Super PACs, Stupid Voters, and the Cost of Winning Congress w/ James R. Harrigan and Antony Davies || 1798

Super PACs, Stupid Voters, and the Cost of Winning Congress w/ James R. Harrigan and Antony Davies || 1798

Campaign donation limits look strict. Super PACs can make those limits feel almost meaningless. James Harrigan and Antony Davies join Josh Martens to debate who really controls American elections: donors, politicians, parties, or voters. How much does it cost to win a House or Senate seat? The Words and Numbers hosts explain individual contribution limits, candidate committees, political action committees, independent expenditures, and the unlimited spending available through super PACs. The conversation examines campaign finance, political incentives, the Thomas Massie race, outside spending, foreign influence, publicly funded elections, mandatory voting, gerrymandering, the Republican and Democratic duopoly, and the direct election of senators. The uncomfortable conclusion might be that campaign money is only a symptom. When government has enough power to sell favors, people will spend enormous amounts trying to control it. Chapters 00:00 James Harrigan and Antony Davies Join GML 02:00 The Thomas Massie Race and Outside Spending 03:30 What American Elections Really Cost 05:45 Campaign Money, Speech, and Property Rights 07:15 Are Voters Responsible for Selling Their Votes? 10:15 Unlimited Government and the Rise of Oligarchy 13:00 Donation Limits and the Super PAC Loophole 18:15 Political Spoils, Corporations, and Union Money 22:45 Libertarians Debate Public Election Funding 27:30 The Massie Race and Foreign Influence 31:15 Stupid Voters, Mandatory Voting, and the Party Duopoly 42:00 One Change That Could Fix American Elections Links Watch All Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLi78svKlBr_8o0dDOX8DxO_Wwxu6WYhhA [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLi78svKlBr_8o0dDOX8DxO_Wwxu6WYhhA] Watch Host Favorites: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLi78svKlBr__Zu40RL7mWxCuOOe54zgy2 [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLi78svKlBr__Zu40RL7mWxCuOOe54zgy2] Join the Fed Haters Club @ https://www.goodmorningliberty.us/fedhatersclub [https://www.goodmorningliberty.us/fedhatersclub] Join GML: https://joingml.com [https://joingml.com] [Martens Minute]: https://martensminute.podbean.com/ [https://martensminute.podbean.com/] All links @ gml.bio.link Subscribe to Good Morning Liberty, like the video, and tell us who deserves more blame: donors, politicians, or voters. Share this conversation with someone who thinks contribution limits solved campaign finance. Please also leave GML a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Dumb BLEEP of the Week! Mamdani Blames Capitalism, Flock Cameras, Freedom Fuel and More || 1797

A Flock camera helped police identify the wrong woman. She needed her own cameras to prove the government was wrong. In this Dumb Bleep of the Week, Nate and Chuck examine Flock surveillance cameras, license-plate tracking, police certainty, and the growing infrastructure of the surveillance state. They also react to a city official discussing AI-equipped trash trucks that could scan homes for broken windows, bad roofs, and unpermitted remodeling. Zoran Mamdani invokes Friedrich Hayek while blaming capitalists for New York City's problems. The guys break down rent control, regulation, taxation, socialism, Austrian economics, and why government interference keeps getting mislabeled as free-market failure. Also covered: offensive-speech tickets, Mitch McConnell's hospital stay, congressional age, the 17th Amendment, Scott Jennings' circular Israel argument, Trump's "Freedom Fuel," Black English in California preschools, and US Soccer's equal-prize-money policy. Chapters 00:00 Dumb Bleep of the Week begins 02:00 Mamdani invokes Hayek 12:15 Flock cameras and false certainty 27:15 Ticketed for offensive speech? 29:15 Mitch McConnell and Congress's age problem 34:45 The case against the 17th Amendment 36:45 Israel and circular logic 41:00 "Freedom Fuel" and the gas-price victory lap 47:00 Black English in California preschools 55:00 US Soccer and equal-prize-money economics Links Watch All Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLi78svKlBr_8o0dDOX8DxO_Wwxu6WYhhA [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLi78svKlBr_8o0dDOX8DxO_Wwxu6WYhhA] Watch Host Favorites: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLi78svKlBr__Zu40RL7mWxCuOOe54zgy2 [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLi78svKlBr__Zu40RL7mWxCuOOe54zgy2] Join the Fed Haters Club @ https://www.goodmorningliberty.us/fedhatersclub [https://www.goodmorningliberty.us/fedhatersclub] Join GML: https://joingml.com [https://joingml.com] All links @ https://gml.bio.link [https://gml.bio.link] Subscribe for more Good Morning Liberty. Like the video, tell us which dumb bleep should win, and share it with someone who still thinks more cameras automatically mean more safety. Podcast listeners can help by leaving a rating and review.

