OK Talks: Recent Episodes
Oliver Kendall
In this election-eve episode of OK Talks, I have a look at roughly four reasons why I'm feeling cautiously optimistic that Kamala Harris will win the 2024 Presidential election.
After sharing our barely-awake reactions to the last Presidential debate, former Republican and current Democrat Abroad Robert Gerrard again joins me to react to the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump - one which definitely left us both feeling a lot different than we did after the last one.
In this episode, I throw some shade at some of the latest antics from the anti-Israel movement including their attempts to mess with the Democratic National Convention, and at some in the pro-Israel community who have jumped all over a single line in President Biden's convention speech and unfairly written off Democrats as having given in to the antisemitic wing of the horseshoe left. The Democratic Convention is a reminder that for the vast majority of Democrats, it’s perfectly possible to both care deeply about Israel’s security and recognize the humanity of Palestinian Arabs and want a better life for them - most of us really don’t have that hard a time wanting both those things at the same time and they shouldn’t be seen as contradictory.
With the benefit of 24 hours to process, here is my initial off-the-cuff of the pick by Kamala Harris of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to be her running mate.
In this episode, I look at a mix of topics: - Good journalism on display at the National Association of Black Journalists (and Trump's pathetic and racist behavior in response to it) - Bad journalism in the domestic press and foreign policy space (unserious coverage of the election at the expense of Democrats, biased coverage at the expense of Israel, and lack of coverage of the spike in antisemitism globally)- Unfolding events in the Middle East- Antisemitism in the VeepstakesViews my own.
In this episode, I discuss the weirdness of Republicans' obsession with having children and denigration of people who don't for whatever reason, as crystalized in the selection of JD Vance to be Trump's running mate. Views my own.
In this episode, I weigh in on the decision by President Biden to withdraw from the Presidential campaign. I also give my takes on the shooting at Trump's rally, the judicial travesty wrought by the deeply corrupt Florida judge in the classified documents case, and the selection of JD Vance to be Trump's running mate. Views my own.Below is the link to The Atlantic piece by David Frum referenced in the episode https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/07/donald-trump-democracy-dictator/679006/
In this episode, intended to come out two weeks ago, I discuss the loss in a high-profile primary of Congressman Jamaal Bowman. We have a look at the rise (and failure of the Republicans to curb) more extreme members of Congress (mostly within the GOP but also among Democrats), the comparison between Republicans and Democrats vis-à-vis this issue, the implications of Bowman having lost, and another faceplant by the NYT. Views my own.
In a ruling that has shocked most legal observers and just about everyone else, the far-right Supreme Court has ruled that a President can basically just... commit crimes. This is nuts. And it's hardly the only crazy thing this court has done lately. In this episode, I explore that, and the way in which the behavior of this court should focus the minds of voters this fall.
Initially alarmed by the optics of the debate (boy do I hope President Biden mainlines vitamin C before the next one), I'm joined at 5:30AM Barcelona time by former Republican and current fellow Dem Abroad Robert Gerrard to provide our half-asleep reactions to the debate, and, hopefully, some counter to the doom-and-gloom narrative that's been the initial reaction. I mean come on, the NYT ran their first "Biden should drop out" op-ed before we even made it to the first commercial break of last night's presidential debate.
This past weekend, elections were held across the EU for the European Parliament, with the results showing an undeniable shift rightward. I examine what could be the reason for this outcome (digging into questions of how Europeans view immigration and security), and what it might mean. Views my own.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we got him. ...well, maybe not quite yet. This podcast reacts to the milestone in the seemingly endless saga of Trump's legal issues, and analyzes some of the questions raised by the former president having been found guilty of all charges in the first of the multiple trials he should be facing. Views my own.
In this episode, following up on the previous one, I'm joined by Spencer Morin Reynolds, who is an expert on third party movements and a veteran of the Forward Party. We discuss the impediments to minor parties in the US political system and why minor party Presidential campaigns at the moment are tilting at windmills, and how a what would be necessary for a third party to actually stand a chance in the US. Views our own.
In this episode, I discuss the impact of minor party presidential candidates in elections within the relatively unique American electoral system, and take a look at the minor party candidates playing spoiler in this particular election year. Views my own.
