Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: “They Left The Land & We Built The Studio”

Date: October 27, 2025

Host: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty

Episode Overview

This episode centers on political communication and virtue signaling, zeroing in on Gavin Newsom’s elusive messaging style as he’s grilled about a potential presidential run. Jack and Joe dissect Newsom’s strange tendency to sidestep direct answers, the broader phenomenon of focus-grouped language among politicians, and wade into the cultural moment around land acknowledgments. The episode also highlights campus culture at elite universities and touches on contemporary city and state politics—sprinkled, as always, with the hosts’ trademark wit and riffing.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Gavin Newsom’s Perplexing Communication Style

[00:44 – 07:23]

• Interview Analysis
  The episode opens with a Newsom–Robert Costa interview, Jack and Joe noting how Newsom continues dodging the direct “why” for presidential ambitions, instead offering vague references and unfinished thoughts:
  • “When asked directly about why he'd run for president, Newsom gives this meandering answer—'Nisha said if you have a compelling why, you can endure any how’—never finishing the thought.” ([01:48], Gavin Newsom)
  • Hosts’ Reaction:
    • Jack: “That was a big swing and a miss. That's bad political acumen.” ([03:06])
    • Joe: “He's way down the line of running for president ... how does he not have that sentence ready to go—the ‘why’ sentence?” ([02:26])
• Newsom on Trans Issues
  • The hosts play a clip of Newsom on the Charlie Kirk podcast where he dances around clarifying his position on trans athletes:
    • “How can we address this issue with the kind of decency ... but no firm stance.” ([05:09], Newsom)
  • Jack: “He just dances around topics until they change. He never says anything definitive.” ([05:42])
• Diagnosis:
  The consensus is that Newsom’s style is over-calculated, focus-grouped, and ultimately ineffective if he wants to reach the “big stage.”
  • Joe: “He can't just say something. He's got that too focus-grouped problem that some politicians have … Usually doesn't win. Al Gore, Kamala Harris, Gavin Newsom.” ([06:56])
  • Jack: “Just so calculated he can’t just speak.” ([06:53])

2. Land Acknowledgments and Virtue Signaling

[08:29 – 12:41]

• Critique of Land Acknowledgments:
  Jack and Joe break down a Nellie Bowles Free Press piece, critiquing the performative aspect of land acknowledgments ("We are learning this American history on land that used to belong to...").
  • Joe: “My son had to do it day one of American history class ... learning on land that used to belong to the [Indigenous group].” ([08:29])
  • Jack: “You can just give your property to the native people—or you know, donate the land value to the tribe. Otherwise, shut the F up.” ([11:19])
  • Case in Canada:
    • Reference to a recent Canadian court action that unsettled property owners, warning that these declarations aren’t just symbolic.
    • Jack: “Do Berkeley next. Do Harvard next.” ([10:45, [11:34]])
  • Core Criticism:
    • These gestures don’t change the reality but are primarily about self-aggrandizement.
      • Joe: “Truth be told, I'm hoping you shut up.” ([12:18])

3. Higher Ed Hypocrisy: Harvard’s Decline

[15:46 – 19:45]

• PhD Bubble Bursting:

  • Reports that Harvard is cutting PhD slots by 75% in sciences and 60% in arts/humanities amid budget woes.
    • Jack (citing Nellie Bowles): “During PhDs, students teach and grade but are paid next to nothing ... maybe this way there’ll be 5,000 fewer Antifa soldiers produced each year.” ([16:21])
  • Host View:
    • Deep skepticism about the value and direction of modern graduate education.

• Harvard Leadership & Ideological Bias:

  • A dean at Harvard is under fire for radical statements about rioting and whiteness; the university refuses comment.
    • Joe: “He tweeted rioting and looting are parts of democracy, just like voting and marching.” ([17:33])
  • Conservative Harvard students allege open double standards for liberal vs. conservative clubs on campus, leading to widespread self-censorship.
    • Quote: “The prudent thing to do is just sort of toe the line ... particularly in the social sciences.” ([19:06])

4. Progressive Politics: New York & Name Games

[21:56 – 26:47]

• NYC Politics:
  Jack and Joe play soundbites from progressive rallies in New York, joking about the increasing leftist tilt and the performative aspects of political showdowns.
  • Joe: “Bernie’ll outlive me ... even at 140, he’ll be yelling about oligarchs.” ([24:48])
• Pronunciation as Virtue:
  • Fun is made of AOC’s “authentic” pronouncing of Zohran Mamdani’s name:
    • Jack: “Look how authentic. We order in French at French restaurants... You say Zoran, we say Zohran. So you're a bad person.” ([26:36–26:47])
    • Critique about how only certain minority groups get hyper-corrected pronunciation for virtue signaling.

