Jack Really Loves Poutine.

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: Jack Really Loves Poutine.
Date: August 11, 2026
Host: iHeartPodcasts

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Overview

In this episode, Armstrong & Getty deliver their trademark blend of political commentary, social critique, and personal anecdotes. The primary focus ranges from government overreach, socialism vs. communism, critical theory’s influence on social issues, party politics in America, and a vacation check-in from Jack (who’s fallen hard for Canadian poutine). The tone balances sharp critique, irreverence, and witty banter, with interviews and insights into current primary races shaping future American politics.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Permits, Government Overreach & The Loss of Liberty

[02:24–04:16]

• The episode kicks off with Jack referencing Tim Sandifer’s book "The Permission Society," sparked by conversations on the show.
• Jack criticizes the expansion of permits and regulations, arguing that what begins as well-intentioned can become a “web” that traps citizens, limiting liberty.
  • Quote: “The rules and regs and permits are often well meaning, road to hell paved with good intentions… But the problem is you get this web of permissions for everything you do every day… and sooner or later that web… traps you. It becomes the opposite of liberty.” – Jack Armstrong ([04:08])

2. Freedom-Loving Quote of the Day & Socialism Discussion

[04:16–09:12]

• Jack reads a quote attributed to Nikita Khrushchev, warning of the slow drift from socialism to communism in America:
  • Quote: “You Americans are so gullible. No, you won’t accept communism outright, but we’ll keep feeding you small doses of socialism until you’ll finally wake up and find you already have communism.” – Jack Armstrong quoting Khrushchev ([04:32])
• Jack frames contemporary American discourse as susceptible to this “slow creep,” especially among the young and college-educated.

3. Mailbag: Socialism, Communism, and Their Consequences

[07:55–09:12]

• Listener David Campbell offers a succinct comparison between socialism and communism, referencing Marx’s theory and expressing skepticism about “utopias.”
• Another listener, Tim, describes how communism rewards “telling on each other” and how power leads to corruption and criminality.

4. Clip: Socialism Debate (Hasan Piker vs. Charlie Kirk)

[09:12–10:00]

• The show airs a snippet of a fiery debate: Kirk questions why socialists don’t simply donate their wealth or live communally if their ideas are so ideal.
• Hasan Piker responds, but Jack critiques his logic:
  • Quote: “[His] system depends entirely on controlling people and taking from them.” – Jack Armstrong ([10:00])
  • Jack expands: Socialism eliminates individual reward, leaving “fear of punishment” as the only motivator.

5. Transgender Athletes & Critical Theory

[12:48–22:33]

• Discussion returns to the topic of trans women in women’s sports, referencing NBA player Royce White’s satirical declaration for the WNBA.
  • Quote: “Is there a medical test? The whole thing’s just absurd. We’re calling their bluff. Go get them, ladies.” – Jack Armstrong ([12:49])
• Jack provides an extended critique of the origins of radical gender theory in French critical theory, arguing that the denial of objective truth enables ideology over reality:
  • Quote: “At the heart is critical theory that says there are no universal truths. All there are are cultural truths. And Orwell would leap out of his grave if he could and point out… if there are no truths, the party can tell you what the truth is and you have to accept it.” – Jack Armstrong ([21:00])

6. Primary Politics & the Power of Party Bases (with David Drucker)

[26:36–37:37]

• David Drucker, senior writer for The Dispatch, joins to discuss primary elections, party polarization, and the “takeover” of both parties by energetic bases.
• The pair analyze the decline in competitive districts and how this enables the party wings to promote more extreme candidates.
  • Quote: “The Democratic establishment doesn’t quite know what to do about the insurgents in their midst… They haven’t reached a point where fear of their own base is superseded by fear of losing.” – David Drucker ([31:18])
• They explore the weakening of party institutions and the effect on party identity and discipline.
  • Quote: “These parties have deteriorated… now in many ways nothing more than ballot access organizations.” – David Drucker ([33:15])
• Drucker identifies key races in Michigan and Wisconsin as bellwethers for the future direction of the Democratic Party.

