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Thoughts on John Fetterman?

Does John Fetterman give you any hope for the future of politics because he comes off like a genuine guy who actually cares and isn't just hungry for power and fame. Or do you think he is another average politician with basic skills who knows how to appeal to working class folks with his clothing style. You know the Hoodie and gym pants.

Advice for 17-18 year Old's

Hey Marshall and Saagar, Great show. Big fan of BP and The Realignment. Keep it up. Daily listener of both, and has totally replaced cable news for me. I'm a high school teacher, and we are getting ready to start a new year. What advice would you give 17 and 18 year old's, who will be entering adulthood, in 2023-2024? What do you think is the biggest danger to them, hidden or open, that they will face, in young adulthood? Also, The Hill just fired or stopped working with Kim Iverson. Would love to see her as a guest, on either platform. I doubt I'm the only listener who has apricated her voice at times. We all listen to the same people.

Where is the community? It ain't here...

Oh man... First of all, The Realignment is my go-to podcast each week. (Fill in looooong glurge on how brilliant you guys are). Lemme put it this way: it's the ONLY podcast I listen to twice as each episode drops. The insightful and nuanced questions you put to your guests and their thoughtful responses make it worthwhile. For example, I've lost count on how many times your guests have said 'I've never been asked that before'. Having said that, I'm surprised by the absence of comments here on your Supercast page. When Taibbi or Stoeller drop a piece on Substack, comments light up and through them I've made contact with many other readers. But I'm unable to find a site for your material where we congregate. Are you even aware of this? And if so, do you have any ideas about this? I think it would be a boost to your subscribers' enjoyment of your work. Now if you already have a spot, let me know and I'll shaddap! LOL

Professor Michael Fortner

Huge fan of the pod. I think you guys should try to get Professor Michael Fortner on the podcast. He’s a government professor at Claremont McKenna College and resident at Niskanen. His work primarily focuses on the politics of race. He wrote this book a couple of years back called “Black Silent Majority” about middle-class Black New Yorkers’ support for the 1970s mandatory minimum drug sentencing laws in NYC. He has a very different approach to racial justice, policing, and crime policy. This 3 minute clip captures his intellect and approach well: https://youtu.be/nnB6UU-jWH8 I also think he would have insightful things to say about the state of higher education and intellectual diversity on college campuses. He would fit really well into the show’s themes!

How do we help reformers understand bureaucracies?

Do you see any way to get around the problem that the people outside the system who want to reform it don't understand it in most cases while the people inside the system with the understanding are also invested in its current form? You both seem to have both understanding and a desire for change, but speaking as someone with over a decade of experience working in four government agencies, I see a lot of cluelessness about how bureaucracies and systems work among reform advocates.