The Charles C. W. Cooke Podcast

On episode 88, Charles talks to Ross Benes about his new book, 1999: The Year Low Culture Conquered America and Kickstarted Our Bizarre Times. Among the topics they discuss are how Jerry Springer helps explain Donald Trump, how 'kayfabe' took over the world, how porn explains much of Internet, how video games became respectable, and whether it matters that the elite class watches completely different television than most voters.

On episode 87, Charles asks Ross Douthat about his new book, Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious, and, in particular, to explain to him why he, Charles Cooke, should be religious. The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 86, Charles talks to Michael Jahr about his upcoming documentary movie, Liberty at Stake, which is about the escape from slavery of Joshua Glover in 1854, the abolitionist activism of the people of Wisconsin, and the subsequent founding of the Republican Party. Then Charles talks to Dan McLaughlin about the background to, and structure of, the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act.The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On this special pop-up episode, Charles talks to Scott Lincicome about Donald Trump's massive unilateral tariff hike. What is a tariff? What are tariffs for? Why aren't they good? Don't we need them to fight against our rivals, who are taking advantage of us? Other countries do it—why, if they are bad? What about our "hollowed out manufacturing base"? What about China?The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 84, Charles talks to Michael Vorenberg about his new book, Lincoln's Peace: The Struggle to End the American Civil War. When did the Civil War end? Why is it hard to tell? What about other wars? Does it matter that war aims can evolve over time? Can one be anti-war when slavery or the Holocaust are at stake? Are modern wars more difficult to end?The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 83, Mary Katherine Ham tells Charles how Ultimate Fighting Championship explains the vibe shift toward Trump.The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 82, Charles talks to Senator Tom Cotton about China—in particular, about his new book, Seven Things You Can't Say About China. Why does Senator Cotton say that the Chinese Communist Party is 'evil'? Why does he think it's preparing for war? What does he mean when he says that it's engaged in 'economic warfare'? Has it really 'infiltrated' the United States? Why should TikTok be forced to become an American company? What can we do to avoid disaster?The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 81, Charles talks to Andrew Heaton about his new book, Tribalism is Dumb: Where It Came from, How It Got So Bad, and What to Do about It. Is tribalism bad per se, or is it just bad in politics. Why has it got so much worse recently? To what extent is technology to blame? What can we do about it?The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 80, Charles talks to Molly Nixon, a separation of powers attorney at the Pacific Legal Foundation, about whether the delegation of the tariff power is constitutional. Why do we accept Congress giving this away when we wouldn't accept Congress giving away the authority to set tax rates? When did this start? What are the main laws that Congress has written that achieve it? Can this be reversed? What would it take for Congress to take back control? Can the Supreme Court help?The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 79, Charles talks to Justin Shubow, the president of the National Civic Art Society, about the importance of classical architecture. What is classical architecture? Why is it "humanistic"? What's wrong with modern art? Why do people defend it? Would it be too expensive to return to classical architecture? Why was Penn Station knocked down? Should it be rebuilt? What are the prospects of a renaissance in architecture under Donald Trump?The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishxand is used under a CC 3.0 License

On episode 78, Charles talks to Ilya Shapiro about his new book, 'Lawless: The Miseducation of America's Elites.' Why did he write it? Why does it matter if law schools are illiberal? Why is the law writ large threatened by the rejection of classical liberalism? What can do we do about it? Who is doing the right things? Is he optimistic about the future?The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishxand is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 77, Charles reads from a book about Kamala Harris he got for Christmas, and then talks to Jonah Goldberg about whether the United States should absorb Canada and to Michael Brendan Dougherty about why he's not appalled by the idea of invading Greenland.The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishxand is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 76, Charles talks to Jim Meigs about the drone panic in New Jersey. What's it all about? What exactly are drones? What's the likeliest explanation for what's going on? In the future, will my pizza be delivered by a drone? What military threat do drones pose?The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 75, Charles talks to Rich Lowry, Dominic Pino, and Michael Brendan Dougherty about the rules of baseball. Why is Dominic against all change? Why is Rich in favor of most change? What is the case against robot umpires? Why does the NFL innovate so freely, where baseball seems stuck in the mud? Can baseball ever be the most popular sport in America again, or is there something about it that doesn't suit the modern era?The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 74 of The Charles C. W. Cooke Podcast, Charles invites Luther Abel, Dan McLaughlin, and Mark Wright to discuss time travel. Among the topics discussed are how far one would have to go back in time before one's knowledge was useless; how many modern soldiers it would take to beat various historical armies; whether one would prefer to have been in the first wave on D-Day or in the infantry at Waterloo; what four items one would take into the past; and which era one would return to if forced.The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 73, Charles confesses that he has replaced every switch in his house, and then talks to Ethan Blevins about the problems that have been caused by the federal government's refusal to finish homesteading. How much land in America is owned by Washington D.C., anyway? Is it constitutional for the federal government to own land? Why are there so many stupid rules on the land that is owned by the federal government? Can it be fixed? Why hasn't it been?The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 72 of the Charles C. W. Cooke Podcast, Charles notes that the reaction to Trump's victory has been more muted than it was in 2016, and then talks to Lathan Watts of the Alliance Defending Freedom about the state of conscience rights in 2024.The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 71, Charles talks to Luther Abel, Jack Butler, and Phil Klein about what they would do if everyone other human on earth was wiped out. Where would they go first? How would they get around? What would they eat? How long would they survive? If they could only take one tool, what would it be? What would they do for fun?The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 70, Charles confirms that Luther Abel is real, discusses his attempt to get into Canada, and then talks to Caleb Kruckenberg about federalism.The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

