The Rational Policy Podcast

We’re back! After a brief hiatus, the Rational Policy Podcast has returned in its full glory - and not a moment too soon. Join your hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay for a wide-ranging discussion on the one topic that matters right now: the war against the Iranian regime. In this episode, we break down what is happening, why it is happening now, how the war against the mullahcracy is in American in...

Episode 27 of the Rational Policy Podcast, hosted by Mike Coté and Art Vandelay , is here! In this installment of the show, we discuss three of the week’s top stories: the Epstein file release, mass layoffs at the Washington Post , and the lapsing of the US-Russia nuclear arms limitation treaty known as New START. And be sure to stay tuned to the end of the show for a very special announcement and...

The Rational Policy Podcast is back with Episode 26, hitting three stories, foreign and domestic, from the past week. Your hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay start with the issue taking up almost all of the political oxygen: the chaotic situation in Minneapolis surrounding the enforcement of federal immigration law. We talk about the specific events that have made this an omnipresent story, the role...

On Episode 25 of the Rational Policy Podcast, hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay break down the good, the bad, and the ugly from the first 365 days of Trump’s second term as president. We focus on the four most important domestic concerns in the 2024 election and the four key regions for American foreign policy. In the process, we give out letter grades for a whole slew of issues, ranging from the e...

In episode 24 of the Rational Policy Podcast, hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay discuss three topics in current events, foreign and domestic. We start with what could easily be the biggest story of the year so far: the incipient revolution in Iran. Next, we touch on an idea that just keeps coming back: the annexation of Greenland. Finally, we dive into a broad domestic issue that has received relat...

Episode 23 of the Rational Policy Podcast focuses on one topic and one topic only this week: the incredible US raid to capture Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. We break down the events themselves, how the operation was executed, what comes next for Maduro, as well as the future of the Venezuelan people and their repressive government. Who is in charge of the regime in Caracas? When will there b...

On Episode 22 of the Rational Policy Podcast, your hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay step away from the immediate news of the day to take a broad look at the year past. In this 2025 Year in Review show, we hit on seven questions about the events, ideas, and politics of the past 365 days - and the next 360. What was the biggest story of the year? The most undercovered issue? The biggest disappointme...

The Rational Policy Podcast is back with another Very Special Holiday Episode! On this show, hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay avoid politics entirely, focusing instead on the greatest holiday of all: Christmas. We have a free-wheeling discussion about traditions, gifts, decorations, food, family, entertainment, and more. Merry Christmas! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this...

On Episode 20 of the Rational Policy Podcast, hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay hit three topics, two foreign and one domestic. We lead off with the abhorrent antisemitic massacre during a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach in Australia, carried out by an ISIS-inspired father and son duo. Next, we shift regions, if not topics, to touch on the killing of three Americans in Syria during an anti-ISIS...

On Episode 19 of the Rational Policy Podcast, hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay delve into three international topics. First, we take a deep dive on the Trump administration’s military campaign against Venezuelan narcotraffickers affiliated with the Maduro regime. Is this a hot War on Drugs or a regime change operation in the making? After that, we talk about talks: the talks between American and R...

On this Very Special Episode of the Rational Policy Podcast, your hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay skip the news of the day and talk turkey. Thanksgiving turkey, that is. We spend the whole episode in a wide-ranging conversation about this fabulous American holiday, touching on food, entertainment, traditions, and gratitude. If you work for Big Turkey, this may not be the podcast for you. But for...

On Episode 17 of the Rational Policy Podcast, your hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay do a deep dive on one topic and one topic only: the intramural fracas on the American right. We discuss the key players, break down the controversies that led up to the current infighting, and explain why this matters, even for those who aren’t terminally online. This is a public episode. If you would like to discu...

In Episode 16 of the Rational Policy Podcast your hosts, Mike Coté and Art Vandelay , start off by remembering former vice president Dick Cheney, who died this week at age 84. Next, we recap the elections in New York City, New Jersey, and Virginia. Will New York City come out unscathed from a Mamdani mayoralty? Finally, we do a lightning round trip through Donald Trump’s Asia sojourn, where he met...

