Welcome to the Commentary magazine PA cast today is, I believe, the first day of Spring March, twenty first twenty nineteen. I am John Paul words- the editor of Commentary magazine these seventy five year old, monthly, intellectual analysis, political probity and cultural criticism. From a conservative perspective, we beg you as ever to join us a commentary magazine dot com, where we give you a few free, reeds and ask you to subscribe. Ninety, maybe five for a digital subscription and twenty, my Mammy five for an all access subscription, including our beautiful monthly magazine in your mobile

eleven times a year, are able issue should be there any day or over the course of the next week, depending on the vagaries of the postal service, and it is one of the best issues we ever done with me as ever. Come here in studio is associate ever know, Rossman high. Now I John a green wild. So on vacation and in Washington, Senor writer Christine rose high, Christine Hygiene, so it appears that may be mighty seven percent there that former vice press, the Delaware Centre, Joe Biden, is going to enter the democratic race for the presidency. I wouldn't exactly describe somebody who has failed to enter by the third week of March in the year before the actual primaries to be Hamlet, like him his in this

vision, but given the mad on Russia people into the race before before, he was ready to declare- and these new stories come at every week about how is closes really close. He's got the virgin islands with his family to discuss whether he should do it is ready to do. It is not right to do at all that there does see to be some hesitancy here, and I think we should discuss the question of whether or not that hesitancy reflect

the reality of the difficulties that job I might face in contesting for the presidency or whether, like so many people in politics today, he is over thinking some pretty obvious things about the viability of his candidacy because of them because of social media and the pressures that people seem to feel themselves to be put under by the immediacy of today's politics, which do seem to be pushing the Democratic Party even further to the left as a kind of group hysteria activity. Let's in which one person stakes out a relatively you try position on the left only to find himself at the head of a mob rushing to follow him or her into the fever

lumps and since binds candidacy. Presumably, is that he's the same being your voice and the party? Who is the best person situated to face down Donald Trump? He may feel as though he doesn't really have a hold on where things are in the party anyhow. So Christine, let's, let's, let's begin with the question of why why why Biden has been hesitating? I think I'm with you on that idea that he doesn't seem like he's been holding out or anything, it's just that we are now in a in a political moment in a cultural moment where the early announcement has become the norm, and I think that he's obviously feeling pressure to conform to that norm. But there's this I have been one of the things he seems to be weighing if you, if you like

think of this, is kind of a gazer primary is his age right. This is the question that is supposed to bothering him in terms of whether he feels this can be a viable candy. Seventy eight! So if you want to turn eighty in the White House, but you know it's kind of ridiculous right trumps, seventy two sanders is what seventy not he's centres like you're, older than Biden, so I honestly think he's weighing whether he really wants to do this are not. I imagine he will declare, but I dont think that this focus on, if he's waited too long, nothing more than generally social media driven and you know, mainstream media driven efforts to get keep historian in the news mean he's. Gonna declare is not, but I find fascinating is that he's weighing whether or not he wants to declare a running early and that that would be unusual? And it would, I think, answer one of the issues

you brought up, which is whether or not he is going to be able to satisfy the more progressive and more left, leaning democratic base by choosing someone like Stacy Abrams, for example, who who kind of takes all the boxes of the the woke laughed. So that would be interesting if, if, after declaring, he very quickly chose a running mate. Rather than wait. The primary tat, you know. No, let me just Libya's asked this famous in the form of a question. This idea that he might say declare I'm running mate. What that might explain some of the delay right, because that means he of his people, to that, whoever it is who's gonna run with him to make were that they know all the corners and curled use here, because if he, if he knew not pick Stacy Abrams, and it turns out that the camp campaign in Georgia find out that she had ex wires scandal in her past and then come

up in May or June or you Were they wait until October to release whenever the scandal is and then he's got to fire her from the kid and then ring on somebody else? And then it's just like a you know what there's a it's, a very high risk thing to do, what he's talkin about here and it doesn't suggest that he's the front runner that pulls say he is. This is a gimmick. It's not the kind of thing that you would do if you were actually confident in your position in the pole. There's a whole lot of talent in the field, including Stacy Abrams, who is flirted with a presidential bed herself of an audacious assumption for somebody who's highest elected office was that of state representative, but that is what she's talked about such term. Air ambitions are on the table. Joe Biden functionally in the race he's been vetted, like he's a candidate he's being used here, not doing the media rounds, but he's been the subject of conversation that, for the last two months and he's been speaking and he's been apologizing for us,

ass positions is essentially in the race, with the exception of having legal status, an exploratory committing unable to raise money so is basically been there and he doesn't seem in sewing blind to wear this mantle of being the moderate and the race that has been appointed to him. I said the other day that Democrats very fortunate that there is no trump candidate in this race who exists. Highly to move the parameters of the debate are away from their accepted boundaries and just push pushed aid, the envelope of acceptable rhetoric and position of cost There was a candid and raise who did that they'd orange chasing after him, something say: hey less nationalized railroads, never go yeah. We absolute court. I've always been for rational eyes in the railroads. Why don't we nationalized the coal industry as well as they do with it would move in that direction, with the exception of maybe Amy closure, everybody would follow that candidate, including Joe Biden, ok, This is the oddity of the situation, so Biden so again in the world in which Biden Anti

