2Political Podcast Episode 132

This episode was delayed, yet again, because Arthur didn’t have enough time. Anyway, here we are—were?

Today’s chat was about the changes to New Zealand’s Covid-19 Alert Level (from 3 down to 2), and what that means. Things will change for us all. The differences in the way NZ and the USA handled the pandemic are huge, but New Zealand has no community transmission, which is very different all by itself. We talk about problems and potential effects of all this for both countries.


Let us know what you think! Everyone’s welcome to leave a comment, agree or disagree.

Arthur’s blog, podcasts and videos can be accessed here.

2Political Podcast Episode 131

This episode was recorded only two weeks ago! Editing was the holdup, as always.

Today’s chat was about all sorts f stuff, most of it around the current crisis. As before, Arthur offers
some information about what’s happening in New Zealand.

Let us know what you think! Everyone’s welcome to leave a comment, agree or disagree.


Arthur’s blog, podcasts and videos can be accessed here.

2Political Podcast Episode 130

This episode was recorded early April, a week after Episode 129, but Arthur caught a cold and wasn’t able to do the editing. We decided to post this episode anyway, but a newer one will be posted in a day or two.

Jason starts off talking about applying for unemployment compensation, like millions of other Americans. That leads us to talk about whether the US can get through this, particularly political incompetence and malfeasance in the USA.

Arthur talks a bit about how New Zealand has faced the crisis very differently, including a very important statement from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Arthur comments the real importance of her statement.

Everyone’s welcome to leave a comment!

Jason’s Blog

Arthur’s blog, podcasts and videos can be accessed here.

2Political Podcast Episode 129

2Political Podcast Episode 129

2Political Podcast Episode 129 is now available. You can listen to it or download it from the podcast site, 2political.com. You can leave comments there as well as download or listen to any episode (you can access the five most recent episodes from the list on the right side of my blog).
his episode was recorded on the first of April (NZDT), but Arthur spent most of the next day fixing the 2Political website, which had “issues”. Oh, well.

We talk about the only real topic there is at the moment. We’re not exactly fans of the way that the current occupant of the White House has “handled” the crisis. Arthur offers some contrasts with what’s happening in New Zealand. Jason also shares one of the coping strategies in his area.
We need to work out what’s next—what will the economy look like after the pandemic is under control? What do we want it to be? Let us know what you think! Everyone's welcome to leave a comment.
Jason’s Blog
Arthur’s blog, podcasts and videos can be accessed here.

2Political Podcast Episode 128

2Political Podcast Episode 128

2Political Podcast Episode 128 is now available. You can listen to it or download it from the podcast site, 2political.com. You can leave comments there as well as download or listen to any episode (you can access the five most recent episodes from the list on the right side of my blog).
This episode has a little bit of a rant. We’ve been provoked—as have we all, actually.

To begin, Arthur explains New Zealand’s lockdown, like what the rules are. So far, people are complying. Much annoyed discussion follows. We also talk about how we’re coping with all this. We even talk about modern TVs!
This is a replacement for an episode we recorded last week, but it was a bad week for me, so I couldn’t finish editing it and, well, it got too old.
Jason’s Blog
Arthur’s blog, podcasts and videos can be accessed here.

2Political Podcast Episode 127

2Political Podcast Episode 127 is now available. You can listen to it or download it from the podcast site, 2political.com. You can leave comments there as well as download or listen to any episode (you can access the five most recent episodes from the list on the right side of my blog).
We’re back! And so soon!
After some currents events and personal stuff, we go to the main topic: Caucuses. We both don’t like them because of how undemocratic they are, and think it’s time for reform. We also talk about some stuff about us at the end.
Everyone's welcome to leave a comment.
Jason’s Blog
Arthur’s blog, podcasts and videos can be accessed here.

2Political Podcast Episode 126

 2Political Podcast Episode 126 is now available. You can listen to it or download it from the podcast site, 2political.com. You can leave comments there as well as download or listen to any episode (you can access the five most recent episodes from the list on the right side of my blog).

