Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: A&G Replay Friday Hour Three

Date: November 28, 2025
Podcast: Armstrong & Getty On Demand (iHeartPodcasts)

Episode Overview

This hour of Armstrong & Getty is a fast-moving blend of in-depth cultural and political commentary, observations on current trends, and humor. The main threads of discussion are:

• The ideological alliance between radical Islamism and the progressive Western left ("red-green alliance") and its intellectual roots.
• America’s shifting political landscape, especially the Democratic Party’s alarming voter registration decline and what it means for both parties.
• Observations on contemporary social trends, including alcohol consumption, constant music in public life, and changing social mores.
• The practical, sometimes surreal frustrations of interacting with AI and chatbots.

The conversation is candid, occasionally profane, and shot through with skepticism about both established narratives and new technologies.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The “Red-Green Alliance” and Western Progressive Thought

(03:42–15:46)

• News in Gaza & NPR's Take: The show opens with news that Palestinian militants disguised themselves as workers from World Central Kitchen, resulting in a deadly IDF airstrike. Joe critiques Western media (notably NPR) for being reluctant to believe militants would impersonate journalists, asserting this denial is symptomatic of broader left-leaning naivete.

  • Quote (Joe Getty, 04:16):
    “NPR considers it completely impossible that they would impersonate journalists. ... What the hell is going on?”

• The Ideological Alliance Explained: Joe introduces the “red-green alliance” — the coalition between the far left (Marxists/communists: 'red') and radical Islamists ('green'), with historical foundations in the Iranian Revolution and modern progressive academia.

  • Quote (Joe Getty, 05:38):
    “Reds as in communists in green, the color of Hamas and radical Islam...a lot of this arose during Iran's Islamic Revolution, 1978 and 79.”

• Michel Foucault, Edward Said & Critical Theory:

  • Joe argues that postmodern philosopher Michel Foucault, via his celebration of the Iranian revolution, inspired the critical theory dominating academic and activist circles.
  • He draws a line from postmodern skepticism of objective truth to modern ideologies like DEI, queer theory, and radical gender theory.
  • Quote (Joe Getty, 08:37):
    “Foucault is literally anti enlightenment and he is the father of all critical theory… for those who would overthrow Western civilization, he is a godhead to them. And you don't know his name, but trust me when I tell you it's incredibly important that you understand.”

• Self-Delusion & Unreachable Minds:

  • Joe claims progressives have so internalized the narrative of Western oppression that they justify or deny violence by radicals, no matter the evidence.
  • Quote (Joe Getty, 13:49):
    “We have so dominated them and crushed their spirits and oppressed them that they're acting out in ways that they won't anymore when the Enlightenment comes, when the Marxist revolution comes.”

• The “Most Important Problem Facing America”:

  • Joe contends this fusion of cultural Marxism and postmodernism is now dominant in American education, posing a greater existential threat than jihadism or even China.
  • Quote (Joe Getty, 14:26):
    “It's the most important problem that faces America. Bigger than China.”

• Passionate Conclusion:

  • Joe closes the segment forcefully, emphasizing that the movement’s goals are openly documented.
  • Quote (Joe Getty, 15:12):
    “These effing people wrote effing books. Their effing names are on the effing spines and they effing describe precisely what they're effing going to do. And they're doing it precisely as they effing described.”

2. Social Trends: Alcohol Consumption and the Ubiquity of Music

(16:39–19:44)

• Declining Alcohol Use:

  • Recent polling shows only 54% of US adults report drinking alcohol, the lowest rate in 90 years.
  • Joe and his co-host muse that wider drug access, health consciousness, and generational shifts may explain the drop, and note the irony given rising societal anxiety.
  • Quote (Co-host, 16:39):
    “Americans are consuming alcohol at the lowest rate in 90 years.”
  • Quote (Joe Getty, 17:08):
    “There are other substances available now. They're legal plus... that's just the trend line among younger people.”

• Music Everywhere:

  • The co-host laments how music has become a constant backdrop in restaurants, retail, and even on golf courses, a trend both find odd and intrusive.
  • Quote (Co-host, 18:15):
    “There's music playing, the fairly decent volume, like most places.”
  • Quote (Joe Getty, 19:39):
    “Generally. When I was playing golf, I loved the fact that it was just so silent out there... But again, I'm in the minority.”