In this episode, I discuss the Israeli response to the large-scale attack on their territory by the Islamic Republic of Iran, the broader theory around escalation and deterrence. On the home front, I talk about excesses among and responses to the anti-Israel protests across US college campuses this past week, and some broader themes around how people protest. Views my own.
This episode, which should be seen as a spin-off of the last, discusses the patterns of mistakes made in the coverage of Israel's war in Gaza, and examines the consequences of those mistakes. Views my own. As mentioned in the episode, linked here is a piece by Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at West Point John Spencer: https://www.newsweek.com/israel-has-created-new-standard-urban-warfare-why-will-no-one-admit-it-opinion-1883286And here is The Atlantic piece by a former AP journalist describing the complex relationship between the press and NGOs in the Israel-Palestine conflict: https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/11/how-the-media-makes-the-israel-story/383262/
This episode takes apart the idea that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the broader Israel-Palestine conflict can be broken down into "two sides," and discusses the alarming rise in antisemitism around the world. Views my own.
In this episode, we cover and analyze several more events that unfolded over the last week: - The very different way in which Brazil is handling the aftermath of its version of January 6th- The star-studded Biden campaign fundraiser last week in the context of the Democrats' very real need for a huge cash advantage in order to have a fair fight - The Russian campaign to kidnap citizens of western countries to be used as bargaining chips in Russia's war against liberal democracy - Donald Trump, Traveling Bible SalesmanViews my own
After the unplanned hiatus, I'm back with takes on several of the leading stories over the past week or so. In this episode, we discuss: - The nonsense scandal around the prosecutor of Trump's election interference case in Georgia- The broader issue of justice delayed when it comes Trump- The ISIS attack in Russia, what it means, and some ties to the situation in the Middle East- The spread of measles in the US as a result of anti-vaxxersViews my own.
Another year come and gone - one I believe will go down in the history books as not-great overall. In this episode, I look at a couple of reasons why I believe the last calendar year was bad specifically vis-à-vis the promotion and preservation of democracy, from the effective return of Trump, to the Middle East, to the war in Ukraine. Views my own.
While the US has yet to elect a woman president (despite Hillary Clinton having received by far the most votes in 2016) and Republican states race each other to enact the most restrictive abortion laws they can conceive of, the neighbors south of the border are going in a rather different direction on both counts. In this episode I'm joined by Marta Treviño Leyva and Edgar Lopez Vallejo to discuss the, for lack of a better term or imagination on my part, "women in politics moment" happening in Mexico. Views our own.
In this episode, I look at the two big political stories out of the US this week: the dismal poll numbers for President Biden that caused the entire Democratic Party to go into a meltdown to begin the week, and then the very good showing barely a day later in the elections in a number of states. I consider the intersection of these two stories, what it means for the next elections, and what it says about the Democratic Party. Views my own.
After weeks of chaos and dysfunction, the Republicans in the House have finally settled on a new Speaker after turfing out Trump stooge Kevin McCarthy. The new guy is a little-known relative newcomer to Congress, but it turns out he is basically Gym Jordan with an inside voice. I explore how we got here and the implications. Views my own.
In this episode, I follow up on various themes explored in Episode 54 re the latest Israel-Hamas conflict, with a particular focus on the atrocious media coverage of the hospital explosion. I also have a look at the chaos in American domestic politics as Republicans fail yet again to pick a Speaker of the House. Views my own.
In this episode, I'm joined by Polish political organizing strategist and co-founder of Akcja Demokracja Weronika Paszewska to discuss the political earthquake that just took place in Eastern Europe. Poland just to oust the far-right authoritarian Law and Justice Party, which has spent nearly the last decade undermining democracy in one of the most important countries in the EU. Views our own.
On October 7th, the Palestinian Islamic extremist organization Hamas carried out the worst mass-killing of Jews since the Holocaust. In this episode, I look at some of the tragic realities of the attack, what it means for Israelis and Palestinians, and what could happen next locally and at the broader regional level. Views my own. Oh - here, by the way, is the link to Ali Rizvi's excellent Twitter thread that I draw on in the episode: https://twitter.com/aliamjadrizvi/status/1711867766334992468
This week, America avoided one crisis (a government shutdown) but faced another (albeit hilarious) one: the tragic fall of Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy. In this episode, I dig into the increasing problem in the U.S. of government-by-crisis, and take a look at the end of Kevin McCarthy, some of the absurd attempts by Republicans to apportion blame, and what might come next. Views my own.
