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The View from Down Here: October 9, 2012

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The presidential campaign had a possibly game-changing moment last week with challenger Mitt Romney almost universally declared the winner of the first presidential debate and seeing his poll numbers take a nice jump. But will it last? What do the new unemployment figures mean? Will the vice-presidential debate be meaningful? And why is David Letterman calling Romney a felon? Brendan and Gavin also find time to talk about a soon-to-be-canonised American religious sister and declining birth rates. Thanks for listener feedback, too. We’d love to hear from more of you out there.

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The View from Down Here: October 2, 2012

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It’s a pretty heavy show this week, with talk the Pope and bishops giving clear instructions on the role of Christians in politics. Brendan and Gavin also talk about the polls and the Catholic vote, the religion of past presidents and the state of the presidential race. The ongoing saga of the Libyan consulate attack and murder of four Americans also gets some attention, especially the administration’s poor handling of the situation, possibly bordering on telling falsehoods to the American public. There is a little light relief after all that; here’s the clip Brendan referenced from Bill Bailey.

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The View from Down Here: September 25, 2012

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Well, they say video killed the radio star. Could the Mitt Romney video and talk of the 47 per cent kill the Republican nominee’s presidential campaign? It’s six weeks till the election, and talk of the campaign dominates this week’s episode of The View from Down Here. Brendan and Gavin talk about the leaked Romney video, the likely damage it will cause and the overall state of the race. Will the Obama administration’s mishandling of the Libyan terrorist attack on the US embassy hurt him? Or is it still all about the economy? And what of that Jesus’ wife gospel nonsense? A busy show. We hope you enjoy it.

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The View from Down Here: August 28, 2012

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With about 10 weeks till the presidential election, The View from Down Here returns with a typically busy show, with discussion of a poll formula that’s predicted the past eight elections, the choice of Paul Ryan as Mitt Romney’s VP candidate, a couple of convention controversies, a couple of foot-in-mouth situations and efforts to hold the campaigns accountable for spreading falsehoods. Included in the discussions is this exchange between CNN’s Anderson Cooper and DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Enjoy the show.

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Station XV: It’s our birthday!!

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As we mark the Feast of the Assumption, the patronal feast of New Zealand, The 15th Station celebrates our fifth birthday with a typically full show. Dunedin Bishop Colin Campbell’s strong letter denouncing the proposed opening of an abortion clinic leads the show, but other heavy issues like the Egyptian election, same-sex legislation in New Zealand and the mass shootings at a Sikh temple and a Colorado movie theatre. A big thank you to all our listeners over the past five years, during which time tens of thousands of shows have been downloaded. The show will go on 🙂

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Station XV: Episode 58 — Repeal, repeal, repeal

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In Sesame Street style, this month’s episode of The 15th Station is brought to you by the word “repeal”, as we discuss the near repeal of President Obama’s health care legislation, the attempted repeal of the affiliation of a university pro-life club and the possible future repeal of refugees’ rights in New Zealand. Rest assured, though, there have been no attempts to repeal the 15th Station — enjoy the show.

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The View from Down Here: June 6, 2012

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After a one-week hiatus, Brendan and Gavin catch up on some of the big stories in US politics, culture and religion. They include the changing face of the presidential election, as criticisms mount of President Barack Obama, even from “friendly” quarters, a marked shift in the proportion of pro-choice and pro-life Americans, and the law suit filed by 43 Catholic organisations, including the archdioceses of New York and Washington, DC. We’d love to hear from you, so please leave a comment.

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The View from Down Here: May 22, 2012

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With there now being a two-horse race for the presidential campaign, President Barack Obama and challenger Mitt Romney have started what will be a lengthy battle of advertisements making the case for their nomination — or against their opponent. Brendan and Gavin discuss the contrasting tones of the ad, and the continuing trend of President Obama’s campaign to insert its collective foot in its mouth, as it did with this ad. Or you can click here to see the Romney ad, “Day One”. The guys also talk about threats against a Catholic parish in Massachusetts over same-sex marriage and the controversy that keeps on going — the contraceptive mandate as part of the president’s health care package. No shortage of meaty stories in this week’s issue.

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Station XV: Episode 56 — Contraception, contradiction, conjugal relations and confusion

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What is the New Zealand Government thinking in offering free long-term contraception to women on welfare? What is President Obama thinking in announcing he supports gay marriage in the middle of an election campaign? When will the euthanasia lobby stop pushing its barrow? And can something that has been blessed be un-blessed? Those stories and more on a full show this month on The 15th Station.

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The View from Down Here: March 6, 2012

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On the eve of Super Tuesday, the three self-proclaimed experts on American politics and culture break down the current state of play in the Republican primary contest as Mitt Romney looks to continue the momentum he gained in a series of victories from Michigan to Arizona to Washington last week. Will he be able to do so? Or will Rick Santorum bounce back? What about Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul? The panel also discusses the way Catholics have voted in the primaries thus far, Rick Santorum’s criticism of JFK, a group declaring war on the US Government and a new movie assessing if America is broken and, if so, how to fix it. Just another week in The View from Down Here.