people and everybody in the Democrat parties over thinking everything. So there are these pole. Biden is leading in the policy is about thirty percent multiples. Now it is true that at this point in two thousand and seven Rudy Giuliani had thirty percent in the Republican Party Poles and went nowhere, but you can presume that Biden support is harder and more serious and Julia Uneasy was vice president as states for eight years. He was senator form or starve for twenty five years before that, and he and he has a an assortment of wouldn't call them skills, but I would call them sort of personal qualities that would make him formidable challenge or to Trump in the general. If he can get to the general right, he he won't he's scared of tromp. We saw him in a really brilliant debate. Performance against p,

oh Ryan Unnerved serve, do what Trump did to some extent in twenty. Sixteen to the other Republicans by showing disrespect unnerving Ryan, with his refusal to grant Ryan the privilege of being his equal or his colleague on the stage and am kind of rum squashy, a little bed and and by novice he has the ability to say I am the kind of person that you Donald Trump got to vote for you and I think you're, a horrible person and a horrible human being and hears. Why and people like me, should listen to me and do what I do and say what I say it all that so the court. The question is, then, if his hesitancy is,

his agency is clearly that he is worried he can't get through the democratic primary process. I don't think there's any question that all things being equal- and I haven't talked to a single Democrat who has set otherwise that he wouldn't be the strongest candidate to go against Trump, all the things that you would say. We would be bad about him or neutralize by trumpet authorities to old. Well, so two years older than Trump or a year older, or something like that. So its eyes of Trump can say all you're too old to be president, he's got gray hair

the White Man move law. All of that stuff. None of that can be used by Trump worm. Any of his me against Biden and Biden can use his standing as a sign of the lower middle american class from from country to be trumped up. So I got into an argument on on the cable news channels. Yesterday about Biden as as his record. So we kind of forget that buying was bought brought onto the ticket by a bomb on to lend some authority to this candidacies because he was perceived to be too young to experience, particularly when it comes to foreign affairs. Joe Biden was the foreign affairs guy, an politico when you were talking about his record in the weight that he would bring to this candidacy. Then these

a lot of time talking about his authority as the point person of the Obama administration in dealing with issues like hot hotspot spots in the world like Iraq and Ukraine, and I thought about because those were horrific disaster has for the Obama administration. This is what they're doing is going to run is going to run out of precipitous withdrawal from Iraq, compelling them to re enter the field when the islamic militias over ran ancient cities in the north of the north of Iraq in the army fell apart and the fur invasion and annexation of territory in Europe. Since nineteen forty five, ok but Trump uniquely also fit to attack but though no he is not oh yes, here, I don't think he is he's got four years of a record and it's a pretty anodyne, boilerplate republicans. Andrew Record, when it comes to foreign affairs Gibbon, he doesn't want to run on that. He wants to run on being in isolation, bits,

here's my kid- has earned a run on his on record right use. What would you brought up about by their white you reflect on? This? Is Biden? Is not a great candidate? Righty ran twice or three times and got one or two percent of the vote himself. He is a loud mouth. He is a logarithmic. He has a real problem, keeping his mouth shut or knowing went to stop talking. He loves the sound of his own voice to an almost clinical degree and and policy terms he's all over. The map. He's always been all over. The map. He'll argue any point tilby anywhere on the spectrum. He doesn't have self control, there's a fantastic story of how Obama, two years before three years, for he chose Biden to be vice president sitting. I think next Joe Liebermann, or something like that. In the end, the well of the Senate Biden gets up to start giving a floor speech about

something or other end. Obama leans over. I think to Liebermann and says, kill me now. Just kill me now, and that is true. Like I've told the story before, but the first time I was at an editorial board lunch at the Washington Times. This would have been one thousand nine hundred and eighty six, so he would have been a junior senator from Delaware and not yet chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and he came an Psmith helstone. Who was then the executive error? The wash in time said to himself ass ever turbines great to have you here tell us is going on with. Thus in such an Biden opened his mouth and forty five minutes later he closed his mouth. Any closes Mouth Smith headstone, who was either at issue, is long not no longer with us for a long time drank lot, but he also seem to have a narcolepsy problem and at some point in the course of binds, peroration Psmith fell asleep,

start snoring next abiding. This also happened with my friend with the Chavez, by the way who did notice that had fallen asleep and, at some point, looked over its head too weak to me that we need to do something about this. Fighting didn't notice. That Smith was asleep. Next I mean this is actually true, so he was a younger man, much younger man. There seems to be very little indication that he is not the same person, however, and so person like that is very to make fun of and very easy to say, is really not appropriate or fit fitter suitable for the presidency, except for the fact that here, rival in the general would be Donald Trump will also gives to our long speeches and hasn't it Jen deficit disorder problem and all that so,