Apparently, we’re back. With elections in both New Zealand and the United States this year, how could we NOT resume? Duty calls!

We begin by talking about why, exactly, it’s taken us so long to resume. Basically, life happened, deeply upsetting things that meant we just didn’t want to podcast. But, we’re here again, and soon we’ll start talking politics again.

Everyone’s welcome to leave a comment.

2Political Podcast Episode 124

2Political Podcast Episode 124 is now available. You can listen to it or download it from the podcast site, 2political.com. You can leave comments there as well as download or listen to any episode (you can access the five most recent episodes from the list on the right side of my blog).

We’ve been gone for a long time. This episode is about the unexpected reason for that.

This episode was recorded the end of September, but Arthur’s busy work schedule kept him from editing it. That’s pretty insignificant, really.

Everyone's welcome to leave a comment—agree or disagree!

Links for this episode:
"The day I could have died, but didn’t" The blog post Arthur mentioned, with the commercial he talked about.
Jason’s Blog
Arthur’s blog, podcasts and videos can be accessed here.

2Political Podcast Episode 123

2Political Podcast
Episode 123 is now available. You can listen to it or download it from the
podcast site, 2political.com. You can leave comments there as well as
download or listen to any episode (you can access the five most recent episodes
from the list on the right side of my blog).
We’ve both been very busy with a lot of things that have kept us from podcasting.
Hopefully things will now be better for podcasting.
Today’s episode was recorded last week, right after FBI Director Comey was fired.
We talk about that, what Congress could do to get rid of Don and rate the odds of
them happening. We also talk about what the resistance should do in the next year
or so.
Yes, Jiffy Pop still exists. And, just like Orville Redenbacher’s, it is presently
owned by ConAgra
Everyone's welcome to leave a comment—agree or disagree!
Links for this episode:
"Voters Describe Trump As
‘Idiot’ and ‘Liar’ in Disastrous - New Poll" – By Adam K. Raymond Levitz,
New York Magazine
"High crimes and misdemeanours" –
Arthur’s blog post that quotes the second paragraph of Don’s letter firing Comey
​
"Wisconsin’s Voter-ID Law
Suppressed 200,000 Votes in 2016 (Trump Won by 22,748)" – The
Nation
"The 25th
Amendment to the United States Constitution" – Wikipedia (a good
overview
’I thought it would be easier’ – Arthur’s blog post in which he
wonders if Don was hinting at resigning
Arthur’s blog, podcasts and videos can be accessed here.

​

2Political Lite! — Episode One

 2PL001 – Women’s March Reflections

The first 2Political Lite episode is now available—and I’m the host. You can listen to it or download it from the podcast site, 2political.com. You can leave comments there as well as download or listen to any episode (you can access the five most recent episodes from the list on the right side of my blog).

Welcome to the first 2Political Lite! These will be a series of shorter podcasts made by only one of us, and usually on one topic. It may be something we want to talk about in more depth, or even things that just aren’t suited to the regular 2Political Podcast.

In this first Lite episode, Jason tells us about his experience of the Women’s March in Washington, DC—what he saw and did, as well as a bit on its importance. This is the "colour commentary" we mentioned in episode 122.

Everyone's welcome to leave a comment—agree or disagree!

Links for this episode:
Jason's blog posts about the Women’s March (includes photos)
Jason’s Blog
Arthur’s blog, podcasts and videos can be accessed here.

2Political Podcast Episode 122

2Political Podcast Episode 122 is now available. You can listen to it or download it from the podcast site, 2political.com. You can leave comments there as well as download or listen to any episode (you can access the five most recent episodes from the list on the right side of my blog).

Two episodes in one month, posted around 24 hours after recording, and this episode is a reasonable length—where are the real Arthur and Jason?!

