Armchair Politics

With the World Cup in full swing, the guys sit down to VAR review the biggest political mistakes and surprise wins that are in the news.. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 1:03 Trump’s Freedom 250 fest  8:55 Trump weighing in on the USMNT  22:55 2024 DNC autopsy 26:31 Graham Platner 32:40 American men don’t understand consent 38:32 Hawaii blocking Citizens United  47:11 Moderates elevating hasan piker 50:36 Z...

American history buff Matt Beat joins the pod to dispel the talking point that America is in uncharted waters, and discuss what we can learn from our history, so going forward we can make new mistakes, instead of the repeating the same ones over again.  Chapters: 00:00 “These are unprecedented times!” 2:19 1970’s and Richard Nixon aka The undertaker 9:56 Trump, the Iran War, and the midterms 14:57...

The guys sit down with good governance reform advocate Nick Caputo to unpack why Los Angeles is so hard to fix, and how we can get it done anyway.  Apologies for Nick’s sideways camera orientation Chapters: 00:00 Why LA is different from NYC and Chicago 10:39 Historical context of LA’s government  15:43 The challenges facing reform 17:47 New LA County executive 19:47 LA County’s governmental set u...

The guys dive into the civil war (of ideas) happening within the Democratic Party, and how it can be a good preparation to afterwards beat Thanos (the GOP in 2028). Chapters: 00:00 Civil war, but in a good way 4:13 Leadership misreading the moment 5:20 Candidates matter 7:58 Why corporate liberalism is doomed  16:48 History of progressivism within the party 18:59 Hakeem Jeffries is Bill Rawls from...

We are locked in on two things: The state of the Democratic Party and the NBA playoffs. So we put together our very own Corporate Democratic All-Star  team. Who did we miss that deserves a roster spot? Apologies for the echo. Will sort that out before next week. Chapters: 00:00 Victor Wembanyama already a gaot 3:29 Tottenham Hotspur, the mets of the Premier League 6:16 Knicks are in the finals! 9:...

As primary season and the NBA playoffs heats up, the Armchair guys sit down with political commentator and content creator Jordan Uhl to discuss which politicians are on a hot streak, and which are throwing up bricks.   Chapters: 00:00 Intro  00:47 The best song about Cleveland 2:17 Alexandria Ocasio Cortez 5:51 The Argument for president AOC 9:38 Chuck Schumer and the Bailey’s 14:45 In defense of...

Not enough people are talking about the LA county Sheriff’s race, so the guys sat down with award winning Angeleno journalist Cerise Castle to break down all the candidates in the 2026 Los Angeles County Sheriff’s race, and discuss if anything can be done about the prevalence of organized gangs within the department.  Chapters: 00:00 Introducing Cerise Castle 2:15 Growing up black in Los Angeles d...

We’re joined by progressive political strategist Clara J Cox to break down the candidates in all the pivotal races in the June 2nd California primary, both statewide and locally in Los Angeles. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 2:32 Governor's Race 5:25 Does the jungle primary work? 7:41 Pros and cons: ranked choice voting 9:51 Butch Ware is not a serious candidate  11:55 The Katie Porter conundrum  16:49 Tom...

American history nerd Matt Beat joins the guys to breakdown how Congress’s effective cap on representatives is continually eroding our democracy, and how uncapping the House would change that.  You can find Matt’s work at iammrbeat.com or @iammrbeat on most socials.  Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:35 Matt Beat, the Andy Dufresne of Uncapping the house 4:37 How we got here 7:15 Power dynamics in represen...

Who do you want to be the next Speaker of the House of Representatives?  The guys are joined by Eliza Orlins and Brittany Mahler to draft their democratic leadership team in the next congress, and to opine about where the future of the party resides.  You can find Brittany and Eliza on instagram @theblondeseyeview and @eorlins respectively. Chapter List 00:00 Intro 1:47 Picking old speakers of the...