I could be challenged and the real question. I guess, as will he be challenged in his own party, for having these qualities that I am describing. That's that's all. I want to pick up running made any wants it to be a progressive science like Stacy Abrams Suit fits the Malden. Maybe an african american woman helps, but also having a really rested on a foetus help, so they not violates into those attacks. Look Stacy outcomes very, very left wing she's, an interesting personal now, she's the interests like she's. A very corners and edges she's in its writers, romances good speaker. She writes raw whence novels. You know she's like interest she's, not of it and when she did the response to the state of the union she talked about herself, it was very biographical, was like a launch fur per vehicle, and that's that could be a problem. If you're the running may cause you're, not the star. The shop well

I mean I think, there's there's serve a practical challenge that Biden faces, but there's also abroad, which is fund raising, which we haven't got into like that. Those sort of money, primarily in the fact that Bernie in Iraq have proven their ability to get these small dollar donations and millions and millions of dollars very quickly through a grass roots network. By my be able to do that, but the philistine. The challenge is the one we're talking about in is you know many people Biden was the natural heir to Obama right Hilary really wasn't the one who should have run it should have been. You should have been Biden, but the question is: is democratic parties still the party of Obama anymore and there's plenty of evidence to suggest that it's not that it's moved far more to the left, so that some like Biden, even be it the fact that he was that he was view too who Obama is actually detrimental to his to his chances in a primary, which is. Why is no, I said, picking up a kind of the interest progressive, alter early arnwood. Would he I assume

he thinks, would neutralize that issue I'd. I doubt that I just don't think that's going to be enough to to neutralize the progressive. I just think it a bone, crushingly stupid idea. I mean I honestly why, as I gave out some interesting and unprecedented all of that, but there I do understand how there there is anything but a downside in the long run to picking someone is you're running made like cause. Now you have two people going around campaigning to times the possibilities being tripped up two times. The possibilities are saying things that then have to be apologized for explained away to sources of controversy and and no evidence whatsoever that that second person will gain you, a single vote, South Carolina. What about after one piano, Stacy Abrams on ticket would make him competitive, if not prohibitive, ok, but doing that in March your

you are assuming that she is going to be a perfect candidate until the vote in South Carolina. It just doesn't doesn't make sense. Also you don't know it's true that South Carolina, we don't know about you. If you want to vote for Biden to vote for cod for state aid who vote for common heritage, we know, then you voted and commercial environment has has devoted her entire campaign to South Carolina from what we ve seen so far, as the maker break state from right, but I'm just saying as a pull as a practical political matter, a you have, the we have the vetting problem and Stacy items is only run once you know it stay right, race, in a state that does not have vino ten thousand local newspapers looking into every aspect of her lives, and she has not been the position where there have been. You know, seven hundred and ten twelve other campaigns with apple researchers digging up stuff in in in the life or something like that Biden. This is that it is a human being can possibly be right. That's

the advantages of on going, and you know what you're getting like unless, unless he's done, something in the last two years or three years that surprising, let you know, could get in trouble. For I more- and I am sorry I was just going to say the other thing about Abrams that people don't bring up, but that I think I mean look. She checks a certain box for the progressive, less but her message when she was running in this selection and ever since husbands to presently negative, I mean she's, very yeah, she's she's, extremely crew, the goal of our of our demo like system in terms of how it functions, she's, she's, happy to stretch the truth when it comes to how the voting process worked in the state of Georgia, she's she's a fairly negative message, Bringer politically, even as she's quite charming the person in a personality. So I think that that shouldn't be something that Democrats should should overlook, because people are looking for some positive message that better. I think it is trying to give them, even though its halls style and no substance she's

fairly negative. When she's talking about politics, if you listen to some of the way she when she render, whereas this is what Democrats want. This is why this is what I've been saying for a long time now is. This is the mirror image of twenty sixteen and the republican side? Republicans didn't we embrace the trumpets message, which is that everything is horrible, everyone's an idiot they're trying to destroy your through you in your lives in your jobs because they hate you. That's not something Republicans thought when in a general election, even if it Wednesday, the primary Democrats want to hear that the country is beset by racists that racism pervasive in every institution that she was robbed specifically of her election victor, by these racist institutions in the racist governor of Georgia. They want to hear that right. So here's here's the interesting question and Noah has written about this. And so we have a column in the new posts they are on the same subject, which is that the democratic parties, the internal logic of what's been going on, has been

that they are pushing themselves to the left and some of the message that they should have drawn from the twenty eighteen term. Elections is maybe don't push yourself too, are lower and local wedlock talk about health care. You know, stand there as a proxy against Trump, without making from the central message of your very being and allow negative feelings about Trump to flow toward you witness to like to flow to make people flow away from them and flow towards. You. Remember the challenge for Democrats is relatively linear That is, they need eighty thousand votes in three states to take back the presidency that Hilary neglected to contest to fight for in twenty. Sixteen they know votes are that they need Republicans, do not appear to be pressing democratic advantages in