7. Jack’s Vacation in Canada: Poutine, Smoke, and Family Dynamics

[42:43–48:25]

• Jack calls in from Banff, Canada, extolling gravy fries (poutine) and marveling at why it’s not more popular in the US.
  • Quote: “Why do you suppose we don’t put gravy on fries in the United States?” – Jack Armstrong ([42:52])
• He describes heavy smoke from distant wildfires and recounts their trip to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, highlighting differences in his children’s personalities.
  • Quote: “My oldest… just lights up [with the crowds]. My youngest… ‘Can I go sit in the car until this is over?’” – Jack Armstrong ([45:04])
• Reflects on generational changes in teenage independence and the challenge of competing with smartphones for kids’ attention.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Permits as Modern Control:
  "Never use the word permit as a noun unless you think about it as a verb." – Jack Armstrong ([02:55])
• Socialism & Human Nature:
  "If you seriously think that [communist utopia] will ever happen among human beings, you need your brain checked or you need to get the hell out of the way and let the adults run things." – Jack reading listener mail ([06:05])
• The Party Decides Truth:
  "That's what Orwell was warning against... if there are no truths, the party can tell you what the truth is." – Jack Armstrong ([21:00])
• On Poutine:
  “Why do you suppose we don’t put gravy on fries in the United States?” – Jack Armstrong ([42:52])
• Family Vacation Dynamics:
  “Teenagers, they’re not really thrilled about many things, right?... They don’t want to be with their parents.” – Jack Armstrong ([46:22])
• Party Structure Lament:
  “These parties have deteriorated and self-immolated and they're basically now in many ways nothing more than ballot access organizations.” – David Drucker ([33:15])

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:24] – Permits, regulation, and government control
• [04:16] – "Freedom-loving quote of the day": Nikita Khrushchev on socialism
• [07:55] – Mailbag: socialism and communism explained
• [09:12] – Hasan Piker vs. Charlie Kirk debate on socialism
• [12:48] – Mailbag: WNBA, transgender athletes, challenges to gender norms
• [18:07] – Critical theory, the truth wars, and foundation of gender debate
• [26:36] – David Drucker interview: party primaries, polarization, and what’s next
• [42:43] – Jack’s Canadian vacation, poutine love, wildfires, and family travel
• [48:25] – Segment closes, tease of upcoming guests

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Summary Format

• Focused on major conversational and content sections; advertisements, show openings, and generic promos omitted.
• Key quotes and speaker attributions maintain the original language and irreverent tone.
• Useful reference for those who missed the episode or want to revisit highlights.

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Next episode tease: More on American politics, society, and Jack's culinary discoveries North of the border.

Transcript

[Announcer]

This is an iHeart podcast.

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[Kyle McLaughlin]

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[Announcer]

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[Jack Armstrong]

Who do you call?

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[Jack Armstrong]

Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln radio studio at the George Washington Broadcast Center, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

And now, here's Armstrong and Getty. Hey, how you doing? Always love talking to Tim Sandifer. We just wrapped up a conversation. If you're just tuning in or whatever, grab it via podcast. Armstrong and Getty on Demand about his book. And I mentioned one of his previous books, the Permission Society, which he put out in 2016, was inspired by conversations on this show and honored to have inspired anything good to happen on earth. But it occurs to me if it's a perfect introduction to the freedom loving quote of the day and not yet Michael and then Mailbag, because what we talked about at the time that launched the book was, and I may have come up with this, it doesn't really matter. But never use the word permit as a noun unless you think about it as a verb. You're getting a permit from the county to do this, that or the other. And it ranges from, you know, in parts of rural Texas where you don't need a permit to do anything to in your bluer states and cities and all. Famously in the communist enclave where Jack makes his home, you need a permit to get a new dishwasher for your kitchen. So they make sure it's up to whatever environmental rules and regs rule that communist enclave.

[Jack Armstrong (Vacation)]

And

[Jack Armstrong]

the rules and regs and permits are often well meaning, road to hell paid with good intentions.

[Commercial Voice]

Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

And some of them are probably either legitimate, even if they go a little too far. But the problem is you get this web of permissions for everything you do every day, every use of your land, every tool you use, every, you know, mode of transportation. And sooner or later that web of well meaning rules and regs traps you. It becomes the opposite of liberty. And again, a lot of it's well meaning, but it tends to total up bit by bit by bit until you're just not a free person anymore. And I certainly joined with Tim in fighting against that sort of thing. Which brings us to the freedom loving quote of the day. And I'm gonna go with a series from Nikita Khrushchev, who was the premier of the Soviet Union in the 50s and 60s, I think through 1964. He, he took power after Stalin and, and it was a huge, huge moment in the history of Russia and the Soviet Union. And though he, he left office or I think he croaked before I was born. It was his doctrines that governed the Cold War to a large extent until Gorbachev and, and, and the detente and everything came in. Detente was a different period, but when the Soviet Union crumbled. So Khrushchev was enormously, enormously influential. And he was kind of the rule giver that we cold warriors grew up with. His philosophy. And what's interesting and handy about Khrushchev is he was utterly clear and open about his plans and we'll be hitting some of his quotes for the next couple of weeks or two. Anyway, we'll lead with this one. You Americans are so gullible. No, you won't accept communism outright, but we'll keep feeding you small doses of socialism until you'll finally wake up and find you already have communism. We won't have to fight you, we'll so weaken your economy until you'll fall like overripe fruit fruit into our hands. Mailbag Obviously, one of the reasons that's so appropriate is socialism seems to be on the march, particularly among the young and college miseducated in America these days. True, Chev's wishes are coming true. And not to be over dramatic, but I will die fighting them. Drop us a note. Mailbagarmstrongetti.com let's see. David Campbell says some very nice things about the show. Thank you my brother. And he mentions that yesterday we played a clip of AOC trying to answer the question about the difference between socialism and communism. And she doesn't know the difference. And he says essentially, and this is under Karl Marx's theory, and it's handy to know, I suppose. In socialism the workers control the state. State uses its power to take over major industries and the means of production. And as time passes, that utopia ends. The conflict between the classes and the state is no longer needed and withers away. Everybody shares and shares alike. It is truly a utopia. Everyone communicates. There are no need for even rules. This is communism, the ideal state. And if you seriously think that will ever happen among human beings, you need your brain checked or you need to get the hell out of the way and let the adults run things. It's a good explanation encapsulated there. David. Appreciate it. Then this from Tim, I love this. He says, remember, there's a merit system in communism. People become really talented at telling on each other. The power is in control, controlling the systems. The people who get control of the systems, the stores, the gas stations, etc. Have the opportunity for corruption. That of course comes in communism. And these are the coveted positions. Of course, doesn't matter whether someone's a zealot, a real communist, they will, for the purposes of survival and advancement, become really good at telling on people, really good at putting people in trouble so they can continue to have that power. That's what happens in communism. That's why it always fails. That's how Russia became a criminal gang with the toughest criminal in charge. The commissars get rich and it doesn't matter anymore if the system fails, as long as they stay rich. The people that run the store have the food. The people that run the gas station have fuel. The people that supervise the distribution of benefits have benefits, and that's all that matters. You know, I'm going to depart from the. The plan here of Mailbag and Michael, do me a favor, let's play. Oh, where is it? This is. This is instructive. This is the late Charlie Kirk debating Hassan Piker and put up with them yelling over each other for a minute because they get into a little bit of substance in number 44.

[Hasan Piker]

Why don't you give 95% of your money away and go live on a commune? Do you really think that that's how it works? Do you really think. Why not go live? Because I. Every single uninterrupted for five minutes, Hasan. Okay, go ahead. Sorry. Live what? I practice free market capital. I employ people. I took a risk. I have my own startup business. Every single day, I practice what I preach. He wants other people to contribute to what he considers to be a good idea, what he considers will make the world a better place, that you have the freedom to go live as a socialist. Go do it, Hasan. What's stopping you? Okay, all right. So here's why.

[Jack Armstrong]

This is ridiculous.

[Hasan Piker]

And the last point, the last point I will make is this. Here's why that conversation is absolutely preposterous. If I gave away the measly earnings that I had and gave away 95%, how much do you make? That wouldn't necessarily even push the needle.

[Jack Armstrong]

So Hasan Piker's next sentence ought to be, so for my system to work, I need, because I know it's right to control everybody else and make them give away what they earn. My system depends entirely not on individual initiative or consent or taking risk or investing or building something. My system depends entirely on controlling people and taking from them. And yeah, I understand taxation is a similar thing, but there's no taxation without the consent of the legislature, at least in theory, in our country. But Hassan Piker, the darling of the left, admitted there, I need to control everyone for this system to work. It's a great truism and piece of wisdom. There are only two ways to get somebody to work. Number one, a reward, or number two, the fear of punishment. And because socialism eliminates reward for effort, reward for innovation, reward for risk, reward for outworking everybody else, people quickly decide, obviously, I'm not going to work. I'm going to get what I get. Whether I Work or not. So I'm not going to work. Okay, so we've removed reward. What's left? Fear of punishment. Hasan Piker's entire system requires control and punishment of anybody who doesn't go along with his nefarious plans. Getting back to Mailbag, Joe Schmo of Bonney Lake, Washington writes, that's how he signs it. Oh. On the topic of the wnba and the two women who used to play in the NBA, Mr. Cantner and Mr. White. Is that right? Yep. Yeah, right. I'm Ms. Ms. Ms. Cantor and Ms. White. Because they say they're women, that makes them women. Trans women are women. But Joe makes a good point. All the WNBA has to do is not draft these guys or any other ex NBA player because they have to be drafted in order to play, because they're not really presenting as trans. The trans community will not be upset that they didn't get drafted. Although White actually bought a really nice blonde wig. He looks very comely in it. And three, granted, if presenting trans female with great basketball skills were to try out and then not get drafted, the league would then have a problem. So how far? But again, Joe, it's like we were talking about yesterday, if they were sincerely transgender. Well, who's. What do we go to?

