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ANNOUNCEMENT: We will be going on an indefinite hiatus. We feel that at this point, a written blog is more suited to what we want to accomplish so Monte will continue writing at thebottlepolitic.com. Because we enjoy podcasting we are going to start a new show The Bottle Comic, where we talk about comics, movies, and other pop culture. We will continue bringing our perspective, and we feel like a show about pop culture fits the medium of podcasting better for us. Thanks to everyone who listened, and we hope you’ll follow us over to the new show which will start next week!

In this week's episode, Monte & Veronica talk about the similarities and differences between the Democratic Party in 1968 and today, the possibly impending disaster for the current Democratic Party (starts with Mike, ends with Bloomberg), their favorite and least favorite movie sagas, and how making an X-Men movie is hard. Make sure to head over to thebottlepolitic.com to read Monte's first blog post, which happens to be about Michael Bloomberg. UPDATE: Monte watched Dark Phoenix again and it's not as bad as The Last Stand. Not great, but also not terrible.

In this episode, Monte and Veronica talk about the rise of the Nazi Party in 1920s and 30s Germany, misconceptions around the Versailles Treaty, and how history echoes into the present. A lot of the information from this episode comes from the book The Death of Democracy by Benjamin Carter Hett. Also, check thebottlepolitic.com on Friday for Monte’s first real blog post.

In this week's episode, Monte & Veronica talk about the Reconstruction period following the Civil War, the ways in which Black Americans have shaped American political thought, and the ways in which the Southern aristocracy used racism and anti-Blackness to block progress.

In this episode, Monte & Veronica talk about the history of Ukraine, Holocaust denial, and disappointing media. Monte & Veronica also break their promise to talk briefly about the Senate impeachment proceedings and what it reveals about the political incentives of the Republican party.

In today’s episode, Monte & Veronica talk about the life and crimes of former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, his role in enacting the Bush agenda, and his acceleration of partisanship and impunity in Washington.CONTENT WARNING: At the end of this episode, we talk about Hastert’s conviction relating to child molestation. We don’t go into detail regarding the acts he committed but it is discussed.

In this episode Monte & Veronica talk about the role of the Iraq War in the primaries, the Iowa caucuses, the absence of minority issues in the January debate, the direction of the progressive movement, and Monte’s attitude of maximal aggression towards Veronica.CLARIFICATION: Monte & Veronica rant a bit about Bernie Sanders’ maximalist positions. To be clear, we’re talking about his uncompromising position on Medicare for All, not the new NAFTA deal.

In this episode, Monte & Veronica talk more about the Conservative Rage Machine and what we mean when we say "Conservative Media", conspiracy theories, and the Ukrainian oligarch that might be (definitely isn't) hiding the last of Hillary's emails.

In this episode, Monte & Veronica talk about their favorite bad movies as well as some of the narratives surrounding Conservative students on college campuses. Are these narratives are supported by facts or statistics? Also, how does this issue reflect national discourse surrounding political identities?

In our first episode of the year, Monte & Veronica talk about private school voucher programs, religious education, community-based politics, and some things that surprised us in 2019.

In this episode, Monte & Veronica talk about an exchange between two candidates during the December Primary Debate, the rise & fall of Hugo Chavez, and the current political crisis in Venezuela. Also, Veronica flexes her literary muscles regarding speculative fiction. NOTE: In our original recording, we talked much more about the debate, but we ended up repeating a lot of things we've already talked about in past episodes. So to avoid beating dead horses, we cut quite a bit of our debate discussion. Listen back to our prior debate episodes to hear our very important takes!

In this episode Monte and Veronica talk about the sad phenomenon of Black children going missing and how this has been co-opted into a conspiracy theory about organ trafficking. We also talk about the universal & bipartisan nature of conspiracy theories, how the 2020 candidates are funding their campaigns, and Monte even defends Pete Buttigieg. Be sure to tune in to the December Primary Debate on December 19 and let us know your thoughts!

Back from a short break, Monte and Veronica talk about our new Tumblr (bottlepolitic.tumblr.com), the Reconstruction era, the impeachment of Andrew Johnson, Monte's love of random football players, and Veronica's affections for ANOTHER potential political scientist. Is this the beginning of a rivalry? Check back in a week for our next episode and make sure to subscribe, like, etc.

In this episode, Monte and Veronica talk about the 2019 governor's races, Pete Buttigieg's lead in Iowa and New Hampshire, the November 20 Democratic Primary Debate, budget reconciliation, the Obama Coalition, and Monte's disdain for a certain candidate(s). As a heads up, there will be no episode posted next week because Monte and Veronica are going to be busy all weekend.

We delve into the historical context of the issue of South African land redistribution programs.

We look into the results of the recent federal, state, and local elections, and discuss the importance of the suburbs in election results and swing issues.

We discuss the history and current political situation of Haiti, a country with a unique history.

We discuss the polls resulting from the October Democratic Debate, and then move on to the recent developments with the House impeachment inquiry.

In The Bottle Politic we discuss and provide context on current political issues. Monte makes himself available as your surrogate politically conscious friend to break down the facts behind the headlines, while cohost Veronica stands in for the average listener.For our inaugural episode, we will be discussing the Democratic debate held on October 15, 2019.