Commonwealth Classical Liberal Podcast

The podcast celebrated its two-year anniversary as Brian, Chris and Andy looked at the Trump Administration’s push to ban flag burning, discussing the First Amendment and disagreeing with the misguided Executive Order. They then moved to the Virginia gubernatorial election and a recent assessment giving Democrats a stronger likelihood of winning the governorship. They closed emphasizing the import...

This week, Brian, Chris and Andy focused on discussing current political and economic challenges in Virginia, particularly around Virginia’s economy and the upcoming gubernatorial election. The hosts discussed the impacts of federal layoffs, tariffs and other economic issues before transitioning to Governor Glenn Youngkin and the race between Republican Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle Sears and...

Brian, Chris and Andy focused on concerns about new age verification / internet censorship laws in the UK and their potential impact on internet freedom and free speech. The guys then touched on the National Guard deployment in Washington D.C., Northern Virginia schools pushing back on the Trump Administration’s pressure on transgender policy, and more.   Relevant links to today’s episode: ⁠10 Exa...

This week, Brian, Chris and Andy discussed gerrymandering, particularly in response to President Trump's push for redistricting in Texas to secure more Republican seats. Brian and Chris highlighted the irony of both Democratic and Republican governors engaging in redistricting efforts to gain political advantage, despite the negative impact on fair representation. They proposed proportional re...

In this 75th episode, Brian, Chris and Andy explored ideas in liberalism, including a recent article arguing that liberalism is more than solely striving towards greater freedom but also stands as the bulwark against abusive behavior. They also touched on Virginia’s upcoming elections while looking at the recent stand by Maine’s Secretary of State as she resisted Department of Justice efforts for...

Virginia Politics: book bans and (lack of) election competition, plus reflections on Trump at six months.  This week, Chris and Andy look at a recent report covered in the Cardinal News regarding book removals from Virginia school libraries and the broader issue of book bans in educational settings, emphasizing the importance of diverse literature and local decision-making. The report reveals that...

A More Attractive Alternative: Making the Economy Work for All of Us.  Brian, Chris and Andy discussed a recent Charlotte Clymer article, which criticized the current economic system and expressed support for democratic socialist policies. The discussion explored alternative liberal approaches to address economic challenges facing young people and working-class individuals. They agreed that many p...

Virginia’s New 2025 Laws: more age restrictions, more tiny homes, cocktails-to-go and more!  Brian and Andy discussed new laws in Virginia that took effect on July 1st. They started with new age restrictions and discussion on responsibility thresholds before looking at new rules in housing policies, social media regulations for child influencers, cell phone bans, cocktails-to-go, and pedestrian sa...

“Populism is a Cancer.”  Due Process & the Big Budget Bill, with special guest, Jason Pye. This week, Brian, Chris and Andy welcomed special guest, Jason Pye, Vice President of the Due Process Institute. They discussed the erosion of due process rights and Constitutional protections under the Trump administration and covered hyper-partisanship, the current budget bill, concerns about authorita...

“Principles Matter.” Iran Strikes and the Virginia and NYC Primaries.  The CLPVA team discuss recent US military actions against Iran, expressing concerns about constitutional legality and the lack of congressional oversight, while emphasizing the importance of adhering to constitutional principles and maintaining checks and balances - chastising Congress for a lack of Congressional oversight. The...

ICE, Protests, and No Kings, plus Virginia politics and pizza! The Commonwealth Classical Liberal Podcast returned as Brian, Chris and Andy opened with some updates on the Attorney General's race before discussing last week’s ICE activity, the Los Angeles protests, and criticizing the President's response, including concerns about deploying the National Guard and Marines. The hosts then sh...

The Virginia Attorney General Election and the Los Angeles ICE Protests . Brian, Chris and Andy opened by discussing current events, particularly focusing on Los Angeles and also other protests occurring around the country. The main discussion centered on the Virginia Attorney General election, where they looked at the incumbent and GOP nominee, Jason Miyares, and the two candidates vying for the...

Ways the CLPVA differs from Republicans: Law and Order, Economics, Principles.  The podcast returns from Memorial Day break to discuss areas where the modern right could improve, acknowledging that finding common ground has become more challenging due to a gap between words and actions. The panel explores various issues including police mission creep, economic policies, and the need for firm polit...

