1 00:00:04,720 --> 00:00:08,040 Speaker 1: Happy Monday. Welcome to another episode of the Chuck Podcast. 2 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:09,640 Speaker 1: I have to tell you I have a little extra 3 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:12,840 Speaker 1: bouncing my step because we just had a weekend of 4 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:18,560 Speaker 1: meaningful football. Okay, I am a college football fanatic. I 5 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:21,800 Speaker 1: love these first two weeks where college football gets center stage. 6 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:27,040 Speaker 1: Week zero. Literally, I'll watch anything. I watch some fcs, 7 00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:29,880 Speaker 1: I will watch all of it. Kansas State Iowa State, 8 00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 1: of course, was the best game of the day. But 9 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:35,360 Speaker 1: Stanford Hawaii, right, you got to go all day long. 10 00:00:35,400 --> 00:00:37,560 Speaker 1: It's just nice to have football back. So that put 11 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 1: me in a good mood after what was an excruciating 12 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:46,239 Speaker 1: time dropping off my youngest at college. I don't want 13 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:48,920 Speaker 1: to go through the specifics. It's not fair to him. 14 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:52,040 Speaker 1: But let's just say that this is it's as hard 15 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 1: as everybody will tell you that it is. And then 16 00:00:55,080 --> 00:01:00,360 Speaker 1: some if you've this was my second time, you know, 17 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:04,559 Speaker 1: it's funny when you know you still have another child 18 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 1: at home, there's sort of one set of emotions. When 19 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 1: suddenly it's empty, it's a whole new set of emotions. 20 00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 1: So but I will I will spare you some of that. 21 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:23,080 Speaker 1: But let's just say that a good distraction from my 22 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 1: glumness and me missing my son. Is the start of 23 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:31,679 Speaker 1: college football season, that's for sure, and which sort of 24 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 1: brings me here we are. We're in August. I know 25 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:36,480 Speaker 1: some of you think college football shouldn't start in August. 26 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:39,039 Speaker 1: It should start, you know, first of September. But here 27 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:42,400 Speaker 1: we are. That's what it is. And it gets me 28 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:44,520 Speaker 1: to my theme that I want to jump in on. 29 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:46,760 Speaker 1: By the way, my guest later today. The guest is 30 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 1: Jonathan Martin of Politico, and Jonathan and I have known 31 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 1: each other longer than this century. I it goes past 32 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 1: the twenty first. We've been friends, colleagues, and then some 33 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:04,800 Speaker 1: going back to the nineties. We regularly have conversations and 34 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 1: sometimes we put them on camera and put them on tape, 35 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:10,560 Speaker 1: and that's essentially what my Monday episode with him is. 36 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 1: So I hope, I know if you're a political junkie, 37 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 1: you will enjoy the conversation. And if you like you're 38 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:18,720 Speaker 1: a little taste of college football on the side, I 39 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:20,680 Speaker 1: think you'll also enjoy it as well. But we hit 40 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 1: the gambit. We were all over the place, whether it's Trump, 41 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:26,360 Speaker 1: whether it's the Democrats, whether it's the primary calendar in 42 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 1: twenty eight elections in twenty five, the midterms in twenty 43 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:33,160 Speaker 1: six we covered the entire tapestry of things, But let 44 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 1: me get started. One of the topics I actually did 45 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:42,280 Speaker 1: have a conversation with him on was in reaction to 46 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:44,680 Speaker 1: to what I want to talk about today. Because for 47 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:47,120 Speaker 1: most of my thirty five years here in Washington, I 48 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:51,520 Speaker 1: got here in nineteen ninety. August has always been the 49 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:54,799 Speaker 1: slowest month of the year, right, slower even than December, 50 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:57,320 Speaker 1: right because December, yes it's slow, but we're we've got 51 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:01,520 Speaker 1: so many obligations, right, you know, August is the slowest 52 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:03,840 Speaker 1: month of the year. Congress leaves town, the White House 53 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:07,680 Speaker 1: throttles back. Trust me, as a traffic there's no traffic 54 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:11,120 Speaker 1: in Washington unless there's a Nats game, even right now, 55 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:13,280 Speaker 1: especially if the Nets playing the Phillies are Mets these days. 56 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 1: But you know, that's literally the only traffic you run into. 57 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:19,480 Speaker 1: And the rule of thumb about August was simple, don't 58 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:23,720 Speaker 1: watch anything new until September, when everyone is paying attention again, 59 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:26,080 Speaker 1: when all parents are, the kids back at school, et cetera. 