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 Orphanage
Rush Limbaugh and Virtue Ethics - BONUS
Every week Heaton makes a special bonus episode of the show exclusively for Patreon subscribers. Recently enough supporters liked and wanted to share his…
The Political OrphanageGlobal Elitists vs. Very Loud Populists - Featuring: Joel Stein
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…
The Political OrphanageWho's the Democratic Candidate Gonna Be?
Heaton records his New Hampshire experience hitting up Biden, Pete, and Yang rallies, plus thoughts on Warren, Bernie, and Klobuchar. He talks about his…
- The Political Orphanage
Don't Screw This Up, New Hampshire
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…
The Political OrphanageHow to Talk to Insufferable Ideologues - Featuring: Peter Boghossian
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…
The Political OrphanagePJ O'Rourke Wants to Leave You Alone
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…
The Political OrphanageHow to Unstuck Idiot Political Beliefs
How do people wind up with their deepest political convictions? How and when do they change? Dr. Andrea Jones-Rooy is a political scientist, standup comedian…
The Political OrphanageTim Heidecker & Gregg Turkington on Political Satire
Ep. 28 Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington are two notorious comedians, famous for "Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!" and the character Neil Hamburger…
The Political OrphanageWhat the Hell is Happening with Iran?! Featuring: Matt Welch
Ep. 27 So are we going to war with Iran or not? Why did we blow up some guy, and was it a good idea to do so? What about legal? Matt Welch, host of "The Fifth…
The Political OrphanageJohn McAfee Is On The Lam!
Ep. 26 John McAfee is a cybersecurity expert, international fugitive, and political activist. He joins Heaton to discuss his 2020 presidential campaign, and…
The Political OrphanageAnother Snuffy's Christmas
The Political Orphanage's oldest and most enthusiastic show sponsor, Snuffy's Off Route 44, has kindly offered to pay for this year's Christmas special. On the…
The Political OrphanageHow to Fix American Healthcare in Under an Hour - Featuring: Rick Ungar
Is it better to use the government to expand coverage, or rely on markets to lower prices? Rick Ungar joins Heaton for a policy discussion about problems and…
The Political OrphanageThe Future of Space Exploration - Featuring: Astronaut Tom Jones
Dr. Tom Jones is an astronaut and the author of "Sky Walking: An Astronaut's Memoir" and joins Heaton to discuss what life is like in space and what the future…
The Political OrphanageThe Trump Impeachment is Basically Caddyshack - Featuring: Michael Baranowski
On this episode we take a big picture view of impeachment--what's it's role in government and what's the nature of the presidency? Michael Baranowski of The…
The Political OrphanagePopehat: Speech That Gets You Tossed in Prison - Featuring: Ken White
Ken White is a First Amendment litigator, lawblogger at Popehat.com, and the hilarious Twitter personality Popehat. He joins Heaton to talk about Free Speech…
The Political OrphanageI Am Betting Money Hillary Doesn't Run - Featuring J. M. Jennings
There have been three headlines this last week hinting at a resurgent Hillary Clinton campaign in 2020. Heaton thinks it's balderdash. His friend and former…
The Political OrphanageTaxing Billionaires into Extinction - Featuring: Josie "The Red-Headed Libertarian"
Notable billionaire and possible Keebler elf Michael Bloomberg has thrown his hat into the presidential ring as a Democrat. Meanwhile Bernie Sanders wants to…
The Political OrphanageA Comedian Runs for Congress - Featuring: Mike Larsen
Mike Larsen is a former writer for The Drew Carey Show and Real Time with Bill Maher. He also worked for Congress as the press secretary for Representative…
The Political OrphanageJesus Christ Did Not Personally Consecrate Trump - Featuring: Ben Howe
Ben Howe joins to discuss his book "The Immoral Majority: Why Evangelicals Chose Power Over Christian Values." The episodes covers everything from Persia's…
The Political OrphanageHillary Clinton and Tulsi Gabbard Slapfight - Featuring: Justin Robert Young
Shots fired! Hillary Clinton is accusing Tulsi Gabbard of being a Russian asset. Tulsi Gabbard says Hillary Clinton is a corrupt warmonger. How exactly does…
The Political OrphanageWhy Republicans and Democrats Think Differently - Featuring: Dr. Matt Grossmann
Republicans and Democrats don't just have different goals and platforms, they literally think and organize differently. Dr. Matt Grossmann joins Heaton to…
The Political OrphanageRanting About Scotch Tariffs! Featuring: Jeremey Kareken and Eric Boehm
This month America's ridiculous trade policies are going to jack scotch prices up by 25%! Heaton calls in Reason's Eric Boehm and playwright/free market…
The Political OrphanageSteampunk Gun Control Solutions - Featuring: Charles Cooke
Charles Cooke is the editor of National Review Online (Interview begins at 19:55), and an author, pundit, and frequent television guest on programs like "Real…
The Political OrphanageTrump and Ukraine (But also Aliens) - Featuring: Turner Sparks & Brian Sack
Comedians Turner Sparks and Brian Sack join Heaton to discuss: The Area 51 Raid The Climate Change Strike Justin Trudeau's makeup choice Donald Trump, Ukraine…
The Political OrphanageWhich Democrat Would You Go Camping With? Featuring: David Carl & Jeremy Kareken
Comedian David Carl and playwright Jeremy Kareken join Heaton to discuss how vaping could save or kill America, the next step for John Bolton's mustache, and…
The Political OrphanageIceland: Ally, Neighbor, Lover, Volcano
While visiting Iceland for very legal, very unsuspicious reasons, Heaton interviews two prominent Icelandic comedians--Ari Eldjárn and Helgi Steinar--to learn…
The Political OrphanageGrover Norquist Goes to Burning Man
Burning Man is a giant, 80,000-person party in the desert, complete with a crazy amount of neon, bicycles, and narcotics. Grover Norquist is a powerful…
The Political OrphanageDave Barry Is Running for President!