a state. Take away any state from Democrats. The demo that was the twenties. The story was basically Florida and Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Worse are taken away from them. Rats Florida Ohio. I think Democrats are willing either to concede or to think that you know it. Maybe it's an outside shot that they get them back, but though everything idiots not the contested well, the Ohio is well contested. Welcome, Testa, I'm just saying that every map, I think that is being drawn up, draws itself up with the notion that how do we win this without foreign Ohio but it's very easy say what it without floored Ohio. If you can win wishing him wishing it, we should get. It mentions Laelia this goodwill,

until the Pennsylvania back and right now, if you have to lay odds, you would say that the Democrats are more likely than not to do that and possibly the when Iowa and even conceivably, women Irish Zelda, though that's that's, that's may be outside the bounds of possibility, so they need to do is be prudent and calculating and what they where they go from here till November twenty twenty, but they don't want. Or the activists that's right and it's a smaller class, and I think we give credit for and a lot of gravitate towards the radical candidates in the race already and there there there only pulling so so I mean Bernie Sanders is: is the avatar of this class in the in Kampala Harris a sort of coming up from behind and everybody else is sort of in the back of the pact, with the exception Elizabeth warned, depending on where and pulling its really early, I get it it's too early to actually discussed that kind of, but you you can only break up this,

I so far, really is divided into up. We can think of it as thirds, and essentially the third of this. This movement is, is progressive activists who dont want to just be a competent alternative to Trump that want to really get stuck done. Everybody else wants to win. Two thirds of this. Just one went them care they get there. Okay. So let's talk about how you win a nomination right, basically the history, the last forty years as you to win. I owe you have to be one of the candidates with Iowa or New Hampshire, and if you can win both, you really do win and trump very close. It was very the winning both it of course argue that somehow through because of a tweet, he didn't window, I didn't when Iowa right that voters were told to stay homeward. The bed Carson, I camera with whole thing him, but he one New Hampshire going away right. So the ideas I was a pretty radical territory and in the end,

mechanic hands, but New Hampshire is not new. Hampshire senators are not radicals, do Hampshire's, you know. New Hampshire, democratic centres are not radicals and the state is a weird as weird interesting politics and can Biden when New Hampshire being not part of the. U know, activists restive lechery can I mean in theory he can if he does, if he acquits himself well and all that. So I made this analogy the other day and another p about the question of whether the restive surge and the fear of the progressive you know a rump in though the house democratically is a little like Plato's cave where Democrats are in the cave

and they see the shadows and they think that the shadows are real. But in fact the shadows are just you know, tiny little objects outside outside the cave that are reflecting in our hearts untold inside, and you know what, if the you know progressive left wanting socialism am voting age lowered to sixteen the abolition of the electoral caught. What are the other lunatic proposals that are surf past hacking? There's a packing. The Supreme Court's pain, providing social purely for illegal aliens tearing on the wall provided Pre College to do too illegal aliens. Minimum income read the universal basic income. All of these ideas, like one after the earthy other, and what? If we're talking about five percent of the electorate, but everytime at ten percent of the electorate like

and what, if what the party really wants and what the people who shifted forties its away from Republicans to Democrats, the sixty two million national vote, total for Democrats and twenty eighteen, what? If what they want, is a guy who's, not trump or a woman, who's, not trump. But who is it like a revolutionary. It's probably true. The problem is that that five percent of the electorate, all of them, have writing jobs or microphones ahead of them. They're the ones were dictating the terms. The conversation right end because of the purely because of the innovations of social media? Of course, the megaphone effect of the chattering class, at least inside the chattering class, meaning the people who write the people who help lead opinions and the policy may as an elected officials themselves, all live inside this ecosystem and they don't

your stand, the noise outside the ecosystem for decades political consults and I knew democratic, moderate, democratically and sons add the elections. The United States are determine. This is a guy named Hank, shine, coffin, New York, said elections and America are determined by five hundred thousand people in force states. What are the states? Oh hi, Ho Pennsylvania Michigan was Consarn forced eight. Five hundred thousand people are Florida, no, he. This is what he was saying. He was saying that these were these. Were the states where

they bounced to write they could bounce around that could go Democrat, go republican. It was the idea of Macomb County that the swing district right, Macomb County Michigan, the ultimate swing district, where you went and every four years asked, walked around ring doorbells and ask people who they were going to vote for, and that was where, if you went and you listen hard enough, you know the Reagan was going to win the landslide in maybe four or that he was going to win in eighty four. The end of Clinton was going to win the ninety two. That's still the case, we have a balancing it. You know my God, everything's gonna win now we're gonna be a multicultural society and you know blah blah blah and that in fact, eighty thousand,

votes in three states are greatest are going to decide the selection the way they did the last election we haven't talked about it, but the conventional wisdom is is coming round to the idea that Donald Trump as the favourite and which is where we probably should have been right, but strictly owing not till incumbency, which is probably more appropriate, but to the state of the economy, the election models, the reliable ones and the door to door talking to people sort of thing are pointing to people overlooking the president's repeated bad behaviors and just saying things are better than there were four years ago. While that's you know that that's an interesting point- I I I am I think. Basically you should always not accept the conventional wisdom on anything and if that's become but I've. If that's, if that's becoming the conventional wisdom, then trumps in trouble, I can talk about that. The second before after I

