S2 Ep30: Will Elon's America Party Bomb Like Other Third Parties?
John Avlon joined Rick Wilson for a Substack Live on Rick Wilson’s Against All Enemies. The two political veterans deliver a no-nonsense breakdown of America’s volatile political landscape. They dive into the collapse of the GOP establishment, the dangers of third-party fantasies like Elon Musk’s "America Party," and why Trumpism remains a threat to democracy. With decades of insider experience, they unpack how fear, media manipulation, and political cowardice got us here, and what it’ll take to fight back.
Rick Wilson’s Against All Enemies | Substack
https://therickwilson.substack.com/
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S2 Ep29: Trump's Crypto Scheme Shows That We Need New Rules Now
John Avlon and Thomas Pacchia dive into the future of Bitcoin and crypto policy in the U.S., highlighting the regulatory confusion, partisan risks, and missed opportunities under the Biden administration. Now that Trump is embroiled in a crypto scheme, the time for talking about new rules is now.
Guest Thomas Pacchia explains the key differences between Bitcoin and broader crypto, warns against overregulation, and makes the case for light-touch rules, tax clarity, and what Trump coin means in this moment for change.
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S2 Ep28: Could NYC Go Broke Again?
Richard E. Farley wrote a book called Drop Dead about New York City's 1975 fiscal crisis. John Avlon and Richard compare it to today, highlighting similar risks: rising interest rates, job and tax-base uncertainty, reduced federal support, and political dysfunction. Unlike in 1975, today's polarized politics make federal bailouts harder, emphasizing the urgent need to restore fiscal discipline and cooperative governance.
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S2 Ep27: Closed Primaries Like NYC Screw Voters in Broad Daylight!
John Avlon chats with John Opdycke, Founder and President of Open Primaries, to make the case for changing how we vote, starting with the primaries. They explain why nonpartisan election systems in places like Alaska and New York are working and what it would take to bring those reforms to more states.
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S2 Ep26: Rules for Surviving Authoritarian Times
Ruth Ben-Ghiat joins John Avlon to talk about how authoritarianism creeps into democracies, the patterns she’s seen around the world, and what history says about how to fight back. They discuss the rise of strongman politics, the power of resistance, and the five rules we need to remember now.
Politicians, pundits, and the media spend a lot of time talking about the problems our country faces but not enough time on how to solve them. Each week, John Avlon and his guests hash out sensible and attainable solutions for some of the most vexing issues confronting our democracy—solutions that will likely emerge from the political center.
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