60 00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:29,680 Speaker 1: August really was always used for regrouping. Presidents took vacations. 61 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:33,960 Speaker 1: That didn't mean stuff didn't there was a lot of 62 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:36,120 Speaker 1: important stuff what happened in August. I think I said 63 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:38,840 Speaker 1: this to you before. I actually have always done a 64 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 1: July vacation. I've learned to do that lately, more so 65 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:45,080 Speaker 1: than August, because for me, August there is always a 66 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:48,040 Speaker 1: lot more happening in August than people realize. So August 67 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 1: for me is about preparing for September in many ways. 68 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:56,720 Speaker 1: But you know, it's sort of made August even more 69 00:03:56,720 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 1: interesting at times because it was so baked in that 70 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:03,000 Speaker 1: you didn't do anything planned, that you knew if something 71 00:04:03,040 --> 00:04:05,800 Speaker 1: happened in August it was unplanned, and that it was 72 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:10,280 Speaker 1: a bigger story than you realized. Bill Clinton thought he 73 00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 1: was in the clear in August of ninety eight, and 74 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 1: the Mona, the Lewinsky grand jury test about he had 75 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:17,800 Speaker 1: in two thousand and five. George W. Bush thought he 76 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:21,360 Speaker 1: could vacation in Crawford. Then he had Hurricane Katrina, which 77 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:25,039 Speaker 1: turned August into a political catastrophe. But it was these 78 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:30,359 Speaker 1: are semi unplanned events, right, and in some ways you 79 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:32,599 Speaker 1: were encouraged to try to keep your head down in August. 80 00:04:32,839 --> 00:04:35,200 Speaker 1: Of course, Donald Trump's never bought into that idea. For him, 81 00:04:35,279 --> 00:04:38,040 Speaker 1: there is no regrouping. There is no resting. August is 82 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 1: no different than April, than May, than December than June. Right, 83 00:04:41,839 --> 00:04:44,880 Speaker 1: you know, it's all the same. And of course this 84 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:47,120 Speaker 1: August has been anything but sleeping. We've had two high 85 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:49,919 Speaker 1: profile summits, a federal takeover the DC Police Department, the 86 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:52,800 Speaker 1: government buying a stake in Intel, a new redistricting order 87 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:56,839 Speaker 1: in Texas, a response in California, a manufactured Epstein file. 88 00:04:57,320 --> 00:05:00,400 Speaker 1: I'm sure I'm leaving a few things out. We had 89 00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:02,479 Speaker 1: a lot of motion in August. But you know what 90 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:04,359 Speaker 1: we didn't have. We didn't have a lot of movement 91 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:09,120 Speaker 1: right where things stood between Ukraine and Russian July they 92 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:12,600 Speaker 1: still stand today. The summits produced nothing, but there was 93 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 1: a big TV show. The takeover DC policing has been performative. 94 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:18,600 Speaker 1: Troops are deployed in all the wrong neighborhoods South Park 95 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:22,000 Speaker 1: Head right. For what it's worth, I've been driving around 96 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:26,600 Speaker 1: town and wherever you would think that what Donald Trump's 97 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:30,080 Speaker 1: stated goal is. He's not been. He's not been. I've 98 00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:33,080 Speaker 1: not seen him in parts of town that aren't tourist attractions. 99 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:37,040 Speaker 1: It's like being anchored in the ocean while the boat 100 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:39,600 Speaker 1: rocks back and forth. Right, there's plenty of turbulence, but 101 00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:42,839 Speaker 1: no forward direction. And at some point that motion without 102 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:46,880 Speaker 1: movement simply makes everybody seasick. So take the redistrict find 103 00:05:46,880 --> 00:05:48,920 Speaker 1: in Texas. Trump's order was met with such resistance that 104 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:51,640 Speaker 1: had triggered a nationwide scramble. Everyone's trying to outgain the 105 00:05:51,680 --> 00:05:54,880 Speaker 1: other side for partisan advantage. Democrats are justifying their actions 106 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:57,320 Speaker 1: by pointing to Republicans, Republicans point to Democrats, and the 107 00:05:57,320 --> 00:06:00,160 Speaker 1: result is a complete abandonment of the Democratic princes bull 108 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:04,839 Speaker 1: of fair representation. That's motion with real consequences, but it's 109 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:07,960 Speaker 1: the kind that corrodes institutions rather than strengthens them. And 110 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:11,320 Speaker 1: ultimately the goal for both parties is to fight to 111 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:14,919 Speaker 1: a draw, which is motion without movement. Let's look at 112 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:17,280 Speaker 1: the Epstein file gambit. Trump managed to stage a faux 113 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:21,239 