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 OrphanageThe Original War on Christmas
Jeff Belanger is a journalist, historian, and paranormal investigator. He's the author of "The Fright Before Christmas: Surviving Krampus and Other Yuletide…
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Crime or Punishment in "A Clockwork Orange" (ATA)
Crossover episode from my other podcast, Alienating the Audience: Brian Brushwood and I discuss the ethics of punishment and rehabilitation in "A Clockwork…
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Life After Prison
Syrita Stieb was incarcerated between ages 19 and 29. Today she's the executive director of Operation Restoration, an organization designed to eradicate the…
The Political OrphanageChimp Politics
Dr. Sarah Brosnan is a primatologist and Director of the Primate Cognition, Evolution and Behavior Program at Georgia State University. She joins to discuss…
The Political OrphanageWhat Sparked the Great Awokening
Musa al-Gharbi is the author of "We Have Never Been Woke: The Cultural Contradictions of a New Elite." He join to discuss Elite Overproduction, and how it…
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What Can the President Actually Do on Trade?
James Thatcher (a.k.a "Big Jim") is a trade and logistics expert. He joins the program to discuss what the president can and cannot do when it comes to trade…
The Political OrphanageA Trump Voter and a Kamala Voter Walk Into a Bar…
Andrea Jones-Rooy voted for Kamala Harris. Josh Jennings voted for Donald Trump. We invite both onto our program to air out what they are afraid of, and what…
The Political OrphanageOur Dumb Election: The Musical
A full-scale musical comedy about Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and the ill-fated 2024 election. Enjoy! If you'd like to follow along with the…
The Political OrphanageFlee Not To Canada, My Countrymen (Live Show)
So does America suck if your candidate loses? In this live episode of the show, we hear an uplifting Nazi story, what POW treatment says about American…
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Pitch me on Trump: Austin Petersen
Austin Petersen joins to make the case for why independents should cast their vote for Donald Trump.
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Pitch me on Kamala Harris: Jeremiah Johnson & Jeff Maurer
Jeremiah Johnson of the New Liberal Podcast and Jeff Maurer of I Might Be Wrong join the show to make the case for why independents should vote for Kamala…
The Political OrphanageThe Green Party, War, and Ecosocialism
The Green Party is America's fourth-largest party, and also has sufficient ballot access to have a legal path to an electoral victory. The party is a blend of…
The Political OrphanageCornel West: The People's Party
Cornel West is a philosopher, former professor, and civil rights activist, running for president as the People's Party candidate.
The Political OrphanageChase Oliver: The Libertarian
Chase Oliver is the Libertarian Party's presidential candidate, and the standard bearer for America's third largest political party. He joins to discuss his…
The Political OrphanageHow Tribalism Ruined Politics (NEW HEATON BOOK!)
Why did politics become so nasty, so partisan, so... tribal? Well now. I wrote a book for you on this very subject: "Tribalism is Dumb: Where it Came From, How…
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Paternalism as Class Warfare
Jonathan Ainslie is a law lecturer at the University of Aberdeen, with a focus on Roman Law. He joins the show to discuss free speech rules in the United…
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Kevin Williamson on Political Anxiety, The Future, Eating Cats
Kevin Williamson is national correspondent at The Dispatch, and writer-in-residence at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. He joins to give a thousand-foot…
The Political OrphanageFetishizing Jobs
What if we're focusing on jobs too much? Guy Standing is the author of "The Politics of Time: Gaining Control in the Age of Uncertainty." He joins to discuss…
The Political OrphanageMaybe I'm Wrong About Woke?