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a web beg member F, the icy equal housing lender. Okay, so in terms of the trump that the do this new conventional wisdom, so the star is that the government shut down, ended Trump kind of exit. Did the poor the whole story for two or three weeks. While Democrats ran to the left. You know on Mass and Virginia the Virginia scandal which amazingly, has just disappeared right. The wearing a clan hood in black face candle vanished, Jesse, smaller happened, very other things, went on and trumpet serve added the news and his pulled. The pole numbers went up so he's now around forty three, I think,

I believe the high water mark was presidency now and and Democrats serve, look weird like they can't do another there there there overly whatever they are there, oh and, of course, the anti Semitism stuff, what they want, Omar and all that, so so now were in the well. You know Trump could really willing and of course he could really will be one left, I'm the notion that we are now we ve now garden with people. If so in their bubble. They don't understand that the guy more law. We then not given american political history, that the incumbent will win reelection and trump is no different sense. If we were twenty five percent, the policy could say well. He's got my shot, but you know that's not the case,

but I now wonder whether, rather than the speaking time to buy Trump stock as its you know its low, whether in fact Trump stock is inflated, then I'll wait is, if you look at how he's mean he's here capable of snatching defeat from a moment where he is on the rise and at his his bizarre twitter war with Kelly Conway's husband, Mr Kelly and Conway, as he likes to call him suggested he by by forcing worst aspects of his corset personality on the public as often as possible. He very well people sour on that I mean he does he's been accused of being mentally unstable and a narcissist by by his close advisers, husband and then you know they have this childish, spat in in public about it. That makes him look far less than presidential lets. You say, and I think that he he almost doesn't seem to be able to help himself

when these personal attacks happened. The way he's you know has a wonderful piece about how our trump is banned. With regard to the memory of Centre John Mccain, these moments are the time when meat- if he should be exercising more discipline, then he had to when he was a candidate. The first time round His incumbency is being whittled away by his childishness every time he does this. I think, even for those people forget the die hard Trump supporters are not gonna leave him ever, but there are plenty of kind of conservative, ish, leaning voters in these states that that day need evidence of his ears. Behavior, especially their presented with a candidate that that they feel as it is they may have. I will read out like like Joe Biden, okay, so let's spend a couple of minutes talking about

the collapse. George fight now I know both of them. I've known Kelly end for twenty five years. I know George George is by the way a lovely person, sweets friendly kind. He somebody with whom I have had sustained it illogical disagreements in very serve like very radically in the all interventions for the purpose of defending democracy or terrible camp. But I really like I bet Kelleam is an interesting person. I, like her less size. I stipulate that because knowing them,

what is going on over the last two or three days is one of the worst things I've ever seen, and I want to be like Europe Mill excessively melodramatic, but it is unbelievably discomfitting that we have all been put in the position of watching the most intimate relations. That is that we all have somehow becoming part a part of a political speech, ethical, and there is something Weird Lee Stalinist, that is to say the b- the notion that a political figure is interposing himself or is being interpose for whatever reason we don't know what the reasons are between

to people in a marriage where there are four children who, I believe like under the age of fourteen, is just horrible. It's horrible that we are it's like. Don't just like watching it's veto in some. I want to make ridiculous metaphorical comparison. But I mean it's not like watching the wives stream of the Christ church Massacre, but it is in some social way like watching an emotional mutilation in front of your eyes. This is what I M parted and thank you Christine for plugging a piece without his heart is one of the job where no Republicans Trump isn't worth it. I ask: is one of the holder: it's it's on our side commentary marries a car in the sea did that

a pieces sort of what's happening to killing Conway and George Conway, although its rose really tough, as you say, to watch and feel sort of uncomfortable to be like avoid earn in this process. But that's what trump does not his policies but his persona and the cult of personality around him that he enforces of turns republicans intercultural revolutionaries as they are being made to abandon the really basic graces of decent for the departed because he is to be wiped from the spectrum booty harder here being being not Kelly. Have now than John he s to be drummed out of the conservative movement. These relationships, your personal relationships that conflicts with the demands of the culture personality have to go. Everything must be subordinated to this phenomenon and in that sense it absolutely is Maoist. Stalinist were well. Ok, so you know again its impact.

The ball to you now appeal apart. What's going on between the Conway's and tromp right, I mean the idea that, in a fight publicly with Europe, marriage that person defends doesn't defend the spouse, but defends the employer against the spouse. Who is the employer attacking the spouse, whatever provocations George may have now been guilty of and whatever crimes he may be committing against Kelly? Am you know in in making his field with tromp so public? You know we were witness Otto I mean.

