, raising their children. How insane we know it all the necessary to apologize. Who made them apologize. He made himself apologize. Well, that's the point where that's why I mean in some ways I kind of I kind of like that Biden didn't do the full. May I call he did the people Titian mayor Culpa get oh, it's it's the sorry, not sorry position which I mean if he sticks. Do it and you know he also brought out a lot of his female staffers in his defence, which is it which is a kind of classic move. I think that each If other women come forward with stories saying you know, creepy old Joe Biden with smelling my hair, I don't think it's gonna have traction because
he got out in front of any didn't you didn't grovel, I mean, I think, better, looks kind of ridiculous because he grovelled any grovelled over something that he never should have. You had to apologize for in the first place, which is the state of his marriage and the decisions they make privately about giving up their domestic responsibilities. So I actually dont think long term. This is going to affect Biden, and I bet he just VII Viii, announces and gets on the debate stage. He's gonna gloss over issues It is a non issue for him in two months, unless I largely agree with you, unless we see that happen where there's suddenly, where we're seeing. The new time washing of someone is talking to two unidentified women who brought about and an end, they sort of up the game that But this is the question which is how deep into the weeds? our media grandes gonna get here about what's going on in the Democratic Party verses, how would deepen the weeds I get with a Republican, and I am not
What about his? I'm here, I'm saying there already people perfectly good liberal people all over the place who are saying oh shut up about it out so far as you shut up like wet with this is that we do need to be attacking each other. The goal here is be Trump and if everyone it destroys everybody else, then nothing good is gonna happen here right. So there is a. There is a feeling among liberals that something selfish active may go on. If the world's is that you know, if serve the earth, cracks open and every democratic candidate becomes an object of
investigation and scorn- and you know accusations of bad behavior, you know that the that up that they'll be protected, give it don't don't underestimate the democratic parties ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of Victor. I mean look at what the Democrats Marhaus been doing since they regained the majority. I mean I agree with you. I think it's foolish politically and I I have like you have seen more people the left, saying knock it off, but I will younger voters it's these very activists. You know the people who were with Sanders last time round at her and end seo, bought up, see Biden. As you know, the Obama administration that Hitler. You know that the kind of Hilary people, the establishment who they feel they were cheated out of a nomination last time. So I'm not so sure that Mean Biden has overcome that internal political, dynamic and his party, I think that's.
Slightly related to this sexual harassment stuff, but it it's those voters as those people who were galvanise by Sanders and who are still galvanised by sanders if their younger voters, at least according to all data while okay, so you know the classic rule of thumb has been that younger voters don't voting primaries. I mean if this I'm gonna change and everything is different now and then than fine but they're, just as it. One doesn't quite understand why the democratic parties grandees have bent so quickly to the to the the House trio. That has you know that hazard of. Ignited and taken over american politics for some bizarre reason out of nowhere, one doesn't really understand if way your meares out, you know
why? Are they doing this? What what evidence is there that what they are reflects a majority of opinion in their party but dating it does or they think it affects enough of an opinion that they need to kowtow to it. Similarly, either, though the democratic electorate, that's gonna, Choose that's gonna vote in these primaries and choose the nominees either way further to the left. Then I think it is and in which case there doing the right thing or they are leaving a giant, gaping hole, open. For voters who are going to say, would you just knock it off and lets about health care? Or, let's talk about? You know how herbal trumpet whatever and not talk about how terrible Joe Biden is. Crises he's know. Seventy five
years old and you know, has a came from a different social place and time. This is a joke of Biden coming in and he is the most moderate person and the race Biden was a farm was one most liberal members of the Senate throughout his career as a senator, the only thing which he was not totally down the line. Liberal was crime, and you know, since crime has not really been a political issue, since the mid nineties we're gonna go. I can also adjudicate his role in passing the crime bill since now and Jack America doesn't understand that the reason that we ve lived in a relatively crime free semi Paradise for the last quarter century work was because things like the crime, builded Joe Biden, help get past and they're gonna go attack him for that and Corey Booker's going
Take him for that, even though Corey Booker's entire political rears bait, based on the possibility of based on their crime drop, but that's think. The other thing about Biden is that you know he may come to see. More attractive as the as they all each other alive for being a moderate who's, not really a moderate. In other words, you give appeal to moderate, stood out trump to that from democratic, twenty eighteen, but the Obama Trump Democrat, twenty eighteen voter. In fact, in ecologically he's just down the line, you know to the left side of liberal in the Damn party boy, liberal than Obama. Certainly I think now, let's stop ferment, and let me tell you guys Robin Hood. Excuse me the investing app that lets you buy and sell stocks. Eighty ass options and crept out
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so the flavour of the moment and the democratic field is South Bend. Indiana mayor I'm going to give aid the honor of pronouncing his name. This is at the high this. Is it The alchemist stress with already got a high board Buddha judge. Peep Buddha judge people Jed, so people Jed's is in some sense a cut. Central casting. If you were Aaron, Sorkin Whiting, West Wing, twenty nineteen people to judge would be the jet Bartlett right. He's young he's gay he's from declining town in the MID west. He at home he could have gone to Goldman Sachs, went home to serve the people of south Banana.
