Topic: Larry Lessig

Harvard Professor Larry Lessig claims that 20 Republican electors are considering voting against Donald Trump and offers them free legal counsel. The RNC disputes this claim, stating only one elector, Chris Supran of Texas, has publicly defected. The hosts question the legality of offering free legal services to electors, suggesting it could be viewed as a form of bribery or election interference.

The hosts argue that California's massive popular vote margin for Hillary Clinton justifies the existence of the Electoral College. They criticize Professor Larry Lessig's Washington Post op-ed, which suggested electors should ignore the results to prevent a "crazy" outcome.

John C. Dvorak recounts an encounter with Harvard professor Larry Lessig at an Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) event. Dvorak describes Lessig being surrounded by "groupies" and well-wishers before engaging in a conversation about a meeting with the President. The hosts mock the social dynamics of high-profile political activists and academics.

Harvard Law professor Larry Lessig ends his presidential campaign after the DNC changed debate qualification rules to exclude him. The hosts conclude the show with a summary of upcoming events and a final reminder of the "just getting by" theme of the current political era.

Professor Larry Lessig has launched a crowdfunded campaign for a "referendum president" focused solely on campaign finance reform. Lessig proposes that if elected, he would resign once the reform is passed, allowing the Vice President to take over.

A story from ten years ago describes a high-end party in Woodside attended by venture capitalists like John Doerr. At the event, a guest told one of the hosts that "everything in Silicon Valley is a scam" and a "big sales club." The anecdote serves to illustrate the hosts' long-standing skepticism of the tech industry's hype and self-importance.

A producer's email credits the show with changing his mind on global warming and net neutrality. John C. Dvorak recounts his speech to IT professionals where he argued against net neutrality, using the example of a remote surgeon needing packet priority. He notes that despite the controversial stance, the high-level IT audience did not push back.

John C. Dvorak attended the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) Pioneer Awards in San Francisco, where he met famous whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg. He also spoke with Larry Lessig about Creative Commons and noted the presence of various "journalism tools" developers. Dvorak observed that the attendees were largely preoccupied with NSA surveillance and Russian political issues.

Larry Lessig reportedly shared an anecdote about a meeting with President Obama regarding technical solutions to NSA overreach. According to Lessig, the President claimed that while "superstar nerds" could fix the problems, the government cannot grant them security clearances due to past drug use. The hosts debunk this, noting the President has the ultimate authority to grant clearances regardless of background.

Despite the hundreds of millions of dollars spent on presidential campaigns, the resulting television commercials are often criticized for poor production quality and conservative messaging. The media industry is identified as the primary opponent of campaign finance reform, as it benefits directly from the massive spending on political advertisements.