The Federalist Radio Hour

Last night, the GOP field for president erupted. Seventeen Republican hopefuls on two separate stages debated the issues facing the country, attracting a record breaking national audience. Today on Federalist Radio, Ben breaks through the theatrics to deliver meaningful analysis. Veteran strategists and political operators, David Axelrod and Newt Gingrich join the program. According to Axelrod, none of the candidates broke character or broke down. The man behind both of President Obama’s successful presidential bids, credits the Fox moderators for fostering a quality discussion. “They acquitted themselves very well. The moderator’s questions were well researched. Fox News did well.” Later, the former Speaker of the House and presidential candidate also scored the Republican field. Of note, Gingrich says that Carly Fiorina “hit a home-run in the first debate,” Trump “clearly did not win” in the second, and both Marco Rubio and Chris Christie “did very well.”

The stage is set and the cast, determined. Tonight the GOP primary field will square off for the first time, officially marking the beginning of the 2016 presidential race. Betsy Woodruff of the Daily Beast joins Federalist Radio to preview the contest. A seasoned political reporter, Woodruff says that it will “basically be the Donald Trump show,” but otherwise “we don’t know how things will go.” Together, Ben and Betsy break down the numerous debate possibilities and outcomes. The Washington Examiner’s Nicole Duran also joins the program to report on the other side of the aisle. The big news buzzing around Democratic circles: a Joe Biden bid. She says the Vice President might be late to the contest but shouldn’t be discounted.

Plenty of journalists cover day-to-day politics. Chris Moody does that and more. The Senior Reporter for CNN Politics, Moody reports on policy, politicking, and the often-unseen personalities that make the headlines. Today on Federalist Radio, Moody joins Ben to explain why he has gone surfing, off-roading, and literally logrolling with members of Congress. “Policy should be covered very seriously,” he says, “but politicians and politics is very strange. I try to show a different side while also telling an important story.” Later during the hour, Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett of the Virgin Islands argues that Alexander Hamilton deserves to stay on the ten-dollar bill, while Andrew Jackson should lose the twenty. What woman would she like to see on American currency? Harriet Tubman.

A Los Angeles court has ordered the Center for Medical Progress not to publish further video exposing the sale of aborted babies. Another Federal Court has also barred the release of specific documents pertinent to CMPs investigation. On Federalist Radio today, Ben cuts through the legalese with scholars from Powerline Legal Blog and the Alliance Defense Fund. Paul Mirengoff, a lawyer and author at Power Line Blog, explains that both courts have made use of prior restraint, an instrument barring free expression before publication. He says that this legal mechanism has long been deemed as unconstitutional and highly unfavorable in most cases. Casey Mattox, Senior Council for the Alliance Defense Fund, predicts that, in the long run, these videos will keep coming out. Also during the program, the founder of Puerto Rico Clearing House, Cate Long, explains how that US territory ended up in default for the first time in history.

Ben is back in studio as the countdown to the first GOP presidential primary debate begins. On today’s Federalist Radio Hour, Ben breaks down the polling and the cash that drives the debate cycle. Jay Cost of the Weekly Standard profiles the registered voter responding to the polls that shape Thursday’s debate on Fox News. He argues that thanks to blunt instruments like national surveys, many of the second tier candidates still polling in the single digits wont make it to the debate stage. Later, Politico’s Tarini Parti counts the cash contributions that serve as score keepers in the Republican primary. She reports that the influx of the Koch Brother’s cash continues to grow.

On a special episode of the Federalist Radio Hour, Mary Katherine Ham guest hosts for Ben. The Editor-at-Large of Hot Air leads a discussion of the upcoming Republican primary, the Planned Parenthood scandal, and her new book, End of Discussion. Digital Politics Editor for Fox News, Chris Stirewalt breaks down the polling bracket that determines which candidates advance to debate on the primetime stage. Looking past the Trump mania, Stirewalt cautions that candidates should prepare for a tough challenge in moderators Brett Baier, Megyn Kelly, and Chris Wallace. Later in the program, Federalist Senior Editor, Mollie Hemingway, explains the significance of the Center for Medical Progress’ forth-undercover video. Finally, Ham analyzes this weeks biggest headlines and the systemic progressive outrage that fuels them.

Reeling from the Great Depression, the United States and Germany elected two new leaders of diametrically opposed ideologies. In 1932, Franklin Roosevelt won the presidency and Adolf Hitler became chancellor. Products of economic circumstance, these events forever changed the course of world history. Today, author and historian David Pietrusza joins Federalist Radio to discuss his upcoming book, 1932: The Rise of Hitler and FDR--Two Tales of Politics, Betrayal, and Unlikely Destiny. Later in the program, Linda M. LeFauve exposes the specious reasoning underlying the theory of serial sexual assault on campus. A writer at Reason and an associate vice-president of Davidson College, LeFauve offers an academically rigorous critique from a position of professional and intellectual authority.

Cecil the lion is dead. While Mollie Hemingway regrets the loss, she has no sympathy for a media that expresses more anger over a dead jungle cat than Planned Parenthoods sale of aborted baby organs. On today’s episode of the Federalist Radio Hour, she guest hosts with David Harsanyi. The two argue that perhaps society should “correctly order their outrage.” Later in the program, David Marcus, the artistic director of Blue Box World, explores Donald Trump’s connection to the mob. He argues that if Trump wants to be a serious candidate for president, he needs to answer serious questions about his construction dealings in New York and Philadelphia during the 1980’s.

