On today’s episode of Popcorn Politics, Brian Kramer and I discussed Trump contracting coronavirus, Cal Cunningham’s embarrassing sexts, and Pat Toomey’s retirement from the Senate.
Trump’s response to his contraction of COVID has been completely in character and not at all what he needed. Riding a wave of sympathy might’ve been his best path to the White House. Instead, his efforts to project strength have backfired and made him look even worse. His drive-by with the Secret Service made him look callous, and the press conference, once he returned from Walter Reed, made him look incompetent.
Beyond that, single-handedly torpedoing economic stimulus negotiations right before an election makes seeing his path to victory difficult for me. Cal Cunningham is also in hot water for having an affair with a campaign advisor that might have violated his military code. This affair feels like a nonstory, I don’t generally care about consensual affairs for voting purposes, however, Cal made this election about character. That choice is coming back to bite him.
(Note to listeners: The second hour contains NSFW language)
In hour 2, Daniel Louis Crumpton and I reviewed The Matrix.
The Matrix was a cultural phenomenon when it was released in 1999, and is still talked about to this day. Why is that though? It’s because the timeless philosophical elements are still relevant today, the visual effects hold up, and it’s a story we can all resonate with. I don’t have the same love for the film that Daniel does, but even I can appreciate the care that went into crafting this story, this world.
Daniel calls it the story of a modern Christ, and with the symbolism throughout the film, it’s hard to say he’s wrong. Though I’d argue that the movie is as much a story about identity as anything.
Brian Kramer: @brianrkramer on Twitter
Daniel Louis Crumpton: zeninthecar.com and on YouTube
You can listen to the latest episode of Popcorn Politics at this link.