Fireside Chats, Episode 48: Trump, Russia, and The Nebulous Future with Jeff Cannata

Yeah, that's what it comes down to for me: I simply don't think Trump is smart enough to do what people continue to claim he did.

Colin Moriarty

Yeah, I don't believe for a second the military would back any sort of coup, from anyone. Especially Trump.

Colin Moriarty

To be clear I do appreciate hearing other sides than my own position of independent conservative-former republican. Personally speaking, The conversation was much more interesting after getting out of the trump Russia weeds. 2018 and 2020 are going to be an interesting point in history, that I feel one way or another, we will look back upon for years to come

Christopher Hopkins

Woofta... this was tough to get through, some of the shit he was talking about was too tinfoil Alex Jones creating conclusions from circumstantials at best, I’m basically with you Colin, I think if he’s compromised trump is just a fool too much of a fool to be some mastermind; and I don’t get why if he was a puppet that putin wouldn’t have him sell it more, or why I’d mueller had legitimate concerns of him being some deep stage puppet he wouldn’t have made more aggressive steps to date. (i fell weeks behind on CLS sorry)

Christopher Hopkins

Have a backlog of Fireside Chats and just finally got around to this episode. I'm a 10 year vet of the United States Navy so just wanted to comment regarding Jeff's tin foiling on somehow the military would back Trump in a coup. It's absolutely ludicrous. We swear an oath to defend the constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Once his time is up he is no longer the President and therefore no longer the Commander in Chief to the document we actually pledge our loyalty to. He is no longer in the chain of command and therefore irrelevant to our lives. And it would be the FBI showing up to the White House to remove his ass. Bottom line is there just isn't a chance this happens.

Jeremy

Thank you for your kind words. Discourse is essential.

Colin Moriarty

We did an episode last year, too, if you missed it. =) Thanks for listening!

Colin Moriarty

Excellent show. While my principal discourages our faculty from engaging in political discussions with our students (we have a very vocal and split community here in suburban Philadelphia), but, especially as an English teacher, I can encourage thoughtful and open communication and researching legitimate sources to support arguments. This podcast demonstrated these concepts so well and it works as a model for how we should be able to engage in discourse.

Zach Brown

I'm 40 minutes in and this is a fantastic show. Major kudos to both of you for keeping it civil and Jeff for even agreeing to come on in the first place.!

Brian Dewire

Outrage, generally, is offputting to me.

Colin Moriarty

I have really liked Jeff since his days on Weekend Confirmed, and I appreciate that he can sit down with you, Colin, and have an honest conversation. I think it is weird that people who share his perspective are so invested in the media outrage culture. I am convinced that if everyone just turned off mainstream news and stayed off of twitter, we would all be so much happier. The mainstream media/Trump bullshit distracts from the fact that the average american has a comfortable life...at least in my little corner of the country.

David Stuhlmiller

Thank you so much. I appreciate you.

Colin Moriarty

Just listened to this episode. Really good stuff. Love what you do, you the man.

Nader Aboulhosn

I'm sure you will. =)

Colin Moriarty

I'm sure he'll be back. =)

Colin Moriarty

Loved the episode hope to hear Jeff on again

Anthony Stewart

Thank you. =) I'd love to make this sort of thing more regular. I'm gonna see what I can do.

Colin Moriarty

Thank you for listening! Apathy is the enemy, no doubt.

Colin Moriarty

I really enjoyed this conversation. I’d be all in for a political discussion show. Not an interview show which is covered by many but just two people chatting like this. People are starving for respectful discourse and this provides a good example for the rest of us.

Matthew Young

Really enjoyed listening to this, Colin. One thing that has annoyed me over the last 20 years or so is an insistence on 2 opposing sides to every issue, as if that inherently results in fair discourse, or covers every angle. A lot of this is the 24/7 news cycle and social media for sure, but it is refreshing to just listen to two people discuss ideas and see where their opinions line up or differ. I also really liked the discussion about how issues are represented can turn people off. You and Jeff both made good points there. I do think apathy is the biggest problem right now. Too many people, myself included at times, just aren't open to getting past the 2 second take on things, or just don't care at all.

Mike Collins

I love(d) Ron Paul, so I understand the conspiracy rabbit hole a little too well. (And thank you.)

Colin Moriarty

Thank you so much! It really means a lot.