In episode 69, Charles talks to Luther Ray Abel about their Most Excellent Whizzbang American Roller-Coaster Adventure, which took them from Virginia to California, via Hersheypark, Cedar Point, Great America, Magic Mountain, and Disneyland, in both a Ford Bronco Raptor and a Ford Mustang Dark Horse, while wearing Hawaiian shirts every moment of the day.The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.Show NotesThe PieceCharlie and Luther's Most Excellent Whizzbang American Roller-Coaster Adventure, in National Review.The CarsFord Bronco RaptorFord Mustang Dark HorseThe ParksHersheyparkCedar PointGreat AmericaMagic MountainDisneylandThe RoadsThe Pacific Coast HighwayThe CoastersCandymonium POVSkyrush POVGreat Beat POVFahrenheit POVStorm Runner POVWildcat's Revenge POVMillennium Force POVSteel Vengeance POVMaverick POVRaptor POVAmerican Eagle POVSuperman: Escape from Krypton POVGoliath POVBatman: The Ride POVTwisted Colossus POVTatsu POVWoman Woman: Flight of Courage POVNinja POVScream POVX2 POVWest Coast Racers POVApocalypse POVRiddler's Revenge POVFull Throttle POVRevolution POV

On episode 68, Charles talks to Keith Whittington, a professor at Yale Law School, about his new book, You Can't Teach That: The Battle over University Classrooms. Among the topics discussed are why universities are different than K-12 schools; why governments (and taxpayers) can't decide what is taught, given that they're paying the bill; how Civil Rights law intersects with academic free speech; and how to prevent universities from becoming ideological bubbles.The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 67, Charles talks to David French about David's column in the New York Times, 'To Save Conservatism From Itself, I Am Voting for Harris.' Among the questions Charles asks are why David has changed his view of Harris since 2019, why she hasn't reached the disqualification threshold, whether her support for abortion is a problem for him, and whether he thinks that she will win.The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 66, Charles talks to Charles Fain Lehman about drugs and crime. Charles asks Charles to tell him why he's wrong about the drug war, why marijuana is different from alcohol, whether we should ban substances to protect people from themselves, what the problem is with "harm reduction," how bad the drug crisis is, whether we talk about it seriously, and why drugs are more potent now than they used to be. Afterwards, they talk about whether crime is going up or down, or whether the whole debate is partisan nonsense.The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 65, Charles talks to Randy Barnett about his memoir, A Life for Liberty: The Making of an American Originalist. Among the topics they discuss are: How did Randy get interested in the law? How did he become a law professor? What is an originalist? Why is he one? What sort of originalist is he? What was it like arguing before the Supreme Court? Why does he still defend the Lochner decision? Is he hopeful about the future of the Constitution?The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 64, Charles writes an opera for his most persistent critic, 'Boiling Rug,' and then talks to Clark Neily about the problem of coercive plea bargaining.The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 63, Charles talks to Wilfred Reilly about his new book, Lies My Liberal Teacher Told Me: Debunking the False Narratives Defining America's School Curricula. Among the topics they discuss are: Who is this 'liberal teacher'? Why does Wilfred feel a need to argue about this? Are the people who tell these lies aware that they are doing it? What lies do conservative teachers tell? Is the problem fixable? The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 62, Charles tells tale of his difficult two weeks, and then talks to Andy McCarthy about the Trump conviction.The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 61, Charles talks to Rick Brookhiser about his new book, Glorious Lessons: John Trumbull, Painter of the American Revolution. Among the topics they discuss are: Was Trumbull a good painter? Was he regarded as such in his time? What did he hope to achieve? Why did he have such a tumultuous relationship with Thomas Jefferson? What is the thing that Rick likes the most about him and the thing he likes the least about him?The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License. 