[CarMax Advertiser]

The.

[Jack Armstrong]

The Sincere Police? The Sincerity League? Is there a medical test? The whole thing's just absurd. We're calling their bluff. Go get them, ladies. On the topic of Iran, which continues to be a mire full of quag, Don in San Jose writes, I don't understand why Trump keeps opening the door for negotiations, quote unquote, with Iran. It only invites more nonsense requests from them. So we thought saw last weekend, why don't we just give them a declaration like the Potsdam Declaration of World War II? It's simple. Give up all striving for nuclear weapons, turn over existing nuclear refinement, open the Straits or Hormuz. There will be no tolls or threats against shipping. Give up on all terrorism and support terrorist groups. There should be one more. Recognize Israel. Maybe that's one too many. Well, Don, the problem is, and I have a feeling you know this, an order without a sanction is a suggestion. It's a request. What's the or else? Or else? Well, you know what? Oh, Jim writes. Jim in Houston writes, the mullahs in the IRGC are Lucy Van Pelt. Trump is Charlie Brown. The deal to open Hormuz is the football. Over and over and over, Trump acts as if the mullahs have no cards. In fact, they have a Straight. Oh, clever Jim, clever.

[Joe Getty]

Get it?

[Jack Armstrong]

Poker reference. Very nice. It's a good point. What was the other thing I was gonna say it seemed important at the time. Oh, well, we don't. We don't know what levers to.

[CarMax Advertiser]

Oh, oh.

[Jack Armstrong]

I was gonna say the strategy right now appears to be just choke them financially till they give out. Whether that will ever happen. They machine gunned 40, 50,000 of their own citizens in the street. I don't think they care if those people are a little hungry. See, why don't we call it good? We're going to come back with a bunch of stories from the really impactful to the completely idiotic run through, get you caught up on what's happening in the world. It's the Armstrong and Yeti show. Glad you're here. Stay with us.

[Jack Armstrong (Vacation)]

Armstrong and Gettysburg.

[Ashley Iconetti]

This is Ashley Iconetti from the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast. Ben. I've been reflecting a lot lately on how many big life moments our listeners have experienced with us.

[Ben]

Yeah, it's pretty wild.

[Ashley Iconetti]

They've watched us go from dating shows to engagements, weddings, babies, buying homes. Every stage comes with new decisions.

[Ben]

The milestones are the fun part, but the planning is where things get real.

[Ashley Iconetti]

That's why Klarna stands out. Klarna gives people smarter tools to help manage everyday money with flexible ways to pay cash back that builds automatically everything in one place and support that makes everyday decisions feel less overwhelming.

[Ben]

Since life moves so fast, the right tools can help you feel more confident. Download the Klarna app today or visit klarna.com to learn more.

[Commercial Voice]

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[Jack Armstrong]

Extra initial plan term only greater than 50 gigabytes.

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[Jack Armstrong]

hey, Michael, sorry, I meant to ask for this. Can you hit me with clip number 21? This is the flower of American womanhood known as Royce White, who played in WNBA or in the NBA and wants to play in the wnba.

[Jack Armstrong (Vacation)]

You know, I'm transgender.

[Joe Getty]

I'm a woman.

[Jack Armstrong (Vacation)]

I'm identify as, sometimes identifying as a woman for purposes of. Of basketball, professional basketball. So I'll be declaring for the WNBA draft in 2027 as well.

[Jack Armstrong]

So we all know that that's going on. And, and I want to explain something because I don't think most people understand this. And you really have to understand it and it discourages and shocks me the lack of curiosity in a lot of the media, including the conservative media, about where this stuff is coming from, the whole transgender thing. And this is, this is foundational to all of, has to do with the critical theory school of philosophy. A handful of French guys, if you know their names, you know it, you know them. But in the 1960s who came up with this idea that we need to get Marxism in. But the workers of the world unite didn't really work. And so the point of critical theory, you have to understand is there are no truths. There are no. There is no reality that we all can agree on. It's entirely cultural and entirely opinion. There is nothing you can say that critical theory won't try to tear apart. They criticize it. That's where the name comes from. They problematize it. You've heard that term, probably. They ask all these wacky half rhetorical questions to get you to back off something as simple as only women can have babies.

