Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: "How About Them Apples?" – September 10, 2025
Podcast Host: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

This episode dives into a blistering critique of current political trends in New York City, specifically the rise of Democratic Socialist Zoran Mumdani as a frontrunner for mayor, and the broader implications for the Democratic Party and American governance. Armstrong and Getty dissect the DSA (Democratic Socialists of America) platform, analyze shifting voter demographics, and lampoon Kamala Harris's forthcoming memoir. The hosts maintain their signature irreverent, conversational tone, peppering the discussion with biting humor, disbelief, and exasperation. The episode also touches on current tech news, the latest billionaire rankings, and world events, before closing with reflections on Kamala Harris and a few lighter moments.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Disturbing Crime & Parole Policies in NYC (03:36–04:41)

• Report on a horrific crime in Queens prompts a conversation about public safety and repeat offenders.
• Quote:
  "New York lets career criminals out over and over and over again." – Joe Getty (04:25)
• Both hosts lament policies that allow dangerous individuals to be released repeatedly.

2. DSA Platform and the Rise of Zoran Mumdani (04:57–15:30)

• Explores the policies of Zoran Mumdani, leading mayoral polls in New York, and his deep ties to the DSA.
• Detailed DSA Platform Examination:
  • Advocates for classic socialism: public ownership of major industries, utilities, healthcare, media, and even agriculture.
  • Hosts express incredulity at calls for the nationalization of vast economic sectors.
  • Quote:
    "Our fight is to end capitalist exploitation... the working class will not only liberate itself from its own shackles, but all of humanity from the parasitic death drive of capitalism." – Joe Getty, quoting DSA (07:02)
• Comparisons to Historical Communism:
  • Cites failed examples: Stalin, Mao.
  • Quote:
    "It's one of the riddles of human beings that they fall for the scam of communism over and over again, because it sounds good to people who don't understand how it always works." – Joe Getty (07:42)
• Radical Law Enforcement & Social Policies:
  • DSA policies call for defunding police, freeing all prisoners, ending all immigration enforcement, open borders, and universal amnesty.
  • Hosts question the practicality and historical outcomes of such approaches.
• Electoral Support Breakdown:
  • Mumdani holds a 20-point lead over Andrew Cuomo; striking support among youth and highly educated demographics.
  • Quote:
    "The more education you have, the more likely you are to support Mumdami... the more indoctrinated you are, the more you support Mundani." – Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty (11:18–11:49)
• Implications for the Democratic Party:
  • Galston's warning: Mumdani as mayor would reshape the party’s image.
  • Quote:
    "If he's elected mayor... he will become a leading voice in the Democratic Party and will shape public perceptions of the party's identity." – Jack Armstrong, quoting Bill Galston (14:11)

3. Quick-Hit News & Tech Trends (19:37–23:49)

• Joe Biden Presidential Library: Plans to build it in Delaware met with mockery.
  • Quote:
    "It will compete with Delaware's other biggest attraction, the border with Maryland." – Joe Getty (19:43)
• Cuba’s Power Grid Collapse: Used as a real-world example to critique socialist regimes (20:07).
• Bone Conductive Headphones: Discussion of new tech the hosts endorse, especially the Shokz brand for gym/running, emphasizing the open-ear advantage (21:05).
• Larry Ellison Becomes World’s Richest Man: Oracle’s huge surge due to AI cloud services; underscores the ongoing tech boom and faith in AI.
  • Quote:
    "People with lots of money continue to believe there's money to be made in AI, obviously." – Jack Armstrong (22:50)