Colin Moriarty

This is probably my favorite Fireside Chat yet! Hearing you debate positions, defend your beliefs and call out bullshit is when you are at your best. Jeff is a bit too far down the conspiracy rabbit hole for me, but he did make a few decent points and its to your credit that you gave him room to discuss them and were able to have a very productive conversation with him. Would love to hear a monthly or weekly show like this! Keep up the great work, thank you for the amazing value you give your Patrons.

Bryan Finck

And I will also repeat that if this is a preview of what a weekly political show could sound like, then I completely urge it’s creation. So much great content coming out of CLS these days. Keep it up Colin! You are doing a bang up job, man!!

Abe Moukhtar

I appreciate your feedback. It would be interesting to see how things change(d) if Clinton had won.

Colin Moriarty

It's an interesting and valid point, that many people don't care because they simply don't have the luxury to care.

Colin Moriarty

But surely other people aren't universally seeing him or this conversation like that, right? There's gradient.

Colin Moriarty

Agreed. That topic alone is cause for a deeper dive with Jeff in the future.

Colin Moriarty

Y'know, I've never read any Sowell.

Colin Moriarty

I'm sorry to hear that.

Colin Moriarty

Thank you so much for your kind words. I'm glad you enjoyed!

Colin Moriarty

It's certainly a contradiction.

Colin Moriarty

As a conservative, it's hard to listen to people like Jeff. Not because he isn't well spoken, but because he callously refers to everyone who disagrees with him as "insane," and other derogatory terminology. Then he sits there and says if his candidate would have one, we would literally have no problems. "If Hillary would have one, there's no way we'd be living through what we're living through. There wouldn't be actual day to day horrors." There is absolutely no question that our media has a bias. So, first of all, if she would have won, the media wouldn't be paying even half as much attention to any of the negativity surrounding her. They just wouldn't. Trump's hair can't blow the wrong direction without it showing up in a headline somewhere. And secondly, there would absolutely be outrage from the right. However, the fringe left is literally psychotic. There were people who absolutely hated Obama. But, you never saw most of that, or heard most of that, because 1) the media wasn't promoting it, and 2) the vitriol is just not at an equal level. People like Jeff are absolutely NOT willing to see or hear any of that. It's all "share my viewpoints, or you're an ignorant piece of shit." It's an asinine and unproductive mentality.

David Mann

I don't have a problem with crazy, as we're all crazy in our own way, but most of his arguments just come off as alarmist conspiracy theories. He also veered into mixed messages many times saying Trump isn't his issue, but that he's pushing for eradication of injustices, but then defaulting to wanting candidates that will get Trump out or expose Trump. That's fine, but dont say your goal is this, but then dismissing solutions because that won't oust Trump. I don't really give a flying flip about Trump, but I'm about ready for him to be gone just so we don't have to hear people losing their minds over him all the time. Side note about us apathetic people who are happy with a couple extra dollars on our paycheck: it's not so much that we're apathetic, it's just that after working 60-80 hours a week in 110 degree factories and warehouses and still barely scraping by, it's real hard to see the world past your own struggles. I get that the rest of the world has problems, but we can only do what we can do. Good conversation though, thank you for inviting and talking to Jeff.

Jason Stafford

Dude, I’m sorry, but he is out of his mind. He says textbook Twitter nonsense and offers no proof or facts, just “I’ve been doing a lot of reading.” He is also incredibly hypocritical, and just comes off as clearly uninformed. I think having people with opposing views is awesome and can help people meet in the middle possibly and see the other side isn’t full of psychos, but please don’t bring on more people like Cannata, it just reinforces the idea that they’re insane and drives people further apart.

Michael Ferrari

Jeff says “not by having alarmist scare tactics of like ‘vote for us or nazism comes to America’ I’m not advocating for that.” But a lot of these far-left folks ARE doing this and those people are the ones representing your party. A lot of people are seeing this and are simply not having it. They’re tired of that kinda crap.

Tyler

Oof. I really like Jeff but this is hard to listen to so far.

Michael Ferrari

I used to listen to a lot of Rubin Report, but stopped because it became an echo chamber. This is EXACTLY what I have been looking for. An honest open conversation between people with different opinions who respect each other and let their voices be heard. Truly fantastic work Colin. There is a market for media with clashing viewpoints, and I think you may be at the forefront. Looking forward to more great content.