He learned Norwegian to read a norwegian novel. Is that he's a vat? Yes, he's married five, kids Arab So did you measures roads? Car is world scholar Buddy, when the arab world, scholar, army, gay mayor, turned down Wall Street. Learn norwegian region to read the novel and wrote a book that, among other people, Walter Current was a very good writer and a very good critic says is a very good book which I have not read gives a good interview, forty years old and thirdly, waste seven million dollars in the first quarter of twenty nineteen, which isn't like better Sanders money, which was. Seven million dollars in the day, but it still apparently you now pretty good money. Now the question is: is he real or is he just? What happens in these
panes always wear like Harmon came it's a moment and I don't know who else gets up. Everybody gets a moment when no one's really brute Bruce Bartlett, the numbers Bartlett Bruce was Babbitt. Excuse me, Babbitt, the governor of Indiana got his meant in nineteen. Eighty four and somebody got their moment. Ninety ninety two and attention of darts around or does the fact that Trump had no political experience me in that the mayor of South Bend, the Anna, not even a major, not only not a major american city, but not particularly a major city in Indiana
no maybe for indian Apple us, I will list, be the biggest city had been the Emma. Does he actually have a chance? Well, the the funniest thing about Mayor Peat, as he is he's called, is you could not imagine a more perfect combination of or a more perfect reza? May then, his two absolutely flung x, the identity. Politics less I mean this is just it's too. I mean honestly it's as if it's as, if the trumpets have created a mentoring, candidate and toss it into the democratic presidential primary, because the they're tearing themselves up of about this I mean he's. Yes, he's he's all these things. Like he's a gay man, so, like ok, check that box on a deadly politics, but is he marginalize enough because he went to the Ivy league? He's white he's male he's, you know he's been in the army. He is actually religious and in all of these things have absolutely flow, makes the certain portion of the less it needs to have these boxes checked.
More things. They do not have a viable candy. In that sense, I think he's brought a lot of interesting conversations it into the mix. He even though he is from a small small town. He's he's very plugged into a lot of the issues that millennium voters in particular concern about speaks intelligently and often about the costs of automation, for example, and what that means for younger workers in particular. So here you know he's he sharp he's got some policy ideas. I don't happen to agree with them, but but there's a lot of people on the left, who, I think would so I as if as a figure who highlighted the kind of oppressed oppression Olympics that we all like to joke about. He's he's a real challenge for the left long adsense not only that I he uniquely among Democrats is genuinely likeable. Well,
let's talk about his identity than to tarry problematic identity, terrorism, because there was a time when checking identity, politics boxes like ok, you're, gay rights. So you're gay, so you get to be gay and then no one to lead, and so here you are in the identity, politics Olympics, because you have that, but apparently, according to Christina Carter, Ici of slate he's not the right way. So gay rights rope, you son, fried both controversial ridiculous click, bade nonsense. Piece of the week Again, I have to say just to go in a tar attended that slate star with a mighty, maybe six when
Michael Kins Lee was irritated that we got all this money to start. The weekly standard from Robert so he went to bill gates. Said give me money to start an online magazine and bill gates and okay, so kindly started slate. The characteristic thing about slate was the famous slate pitch right. The sleigh pitch was tat is the worse movie ever made about a ship thinking or George Bush, or a bill. Clinton is actually a fascist or you know what everything everything you think you know about acts is wrong. Right. So this labour rights- and this just became like a tick right, the article that simply are Do the opposite of what everybody was saying just to piss people off.
