Podcast Summary
Paul Ryan urged Fox News to dispel election conspiracy theories: Paul Ryan, as a Fox board member, urged Fox News to separate 'fringe claims' of voter fraud and emphasized the importance of staying true to principles.
Former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan played a more active role in urging Fox News to dispel conspiracy theories about the 2020 election than previously known. During a University of Wisconsin Milwaukee interview, Ryan expressed his belief that it was in Fox's interest to separate out "fringe claims of voter fraud" and confirmed that he shared this view as a fiduciary with Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch. Despite this, Ryan remains on the Fox board as the network continues to push baseless conspiracy theories about the election. Ryan's experience as Speaker of the House provides insight into how Kevin McCarthy, with a slim 5-vote majority, can handle the bomb-throwers in his caucus. Ryan advised McCarthy to use his power to bring the caucus together and focus on policy rather than personal attacks. Ryan also emphasized the importance of staying true to one's principles and not compromising on core values.
Paul Ryan's unexpected journey to Speaker of the House: Paul Ryan advised the Republican Party to adapt to the digital age and present a clear governing philosophy to lead effectively in politics.
Becoming a leader in politics often involves unexpected turns and compromises. Paul Ryan, for instance, didn't initially want to be the Speaker of the House, but circumstances led him to the role. Managing a narrow majority made it challenging for him to pass bills, and he advised the current Republican Party to develop a clear policy agenda and vision. The digital age and the rise of new political wings, according to Ryan, have significantly changed the political landscape, making it crucial for parties to adapt and present a clear governing philosophy.
The Rise of Performers Over Legislators in Congress: The political landscape has shifted towards performers over legislators due to decentralized media and digitalization, but this lacks the guardrails for accountability and meritocracy, making it crucial for the GOP to prioritize idea people as leaders.
The political landscape in Congress has shifted significantly over the past decade. With the rise of decentralized media and digitalization, performers have gained prominence over legislators. The meritocracy of persuasion and policy-making has been bypassed, allowing individuals to quickly gain fame and raise funds through digital presence. However, this new culture lacks the guardrails that once existed, allowing individuals with controversial views to rise to power. It's important for the Republican Party to focus on idea people with vision, principles, and solutions as leaders, rather than performers. Regarding the events of January 6th, it was an insurrection that was violent and should not be whitewashed. Trump is to blame, and accountability is necessary.
Republican Party's shift towards fealty to Trump: The Republican Party's focus on fealty to Trump led to the ouster and defeat of moderate and philosophically-aligned Republicans, narrowing the definition of what it means to be a Republican and potentially limiting the party's appeal to a broader base of voters.
The Republican Party has shifted from evaluating politicians based on philosophy or temperament to a "fealty index" to former President Trump. This shift led to the ouster and defeat of several Republicans, including Liz Cheney, who voted for Trump's impeachment. This trend, which began after Trump's unexpected win in 2016, alarmed some long-time Republican leaders who had initially hoped to work with him. The rapid rise of populism within the party took them by surprise and resulted in a significant number of moderate or more philosophically-aligned Republicans losing their seats or choosing not to run for re-election. This is a dangerous trend, as it narrows the definition of what it means to be a Republican and could limit the party's ability to appeal to a broader base of voters.
The rise of populist figures in the Republican base: Republican base's disillusionment led to populist figures, Tea Party accelerated it, concerns about principles, but fiscal conservatism making a comeback, opposition to reforms still strong, Republicans who care about deficits have gone underground.
The Republican base's desire for a winner and disillusionment with traditional policies led to the rise of populist figures like Donald Trump. This shift was accelerated by the Tea Party movement and the digitization of populism. While there are concerns about populism being untethered from principles, some believe that the roots of conservatism, including fiscal conservatism, are making a comeback. However, the current dominant wing of the conservative movement is more populist, and opposition to reforms like entitlement and debt reduction remains strong. As Catherine Rampell of The Washington Post noted, Republicans who claim to care about deficits have gone underground for years and only emerge during auspicious political moments to wreak havoc on the issue. Despite this, some argue that the appreciation for fiscal conservatism is starting to resurface.
