Will I Know Anyone at This Party?

Right now lots of Republicans feel like they don’t recognize their own party. Like a Minnesota congressman who’s confused when the residents in his district, people he’s known for years, start calling for a ban on Muslims moving to their town. Prologue: There’s a seismic, historic change going on in the Republican party this year. Producer Zoe Chace tells Ira about a place you can eavesdrop on a group of Republican friends as they fret and argue about that change week after week: a podcast called Ricochet. Ira talks to Rob Long, one of the hosts of the podcast, and to Avik Roy, who’s appeared on the show. Zoe believes many people in the Republican leadership seem like tragic figures this year. Like Paul Ryan, Speaker of the House. Songwriters Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez imagine what he’s feeling but can’t say publicly. Neil Patrick Harris sings the part of Paul Ryan. Orchestration and music direction: Stephen Oremus. (12 minutes) Emily Bruskin Yarbrough, violin Erin Benim Maryland, violin Jonathan Dinklage, viola Allison Seidner, cello Brian Miller, flute and piccolo Tony Kadleck, trumpet Theodore Primis, horn Recorded and mixed by John Kilgore Program note: In an excerpt of the podcast Ricochet in the prologue to our show, someone misattributes a quote to the film Jaws that actually was from the movie Miller’s Crossing. Both are great films. The correct quote: "I'd worry a lot less if I thought you were worrying enough." All parties regret the error. Party in the U.S.A.: One way to understand the split inside the Republican party is to look at immigration. It’s this urgent, emotional issue for so much of the party these days. But why? Over the past year, as producer Zoe Chace has covered the election, she has wondered, why immigration NOW? She had a hard time getting any answers — and then she stumbled upon a small city in Minnesota called St. Cloud. Zoe connects the anti-immigrant sentiment in St. Cloud with a national network of organizations promoting anti-Muslim views and spreading fear about Sharia law. We hear how the Somali immigrants in town deal with their neighbors’ fears. And then a violent attack at a local mall inflames both sides. (44 minutes) Party Guy: (Podcast and Internet Only) Another tragic figure this year is the head of the Republican National Comittee Reince Priebus, who has the job of holding the whole party together. A grueling and thankless job, this year. We asked Broadway composer Michael Friedman – who did a political musical called Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson – to imagine what Priebus might be thinking but not expressing publicly. John Ellison Conlee sings the part of Reince Priebus. Justin Goldner, electric bass, tenor banjo Freddy Hall, guitar, ukelele Kevin Garcia, drum set Recorded and mixed by Jeff Cook Arrangements and music direction by Justin Levine.