[Jack Armstrong (Vacation)]

And

[Jack Armstrong]

you know, I was going to go into detail on something leading to it, but I'll just cut to the bottom line. So eliminating any binaries. There are men, there are women, is at the heart of critical theory. And so they cannot admit. Why don't they just back down on the women's sports thing? You're asking yourself? I mean, because anybody with half a brain can see and understand immediately or doesn't even need to see anything to know the reason Title IX exists. The reason women's sports exist is because men elite athletes are much bigger and stronger and faster and more violent. And if women are going to enjoy sports, it ought to be for women. And 98% of the planet, if you explain it to them, believes that. But they can't admit that there's something foundational that we all can agree on because then critical theory collapses. And I know it seems insane, but that is what underpins all of what's going on at the teachers colleges and has infected a radical gender theory, the genderbred man. Little boys and girls can choose whether they're boys and girls. And then they try to confuse you. What's gender, what's sex? And all that crap. At the heart is critical theory that says there are no universal truths. All there are are cultural truths. And Orwell would leap out of his grave if he could and point out oh dudes, that's what I was trying to warn you about, is that if there are no truths, the party can tell you what the truth is and you have to accept it. And you can't say, well that doesn't square with reality because reality is just what the party tells you it is. So critical theory and the people pushing it, whether they know they are or not, they just think they're enlightened and that these nice trans people deserve to be able to play in girls sports. They're just trying to push critical theory. The greatest example is the two plus two is five thing, which is actually straight out of 1984, the critical theory crowd. And there was a giant Twitter war which got James Lindsay fired up to begin with because he's a mathematician. As I recall saying, no, two plus two doesn't equal four in every society. In some societies it equals five. Straight out of Orwell, straight out of Critical Theory. That's why they can't give up on this crap. Anyway, a bunch of stuff to get to in a couple of minutes. We've got David Drucker to kind of parse some of the politics of our time. Jack's gonna check in in a bit. Stay with us.

[Commercial Voice]

Don't go away.

[Ashley Iconetti]

Armstrong and Getty, this is Ashley from the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast Ben. I've been reflecting a lot lately on how many big life moments our listeners have experienced with us.

[Ben]

Yeah, it's pretty wild.

[Ashley Iconetti]

They've watched us go from dating shows to engagements, weddings, babies, buying homes. Every stage comes with new decisions.

[Ben]

The milestones are the fun part, but the planning is where things get real.

[Ashley Iconetti]

That's why Klarna stands out. Klarna gives people smarter tools to help manage everyday money with flexible ways to pay cash back that builds automatically everything in one place and support that makes everyday decisions feel less overwhelming.

[Ben]

Since life moves so fast, the right tools can help you feel more confident. Download the Klarna app today or visit klarna.com to learn more.

[Commercial Voice]

California Resident Loans made or arranged pursuant to a California Finance law license and MLS number 1353190 Klarna balance account required to be eligible for cashback points. Limitations, terms and conditions apply.

[HeroBread Advertiser]

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[Kyle McLaughlin]

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[Jack Armstrong]

Abolishing ice?

[Kyle McLaughlin]

Yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

A one year data center moratorium?

[Optum Advertiser]

Yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

Breaking up a big ag.

[Ben]

Yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

Public grocery stores?

[CarMax Advertiser]

Yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right to repair.

[Hasan Piker]

Yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

Legalizing cannabis?

[Announcer]

Yes.

[Hasan Piker]

Overturning Citizens United.

[Amy Eric]

Yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

A Workers Bill of Rights?

[HeroBread Advertiser]

Yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

A free Palestine?

[CarMax Advertiser]

Yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

The delightful Hasan Piker Interviewing and quizzing the delightful Francesca Hong, who is involved in a primary for the governorship of Wisconsin actually today as we speak. Be interesting to see how that pans out. We're joined by David Drucker, senior writer for the Dispatch, longtime friend of the Armstrong and Getty Show. And David, I will reserve it to myself to rant that these people are lunatics and their policies will never work. But first of all, welcome. It's good to talk to you.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, good to be back.

[Jack Armstrong]

And the thing I wanted to talk to you about, and I'm so interested in this, the nature of the primary system and the fact that a super energized, fairly small segment of either one of the political parties can win primary after primary after primary. And the conventional wisdom is, yeah, that's true because it's the hardcore that turn out, but then it makes it harder to win the general. But I've observed over and over again, and this is what I really wanted to ask you about, folks who just rant about how horrific these policies are in the primaries, then say, well, of course I'll support her. So is it not true that the super energized, fairly smallish base of the party now runs both parties because the districts are so polarized?