Dave Barry (interview at 24:35) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist, the author of scads of books, fellow band member with Stephen King, and Heaton's personal…
- The Political Orphanage
Bernie vs. Elizabeth Warren - Featuring: Justin Robert Young & Brian Brushwood
Justin Robert Young and Brian Brushwood join Heaton to discuss how and if Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren differ, if at all. Has anyone seen them at the…
The Political OrphanageThe Last English Libertarian - Featuring: Dominic Frisby
Dominic Frisby is a comedian, musician, and author, and his show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is "Libertarian Love Songs." He joins Heaton to discuss…
The Political OrphanageScottish Political Correctness - Featuring: Leo Kearse
Leo Kearse is Scotland's Comedian of the Year from 2018, and might well be the only conservative Scottish joke monger. He's presently performing at the…
- The Political Orphanage
DEFECTORS! Justin Amash, Lincoln Chafee, Bill Weld, Mark Sanford - Featuring: Rick Ungar
Justin Amash recently bolted from the GOP, either out of protest or to run for president as a Libertarian or both. Former governor, senator, and Democratic…
- The Political Orphanage
George Will Saves America, Baseball, the GOP, etc.
George F. Will is a Pulitzer-prize winning columnist and the author of the new book "The Conservative Sensibility." He joins the podcast to discuss his latest…
The Political OrphanageIs Women's Soccer and/or the Wage Gap Real? Featuring: Turner Sparks & Andrea Jones-Rooy
The US Women's Soccer Team won the World Cup this week, but gets payed less than their male equivalents. Is this blatant sexism? Market efficiencies?…
The Political OrphanageShould We Add Another Thousand Congressmen?
It's the first episode of the new series! Host Andrew Heaton is joined by podcast warlords Brian Brushwood and Justin Robert Young, to discuss: Should the…
The Political OrphanageEp 142 | The Final Episode
Heaton comes on the show one last time to conclude 'Something's Off with Andrew Heaton'.
The Political OrphanageEp 141 | The Fermi Paradox | Guest: Jennings
Heaton's producer Jennings sits in on the show to discuss the Fermi Paradox, science fiction, and a host of other fun topics.