This is their hardened into such an author orthodoxy approach was later. There's lobby, which has now become a completely woke publication that people are judged, gets good press. Oh, they publish a peace that says, he's the wrong kind of gay rights Abe, so the peace says why. We also know that the problem is that he's not here. He doesn't have enough animosity towards birch filet right right now. He said here he said he likes eating a chick fillet rush. I do not believe it. Controversial view. I myself have never even a chick fillet, but people do so. That is the best of the chicken. Did this fast food chicken sandwiches, not that I have heard yeah yeah, but but also he's not, he doesn't setting about his gait. Our off so he's not in your face gay he's not drag Queen gay he's. Not
you know, I don't know what rue Paul Gay rise more like Neil PATH, carers, he happens to be gay yet, which is just if, and I said, Anthea out ex terms. It is not at the centre of his morph brought his public, for you know what you were would earn. Goslin call your Basque. His mask. His mask is now Gay rights. His intrinsic self may be gave his mask is something else, and this apparently is just on except the bowl and twenty nineteen. When, if you're gonna be gay, you better, be I mean it's like you We Paul Lynde to be gay to satisfies late, where you have to or or as they as they protect him for. Even if you don't, you know at present as gay hit, which is what their partaken put a judge, was you nevertheless have to use your and now
spent of running for president to talk about structural inequality and how being a gay man had. How is how its given you a kind of special insight into this marginalized in opposition and such a etc? So I mean honestly this he's a triumph of of acceptance and tolerance and diversity. If you see you know, if you, if the idea is, we should all accept as normal things that are normal, like that, there's always been almost actually so what's the big deal and he basically has lived his life at ways like oh yeah, I guess so. I came out he even when he came out to his constituents by the way at first. He didn't do it better with every hurry. This is the spigot ounce, but I'm teasing. He was like ok well people than asking years the situation it shouldn't its he's, not a gay activists, he as a politician, and he happens to be gay, and I think that should be seen as a triumph of acceptance. Intolerance of homosexuality, not a mark of weakness of Buddha judge.
So here's the thing so because his record is so impressive and because he is uniquely likeable what what is there then that an end, if anything, this claim of his not being sufficiently gay is nonsense. What what? What what I heard you face, then I'm in January whether the proposition decided this second publishing that disease is, he does you actually have a shot or not? Well, ok, so, ordinarily, what you would say, as he does them enough political experience you throw his from up. You know. Well as small city, and so what are you talking about like he has ever done anything of foreign policy? The ever done anything to do anything he's a nice boy. You now get a good pat on the head. Maybe he could be the Secretary of Housing and urban development, or some like that that maybe you could run for governor later, but you know he's like jumping ahead of the queue and
and this facility silly right when John F Kennedy ran for president when he was forty one years old, he had been commanded a petticoat world war, two and nearly gotten killed and was to have been a senator for eight years, like he was a person on the national stage. Now I'm not saying that he was a. He wasn't somehow elevated to the presidency before his thy ethnic there's a lot to be said for the idea that he was corrupt. Corruptly became president. Nonetheless, you know he was a bigger european, so bullet judge is a veteran buddy. You know whatever. So that's what you would say now you can say well trump me what a trump was nothing. What was he? But, of course he wasn't nothing. This is this. Is the common misunderstanding of who trumpet how trump everybody
downgraded this who plays in the world of politics, because this that's the only thing we care about, but Trump was one of the most famous people in America and he was famous, maybe firstly, baby nod. Who knows he was famous for being rich. He was famous for making deals. He had been found this for thirty years before he you know through has had the ring and it turned out that made a huge difference and be, but a judge is not famous and he has no list either of accomplishments or top rated. The vision shows or buildings with his name on them or anything like that to say he's a large figure and whether or not you think Trump, you know all Trumbull, as was the sort of pr machine by the time twenty twenty miles around and therein there's a debate between Trump, whoever is winning against him trouble.
Presently, the United States for four years he almost started trade. We closed the border, he did the Muslim Ban, he recognized Jerusalem, he recognized the annexation of the guy. He too has done big things, huge tax cut, whatever he was without any experience running for president twenty fifteen. He is not running for re election and twenty twenty also us defend a record that people don't like and behaviour the people don't like, but he is a very big figure on the world stage and The real question for Democrats is: don't they need to elect, dominate somebody who will not look like like a little nap buzzing around a giant colossus? Yes, let me look, I hate to say this, but like has anyone seen any, but a judge means like this guy's, not even me.
