It also isn't the case that he hadn't had Texeira a few times previously over the past year+, usually after Texeira had written something that Charlie agreed with as a means to "hippie punch" (to quote JVL) the Left with. Never let a chance go to smugly intone against your putative allies, or something I guess.
It also isn't the case that he hadn't had Texeira a few times previously over the past year+, usually after Texeira had written something that Charlie agreed with as a means to "hippie punch" (to quote JVL) the Left with. Never let a chance go to smugly intone against your putative allies, or something I guess.
I used to be an everyday listener of Charlie's podcast, then it became most days, then once or twice a week. But I finally hit my breaking point when he had Tom Nichols on a couple weeks ago for Tom to discuss his Advice for Liberals/Advice for Conservatives article. Charlie was more than happy to pile on Tom's admonishments of the Left, and add more than a few of his own, but then simply hijacked and diverted the conversation when Tom tried to begin his Advice for Conservatives aspect. After 10 minutes of unfocused conversation, much of it Charlie simply repeating his Dem criticisms for the umpteenth time, Tom finally managed to get back to his criticisms/admonishments of conservatives. Which Charlie immediately disagreed with and basically would not give a fair hearing to. It crystallized for me a growing disinterest I had in hearing Charlie's telling the Democrats that they need to "get real" and take their medicine, yet have no willingness to do so himself.
Virtue and self-denial for thee, but indulgence for me just wears on you after a point. Which is sad, because for a solid 3 years I was an everyday listener of Charlie, even when I would disagree. I'd even gone so far as to defend him to my more liberal friends, many of whom are still in the Midwest and far, far more familiar with his pre-2016 body of work. I'm not sure they were as wrong as I thought them to be in their opinions.
I understand your journey Ethan. I mostly listen now to JVL, Sarah and Tim. If Bill Kristol is on I'll listen to him as well and even some of Sonny Bunch's shows.
I am going to continue supporting The Bulwark because there's a lot of good being done here imo. I used to listen to Charlie every night on the way home as well and now I'm down to a couple of times a week. I look at the guest and most times I know it's going to be just another 45 minutes or so of Democrat bashing. Does my party needs reality checks? It sure does. Does it need them every single day while they are the ones that have to be the ones to "save Democracy"? I don't think so. At some point if you say you are in a coalition to protect Democracy with them maybe act like it?
It also isn't the case that he hadn't had Texeira a few times previously over the past year+, usually after Texeira had written something that Charlie agreed with as a means to "hippie punch" (to quote JVL) the Left with. Never let a chance go to smugly intone against your putative allies, or something I guess.
I used to be an everyday listener of Charlie's podcast, then it became most days, then once or twice a week. But I finally hit my breaking point when he had Tom Nichols on a couple weeks ago for Tom to discuss his Advice for Liberals/Advice for Conservatives article. Charlie was more than happy to pile on Tom's admonishments of the Left, and add more than a few of his own, but then simply hijacked and diverted the conversation when Tom tried to begin his Advice for Conservatives aspect. After 10 minutes of unfocused conversation, much of it Charlie simply repeating his Dem criticisms for the umpteenth time, Tom finally managed to get back to his criticisms/admonishments of conservatives. Which Charlie immediately disagreed with and basically would not give a fair hearing to. It crystallized for me a growing disinterest I had in hearing Charlie's telling the Democrats that they need to "get real" and take their medicine, yet have no willingness to do so himself.
Virtue and self-denial for thee, but indulgence for me just wears on you after a point. Which is sad, because for a solid 3 years I was an everyday listener of Charlie, even when I would disagree. I'd even gone so far as to defend him to my more liberal friends, many of whom are still in the Midwest and far, far more familiar with his pre-2016 body of work. I'm not sure they were as wrong as I thought them to be in their opinions.
I understand your journey Ethan. I mostly listen now to JVL, Sarah and Tim. If Bill Kristol is on I'll listen to him as well and even some of Sonny Bunch's shows.
I am going to continue supporting The Bulwark because there's a lot of good being done here imo. I used to listen to Charlie every night on the way home as well and now I'm down to a couple of times a week. I look at the guest and most times I know it's going to be just another 45 minutes or so of Democrat bashing. Does my party needs reality checks? It sure does. Does it need them every single day while they are the ones that have to be the ones to "save Democracy"? I don't think so. At some point if you say you are in a coalition to protect Democracy with them maybe act like it?