Uncommon Knowledge with guest Rob Long
Legal scholar John Yoo and Hollywood writer Rob Long debate the future of the Republican Party.
This week on Uncommon Knowledge, legal scholar John Yoo and Hollywood writer Rob Long strongly disagree about the future of the Republican Party. (41:33)
“If the Republican Party didn’t change at all in the next two years, we would still gain seats in the House and the Senate. But if we actually take advantage of the opportunity and reformulate our principles in a clear way and sell them well, I think we will get a majority in the Senate to combine with our majority in the House.”
Rob Long and Harry Shearer discuss politics and Hollywood on Uncommon Knowledge
This week on Uncommon Knowledge, Hollywood odd couple Rob Long and Harry Shearer discuss their unusual friendship, politics, and show business. (54:50)
“On cable, it’s cheaper to have a guy from the left and a guy from the right yelling about the news than to go cover the news. On prime-time entertainment, it’s cheaper to have a couple of guys with cameras shoot some real people who know they’re supposed to act like fools than to pay for really overpriced writers and actors to perform scripted shows. This is the pervasive influence of the multichannel universe–cheap.”
Mark Steyn and Rob Long—The Gipper Then and Now
Reviewing clips of Ronald Reagan’s speeches, Long and Steyn reflect on Reagan’s relevance to issues confronting America today. Speaking of Reagan’s “The Last Stand on Earth” address, Steyn remarks on “how easily you can pick up the argument [made in 1964 about the threat of Soviet communism] and drop it right down into the current circumstances [the threat of Islamic extremism].”
Ferguson and Long on Obama, Lincoln, and More
How close in style and substance is Barack Obama to Abraham Lincoln, one of our greatest presidents, who also hailed from Illinois and emerged from a humble background to lead our nation in a time of crisis? Ferguson and Long examine the first inaugural addresses of both men to explore the parallels between the two and offer insights into how President Obama will guide our nation. (36:54 ) Video transcript
THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT: The Politics of Hollywood
In 1992, Bill Clinton received 43 percent of the national vote, but he received 83 percent of the vote from film and television writers, directors, and producers. Is Hollywood as liberal as these data suggest? If so, why? Does Hollywood have a cohesive liberal agenda that affects the films and television programs we watch?