In this episode of Crayon Box Weekly: Interview Edition, we sit down with Andrea LeDew, author of Polemics: Political Poems and Prose, to confront a deeper question behind today’s political chaos:

Are we seeing reality… or the story we’ve been conditioned to believe?

Through poetry, storytelling, and lived experience, this conversation explores how narratives shape political perception, where emotion collides with fact, and how messaging can both clarify and distort the truth.

We break down:
• How storytelling influences what people believe about politics
• Where narrative crosses the line into manipulation
• Why emotion often overrides facts in public discourse
• How distilling complex issues can sharpen understanding—or mislead entirely

This isn’t about left vs right. It’s about how we interpret what we’re told—and whether we’re thinking critically about it.

No talking points. No partisan spin. Just a real conversation about truth, perception, and power.

In this episode of Crayon Box Weekly: Interview Edition, Carl Able sits down with a former Trump-affiliated attorney and current CEO of the American Rights Alliance to examine one of the most controversial questions in American politics today:

Is the justice system being weaponized?

This conversation explores the intersection of law, power, and political influence, including:

• Claims of “lawfare” and selective prosecution

• The role of the Department of Justice and state attorneys general

• The legal and ethical boundaries of advocacy in politically charged cases

• Election integrity, fraud allegations, and the limits of the courts

• The case of Tina Peters and broader concerns about due process

• Whether the American justice system is applied equally across political lines

Rather than focusing on partisan talking points, this discussion challenges assumptions from both sides and digs into how the system actually functions — and where it may be breaking down.

No spin. No easy answers. Just a real conversation.

Has the presidency become too powerful?

In this episode of Crayon Box Weekly: Interview Edition, Carl Able sits down with retired Marine Nicholas Hensley to examine the steady expansion of executive authority in the United States government.

The U.S. Constitution established a system of checks and balances intended to prevent any one branch from dominating the others. Congress was granted the largest number of enumerated powers, while the president was designed to execute the laws, not dominate the political system. Yet over the course of American history, wars, national emergencies, economic crises, and political gridlock have gradually shifted more power toward the executive branch.

Carl and Nicholas explore how this shift occurred, from Franklin D. Roosevelt’s wartime expansion of presidential authority, to the War Powers era during Vietnam, to the post-9/11 Authorizations for Use of Military Force, and the modern use of executive orders, national emergency declarations, and delegated trade authority.

The conversation also examines the role of Congress in enabling this growth and asks a fundamental question: has a stronger presidency made the United States more effective at governing, or has it weakened the constitutional balance the founders intended?

This episode explores the history, constitutional foundations, and modern implications of the expanding presidency.

Stay informed. Stay engaged. And always color outside the lines.