4. Kamala Harris’s Memoir Critique (27:48–40:40)

• Synopsis of Harris's Narrative: Readings and discussion focus on her explanations for Biden's age issues, regret about not urging him to step aside, and complaints of being undermined by the Biden administration and media.
  • Harris attributes Biden’s gaffes to fatigue, not incapacity; hosts note the weakness of this explanation.
    • Quote:
      "If you're too tired from the life you live as president, then maybe you shouldn't be president." – Jack Armstrong (29:16)
  • Harris’s self-described "loyalty" and complaints about lack of support draw significant derision.
    • Quote:
      "This is all blaming all the people that held me back... the media was against you, are you kidding me? Nobody has ever been more propped up, ever in the history of running for president by the media than you." – Jack Armstrong (38:55)
• Accusations of Deflection and Lack of Introspection:
  • Armstrong & Getty criticize her unwillingness to accept responsibility for her political shortcomings.
  • Quote:
    "Everybody should try hard to take good stock of your failures and figure out where you went wrong and not blame others for your failures. It's just a bad habit." – Jack Armstrong (49:04)
• Sharp Criticism of Harris’s Qualifications:
  • Both repeat unflattering assessments from various sources, including law enforcement and media personalities.
    • Quote:
      "Sid Rosenberg... said, 'she's stupid.'" – Jack Armstrong (40:03) "My friends in high level law enforcement... told me, Joe, she's a dope." – Joe Getty (40:19)

5. Additional Noteworthy Segments

Lighter Moments & Anecdotes

• Western-Style Brawl and Food Fight Stories: (45:30–48:32)
  • Armstrong recounts his brother’s actual barroom brawl in Germany; Getty shares a high school cafeteria food fight tale.
  • Quote:
    "Those grapes were kind of the Lexington and Concord of the lunchroom revolution." – Joe Getty (48:46)

Final Reflections ("Final Thoughts" segment) (48:09–49:38)

• Hosts reinforce themes of self-awareness and personal responsibility using Kamala Harris as a cautionary example.
• Critique the political impulse to mistake "meetings" for substantive action.
  • Quote:
    "One thing that's notable is she absolutely equates having a meeting with doing important things." – Joe Getty (49:18)

Memorable Quotes

• “Every murderous lunatic in America gets one free murder because we won’t put you in jail for good until you murder somebody.” – Joe Getty (04:32)
• "Be fair for a moment... what would their honest response be to [comparison with Stalin/Mao]?" – Jack Armstrong (08:29)
• "They would say they didn't do it right. They made mistakes." – Joe Getty (08:45)
• “So the more indoctrinated you are, the more you support Mundani. I get that.” – Joe Getty (11:49)
• "Little kids should get to decide for themselves... and then the doctors go to operating on them without the parents knowing, and the taxpayers will pay for it. That's what makes sense to you, you freaking nut jobs." – Jack Armstrong (13:18)
• “You named the gender and the race before you even picked the person.” – Jack Armstrong, re: Harris as a DEI hire (39:43)

Important Timestamps

• 03:36–04:41: NYC crime story; parole system critique
• 04:57–15:30: DSA platform and Zoran Mumdani analysis; implications for Democrats
• 19:37–23:49: Tech news, Cuba blackout, world’s richest man discussion
• 27:48–40:40: Kamala Harris book deep-dive, critiques of her tenure, and media support
• 44:32–47:42: Bar brawl and revolution analogies; Nepal's unrest
• 48:09–49:38: Hosts’ final thoughts on personal accountability in politics

Episode Tone & Language

The episode is direct, unsparing, and heavily sarcastic, interspersed with gallows humor and the dry, incredulous wit common to Armstrong & Getty. The hosts frequently use rhetorical questions, blunt attributions of stupidity or naivete to political figures, and demonstrate a mistrust of ideologically extreme movements.

Summary

This Armstrong & Getty episode offers a critical, no-holds-barred takedown of the new Democratic Socialists' influence in NYC, the DSA's far-left agenda, and current political leadership, particularly Kamala Harris. With their trademark irreverence and sharp commentary, the hosts call out what they see as political delusion, historical amnesia, and a lack of personal accountability, all while entertaining sidebars on technology, wealth, and pop culture. For listeners seeking skeptical, satirical insight into American politics, delivered with both clarity and attitude, "How About Them Apples?" is quintessential A&G.