What is "woke" exactly? And why is it it irritating? Lawrence Titley joins to make the case that Wokeness is an older historical phenomenon of loudly drawing…
The Political OrphanageStupid Taxes vs. Smart Taxes
What's the difference between effective, ethical taxes vs. stupid stuff with a bunch of loop holes for rich people? Scott Hodge is President Emeritus & Senior…
The Political OrphanageWhy Nations Fail
How do the histories of countries set up the greater context in which they become rich or poor? Daron Acemoglu believes it boils down to whether or not they've…
The Political OrphanageWhat the DNC Means by "Freedom"
Final thoughts on attending the Democratic National Convention; the underlying ideology and policy goals, and who will win in the face off between Kamala…
The Political OrphanageThe Good and Bad on Tim Walz
Who's this Tim Walz guy? Live from the Democratic National Convention, we go into his National Guard record, his tenure in Congress and as governor of…
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How to Stop A Drug Cartel
El Salvador used to be the murder capital of the world. Now it's arguably as safe as Canada. In 2019 Nayib Bukele became president, and initiated a draconian…
The Political OrphanageCollapse of the Middle: Scott Klug
Scott Klug is a former representative from Wisconsin, and the host of the podcast Lost in the Middle. He joins to discuss partisanship, "both sideism" and…
The Political OrphanageThe College Cartel
Why is college so expensive, and also, why do rich families keep trying to bribe their ways into the most elite schools? Sahaj Sharda is the author of "The…
The Political OrphanageMatt Taibbi Against the Gatekeepers
Matt Taibbi is an independent journalist and winner of the National Magazine Award. Formerly a gonzo journalist at Rolling Stone, he now runs Racket News. He…
The Political OrphanageHulk Hogan Formally Endorses Donald Trump
Thoughts on Donald Trump's acceptance speech at the 2024 RNC Convention. AND what happens next, at the forthcoming DNC bloodbath.
The Political OrphanageSo Who's this Vance, Then?
Donald Trump has tapped J. D. Vance of Ohio as his running mate, cementing the Republican Party as a populist movement--and ending the old balance between…
The Political OrphanageBad Takes on a Near Miss
Some takes on bad takes following the assassination attempt, followed by rambling but heartfelt plea not to shoot each other.
The Political OrphanageThe Tory Downfall and What it Means
The British Labour Party just picked up dizzying, historical amounts of seats in Parliament, at the expense of the Conservative Party. Is it just the pendulum…
The Political OrphanageHomeless Thought Experiments
In City of Grants Pass v. Johnson the Supreme Court rejects Martin vs. Boise, which forbade cities from dispersing homeless encampments if there weren't…
The Political OrphanagePresidential Immunity & Death Squads
This week the United States Supreme Court ruled on Donald Trump, and subsequently, on immunities afforded to the president and former presidents. In this…
The Political OrphanageBump Stocks, Guns, and Psycho Ex-Boyfriends
On this episode of Judge Week we tackle two Supreme Court decisions pertaining to firearms: United States v. Rahimi, and Garland vs. Cargill. Anastasia Boden…
The Political OrphanageChevron is Dead
The Chevron Doctrine is the longtime bete noir of conservatives and libertarians hostile to the administrative state. Tim Sandefur of the Goldwater Institute…
The Political OrphanageDebate!: The Musical
Part 1: Debate: The Musical! Part 2: Andrew Heaton and Justin Robert Young give intial thoughts directly after the debate. Tips: Paypal…
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The War On Prices
Ryan Bourne is the former head of public policy at the Institute of Economic Affairs in the United Kingdom, an economist at the Cato Institute, and editor and…
The Political OrphanageRFK, Jr. in Terms of Vaccines, Peace, Inflation & Spoilers
Is Robert Kennedy, Jr. a nutbag or a truth-telling disruptor? Can he actually win the presidency, or just spoil it? In this episode we tackle RFK. Part 1…
The Political OrphanageThe Economics of Midlife Crises
Jonathan Rauch is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a contributing writer at The Atlantic, and the author of the book "The Happiness Curve: Why…
The Political OrphanagePresenting LPS: America's Most Colorful Quack
John Romulus Brinkley became wealthy, famous, and powerful as one of America's most colorful, ludicrous quacks. He made his fortune by "curing" male impotence…
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Trump Conviction: Kangaroo Court or Al Capone?
