Why are political debates considered a flawed way to choose leaders?

The discussion highlights that debates often reward memorization, interruption skills, and delivering witty, often cruel, lines rather than demonstrating actual qualifications for leadership. This performance-based system is seen as disconnected from the complex tasks of governing.

What are the main concerns about Bernie Sanders' electability?

Concerns about Bernie Sanders' electability include his potential inability to appeal to the political center in a general election. There are also worries about his past statements on foreign policy, his ability to pay for his ambitious economic proposals (tens of trillions of dollars), and the negative vetting he would face.

Why is the word 'socialism' considered a branding issue for candidates?

The word 'socialism' is seen as problematic because it carries negative historical associations, making it difficult for candidates to explain away. Even if a candidate like Bernie Sanders means it in the context of Nordic countries, the negative branding can alienate voters, similar to how having to explain away being a 'pedophile' would be fatal.

What is the impact of Elizabeth Warren's campaign strategy and potential missteps?

While Elizabeth Warren was seen as having strong ideas and a good approach, she got 'pulled into the woke nest' with tweets like 'black cis and trans women are the backbone of our democracy.' This branding is considered a potential fatal flaw that alienates a significant portion of the electorate.

What is the Judith Rich Harris thesis on parenting?

Judith Rich Harris's thesis suggests that while genetics account for roughly 50% of personality and ability, the environmental influences that shape individuals are not primarily from their parents' direct actions. Instead, it's more about the peer group and the broader social environment.

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A Conversation with Paul Bloom (Episode #188)

Sam Harris

News & Politics3 min read33 min video

Mar 3, 2020|17,498 views|295|258

sam harris sam harris podcast waking up podcast waking up waking up with sam harris sam harris waking up waking up sam harris sam harris jordan peterson sam harris joe rogan author neuroscientist philosopher

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Key Moments

TL;DR

Podcast discusses Trump's rise, political norms, and the minimal impact of parents on child development.

Key Insights

Donald Trump's success in primaries is attributed more to environmental factors and his media savvy than inherent political skill.

Political debates are a flawed method for selecting leaders, often rewarding performance over substance.

Bernie Sanders, despite his appeal to some, may be unelectable in a general election due to his socialist branding and past statements.

Elizabeth Warren's campaign faltered due to 'woke' appeals and perceived pandering, alienating potential voters.

Parenting's environmental impact on a child's development is significantly less than genetic factors, according to psychological research.

Societal distrust in institutions is at an all-time low, and Trump personifies this shift.

THE EXTRAORDINARY RISE OF DONALD TRUMP

The conversation begins by dissecting Donald Trump's victory in the Republican primaries. While not asked to praise his character, the discussion acknowledges his exceptional understanding of television and his showmanship, which his opponents lacked. His fame and recognition, largely built through reality television, played a significant role in his appeal, mirroring the 'performance' aspect of characters like Chauncey Gardiner, who gain prominence through audience projection and misapprehension. Trump's success is seen not as brilliant political strategy but as a potent 'super stimulus' to a segment of the electorate, tapping into existing political and moral attitudes.

TRUMP'S APPEAL AND THE AMERICAN GROTESQUE

Trump is described as a distillation of the 'American grotesque,' a confection of crassness, professional wrestling, and infomercials, embodying a self-regarding and obtuse side of America that resonates with a significant portion of the population. His power is likened to Thanos with the Infinity Stones of hypocrisy, narcissism, and banality of evil. This persona, amplified by the lack of trust in institutions and a desire to destabilize the system, has allowed him to ascend to the highest office, creating an insane juxtaposition with the serious demands of leading the free world.

THE FLAWED NATURE OF POLITICAL DEBATES

The podcast critically examines political debates, deeming them a "stupidest way to choose a leader." Debates often prioritize memorized lines, interruption skills, and savage wit over genuine policy understanding or leadership qualities. The ability to land a good joke at an opponent's expense is frequently the key to winning, which is grossly unrelated to the qualifications needed for office. This performance-based selection process is contrasted with other fields where such a method would be considered absurd, highlighting a fundamental flaw in how political leaders are chosen.

BERNIE SANDERS AND ELECTABILITY CONCERNS

Concerns are raised about Bernie Sanders' electability in a general election, particularly his socialist branding and past statements that may alienate moderate voters. While his support stems from small donations rather than special interests, the worry is that he might be beholden to a 'leftist mob.' His historical comments on the Soviet Union, the Iran hostage crisis, and his inability to credibly explain the funding for his ambitious policies (potentially tens of trillions of dollars) are cited as significant liabilities that would be intensely scrutinized and likely detrimental in a general election against Trump.

