Topic: John Meacham

On the "Useful Idiots" podcast, Matt Taibbi and Thomas Frank analyzed President Biden's inaugural speech, describing it as "anodyne" and filled with cliches. They noted that the speech echoed Jimmy Carter's rhetoric and heavily utilized themes from historian John Meacham, such as "The Better Angels." Frank criticized the media's fawning over the speech despite its lack of memorable substance.

Charlie Rose hosted Kathleen Parker and John Meacham for a discussion characterized as "media hagiography" regarding President Obama. Parker praised Obama's "off the charts" emotional intelligence, while Meacham described him as one of the brightest presidents in history. The segment critiques the mainstream media for acting as a "cheerleading squad" rather than providing objective analysis.