3. The Democratic Party’s “Voter Registration Crisis”

(23:47–35:48)

• Alarming Trends in Registration:

  • Drawing on a major New York Times piece, Jack and Joe discuss how Democrats are losing voter registrations in all 30 states that track party registration.
  • Quote (Joe Getty, 24:04):
    “The Democratic Party is hemorrhaging voters... in every single one [of the 30 states], Democrats lost ground to Republicans.”

• Key Takeaways from the Data:

  • Losses Across the Board: The swing toward Republicans amounts to 4.5 million voters in four years, affecting battleground, blue, and red states.
  • Erosion in New Voters: The percentage of newly registered voters choosing the Democratic Party is cratering, from 63% in 2018 to 48% last year.
  • Gender Gap: Republican strength among men outpaces the Democratic advantage with women.
  • Young Voter Shift: Republicans now claim an outright majority among newly registered younger voters, flipping a decades-old trend.
  • Bleak Outlook: No reversal in sight—Democrats are down over 400,000 voters in most states since the last election, with no “cavalry” coming.
  • Quote (Joe Getty, 29:19):
    “If the current trend holds, more states will similarly flip... Nevada briefly tipped into the Republican column this year... The Democratic edge in the swing states has been vanishing.”

• Why the Decline?

  • The mainstream Democratic brand, they argue, is defined by a small but very loud (and unpopular) radical left, alienating the broader electorate.
  • The co-host recalls a (female) acquaintance jokingly blaming women’s voting patterns for this shift.
    Quote (Co-host, 32:45):
    “She says, you know, it would fix everything if they took away our right to vote. Women are the whole problem...”
  • Joe notes women’s tendency toward “more socialist policies and less self reliance,” per voting trends.
  • Quote (Joe Getty, 33:07):
    “Certainly it is unquestionable... that women in general tend toward more socialist policies... That is undeniable.”

4. The Perils and Oddities of Artificial Intelligence

(38:57–45:19)

• Annoying Realities of AI Tools:

  • The co-host shares a comic tale of trying to generate unique images with ChatGPT, repeatedly getting identical outputs, then hitting a usage cap after four tries. ChatGPT responds politely, acknowledges his frustration, but offers no resolution.
  • Quote (Co-host, 40:13):
    “Then it said, you've hit the free plan limit for image creation for your requests. I said, that's not fair. You gave me the same image four times, then cut me off when I was asking for something new.”
  • They reflect on how AI is mimicking customer service uselessness—sympathizing with anger but not helping:
  • Quote (Joe Getty, 42:10):
    “I totally feel your unhappiness. But no, I'm not giving you your money back.”

• Wider Worries About AI in Daily Life:

  • The hosts predict this sort of “empathetic but useless” interaction will soon be the norm in everything from healthcare to HR.
  • The dynamic between AI and users is unsettling—AI can “know” your history, pick up on personality, and adapt its tone. The co-host notes that AI memoir attempts even referenced his affinity for “harsh language.”
  • Quote (Commercial Announcer 3, 44:06):
    “It gave me the roundup and it said, well, you appreciate harsh language.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Joe Getty, on the postmodern/neo-Marxist threat (15:12):
  “These effing people wrote effing books. Their effing names are on the effing spines and they effing describe precisely what they're effing going to do. And they're doing it precisely as they effing described.”

• On the registration crisis (24:04):
  “The Democratic Party is hemorrhaging voters long before they even go to the polls… that four year swing toward Republicans adds up to four and a half million voters.”

• On AI's customer service stylings (42:10):
  “I totally feel your unhappiness. But no, I'm not giving you your money back. Basically what it's doing, man.”

• Societal trends in music (19:39):

  • “Generally. When I was playing golf, I loved the fact that it was just so silent out there…”

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Red-Green Alliance and Ideological Roots: 03:42 – 15:46
• Alcohol Consumption Trends and Music in Public: 16:39 – 19:44
• Democratic Voter Registration Crisis & Analysis: 23:47 – 35:48
• AI Frustrations and Ethics: 38:57 – 45:19

Summary

This hour offers a comprehensive snapshot of Armstrong & Getty’s style: combative, wry, deeply skeptical of both progressive orthodoxy and institutional change, and willing to wade into the undercurrents shaping today’s culture and politics. Listeners are treated to a history lesson on ideological cross-pollination, a data-driven look at political realignments, relatable observations about daily life, and light-hearted exasperation with our AI-enhanced future—all with the distinctive Armstrong & Getty blend of irreverence and urgency.