Ruthless Podcast

Episode: "Should You Run for Congress? What Do Our Wives Think of the Show? Ruthless Q&A Part 2"

Date: January 1, 2026
Hosts: Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, John Ashbrook
Special Guest: Andrew Bremberg

Overview

This episode is a classic Ruthless Q&A special where the hosts—Holmes, Smug, Duncan, and Ashbrook—tackle listener-submitted questions, riff on the evolving nature of politics, media, and their own unlikely celebrity. They offer candid insights on running for Congress, balancing the show's popularity with family life, the realignment of political parties, and the state of modern journalism. A standout segment features an in-depth interview with Andrew Bremberg breaking down the current healthcare affordability crisis under Biden. The hosts also deliver their signature satirical analysis of cultural moments—this time roasting a New Yorker feature on "notable" New Yorkers' living rooms.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Family Reactions to Podcast Fame

[02:47–08:14]

• Do their wives listen to Ruthless, and what do they think?
  • Josh Holmes: His wife doesn't listen, but sometimes hears about the show through friends. "I honest to God, don’t think that my wife has ever downloaded an episode." [03:09]
  • Michael Duncan: His wife listened early on but was skeptical. “‘Wait, are you working on that podcast again?’” [03:31]
  • John Ashbrook: His wife is proud not to be a listener, but was surprised by fans at events. Recalls a moment: "'Oh, so you have groupies now, huh?'" [05:08]
  • Smug: His mother-in-law realized the show's reach when a coworker turned out to be a fan. "It finally dawned on her. She was like, oh, it's not a hobby. It's a real show." [07:29]
  • General Mood: The wives keep them humble, not starstruck.
• Memorable Moment: Describing the realization of show success, Smug quips, “We were like, number nine most Googled podcast in the world.” [07:34]

2. Should You Run for Congress? (Q&A on Political Candidacy)

[08:19–16:24]

• Listener asks how to break into House/Senate races as a newcomer.
  • Holmes warns about the massive resource requirement and national media scrutiny: “You should get active at the local level. The best, most successful people … have gotten involved and started going...helping to elect other people. People get to know you and your heart that way.” [09:49]
  • Duncan: “There is no substitute for just getting to know people....If what you’re saying doesn’t reflect what the people want in their representative, you’re not going to win.” [11:29]
  • Ashbrook: “If you’ve never worked on a campaign, I recommend doing that, too.” [12:35]
  • Smug: Advocates for grassroots involvement and learning campaign mechanics: “If you knock on 1,000 doors, you probably have a better understanding of that district … than any of the reporters that the New York Times is gonna have reporting on it.” [14:01]
  • Holmes humorously: "If there's a one inkling of a thought in your head this is some kind of a vanity play—don't do it, Doc. Voters will humble you fast." [15:07]
• Key Quote: "Listening is the most important part of the whole gig." — Holmes [16:22]

3. GOP Realignment & Dem Policy Dilemmas

[16:27–21:45]

• Question: Which progressive policy will Dems abandon first as GOP becomes 'party of the working class'?
  • Ashbrook: "Open border." [16:45]
  • Smug: Suggests “the trans thing” will fall away first: “I think first would be probably the trans thing because it doesn’t translate into money or votes necessarily.” [16:50]
  • Duncan: Focus on fraud in public services as an emergent issue: "Fraud in public services is something that's going to be on the top of mind of so many voters ... if they're not addressing this fraud." [17:25]
  • Holmes: On permissive crime/lawlessness: “Anytime you're a party who basically turns a blind eye to violent crime because the constituency...votes for you, I think that's problematic.” [18:56]
  • Side Note: Radical environmentalism seen as already losing steam.

4. Skyline Chili, Midwest Cuisine, and Regional Roasting

[23:14–27:19]

• How should a new visitor try Skyline Chili?
  • Ashbrook/Smug: Mercilessly roast Cincinnati and its signature dish. Ashbrook: “Go to the closest Petsmart and ... pick up the Alpo Extra Chunky, and you open that can up and you put it over some really wet spaghetti.” [23:53]
  • Duncan (the lone defender): “Skyline Chili is delicious. If I had one more meal to eat on this planet, I would eat chili spaghetti ... If you want to try it, you have to go to a location...But you can order Skyline chili dip—base layer of cream cheese ... then chili ... then cheddar cheese.” [24:14]
  • Smug: “Anyone who can escape from Cincinnati has escaped from Cincinnati ... They have this weird kind of shared trauma.” [25:37]
• Quote: “If you’re visiting for some reason, unfortunately, like, you know for work or whatever, you don’t have to try it.” — Smug [26:02]

5. Journalistic Giants & What Has Changed Since Fox Deal

[27:34–36:19]

• Who are the hosts’ journalistic inspirations?
  • Holmes: Dave Espo, Associated Press—“I don’t know what his ideology is. I think that’s the greatest compliment ... just an equal opportunity asshole.” [29:00]
  • Smug: Joe Kernan (CNBC), Peter Jennings.
  • Ashbrook: Praises undercover/investigative journalism à la Upton Sinclair and Nellie Bly.
  • Duncan: Robert Pear (NYT health policy reporter)—praised for honesty and eschewing political rhetoric: “He was the kind of old school giorno ... Constantly try to write the story as factually presentable as possible.” [31:19]
• Has the Fox partnership changed the show?
  • Holmes: “Not a whole lot. The only thing...is that we do a lot more Fox. The content clearly hasn’t changed.” [35:04]
  • Ashbrook: Funtime Friday is “uniquely off the rails.” [35:46]

