Jonathan V. Last on the Trump Phenomenon, Captain America, and Barbie Life in the Dreamhouse

Summary: Jonathan Last, senior writer at The Weekly Standard, joined the Federalist Radio Hour to discuss the success of the Trump phenomenon, the politics of Captain America and Iron Man in Civil War, and why the Little Mermaid is the worst Disney princess. Trumps position as a life long New Yorker was a one point used against him but he has turned the insult on its head to drive media attention. It helps that hes a rich New Yorker, Last said. Being a guy who has spend 40 or so years in New York, going to all the cocktail parties where he knows all the anchors from the network news shows, they all shop at the same stores...he has access and good will built up with these people. Last explained how the original comic version of Captain America and Iron Man align with American schools of thought on foreign and domestic policy. Marvel really stacks the deck here in favor of the Captain America position, which is that these guys should be free, he said. How could liberal democracy function in a world where there were people who had the power to control thoughts? How could you trust that any election was a free and fair election? Later in the hour, Last ranked the best and worst Disney princess and explained his fascination with the Barbie Life in the Dreamhouse series. The Life in the Dreamhouse series is a send up of not just the entire Barbie culture, but all of American culture, consumerism, local news, media, and reality television. All at once. It is genius.