Republican leaders added $7.8 trillion to the national debt during their time in office: Despite past promises, current political will to address the growing national debt is lacking, potentially leading to significant benefit cuts for future generations
During their time in office, Republican leaders, including former President Trump, failed to address the growing national debt despite prior claims of fiscal conservatism. Trump added $7.8 trillion to the debt through tax cuts and other spending, making it the third-highest addition in U.S. history. Despite their past efforts to reform entitlement programs and balance the budget, current political will to address the issue seems lacking. Both Democratic and Republican leaders are engaging in populist rhetoric and demagoguing entitlement reform, with no significant action taken to prevent insolvency in programs like Medicare and Social Security within the next decade. This lack of leadership could result in significant benefit cuts for future generations.
Addressing entitlements: A key to Republican victories?: The speaker suggests that addressing entitlements is crucial for Republican success in elections, but party leaders need courage to move on from Trump to increase chances of victory.
Despite facing negative ads and political challenges, entitlement reform was not the reason for election losses. However, addressing this issue requires courage from both parties' leaders, with Trump currently holding significant influence. Many Republican politicians understand the importance of addressing entitlements, but their stance on supporting Trump as the nominee remains uncertain. The speaker argues that the party should move on from Trump to increase chances of winning elections and maintaining a conservative party. While some may disagree, the speaker believes that nominating someone other than Trump would lead to Republican victory.
Making compelling arguments against Trump in the primary: Focus on potential for winning general election with a unifying, Reagan-style candidate, rather than insulting or dismissive language.
Convincing voters to support someone other than Donald Trump in the Republican primary will require compelling arguments that resonate with them, rather than insulting or dismissive language. It's important to acknowledge that there are voters who have supported Trump in the past and to focus on the potential for winning the general election with a candidate who can unify the party and appeal to a broader audience. The upcoming primary season will likely see candidates running in different lanes, with some focusing on a Trump-style culture war approach and others positioning themselves as more unifying, Reagan-style conservatives. While it may be a harder argument to make, the potential for winning the general election with a Reagan-style candidate makes it a worthwhile one to pursue. The primary season is expected to be crowded, but it's important to remember that the ultimate goal is to win the general election, and that may require a different approach than in the past.
The Republican primary process can impact nomination dynamics: In a crowded Republican primary field, a plurality of votes can lead to nomination, as seen in 2016 with Donald Trump. Key leaders advocate for continued Ukraine aid, but there's skepticism within the GOP towards Russia.
The Republican primary process can significantly impact the nomination, as seen in 2016 when a crowded field allowed Donald Trump to win with a plurality of votes. This dynamic is expected to continue, with many potential candidates testing their value and support in the early primaries before potentially dropping out. Regarding Ukraine, there is strong bipartisan support for the country in Congress, with key leaders advocating for continued aid. However, there are also voices within the Republican Party expressing skepticism towards Ukraine and Russia, such as Tucker Carlson on Fox News. The extent of Fox News' influence on the Republican Party and its stance on Ukraine is a topic of debate.
Balancing pluralism and personal opinions on a media board: Strong cultural institutions foster pluralism despite differing viewpoints, while board members must offer opinions and address concerning content responsibly.
Serving on the board of directors of a media company like Fox Corporation involves a complex balance between upholding pluralism and expressing personal opinions, while acknowledging the potential for the dissemination of harmful content. The interviewee emphasizes the importance of strong cultural institutions, even if they hold differing viewpoints, as they contribute to societal pluralism. However, they also acknowledge their responsibility to offer their perspectives and opinions, while recognizing the need to address concerning content. The interviewee asserts that Fox News plays a significant role in the conservative movement and aims to help guide it through its current turmoil towards a principled, philosophically grounded movement for the 21st century.
Understanding the meaning and implications of 'wokeism': The ongoing debate around 'wokeism' highlights the need to preserve free speech and pluralism, while recognizing the complexities of political labels and the importance of natural rights and natural law.
