Ep. 51 - Conservatives Question Obamatears, The Lying Left Weeps

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode argues that Obama’s tearful gun-control press conference was a deliberate emotional manipulation and highlights what Shapiro sees as left-wing hypocrisy in condemning criticism of it. It then critiques Donald Trump’s attack on Ted Cruz’s eligibility as cynical and inconsistent, before shifting to commentary on feminism, male feminists on Tinder, and Facebook’s alleged anti-Jewish moderation bias.

Main Topics: Obama’s gun-control tears as political theater (Priority: 5/5): Shapiro contends Obama’s emotional display during a planned press conference was staged or at least strategically deployed to pressure public opinion on gun control, not a spontaneous expression of grief. Left-wing hypocrisy and emotional idolatry (Priority: 5/5): He argues Comedy Central figures and broader liberals condemn skepticism toward Obama’s tears while freely mocking John Boehner’s tears, revealing inconsistent standards and personality worship. Donald Trump’s Ted Cruz eligibility attack (Priority: 5/5): Trump’s challenge to Cruz’s natural-born-citizen status is framed as cynical, opportunistic, and consistent with Trump’s habit of using whatever attack is closest at hand. Trump as either tactical chaos or unprincipled chaos (Priority: 4/5): Shapiro considers two readings of Trump—strategic wildness versus pure inconsistency—and leans toward the view that Trump is generally unprincipled and politically opportunistic. Cultural critique of feminism and male feminists (Priority: 3/5): The show uses Tinder profiles of self-described feminists to argue modern feminism has become anti-male, rewarding weakness or hypocrisy rather than equality. Facebook moderation bias against Jews (Priority: 4/5): A cited experiment allegedly showed Facebook removed anti-Palestinian content but left up similarly violent anti-Jewish content, which Shapiro uses to argue platform moderation is ideologically skewed.

Key Arguments: Obama’s tears were likely planned for effect during a prepared press conference, making the moment a political manipulation rather than a purely authentic outburst. Liberals demand deference to Obama’s emotions while having mocked Republican figures like John Boehner for crying, proving inconsistent moral standards. The emotional response itself may have been sincere, but the timing and deployment were, in Shapiro’s view, calculated. Trump’s attack on Cruz is cynical because Trump historically questioned Obama’s eligibility and is now using the same logic selectively. Trump’s behavior is better understood as convenience-driven than strategically coherent, because he frequently switches positions and defaults to whatever attack is most available. Modern feminism, as portrayed here, has turned men into either opportunists or submissive “pansies,” rather than encouraging healthy gender roles. Facebook’s moderation decisions allegedly show asymmetric tolerance for anti-Jewish hate speech compared with anti-Palestinian hate speech.

Data Points: Public cries by Obama: At least 13 times - Shapiro claims Obama has cried publicly at least 13 times during his presidency. Second date example: Dinner on the second date - Shapiro references his own dating story, saying he took his wife to coffee first, then dinner on the second date. Third date example: Dinner and tea garden on the third date - He continues the anecdote to illustrate old-fashioned dating expectations. Pause duration: 7 seconds - Shapiro says Obama paused about seven seconds to let the cameras capture his tears. Tinder profile age: 29 - One example profile is for “Sean, 29,” a self-described feminist. Tinder profile age: 25 - Multiple example profiles from the “Male Feminists of Tinder” Tumblr are listed as 25. Tinder profile age: 30 - One example profile shown is “Will, 30.” Unborn children referenced: 300,000 unborn children a year - Shapiro invokes this figure while criticizing Obama on abortion-related policy. Cruz citizenship timing: 18 months ago - The White House quote notes Cruz renounced Canadian citizenship 18 months earlier.

Pivotal Quotes: "I think that this is manipulation, that I don't think that this is authentic." — Ben Shapiro: His central claim about Obama’s emotional display during the gun-control press conference. "You can't stop it there. Where was the white thing? Sorry, I need to put it. That was acting." — Ben Shapiro: He mocks Trevor Noah’s defense of Obama’s tears and argues the emotion was performed. "There are questions about John McCain's eligibility, if you remember, back in 2008" — Ben Shapiro: Used in the segment on Cruz to show inconsistency in how birth/citizenship questions are treated.

Implications: Listeners are pushed to view elite emotional displays and platform moderation as politically curated rather than neutral. The episode frames media/language standards as inconsistent and suggests future campaign fights will increasingly rely on symbolic outrage and selective hypocrisy.