Shows / The Political Orphanage
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.
Episodes
The Political OrphanageEp 117 | Criminology Lessons from a Prison Rodeo | Guest: German Lopez
It's expensive maintaining the largest prison population on the entire planet, but we've managed to do it for several decades. German Lopez, senior…
The Political OrphanageEp 116 | How We Beat Those Neanderthals | Guest: Natalia Reagan
Comedian and primatologist Natalia Reagan joins Heaton to talk about hominids, the human family tree, and the time when Homo sapiens weren't the only smart…
The Political OrphanageEp 115 | The World's Sexiest Accent | Guest: Brian Sack
Comedy writer Brian Sack joins Heaton for a Friday Release Valve episode to sort the world's better headlines: from the worst use of parking spaces ever, to a…
The Political OrphanageEp 114 | Why Do We Love Conspiracy Theories? | Guest: Jesse Walker
What's in the DNA of a conspiracy theory, and when does it go from benign to dangerous? Jesse Walker is author of "The United States of Paranoia: A Conspiracy…
The Political OrphanageEp 113 | That's Not Socialism, Dammit! | Guest: Justin Haskins
People don't really like pointing to Venezuela, Cambodia, Cuba, or the Soviet Union when they talk about socialism. (What with the deaths.) They like to…
The Political OrphanageEp 112 | The Student Loan Bubble Is Filled with Swamp Gas | Guest: Royce Sharp
Student loan debt has surpassed $1.5 trillion dollars — more than credit card debt — prompting some ascendant Democrats to push for loan cancellation and…
The Political OrphanageEp 111 | Good Fare, Bad Fare, We All Scream for Welfare | Guest: Deanna Easley
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…
The Political OrphanageEp 110 | The Time the Brits Accused Me of Gun-Smuggling | Guest: Bridget Phetasy
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…
The Political OrphanageEp 109 | Loneliness Is Worse for Cities than Godzilla | Guest: Tim Carney
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…
The Political OrphanageEp 108 | Am I Castrating Libertarians? | Guest: Gene Epstein
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…
The Political OrphanageEp 107 | Conservatives on Climate Change | Guest: Stu Burguiere
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.
The Political OrphanageEp 106 | Capitalist Solutions to Global Warming | Guest: Jerry Taylor
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…
The Political OrphanageEp 105 | Why Robots Will Never Replace Comedians — Friday Release Valve | Guest: Andrea Jones-Rooy
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…
The Political OrphanageEp 104 | This Historian Can Predict Your Politics by Your Age | Guest: Neil Howe
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…
The Political OrphanageEp 103 | How to Liposuction Bile out of Politics | Guest: Arthur Brooks
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…
The Political OrphanageEp 102 | Bernie Sanders Visits Rupert Murdoch's Death Star | Guest: Brian Brushwood
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…
The Political OrphanageEp 101 | Can Space Force Stop Somali Rocket Pirates? | Guest: Anthony Colangelo
Is a U.S. Space Force an inevitable step to protecting satellites and commercial space activities, or just an expensive exercise in shuffling Pentagon…
The Political OrphanageEp 100 | Playboy Bunny Lawn Ornaments—Friday Release Valve | Guest: Jaron Myers
Comedian Jaron Myers joins Heaton to probe the more obscure headlines of the week, from an incredibly polite Canadian car theft mystery, to robot burglars, to…
The Political OrphanageEp 99 | A British Slum Doctor Tackles Poverty | Guest: Theodore Dalrymple
Poverty and low standards of living are often thought to be the outcome of those at the financial and social top standing on the backs of everyone else. But…
The Political OrphanageEp 98 | I Want to Build a Moon Base | Guest: Robert Zubrin
We've been to the moon a couple of times to collect rocks and go golfing, but what benefits would we get from building a permanent colony? Robert Zubrin is the…
The Political OrphanageEp 97 | Is Batman Libertarian? — Alienating the Audience | Guest: Megan Sass
Comedian and comic book guru Megan Sass joins Heaton on "Alienating the Audience" to talk about superhero politics. How do Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman…
The Political OrphanageEp 96 | How to Make Partisan Hacks Nervous | Guest: Dan Fishman
Every election, we're told we can either vote for the lesser of two besuited sociopaths or throw our vote away on a doomed third-party candidate. (At which…
The Political OrphanageEp 95 | Improve CNN by Adding Bears | Guest: Jimmy Failla
Comedian Jimmy Failla returns to help sort out the week's more obscure headlines: from marathon endurance singing, to football skulls, to why Uri Geller is a…
The Political OrphanageEp 94 | The Politics of Dune: Alienating the Audience | Guest: Ben Brockschmidt
Heaton goes on a melange-fueled sci-fi plunge in this special installment of "Alienating the Audience" about the politics and economics of Frank Herbert's…
The Political OrphanageEp 93 | Where Can We Touch Joe Biden? | Guest: Negin Farsad
