Class Colloquium:  Live Presentation, plus Q&A

Classmate and conservative radio host Michael Medved will speak to us privately and candidly about the current state of the Republican Party, the upcoming elections and the Trump phenomenon.

We’ll leave a generous amount of time for Q&A.  And we are planning some “breakout sessions” designed for more open-ended discussion of this difficult time in American political life.

You may recall that the 50th reunion survey had several questions to identify our political journey, then and now.  See slide 52, and this article.  Almost a quarter of our Class identifies as “conservative” and one-third as “moderate or conservative.”  But today’s Republicans are not the same as the Republican Party of our parents.

It’s a very confusing time:

Let’s step back and review what’s happened in recent months:

• Former President Trump (the “FPOTUS” in the affidavit supporting the Mar-a-Lago search of August 8th) seems to have put the national security at serious risk through seriously negligent and allegedly illegal handling of top-secret documents.  The Republican brand is “strong on national security.”  What’s going on?
• FPOTUS encouraged supporters to “fight like hell” on January 6th in order to interrupt Congressional ratification of the peaceful transfer of power.  He seemed indifferent to the mortal risk to Vice-President Pence.  The Republican brand has been “law and order” since at least the days of Richard Nixon.  What should we make of attacks on Congress, the FBI and others … things not condemned by Republican leaders?
• The financial corruption seems to not only be present but at a scale almost inconceivable for candidates or a party to be viable:
  • The Trump Organization’s CFO pleads guilty to 15 felonies.
  • FPOTUS takes the fifth 440 times in an investigation into his finances.
  • The leader of the Senate GOP campaign arm, Rick Scott, is being openly accused of financial mismanagement of millions of dollars by his peers.
• The fealty of virtually all GOP officials to whatever position is demanded of them by FPOTUS suggests the party has become a cult of personality rather than an ideologically coherent political party.

• AND YET

  • Election deniers and Trump-endorsed candidates have won GOP primaries across the country. Many of them will get elected this fall.
  • Liz Cheney lost her primary to a MAGA opponent … by almost 40 points.
  • FiveThirtyEight predicts Republicans will pick up over 50 seats in the House.
  • Polls show Donald Trump with 42% support, essentially tied with Joe Biden
  • Rather than condemn his corruption, the GOP is defending him on all platforms and disparaging and inciting violence against federal law enforcement. Yet, Trump is calling for Senate GOP leader McConnell to be replaced, immediately.

On the other hand, there is an unprecedented and well-funded effort by Republicans to convince other Republicans not to vote Republican. Liz Cheney will be campaigning with Democrats this fall.

What is going on?

Maybe Michael can give us some insights!

About Michael Medved

Following in the footsteps of William Buckley and later Ronald Reagan, Michael Medved exemplifies what Yale History Professor Beverly Gage identifies as one of the overlooked and even misunderstood trends of the 1960s, the rise of American conservatism.

Beginning as a liberal speechwriter and advocate for minority recruitment in the Bay Area police departments, Michael was a committed volunteer for Bobby Kennedy, even being present at his assassination.

The 70s and 80s saw his Conservative conversion, a perspective that flavors his on-air interviews of conservative and liberal personalities. He can and does speak to a broad array of political, cultural, and media programming.

He has published extensively (14 non-fiction books). He remains a man for all seasons.

But perhaps his most laudable achievement remains one of his least acknowledged.  On November 24, 1968, one day after The Game ended in the infamous 29-29 tie, Michael brought Mother Yale a coveted win when he led the Yale Team to a 341-120 victory against Harvard in the GE College Bowl.  😉

Click to register for this meeting:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcqce6oqz8jHdLXx2c66ZPx3zO1J3OvsrX_

After registering, you will receive a confirmation by email with information about how to join the meeting, along with calendar invites for those with electronic calendars.

We will start promptly, so please JOIN the meeting 5-10 minutes early.

Breakout Session information:  After the one-hour main session, we will use the Zoom “breakout rooms” to break into separate, 30-minute-ish meetings.  There, you will be able to socialize with classmates, as well as discuss anything.

I hope you can attend.   Don’t forget to register and mark your calendars.