Roy Moore, Trump's Asia Trip, and Tax Cuts

Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images News / Getty Images

You know things have gone terribly wrong when we're having a national conversation about whether a 14-year-old girl consented to a relationship with a man in his thirties. We discuss the responses to Roy Moore, the President's presence in Asia, and the process and substance of the Republican tax cut plan. 

Thanks so much to everyone supporting our work on Patreon and to today's sponsors: ModCloth, The Flex Company, and VirtueLabs. We are scheduling speaking events for 2018. Please email Beth for more information. 

We take a minute to extend our thoughts and prayers to everyone impacted by the terrible earthquake in Iran and Iraq. 

The Washington Post story on Roy Moore has prompted some truly outrageous reactions. We try to unpack the partisanship and tribalism at the root of these reactions as well as what all of this says about voters' shifting standards of conduct for political figures and communities of faith.  Beth wishes we could take a look at Roy Moore's conduct on its own instead of trying to connect it to our personal political perspectives. 

Sarah shares her perspective on stories that Sutherland Springs, Texas, is relying on faith to help cope with the devastating mass shooting that killed so many loved ones in the community. She draws on her experience from the shooting at Heath High School in 1997. 

We also discuss President Trump's trip to Asia, during which he complimented China's President, neglected to discuss human rights and democracy, and took Vladimir Putin at his word regarding Russian election attacks. 

To compliment the other side, Sarah appreciates Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin's approach to sexual harassment in the Kentucky state legislature. Beth is excited about California legislator Sabrina Cervantes. 

We discuss Republican efforts to cut taxes. Beth has major concerns about the budget process. Sarah thinks this is a particularly disastrous application of trickle-down economics. Although it's being sold as a middle class tax cut, the Joint Committee on Taxation says that some people in the middle class (who don't particularly feel wealthy) will see a tax increase. We talk about how we need to rethink tax policy in light of changes in heath care and technology. 

Finally, as always, we talk about what's on our minds outside of politics. Sarah is settled into her new home and is catching up on HBO's The Deuce. Beth is thinking about a human behavior study mentioned in an article about how we should start school later in the morning.