Well, before we get into the episode, Josh, I just thought we should jump on the mic because

what people are about to hear was recorded before Election Day.

We recorded this last week and at least for me, and I know for you to my feelings and my

overall mood along with so much of the country is drastically different right now than it

was when we recorded back in those heavy days of early November.

Right.

It's a happier and more hopeful, Rishi and Joshy that you'll hear in a moment.

Yes.

So we wanted to hop on the mic and acknowledge that.

And I know you and I had a little interaction as the results came in election night.

We texted back and forth a couple of times and in your increasing despair, a question

whether we should even, you know, what does it mean to be doing this podcast anymore?

And since at least bounce back to, yeah, of course it's worth doing, right?

The West Wing's been, you know, a kind of therapeutic experience for me in years past.

And while at the time on Tuesday, I was like, what's the point of all of this?

I think that it might be true that it ends up being therapeutic for me now as well,

especially talking to you about it.

Yeah.

I think so too.

A few of politics swings between idealistic and hopeful and cynical and bleak.

And I think it's going to continue to swing pendulum like between the two.

But I do think the great thing about this show that we love and analyze is that it encourages

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