Sharpening Arrows

Ep. 73 - Why Trump supporters remain so loyal

Republican politicians who oppose Donald Trump keep losing primaries. Let’s look at why. Parental pause point questions: 1. Who is responsible for the broken cabinet door? (1:33) 2. What are some of the differences when discussing policy and politics? (6:19) 3. Why is it a good thing that compromise is inevitable in politics? (7:35) 4. Which of The Great 8 Questions would you use in response to this contention? (13:23) 5. Do you think Republican voters supported amnesty? (17:12) 6. Why does it make sense for average voters to care about endorsements? (24:36) The Great 8 Questions: 1. What happens next? 2. Has this been tried before? 3. Is there a principle involved? 4. What are the trade-offs? 5. What do you mean by that? 6. Is this an appeal to emotion or logic? 7. Am I focused on the speaker or the argument? 8. What does the Bible say?

Ep. 72 - The lies society tells young women about motherhood

America celebrates mothers but does little to inspire young women to become mothers. That’s a mistake. Parental pause point questions: 1. Why do you think fewer women are having children today than 18 years ago? (2:32) 2. Which of The Great 8 Questions would you use in response to this argument? (3:47) 3. What public policy issues would you not be able to debate or discuss under this standard? (6:22) 4. What is the good life? (10:20) 5. Is that argument more true because it came from a woman? (25:58) 6. Young men, what is the message for you in this podcast? (26:34) The Great 8 Questions: 1. What happens next? 2. Has this been tried before? 3. Is there a principle involved? 4. What are the trade-offs? 5. What do you mean by that? 6. Is this an appeal to emotion or logic? 7. Am I focused on the speaker or the argument? 8. What does the Bible say?

Ep. 71 - Spirit Airlines' failure shows why the free market succeeds

Spirit Airlines just went bankrupt, leaving travelers stranded and thousands of employees out of work. Here's why this doesn't mean the free market failed. Parental pause point questions: 1. How many people do you think lost their jobs in 2025? (3:54) 2. Which of The Great 8 Questions would you use in response to his argument? (5:25) 3. Are resources unlimited or scarce? (6:35) 4. How do we ensure that resources are used efficiently? (9:50) 5. How does profit help lower future prices? (12:36) 6. Have you ever lost your job? What did it feel like? (17:58) 7. Is it the government's job to grow the economy? (22:43) The Great 8 Questions: 1. What happens next? 2. Has this been tried before? 3. Is there a principle involved? 4. What are the trade-offs? 5. What do you mean by that? 6. Is this an appeal to emotion or logic? 7. Am I focused on the speaker or the argument? 8. What does the Bible say?

Ep. 70 – Why people keep trying to assassinate Trump

President Donald Trump survived another assassination attempt. What would lead someone to do this? Parental pause point questions: 1. What have you heard about this and how does it make you feel? (3:57) 2. Why is it appealing to think that it would be assassin or a mass murderer is mentally ill? (5:49) 3. Which of The Great 8 Questions would you use in response to his argument? (12:32) 4. How would you respond to his argument? (16:12) 5. Is there a group of people in American who are oppressed? (24:46) 6. Where would anyone come up with an idea this crazy? (28:27) The Great 8 Questions: 1. What happens next? 2. Has this been tried before? 3. Is there a principle involved? 4. What are the trade-offs? 5. What do you mean by that? 6. Is this an appeal to emotion or logic? 7. Am I focused on the speaker or the argument? 8. What does the Bible say?

Ep. 69 – In defense of the Electoral College

Some people want to fundamentally change how American presidential elections work. Here’s why the Electoral College is better than the National Popular Vote. Parental pause point questions: 1. Parents, what’s something you appreciate about your parents now that you didn’t growing up? (2:48) 2. What do you know about the Electoral College? How many electoral votes does it take to win the presidency? (3:47) 3. Which of The Great 8 Questions would you use to respond to this argument? (8:16) 4. Is the U.S. a democracy? (9:07) 5. Has a democracy ever devolved into a dictatorship? (13:41) 6. There were 261 in-person presidential events after the 2024 conventions. How many events were held in the seven swing states? (17:20) 7. Do you think America should elect a president using the popular vote or Electoral College? (24:29) The Great 8 Questions: 1. What happens next? 2. Has this been tried before? 3. Is there a principle involved? 4. What are the trade-offs? 5. What do you mean by that? 6. Is this an appeal to emotion or logic? 7. Am I focused on the speaker or the argument? 8. What does the Bible say?