The Mad Centrist

The Mad Centrist

"A sane person to an insane society must appear insane." ― Kurt Vonnegut Jr.Not Mad as in Angry, Mad as in Insane. And in an insane world, the sane are simply Mad.  I am The Mad Centrist.You can be too!The Mad Centrist podcast is a middle ground, pragmatic, politically polite, and irreverently independent show.  Pulling the rug out from beneath Democrats and Republicans alike, while respecting democrats and republican citizens (the distinction between Party and people is critical!).  Amusing anecdotes of the crazy world we find ourselves in, how to maybe get along better, and pull the world back towards sanity, and do so while having some fun!

  1. 6D AGO

    Voting Rights: Cheat or Lose

    Send us Fan Mail Splitting the nation in two is going very well these days. Texas rams through a redistricting effort.  California puts redistricting on the ballot and wins.  Then something happened that brought the Gerrymandering Wars to new heights: Louisiana challenged the Voting Rights Act, and after losing, and losing again on appeal, the Supreme Court heard the case - and this episode was born. Learn about the Voting Rights Act, some history and a little bit about the Constitution and the Southern States that tried to ignore it - successfully for some time.  What changed, what got better, and how it stands now. Notes: Article on the little DC shootout: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/04/secret-service-shoots-armed-man-near-white-house-00905911  Episode 64 on the National Guard: https://www.themadcentrist.com/2079783/episodes  Lyndon B. Johnson, fact check: https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2014/apr/14/barack-obama/lyndon-johnson-opposed-every-civil-rights-proposal/  Government Archives on the Voting Rights Act: https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/voting-rights-act  Shelby v. Holder case: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/570/529/  AP Article with Justice Alito's writing: https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/elections/2026/supreme-court-weakens-the-voting-rights-act-and-aids-gop-efforts-to-control-the-house/  The Guardian article on the wrong data used to strike down the Voting Rights Act: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/08/supreme-court-voting-rights-act-misleading-data-doj?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other  The political podcast for everyone!

    41 min
  2. MAY 6

    TMC - Episode 81: (Almost) War Powers

    Send us Fan Mail Defense Production and War Powers.  What do they have to do with the economy and Spirit Airlines?  And honestly, what are they anyway?  That is what this episode is about - along with a bit of coincidental news and events. Join in! Show Notes: Pope Leo sets a Trump Trap? https://www.thedailybeast.com/pope-leo-launches-scarcely-concealed-attack-on-donald-trump-prompting-evelio-menjivar-ayala/  What Trump thinks about gas prices: https://www.thestreet.com/economy/trump-has-a-blunt-message-on-gas-prices-for-the-rest-of-2026  What is really happening with gas prices: https://www.wsj.com/economy/consumers/americans-spent-125-million-more-on-gas-friday-than-they-did-a-week-ago-0038690c  Spirit Airlines bailout? https://apnews.com/article/spirit-airlines-trump-bailout-bankruptcy-37a4818e1b71c0905d022f669d85948c  Europe feeling the airline squeeze to: https://www.express.co.uk/travel/articles/2192630/european-airports-jet-fuel-shortages-strait-of-hormuz  Trump's lie making us pay? https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/27/trump-keeps-trying-reassure-oil-markets-some-analysts-think-he-making-it-worse-00894257  Trump fleeces MAGA: https://dnyuz.com/2026/05/01/trump-scam-cost-maga-devotees-over-4b-expert/  Inflation is up: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/04/10/business/inflation-cpi-report?unlocked_article_code=1.Z1A.lWpq.orQQtv3FjXv5  Fed gossip! https://www.wsj.com/economy/central-banking/after-months-of-debating-rate-cuts-fed-shifts-toward-mapping-out-hikes-db850f74  Consumer Confidence way down: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/10/consumer-sentiment-inflation-fears-iran-war.html  Write up from Congress on War Powers Resolution: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/COMPS-1508/pdf/COMPS-1508.pdf  The political podcast for everyone!

