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Episode 17 - Where do Conservatives Belong?

Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values

Release Date: 10/16/2018

166 – Independent Idiosyncrasies with Brett Loyd show art 166 – Independent Idiosyncrasies with Brett Loyd

Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values

“The biggest takeaway from the 2024 election,” , is that “independents have officially broken the duopoly and now share the title of America’s largest political group with Republicans.”  But what is an independent, exactly?  What do they want and how are they different from those who proudly affiliate with the Republican or Democratic parties?  And what might this portend for the future of American politics?   Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis is joined by pollster Brett Loyd to make sense of the rise of the independents in the electorate.   About Brett Loyd...

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Roundtable - Election Night - Livestream show art Roundtable - Election Night - Livestream

Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values

Sure, the major news networks had all the "experts", but how many of them opined on what Buckley, Burke, or Kirk would think of the election results? Listen to Saving Elephants' livestream on election night as results come in from another stellar panel of cross-partisan contributors: , , , , Kent Straith, , John Giokaris, , and Steve Phelps.

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165 – Take Courage show art 165 – Take Courage

Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values

Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis flies this election day episode solo to offer his thoughts on how your vote is more likely to impact yourself than it is the races, having grace for those who choose to vote differently than we do, and why conservatives should take courage in a profoundly discouraging time.   Special Election Night Livestream   You’re already staying up late to watch the election results.  Why not watch them with another august cross-partisan panel brought to you by Saving Elephants?  Join us, beginning 9PM CST, as we analyze the results in real...

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Roundtable - Election 2024 - Home Stretch show art Roundtable - Election 2024 - Home Stretch

Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values

The most [assuredly not] important election of our lifetime is a little more than two weeks away. The candidates are in the home stretch as each of them make their final pitch to the dwindling undecided voter. Join another venerable group of panelists as we share our thoughts on the state of the race and our hopes and fears with a coming Harris or another Trump administration. Panelists include: Brooke Medina, Eric Kohn, Mike Taylor, and Nate Honorè

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164 – What is a Woman with Kimberly Ross show art 164 – What is a Woman with Kimberly Ross

Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values

Saving Elephants meticulously avoids many cringeworthy tropes in today’s “conservative” media and opts instead for deeper conversations on the conservative worldview and what it can offer Millennials.  As such, there is much low-hanging-fruit among the fruitier parts of the Left that isn’t as vigorously explored as it is in the aforementioned “conservative” media.  But that doesn’t mean these topics are off limits—just that they’re to be approached with conviction and clarity.   Josh Lewis welcomes Kimberly Ross back to the podcast for a wide-ranging discussion...

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Roundtable - Vice Vice Baby show art Roundtable - Vice Vice Baby

Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio Senator JD Vance square off for the first—and likely only—vice presidential debate that’s sure to leave pundits chattering, social media accounts fighting, and late economists spinning in their graves. The debate begins at 9PM ET. Join us immediately following the debate for another livestream roundtable to restore some inkling of sanity back to this election. Panelists include Scott Howard, Jeffery Tyler Syck, and John Giokaris.

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163 – Where Does the Conservative Go from Here? show art 163 – Where Does the Conservative Go from Here?

Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values

In a world where both political parties are moving away from free market oriented policy solutions, a robust defense of our international allies, and traditional social norms, where does the conservative go from here? Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis is joined by special returning guests Cal Davenport, Erik Kohn, and Justin Stapley for a roundtable discussion on what the future holds for the conservative movement. This episode first dropped as a livestream on the new Saving Elephants YouTube channel., featuring full-length episodes, exclusive shorts, and even live events! Check it out here:

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Roundtable - Towards a Sensible Foreign Policy show art Roundtable - Towards a Sensible Foreign Policy

Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values

From Eastern Europe to the Middle East to Southeast Asia to so many other places, the world's on fire. Yet neither presidential candidate is offering us a compelling vision to navigate this brave new world. Join another august assembly of panelists as we discuss what a sensible foreign policy might look like.   You can also watch this episode on YouTube:  

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162 – Harmonizing Sentiments with Hans Eicholz show art 162 – Harmonizing Sentiments with Hans Eicholz

Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values

The Declaration of Independence audaciously declares certain “truths” to be “self-evident”.  And, in so doing, offered a justification for not only a break with Great Britain and Revolutionary War, but the foundation upon which a new nation could be built.  But how uniformly were these “truths” held and understood by the Founding Fathers?  Were they disparate views that were ultimately incoherent or inconsistent?  Did the divergent cultures of the American North and South have fundamentally different ideas of what they conceived of America to be?  Were the...

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Roundtable - That 1st Trump vs Harris Debate show art Roundtable - That 1st Trump vs Harris Debate

Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values

The stakes were high in the first debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. Did anyone, other than the American people, emerge the loser? Were any pets harmed during the debate? Did some semblance of substance somehow slip through? Saving Elephants presents another livestream cross-partisan panel to debate the debate, featuring: Elizabeth Doll Mike Taylor Cal Davenport John Giokaris

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More Episodes
Beyond expressing and defending conservative values, part of Saving Elephant’s mission is to call out to those conservatives who no longer know where they belong.  In a world where those on the Right are often characterized as populist Trumplicans against the Deep State, it can be challenging to know where you fit if you still believe in traditional conservatism.
 
So, where does the conservative fit?  What’s wrong with populism?  What’s wrong with establishmentarianism?  How do we rekindle that spirit of inquiry in a free republic?  How do we take back the cultural heritage of debating ideas instead of mindlessly focusing on winning and juvenile social media posts?
 
Bob Burch joins the podcast once more to delve into these issues and offer some practical solutions.  Ultimately, if conservatives are going to recover the cultural heritage we’ve lost by pulling the debate away from warring populist and establishmentarian mentalities and instead focus on ideas and values, it’s going to take a lot of work.  But that work can be rewarding and enriching.
 
The most important thing we can do at an individual level is engage and encourage conversations that invite civic debate rather than run from it.  To do that we must first leave the comfort of our political echo chambers and risk engaging with those who may not agree with what we have to say.
 
If that sounds hollow because it’s “just talk” then I want to challenge you to think differently.  Part of what it means to live in a free society is that we have not only the freedom, but the duty to talk things out.  Part of what gives the United States its uniqueness and its purpose are the stories we tell ourselves.  This isn’t feel-good psychology, this is civics 101.  It does change things when we talk, because we’re forced to interact with our neighbors and reach either consensus or at least a workable compromise.
 
Shouting at one another on social media isn’t talking.  Donating cash and time to elect people who have little interest in what we have to say or believe isn’t talking.  But working through our differences one by one, first at a local level between friends and neighbors, is precisely what makes our nation exceptional.  Do you want to make America great again?  It’s not going to happen because you elected the right person.  It’s only going to happen when the people begin talking through what’s right.