In episode 15 of The Rational Policy Podcast, we hit on three topics ranging from executive authority to military policy to cultural sickness. First, we discuss the presidential pardon power in light of recent scandals with both former President Biden and his successor Donald Trump. Next, we shift gears and move to Venezuela, one of the biggest potential flashpoints for the American military in th...

The Rational Policy Podcast is back with Episode 14, diving into the biggest stories of the week. First, we discuss the defense of Democratic Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner against a series of awful news stories. Next, we give an update on the tenuous ceasefire deal in Gaza and touch on the ongoing war in Ukraine. Finally, we detail the No Kings protests and whether they will have a lasting...

On episode 13 of the Rational Policy Podcast, join your hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay for a deep dive on two important subjects in today’s politics. First, we discuss the US-brokered hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas, delving into the specifics, the reactions, and more. The second topic revolves around the rising trend on both left and right to avoid criticism of excesses, abuses, o...

On episode 12 of the Rational Policy Podcast, your hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay dive into many of the week’s major news stories. We discuss the recent $150 million acquisition of The Free Press by Paramount/CBS. Next, we talk about the controversies around immigration enforcement across the country. Finally, Mike briefly rants on the ridiculously short prison sentence handed out to the would-b...

Episode 11 of the Rational Policy Podcast discusses the week in news, from the severely under-covered to the aggressively over-covered. On the former front, we have the foiling of a foreign (likely Chinese) plot to take down New York City’s telecommunications system. Next, we touch on the heavily-covered indictment of former FBI director James Comey. Finally, we detail the new peace plan for Gaza....

On this episode of the Rational Policy Podcast, we discuss one topic and one topic only: the assassination of Charlie Kirk. We detail the case updates, including the arrest of the alleged shooter Tyler Robinson, what we know about him, and how he may have been radicalized. We then move to the reactions to the murder from both left and right. Lastly, we talk about where we go from here and how we m...

Episode 9 of the Rational Policy Podcast (recorded Wednesday 9/10) is a solemn one, discussing the assassination of 31-year-old conservative megastar Charlie Kirk. We follow that with another awful crime, the murder of a Ukrainian refugee by a lunatic repeat offender on public transit. We then break down the Russian drone incursion into Poland. Finally, we touch on the Israeli airstrike against Ha...

On this episode of the Rational Policy Podcast, hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay dive into America’s targeted destruction of a Venezuelan narcoterrorist vessel, talking implications, legalities, and what may come next. Then, we briefly detail the insane ‘Trump Is Dead’ conspiracy theories. The main topic of discussion is the recent National Conservatism conference. We break down why they matter, h...

The Rational Policy Podcast is back with Episode 7. We start off with a long discussion of Trump’s plan to take a 10% equity stake in Intel on behalf of the country and explain why this is a terrible idea. Next, we move to Israel to detail new developments there, namely the allegation of widespread famine. Finally, we talk about Islamic terrorism's new home base in Africa. This is a public episode...

Welcome back to the Rational Policy Podcast! In episode 6, your hosts Art Vandelay and Mike Coté break down the latest in current affairs. We start off by doing a deep dive into the US summitry of the past few days, exploring what happened in the meetings with Ukraine/Europe and Russia and explaining why we’re more optimistic than some. We talk about outcomes, reactions, and what could come next d...

After a week hiatus, the Rational Policy Podcast is back! In episode 5 of the show, your hosts Art Vandelay and Mike Coté delve into some of the major news topics of the moment, from foreign to domestic policy. We start with some cultural commentary on the first two episodes of the new season of South Park, which has relentlessly (and hilariously) skewered the MAGA movement. Next, we move to the r...

In episode 4 of the Rational Policy Podcast, your hosts Art Vandelay and Mike Coté break down the latest in world affairs. We start the show with a reminiscence on Hulk Hogan, followed by a long discussion about the latest events and narratives surrounding the Israeli mission in Gaza. We wrap up the show talking Hegseth at DoD and the Democrats in Disarray. Check it out! This is a public episode....