On episode 60, Charles talks to Peter Robinson about the famous 'Tear Down This Wall' speech that he wrote for President Ronald Reagan. Among the topics they discuss are how Peter became a speechwriter in the first place, what Ronald Reagan was like, and how The Speech came to be.The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 59, Charles invites Michael Brendan Dougherty and Noah Rothman to continue the debate over Ukraine that they started on Tuesday's episode of The Editors.The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 58—recorded from Lord Ravenscroft's desolate manor—Charles reviews objections to his approach to counting states, relates the most recent problems he's had with his golf cart, and talks to Tim Carney about his new book, Family Unfriendly: How Our Culture Made Raising Kids Much Harder Than It Needs to Be. Among the questions Charles and Tim discuss are why we should have "lower ambitions for our kids"; what modern parents are doing wrong—and why; what caused these mistakes; whether there is a political answer to them; why creative and independent play is so important; why parents think the world is more dangerous than it is; whether achieving the cultural changes that Tim proposes will be different given the obvious collective action problem; how cultural underconfidence factors in to the baby bust; and what Tim would do if he were a dictator.The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 57, Charles announces a special jigsaw puzzle and relates which 44 states he's visited before talking to Robert Frommer about an extraordinary case of civil asset forfeiture. The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 56, Charles talks to Father Nathaniel Meyers, the Pastor of the Church of St. Francis Xavier in Buffalo, MN, about whether God exists, how we can know, and whether it ultimately matters.Fr. Meyers's reading list:St. Augustine's City of GodA Contemporary Cosmological Argument for the Existence of GodAnything by Cardinal RatzingerLetters of St. PaulThe dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

Charles invites Gareth Russell to tell him all about his latest book, The Palace: From the Tudors to the Windsors, 500 Years of British History at Hampton Court. Among the topics they discuss are the wives of Henry VIII, the use of séances to get one's own way, the first performances of Macbeth and Hamlet, the writing of the King James Bible, snobbery within eighteenth century chocolate production, whether Mary I was as bad as her reputation suggests, and why George III moved the monarchy to Buckingham Palace.The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

Charles introduces a new section on the show: Manatee Fact Hour. Then he invites that reprobate Kevin Williamson on for another throwback show. Presented by Prang and Company.The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

def generate_podcast_intro(episode_number, host_name, guest_name, topic):intro = f"On episode {episode_number} of the {host_name} Podcast, budget cuts destroy the introduction and {informal_name} talks to {guest_name} about {topic}."return introepisode_number = 53host_name = "Charles C. W. Cooke"informal_name = "Charles"guest_name = "Timothy B. Lee"topic = "artificial intelligence"podcast_intro = generate_podcast_intro(episode_number, host_name, guest_name, topic)print(podcast_intro)# The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License. 

On episode 52, Charles talks to Peter Suderman about cocktails. Among the topics discussed are: What is a cocktail? When were they invented? How have they changed over time? What is the 'cocktail renaissance'? How have laws affected their production or development? And how did Peter get into this in the first place?The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

In episode 51, Charles confesses that he is genuinely morose about the end of the Jaguars season, and then talks to his colleagues about their own sporting highs and lows. For just $5/month, you can help a sad male fan.The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 50, Charles is rudely prevented from staging his radio play by the Ghost of Luther Abel. After that, he talks to Rafael A. Mangual about crime. (Here's his book.) Among the questions they discuss are why Rafael believes that the U.S. has a "decarceration problem"; whether too many Americans are in jail; whether the justice system is "racialized"; what we should do about police brutality; whether voters will punish politicians who make them less safe; and what law-and-order policymakers got wrong in the 1990s.The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 49—so called because there have been 48 others—Charles talks to Russ Roberts, the host of the EconTalk podcast and the president of Shalem College in Jerusalem. Among the topics they discuss are: What life has been like in Jerusalem since October 7; why Russ started a podcast so early; why he's less interested in economics than he used to be; how strongly he holds his views; whether individuals who do well in the free market 'deserve' it; which economic concepts are hardest to convey; why he doesn't call himself a 'libertarian'; why it's important to live 'like an artist'; and whether the West is going to make it in the long run.The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 48, Charles celebrates the Jacksonville Jaguars' 34-14 victory over the Tennessee Titans, and then talks to Steve Simpson about the core of America's system of government: the separation of powers. Among the questions discussed are: What is separation of powers? Why does it matter? Does America still have it? Can it co-exist with the modern world? Can there be such a thing as an "independent executive agency"? What is the "unitary executive doctrine"? Are we going in the right direction—or backsliding back to monarchy?The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 47, Charles tries to work out why some of the anti-Israel protests have bothered him so much, and then talks to Ruy Texeira about the current state of the Democratic Party. Among the questions asked are: Why is Texeira's new book called 'Where Have All the Democrats Gone?' when the Democrats seem to be doing fine? Why is the "shadow Democratic Party" so  strong? What is the "soul" of the Democratic Party? What did Bill Clinton get right in the 1990s?  How correct was the thesis of 'The Emerging Democratic Majority?' Is abortion hurting the Republicans? What should we draw from this year's Virginia elections? And is demography destiny after all?The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.