Listen, there are a lot of reasons to love Colorado. It’s autumn, so all you need to do is look out your window and in the general direction of the continental divide, and you’ve got plenty of evidence. If you enjoy hiking, skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, rock climbing, trail running, camping, fishing, fly fishing, kayaking, rafting, paddleboarding, hunting, snowshoeing, ice climbing, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, birdwatching, photography, painting, plein air painting, gardening, bouldering, stand-up paddleboarding, hot air ballooning, four-wheeling, horseback riding, yoga, meditation, skateboarding, rollerblading, ziplining, golfing, disc golfing, geocaching, spelunking, wildlife photography, metal detecting, fossil hunting, stargazing, astronomy, mushroom foraging, listening to the Get More Smarter Podcast, berry picking, cooking, baking, beer brewing, wine making, visiting breweries, wine tasting, cheese making, knitting, crocheting, quilting, sewing, woodworking, metalworking, pottery, ceramics, sculpture, jewelry making, glassblowing, origami, calligraphy, woodworking, birdhouse building, wood carving, bonsai tree cultivation, flower arranging, soap making, candle making, journaling, scrapbooking, creative writing, poetry, journaling, reading, book club participation, playing musical instruments, composing music, music production, singing, choir, theater, improv comedy, acting, filmmaking, photography, video editing, podcasting, radio broadcasting, public speaking, volunteering, advocacy work, charity fundraising, animal rescue work, dog walking, pet fostering, marathon running, triathlons, obstacle course racing, weightlifting, bodybuilding, CrossFit, Pilates, ballroom dancing, swing dancing, salsa dancing, tango dancing, line dancing, square dancing, country two-step, chess, puzzles, trivia, board games, card games, model building, lego building, train set collecting, drone flying, RC cars, archery, shooting sports, target shooting, hunting, skeet shooting, competitive shooting, fencing, martial arts, kickboxing, yoga, tai chi, tennis, pickleball, racquetball, squash, badminton, swimming, diving, snorkeling, surfing, water skiing, wakeboarding, rock collecting, mineral collecting, gem hunting, fossil hunting, stamp collecting, coin collecting, antique collecting, car restoration, motorcycle riding, classic car shows, auto racing, go-karting, birdwatching, painting, quilting, volunteering for trail maintenance, paddleboarding, photography workshops, running clubs, hiking clubs, cycling clubs, wine clubs, beer clubs, bonsai tree growing, fermentation, arts and crafts markets, farmers markets, flea markets, estate sales, genealogy research, astrology, tarot reading, jigsaw puzzles, escape rooms, video gaming, virtual reality gaming, arcade gaming, esports, fantasy sports, Dungeons & Dragons, LARPing, cosplay, costume design, makeup artistry, hairstyling, knitting circles, crochet circles, storytelling, visiting museums, visiting art galleries, art collecting, wildlife conservation, organic farming, permaculture gardening, raising backyard chickens, beekeeping, soap making, dog agility training, bird dog training, falconry, urban farming, car camping, backpacking, snow fort building, sledding, tobogganing, ice skating, curling, snow sculpting, ice fishing, winter camping, ice boating, polar plunging, hot springs soaking, treasure hunting, parkour, roller derby, figure skating, ballet, gymnastics, synchronized swimming, rowing, sailing, model ship building, kite flying, hot air ballooning, paragliding, hang gliding, skydiving, bungee jumping, helicopter tours, small plane flying, airplane piloting, flight lessons, aerobatics, zipline tours, canyoning, canyoneering, rock stacking, meditation retreats, spiritual retreats, yoga retreats, spa retreats, golfing tournaments, fly tying, flower arranging, bonsai gardening, mindfulness retreats, dog training, agility competitions, triathlons, Ironman races, fun runs, charity races, mountain running, ultra marathons, BASE jumping, spelunking, orienteering, wilderness survival training, archery tournaments, horseback riding competitions, rodeo events, barrel racing, team roping, steer wrestling, voting by mail, country dancing, ranch work, cattle herding, sheep herding, llama trekking, hot spring soaking, yurt camping, eco-tours, wine tours, brewery tours, distillery tours, car shows, motorcycle rallies, custom car building, model train building, model aircraft building, soap carving, stone carving, welding, glass etching, engraving, crafting or just smoking weed and playing video games, there’s something for everyone in this magnificent state.
We also happen to have one of the smartest, funniest, kindest, and most humble United States Senators in American history in Michael Bennet. You don’t want to miss this amazing and wide-ranging interview, we discuss The 2024 election, his fight for an expanded child tax credit to cut child poverty in half, J.D. Vance, immigration reform, the vibes compared to this time in 2020, Donald Trump, Colorado GOP leadership, the Aurora apartment complex controversy, Colorado’s congressional districts, Kamala Harris’ role in the Senate, Senate races in Montana, Ohio, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Arizona, potential Democratic pickups in Texas and Florida, abortion rights, economic inequality, tax cuts, campaign financing, trickle-down economics, public lands protection in Colorado, cost of living and housing, education, job creation, middle-class strength, and the 8th Congressional District.
We also discuss Senator Bennet's mentorship of Colorado politicians, Trump's panic and rhetoric at rallies, RealClearPolitics polling analysis, Trump’s violent rhetoric towards immigrants, Trump's false claims about transgender surgeries in schools, misinformation and its impact on violent actions, Trump's obsession with Russia, Colorado governor Jared Polis’ reaction to Trump's statements, Trump threatening jail for political opponents, Trump's incoherent response to child care policy questions, media's role in reporting on Trump's incoherence, Fox News' Jessica Tarlov debunking Trump’s tariff arguments, Republican party infighting in Colorado over state chair leadership, Venezuelan gangs and misinformation in Aurora, Mayor Mike Coffman’s conflicting statements on gang activity, local residents' concerns over poor living conditions in Aurora, Lauren Boebert spreading misinformation, of course, Venezuelan immigration and U.S. sanctions, Kamala Harris campaign ad trolling Trump, Republican Gabe-ish Evans’ campaign missteps in Colorado’s 8th District, J.D. Vance spreading lies about Haitian immigrants in Ohio, Trump’s nonsensical policy declarations on drug cartels and much, much more.
That’s it for this week’s episode! If you loved listening to it as much as we loved recording it, you can thank us by subscribing to the pod wherever you listen, following us over on Nice Twitter aka Threads, and forwarding this email or sharing this post with your friends, your enemies, and Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman! THANK YOU so much for listening, and we’ll see you next time!
Episode 207: No Pets Were Eaten During the Making of this Episode (feat. Sen. Michael Bennet)