It looks almost inevitable that the Republicans are going to drive the US off a cliff this week with a government shutdown. In this episode I explain what this means in practical and theoretical terms, and how this whole ridiculous exercise came into being. I also have a look at some of the most absurd stories to come out of Trumpworld this week. Views my own.
In this episode I swing back to the theme of Republican hypocrisy, focusing in on the question of the proper handling of classified information, and profound irony of a man who won the Presidency by demagoguing Hillary Clinton's alleged mishandling of a few classified documents having then turned around and used highly classified materials as scratch paper. Views my own. Oh, and here's the link to the Columbia Journalism Review study of media coverage of the Clinton 2016 race that I mention in the podcast.https://www.cjr.org/analysis/fake-news-media-election-trump.php
Another day, another story of breathless speculation about the President's age. Speaking (views very much my own) as a member of the generation that coined the phrase "ok boomer," I, for one, would like a little more focus on what Biden has actually done as President, and a little less on the fact that he was born during WWII.
In this episode, I discuss several unrelated but important stories from the past week:
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The implications of the end of Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin
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The early implementation of Uganda's vicious anti-LGBT law (known universally as the "kill the gays" bill), the role of American evangelicals in the passage of the law, and the need for liberals to stand up for liberal values everywhere and not just where it's comfortable to do so
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The first steps in the groundbreaking change of Medicare finally being allowed to negotiate drug prices with the pharmaceutical industry.
Views my own.
This week Trump was indicted for a fourth time, the second set of indictments around his efforts to overthrow the results of the 2020 elections. There are a number of implications to this latest round of charges - I examine them and how they might play out in this latest episode. Views my own.
This week, an underhanded Republican attempt to block Ohio voters from protecting abortion rights later this year failed. In this episode I discuss what that means for Ohio, for abortion rights, and for democracy more broadly. Views my own.
Oh, yeah, and here's that piece I mention in the episode I said I'd link to: https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/05/10/abortion-history-right-white-evangelical-1970s-00031480
More than two years after leading an insurrection and undermining the peaceful transfer of power after the 2020 election, Donald Trump is finally facing charges for the crimes he committed in trying to fraudulently overturn an American election. In this episode I discuss why it took so long to get here, the impact that will have, and what might happen next. Views my own.
In this episode I weigh in on a couple topics - the weird and seemingly endless pursuit of Hunter Biden, the latest antics of the Alabama GOP, bad news out of Israel, further bad news for the world out of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and some promising news stemming from Spain's recent elections. Views my own.
Spain is holding national elections THIS SUNDAY! In this episode I give an overview of Spanish government and politics, and am joined by Júlia Juan to discuss potential outcomes, and what it would mean for Spain and Europe more broadly. Views our own.
Saying they're strongly for something while doing the opposite in practice has long been a Republican superpower - but with a few of the things they've been doing over the last few weeks, they've reached hitherto untouched levels of hypocrisy. In this episode, I look at a few areas where that's the case. Views my own.
The direct follow up to the last episode (wherein I address whining about Biden's age, charisma, etc, crystallized in an interview with former HUD Secretary Julian Castro in the New York Times), here I address further arguments made by Castro, along with broader analysis of what Biden has gotten done as President, and the profound stupidity of suggesting a primary in the context of the historical analog to Biden and what he represents.
Despite getting more done in his first term than any American president since the '60's, Joe Biden faces griping from various quarters within the Democratic Party (including two, uhh, eccentric primary challengers). This griping was crystalized in a New York Times interview with former HUD Secretary Julian Castro (linked below). In this episode, part one of two, I start to take on the stupidest arguments against Biden (particularly those about his age, speaking ability, etc). Views my own.
