Buckle up for Chappaquiddick
Back in September of 2016 -- just before Donald Trump won the Presidency -- I wrote about how Roseanne helped pave the way for Trump's surprisingly successful candidacy. During its original run, the sitcom reflected working-class America in a way few of its contemporaries dared. The Trump campaign echoed some of the show's themes and tones.
Like Trump, ABC's Roseanne reboot found a surprisingly large audience for its first two episodes. I have to say that I'm impressed with the quality. I'm also hopeful that the show might help remind Americans that we can disagree on politics (just as TV sisters Aunt Jackie and Roseanne Conner do), and still be friends and family.
(In December 2016, Roseanne herself took notice of that very column. Did I "inspire" the reboot? Decide for yourself. Or, if you can't decide, maybe you can forward this email to a friend and have them help?)
Chappaquiddick and more coming to Matt Lewis and the News
Chappaquiddick hits theaters on April 6, and you won't want to miss my interview with producer Mark Ciardi this week on Matt Lewis and the News. Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher now to make sure you catch it. I saw an advance screening of the film a few weeks ago, and it's very good. Here's the trailer. You'll want to see it, and you'll want to hear what Mark has to say about it when that episode drops later this week.
On the episode dropping today, hear author Dan Pink will chat about his latest book, When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing.
Future News: Upcoming podcast guests include Tim Alberta, chief political correspondent at Politico Magazine; Eddie Scary, who will talk about Fraud and Fiction, his rebuttal to Michael Wolff's Fire and Fury; and Sheila Tate, author of Lady in Red: An Intimate Portrait of Nancy Reagan.
Matt Lewis and the News is on both iTunes and Stitcher.
Why Gerrymandering? Why not Georgemandering, Elainemandering, or Kramermandering?
In the two places I have lived the longest (Frederick, Maryland, and Alexandria, Virginia), Democrats have rigged the system to make it impossible for Republicans to win elections. My latest column makes the point that Democrats are against gerrymandering--except when they get to do it.
In case you missed it...
On a recent episode of his eponymous podcast, Jamie Weinstein interviewed Ta-Nehisi Coates of the Atlantic. The New York Times lauded it as "a lesson on how to disagree respectfully on political issues."
Sweet home Chicago
Last week, I traveled to the land of Jake and Elwood to prepare for my spring Fellowship at the University of Chicago's Institute of Politics. While there, I got to see Milton Friedman's Nobel Prize for Economics. Here's a picture!