The Brion McClanahan Show Podcast

I have argued that repealing the 17th Amendment would be a step in the right direction for restoring federalism in America, but would it be sufficient? Some “conservatives” stop there, thinking that once the 17th is gone, the States would wrest control of the government from the bureaucrats and bring some sanity to Washington. There may be some truth to this, but more would need …more

What did the founding generation want and expect from the executive branch? Did they desire an elected king? And did Americans following that generation think the American presidency should have the powers of a monarch? The answer is unequivocally no. The Congress was designed to be the most powerful branch in the federal city. The president could execute the laws, but Congress controlled both the …more

John McCain’s death and Donald Trump’s subsequent snub have sparked a moderate debate over how to properly remember a political adversary. I believe no one did this better than Daniel Webster after John C. Calhoun’s death in 1850, but of course the circumstances were different as was the character and legacy of the men in question. I discuss the issue in both contemporary and historical …more

Time Magazine thought it was necessary to produce a “Southern Issue.” What does this mean? Is the South still the “other” in American society? Has it always been so? Is there an “idea” of the South that is different from the “real South?” Time seems to think so. I discuss their “Southern Issue” in this episode of The Brion McClanahan Show.

A listener sent me an email the other day (I do read them) about an argument he had with his father-in-law concerning the meaning of union, the American political structure, and the founding period. Now, I don’t encourage listeners to get into heated debates with family due to my podcast, but I wanted to respond to his questions because this issue is at the heart …more

Will there be another “civil war” and what would it look like? Are Americans so different today that this is a real possibility? Harry Crocker thinks so, and I tend to agree if we continue down the path of nationalism, top down, one-size fits all policies, and Cultural Marxism. The only real solution is to “think locally, and act locally.” I discuss Crocker’s American Spectator …more

Mainstream academics are beginning to pay attention to the issues of secession and “treason.” Did Southerners commit treason when they seceded from the Union in 1860-61? Did Northern leaders violate civil liberties during the War? Most importantly, how did Americans, North and South, view these issues in the immediate aftermath of the War? And was “reconciliation” a bad thing? Two mainstream historians–Cynthia Nicoletti and William …more

I was asked on social media how I would alter the powers of the Supreme Court, the idea being that it should be the least powerful branch of the general government. This is a great question and one that I cover in part in my How Alexander Hamilton Screwed Up America. I discuss where the Court went wrong and one small thing Congress could do …more

Think locally, act locally has been my podcast theme since its inception. It seems the idea is catching on. Even the normally neoconservative American Spectator published an article in June championing its merits. This would have been unthinkable just twenty years ago, maybe even ten years ago, but more Americans are coming around to the idea that not only is the central government too big, …more

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s victory in a New York Democratic primary has made her the recent media darling of the Left. It has also brought the term “democratic-socialist” to the fore. She can’t define it. The media can’t define it. Stupidity runs in packs. So I define it for you and explain why it is nothing more than communism dressed up to be “reasonable.” You won’t want …more