Ben Pearson

I don't buy them, either. For Trump to "not leave," it would require the military, IC, and Congress to all be on his side. None of them are.

Colin Moriarty

Thank you. =)

Colin Moriarty

Presumably.

Colin Moriarty

I'd like that. Thank you!

Colin Moriarty

Thanks!

Colin Moriarty

Noted! Thank you.

Colin Moriarty

I concur.

Colin Moriarty

Duly noted. =)

Colin Moriarty

I think his outlook is extreme, to be sure, but that doesn't have to change my moderate opinions. He's allowed to express himself as he'd like!

Colin Moriarty

I'd be happy to, but he's not invited me, and it stands to reason that his audience might not like me.

Colin Moriarty

I'm glad you think so. I find it refreshing to participate in these types of chats.

Colin Moriarty

I honestly don't even remember what we talked about anymore. I feel like five years have passed. LOL.

Colin Moriarty

Give it a listen, see what you think.

Colin Moriarty

I'd like to, but honestly, I'm not sure I can afford him.

Colin Moriarty

Interesting how he thinks the structures are under attack from Trump but he took the FBI agents testimony at face value and that the structure, in that case, was holding that guy to be honest and act accordingly in his role (even though the messages look really bad). To me Trump would love to have a lot more control and I'm glad he doesn't, but I'm also less than happy with that FBI agent and the role he has had (those messages just look so terrible no matter how hard you try and justify it).

CTE

I was very young with Clinton, but since Clinton I have always heard the other side arguing that the President in power is not going to leave when their time is up. I really don't care for Trump, but I don't buy the conspiracies (yet?). The media has way overplayed their hand on the Russia stuff so I just hope we get some facts at some point once the investigation comes out.

CTE

I dont know what else to say other than I really enjoyed this

Justin Misuriello

Jeff says Charlie Booker, but my assumption is he means Corey Booker.

Tyler

I really enjoy listening to the two of you talk and even respectfully debate each other. It’s so nice to see that this is still possible. Jeff is a very well spoken individual. While I didn’t agree with everything he said, I was happy to hear his side of things, as he’s very respectful. I really hope the two of you can do another discussion around the midterms to talk about the state of things again.

Adam Niksch

Great conversation.

Great show. If this is any indication of what a regular political podcast from you would sound like, I'd be pleased.

Red March

I love that you can take two people from different political views and have an honest conversation that doesn't come across hostile. This is what politics needs more of.

Addiholic

This is really fantastic! I love your fireside chats, but since listening to q&a, if the future looked more like this for a season I would welcome it!

Ryan Harvey

Jeff Cannatta comes off a little extreme in the democratic field. Every time you tried to keep an open mind he just insisted that Trump is getting away with some kind of murder level crime and how great the Democrats are. "Wage gap". "Myth Inequality". False use of the statistical data. Those stats are based on the concept that someone of differing experience, position, and education won't make the same money in contrast to those in other professions. It is not a direct comparison of people in the same profession, education level, and experience. Then he is mad about capital gains tax? Are you kidding me? He's a socialist. He wants everyone to be equal regardless of what they contribute or what they do. That's the democratic insanity that turned me into a Republican.

Verdic

really hope to see you and jeff do this on a regular basis. Also, any chance you go on his DLC gaming podcast?

Pedro Escobar

Its refreshing to hear two people with different beliefs talk and have a thoughtful conversation where its not about tearing the other person down.

Justin

Still listening, but when Jeff says "it's been reported"(in reference to Russian collusion)I roll my eyes. I've been watching Rachel Maddow for the last three years, from Colin's recommendation, and there is so much cringe. Maddow leads viewers down a narrative path filled with implication, speculation and omission of key details that spin the story(very tired) of Russia and Trump. Many others that call themselves journalists publish "reports" that are factually inaccurate or rely heavily on anonymous sources. I'm enjoying the conversation very much. I hope the topic of fake news is addressed. There is undoubtedly an existence of unbalanced and bias reporting. I know Colin acknowledges that media slants liberal.

Michael Renner

This should be interesting. Just a few weeks ago his Twitter feed was basically writing off and refusing to even entertain the thought of speaking to anyone to the right of left of center. I'll definitely be listening with an open, but reserved mind. :)

Jason Stafford

Hopefully Jeff can find time to do this with you more often/weekly even. You two complement each other very well in these discussions

Craig Carter