I like both John and Charlie but John was running some serious cover for Giuliani. I get it you worked with him and want to shore up your own resume but my man, Giuliani was always a clusterfuck. You paper over so much that it’s kind of hard to take you serious here. He cheated on his wives (even then). He always believed in the ends justified the means. You don’t deal with any of it.
Character NEVER mattered to republicans. You guys just convinced yourself that you did.
Hey Charlie. John was going to give us 2 points, the first of which is that people who voted for Trump after he tried to overturn the 2020 election will need to own that for the rest of time. But before John said his second point, you brought up the Giuliani issue (which is very interesting!), and so we didn't get to hear the second point. What is it??
Republicans went nuts when Biden wanted to forgive student debt, which is crippling so many people in our country. Yet core Trumpers don't mind a fund of taxpayer money that will pay purported damages to people including those convicted by a legally impanelled jury of violent crimes. The word conservative means nothing anymore.
In many ways republicans dispensed with character with Nixon. Of course they would have told you back then about Kennedy's mistresses and LBJ's transgressions. And of course we all remember the hounding of Gary Hart, and when the republicans once again tried to say character mattered, like all the house speakers they went through after Gingrich and Clinton's impeachment to find one that hadn't been unfaithful to his wife, and they settled on a pedophile. After the election of Obama and the pending election of a woman, the evangelicals, the racists(TEA party) and Republicans writ large wanted power and were none to particular about who. In steps the conman the non politician the novelty. It didn't matter his character was nonexistent, that he was openly racist, and he ,lied far more than he told thee truth. Republicans had become very comfortable with lying in 2010, 2012, and 2014, lies were part of their brand by 2016. Republicans who recognized what they were selling was not what the country wanted took help from Russia, they pushed lies about everything, and yes they capitalized on gaffs by Clinton, but most of all they used the MSM and it's obsession with shiny baubles, and it's refusal to hold trump to any standard while holding Clinton to an impossibly high standard. And then even after January 6, they could not turn back, by then the White Christian Nationalists had become the brand of the party and they saw absolute forever power in their grasp, power with no limits, no checks, who was going to hold out against that. Thanks for letting me rant.
I’m reminded of James McGregor Burns’ classic “Leadership.” He did what only the best historians achieve, he described a phenomenon so carefully that some essential, almost universal, truths emerge. Read him for the best description of the difference between transactional and transformational leadership.
Well, John Avlon is a national treasure.
As is Charlie.
Thank you both for saying what needs to be said (especially over and over again on Fox and Friends).
What's "baked in the cake" is loss of character. Lie once, lie all the time. Roll over for Trump.
if I did 1/10 of what Trump is doing my children would commit me to a 3 day lock down with a thorazine drip to stop me from being a menace to society.
Great episode, great discussion. thank you!
Another fascinating intelligent discussion. Thank you.
Good episode. Thank you
John Avlon counters the chaos with a focus on basic principles--what both parties haven't done in a very long time.
I like both John and Charlie but John was running some serious cover for Giuliani. I get it you worked with him and want to shore up your own resume but my man, Giuliani was always a clusterfuck. You paper over so much that it’s kind of hard to take you serious here. He cheated on his wives (even then). He always believed in the ends justified the means. You don’t deal with any of it.
Character NEVER mattered to republicans. You guys just convinced yourself that you did.
Hey Charlie. John was going to give us 2 points, the first of which is that people who voted for Trump after he tried to overturn the 2020 election will need to own that for the rest of time. But before John said his second point, you brought up the Giuliani issue (which is very interesting!), and so we didn't get to hear the second point. What is it??
Republicans went nuts when Biden wanted to forgive student debt, which is crippling so many people in our country. Yet core Trumpers don't mind a fund of taxpayer money that will pay purported damages to people including those convicted by a legally impanelled jury of violent crimes. The word conservative means nothing anymore.
In many ways republicans dispensed with character with Nixon. Of course they would have told you back then about Kennedy's mistresses and LBJ's transgressions. And of course we all remember the hounding of Gary Hart, and when the republicans once again tried to say character mattered, like all the house speakers they went through after Gingrich and Clinton's impeachment to find one that hadn't been unfaithful to his wife, and they settled on a pedophile. After the election of Obama and the pending election of a woman, the evangelicals, the racists(TEA party) and Republicans writ large wanted power and were none to particular about who. In steps the conman the non politician the novelty. It didn't matter his character was nonexistent, that he was openly racist, and he ,lied far more than he told thee truth. Republicans had become very comfortable with lying in 2010, 2012, and 2014, lies were part of their brand by 2016. Republicans who recognized what they were selling was not what the country wanted took help from Russia, they pushed lies about everything, and yes they capitalized on gaffs by Clinton, but most of all they used the MSM and it's obsession with shiny baubles, and it's refusal to hold trump to any standard while holding Clinton to an impossibly high standard. And then even after January 6, they could not turn back, by then the White Christian Nationalists had become the brand of the party and they saw absolute forever power in their grasp, power with no limits, no checks, who was going to hold out against that. Thanks for letting me rant.
I got rid of that book from Bill Bennett when he said that
I’m not sure if he ever had character and integrity
https://www.andersonadvocates.com/press-event/new-lawsuit-calls-giuliani-lawyer-central-figure-in-ny-clergy-abuse-cover-ups/
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/giuliani-pressured-to-drop-clergy-pal/
https://www.theatlantic.com/daily-dish/archive/2007/10/rudys-turbulent-priest/224240/
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/giuliani-accused-of-notorious-adultery/
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/giulianis-settle-ugly-divorce-case-avoiding-a-public-trial/
https://abcnews.com/amp/Blotter/sex-abuse-victims-groups-outraged-vatican-decision-clear/story?id=9268719
I’m reminded of James McGregor Burns’ classic “Leadership.” He did what only the best historians achieve, he described a phenomenon so carefully that some essential, almost universal, truths emerge. Read him for the best description of the difference between transactional and transformational leadership.