The guys are joined by city council district 5 candidate Henry Mantel to discuss Los Angeles’s crushing housing crisis, and his vision for how we can turn the city around. 00:00 Intro 00:26 Henry Mantel Angeleno/tenant rights lawyer  5:08 Why Henry is running for city council  10:02 LA big housing issue: Single family zoning 14:28 Los Ángeles in the Sam Darnold of cities 15:29 Municipal matching c...

It’s Tax Season and the Armchair guys are breaking down America’s budget. From defense spending, to Medicaid,the IRS, and more, they’re discussing what are the best and worst investments of our tax dollars.  Check Dr. Carter’s book: The Spirit of Soul Food: Race, Faith, & Food Justice Chapter list: 00:00 Intro 14:10 Episode overview  00:20 Our budget is a statement of our values 1:53 Tax day P...

From our founding fathers to Donald Trump, the Armchair guys tier the biggest cult of personality figures in American  political history.  00:00 Intro / Leon let it be! 00:29 ICE at airports 3:46 Comping the Trump Administration to the Jets 6:14 Defining Cult of personality  10:10 Trump 45 v Trump 47 12:43 Cult of personality origins 16:53 Effects of Trump’s Presidency 19:12 Why cult leaders break...

Using the Illinois Democratic primary as a launching point, David and Alex break down how the Citizens United Supreme Court case has lead to the oligarchy class using Super PACs to reshape our politics the way prop bets have reshaped the way we watch sports. Chapters: 00:00 Super PAC spending 2010 v now 00:36 Reaction to Kat Abughazaleh, Julia Stratton and the Illinois Primary 5:36 AIPAC boosting...

In honor of the 2026 Academy Awards the Armchair guys nominate politicians to their made up, sometimes unhinged Oscar Award categories. They celebrate the worst and best of our political system, and reflect on what has lead us to this moment in American history. Chapters: 00:00 INTRO 1:04 SINNERS is the best film of the year. It’s running neck and neck with One Battle After Another, like the LA ma...

Since the United Staes went to war with Iran, the Armchair guys explain how we got here by breaking down the biggest warmongers in American history and compare them to the professional wrestler they most encapsulate.  00:00 Intro 1:58 Texas and North Carolina primary recap 13:41 defining the rules and setting the theater Intercontinental division: 18:23 John Foster Dullus 21:05 Teddy Roosevelt 24:...

The Armchair guys break down the California governor’s primary and tell you which democratic candidates are viable and which need to drop out ASAP to keep a Republican from getting into the runoff.. Episode chapters: Intro 0:01 Overview of the primary 1:25 State Superintendent Tony Thumond 6:15 Congressman Eric Swallwell 14:38 State controller Betty Yee 24:30 Former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra 27...

The Armchair guys debate which politicians would win the gold medal in different winter olympic events.  While deciding their podium of politicians, they recount Cory Booker’s 25 hour marathon speech, break down how Bill Clinton always skis past accountability, pitch how Zohran Mamdani could be the metaphorical future of American figure skating, more.  The five Winter Olympic events covered are: C...

Alex, Chris, and David sit down to tier the biggest choke jobs and fumbles in modern politics: Jimmy Carter in the 1980 election, Ted Kennedy not knowing why he wanted to be president, Hillary in 2016 election, Alabama GOP party for nominating Roy Moore for senate, Rick Perry's debate oops, Obama's Wall st bail out, John Edwards cheating on dying wife w/ on the campaign trail, Mark Sanford's 'Appa...

Alex, Chris, and David sit down to see who can make the best athlete comparisons to racist and radical US politicians. The politicians they comp are: George Washington, Bernie Sanders, John Lewis, Bull Conner, Shirley Chisholm, Ted Cruz, Joe McCarthy, and Ronald Reagan. 

Alex, Chris, and David sit down and make a way too early tier list of the 2028 potential democratic presidential nominees. Jokes and sports metaphors abound as they break down how the following politicians fit into the upcoming presidential primary: Pete Buttigeig, Gavin Newsom, JB Pritzker, AOC, Josh Shapiro, Kamala Harris, Andy Beshear, Cory Booker, Gretchen Whitmore, Raphael Warnock, Stephen A...