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, I mean, there's something to that. There's some nuance there. But you know, with the proliferation of gerrymandered districts. Right. We've had gerrymander districts since the beginning of the republic. But particularly after the mid decade redistricting that we saw over the past year, there are fewer and fewer competitive House districts. And so when you're comparing, for instance, midterm elections in OH, six in 2010 and 2018 to what might happen in 2026, you have to take into account there just isn't as much competitive territory for Democrats to be in a position to flip. And so, you know, then you get to this question of how much influence therefore have the wings of the parties accrued. And they've definitely accrued some more influence than they used to have because harder to make the argument that we need to nominate a pragmatist or somebody with broad appeal when the winner of the primary essentially is the winner of the general election. And then you're looking at these competitive seats and states where progressives and socialist candidates are making inroads. And I think part of that has to do with the fact that the Democratic Party is going through its own anti establishment civil war, much as the Republican Party did during Barack Obama's presidency. And you know, the Democrats have not gone through something like this in quite some time because they were not unified by Obama. They were, well, they were first unified by opposition to George W. Bush, which turned into unification around Barack Obama, which turned into unification around opposition to Donald Trump. And now they're finally sort of going through the sort of periodic upheaval that parties go through. I think the question though, in this case is where do they land because some of these candidates, unlike Democrats in the past, are rather extreme. When you just go through that checklist there where you play the clip and, you know, usually what happens is either these things succeed with voters and therefore they get to declare victory, the wingers do, or they start losing some winnable coveted general elections and it resuscitates the so called establishment wing of the party that is focused on winning. That's what happened in large part with a lot of Republicans, at least in congressional races prior to Donald Trump, where Republican Senate candidates in particular were blowing these winnable races and the party got more aggressive, took more control over these primaries and started nominating broadly acceptable candidates, they started winning again and that kind of put that thing to bed.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right now you're a lot closer to this than we are. I see the Democratic establishment as very old and very comfortable with their own control of the party. And what does the next generation of the Democratic establishment look like?

[Joe Getty]

We don't know.

[Jack Armstrong]

Who are they?

[Joe Getty]

Good question. First of all, I think the Democratic establishment doesn't quite know what to do about the insurgents in their midst. I think that they're afraid to challenge them very publicly. I think they've been challenging them subtly and quietly and in back, you know, and in back rooms, strategy sessions. And we've seen that with, you know, certain PAC money being spent and endorsements being made. But they still haven't reached a point where they recognize these candidates as a problem. And they haven't reached a point where fear of their own base is superseded by fear of losing and perpetuating Republican control of the White House and of Congress. And so the first step is like, when does the party itself try to reassert control and actually wage the kind of aggressive warfare that the progressive base and these, you know, Democratic Socialists of America candidates have been waging? Right. And then that'll tell us a lot about who the next sort of iteration of the Democratic establishment is. Whether it's the same people they just finally got off their butts and started fighting, or whether it's somebody new.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right, right. Let's, you know, let's stay on a somewhat philosophical level. I find it more fun than the headlines of the day. So look across at the Republican Party and Trump's enormous influence, blah, blah, blah. Everybody knows that.

[Hasan Piker]

Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

Given the fact that the Republican Party has been dealing with, that the Democrats have been dealing with what we've been describing, what is a political party anymore, if it is merely the executive branch of whatever whims of the head guy is I mean, you don't have a platform until you ask your candidate, what do you want our platform to be? Are both parties getting tired of that whipsawing back and forth enough that they'll assert themselves and say, a party is a thing, here's what we are?

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, well, that's a big broader question. And I think, you know, for the time being, the answer is no. I mean, I joke all the time, but I'm half serious that these parties have deteriorated and self immolated and they're basically now in many ways nothing more than ballot access organizations. They don't really have anything that they're willing to fight for beyond whatever their philosophical region of control wants at any given time. Right. And we've seen that at the presidential level in particular, you know, whoever the nominee is, that person's in charge of the party, that person determines the party's agenda. And, you know, when a candidate comes along, that is unacceptable, the line really has to cross. And we see this from time to time, right, where the line will be crossed and the parties will say, no, you don't get our support. We still see things like that. But you're right to point this out. Part of the problem, even though everybody hates political parties, is that parties have grown weaker as polarization has increased. And we probably our politics in this country, the things that people think they don't like about our politics, would improve if the parties actually strengthened and began to take, you know, reassert control over their platforms and their candidates and things of that nature the way they used to.

[Jack Armstrong (Vacation)]

Mm.

[Jack Armstrong]

A little less democracy maybe, at least at the primary level. David Drucker, senior writer with the Dispatch, is with us. David, what's the most interesting story in politics going on right now that you think people ought to be paying attention to?

