Best of 2024 | Tom Nichols on Harris-Walz vs. Trump-Vance... and as a special bonus, some Robert DeNiro Jeopardy!

(This was one of my favorite conversations of 2024 partly because Tom and I both did our best Robert DeNiro impressions toward the end.)

Let's talk candidly about why Gov. Josh Shapiro of PA wasn't chosen as Kamala Harris's running mate. Let's also assess the merits and potential drawbacks of Gov. Tim Walz of MN as the Democratic VP candidate. Oh, and while we're at it, how's that J.D. Vance pick working out for the Trump campaign?

 

We're on YouTube! 

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We're joined by Tom Nichols, staff writer at The Atlantic and professor emeritus of national-security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College, to discuss all of this and more! We get into Tom's background in a working-class family, his educational journey, and his career in academia. Tom also discusses his views on democracy, international security, and challenges in contemporary politics. We get to reflect on Tom's Greek Orthodox faith and how it shapes his beliefs, while contrasting his temperamentally and philosophically conservative outlook with the current stance of the Republican Party. Additionally, Tom offers insights on the importance of a balanced media diet in today's political landscape. And since Tom is a 5x Jeopardy champion, we do a little Robert DeNiro-inspired Jeopardy at the end!

 

03:30 Tom Nichols' Background and Upbringing

07:49 Influence of Church and Community

10:49 Orthodox Christianity and Politics

19:51 Political Philosophy and Conservatism

25:49 Discussion on Israel and U.S. Politics

32:56 Debating the Choice Between Shapiro and Walz

33:49 Tim Walz: The Normal Guy in Politics

36:24 Tim Walz's Background and Achievements

40:09 JD Vance: A Controversial Figure

46:40 Kamala Harris's Electability and Political Evolution

53:29 Media Consumption and Political Discourse

 

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Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

 

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