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/01/joe-biden-stutter-profile/602401/
Oh, and for those interested, here is the piece from The Atlantic re Biden's fight to overcome a stutter that I mention in the episode: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/15/podcasts/julian-castro-joe-biden-democrats.html
Yet again the global economy is at risk due 100 percent to the shameless and nihilistic political gamesmanship of the American Republican Party. A default on America's debt would be catastrophic, but a bunch of them seem legitimately excited about it. In this episode I explore what the debt ceiling is, where it came from, what damage blowing through it could cause, and what could be done about it. Views my own.
Turkey holds its first round of elections in less than a week - elections that represent the last best chance to stop the authoritarian backslide personified by the country's Sultan-wannabe President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. I share a bit of background as to the damage Erdogan has done, and am joined by Gökhan Dilek to discuss the upcoming elections. Views very much our own.
In the last 24 hours, Tucker Carlson, the most dangerous purveyor of conspiracy theories, xenophobia, white supremacy, and pro-Russia propaganda at a network full of dangerous purveyors of those things, was pushed out of Fox News, and then Joe Biden, easily the most effective American president since 1968, officially announced he's running for reelection. I explain why both things matter, and both are very good for fans of American democracy and liberal western civilization.
In this episode I'm joined by Omri Lavi, an Israeli pro-democracy activist and Major in the IDF Intelligence Corps reserves, to discuss the massive protests in Israel responding to the brazen attack on democracy in that country by the most dangerously rightwing government in the history of the Jewish state. Views very much our own.
Multiple sources are reporting that Donald Trump is quite possibly for the first time in his life going to be held accountable for breaking the law. I discuss why it is so important that this coming indictment be the first of many, and that subsequent ones follow quickly. Views very much my own.
In this episode, I'm joined by Edgar Lopez to discuss, well, wtf is happening in Mexico around that country's President's attempts to "reform" the institution that protects free and fair elections there. Views very much our own.
Peru has had a turbulent few years politically - over the last few years, that country has produced more Presidents than Disney has produced Marvel movies. I'm joined in this episode I'm joined by Peruvian former journalist Darwin Cruz to discuss the chaos and protests that have dominated Peru since the failed auto-coup carried out by former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo in December. Views very much our own.
A year into Putin's three-day "special military operation" to subjugate the free people of Ukraine, we have to ask ourselves... is Russia just bad at this? In this episode, I reflect on implications of a year of Russia's vicious and unjustifiable full-scale invasion of its democratic neighbor. Views very much my own.
Those who follow American politics snicker at Kevin McCarthy (even now that he has managed to cobble together the ricketiest of coalitions to allow him to achieve his goal of being Speaker of the House). Those who follow American politics less closely don't know who he is, but are starting to hear his name. In this episode, I explain a bit about who Kevin McCarthy is, and why you should probably be laughing at him. Views very much my own.
After years of being a Democratic Senator in little more than name, Kyrsten Sinema has decided to drop the name part as well. Who is Kyrsten Sinema? What has she been doing as a (as of a few hours ago, former) Democratic Senator? What will her leaving the party mean for the balance of power in the US? I discuss all this and a bit more in this (poorly timed – wish she hadn’t picked a Friday/hope my audience has nothing better to do on a Saturday) episode.
In this episode, I'm joined by Khatere Gorji to discuss the ongoing women-led protests in Iran. We cover life for women under Iran's brutal theocracy, how the protests got started, where they might go, the potential fate of those the regime has arrested for participating, and a number of other topics. Views are our own. Please share this episode with hashtags like #MahsaAmini, #WomenLifeFreedom, and #WomanLifeFreedom
In this episode, I summarize some of the early results of the 2022 midterm elections (and why I'm less depressed about them than I expected to be), and analyze some of the implications (again, mostly negative, but not as bad as anticipated) of those results. Views very much my own.
In this episode, a sick and tired Oliver recaps several global bad news stories for the future of Democracy, including Ukraine, Israel, Brazil, and the US in the context of the midterms. I also engage in some unsubtle eye-rolling at the state of the debate around inflation. Views very much my own.