Well he's just you can be likeable, but not me mobile and if you're goin up against frumpy need to be memorable, I mean this is not. This is someone who is whose he's a nice guy yenoki he's a nice guy and right now the Democrats don't need a nice guy, and, quite honestly, someone like Elizabeth, worn, will put a judge alive on a debate stage. I think so no he's, but but I do think that the it's it's in some ways too bad that that's what he's being challenged on its own identity within his own party. That's that speak ill of Democrats in general. If they're doing that to him, because he sees it he's he's what a young progressive should be behaving like acting like talking about not YO, see like the Democrats want to see the future of their party there much better off for someone like like Mayor PETE than they are today
or are they because baby? What trump prove proves that american politics is that it's better to be outrageous than to be responsible, it's better to be on the edge than it is to be. You know, like the straight a stew to you know who it fills in the box very neatly on the essay tee so that no more they can be made in awarding him over seven. Eighty in her. What will make of the fact that he or she is knows diving and popularity? That's only, and that's only in her district well, but yeah yeah, but never his nose, diving popularity or district and she's like a worldwide Sunday. They superstar here, but this is true of like Bell- adds hug nobody. I grew up and Bell Abzug doubly like Bell Abzug, but she was a world. I mean boy, my dating myself, but that's it because I just read that Harvey Water Harvey not Harvey Wednesday Harvey fire steam has written, is going to act in a one man plane which he will play Bela Abzug, that is brilliance
first, the world's Brayley S echoes of all, but it also raises again this question of: why is it? Ok were men to me make women where world in which everything is supposed to be wildly authentic and that if for non Asian plays an Asian, that's terrible? If, if white person plays a black person, that's too have anything. It still. Ok. Now for men to go and drag and play women, why is that acceptable in this? I'm it's not my world in which to adjudicate, but it won't be terms. Why aren't women say? This is an outrageous if everyone needs to pay. Belle ABBA gets a woman that will be set up by slate, both vice like right. It shouldn't be by slight. Ok. Let me just now
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unlimited access to all of coms content. Today, at com, dot com, slashed commentary get com and, like a green walled, stop stressing right, ok. So what? What? What are we stressing about? As we come to a close, this podcast Zebedee heavily? You dig forms of stress- I have one I would like to share with you. My my unique form of stress is that, on the one hand, New York state is about to pass congestion. Pricing first in the nation. Few driverless sixty street Manhattan you're, going to get pet you're gonna have to pay ten bucks for the privilege tat. Any time you cross from north of sixty a street anywhere on the island. You pay ten bucks and this parliament to go into being and like twenty twenty one. I think this is a good idea, but of course I own a car. Are so it's a good idea. Theoretically, but now I think we have to
Oh my car, because every time I got what am I gonna its achievements, I'd say, which is part of the point right. They want me to sell my car Dantes zone. That is the war on cars now, but you live in that. No, I mean look at London, I mean they. They did this a long time ago. It's made London a much more pleasant place to walk around to be a pedestrian end to be, you know, did it it just to get around the city? It does force you into using mass transit, but I think it makes the city you live in more livable. If they do that, I wish they do it in Washington DC for all them Ireland Virginia commuters, you don't own a car, I do. I have a car, I do have a car. I do every hives, your car, I die park. There were rarely use it, but I've ever use my car I been, I use my car like twice a month or something like that, but then adds like twenty forty bucks. If I crossed twice I'm paying so it's like they'll have to sell my car and then, of course, cars are worth. Thing once who seldom I've a nine year old Honda Odyssey, it's worth, Butkus
imagine when the congestion pray- and I try to sell it- that's really gonna be worth Bokkis also will be two years older. So so at my my conflict between what I think is a good policy public policy York streets are over used, commercial traffic does not pay. You know that this is you know you can't get around the city, because there are trucks everywhere trucks of delivering things. They don't painting extra the streets every you, so I think the tallest good idea, but it's bad for me personally. So what a? What metal do I get for supporting a policy that harassment person? This isn't is this: how is this, how people feel that they support higher taxes? yes, mother had voted. Yes of all, all you can do is walk around telling people. It's a gallows heard what you ok, so no one! Not nobody else. Has this?