Last week a New York court found former president Donald Trump guilty on thirty-four felony counts. Is this rule of law in action, or a corrupt judiciary…
The Political OrphanageBatya Ungar-Sargan on the Working Class
What are the insecurities of the Working Class, and what policies hurt or exploit them? Batya Ungar-Sargon is an editor at Newsweek and the author of Second…
The Political OrphanageThe Difference Between Psychopaths and Sociopaths
Daniel J. Fox, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist in Texas, international speaker, and multiple-award winning author. He has been specializing in the treatment…
The Political OrphanageHow Nations Escape Poverty
Dr. Rainer Zitelmann is the author of "How Nations Escape Poverty: Vietnam, Poland, and the Origins of Prosperity." He joins to discuss the efficacy of…
The Political OrphanageCicero and the Founding Fathers
Jeffrey Rosen is a legal scholar and the President of the National Constitution Center. He's the author "the Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on…
The Political OrphanageCollege Campuses Are So Very Very Passionate (WSPN)
Protests over Israel and Hamas have become so heated at Columbia that it's canceled in-person classes the rest of the semester. Anti-Israel protests are…
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Understanding Immigration Through Circus Folk
James Judkins started out as a circus worker, eating swords and fire, then working up to ringleader and manager. As a talent scout operating in other…
The Political OrphanageWas Life Easier in the Fifties?
There's a pervasive idea that in the 1950s America had single-earner families who could more easily afford housing, car payments, groceries and college, so…
The Political OrphanageWhat People Get Wrong About A. I.
Tom Merritt of Daily Tech News joins to discuss the underlying technology of AI and Large Language Models, and what people get wrong about both. Pre-order…
The Political OrphanageWhy Violent Crime is Up
Jennifer Doleac is Executive Vice President of Criminal Justice at Arnold Ventures, a major funder of criminal justice research and reform in the United…
The Political OrphanageJust How Much Fraud is in Government?
Adam Andrzejewski is CEO and Founder of Open The Books, an organization which files thousands of FOIA requests each year to document and expose government…
The Political OrphanageTotalitarianism and the Gays
Jonathan Rauch of the Brookings Institution joins to discuss the most openly totalitarian period of American history: the Lavender Scare. And to point out that…
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Trump, RICO Law, and Lawyer Sex
Donald Trump is being prosecuted under RICO law in Georgia, wherein District Attorney Fanni Willis has charged him and parts of his campaigns as criminal…
The Political OrphanageThe Economics of Illegal Immigration
In this travel episode our intrepid hosts journeys to McAllen, TX on the US-border to see the river, the wall, and to interview employers who hire immigrants…
The Political OrphanageThe New Mao
Xi Xinping, the leader of China, has dramatically consolidated power and extended his reign indefinitely. What does he think and what does he want? Steve Tsang…
The Political OrphanageAmerica is Eleven Different Countries
Rudyard William Lynch is the host of WhatifAlHist, a popular history channel on YouTube. He joins to discuss how the origins and circumstances of America's…
The Political OrphanageWorking with Commies and Frenchmen
Alain Bertaud is a feted urbanist, who before becoming a professor at NYU, worked in city planning in communist China, as well as on projects in Algeria, Cuba…
The Political OrphanageThe Politics of Artificial Intelligence
Is AI biased towards a particular viewpoint, and if so, how does it affect national sentiment and elections? Maxim Lott has built an AI tracking website that…
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The Two Kinds of Independents
I flew to New Hampshire to check out the primaries, and to visit this historically independent-minded state to see how independents think. In this episode we…
The Political OrphanageKnocking Trump Off the Ballot
Donald Trump has been removed from the ballot in Colorado and in Maine, on the grounds that he is an insurrectionist ineligible to hold office under the U.S…