There is ongoing debate about the meaning of the term "woke" and its implications for free speech and pluralism. According to the speaker, "wokeism" refers to a rigid, progressive orthodoxy that seeks to enforce conformity and rejects divergent views. This perspective is seen as an attack on free speech and a threat to pluralism. The speaker also emphasized the importance of understanding historical labels like "classical liberal" and "conservative," which have evolved over time. Classical liberalism, as described, is a belief in limited government, natural rights, and natural law, with a goal of equality of opportunity rather than equality of outcomes. The speaker expressed concern about the rise of hypernationalism and rejection of natural rights and natural law in some conservative circles. Overall, the conversation touched on the complexities of political labels and the importance of preserving pluralism and free speech.
Addressing poverty through economic growth: Economic growth, opportunity, and upward mobility are essential to reducing poverty and dependence on safety nets. Tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy can lead to growth that benefits everyone, and policies should be measured by outcomes, not just efforts.
The speaker believes that economic growth, opportunity, and upward mobility are key to addressing poverty and reducing dependence on social safety nets. He argues that the economy is not a fixed pie and that tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy can lead to economic growth that benefits everyone. He also defends his signature legislation, which he claims led to the fastest wage growth for the bottom income quintiles and prevented US companies from moving overseas. He emphasizes the importance of measuring poverty policies based on outcomes, not just efforts, and is passionate about finding solutions to poverty through his work and research. Regarding Social Security, he clarifies that he has not changed his stance and that making personal accounts is not the same as privatizing the program.
Advocating for Social Security investment and reforms in education: Allow individuals to invest their Social Security benefits for higher returns, focus on transparency, accreditation reform, and addressing root causes of tuition inflation to improve affordability and value in education.
The speaker advocated for allowing individuals to have a property right over their Social Security benefits and invest it in the market for higher returns instead of the current negative or low returns. He also emphasized the need for entitlement and immigration reform, and expressed confidence that the US will avoid a debt crisis despite concerns about the debt ceiling. In higher education, the speaker suggested focusing on transparency, accreditation reform, and addressing the root causes of tuition inflation to improve affordability and value for students. He praised Mitch Daniels' reforms at Purdue as a good starting point.
Decoupling from China: A Strategic Approach: The US must decouple from China strategically, focusing on non-security areas, maintaining global trade, and leading in countering China's hegemony with democratic allies.
China poses a significant challenge to the US, particularly in the areas of technology, trade, and national security. The US needs to decouple from China in a smart and strategic way, focusing on areas that do not affect national security while maintaining global trade in goods and services that do. This challenge is not only economic but also political, as China's population demographics and internal issues may lead to instability in the long term. The US must lead in standing up to China's hegemony and dominance, and a bipartisan approach is necessary to address this issue effectively. The Trans-Pacific Partnership, which would have isolated China in terms of American trade in Asia, was a missed opportunity in this regard. The US should engage its democratic allies in Asia in writing the rules of the global trading order to counter China's influence.
Ryan Regrets Advocating for China's WTO Entry, Disappointed by Failed Immigration Reform: Ryan regrets his role in China's WTO entry and is disappointed by the failed immigration reform attempt, but is now focusing on teaching, philanthropy, business, and family.
Former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan expressed regret over his role in advocating for China's entry into the World Trade Organization, admitting that it led to China taking advantage of the system and cheating instead of embracing capitalism and freedom. Another major disappointment for Ryan was the failed attempt to pass immigration reform in 2018, which he had the votes for but was ultimately derailed by concerns within the Republican Party. Moving forward, Ryan is enjoying his current phase of life, which includes teaching, philanthropy, business ventures, and spending time with his family. He is unsure if he will ever run for public office again.
Paul Ryan expresses doubts about Trump's political future: Paul Ryan believes the GOP will undergo introspection post-Trump, expresses skepticism towards Trump's re-nomination
Paul Ryan, the former Speaker of the House, believes that his anti-Trump stance makes him an unlikely candidate for future political office. He expressed his doubts about Trump's ability to secure the Republican nomination again and expressed optimism for a post-Trump era. Ryan also mentioned that the Republican party would undergo a significant internal discussion and soul-searching process after Trump's presidency, as has happened in the past. He concluded by expressing his appreciation for attending the event at UWM and thanking the listeners of The Bulwark podcast for tuning in.