Ways the CLPVA differs from Democrats: championing abundance, free speech and immigration!  This week, Brian, Chris and Andy focus on the differentiation of the Classical Liberal Party of Virginia (CLPVA) from the traditional Democratic and Republican parties. Andy outlines the plan to discuss how the CLPVA differs from both parties over the next two episodes. Brian opened with a discussion on abu...

RESISTANCE WORKS! Fighting back against the Trump - Miller assault on the Constitution.  Brian and Andy address recent news and threats to the U.S. Constitution and Republic, focusing on comments from President Trump and Stephen Miller regarding habeas corpus and lavish foreign gifts, both flying in the face of the U.S. Constitution. They emphasize the importance of upholding Constitutional norms...

Virginia’s Lt. Governor’s race: A MAGA, An Independent, and six Democrats walk into an election… Brian, Chris and Andy discussed the Virginia Lieutenant Governor's field, and the introduction of ranked choice voting in Charlottesville, with Brian expressing pessimism about its potential impact due to the single-party dominance in these areas. Chris, on the other hand, was more optimistic about the...

Trump’s terrible polls and terrible assault on the Bill of Rights.  Brian, Chris and Andy discuss immigration actions, judicial arrests, President Trump’s continued assault on the Constitution, violating at least five Bill of Rights amendments. They also discussed the President's historically low approval rating, the Justice Department memo on the Alien Enemies Act (which allows for warrantles...

Debate: If we’re anti-MAGA in Virginia, do we have to vote Spanberger? Virginia’s gubernatorial election: Making history, making choices. Focusing on Abigail Spanberger and Winsome Sears, and discussing the potential implications of the race as a referendum on President Trump. Brian, Chris and Andy debated the merits of supporting major party candidates versus seeking alternatives, with Andy expre...

Episode 61: Bullshit & Buffoonery: Trump, Tariffs & Torture Camps. Brian, Chris and Andy discussed President Trump's "Liberation Day" tariff plan (no-plan-at-all), his nonsensical rhetoric about foreign nations "looting, pillaging, raping, and plundering” America and how it doesn’t match the reality of Americans’ high living standards and quality of life. They also spoke...

Trump Unconstitutionally Seeks to Defund Libraries + Tech, Tariffs & Trans Visibility . Brian, Chris, and Andy discussed the ongoing (often unconstitutional) antics coming out of Washington, DC, and their impact on Virginia, including a recent executive order targeting libraries. They expressed concern about the erosion of congressional authority and the potential for commercial entities to li...

Episode 59: Closing the Department of Education; Governors & Cannabis Reform in Virginia. “What fresh hell is coming over here?” This week, Brian, Chris and Andy covered several key topics, including the potential closure of the Department of Education, education reform, and marijuana legalization in Virginia. They explored some of the implications of President Trump's Executive Order to c...

Episode 58: Mahmoud Khalil, the First Amendment, and Transgender Liberty . “Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely above all liberties.” Brian, Chris, and Andy discussed the ongoing chaos around President Trump's aggressive actions, particularly focusing on Mahmoud Khalil's detention and the implications for free speech. They highlighted the lack of clear legal basis fo...

Episode 57: The “Bloviating Nonsense” of Trump’s Big Speech; Europe’s Assault on Privacy & Encryption.  Brian, Chris and Andy discussed the “bloviating nonsense” of President Trump's speech before a joint session of Congress and the Classic Liberal Party of Virginia’s response. As MAGA continues an assault on the transgender community and broader LGBT+ community, our allies, free trade, im...

Episode 56: The DOGE Wrecking Ball slams into Virginia, shaking up the Governor’s race.  Brian, Chris and Andy discussed the Trump / DOGE reduction of the Federal workforce and how that is impacting Virginia and its large federal workforce and economy, questioning the effectiveness of the “wrecking ball” approach and arguing for more thoughtful and deliberate action to reduce the size and role of...

Episode 55: The Kingly Executive, Ukraine, Climate Change and Paper Straws . This episode asked if America is destined for despotism and looked at the expansion of executive power under President Trump, and more broadly explored the current political climate, with some focus on Ukraine and recent United States actions. Then the group discussed the real threat of climate change and the importance o...