[Joe Getty]

Well, I mean, I don't know. They're probably already paying attention if you're, you know, a political junkie. But I think what's going on in Michigan is probably the most interesting story in politics. And whether Abdullah Said gets elected, gets elected to the Senate in a swing state like Michigan, because it's going to have, it's going to. I think it's going to tell us a lot about where certain, you know, voters are. But also I think it's going to, if El Sayed wins, the progressive wing of the Democratic Party is going to have an argument to make. I don't necessarily think it would be true anyway, but they're going to be able to say, don't tell us a winger can't win the presidency, can't win the key states in the Electoral College voting. We just won Michigan. And if he loses to a Republican and a Republican hasn't won a US Senate seat in Michigan since the 90s. And of course it's a very bad environment for the gop. If else said loses, then you know, the normal way the Democratic Party, the pragmatic wing, is going to be able to see we told you so. And I think that could have a huge influence over the course of the 2028 Democratic presidential primary, by the way, may also forestall any possibility of Democrats winning control of the Senate. If they lose a Senate seat, they control in Michigan.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. Right. Final question, David. How blue is Wisconsin now? Is it possible Francesca Hong gets the nomination?

[Joe Getty]

It's not blue. I mean, it's a swing state. It's a narrowly divided state.

[Cindy Crawford]

Right.

[Joe Getty]

She can very well get the nomination for all the reasons we just discussed.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right.

[Joe Getty]

But then she may get a, she may get elected governor in an environment that favors Republicans, I mean, that favors Democrats in the way that this one does at the moment. But I think she's also vulnerable in a general election. And also there are plenty of Democrats still running in competitive seats in states and they're all going to get a lot more. Between EL Sayed winning the Democratic nomination of Michigan and the Pong is the nominee in Wisconsin for governor and you've got some other DSA candidates that have succeeded in these primaries. It's a, it's much more for Democrats in places that matter to answer for than just what about mom Donna in New York City?

[Jack Armstrong]

Right, right. David Drucker, senior writer with the Dispatch. David, always stimulating. Thanks so much for the time.

[Joe Getty]

Yep. Anytime. Thank you.

[Jack Armstrong]

All right, thank you. Yeah, let's stay in touch. A quick word from our friends at Blue Collar$. If you're our kind of people, frankly, you work hard, you value your family, you're a bit of a saver, you've accumulated some wealth and you're trying to figure out how to guide it all to your financial dreams. But you want somebody who gets you and is going to talk with you, not at you. We invite you to call our friends at Blue Collar$. If you save $500,000 or more, why don't you give them a call for a no cost consultation? There's no obligation. If you don't like what you hear, no harm done. But we know these people. We love their philosophy and they are good folks and they love. From your mobile phone, dial pound 250 and when prompted, say the keywords blue collar dollar once again just but dial pound 250 and say blue collar dollar just to hear them out. Advisory services offered through Talent LLC and SEC registered investment advisor Marketing is conducted by its affiliate company, Blue Collar $llc. Registration as an investment advisor does not imply a certain level of skill or training. For more important disclosures, visit blue collardollar.com again dial pound 250 and say blue collar dollar. I thought it was interesting that the New York Times was actually pretty critical of Jessica Hong, Francesca Hong Rather, and her various beliefs and policies. They were merciless. I wonder if that's the Democratic establishment kind of raising its head and saying, hey, hey, hey, are people sure you're up on everything she has to say? I actually found the coverage in the New York Times more clear eyed and critical than in the Wall Street Journal, which was a head scratcher. Well, we'll all find out today that that key primary in Wisconsin is today. I guess we'll know by tonight what's going on with that one. Jack's gonna check in from the vacation trail next. Stay with us. Armstrong and Getty.

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[Jack Armstrong]

He's the co host. He's on vacation. He's annexing Canada one delicious gravy fry at a time. He's Jack Armstrong. Hello, Jack. How are you?

[Jack Armstrong (Vacation)]

Why do you suppose we don't put gravy on fries in the United States?

[Jack Armstrong]

We do actually, in various places. It's often called poutine, which sounds like a euphemism for a lady part to me.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, I don't like that word. Yeah, it's funny.

[Jack Armstrong (Vacation)]

I have not come across it a lot, but it's everywhere I go to eat, which I have one of those little motorized things to get around now. That's what's happened. I've only been here three days. A rascal. Yes. I'm unable to power myself with my own legs anymore.

[Jack Armstrong]

What are you gonna do? You're gonna get a scooter, adapt it over,

[Jack Armstrong (Vacation)]

you know. Interesting. I'm in Banff. I'm a thousand miles from those fires in Washington and Oregon. Yeah. And just across the border in Canada. And it is so smoky here, a thousand miles away.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, that's too bad, because I'm told the scenery. Well, I've seen pictures. This is breathtaking.

[Jack Armstrong (Vacation)]

Oh, it is. And luckily I can, you know, still see it, but it's not the same as it would be for the fires, but man, it is. It is really smoky. The scenery is breathtaking and it's absolutely fantastic.

[Joe Getty]

Excellent.

[Jack Armstrong]

And are you mostly, you guys just hiking and looking around and touristy stuff or what? You got any big adventures planned so far?

