The news of RFK Jr dropping out and endorsing Trump alongside a statement from other members of the Kennedy family has made me wonder how you feel about people invoking the names of their ancestors and claiming to know what they’d think today. I feel as though there is something at least slightly wrong with relatives putting words into their dead ancestors mouths after they’ve died. What are your thoughts?
I'm curious if you guys could discuss how both parties have been changing their views on their party defining major issues, abortion and immigration. Immigration has always been a strong point for the Republicans. It has been interesting to see Democrats open to signing bills that would restrict access. Abortion has always been a strong point for the Democrats, and Trump in my mind is probably pro-choice at the end of the day. But Republicans are more religiously stuck on abortion. Both parties leaders have signaled their willingness to change on the opposing party's top issue. Kamala said she would sign that immigration bill. And Trump changes his opinion on abortion everyday. Let me ask, which is more believable? I personally think more Democrats are willing to be harder on immigration than Republicans are to be more lenient on abortion / reproductive rights.
In Marshall's Realignment episode with Nicholas Lambert, near the end of the interview Marshall summarizes the critique of Think Tanks in 60 seconds as "producing white papers that no one reads to get grants to write more white papers that no one reads." I thought it was the funniest but also completely accurate description of the pointlessness of Think Tanks. So to play Devil's Advocate, what's the counterargument? What is the point of Think Tanks? What good are they producing? What is their utility?