No, I'm not to do it. I d c. I would. I have to have a car, because one of my kids placed the cello and I've gotta. You know, DR about the suburbs, her lesson every week, but so check your privilege exactly exactly so shallow. No! It's good, though it's a good look! It's the same! It's it's! It's something that I think the extreme free marketers always get wrong, which is this the hyper individualism of some of their arguments, gets that you know we are ultimately all in this together. A you literally, are all on an island there in Manhattan, and you ve got to find a way to get what we want. New York. New York has had this policy for a hundred years of their. You know there are real bridges,
cross the river and they are not told, and they are not told because it was a pop politicians, give away to the voters of Brooklyn and queens that they wouldn't have to pay money driving into Manhattan. Obviously those bridges should be told, like all bridges, because the users of the bridges should pay for the upkeep of the bridges. There's still not told I'm going to say this: if we get congestion pricing in Manhattan below Sixty street, but those gaps in Brooklyn and queens don't have to come in to come into town, I you know without artisanal cheeses and the end- and I dunno what we owe teach at all- I've crap. You know that is not acceptable, not acceptable, able totally silent come up. I am disturbed aims club so, though,
by the way no comes in from you know, now lives in New Jersey. He doesn't dry them, but if you drive schoolboy congestion, pricing making very angry. Oh I'll, look, I'm silent because my thoughts are like tyrannical on the issue. I am I'm word. Punishing. All sorts traffic in this city. I mean you know it's needs. It's not just the automobiles. Its pedestrian traffic is absolutely impossible. Special render office I'd. I think, bike lanes are mostly a disaster that their solemn Mick Data on them, but I think by some readings fate bike they tell bike related fatalities are up since the bike lanes. I will I will also say this is interesting thing about cars and extreme individualism which Christine talks about most free marketers that I now support tolling because they think that it's you know it's a! U. User fees are fine
as long as they go to the user right lives, long as you're you're, not tax or something you don't use, but this is like a perfect user fee, but have you ever gotten a ticket speeding to like driving on the best way in Washington Christine? Because you know you're going sixty five and fifty five zone and a cat in one of those cameras gets you? No I've got one year now. I got one like last year, something and you get this ticket and your filled. You ve seen it with an unreasoning rage because it's like what is this? Nobody stop me. You know and on the other hand like they got you, That's right, you are meeting, so it's passive sorts of care. Well, it's like a drone. Whatever it is, it gets you Dales you, your your screwed. You have to pay the fine. You could in theory, and plead not guilty. I don't know how you would prove that you weren't going fifty five up. You know
months earlier when they took the picture of your plate at, but the first impulses say this isn't fair like driving is a constant jockeying of you know. Can you go faster here are slower to solvency. Cop has the road moving if the roads moving well that I should be able to go. Seventy ability, that's that's the natural speed of the highway. Wasn't this being a big thing in the EU, because the Germans don't wanna, get dont want speed limits on the out of on an EU bureaucrats, one kind of
national, european and international speed limits, there's a well I mean the real, the real reason. People hate speak cameras. Besides the fact that their designed to trap you doing something that usually not that dangerous, but just a little bit illegal, is that you don't have the chance to talk yourself talk any one out of the ticket right, you don't you cannot interact with a human beings. Are you might be able to persuade with some? You know tale of woe that would allow them to give you a pass, be merciful just this once there they can't run your plate and say he's never had a ticket he's, not dangerous, let let's just get my morning so there's no! It's it's automated, and so it's kind of soulless and there's no human interaction there. A book. I came across our our our desk here for review and academic work of american history. The table, which I can't remember in the writer, which I can't remember, so I'm really helping you to go to m. I find that, but it said that there was a rush
pollution in the interactions of humanity with government by the introduction of cars, because in the lighting set three, you could go your entire lifetime without having any interaction with a government. Official ever I mean go vote, I guess so there without those are Paul watchers. Those are like this. I suppose you have it that that's not an and law enforcement officials. So once people start driving cars, there cops everybody at some point get stopped by a cop, something happens into checkpoint, whatever nineteen twenties onward sudden They all Americans were having interact, ends and relations with police, and this is also in the police, were start to grow. We got the FBI, we have federal com, all that, and now we have the all of these police forces, the border patrol. You know.
Whatever- and so there was at the liberty streak in the American so partially has to do with the fact that, for the first hundred twenty hundred years of our existence, nobody actually had to deal with. Somebody claims to be a law enforcement officer and then telling you that you had done something wrong which is kind of striking and if you think about serve, lay lore american war. The true an officer in the service early part of the twentieth century is it was a figure of real fear for kids, the truant officer. You know where that, where the guy who took your dog to the pound, because this was not a common thing and we sort of take it for I don't know- maybe if you live in cities also, I mean the cops brutal in Europe, which has thirty five thousand uniform policemen. You see cops everywhere all the time and
Have these relations with them, and so, if you're feeling about copses, largely positive, you don't mind, dissipate comforts you and if you feel about copses negative then your Radley Balko then you're like living in a totalitarian state in which you know, there's a guy with a gun who's going to take your property and kill your sister and plant drugs on your brother and toffees terrible things. A lot of that is just a personal attitude about whether or not anybody has the right to tell you not to do what you're doing. I know where on earth that can I just got back a little Zaga little Sunstroke debates at the gates of all day. In April forces broadcasters nonsense. We think we said just take it in reverse, so for Christine Abe and longing for no is serious, because anchors us back to earth
with his look at it ass, I ve trailers disapproval when we get silly, that's spot but words keep. The cab were burning. Keep the candle burning.
Transcript generated on 2019-12-08.