S16.E35: Eric Swalwell, Garry Kasparov, Van Jones, Steve Schmidt, and Nancy MacLean

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

Representative Eric Swalwell of California, grandmaster Garry Kasparov, CNN news commentator & host Van Jones,  historian Nancy MacLean, and political strategist and communications expert Steve Schmidt.

Season Finale!

[Frisson]

This was a very smart panel, but none of them seemed to be able to make their point succinctly. I assume that’s part of why Bill kept interrupting some of them before they finished their points, except for Steve Schmidt. I agree with what he says, but I find his delivery grating. 

[Bojangles]

Excellent finale. Steve Schmidt was on fire. Always love Van Jones, and I'd never heard from the chess master or the history professor before but they were also interesting.

Swaldwells's got a bright future, but he's probably too green to make a strong run in 2020

[Mr. R0b0t]

Steve was throwing 100mph fastballs the entire night.  I thought I'd never forgive him for lifting morons like Palin into the national conscious, but he's won me over in the past few years.  

"Hitler did not come to power because fascism was strong, but because democracy was weak."  I've heard him utter this phrase before and in these times it's evergreen.

[iMonrey]

Eric Swalwell seems nice enough but I don't think he's our guy in 2020. I like how both he and Bill defended Nancy Pelosi as speaker. Republicans have been trying to demonize her throughout the election cycle. Ads that ran in my area all tried to tie Democratic candidates to her like that was supposed to scare voters off. 

I groaned when I saw Steve Schmidt's name in the opening credits. I figured he was going to shit all over the gains Democrats made in the election but thankfully both he and Bill stayed off that. Schmidt is another one of those "former" Republicans that goes around trying to pretend he's the voice of reason on the right but all they do is criticize the Democrats. However, he made several good points, including how reveling in ignorance is now the qualification for being a conservative since they all have to deny climate science. It's dastardly and unbelievable in the face of what's going on right now in California. Those pictures were horrifying.

My favorite "headline from the future" was "White woman calls police after seeing black man on box of rice."

Strange new rule, try not to talk politics to each other. A "lets all try to get along" message is unusual for Bill. 

[opus]

Wouldn't "Don't talk politics" eliminate Bill's highest profile gig?

[scrb]

I don't know Swalwell's resume.  Maybe some Democratic activists suggested him to Real Time because he's telegenic and young.

3-term congressman going to Iowa already?

Usually they have to write an influential book or have a great life story or win a state race, something Jason Kander and Beto couldn't do.

Democrats recruited a lot of military veterans this cycle, including many who have Ivy League degrees on top of their military experience, to run for office

So these people are rookies or very green yet.  The plan is probably to see if any of them rises in the next 5-10 years, to see if any of them get national media profile and/or win a Senate or governor seat.

So Swalwell would have to stand out against others, for 2024 or 28.

[ganesh]

3 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I like how both he and Bill defended Nancy Pelosi as speaker. Republicans have been trying to demonize her throughout the election cycle. Ads that ran in my area all tried to tie Democratic candidates to her like that was supposed to scare voters off. 

I don't buy this narrative against Pelosi either. It's like the mafia, you don't whack a good earner. I don't think people would be saying "give someone else a chance" is she was a dude. She's 78. Hatch inexplicably got the medal of freedom and he's nearly *20* years older than her. You don't here, "maybe he shouldn't be pro tem". 

[arachne]

The panel was good -- a couple of people I was not familiar with, and none of them groan-worthy. However, I found "New Rules" kinda weak, especially that last one. Bill and his writers clearly need this break.

Did I hear right, someone on his staff lost their home in all that fire? That sucks mega! 

[lovinbob]

On 11/17/2018 at 4:49 PM, ganesh said:

I don't buy this narrative against Pelosi either. It's like the mafia, you don't whack a good earner. I don't think people would be saying "give someone else a chance" is she was a dude. She's 78. Hatch inexplicably got the medal of freedom and he's nearly *20* years older than her. You don't here, "maybe he shouldn't be pro tem". 

I agree that Pelosi is getting the short end of the misogynist stick here, but Orrin Hatch is only 84.

[ganesh]

You've got to be kidding me. I saw that guy on the plane and he looked so frail that if they turned on the fan he'd fall over. I'm not joking. He looked 157 I swear.