5. Unlikely Candidates and Hypocrisy

[27:27 – 30:04]

• Zohran Mamdani:
  • Pointed out as “socialist” running for office while coming from wealth:
    • Jack: “He’s so rich, he doesn’t have to work, and he’s preaching socialism … an Islamist Marxist.” ([28:34])
• Andrew Cuomo:
  • Criticized for scandals, but still, the hosts find themselves forced to “root” for him against even worse alternatives.

6. Language Battles: Illegal Aliens vs. Undocumented

[30:24 – 31:24]

• Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is grilled about spending reports on immigrants, pivots on terminology:
  • Johnson: “We don’t have illegal aliens. The legal term for my people were slaves. You want me to use that term too?” ([30:39])
• Hosts call out what they see as faux outrage and distraction from substantive issues.

7. Harvard’s “Across the Divide” Panel

[32:08 – 33:05]

• Mockery of Harvard’s “bridge-building” panel stocked exclusively with Democrats:
  • Jack: “Across the Divide … invited three lefties to speak. You’ve got to be kidding me.” ([33:08])
  • Joe: “That is unbelievably unself-aware.” ([33:05])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Newsom’s Communications:

• Joe Getty: “That was a big swing and a miss. That's bad political acumen.” ([03:06])
• Jack Armstrong: “He just dances around topics until they change. He never says anything definitive.” ([05:42])

On Land Acknowledgments:

• Jack Armstrong: “You can just give your property to native people … or donate that [land] value to that tribe. Otherwise, shut the F up.” ([11:19])

On Higher Ed Bias:

• Jack Armstrong (quoting Harvard students): “The prudent thing to do is just sort of toe the line … particularly in the social scientists [departments].” ([19:06])

On Virtue Signaling Pronunciations:

• Jack Armstrong: “Look how authentic. We order in French at French restaurants … You say Zoran, we say Zohran. So you're a bad person. That's the way I say it.” ([26:36])

On Harvard Panel:

• Jack Armstrong: “Across the Divide … invited three lefties to speak. You've got to be kidding me.” ([33:08])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:44 – Start of main content: dissecting Gavin Newsom’s CBS interview
• 03:06 – Hosts critique Newsom’s lack of clear “why”
• 04:54 – Analysis of Newsom’s non-answers on trans sports
• 08:29 – Discussion on land acknowledgments, Nellie Bowles’ article
• 15:46 – Harvard PhD program cuts and university ideological bias
• 19:06 – Conservative Harvard students speak on campus culture
• 21:56 – Progressive politics and New York rallies (Bernie et al.)
• 26:36 – Riffing on pronunciation/vituous signaling
• 28:34 – Zohran Mamdani’s background and socialist credentials
• 30:39 – Chicago mayor on terminology for immigrants (“illegal aliens”)
• 32:08 – Satire of Harvard’s “Across the Divide” panel
• 36:01 – Nike “Mind” shoes discussed/mockery of mindfulness marketing
• 41:24 – Final thoughts and closing riffing

Conclusion & Episode Tone

The tone is skeptical, irreverent, and self-aware throughout. Armstrong and Getty take aim at evasive political language, performance over substance in activism, and hypocrisy in elite institutions, all while infusing the show with jokes, cultural references, and a healthy dose of mockery for marketing “mindfulness” and the virtue signaling of the professional class.

For New Listeners

This episode epitomizes Armstrong & Getty’s style: rapid-fire conversation, sharp political analysis, and comedic commentary—perfect for listeners who want to keep up with political culture and progressive discourse with a hefty dose of skepticism and humor. No need to have heard the episode: this summary covers both the arguments and the zingers.