DMZ America Podcast #139: Mitch McConnell and the Biden Age Question, Death to the Death Penalty, Gen Z Hates Dating Apps

Award-winning political cartoonists Ted Rall and Scott Stantis take on the week’s news and current events on the DMZ America podcast.

The world of politics shifted dramatically with the announcement by longtime Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell that he would step aside from his position as minority leader, but stay in the Senate. A succession battle has already begun. What Ted and Scott are more interested in the message being sent by an 81-year-old politician, who has been seeing struggling with aging in public, to the president.

Idaho botched the attempted execution of a high-profile serial killer at the same time as Texas successfully executed an inmate who was probably innocent. Meanwhile, Alabama and Ohio say they will continue to use the bizarre and torturous nitrogen method to kill more inmates, despite the fiasco in Alabama a few weeks ago. How can it be, Ted and Scott ask, that the United States continues to deploy capital punishment? As an added bonus: a discussion of Christianity!

Finally, Bumble and other dating apps are having major financial issues as Generation Z turns against the idea of finding true love online in favor of doing it the old-fashioned way.

Watch the Video Version: here.

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All Hail the Gerontocracy

After his second brain freeze, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, 81, is prompting the question of whether he’s too old for the job. California Senator Dianne Feinstein and President Joe Biden, who both seem too long in the tooth for their jobs, highlight the possibility that we’re descending into gerontocracy.

How a Bill Becomes a Law, 2023

Divided government and wild dysfunction has completely decimated the traditional idea of how the United States government is supposed to pass and enact legislation. Look for nothing of value to get through Congress or, for that matter, from the President’s desk.

For Democrats, the More Republican Damage the Better

The Supreme Court overturning of Roe v. Wade seems to be helping Democrats polls as they head into the 2022 midterm elections. But Democrats don’t seem as interested in legalizing abortion on the federal level as they do in campaigning on the issue. It makes you wonder: do they want Republicans to mess everything up so that they get elected? How much of a price do we have to pay for a Democratic victory??

Be Careful What You Mitch for

Polls indicate that Democrats are about to suffer a shellacking in the 2022 midterm elections. Voters are unhappy about inflation, supply chain problems and other issues, but Republicans should be careful what they want — once they are in charge of Congress, they will catch much of the blame for the issues that allowed them to win in the first place.

Got Guillotines?

Assuming the Democrats get their way, and that’s highly unlikely, their proposal for the minimum wage isn’t really for $15 an hour. It’s for $15 an hour eventually, four years or five years from now. And the Democrats seem to be about to give that up as it is. When it comes to not doing anything for the working class, there’s lots of bipartisanship.

Coronavirus Stimulus Negotiations

Joe Biden promised that every American would receive a $2000 stimulus check. Then he reduced it to $1400 because Trump had already sent out $600. Now he saying it’s going to be a means tested. It’s like he’s negotiating against himself. Evidently the Republicans won’t have that much trouble getting along with him.

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