Just kidding—it really is us back so soon. We're impressed by the level of protests. Is there something else going on, though? Today's is a wide-ranging discussion eventually leading to talk about reforming the Electoral College and making it easier to vote, not harder. We even have comments! Jason closes out this episode with a non-political anecdote.

Watch out for the first 2Political Lite, coming soon to this podcast feed! (subscribers to the podcast will get them automatically)

Correction: Arthur misspoke: He took Chuck Schumer to task for promoting a "Top-Two Primary", not for advocating awarding Electoral Votes by Congressional District. Coincidentally, however, the better solution to both would be the Alternative Vote.

Everyone's welcome to leave a comment—agree or disagree!

Links for this episode:
"Trump’s Executive Orders Were Brought to You by Breitbart" – By Eric Levitz, New York Magazine
"US travel ban – Why these seven countries" – By Jack Goodman, BBC News (setting the record straight about what happened in the Obama years)
"GOP Maintains Edge in State Party Affiliation in 2016" – Gallup
”Trump Sets New Low Point for Inaugural Approval Rating” – Gallup
"Fixing the Electoral College" – Arthur's blog post about reforming the Electoral College, National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, and more
Jason's blog posts about the Women’s March
"Monday’s Dusting of Snow" – Jason’s blog post he mentioned at the end of the podcast, and also this one: "More of Monday’s Dusting of Snow"
Arthur’s blog, podcasts and videos can be accessed here.

2Political Podcast Episode 121

 2Political Podcast Episode 121 is now available. You can listen to it or download it from the podcast site, 2political.com. You can leave comments there as well as download or listen to any episode (you can access the five most recent episodes from the list on the right side of my blog).

We're back!!

This is like the 2Political Podcasts episodes of old, one topic leads to another in a meandering path, much as we've done our entire lives. Lots of chatting about the things currently being talked about as the new regime nears its beginning. I decided against splitting this episode into two.

Everyone's welcome to leave a comment—agree or disagree!

Links for this episode:
"We all make plans" – Arthur's blog post about his healthcare adventure
"Getting the Retaining Wall Fixed" – Jason’s blog post on his retaining wall issue
”Meryl Streep strips the bark off Trump” - the Washington Post column by Jennifer Rubin that Jason mentioned
"States of delusion: The Rightwing's latest nutty obsession" – Arthur's blog post about the Rightwing wanting to discount large urban areas form election results
Jason's Zoolights blog posts
"The Definitive Sign the Holidays are Over" – Jason’s blog post he mentioned at the very end of the podcast
Arthur’s blog, podcasts and videos can be accessed here.

2Political Podcast Episode 120

2Political Podcast Episode 120 is now available. You can listen to it or download it from the podcast site, 2political.com. You can leave comments there as well as download or listen to any episode (you can access the five most recent episodes from the list on the right side of my blog).

Back to political stuff this episode—though we start with just chatting.

When the political talk begins, we start with talk about how the Donald might win in November. Then we go on to talk about Bernie and his supporters. Arthur is increasingly annoyed with some of Bernie's most ardent fans. We have a few other complaints. We have a go at Drumpf and the Republicans, too, of course. We even talk about illegal immigration, both the hypocrisy of those who claim to want to fight it, and what would happen if they actually did.

Everyone's welcome to leave a comment (agree or disagree!).

Links for this episode:
”Most "Pro-Life" Americans Unsure About Trump's Abortion Views” - Gallup
”How Would Americans React to a President Trump's First 100 Days?” - Gallup
”Who are Trump’s potential Supreme Court picks?” - MSNBC
”The smug style in American liberalism” - The Vox piece we mentioned
”An Historic Night at Nationals' Park — Max Scherzer Strikes out 20” Jason’s blog post on the game we mentioned at the very end
Arthur’s blog, podcasts and videos can be accessed here.

2Political Podcast Episode 119

This is a different sort of episode for us—not unusual, but not common: This is one of those “& other stuff” episodes we mention on our website and album art. This meant that Arthur didn’t rush to edit it, then he got sick. Sigh. Anyway, we’ve already recorded another episode, and will be posted soon.

