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On this week’s Slate Political Gabfest, Emily Bazelon, David Plotz, and John Dickerson discuss Donald Trump’s call to block all Muslims from entering America and the Supreme Court taking up both race in college admissions and the “one person ,one vote” doctrine.
Here are some of the links and references mentioned during this week’s show:
- Donald Trump called this week to bar Muslims from entering the United States. Can his rhetoric be explained by ethnic-outbidding theory? Or is he just blatantly racist/nativist/whatever you want to call it?
- Is the viral video of Trump being swatted by an eagle the harshest pushback he’s received? Despite some widespread condemnation, why isn’t anyone speaking out against him in a direct, substantial way?
- More speculation on Trump’s popularity. He’s still the top GOP candidate by a wide margin (and 42 percent of Republican voters support his Muslim ban plan). Is he tapping into some deeply held beliefs by Americans?
- Europe has also seen an increase in nativist politicians. Does Trump more closely resemble these politicians than we recognize? Has the European far right risen because of the parliamentary system? Conversely, has our two-party system quashed certain positions from taking the national stage (until the one and only Trump came along)?
- SCOTUS addresses affirmative action with its second evaluation of Fisher v. University of Texas—what’s at issue this time? Is the case’s impact limited to UT’s program or could it be wider in scope?
- Was there something to Justice Scalia’s controversial remarks regarding “mismatch theory,” or is he citing something that’s been disproved?
- Are the justices approaching this case under the assumption that we live in a colorblind society, or are they aspirational towards that possibility, hoping the law will get us there?
- SCOTUS is also taking on the “one person, one vote” doctrine—why?
- Who is most affected by the case? How would redistricting shift political power in the U.S.?
- Who should be represented in elections? What about the oft-forgotten disenfranchisement of ex-offenders?
- Read more of Slate’s coverage of news & politics.
Emily chatters about Slate writer Katy Waldman’s piece refuting the dominant narratives of anorexia.
John chatters about a meme by Turkish doctor Bilgin Ciftci—juxtaposing Turkish President Erdogan and Lord of the Rings’ Gollum—that has now landed him in jail. The ultimate question at stake: Is Gollum good or evil?
David chatters about a very surprised and delighted orangutan, as seen on Twitter.
Topic ideas for next week? You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest (#heygabfest). (Tweets may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)
Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank. Links compiled by Elle Bisgaard-Church.
