Why Democrats Are Nervous About the Election

**Michael Duncan** (0:00)
I think the DEM establishment is certainly very nervous. Not just nervous about November, but what their coalition looks like in the next Congress. We've gone from just disarray to now the finger pointing inside the tent.

**Jen Psaki** (0:14)
And I think we both remember well when party leadership really selected the nominees. Now, you would never say it that way exactly, but they would.

**Michael Duncan** (0:23)
But you can now.

**Comfortably Smug** (0:24)
Now we can. We're free.

**Michael Duncan** (0:26)
It's funny, though, that the Democratic Party hates democracy this much. They loathe it.

**Luke Thompson** (0:31)
There used to be this saying that Republicans were scared of their voters and Democrats were scared of their staff. But, man, that is it on full display. I just love that he's running for Senate on the platform of I'm like your HOA president, but worse.

**Comfortably Smug** (0:43)
These are fundamentally unserious people. They are over-credentialed.

**Luke Thompson** (0:47)
These people are stupid. We don't.

**SPEAKER_7** (0:50)
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**Luke Thompson** (1:16)
We don't have to pretend that they're anything other than you.

**SPEAKER_8** (1:20)
When your child gets sick, time is everything. Getting treatment sooner means more options and a real chance at getting better. Thankfully, almost every new treatment for cancer is available here. Because of strong American leadership, we get these new medicines first. But that can change fast. In other countries, many are told to wait or go without. If Washington copies other countries' policies, we'll have to wait too.
It's time to tell Washington, Keep America in the lead.

**SPEAKER_4** (1:52)
Ladies and gentlemen, your attention, please.

**SPEAKER_9** (1:57)
This program has become one of the most influential podcasts in America.

**SPEAKER_4** (2:01)
I love the personality. You guys are killing it.

**Michael Duncan** (2:03)
I just saw your number one.

**SPEAKER_10** (2:05)
It's an honor and a pleasure to welcome the great Sean Hannity.

**SPEAKER_11** (2:10)
Guys, I love you.

**SPEAKER_12** (2:12)
Congratulations on all your success. This is why you listen to the Ruthless Podcast, because nobody else would ask that question.

**Luke Thompson** (2:18)
The only political podcast worth listening to is the Ruthless Podcast.

**SPEAKER_4** (2:21)
It's time for our main event.

**SPEAKER_9** (2:25)
The Ruthless Podcast.

**Michael Duncan** (2:28)
Fun Time Friday.
I'm Michael Duncan. Welcome back to the Ruthless Variety Program along with me comfortably Smug. Our friends still are not here, buddy. Yeah.

**Comfortably Smug** (2:40)
We don't have Ashbrook. He's on assignment. We don't have Holmes who is also on assignment, but I did not want to record an episode without a friend.
So I've invited a special guest. We've got Luke Thompson.

**Michael Duncan** (2:51)
Luke Thompson.

**Luke Thompson** (2:53)
Hello, everyone. How are you?

**SPEAKER_13** (2:55)
Very, very good.

**Luke Thompson** (2:56)
Very excited to be here.

**Comfortably Smug** (2:57)
The highly esteemed, highly respected Professor Thompson.

**Luke Thompson** (3:00)
First time, long time.

**Michael Duncan** (3:01)
Yeah. Yeah. We were scrolling through the group chat for our Fantasy Football League and we're like-

**Luke Thompson** (3:07)
It's a big group chat too, and so you finally got to the bottom.

**Michael Duncan** (3:10)
Yeah.
Right. I'm sure people will be jealous that you got the call up to come in on the show.

**Luke Thompson** (3:18)
It's a busy time of year, let's be honest.

**Michael Duncan** (3:20)
It is a busy time of year.

**Comfortably Smug** (3:22)
I felt like when we were looking at who do we want to guest host, I was like, who has won the most elections, elected the most senators, is one of the most important advisors in the country. That is Professor Luke Thompson.

**Michael Duncan** (3:33)
Luke Thompson, close advisor to Vice President JD Vance. I got to ask you just to start off here.
I saw a lot about JD's diet that I guess RFK made him start doing here with the, is it like the cabbage or the sauerkraut or the-

**Comfortably Smug** (3:52)
Sauerkraut and meat. Apparently, you have to fly around with the cool of the stuff.

**Luke Thompson** (3:56)
It's real. It's true.

**Michael Duncan** (3:58)
The farts got to be diabolical.

**Luke Thompson** (4:01)
I'm not going to speak to my private interactions or advice to the Vice President, but I will say that the kraut is in fact, it's a real thing. Small bags of kraut, various and sundry, fermented things. It's a lot, but it works. I mean, he looks like he has a tapeworm.