E300. The Three Whisky Happy Hour: The State of American Democracy at Year End, with Richard Samuelson

For what turns out to be the 300th Power Line podcast as well as the last episode of 2021, we decided to revert to full three-whisky mode with a live audience on Zoom, and an extended conversation with historian Richard Samuelson about the left’s distorted and impoverished understanding of democracy. Steve had his usual Islay peat bombs and Lucretia polished off a bottle of Glenfiddich, while Richard, who is under quarantine with an actual case of the Omigod variant, had a soothing toddy.

In between recalling what the Founders thought about democracy (and especially John Adams’s contributions, since Richard is an Adams expert), Steve offered up his lexicon of what certain terms mean for liberals:

Populism: When the wrong person or cause wins a free election. (Think Brexit and Trump.)

Racism: Any opposition to the agenda of the left.

Democracy: When the left gets what it wants.

This explains the left’s tantrums when they don’t get what they want, and their demands to change the rules until they do.

Richard also reviews for listeners the defects of the stage play Hamilton, even as it is coming under fresh attack from the left.

For what turns out to be the 300th Power Line podcast as well as the last episode of 2021, we decided to revert to full three-whisky mode with a live audience on Zoom, and an extended conversation with historian Richard Samuelson about the left’s distorted and impoverished understanding of democracy. Steve had his usual Islay peat bombs and Lucretia polished off a bottle of Glenfiddich, while Richard, who is under quarantine with an actual case of the Omigod variant, had a soothing toddy.

In between recalling what the Founders thought about democracy (and especially John Adams’s contributions, since Richard is an Adams expert), Steve offered up his lexicon of what certain terms mean for liberals:

Populism: When the wrong person or cause wins a free election. (Think Brexit and Trump.)

Racism: Any opposition to the agenda of the left.

Democracy: When the left gets what it wants.

This explains the left’s tantrums when they don’t get what they want, and their demands to change the rules until they do.

Richard also reviews for listeners the defects of the stage play Hamilton, even as it is coming under fresh attack from the left.

Join the conversation and comment on this podcast episode: https://ricochet.com/podcast/powerline/the-three-whisky-happy-hour-the-state-of-american-democracy-at-year-end-with-richard-samuelson/.

Now become a Ricochet member for only $5.00 a month! Join and see what you’ve been missing: https://ricochet.com/membership/.

Subscribe to Power Line in Apple Podcasts (and leave a 5-star review, please!), or by RSS feed. For all our podcasts in one place, subscribe to the Ricochet Audio Network Superfeed in Apple Podcasts or by RSS feed.

Follow Power Line on Twitter (https://twitter.com/powerlineus) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/powerlineblog). Send any suggestions, tips, and fan mail to [email protected].