2022 has been a rough year for women’s rights. In this second of a two-part episode in which I discuss this fact, I wrap up the US side of things, and look at a few other flashpoints around the world this year re women’s rights – Iran, Afghanistan, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Views very much my own. For those who have listened looking for links I mentioned, here are:-Masih Alinejad’s speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PzBXfavmGA -“In Russian-occupied Izyum, she was raped and tortured,” The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/10/09/izyum-rape-torture-occupation-russia/
2022 has, in many ways, been a rough year for women's rights. In this episode, I begin that discussion, to be continued into a future part II, addressing the end of a nationally-protected right to abortion in the United States, the radicalism of the anti-abortion movement, and a bit of the background of how opposition to abortion became a galvanizing issue for the evangelical Christian extreme right and the Republican Party. Views very much my own.
As the Russians formally annex four regions in Ukraine, I'm joined by Katya Firsova, who, hailing from one of those four regions which has been occupied by the Russians for the last eight years, shares her experience of what it's like living in a territory that's been illegally occupied by a hostile foreign power.
Views are our own.
In a typically deranged speech complete with unsubtle nuclear saber-rattling, the Russian leader announced sham referendums in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories, and the mobilization of 300,000 additional Russian soldiers to escalate his vicious, illegal, and thoroughly unjustified invasion of Ukraine. I discuss this breaking news, some of its implications, and points from the glorious dear leader’s grand oration. Views very much my own.
In this episode, I discuss another batch of good news for fans of liberal democracy, starting with good economic news in the US and how that relates to slightly less dim prospects for the upcoming midterm elections, President Biden's broadside against fascism in America, and Ukraine's stunning victories in taking back parts of their northeastern territory. Views very much just my own and not representing any other organization.
In this episode, I reflect on the tragic significance of Mikhail Gorbachev's recent passing - his impaction the world (particularly those parts whose fate is in someway attached to that of Russia), and how that looks now. Views very much my own.
Sorry for the absence! In this episode I explain why I disappeared, and that I'm hoping to bring OK Talks back in some form. I also reflect on some positive recent developments in the news. The views expressed on OK Talks are very much just my own.
In this episode, I look at Democrats narrow loss in last week's elections in Virginia. I discuss the context for that defeat, ranging from President Biden's temporarily low approval numbers (I go especially into detail on the Afghanistan of it all), to the Republican candidate's success in channeling what I think is voters broad concern about the excesses of the PC movement into the issue of "education" in Virginia schools. Views very much my own.
In this episode, I channel a bit of personal resentment grounded in some facts of life in Barcelona, where I live, to discuss why crime hurts the left and center-left politically in the US and in other democracies around the world. I focus on the importance of addressing the deep need for police reform while also taking crime seriously and proposing some solutions that feel a bit more concrete in the short term.
In this episode, I discuss the reality that America's two political parties are held to a drastically different set of standards. From willingness to tank the US economy just to make their opponents look bad while claiming to be SuperPatriots, to complete disregard for the moral standards they set in their frequent pronouncements of extreme religiosity, the modern Republican Party puts on a clinic on how to be comically hypocritical.
Despite clearly being in the majority in the US voting populace, the Democrats are often frustratingly bad at getting power, and then wielding it when they manage to. In contrast, the Republicans are ruthless and creative in the pursuit and exercise of power to implement their (mainly bad) policy ideas. ...that's terrible, and I basically complain about that reality in this episode.
In this brief episode, I reflect on 9/11, where we are 20 years later, and the tragic loss and sacrifice that started that day and has continued since.
In this episode, I discuss the laws, politics, and culture around paid vacation time in the U.S. versus most of the rest of the world, and the impact that has on the travel habits of Americans, with implications for our politics and collective psychology.
This track serves as the third and, for now, final installment of a multi-part look at some vulnerabilities in American democracy, and what could be done about them. In this episode, I review the importance of addressing these threats to American democracy, and discuss what is probably the biggest impediment to some of these solutions going into effect: the Senate filibuster.
This track serves as the second installment of a multi-part look at some vulnerabilities in American democracy, and what could be done about them. In this episode, I have a conversation with Democrats Abroad Global Chair Julia Bryan, focusing on those threats to democracy, and the steps being considered by Democrats in the House and Senate (HR1/S1/For The People Act) to enact reforms. https://www.democratsabroad.org
This episode will serve as the first installment in a multi-part look at some flaws in American democracy, and what could be done about them. In this episode, I go back in time to imagine what might have been prevented had the Democratic Party taken advantage of their huge majorities in 2009 to fix some of the vulnerabilities in America's democratic system, and discuss some of what could be done now to start making American politics fairer and more representative of what the people actually want and are, in fact, voting (or attempting to vote) for.