ELIZABETH WARREN'S CAMPAIGN AND SOCIALISM

Elizabeth Warren, while seen as intellectually superior to Sanders in some aspects, is analyzed as having faltered due to her engagement with 'woke' issues and perceived pandering. Her tweet about 'black cis and trans women' being the backbone of democracy is highlighted as an example of alienating rhetoric. The discussion contrasts her approach with Sanders' focus on class warfare, suggesting Warren got caught in "intersectional mishigas." While her economic policies are similar to Sanders', her branding and perceived attempts to pander to a small constituency are seen as detrimental to her campaign's momentum.

THE MARGINAL ROLE OF PARENTAL INFLUENCE

Shifting to a seemingly unrelated topic, the conversation explores the extent to which parenting matters in child development. Drawing on the work of Judith Rich Harris, the prevailing psychological research suggests that genetic factors account for roughly 50% of personality and ability. The environmental influence, crucially, appears to come not from parents' direct actions but from broader social environments and peer groups. This implies that the impact of parental efforts, while intuitive, is significantly less determinative than commonly believed, challenging conventional wisdom.

Mentioned in This Episode

●Books

●People Referenced

Common Questions

Paul Bloom suggests Trump's success in the Republican primaries was extraordinary because he entered with no prior competition experience and defeated seasoned politicians. Bloom attributes this not to inherent skill, but to Trump's understanding of television, his showmanship, and the electorate's relationship with fame, making him a 'super stimulus' to a portion of America.

Topics

Mindset & Self-Improvement Politics & Policy Society & Philosophy Political Analysis Election Strategy Candidate Evaluation Parenting Influence Socialism Debate Political Discourse

Mentioned in this video

People

Elizabeth Warren

A Democratic presidential candidate whose policies are seen as similar to Bernie Sanders, but who branded herself as a capitalist. Her campaign momentum is analyzed, and a specific tweet is cited as a potential misstep.

Jeb Bush

Mentioned as a political opponent of Donald Trump during the Republican primaries, characterized as lacking stage presence.

Louis Farrakhan

Mentioned as an example of a controversial figure whose association with an advisor would be problematic, drawing a parallel to Linda Sarsour's association with Bernie Sanders.

Jerzy Kosinski

Author of the novel 'Being There', which featured the character Chancey Gardiner.

Judith Rich Harris

Author whose thesis proposed that parental influence has minimal impact on personality and development, with environment playing a larger role through non-parental factors.

Paul Bloom

Professor of Psychology at Yale University, participating in a conversation with Sam Harris, offering insights on political analysis and psychological theories such as the influence of parenting.

Amy Klobuchar

Mentioned as a Democratic candidate who might have a chance in the general election, and spoken of fondly by Sam Harris.

Cory Booker

Missed by Sam Harris as a candidate, described as gracious, intelligent, broad-minded, likeable, rational, and pragmatic, but whose political success on stage was puzzling.

Hillary Clinton

Mentioned in the context of political rallies and slogans like 'lock her up', and as a former opponent of Donald Trump.

Harvey Weinstein

Mentioned in the context of his recent guilty verdict for rape, as a point of comparison for the severity of allegations against Donald Trump.

Michael Bloomberg

A Democratic presidential candidate discussed after his debate performance, noted for potential liabilities and being a billionaire candidate. His potential to fund his own campaign is contrasted with reliance on small donations.

Peter Sellers

Actor who starred in the film adaptation of 'Being There'.

Donald Trump

Discussed as a political figure whose success in primaries is analyzed through his understanding of television, showmanship, and connection with a specific segment of the electorate. His mannerisms and rhetoric are described as a 'confection of American crap' and personifying a lack of trust in institutions.

Bernie Sanders

A Democratic presidential candidate whose electability is debated, with concerns raised about his ability to appeal to the center and his past statements on foreign policy and economic proposals.

Ted Cruz

Mentioned as a political opponent of Donald Trump during the Republican primaries, characterized as lacking stage presence.

Linda Sarsour

Mentioned as an anti-semite and theocrat associated with Bernie Sanders' inner circle, raising concerns about potential cabinet positions.

Sam Harris

Host of the Making Sense podcast, engaging in a discussion with Paul Bloom about political candidates and psychological concepts.

Pete Buttigieg

Mentioned as a Democratic candidate, with his sexuality discussed as a potential liability, and compared to Sanders and other candidates.

Books

Being There

A novel by Jerzy Kosinski and subsequent film starring Peter Sellers, used as an analogy to explain Donald Trump's rise to power through public misapprehension.

Behavioral Brain Sciences

A journal where controversial and theoretically interesting articles are published, mentioned by Paul Bloom in relation to Judith Rich Harris.