Is there a with the exception of families who were made to confess against each other in oh trials? Can anybody think even in the literature of and the public, I think it's real. It's not literature is reality television, I mean honestly the only way that either Conway or telling Conway's behaviour makes sense in this particular episode is. It is, if you don't, George, is gonna gonna launch a husband from Hell. Reality show once Trumpetings office, I mean it's it's. This is the point. Is that it? This is what Noah's point was about the Mccain situation this week is that Trump brings. We want to his level and its really difficult for four people to sign on, because he's his megaphone is extremely large and when he starts shouting someone down and calling them a stone, cold loser it now,

responding is is seems like it's no longer an option to a lot of people who, I think, if they stepped away for a moment, would realises how can be helpful. So I think there is no other example, except on reality, television, which is, of course the from which we got Donald Trump Use here everything we know about him. He is so and secure that I wouldn't be surprised if this was a directive. If he rolled his Gillian Conway to go out there and in Gimme some support against your huh, ok, but right there. That's where we start getting into the question of whether this is but it's not like no other dollar to show target. Nearly the president would demand s of of any one. There is a fantastic seem in the movie, the death of Stalin, which came out last year, which I commend. Everyone, brilliant savage, satire, very unusual, directed in part, a written by Armando Unity who made the deeper who started making v Bennets literally about what happens once

dies with the serve triumvirate or the five or six or seven people around him. Who then have to figure out how to announce it and make it clear and figure out who's, gonna, succeed him and all that and melancholy the Maybe the the chief ideologists, whose name right now, I'm blocking on Israeli, now played by Michael Pailin service. Now doubt doddering old man and his wife has been sent to Siberia. He allowed it to happen where he thought she was dead, she was killed in the purges, but turn that use only sent to Siberia and she is summoned back to unnerved him and there literally, a scene in which somebody says what about your wife and he says. She's, a cow. She was a trader. You know I'm glad she's dead. I hope that all the bullets entered her. You know organs and then terrorized her.

Then she walks in the room and he goes darling. I am I I am so glad to see you. How are you I love you like that, and that this with this is a perfect encapsulation of what you know. What demanded of you. You know you were damn. It was demanded that not only what will let's say your spouse was gonna, be killed in the purchase, but then you had to support the murder from your spouse right. So what whatever is going on between client and George? I feel odd ways I feel both of them. I really feel for their kids, but, as I say this, we thing where there's this third object in there in their mare in others this. This sum you know this giant colossal in the middle of their marriage, who is going to you know who's clearly torn them apart and every

they're very serious Catholics. Pollyanna George, which I imagine that has have had some effect on what decisions they are going to make about their own futures. As a couple like daily Mass communicants, that kind of thing. So I get out again it's none of our bid. Oddly, I am saying is that you will listen none of our business, but they may that our she's talking publicly about how Georgia's jealous of Trump try calling him a loser and a husband from Hell. She is defending her boss and attacking her husband. Publicly, like, as they say, has anything like this ever happened, not even a reality. Television, by the way, What does that? Have you, but they put the husbands. Art involve the husband, our enemies as they are, I'm showing my hand, I will reply, although husband from Hell would be an excellent bed, o middle aged guide, punk band,

that's your war in that area. I'm surprised there isn't a show called husbands from Hell. Maybe there is one another five hundred reality: television, others I once knew a guy. I do a couple were: have kid an appreciable with my kid? and he made reality. Television shows, and so I once when law- at the list of his reality. Television shows because it with this is like five or six some when we was its peak and he did have like forty shows on the air- and I had heard of none of them- was things like extreme coupon. It was worth it like. You know, shark verses, off they were like he's got out everywhere must now he didn't seem to have any of them like them. Your weapons, but I guess, if you have forty shows, I wonder how many are hazard time. Do that without hurting animals a by our gotta get around the guidelines are

are not present. Friend, Abe has has a friend who makes rallies television and his specialty is amish Amish gone wrong flying or exit amish mafia room spring. You know like Amish, you know like, like the ambit of the railway. Behind the areas that, by its right, that's why you should really It worked at fat assed without good, serve like husbands from hell anyway, but is that their way There will be a day win, win Trump is no longer president. Their will and we're all gonna haven't. We lift survive with we're. Gonna have to Venus some and though the muster the resolve to look at all the compromises that we made in this moment and then wonder why? For what.

Whose weak allow me I mean that the people who are compromising themselves like this, like like the Republicans who can't bring themselves to really forcefully defend John Mccain memory, only thing that will keep that will make this untrue. What you're saying the only thing that is a successful term press. See that is successful in sort of, let's say, actual observable ways that in the people are gonna, have to say. Well, despite everything you know that presidency succeeded in doing Ex wife, Z and the country was better off after he left right. That's and if that happens, then all Compromises are fine, but I would only say judge I don't I don't know if that's true either all the compromise now it'll no baby will I know, but I am not saying morally, I'm saying that in historical terms, Republicans might be made to apologise, and you know go through showed

because of their own. If the sort of the calculus of what constitutes a successful president see whatever standard that might be including sort of the economy. Is better aware, you no less that whatever is is met. You know some set of standards are met and if the rump disappeared tomorrow, this would be a competent. Successful presidency really is just as brown with demands as his personality. Absolutely it's a reason. The competent men administration, foreign policy, the the attempts for Donald Trump to do what he wants to do are are frequently rolled back, maybe with his consent may be without them. The efforts to really ignite of a terrible trade war have generally failed in part, because Donald Trump is surrounded by competent republicans. Seattle, I republican first of all, the without

wanted to do, has generally failed, so that doesn't make a successful presidency now makes it a denial of republican presidency. Well, I mean first of all, we have all sorts of signs of the economy which They have a really good. He is slowing down the FED has said the economy is slowing down, which is why it does not anticipate raising interest rates. This year, you'd out there, was a terrible jobs. Growth number in in February. You know it it's not. It's not a lead pipes edge that by the end of this for years that the economy is gonna, be the best story that Trump past selling during their tribe had to tell us. If we don't know yet, but I mean the best story, the term has to tell is a right wing story about judges, that's the end and maybe about regulations. That is the best story the Trump has to tell, but of course half the country most. The country doesn't know that judges and the path that does know about judges.