Can Uncle Joe climb out of the vat of #MeToo he seems to have fallen into? What are his policy priorities, and can he win the Democratic nomination despite…
The Political OrphanageEp 92 | Jesus, Sex, and Reality TV | Guest: Phil Robertson
Heaton invites on BlazeTV's Phil Robertson, of "Duck Dynasty" fame, to talk about how secular and spiritual people can get along and, to a lesser extent, to…
The Political OrphanageEp 91 | Something Polish This Way Comes | Guest: Brian Sack
Poland is part of NATO and an EU member state, but it's veering towards nationalism and populism and some other unsavory developments. Brian Sack, comedian and…
The Political OrphanageEp 90 | Donkeyball and Competitive Russian Slapfighting—Friday Release Valve / Guest: Turner Sparks
Comedian Turner Sparks climbs aboard the podcast to discuss the week's more obscure headlines, from calls in Ireland to use the army to fight deer…
The Political OrphanageEp 89 | Adam Smith & The Wealth of Nations | Guest: P.J. O'Rourke
Adam Smith got the party started, alternately lambasting feudalists and mercantilists and paving the way for a more free and prosperous world. Legendary…
The Political OrphanageEp 88 | 'Pervert Capitalism' | Guest: Rick Ungar
When do corporations go from valid money-making operations to amoral schemers living off the public dole? What obligations do companies have to their…
The Political OrphanageEp 87 | Boost Your Widget Sales Through Tribalism | Guest: Mike May
Mike May is a business strategist in Washington, D.C. He joins Heaton to discuss how major corporations are embracing tribalism, either to promote change or to…
The Political OrphanageEp 86 | The Mueller Probing | Guest: Justin Robert Young
After two years, the Russian collusion investigation has come up empty, so it looks like Robert Mueller won't be frog-marching Donald Trump out of the White…
The Political OrphanageEp 85 | The Very Last Blockbuster — Friday Release Valve | Guest: Remy Munasifi
Remy, musical comedian and Reason heartthrob, joins Heaton to work through the week's more obscure headlines, including alligators on ketamine, communism…
The Political OrphanageEp 84 | How to Grok North Korea | Guest: Michael Malice
"Dear Reader: An Unauthorized Autobiography of Kim Jong Il" combined North Korean propaganda and history, from the perspective of its most infamous dictator…
The Political OrphanageEp 83 | The Age We Should Legally Vote/Drink/Shoot/Mate | Guest: Matt Kibbe
Democrats are kicking around the idea of lowering the voting age to 16. Meanwhile, you can join the army at 18 and drink when you're 21. When should government…
The Political OrphanageEp 82 | The President as Father, Warrior, Chaplain, Celebrity, Lover ... | Guest: Rob Montz
Documentary filmmaker Rob Montz joins Heaton to discuss how the American presidency has expanded in power and religious adulation and the huge downside to…
The Political OrphanageEp 81 | Is 'The Orville' More 'Star Trek' than 'Star Trek'? | Guest: Dan Maffei
"Alienating the Audience" returns for a deep dive on science fiction, this time with former congressman and current commissioner of the the Federal Maritime…
The Political OrphanageEp 80 | Whales on Ambien—Friday Release Valve | Guest: Chad Prather
Comedian and BlazeTV host Chad Prather joins Heaton to make sense of the week's better headlines, from a goat mayor in Vermont, to whales, ambien, and…
The Political OrphanageEp 79 | Donald Trump's Social Media Sledgehammer | Guest: Dr. Brian Ott
Twitter nabbed Trump an eager pool of followers in 2016, and millions of unearned media attention from his detractors. How is Twitter uniquely suited to his…
The Political OrphanageEp 78 | You Can't Undo a Hanging | Guest: Jason Buttrill
California's death row inmates got a reprieve this week from Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom, who issued a moratorium on executions. It's kicked the issue of the…
The Political OrphanageEp 77 | The Least and Most Partisan Counties in America | Guest: Andrea Jones-Rooy
Where do non-partisan people tend to live? What factors are most associated with political prejudice? Comedian and political scientist Dr. Andrea Jones-Rooy…
The Political OrphanageEp 76 | The FDA Mirage | Guest: Stu Burguiere
The head of the Food & Drug Administration, Scott Gottlieb, is leaving, so Heaton is officially nominating Stu Burguiere to be its new commissioner. He talks…
The Political OrphanageEp 75 | Who Has the Biggest Moose? | Guest: Kevin Seefried
Why we should rename Mt. Everest, what hipsters are and aren't, when cemeteries become yoga studios, and the best legislation to come out of Utah—all this on…
The Political OrphanageEp 74 | The Government's Nuclear Doomsday Plans | Guest: Garrett M. Graff
Garrett Graff, author of Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government's Secret Plan to Save ItselfÑWhile the Rest of Us Die joins Heaton to discuss the…
The Political OrphanageEp 73 | Who's The Next Jeb? | Guests: Justin Robert Young & Brian Brushwood
Bernie Sanders John Hickenlooper and (probably soon) Beto O'Rourke have jumped into the already crowded Democratic 2020 primary. Meanwhile Donald Trump has his…
The Political OrphanageEp 72 | The Engorged Presidency | Senator Mike Lee
Senator Mike Lee of Utah joins Heaton to talk about how federalism has become out of whack, and ways to restore balance to the Force.