6. Have They Ever Hosted a Democrat Guest?

[36:19–38:14]

• Michael Duncan jokes: "Smug is a co-host. Yeah, we have a Dem on the show." [36:42]
• Reality: Dems rarely accept—though invited. Holmes: "For obvious reasons, they don’t want to come on. I think it’s a mistake on their part … they have an opportunity." [37:12]
• Ashbrook: “We’ve made careers out of destroying Democrats. So, I don’t think they would willfully step into the studio to be questioned by us.” [38:14]

7. Interview: Andrew Bremberg on Healthcare & Price Transparency

[40:01–52:05]

• Holmes: Opens by noting Democrats now admit Obamacare is unaffordable [41:02]
• Bremberg: Exposes the lack of price transparency in healthcare. “There are no prices, there is no transparency, no one knows what the heck anything costs, and it’s kept entirely secret.” [43:20]
• Bremberg on Trump/Republican efforts: “President Trump ... issued a new executive order re-upping the prioritization of radical price transparency … You should never pay for anything that you don’t know the price of.” [47:04]
• Ashbrook: "Isn’t that just the fundamental of a market?" [45:00]
• Discussion on Biden admin's lack of enforcement and the stakes for single-payer if Dems regroup.
• Key Insight: “If you just had price transparency across the healthcare system, you’d save a trillion, with a T, trillion dollars back into our economy.” — Bremberg [50:54]

8. Cultural Roast: New York Elites’ Inauthenticity

[53:53–71:34]

• The hosts dissect a New Yorker feature on "notable" New Yorkers' living rooms:
  • Al Sharpton: Poses in front of a painting of himself. Holmes: “A painting of Al Sharpton on Al Sharpton’s wall.” [57:38]
  • Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: Depicted “knitting a scarf.” Ashbrook: “You want me to believe...she gets out her knitting gear? I just don’t believe it.” [59:43]
  • Alex Soros & Huma Abedin: Staged tableau. Ashbrook: "This photo is like the photo of a Bond villain." [62:06]
  • Ella Emhoff (Kamala Harris’ stepdaughter): "Textile artist”—the hosts lampoon the obvious privilege: “There’s no way a textile artist could afford a place in the Lower east side.” — Ashbrook [65:39]
  • Anna Sorokin (con-woman/socialite): Noted for her house arrest ankle monitor.
• Holmes’ Summary: “The modern Democratic Party is that. Yep, that’s what it is … This is who they are, and that’s who they answer to.” [70:47]

9. Best-of Variety: Ruthless Absurdity & Political Fails

[71:54–74:24]

• Clip of South Carolina Dem Mullins McLeod’s drunken, underwear-clad, racial slur-laden campaign announcement.
  • Ashbrook laments: “Speaking as someone from the Scottish American community, a Duncan generally, we can handle our alcohol. He’s let you down.” [73:52]

Notable Quotes

• “If there’s a one inkling of a thought in your head that this is some kind of a vanity play—don’t do it, Doc. Voters will humble you fast.” — Holmes [15:07]
• “You don’t have to try it, because it’s a weird thing … people in Cincinnati, they have this weird kind of shared trauma ... of eating fucked up chili.” — Smug on Skyline Chili [26:05]
• “I think every cycle is a little bit different … If they’re not addressing this fraud ... that is, that's not good for them.” — Duncan [17:25]
• “They have no substitute other than throwing money at the problem ... The answer from Democrats ... is just take money out of the taxpayer’s wallet and throw it at insurance companies.” — Holmes (on healthcare) [50:01]
• "This photo is like the photo of a Bond villain." — Ashbrook (on Alex Soros’ living room) [62:06]
• “The modern Democratic Party is that. Yep, that’s what it is. ... Can you relate?” — Holmes [70:47]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Family Q&A / Podcast Fame: [02:47–08:14]
• Running for Congress Advice: [08:19–16:24]
• Political Realignment / Dem Policy Predictions: [16:27–21:45]
• Skyline Chili Roast: [23:14–27:19]
• Journalistic Giants & Fox Deal Impact: [27:34–36:19]
• Have They Hosted Democrats? [36:19–38:14]
• Andrew Bremberg Interview (Healthcare): [40:01–52:05]
• New Yorker Satire (Living Room Segment): [53:53–71:34]
• Wild South Carolina Clip: [71:54–74:24]

Tone and Style

• Conversational, sardonic, irreverent, with pop-culture riffs and intra-crew banter.
• Mix of earnest advice, sharp satire, and pointed political criticism.
• Underlying current: Keeping political conversation fun, authentic, and open to "owning the libs."

Memorable Moments

• The hosts’ disbelief that their wives and in-laws are only now realizing their show’s cultural impact.
• The extended, vivid takedown of Skyline Chili as a symbol of Midwestern culinary “trauma.”
• The side-by-side comparison of authentic journalistic integrity vs. today’s political media landscape.
• Bremberg’s assertion that simple price transparency would save Americans a trillion dollars on healthcare.
• Ruthless lampooning of the New Yorker’s depiction of left-wing New York elites—"not a single one of them looks like they're having any fun whatsoever." [62:06]
• The “Mullins McLeod” campaign launch: “I support that campaign launch. Brilliant.” — Smug [74:22]

For New Listeners

This episode is a wide-ranging sampler: affectionate self-mockery, seasoned political advice, inside-baseball storytelling, and relentless cultural derision, all delivered in the quick-witted, unfiltered Ruthless style. Whether you're seeking pointers on breaking into politics, a behind-the-scenes peek at podcast fame, or a ruthless demolition of coastal liberal culture and Democrat policy, this episode is a must-listen.