Like what he's doing with judges. So that's a hole in a different set of standards that we have to deal with. But let's talk about the mental health questions because our old friend, PETE Winner and various other people, owing to the tweet storm over the weekend and Kelleam Conway Stuff, all say that what they see is the trumps mental health is failing and that he is, you know, we're watching a prayer crack up disintegrate before our eyes, and you ve never seen this before him. You know he some something's gonna be done and, aside from the fact that this is a refrain we have heard from the very earliest days of the presidency. I mean Mika Brzezinski in my hearing on MSNBC called in my

but your April of twenty seventeen start talking about the twenty. Invoking the twenty fifth amendment, which exists to allow people close to the president, who see that the president has literally been incapacitated to remove him from

power for temporarily, because he's had a stroke because in the Classic Woodrow Wilson case, which is what animated the passage of the twenty fourth amendment he's had a stroke or yo, he can't fulfil the duties of his office. I dont see anything qualitatively different. What's happened this week from other periods in the trunk presidency, he seems to be exactly the same person to me that he was when he started the race, he's the guy who said the stuff about TAT, Megan Kelly. Ah, you know he's the guy who said that Ben Carson was us in our Ben Carson was a psychotic with a knife. You know he said the TED dad had had killed, can attribute. I was part of the crew that killed Kennedy and the Tec, whose wife was ugly Anna, like all of the stuff that we know about him. That he has been done since the presidency started is he is anything

different? Christine is anything different? Am I missing something I mean look. I have a lot of respect for PETE Winner in and I read is peace and you know he talks about. He called. I think he called him a damn, its sole disorder personality. He was all of those things when you is running for president and they might have become exacerbated because of the tension of being president, but they were all there when voters went to the polls in two thousand sixteen, and there is really no New evidence that has emerged in having narcissistic personality disorder does not enough. If that were, if that were a no go for becoming elected to political office than half, the Senate would have to immediately resign. I mean this is this is he is an extreme version of some of this, but none of it suggests that mental competence has detour since he was elected now that the separate question of whether he should have been elected in the first place, but that consumers are good ones resolve. That is one constantly says no,

but he ever showed his hand as clearly about what he would be like as president as trumped did as a candidate exit, you know, no one has the right to be super. Everyone goes well we're normalizing this we didn't normal and no one's. Normally the voters normalize this the vote. May I am president and yes, it is normal. He is present because they he didn't pretend it's not like em, just in case of a grand Santas in Florida, around Santas is TAT to be a kind of startlingly innovative, an interesting governor remember how he won. He wasn't papaya by act ass though he were you now Brenti Barrier and trumpet Stalin like it was this. These slavish cartoonish adds about how we know he would lick trumps foot if he had to and all that if he sort of road trumped into the Governess mansion tallahassee- and you know I was very

interesting- things are going on there that are very surprising, but that's not trump Trump didn't run as one a person and governance another. He is exactly who you thought. He was also necessary. How shallow the champion movement is. Just really wants you to pay deference to the idea that he's this infallible I'd like presidential figure, but what does it mean they're here? What is done in office? I mean there is some horrifying stuff. You know people who really should know better intellectuals in New York. That sort of thing you know using trumps denunciations of Mccain to issue forth their own denunciations, of Mccain after his death, which they were too cowardly to issue in life. And you know it's a funny thing, because I had disagreements in the came in

I really didn't like his stamina, camping finance or for matters which is something that liberals loved him for his very short temper guy. I once interviewed him and it was kind of unpleasant and I now. There are many things with Mccain, but you know one of the interesting things about somebody who is who is here, who is an american hero? Is that heroes do get passes on on stuff, involving your policy differences with them, because knowledge. One thing that you announced by the hero is that there is something great sold about them and that they are deserving of deference deference of other people. Don't don't deserve, and no one no politician who is seeking your vote deserves deference because of his personal conduct, but a dead man who was a public servant. His entire life and sought to you know serve the country that he loved to do

gracefully go after his memory is an act of you know: intellectual and moral infamy hope. The person I'm sub tweeting here, listen to this in those talking about I'm gonna, tell eyes Hum Lenny just stop for a second and tell you something, but to do when we get out of this package studio, take a hairy shave because I had a bye, bye overslept. I do run my kids to school before veto before the door closed and ass get shave this morning, so I will be doing so in the commentary men's room after the pod, with my Harry's razor, which I love, because