After graduation, Bubba Atkinson was pulling shifts at a restaurant and just looking for a permanent paycheck. Then he reinvented the Internet and transformed the viral news cycle with IJR. On Federalist Radio, the Editor-in-Chief of IJR explains how his upstart turned into one of the web’s most trafficked sites, churning out one viral hit after another. He says that IJR’s political coverage does the same thing as that of Politico. His team just “has a different way of getting eyeballs on that story.” Come February 2016, old will meat new as ABC partners with IJR to host one of the Republican primary debates.

If Republican legislators simply ran out the clock, they couldve shrunk the High Way Trust fund and restored a decentralized approach to transportation funding. Thats according to Dr. Daniel J. Mitchell, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, who joined Ben on todays episode of the Federalist Radio Hour. Instead, he says politicians opted to send money to Washington in leaky buckets, before sending it back to the states in more leaky buckets. Later in the program, author and blogger, Lenore Skenazy, discusses the Free-Range Kids Movement. Like most parents, she remembers the days when kids came back from school to play outside before coming home. Now the author chronicles cases of Police and Child Protective Services overreach. She says that liberals today tend to overestimate dangers and underestimate families and children.

Matthew Continetti and company host today’s edition of the Federalist Radio Hour to discuss and debate the future of Hillary Clinton, the Iranian nuclear deal, and Planned Parenthood. The Free Beacon correspondent covering the Democratic Primary, Andrew Stiles reports that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sent classified information from an unsecured private email account. While other candidate “would be sunk for this,” a politically astute Hillary Clinton, “will be just fine,” Stiles concludes. The correspondent also credits Clinton for sidestepping the Netroots Nation conference, and guest host Continetti wonders “when did Heckling become mainstream?” Adam Kredo, also of the Free Beacon, recounts how Ted Cruz exposed the heckling “Code Pink Clown Show” over the Iranian Nuclear Deal. Later, John McCormack of the Weekly Standard joins the program to detail how the GOP primary will feature “the most sincerely Pro-Life field the Republican Party has ever fronted.” Finally, at the bottom of the hour, Sonny Bunch offers a critique of society through a pop culture lens.

According to one university, drinking a few brews before hooking up makes you a sexual predator. Ashe Schow of the Washington Examiner joins the Federalist Radio Hour to discuss the phenomenon of legalistic sex sweeping American campuses. Schow reports that Coastal Carolina University in South Carolina mandates that relations between students must be “enthusiastic, sober, mutual, voluntary, and communicated clearly before any sexual activity.” The vagueness and arbitrary nature of this standard invites trouble according to Schow. The Daily Signal’s Kelsey Harkness also joins the show to explain how De Blasio’s war on Uber was actually a war on women. Later, from the Tribune-Review, Salena Zito speaks to the populism fueling the Donald Trump campaign and how the media offers a misdiagnosis.

David Axelrod, the architect of the Obama presidency, joins the Federalist Radio Hour. Once the Administration’s top political advisor, Axelrod now gives Ben his take on the race for the White House in 2016. While he believes that Donald Trump can never win, Axelrod admits that there’s an “element of outrage that he speaks to by being outrageous.” On the other aisle of the race, Axelrod admits that he enjoys watching Bernie Sanders, comparing that candidate to “a great summer fling because he won’t be around long.” A seasoned veteran of campaigns at all levels, Axelrod also discussed his new book, Believer: My Forty Years in Politics. Later on the program, Elizabeth Brown the staff editor of Reason.Com explains “the unbearable smugness” of the newest contender for the GOP nomination, Ohio Governor John Kasich. Finally, David Stiles of the Free Beacon places the Iran nuclear deal in its American political context.

David Daleiden, Executive Director and Project Manager of the Center for Medical Progress, joins the Federalist Radio Hour to discuss the undercover videos that expose Planned Parenthoods sale of aborted baby parts. His organization shot thousands of hours during their investigation and he says he has more disturbing footage, close to a dozen videos worth. Theyre all about the money, Daleiden says, and theyre not treating the patient as an autonomous individual, or as a woman anymore. Theyre treating her as a harvesting plant to pull this tissue from. Federalist Staff Writer, Bre Payton also joined the program to give her perspective. She believes that many young people have reacted so strongly to the controversy because the actual sale of body parts transcends all preconceived views of abortion. andnbsp;

At this moment, the next Saint Augustine may be marching at the head of a Gay Pride Day parade and the future Mother Teresa might be operating a Planned Parenthood clinic. It’s for this reason that Dr. Russell Moore encourages Christians to see their political opponents not as enemies but “as future brothers and sisters.” On today’s episode of the Federalist Radio Hour, this President of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission discuss his new book, “Onward: Engaging the Culture without Losing the Gospel.” He at once declares the end of the Moral Majority and his new reasons for hope. Earlier, the Wall Street Journal’s Jay Solomon talks earthly sovereignty, national security in light of the Iranian nuclear deal, and the fate of the “defining issue of [the Obama] presidency.” Marry Hasson, an EPPC Fellow and Federalist Contributor, also joined the program to explain her exclusive report about how the Federal Government paid abortionist Deborah Nucatola.