The Political OrphanageEp 71 | Marie Kondo: An Alternative to Bernie and Tucker | Guest: Katherine Mangu-Ward
Bernie Sanders and Tucker Carlson have both settled onto a single big problem in America—stuff. Katherine Mangu-Ward the Editor-in-Chief of Reason Magazine…
The Political OrphanageEp 70 | Parrots as Anti-Opiod Weaponry: Friday Release Valve | Guest Mike Kaplan
Mike Kaplan, co-host of the "Lost in America Podcast," joins Heaton to sort the week's most baffling headlines. Including: The artistic abilities of pigs…
The Political OrphanageEp 69 | Race as a Social Construct | Guest: Commander Dale Brown
Commander Dale Brown, owner of a private security firm, joins Heaton to talk about the history of racial theory and how ethnicity is a social construct.
The Political OrphanageEp 68 | Will A.I. Murder us to Fight Cancer? | Guests: Joe Leonardo & David Polgar
The Pentagon is ramping up efforts to develop sophisticated AI before China does. What happens if China beats us? Either way, is AI going to murder us in our…
The Political OrphanageEp 67 | Jussie Smollett Loves Subway Sandwiches! | Guest: Turner Sparks
Much like a horrible "Scooby Doo" episode, actor Jussie Smollett's initial hate crime story has fallen apart. The Chicago PD now thinks it was an elaborate…
The Political OrphanageEp 66 | What's More Frightening Than A Nuclear Arms Race? | Guest: Jason Buttrill
President Trump is pulling out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. Does this mean the Ruskies will start cranking out nukes? What about us? Or the…
The Political OrphanageEp 65 | A Bucket of Radioactive Rocks—Friday Release Valve | Guest: Jaron Myers
Standup comedian Jaron Myers joins Heaton for Friday Release Valve, covering absurd headlines throughout the week, including a petition to sell Montana to…
The Political OrphanageEp 64 | "Best Mustache Award," and Other Ways to Fix the Oscars | Guest: Andrew Young
The biggest problem with the Academy Awards is: not enough trophies. Comedian and Hollywood insider Andrew Young joins Heaton to suggest new category awards…
The Political OrphanageEp 63 | The Impact of The Twilight Zone | Guest: James III
"The Twilight Zone" has it all: Cold War hysteria, gremlins, conformity and individualism, robots, totalitarianism, witches—the list goes on. Heaton brings on…
The Political OrphanageEp 62 | The Transgender Military Ban | Guest: Carina Magyar
Standup and transgender comedian Carina Magyar joins Heaton to discuss the military ban, the difference between the "yuck" and "kill" factors, and the…
The Political OrphanageEp 61 | The New Right | Guest: Lauren Chen
Lauren Chen, host of "Roaming Millennial Uncensored," joins Heaton to map out how conservatives in their twenties think, and how the political landscape will…
The Political OrphanageEp 60 | Requiem for the Prince of the Outback
Heaton's personal hero, Prince Leonard, passed away this week, after a storied history of fighting in World War II, declaring independence from Australia, and…
The Political OrphanageEp 59 | Tales from a Sex Cult | Guest: Bridget Phetasy
Bridget Phetasy is a former Playboy Advisor, and presently a writer and standup comedian. Also, she was in a sex cult. Heaton talks to her about dating advice…
The Political OrphanageEp 58 | The Fight over Feminism | Guest: Cathy Reisenwitz
Is the patriarchy the Illuminati with gonads? Where is all the anti-maleness and anti-feminism originating? How do we position ourselves in yon slap fight?…