Topic: Political Leadership

Professor Matthias De Smet references George Orwell’s "1984" to explain why political leaders must constantly invent new "objects of anxiety." He argues that if the masses ever woke up from their state of fear and focused anxiety, they would turn on their leaders. The hosts apply this to the current political climate, where both parties benefit from maintaining a state of racial and social tension.

Continuing the Tavis Smiley analysis, the hosts discuss how "too much deference" to Obama's symbolism prevented Black leaders from pressing a substantive agenda. They contrast this with the success of other interest groups, such as the LGBTQ community and Wall Street, who secured concrete gains during the same period.