In this episode, I review some of the negative impacts of the Trump presidency, and discuss the need for American voters to remember the damage that can be done in a single four-year Presidential term. We can't afford to gamble with our democracy by ever allowing something like this to happen again.
In this episode, we look at the January 6th attack by Trump supporters, incited by the President, on the Capitol. I discuss the recent history leading up to the attempted insurrection, and how the actions of not just Trump but a number of other figures in the Republican Party paved the way to the extreme-right violence we saw directed at our democracy.
I also share the initial reactions of a number of folks from a wide range of countries around the world to seeing this sort of event take place in the building that is possibly the most famous symbol of democracy in the world.
After the 2010 U.S. Census, aided by massive midterm wins, the Republicans gerrymandered themselves into unbreakable control of the House for almost a decade. With Democrats in 2020 on the cusp of an election that might look a lot like the Republican landslide in 2010, Republicans have sabotaged the census. This represents yet another attack on a fundamental, constitutionally-mandated part of American democracy - one which has the potential to harm millions of Americans. The Democrats cannot and should not take this lying down.
Several months ago, I put out an pod about the ways in which the Republicans have been actively working to undermine democracy in America. Unfortunately "The Democrats vs. The Anti-Democrats" has aged fairly well - new reporting has detailed a plan by some in the Republican Party to create chaos in the election which will allow them to reinstall Trump in the White House regardless of how the actual vote turns out. In this episode, I discuss that plan, and how various relevant actors and institutions might respond in the case of an attempt to go around democracy.
Linked below is The Atlantic article I draw on in the beginning of the episode https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/11/what-if-trump-refuses-concede/616424/
P.S. If you want to help keep this episode merely a hypothetical exercise, below are some resources for getting involved to help a campaign achieve a decisive victory before the election.
https://votesaveamerica.com/adopt-a-state/ https://democrats.org/take-action/ https://www.eac.gov/voters/become-poll-worker
Ruth Bader Ginsberg's passing represents a devastating blow to her millions of fans, to American jurisprudence, and to the causes she fought for during her entire adult life - causes threatened by the Trump administration and the increasingly right-wing Supreme Court which will now lurch dramatically further in that direction with her passing.
It also could represent very bad electoral news for the Democrats this November - I explore the political implications of RBG's passing in this brief episode of OK Talks.
Professor Andrew Latham joins the podcast again to discuss the breaking developments out of the Middle East of a deal struck between Israel and the UAE to normalize relations between the two countries in exchange for Israel halting plans to formally annex the West Bank.
In this episode, I'm joined by Professor Andrew Latham for a fairly open and broad conversation touching on Russia’s recent history, strategic culture and self-image, how those things bring it into conflict with the west, where that might lead, and what the west can do about it.
In this episode, I look at the 2020 election and who Joe Biden might pick to be Vice President. I also discuss how with the right VP candidate, the Democrats could radically alter the political balance around issues of national security and foreign policy.
In this episode, I describe dual threats posed to small-d democracy by the American Republican Party: their efforts to interfere with democracy by suppressing the vote (through voter ID laws and opposing measures to make voting safe in the context of COVID-19), and the potential that they'll ignore democracy altogether by rejecting the results of the 2020 election.
In this episode, I discuss differences in how conservatives and liberals protest in America, and the disparity between how conservative and liberal protests are responded to. This is highlighted and made especially relevant by the apparent toleration of armed anti-lockdown protests violating social distancing guidelines in the context of COVID-19.
In this episode, I give listeners an overview of Filipino politics under the rule of its colorful, extremely Trump-like President, Rodrigo Duterte. I'm also joined by Dr. Jerry Diaz, a physician in Manila, with whom I discuss the response to COVID-19, and the likely impact to Filipino politics and relations between the Philippines and China.
In this brief intro, I describe my background and qualifications, and what I envision for OK Talks.