The Political OrphanageEp 140 | What Is 'Bladerunner' Really About? | Guest: Ben Domenech
Ben Domenech sits down with Heaton in studio to talk about 'Blade Runner' and 'Blade Runner 2049', robots in our daily lives, and the beautiful coldness of Han…
The Political OrphanageEp 139 | 'Unsolved Mysteries' Meets 'In Search of Bigfoot' | Guest: Jennings
On this installment of the Friday Release Valve, Heaton's producer Jennings comes on to sort through the week's better headlines, from backfiring high school…
The Political OrphanageEp 138 | The New Right, the Alt Right, and the Evangelical Left | Guest: Michael Malice
Michael Malice is the author of The New Right: A Journey to the Fringe of American Politics. He talks to Heaton about the ethics of trolling, progressive…
The Political OrphanageEp 137 | Kim Kardashian Will Run for President | Guest: Justin Robert Young
Justin Robert Young explains why Kim Kardashian will run for president, why she'll be an unstoppable media bulldozer when she does, and which political party…
The Political OrphanageEp 136 | We Don't Need No Stinkin' Marriage Licenses | Guest: Tom Brennan
George Washington didn't have a marriage license; why should you? Heaton rants about why the government should get out of the marriage business altogether…
The Political OrphanageEp 135 | How to Actually Unplug from the Grid | Guests: Chris Moody and Cristi Moody
Former CNN correspondent Chris Moody and his wife Cristi Moody sold all their stuff, outfitted a van, and spent the year driving around America on the cheap…
The Political OrphanageEp 134 | North Korean Snake Bile Whiskey | Guest: Jaron Myers
Comedian Jaron Myers rejoins Heaton to sort out the week's more obscure headlines, from Venezuelan criminals running out of bullets to Russian communists…
The Political OrphanageEp 133 | Everything You Know About Nukes Is Wrong | Guest: Ward Wilson
What if dropping bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki isn't what corked off World War II? How tactically useful are nukes, and how many times have we almost…
The Political OrphanageEp 132 | We Should Absolutely Legalize Mushrooms | Guest: Mike Riggs
Denver just became the first city in the U.S. to decriminalize hallucinogenic mushrooms, and Oakland, CA, is eyeballing a similar measure. Heaton brings on…
The Political OrphanageEp 131 | Justin Amash Goes Rogue on Trump | Guest: Brian Brushwood
A lone Republican congressman is calling for Trump's impeachment. Podcaster and magician Brian Brushwood joins Heaton to investigate the case and to make an…
The Political OrphanageEp 130 | Can Ravens Save Britain from Brexit Apocalypse? Friday Release Valve | Guest: Turner Sparks
From human composting to poop-stained checks; from a comedian disbanding the Ukrainian Parliament to a restaurant where you have to bring your own table, the…
The Political OrphanageEp 129 | Time to Put Your Brain in a Computer | Guest: Robin Hanson
Are we approaching a time when we will be able to download our consciousness into a computer? If so, what will that do to our lifestyle, economy, etc...? Robin…
The Political OrphanageEp 128 | Am I a Neoliberal Shill? Are You? | Guest: Colin Mortimer
Have you seen the term "neoliberal" floating around the political sphere? Has someone ever thrown a tomato at you and insisted you're a neoliberal shill?…
The Political OrphanageEp 127 | Bail Ideas for When I Finally Get Arrested | Guest: Andrea Coleman
Comedian and attorney Andrea Coleman joins Heaton to talk about ways to improve bail bonds to make sure people get detained for flight risks, not lack of cash…
The Political OrphanageEp 126 | John Bolton is the World's Most Dangerous Mustache | Guest: Jason Buttrill
Tensions are escalating with Iran. Are we cruising towards war or just blustering? Jason Buttrill joins Heaton to explain the Trump Doctrine and whether or not…
The Political OrphanageEp 125 | Would You Campaign on Pornhub? | Guest: Kevin Seefried
Comedian Kevin Seefried joins Heaton to suss out the week's better headlines, from shark thieves to legally-mandated polygamy to why psychics should be paid…
The Political OrphanageEp 124 | These Damn College Kids! | Guest: Robby Soave
In the era of radical identitarian politics, where unthinking vitriol and sometimes even violence abounds, more and more we are in need of sane voices in…
The Political OrphanageEp 123 | Alienating the Audience: Game of Thrones | Guest: Grant Carlisle
It's time for an industrial helping of high-grade nerd chat about Game of Thrones. Heaton talks to policy wonk and lifelong nerd Grant Carlisle about the…
The Political OrphanageEp 122 | What the Hell is 'Dark Money'? | Guest: Dave Levinthal
How much do you have to pay to swing an ambassadorship? What is Citizens United and why do people loathe it? Heaton talks with Dave Levinthal, senior reporter…
The Political OrphanageEp 121 | Mother's Day Special
It's that time of year again! The mistletoe is hanging in the doorway, all the snow has been shoveled, and there's a glass of wine just waiting on the kitchen…
The Political OrphanageEp 120 | The Spy Whale Who Loved Me | Guest: Lou Perez
Comedian Lou Perez joins Heaton for a Friday Release Valve episode to discuss the silliest headlines of the week: Some sheep go to school, chicken nugget ice…
The Political OrphanageEp 119 | How Harlots Saved America | Guest: Thaddeus Russell
What if history isn't a string of great man biopics or a struggle between conservatives and progressives? What if it's a battle of disciplinarians against…
The Political OrphanageEp 118 | A Great Way to Screw Up the Economy | Guest: Jeremy Kareken
The market tumbled yesterday after Donald Trump threatened to double down on tariffs. Heaton explains Comparative Advantage with a brilliant scotch analogy…