As you know, Harry's founders we're tired of paying up for razors that were overpricing over design. They knew a great. She doesn't come from gimmicks. Like vibrating heads flex balls or handles that look like spaceships tactics that the leading bread is used to raise prices for decades, Harry's is fixed that by combining a sum, clean design with quality durable plays at a fair price. They bought a world class blade factory in Germany. That's making Collie Buddz over ninety five years received over twenty thousand five star reviews on Trustpilot in Google. I don't even know what trust pilot in Orono look it up. Maybe it's European Harry's. So now I'll be invaluable and yeah Harry's replacement cartridges are just two bucks: each that's half the price of the Gillette Fusion Programme. Harry's blades come with a person, one hundred percent quality guarantee. You don't love you. Save let them know no give you full refund joined the ten million who have tried, Harry's claimant trawl offer by going to Harry's dotcom, slash commentary

thirteen dollars value process that comes with everything you need for a close, comfortable shave weighted ergonomic, handle five blade razor with a lubricating strip and trimmer blade, rich lathering shave, gel travel blade cover list, of our show can redeem their trial set at Harry's. Dotcom slashed commentary make sure you gotta Harry's dot com commentary to redeem your offer and let them know we sent you to help support the show. If you see me later today, you can complement me on how come and an velvety my my skin looks after the after the hairy shape is making eye contact with me I'll, be fine, Do that John? You well, but right now I lied. Don't look, I'm gonna get out with you if this, if we were well lie, if we have this we're video we're alive streaming, this you would say John, take a shave and I'm going to take a shave. I feel it s an international consequences for not complementing. I am that's true. I know it which side of way which side of the bread weight

What does the pollution, which society utters buttered? Ok right now? What does that make me which side of the bread anyway Thumb so that we have much more to talk about the so so we ve gone through Biden. We ve gone through. Kelly, Evan George, who talked about whether trumpets trumped his sir generate mentally and we establish do have we do have? The disaster also may be coming. It may be the day of sex marking a may arrive. There was this story on Monday that the mower probed Instead, they were going to have a very busy weak. Very busy we Mahler team very busy week. This, of course, is the thing that may really put trump and the position of being the favourite, which is if the Mahler probe issues some report. It says we got nothing, I'm Trump personally,

the only that value areas in my view is that we ve been having to talk about this for months now with so loudly, nothing to say about that everybody to talk about it, but there has been no news. So it's my my fondest hope that this thing drops come on vacation too. Well, I remember the tramp tramp just said that has just said that he thinks the Mulder report should be party. Argue everybody's on the record of the including his allies in another converse people like we're Lewandowski, I'm insane. We need to see this thing. I hope everything becomes public we want is a total sunlight. Can't go back on that. Well, that with that sounds very confident turned to me. Like you know, I don't know that they know they don't know and one of the great lines that has been promised. It knows in my hearing, as we labor of vineyards of the liberal media is, when you say look you know

thing is coming out. That seems to suggest that Trump was a knowing guenaud aid. The Russia there, like you, don't know smaller, seeing the whole picture and Malta the picture that Mahler see it's almost like he's like carry and homeland with the giant. You know bored on his wall with all the strings, connecting everything and he can see the pattern that none of the rest, I can see from his many public indictments from his thirty three indictment of fourteen different figures, but we can't peace to Are there any kind of a narrative from that? The fact that there hasn't been a single indictment that alleged actual much collusion or organ out or service to Russia, or something like that, which would suggest, may be that you know. He hasn't indicted. Anybody on that. There are no indictments too. We have on that subject. Nonetheless, Mahler sees everything. Mahler is, the great you know is the is the optometrist from the great Gatsby. You know the poster

I've been oily, these reserves jet Oran, because we don't know we don T know everybody seems to think that they now we don't know, but I think if you were going to say the preponderance of evidence, thus far from the Mahler probe, a very active thirty, three indictment probe that has come out. And there is a single and die on olive oil and diamonds from campaign to Russia and in all of those indictments and although sentencing guidelines, everything that is relevant is rejected. Ok, we don't know. Ok, however, when the when the big latest, with the big story. That emerged from Paul man afford over the last two months. Is that, Scandal of Paul metaphor, is that he gave Earl, he gave private polling data too ukrainian guy. If that's, if that's what they got loose,

I am happy to hear that they have more if they have more, but prior handing private pulling data around is not as far as can tell since I've gotten private pulling data and I've got in the last six weeks to I dont know that that's a felony even giving to afford national is not a felony private bawling data anyway, but we shall see so we have there been no one's gonna go on vacation and no one has given no better when next week, the week after so I will be away the end of next week and maybe we'll drop that in them. I won't have to talk about maybe we'll both begone at the same,

time and then it'll be like you never have able have to like say of an eye and lower our the bag, or you can just gonna sit here for twenty four hours, like just you know doing a marathon. You know they through the night issuing the worst sort out loud anyway. So without we will bring this to a close work. No Rossman and Christine Rosen, I'm John passports. The camel burning and everyone Rebecca