We begin by talking about technical, um, challenges. We have had a few! This led to a discussion of some American things not available in New Zealand. We also talked about baseball—well, Jason did. And, we talk about spotting famous people—and that leads on to famous people dying, some people’s reaction to those deaths and the reactions of people to those reactions. And then we end up NOT talking about comments. The trials and tribulations took their toll!

A newer (already recorded) episode will be posted soon (meaning, as soon as Arthur finishes editing it…).

Everyone’s welcome to leave a comment (agree or disagree!).
Links for this episode:
Bryce Harper’s Instagram photo that we talked about
Arthur’s 2008 blog post on his brush with a famous person he talked about (second item)
“After Prince died” The blog post Arthur mentioned
Arthur’s blog, podcasts and videos can be accessed here.

2Political Podcast Episode 118

2Political Podcast Episode 118 is now available. You can listen to it or download it from the podcast site, 2political.com. You can leave comments there as well as download or listen to any episode (you can access the five most recent episodes from the list on the right side of my blog).

We were a bit confused about the episode number for this one, and when posting it, Arthur noticed why. He will investigate further.

This episode had some sound issues. Arthur had a slow Internet connection which affected our Skype connection.

We talk about the New York primary, Drumpf's delegate and party problem, some trivia, how the media should have been doing a better job of explaining how primaries and delegate selection works, and we even talk about sports (yes, really…), and Jason watching Jeopardy! being recorded—this is a very eclectic episode.

Everyone's welcome to leave a comment (agree or disagree!).

Links for this episode:
The transcript of the April 6 Rachel Maddow Show where they talked about Rule 16c
Real Clear Politics list of delegates/dates
”A Couple of Funny Signs” – his post about signs Jason mentioned
”Harper Hits Home Run 100 — A Grand Slam!!!” – Jason’s blog post on the home run he mentioned
”Emanuel defends $1.2 billion Lucas Museum plan as 'investment in the future'” Chicago Tribune
Arthur’s blog, podcasts and videos can be accessed here.

2Political Podcast Episode 115

2Political Podcast Episode 115 is now available. You can listen to it or download it from the podcast site, 2political.com. You can leave comments there as well as download or listen to any episode (you can access the five most recent episodes from the list on the right side of my blog).

Arthur finally found time to edit this episode! The Powerball lottery drawing in the USA hadn't happened yet when we recorded, so we begin today talking about that first. Then we turn to the deaths of Natalie Cole and David Bowie. Arthur wonders: Should Bowie have told his fans he was terminally ill?

We also talk a bit about the whole "Is Ted Cruz really eligible to run for president?" thing. There actually are legitimate questions, but we talk mostly about the broader implications of those questions. That leads to more general talk about the primaries and polling.

Everyone’s welcome to leave a comment (agree or disagree!).

Links for this episode:
”Ted Cruz is not eligible to be president” – Mary Brigid McManamon in The Washington Post
”Harvard law professor: Ted Cruz’s eligibility to be president is ‘murky and unsettled’” – The Guardian (via Raw Story)
”Yes, Ted Cruz is a ‘natural born citizen’” – Jonathan H. Adler in The Washington Post
”It is absolutely scandalous and ridiculous that American immigrants can't become president” – Vox
”The Republican Party Has Only Itself to Blame for Donald Trump” – By Kevin Drum on Mother Jones
Arthur’s blog, podcasts and videos can be accessed here.

2Political Podcast Episode 114

2Political Podcast Episode 114 is now available. You can listen to it or download it from the podcast site, 2political.com. You can leave comments there as well as download or listen to any episode (you can access the five most recent episodes from the list on the right side of my blog).

We decided to do a special episode that wasn’t tied to the particular time it was recorded so that we’d have something to post during the holidays. We’d hoped to have it a little bit earlier, but, hey—it IS the holidays!