    41 min
  3. APR 20

    Episode 80: Hope Springs

    Send us Fan Mail Can you feel the tide shift?  Maybe a little? Ukraine, Orban in Hungary, Georgia, Russia, and now...the USA too? A lot of little things are adding up to big things, and I feel the change happening, join me in this episode as I explain what I am feeling to you! Show Notes: Russian economic news: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/putin-finally-admits-russia-s-economy-is-in-trouble-and-grasps-for-answers-after-warnings-about-a-financial-crisis-have-been-piling-up/ar-AA21dDka?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=69e4f95022014979af3d25fd71795431&cvpid=69e4fd2e24e44a348d981a4bc723629d&ei=47  Alex Jones bails on MAGA? https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/alex-jones-in-disbelief-as-trump-s-ceasefire-collapses/ar-AA20rTqC?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=69d6ea8e68b148989a93106a76df294d&ei=26  Trump "wins" a poll in Massachusetts? https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-celebrates-poll-win-over-critics-but-the-numbers-tell-a-different-story/ar-AA21flL1?ocid=hpmsn&cvpid=69e4fd2e24e44a348d981a4bc723629d  Empty seats in AZ: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-greeted-by-empty-seats-at-arizona-rally-leaving-supporters-totally-shocked-report/ar-AA21boqT?ocid=hpmsn  Staffers abandoning ship: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/top-trump-aide-flees-white-house-as-exodus-spirals/ar-AA20R5Tc?ocid=hpmsn  Pope feud! https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/04/19/trump-feud-pope-leo-divides-catholics/89667533007/?tbref=hp  The political podcast for everyone!

    31 min
  4. FEB 25

    Episode 76: Pre-response to the State of the Union

    Send us Fan Mail It is entirely possible that we all know what is going to be said at the State of the Union.  Trump will lie, repeatedly, and declare a bunch of things to be true that are complete fabrications.  But the actual State of the Union? Not all unicorns and rainbows.  But what the heck, let's have fun with it! This was recorded before the SotU address, so prediction veracity might vary. :) Show Notes:  Article on SCOTUS striking down the Tariffs: https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-tariffs-trump-0485fcda30a7310501123e4931dba3f9  The covered-up ICE death from March: https://apnews.com/article/texas-ice-shooting-ruben-ray-martinez-death-646df2f1212fa48d14a9b270f04c3f76  $10B to the Board of Peace: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-says-us-to-contribute-10-billion-for-board-of-peace/  $10B law suit against America/the IRS: https://apnews.com/article/trump-treasury-irs-tax-records-e3a79e1bfdc94a663504754af80ce183  Polling data: https://www.npr.org/2026/02/23/nx-s1-5720975/poll-trump-state-of-the-union-sotu and https://www.huffpost.com/entry/cnn-harry-enten-trump-pre-state-of-the-union-polling-2026_n_699c85e7e4b0f7641da5bf89  Epstein Files cover-up for Trump: https://www.npr.org/2026/02/24/nx-s1-5723968/epstein-files-trump-accusation-maxwell  Courts being ignored: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/trump-appointed-judge-finds-admin-in-civil-contempt/ar-AA1WVzUU?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=699e0a6409f5467f8fbf1ded93191b02&ei=189 and https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/02/18/us/trump-news  Tourism hurting:  https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2026/02/20/us-tourism-trump-slump-2026/  The political podcast for everyone!

    23 min

About

"A sane person to an insane society must appear insane." ― Kurt Vonnegut Jr.Not Mad as in Angry, Mad as in Insane. And in an insane world, the sane are simply Mad.  I am The Mad Centrist.You can be too!The Mad Centrist podcast is a middle ground, pragmatic, politically polite, and irreverently independent show.  Pulling the rug out from beneath Democrats and Republicans alike, while respecting democrats and republican citizens (the distinction between Party and people is critical!).  Amusing anecdotes of the crazy world we find ourselves in, how to maybe get along better, and pull the world back towards sanity, and do so while having some fun!