Comedy

The Political Orphanage

Politics minus bile plus jokes. Comedian and avowed independent Andrew Heaton interviews authors and thought leaders about policy and big thinky stuff.

Latest Episodes:

Friday Release Valve is Back! (But Moving) Aug 27, 2021

Show notes

Friday Release Valve (where we kick around the best, underserved headlines of the week) is returning--but moving to its own podcast. New episodes will appear on the new show titled "Friday Release Valve," along with a backlog of old episodes, funny commercials, and sketches. To find the new show, go to www.mightyheaton.com/frv or search for "Friday Release Valve" on your podcast player of choice.

How Zoning Laws Screwed Up Everything Aug 25, 2021

Show notes

Housing regulations have resulted in widespread urban sprawl, ethnic redlining, multi-generational poverty, and all manner of other ills.

Jeff Maurer of "I Might Be Wrong" on Substack and Jeremiah Johnson of The Neoliberal Podcast join to discuss how zoning laws have hurt America, and ways to rectify them.

This episode is sponsored by Ground News - The world's first news comparison platform. Download Ground News for free here: https://ground.news/orphanage

Bonus: The Alternative to Winston Churchill Aug 19, 2021

Show notes

Winston Churchill dealt with evil by confrontation. What's his opposite? This is a bonus history episode from July of last year, in the context of the forthcoming 2020 election and the George Floyd protests.

Bonus episodes come out ever week on top of the regular show. To access them, head to patreon.com/andrewheaton

Nation Building Failed in Afghanistan Aug 17, 2021

Show notes

Could we have fixed things if we stayed? Kabul fell to the Taliban on Sunday, which is quickly reorganizing their regime after getting ousted twenty years ago by the United States. Was nation building an incomplete but worthwhile pursuit, or a never-ending fools errand? Jason Buttrill served as an intelligence analyst in the invasion of Afghanistan, and discusses the nature of the country and what will happen to it.

Andrew Sullivan is a Gay Catholic Conservative Aug 11, 2021

Show notes

Andrew Sullivan is an author and blogger best-known for his substack The Weekly Dish. His new book is "Out On a Limb: Selected Writing, 1989-2021" chronicling sexuality, politics, and religion from his position as a gay Catholic conservative. Get "Out On a Limb" at www.mightyheaton.com/featured

Harvard vs Asians: Affirmative Action and Racial Quotas Aug 04, 2021

Show notes

Affirmative Action is potentially one Supreme Court case away from going extinct. When is racial prioritizing constitutional? Is it ever a good policy idea?

Anastasia Boden is a senior attorney at the Pacific Legal Foundation, and the co-host of "Dissed," a podcast focused on important Supreme Court dissents.

Cancel Culture Is Mostly Rich White People Jul 28, 2021

Show notes

Dan Kovalik is the author of "Cancel This Book: The Progressive Case Against Cancel Culture." Kovalik, a long-time labor activist, union attorney, and human rights lawyer, joins the show to talk about the classist and elitist elements of Woke excess, and why it's a dismal long-term strategy for the Democratic Party. "Cancel This Book" https://www.amazon.com/dp/1510764984?tag=mightyheaton-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1 This episode is sponsored by Ground News - The world's first news comparison platform. Download Ground News for free here: https://ground.news/orphanage

Would You Maroon Jeff Bezos in Space? Jul 22, 2021

Show notes

Over a hundred thousand people signed a petition calling to ban the world's richest man from returning to Earth: "billionaires shouldn't exist."

In this episode we explore the difference between relative growth and actual growth. And determine if liquidating the rich would solve the world's economic problems.

Why Comedy Became Toothless Jul 14, 2021

Show notes

Are late night comedy and political satire as free wheeling and funny as they used to be? Or has comedy become simultaneously tame yet partisan? Jeff Maurer is former senior writer for "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver." He joins to discuss how fear and groupthink have defanged comedy, and why nuance is always a harder prospect than reflexive teamsiness. Jeff's newsletter can be found at https://imightbewrong.substack.com/

Los Angeles is Hideous Jul 13, 2021

Show notes

I have a new book out! Los Angeles is Hideous: Poems About An Ugly City. Arguably the funniest book ever written about the horribleness which is LA. Here are two quick readings from what is about to become your new favorite coffee table book.

You can find "Los Angeles is Hideous: Poems About An Ugly City" at www.LAisUgly.com

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