Ticket for Offensive Speech in America? + Platner Drops, Iran War Resumes || 1796

Texas cops are apparently ready to write tickets for "offensive speech," which raises the obvious question: since when does the First Amendment depend on who gets offended? Nate and Chuck break down the viral Fort Worth street preaching clip, the difference between bad manners and illegal conduct, and why "depends on who's offended" is a terrifying standard. Then they hit Graham Platner suspending his Senate bid after serious allegations, the Democrat establishment's sudden change of heart, and the convenient timing before the ballot deadline. Also covered: Offensive speech vs. actual threats Political accusations and selective outrage Why socialists always think the "right people" can run the machine Iran, war powers, Air Force One weirdness, and mystery "Freedom Fuel" gas stations Join us at joingml.com and find every link at gml.bio.link. Follow or subscribe, and leave a rating and review to help more liberty-loving people find the show.

Jeremy Todd on Winning Massie's District, Trump's Iran War Failure, and Money in Politics

A libertarian is jumping into Thomas Massie's district after Massie's loss. Jeremy Todd says the fight is about war, outside money, AI ads, and surveillance. Jeremy Todd joins Good Morning Liberty to discuss his run for Congress in Kentucky's 4th District, why the Libertarian Party stayed out while Thomas Massie was in the race, and why they now see an opening. Nate and Jeremy cover Iran, war powers, Congress, foreign policy, Republican spending, crony capitalism, AI campaign ads, Flock cameras, CBDCs, data centers, and the future of civil liberties. https://jeremy-todd.com/ [https://jeremy-todd.com/] https://x.com/jtodd601 [https://x.com/jtodd601] Chapters: 00:00 Jeremy Todd joins Good Morning Liberty 01:30 Jeremy's political backstory 04:00 Why run after Thomas Massie lost? 07:30 Iran, anti-war Democrats, and foreign policy 08:45 "Why win a war 39 times?" 16:15 War powers and the Constitution 22:30 Mitch McConnell jokes and age in Congress 25:45 Massie, outside money, and AI campaign ads 34:00 Republicans and limited government 48:30 Flock cameras, data centers, and CBDCs 56:15 Jeremy's pitch to Massie voters 59:00 Where to support Jeremy Todd Watch All Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLi78svKlBr_8o0dDOX8DxO_Wwxu6WYhhA [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLi78svKlBr_8o0dDOX8DxO_Wwxu6WYhhA] Watch Host Favorites: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLi78svKlBr__Zu40RL7mWxCuOOe54zgy2 [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLi78svKlBr__Zu40RL7mWxCuOOe54zgy2] Join the Fed Haters Club @ https://www.goodmorningliberty.us/fedhatersclub [https://www.goodmorningliberty.us/fedhatersclub] Martens Minute: https://martensminute.podbean.com/ [https://martensminute.podbean.com/] All links @ gml.bio.link Subscribe, like, comment, share, and leave a rating or review on your podcast app.

Housing Prices, Illegal Immigration, and the 30% Stat Lie || 1794

The viral claim says illegal immigration caused home prices to rise 30%. The Fed paper said something different, and the difference matters. A new working paper on unauthorized immigration and housing prices is being used across social media to argue that Biden's illegal immigration surge caused a 30% rise in home prices and 20% rise in rents. But the actual claim was about 30% of home price growth in the average metro area studied, not a direct 30% increase caused by immigration. This matters because supply and demand are real. Adding millions of people to a housing market with restricted supply raises prices. But zoning laws, permitting delays, rent control, building codes, high interest rates, federal debt, and monetary policy all matter too. Austin gives a real-world example of what happens when a city makes it easier to build: rents can fall. The housing crisis is not solved by pretending immigration has no effect, and it is not solved by pretending immigration is the whole story. Chapters: 00:00 Supply and demand still exists 01:15 The Fed paper controversy resurfaces 03:00 What the New York Post headline claimed 03:45 What the article actually said 05:15 What the Fed paper measured 07:15 30% of the increase is not 30% increase 09:45 Why housing price indexes differ 13:15 Left denial vs right exaggeration 14:00 The real housing supply problem 20:15 Austin's rent drop and building reforms 23:45 Why viral right-wing framing misses the root cause 27:45 Do not give your opponents an easy win Watch All Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLi78svKlBr_8o0dDOX8DxO_Wwxu6WYhhA [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLi78svKlBr_8o0dDOX8DxO_Wwxu6WYhhA] Watch Host Favorites: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLi78svKlBr__Zu40RL7mWxCuOOe54zgy2 [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLi78svKlBr__Zu40RL7mWxCuOOe54zgy2] Join the Fed Haters Club @ https://www.goodmorningliberty.us/fedhatersclub [https://www.goodmorningliberty.us/fedhatersclub] Martens Minute: https://martensminute.podbean.com/ [https://martensminute.podbean.com/] All links @ gml.bio.link Subscribe, like, comment, share, and leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast app.