Uncommon Knowledge

The 58th Speaker of the House and 2012 GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich makes the case for his candidacy, explains why he's not a Washington insider, and describes his vision for his first term: gaining energy independence, ending the war on religion, balancing the budget, and repealing and replacing ObamaCare and why he is temperamentally suited for the highest office. (Playing time: 33:10)

This week on Uncommon Knowledge columnist, scholar, and social media maven Jonah Goldberg discusses, with Hoover research fellow Peter Robinson, the unconstrained vision of the left, the problem with Romney, the reality of diversity, why vanilla is every one’s second favorite flavor, and offers some wise but unpalatable advice to conservative voters. “I do not think they hate Romney that much... Vanilla is everyone’s second favorite flavor. And so they do not hate him, but they do not love him. And they really want to love someone. They want to be in love with a candidate. And they have these sorts of tawdry affairs with everybody else, other than Romney this entire primary season.” (Playing time: 53:10)

Richard Epstein, the Peter and Kirsten Bedford Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and the Laurence A. Tisch Professor of Law, New York University Law School, and John Yoo, a professor at the University of California at Berkeley law school, examine the merits of various constitutional arguments for the Supreme Court’s striking down Obamacare. (Playing time: 1:00:39)

This week on Uncommon Knowledge historian Andrew Roberts discusses, with Hoover research fellow Peter Robinson, his book The Storm of War: A New History of the Second World War. In the book, Roberts investigates what led up to the war, the historical factors responsible for Hitler's rise to power, Hitler's shortcomings as a military leader, Nazi Germany's defeat, and Allied contributions to the victory. (Playing time: 38:15)

In this Uncommon Knowledge interview from November 24, 2008, Thiel argues that a book published in France in 1968, Le Defi Americain (The American Challenge), has a lot to say to us in 2008, including why the United States has failed to rise to the heights predicted by its author, J. J. Servan-Schreiber. In explaining what’s wrong with the US economy, Thiel points out that, although we have benefited from growth that is both extensive (e.g., free trade) and intensive (e.g., technology), we have not featured enough of each. He asserts that the credit crisis of 2008 had nothing to do with the failings of the free market but rather is a by-product of government entanglement, nurtured by the motors of economic growth, working less well than expected. (Playing time: 38:56)

This week on Uncommon Knowledge columnist James Delingpole discusses, with Hoover research fellow Peter Robinson, the European Union, the Green movement, and socialized medicine. (Playing time: 47:41)

Gerard Baker is deputy editor-in-chief of The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones. From 2002 to 2004 he was the Chief U.S. Commentator and an Associate Editor for the Financial Times. A speechwriter for Pres. George H. W. Bush, Andrew Ferguson is a senior editor at The Weekly Standard. His most recent book is Crazy U: One Dad's Crash Course at Getting His Kids into College. (Playing time: Duration not specified)

Paul Rahe holds the Charles O. Lee and Louise K. Lee Chair in Western Heritage at Hillsdale College. He is the author most recently of Soft Despotism, Democracy's Drift. (Playing time: Duration not specified)

Thomas Sowell has studied and taught economics, intellectual history, and social policy at institutions that include Cornell, UCLA, and Amherst. Now a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, Sowell has published more than a dozen books. His most recent book is The Thomas Sowell Reader. (Playing time: Duration not specified)

Larry Arnn earned his graduate and doctorate in Government from the Claremont Graduate School. Dr. Arnn is the founder and former president of the Claremont Institute. He is the current president at Hillsdale College. (Playing time: Duration not specified)