The Politics Guys

Michael Baranowski

The Politics Guys is an independent, ideologically diverse American politics and policy podcast hosted by experts: political scientists, law professors, and practicing attorneys with government experience. Our mission is to give listeners a much-needed break from conservative and liberal echo chambers through civil, rational, and evidence-based discussion of American politics and policy from multiple perspectives.

  1. 1d ago

    Iran Deal, Paxton’s Texas Win, and the Redistricting Arms Race

    Mike, Michael, and Russ open with the tentative U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding and whether it amounts to a real end to the war or just a pause. Michael argues that the deal mostly returns the conflict to where it began while leaving the hardest nuclear questions unresolved. Russ is skeptical that either side is treating the deal with the seriousness it deserves, seeing mostly clashing egos and weak incentives. Mike argues the deal may be worse than the old Iran nuclear agreement because Iran now has stronger reasons to pursue a weapon and fewer reasons to trust U.S. guarantees. Next, the guys turn to Texas, where Ken Paxton’s decisive runoff win over John Cornyn raises questions about Republican Senate prospects and Democratic opportunities. Russ sees Paxton’s win less as pure Trump power than as a sign that Cornyn’s voters lacked enthusiasm while Paxton’s stayed engaged. Mike argues Trump likely endorsed the probable winner to preserve his image of party control, even if Paxton is a weaker general-election candidate. Michael says Paxton may force Republicans to spend heavily in Texas, which could indirectly help Democrats elsewhere even if Texas itself remains a long shot. The guys close with the escalating redistricting fight after new developments in Louisiana, Alabama, South Carolina, Florida, and Tennessee. Mike argues Republican gains from mid-decade redistricting probably will not be enough to save the House if the national environment stays hostile to Trump. Russ says Democrats remain too attached to moral restraint while Republicans are pressing every institutional advantage available. Michael warns that the country is entering a destabilizing race to the bottom, where both parties may keep redrawing maps whenever power shifts. Get 20% off ProTek watches with code Mikeb here. Check out the Future of Our Former Democracy podcast  The Politics Guys on Facebook | X Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. The Politics Guys 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. The guys close with the escalating redistricting fight after new developments in Louisiana, Alabama, South Carolina, Florida, and Tennessee. Mike argues Republican gains from mid-decade redistricting probably will not be enough to save the House if the national environment stays hostile to Trump. Russ says Democrats remain too attached to moral restraint while Republicans are pressing every institutional advantage available. Michael warns that the country is entering a destabilizing race to the bottom, where both parties may keep redrawing maps whenever power shifts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    59 min
  2. May 22

    Incumbent Purge, Anti-Weaponization Fund, Senate War Powers Breakthrough Vote, Raúl Castro

    Trey and Justin kick off this week’s episode by examining the shifts in this week’s primary elections. Trey argues the GOP has firmly solidified into a MAGA populist party. They highlight the historic and incredibly expensive defeat of long-time incumbent Representative Thomas Massie in Kentucky to a Trump-backed challenger, alongside Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy placing a distant third in his own state's primary race. The pair also discuss the increase in party-line voting.  Next, the pair dive into a staggering one-page settlement published by the DOJ which permanently bars the government from ever auditing or pursuing tax claims against Donald Trump or his family. Arising from a lawsuit over leaked tax data, Trump bypassed a cash payout to establish a $1.776 billion taxpayer-funded "anti-weaponization fund" that Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche testified features no limitations, potentially directing funds to individuals convicted in the January 6th Capitol riots. While Justin details the profound corruption and the constitutional objections raised under the 14th Amendment’s insurrection clause, Trey emphasizes that the fund will likely prove highly popular among a dedicated third of the American electorate. After that, they move to the Senate where the Trump administration suffered a symbolic 50 to 47 loss on a War Powers Resolution aimed at forcing a halt to all unauthorized military operations in Iran. Fresh off his primary defeat, Senator Cassidy joined a handful of Republicans to cross party lines, though House leadership subsequently denied a vote on the measure to stall it until after the Memorial Day recess. Both hosts agree the measure is ultimately a toothless piece of political theater destined for a presidential veto, reflecting less of a seismic shift in congressional backbone and more of an electoral panic among marginal swing-district Republicans facing $4.50 gas prices and a multi-billion dollar war toll. Finally, the duo analyzes the newly unsealed federal criminal indictment charging 94-year-old former Cuban President Raúl Castro with murder and conspiracy stemming from the 1996 attack on two civilian aircraft. Trey and Justin question whether this legal maneuver provides genuine justice or functions merely as a ham-fisted pretense for military intervention to topple a new regime. Check out the ⁠⁠Future of Our Former Democracy⁠⁠ podcast  Read ⁠Trey's Substack⁠ for a deep dive into the Federalist Papers⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Politics Guys on ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠X⁠⁠ Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at⁠⁠ patreon.com/politicsguys⁠⁠ or⁠⁠ politicsguys.com/support⁠⁠. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys. The Politics Guys 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 5m

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4.4
out of 5
750 Ratings

About

The Politics Guys is an independent, ideologically diverse American politics and policy podcast hosted by experts: political scientists, law professors, and practicing attorneys with government experience. Our mission is to give listeners a much-needed break from conservative and liberal echo chambers through civil, rational, and evidence-based discussion of American politics and policy from multiple perspectives.

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