Bulwark Takes – Episode Summary

Episode: James Talarico's "Scandal" Makes Me Like Him More!
Host: The Bulwark Team (Tim O, Sarah, John)
Date: November 9, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode features Tim O from The Bulwark breaking down recent political developments, fresh off the road following Crooked Con, and responding in real time to breaking news items. The two main focuses are a spirited debate panel at Crooked Con about the future of Democratic strategy (should the left moderate or "triple down") and the so-called "scandal" involving Texas State Senate candidate James Talarico's social media behavior. The episode maintains a casual, irreverent tone throughout, with Tim O inserting both humor and sharp analysis.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Crooked Con Recap: The Democratic Dilemma

Segment Starts: [01:29]

Panel Participants:

• John Lovett (Moderator), Jessica Tarlov, Simone Sanders, Hassan Piker, Tim O

Key Debate:
Should Democrats win by moderating policy positions or by "tripling down" on strong, sometimes divisive stances—mirroring what some believe drove the GOP's 2016 success?

a. Recap of the Panel's Composition

• Simone Sanders argued from the progressive left, suggesting the right won by embracing extreme positions (not moderation).
• Hasan Piker reflected left populist, anti-capitalist perspectives.
• Jessica Tarlov was positioned as a moderate.
• Tim O represented a centrist/center-right anti-Trump POV.

b. Main Exchange: "Triple Down" or Moderate?

• [03:31] Simone Sanders:
  “They didn’t win because they opened up the aperture and let people do what they need to do. They won because they tripled down on what they believed.”

• [03:38] Tim O (interrupting):
  “That sounds good and I like it. I want it to be right. It’s just not right.”

• [03:46] Simone Sanders:
  “Yes. They tripled down on racism. Yeah, it was populism, but... Populism had a little white supremacy in it, a little racism. Like, Bernie Sanders is a populist in a different way than Donald Trump.”

• [04:10] Tim O adds:
  “Yeah, he doubled down on a bunch of terrible shit that they believe. He also was seen as left of Kamala on foreign policy, as an anti-war candidate, as anti the Republican establishment... He cut to the middle on that.”

Tim O ultimately believes that while Trump did “triple down” on the far right on social issues (race, immigration), he simultaneously “cut to the middle” in other areas, especially foreign policy and sometimes economically, muddying the idea that voters simply reward extremism:

• “I think if the Democrats try to go far-left on everything, including social and foreign policy issues, that ends up potentially being problematic.” ([09:00])

c. Analytical Takeaways

• Trump’s perceived moderation (even if dishonest) on some key issues helped him build a cross-cutting coalition.
• Democrats attempting the same "triple down" strategy risk alienating moderate and swing voters.
• Debate remains open as to whether passion or moderation wins more votes in today’s climate.

2. James Talarico "Scandal": Nothingburger or Political Asset?

Segment Starts: [09:26]

Background:
Axios reports that James Talarico, a Christian pastor and Democrat running for Texas Senate, follows several adult entertainers and OnlyFans creators on social media, and once messaged one a polite thank you.

a. Tim O’s Reaction

• “My response to this is hell yeah, James Talarico. I mean maybe there’d be hypocrisy here if he was actually hiring escorts, right? ...But like, he’s a single man, he’s on social media, he’s doing well, is a rare Democrat who’s like doing well communicating with younger people on TikTok.” ([10:02])
• Tim O notes that Talarico stands out as a Democrat who connects with younger voters and the “manosphere”—a demographic Democrats often struggle with.
• Wonders aloud whether the leak was calculated:
  “Part of me almost wonders if this was a self-leak from the Talarico campaign to show young men that he can hang with the bros.”

b. Thoughts on Democrats and Masculinity

• “The Democrats need more dudes who are into hot girls. Most dudes are into hot girls. That’s fine.” ([10:18])
• Cites Bill Clinton as an example, with the caveat, “You know, went a little overboard after a while.”
• Feels Democrats’ lack of “masculine energy” has hurt key voting blocks:
  “If anything, this probably only helps him as far as I’m concerned, and particularly in the Democratic Party, where I think there’s been kind of a little lack of masculine energy in ways that have hurt them with some key demos of voters over the past couple cycles.” ([11:55])

c. Flipping the Gender

• Argues publicly following attractive people shouldn’t be news for either sex.
  “If Mikey Sherrill had been following some muscle guys on social media, I'd have been like, hell, yeah, Mikey Sherrill as well. This is... we’re all humans, after all.” ([12:05])

3. Trump’s Pardons and Political Distractions

Segment Starts: [12:05]

• Briefly covers Trump’s recent pardoning spree (Darryl Strawberry, a CCP agent, a crypto exec), and bold headlines like “bombing boats in Venezuela.”
• Observes:
  “Maybe dial back the focus on all that stuff and actually focus on the fact that people’s lives are being harmed materially right now by the shutdown and by the shitty economy.” ([13:40])
• Tim O’s advice to Trump: focus less on showy gestures, more on the economy—but jokes, “I’m not here to give Donald Trump advice.”

4. Candace Owens, Leaked Texts, and Conservative Infighting

Segment Starts: [13:43]

• References a developing feud among conservative media figures (Candace Owens, Charlie Kirk, Ben Shapiro, Tucker Carlson).
• Cautions against leaking private texts as part of intra-right beefs but hints at returning to this story soon:
  “I want to do a deeper dive on this actually… so that'll be just a little teaser for you guys.” ([14:31])

5. Recommended Listening & Final Thoughts

Segment Starts: [14:36]

• Recommends Sarah and JBL’s secret show on USAID cuts and Elon Musk’s proposed trillion-dollar Tesla package.
• “It's truly, the world deserves better rich people or fewer maybe.” ([15:19])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Simone Sanders ([03:31]):
  “They won because they tripled down on what they believed. Even if what they believe… was a little white supremacy in it, a little racism. Bernie Sanders is a populist in a different way than Donald Trump.”

• Tim O ([04:10]):
  “He also was seen as left of Kamala on foreign policy. He was seen as an anti-war candidate… He did cut to the middle on stuff.”

• Tim O ([10:02]):
  “Hell yeah, James Talarico… The Democrats need more dudes who are into hot girls. Most dudes are into hot girls. That’s fine. That worked for Bill Clinton.”

• Tim O ([13:40]):
  “Maybe dial back the focus on all that stuff and actually focus on the fact that people’s lives are being harmed materially right now by the shutdown and by the shitty economy.”

• Tim O ([14:36]):
  “It's truly, the world deserves better rich people or fewer maybe.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:29] Crooked Con recap and panel lineup
• [03:31] Simone and Tim O square off: "Triple down" vs. moderate?
• [09:26] James Talarico "scandal"
• [12:05] Trump pardon spree, political distractions
• [13:43] Candace Owens vs. Charlie Kirk/Shapiro—teaser
• [14:36] Recommendations and wind-down

This episode blends fiery panel debate, irreverent takes on “scandal” politics, and a rapid-fire rundown of the latest news cycles, all in The Bulwark’s unfiltered and slightly cheeky style. If you appreciate straight talk—and political meme-making—this is a can’t-miss, especially for anyone trying to understand the strategic crossroads facing Democrats as 2026 looms.