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:

Ep 111 | Good Fare, Bad Fare, We All Scream for Welfare | Guest: Deanna Easley Apr 29, 2019

Show notes

Deanna Easley rejoins Heaton to talk about welfare: when it works, when it traps, and her experiences on it. Plus, Heaton explains a Biden vs. Trump election through ostrich racing, and producer Jennings comes on with timely feedback.

Ep 110 | The Time the Brits Accused Me of Gun-Smuggling | Guest: Bridget Phetasy Apr 26, 2019

Show notes

Comedian Bridget Phetasy joins Heaton for a Friday Release Valve episode to sort out the week's better headlines, from how the Philippines might trigger World War III, to man-killing birds, to black-market colonoscopies.

Ep 109 | Loneliness Is Worse for Cities than Godzilla | Guest: Tim Carney Apr 25, 2019

Show notes

Did Trump win the election because economically displaced Rust Belt workers wanted a shake-up, or because old white guys can't handle change? Tim Carney rejects that dichotomy and says that the 2016 election had more to do with the nature of the community you hail from: whether it's connected, upwardly mobile, and optimistic, or pessimistic, disconnected, and lonely. His book, "Alienated America: Why Some Places Thrive While Others Collapse," dives into the nature of American communities and why the disappearance of clubs, churches, and diners is hurting the nation economically and psychologically.

Ep 108 | Am I Castrating Libertarians? | Guest: Gene Epstein Apr 24, 2019

Show notes

Gene Epstein is the director and moderator of the New York-based debate society the Soho Forum and formerly the economics editor at Barron's. He's also Heaton's mentor in economics. He comes on the program to chastise Heaton for his ideological foibles, then to talk about why the Federal Reserve Board is horrible and we should scrap it entirely.

Ep 107 | Conservatives on Climate Change | Guest: Stu Burguiere Apr 23, 2019

Show notes

Stu Burguiere joins Heaton to weigh in on climate change as a conservative — how alarmed we should be and what good and bad policies look like.

Ep 106 | Capitalist Solutions to Global Warming | Guest: Jerry Taylor Apr 22, 2019

Show notes

Jerry Taylor, formerly of the Cato Institute and now president of the Niskanen Center, joins Heaton to talk about what pro-market solutions to global warming look like. Plus, Heaton spices up the Mueller report, and a new whisky-based sponsor.

Ep 105 | Why Robots Will Never Replace Comedians — Friday Release Valve | Guest: Andrea Jones-Rooy Apr 19, 2019

Show notes

Back by popular acclaim, Andrea Jones-Rooy joins Heaton to sift through the week's better headlines, from Pennsylvania's new state amphibian, to dog catchers in tanks, to the Japanese version of "Breaking Bad." Plus, why comedians don't need to worry about getting replaced by robots anytime soon.

Ep 104 | This Historian Can Predict Your Politics by Your Age | Guest: Neil Howe Apr 18, 2019

Show notes

Neil Howe is the historian and demographer who coined the term "millennial." He also developed the Strauss-Howe generational theory — the idea that America has four types of generations which go through cycles of history together. He joins Heaton to explain a different way to look at history and to pinpoint where we are in it.

Ep 103 | How to Liposuction Bile out of Politics | Guest: Arthur Brooks Apr 17, 2019

Show notes

Hate is big business right now. So is fear. Arthur Brooks, president of the American Enterprise Institute, joins Heaton to talk about his book Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America from the Culture of Contempt. As well as his new film, "The Pursuit," about the power of markets to solve poverty.

Ep 102 | Bernie Sanders Visits Rupert Murdoch's Death Star | Guest: Brian Brushwood Apr 16, 2019

Show notes

Bernie Sanders just held a town hall with Fox News...and came out on top. Brian Brushwood joins Heaton to slap socialism around, but also point out the surprising policies where Sanders and Trump converge.

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