Episode 502 – “Join Us, We’re Libbing Out” (w/ Nathan J. Robinson & Alex Skopic)

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Founder and editor-in-chief of Current Affairs Nathan J. Robinson returns to Bad Faith along with CA associate editor Alex Skopic to discuss the buzz around the new Substack “magazine” The Argument, which makes the case that “liberalism deserves better.” This collection of former Atlantic and Vox journalists (including Derek Thompson and Matt Yglasias) has $4 million in backing, has launched with a piece against cash payments to the poor, and is led by a woman who earlier this year famously wrote the case for Democrats to support DOGE. Nathan and Alex weigh in on the battle independent journalism like Current Affairs is waging against well-funded, billionaire-backed media, and whether outlets like The Argument will successfully launder a Newsom 2028 candidacy to the left — even though Gaza has emerged as a litmus test that has already tripped up Mayor Pete. Why are liberals so damn gullible, why is the left always right before the libs, and why are conservatives so much better at ideological consistency when compared to the empty, superficial takes coming out of liberals? We discuss Zach Beauchamp’s latest piece on that very question (“How conservatives help their young thinkers — and why liberals don’t“), along with Alex’s “The Left is Always Right Too Early,” and CA‘s takedown of Gavin Newsom.

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