So today we talk about the state of public discourse, especially as shown by the comments people leave online. Jason has some actual examples of the sorts of things we’re talking about. Arthur shares some of his own experiences with the trolling behaviour of other commentators.

Finally, there’s even a little talk about New Zealand’s flag referendum and summer holidays.

Everyone’s welcome to leave a comment (agree or disagree!).

Links for this episode:
All Arthur’s blog posts on the NZ flag referenda
All Jason’s blog posts on the Photo Ark Exhibit
Arthur’s blog, podcasts and videos can be accessed here.

2Political Podcast Episode 113

2Political Podcast Episode 113 is now available. You can listen to it or download it from the podcast site, 2political.com. You can leave comments there as well as download or listen to any episode (you can access the five most recent episodes from the list on the right side of my blog).

We decided to do a shorter episode this time, and I took Arthur only five days to get it edited. Progress.

We start out talking about the state of the election campaign. Among other things, we don't understand why the newsmedia fails so miserably at understanding why Trump continues to do well. Maybe journalists and pundits don't understand the base of the Republican Party, and that's why they don't understand his appeal to that base? The early contests—especially Iowa—make matters worse, since they're all completely unrepresentative of the USA generally (and Iowa Republican politics is domoinated by fundamentalist Christian political activists).

As we start to wrap up, we talk a bit about Arthur's summer off from work, which leads us to talk about going to the movies, since we were both about to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens at the time we recorded. What's better—assigned seats or general seating? We have different views on that.

Everyone's welcome to leave a comment (agree or disagree!).

Our usual links:
Jason’s Blog
Arthur’s blog, podcasts and videos can be accessed here.

2Political Podcast Episode 112

 
2Political Podcast Episode 112 is now available. You can listen to it or download it from the podcast site, 2political.com. You can leave comments there as well as download or listen to any episode (you can access the five most recent episodes from the list on the right side of my blog).

We start today talking about a couple of Jason's pet peeves—the news media's poor performance on reporting on terrorism. We talk about why that might be the case. Arthur talks about the people who are real threats, and how we have no idea why they do what they do. We also talk about how the media is used, and how so often they don't really report anything at all useful. We still think that the whole Daesh mess is an Arab problem, and sending in troops is nuts.

Next, we talk about a letter Jason received telling him the guy who mugged him is up for parole. Jason shares his reaction.

Arthur says his dogs apologise for barking while we recorded this episode. They said they had no idea they needed to be quiet.

Everyone's welcome to leave a comment (agree or disagree!).

Note: earlier today episode 111, recorded back in September, was posted earlier today, too.

Links for this episode:
"Kiwi Jihadi brides on the rise" – from Stuff
"'The worse the attack the more excited they are' - Kiwi women leave to be jihadi brides" [Video] – ONE News – Has the comments by John Key that Arthur mentioned
"An Unwelcome Blast from the Past" – Jason's post on his letter about his mugger's parole
Arthur’s blog, podcasts and videos can be accessed here.

2Political Podcast Episode 110

2Political Podcast Episode 110 is now available. You can listen to it or download it from the podcast site, 2political.com. You can leave comments there as well as download or listen to any episode (you can access the five most recent episodes from the list on the right side of my blog).

We start today by talking about some fun things, like Jason’s recent visit to the National Building Museum (which Arthur didn’t know existed) and their “The Beach” exhibit.

Our first topic today is “The Hair Donald”. Arthur thinks that pundits still don’t get how much Trump speaks to the base of the Republican Party. Jason points out how much of the conventional wisdom about the race is wrong. The Republican Party created all its own problems—and it has a lot of problems.

And, we managed to make this episode shorter!

Links for this episode:
National Building Museum
At the Beach at the National Building Museum – All Jason’s posts on the exhibit
“Charles Koch scolds the 1 percent: The plutocrat’s surprising moment of clarity” – from Salon
“The missing clown” Arthur’s blog post on the 17th Republican Clown Candidate
Arthur’s blog, podcasts and videos can be accessed here.