[Jack Armstrong (Vacation)]

Yes, that's exactly. Well, we went to the Sturgis motorcycle rally. That's what we did the first two days.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, wow.

[Jack Armstrong (Vacation)]

My youngest has no interest in that, but my eldest really is interested. And we just hung around there for like 24 hours. And that is one of the largest gatherings of humanity. I think it's the largest non religious gathering of humanity that happens every year. It's about a half a million people that show up in this town of 6,000 people.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's amazing. Like dwarfs. The Indy 500, for instance. It's many, multiple.

[Jack Armstrong (Vacation)]

It's just insane. It's just so crazy. And, and my kids, I'm glad they're the 14 and 16, they saw some things that opened their eyes. That's, that's for certain the way there is there, there was some, there was some stuff to see walking the streets. No doubt about that.

[Jack Armstrong]

But there was. Well, I was just gonna say for, for your younger son, Henry, that even if you're not at all into motorcycles or whatever, just the sheer spectacle of the thing would have to be, you know, eye opening.

[Jack Armstrong (Vacation)]

What's interesting is, you know, how it is, we've talked about this many times, how kids, people are born with personalities. I mean, they're just very, very different. But my oldest just, I mean, he just, when he's around that vibe of just music and noise and people and crowds and cars, he just lights up. I mean, it just energizes him so much. And my youngest is always, can I go sit in the car until this is over? And he puts something in his ears so he doesn't have to hear any of it. And he doesn't like to see it, so it's just very different. So now we're doing his Part of the trip, more or less, where we're driving through mountains and creeks and stopping and it's perfectly quiet and we hike and we see deer and bighorn sheep and that sort of thing. He likes that.

[Jack Armstrong]

So wonderful. I was going to say, yeah, it has to make vacation planning at least somewhat challenging. But what are you going to do? That's the.

[Jack Armstrong (Vacation)]

I also have. You've probably had this experience. You know, I. I didn't go on vacations. Really. I didn't. I hadn't realized this until my kids got older. I didn't really go on vacations with the family once I turned, like, 14, 15 years old, because I was working. I was working all the time so that the family go on vacation and I work. And then my brother did the same. When he turned about 15, he stayed up. I think there's a reason for that. Teenagers, they're not really thrilled about many things, right? Not digging.

[Joe Getty]

They're not digging that much stuff.

[Jack Armstrong (Vacation)]

And they don't want to be with their parents. And. And I was thinking last vacation, I'm thinking this because, you know, next summer, I think, you know, I think I'll go on vacation. You stay home and work might be the answer.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. One of the very few things I've ever said that was worth jotting down was when Judy and I were talking about her relationship with our oldest, Kate, and. And I said, honey, to leave the nest, to take off, you have to push against the nest. And that process begins early. It's, you know, the bird metaphor kind of fails because they're. They're pushing for a very long time before they flap their wings and fly away.

[Jack Armstrong (Vacation)]

Clearly. And modern society, we have probably delayed the. Them growing up. For better. I was going to say for better or worse. Probably. Almost certainly for worse. But the. Like, you know, I was. I was. Like. I said I was. I was working and not doing vacation stuff. I was like a. I was like a grown man earning money, buying myself stuff at 15. And I think, you know, maybe the human body and mind is prepared for that, but we don't do it much. And then the whole. Yeah, go ahead.

[Jack Armstrong]

No, go ahead.

[Jack Armstrong (Vacation)]

I was gonna say. And then the smartphone thing. The smartphone thing. Everything has to compete with the smartphone, right? And so I have to constantly. Hey, put. Put that away. Sitting there playing video games when you've

[Joe Getty]

got, like, some of the greatest scenery

[Jack Armstrong (Vacation)]

on the planet, maybe in the entire universe, out your window. You don't need to be playing some weird game on your phone. But that's the way you know you know how it is. We're drawn to the next dopamine hit. You don't get a dopamine hit. It's enjoyable, but you don't get a dopamine hit from looking at a mountain.

[Jack Armstrong]

Not the same kind anyway. So we got like 20 seconds left. Is there another leg to come of the vacation?

[Hasan Piker]

Oh, yeah.

[Jack Armstrong (Vacation)]

We're driving to Vancouver. Then we're going to go over to Vancouver Island Victoria and we'll be there for a while. Seattle then.

[Jack Armstrong]

Excellent scenery and junkies. Best of both worlds.

[Joe Getty]

Exactly.

[Jack Armstrong]

Enjoy that and stay in touch. We've got great guest, the fabulous Jason Rance coming up from Seattle Red 7:70am, longtime friend of the Ang show and colleague. He's always bringing the fire. Stay with us.

[Joe Getty]

Don't go away.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Getty.

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