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:

We're Against Abolishing the Electoral College, Apparently Mar 18, 2020

Show notes

Brian Brushwood and Justin Robert Young join Heaton to discuss attempts to abolish the Electoral College. What are the upshots and downsides to a national popular vote? What measures could improve the existing system without scrapping it? Plus, of course, Heaton rants about Ranked Choice Voting.

Season 2, Episode 39

Late Night Comedy vs. the Outrage Industry Mar 11, 2020

Show notes

Why do socially liberal comedians clean up in late night television, while social conservatives dominate talk radio? Dannagal Goldthwaite Young is the author of "Irony and Outrage: The Polarized Landscape of Rage, Fear, and Laughter in the United States." She joins Heaton to discuss how liberals and conservatives process ambiguity, order, and politics on television.

Season 2, Ep. 38

You're Doing Prison Wrong Mar 04, 2020

Show notes

The Criminal Justice episode! What to do about private prisons, the Death Penalty, the Drug War, mental health, prostitution, Norway vs. Joe Arpaio, and bail bonds. Featuring: J. M. Jennings Season 2, Ep. 37

Meet the Libertarian Candidates Feb 26, 2020

Show notes

It's a scrum for the Libertarian Party's 2020 presidential nomination, and the party won't select a nominee until its national convention in May. Heaton visited the California Libertarian State Party Convention to meet and interview the top six candidates in the party:

10:00 - Adam Kokesh

23:24 – Lincoln Chafee

37:00 – Mark Whitney

53:26 – Jo Jorgensen

1:05:48– Vermin Supreme

1:19:21 – Jacob Hornberger

Rush Limbaugh and Virtue Ethics - BONUS Feb 21, 2020

Show notes

Every week Heaton makes a special bonus episode of the show exclusively for Patreon subscribers. Recently enough supporters liked and wanted to share his episode on how Aristotelian Virtue Ethics apply to Rush Limbaugh that they asked him to release it on the main feed. Enjoy!

Global Elitists vs. Very Loud Populists - Featuring: Joel Stein Feb 19, 2020

Show notes

Joel Stein is the author of "In Defense of Elitism: Why I'm Better Than You and You are Better Than Someone Who Didn't Buy This Book." The former Time columnist explores the new and angry fault line between globalism and populism, drawing upon his travels to the most Trumpian county in America, and meeting populist celebrities Scott Adams and Tucker Carlson.

Ep 34

Who's the Democratic Candidate Gonna Be? Feb 13, 2020

Show notes

Heaton records his New Hampshire experience hitting up Biden, Pete, and Yang rallies, plus thoughts on Warren, Bernie, and Klobuchar. He talks about his all-too-brief love affair with the Andrew Yang candidacy, and most importantly--who's going to scoop up the 2020 Democratic Presidential nomination in the wake of the New Hampshire primary.

Season 2, Ep 33

Don't Screw This Up, New Hampshire Feb 10, 2020

Show notes

The New Hampshire Primary is a slingshot which can land underdogs on top and hobble frontrunners. Heaton travels there to see how the state works, how its people think, and what Tuesday's contest will mean for 2020. He speaks with Neil Levesque of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, and Joe Pace and Russell Dean about the unique way New Hampshirites solve problems at the local level.

Season 2, Ep 32

How to Talk to Insufferable Ideologues - Featuring: Peter Boghossian Feb 06, 2020

Show notes

Peter Boghossian says, "Talking to a person with unshakable belief commitments is like playing chess with someone whose only piece is a hammer." In his book "How to Have Impossible Conversations" he discusses steps we can take to better communicate with people we disagree with. If you've ever walked away from a conversation feeling like you got dragged into a fight, or presented compelling evidence to an unbudging thinker, this episode will change your life! Season 2, Ep. 31

PJ O'Rourke Wants to Leave You Alone Jan 30, 2020

Show notes

PJ O'Rourke is a wry political satirist, HL Mencken Fellow at the Cato Institute, and most recently the author of "None of My Business." He joins Heaton to talk about economics, socialism, term limits, and why America will never ever be Sweden. Season 2, Ep 30

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