Speaker 1: revelation by saying this was this is actually like unpack 114 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:24,240 Speaker 1: what he did with Epstein here. Right. You know, if 115 00:06:24,279 --> 00:06:27,000 Speaker 1: you believe there are all these files that should be 116 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:30,640 Speaker 1: released and aren't being released, you should really be angry 117 00:06:30,640 --> 00:06:32,839 Speaker 1: by what he did. Right, Because Trump managed to stage 118 00:06:32,839 --> 00:06:35,680 Speaker 1: a faux revelation by sending his old personal lawyer to 119 00:06:35,720 --> 00:06:39,800 Speaker 1: interviewed Gallaine Maxwell. Of course, before the interview they made 120 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:45,240 Speaker 1: sure to publicly dangle the possibility of clemency, so it 121 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:48,440 Speaker 1: sort of obviously had an impact under testimony. Right then, 122 00:06:48,480 --> 00:06:50,600 Speaker 1: of course, they released the transcript that surprise seemed to 123 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:55,839 Speaker 1: clear Trump manufactured theater through it through right here, we 124 00:06:55,880 --> 00:06:58,320 Speaker 1: had a convicted fallon begging for a pardon, coach through 125 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:00,520 Speaker 1: her answers, presented to the public as if she were 126 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:04,480 Speaker 1: a credible witness, chum in the water, created headlines, got 127 00:07:04,520 --> 00:07:09,240 Speaker 1: people talking, but advance nothing, motion, not movement. I am 128 00:07:09,279 --> 00:07:11,320 Speaker 1: really curious to see if those that say they care 129 00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:15,480 Speaker 1: about the Epstein files on the right view this Gallaine 130 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:22,200 Speaker 1: Maxwell transcript as something that's worthless or worth something. I 131 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:25,360 Speaker 1: kind of think it's totally worthless, right, I mean, at 132 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:27,240 Speaker 1: what point did the transcript which he says, hey, let 133 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:29,960 Speaker 1: me add something, and it's this extra It's almost like 134 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:32,280 Speaker 1: her lawyer said, hey, you didn't clear Trump enough. You 135 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:35,840 Speaker 1: need to make sure you clear Trump more. Or let's 136 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:38,400 Speaker 1: look at the John Bolton prosecution threat. What was the 137 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:41,600 Speaker 1: point of that Not to win a conviction. The point 138 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:43,880 Speaker 1: is to send a message criticized Trump and the government 139 00:07:43,920 --> 00:07:46,760 Speaker 1: will be weaponized against you. That's why cash Ptel at 140 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:49,000 Speaker 1: the FBI now makes JEdgar Hoover look like a statesman. 141 00:07:49,640 --> 00:07:52,000 Speaker 1: And that's why the sudden firing of Trump loyalists Billing 142 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:56,960 Speaker 1: Long at the IRS is extra suspicious because there's only 143 00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:00,200 Speaker 1: one of two reasons Billy Long was fired. Either he 144 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:03,640 Speaker 1: wouldn't go far enough on something, or he was willing 145 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 1: to go too far, and Scott Besson stepped in. Either way, 146 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:11,720 Speaker 1: something that stinks to high Heaven. Here. Let's just say 147 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:14,280 Speaker 1: I'm old enough to remember when House Republicans used to 148 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:17,480 Speaker 1: care about abuse at the IRS or and they would 149 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:21,160 Speaker 1: spend all sorts of of time trying to I mean, 150 00:08:21,240 --> 00:08:24,119 Speaker 1: Jim Jordan, I think, became a household figure by going 151 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:28,480 Speaker 1: after a bureaucrat at the IRS. And here we have 152 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:34,120 Speaker 1: really suspicious activity at the IRS. I would say, don't 153 00:08:34,160 --> 00:08:39,680 Speaker 1: hold your breath for James Comer to start issuing subpoenas 154 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:42,920 Speaker 1: for testimony from Treasury to find out what's actually happened 155 00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:44,800 Speaker 1: in the IRS, to find out what actually happened with 156 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:51,600 Speaker 1: Billy Long. Something smells, but don't count on your congressional oversight, folks, 157 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:55,040 Speaker 1: to actually care. And it's not confined to Washington. Virginia, 158 00:08:55,280 --> 00:08:57,920 Speaker 1: the Department of Justice has been working to elevate the 159 00:08:57,920 --> 00:09:02,040 Speaker 1: transgender school issue again fight Republicans believe helps them politically. 160 00:09:02,360 --> 00:09:04,640 Speaker 1: But here's the federal government being used to try to 161 00:09:04,679 --> 00:09:09,680 Speaker 1: prop up a campaign in Virginia. This is what you're 162 00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:12,319 Speaker 1: going to see, right, We're starting to see, right, the 163 00:09:12,360 --> 00:09:14,960 Speaker 1: power of the federal government. Trump will use this power 164 00:09:15,280 --> 00:09:22,320 Speaker 1: to politically try to maneuver things in his favor. And 165 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:24,400 Speaker 1: by the way, if you're wondering, like all this mortgage 166 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:26,720 Speaker 1: fraud stuff, right, they sort of this has been one 167 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:32,000 Speaker 1: of the more interesting sort of manufactured crises that they've created, 168 00:09:32,880 --> 00:09:38,160 Speaker 1: which is to scour the financial disclosures of home ownership 169 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:42,400 Speaker 1: and of real estate of selective political opponents. Letitia James 170 00:09:42,640 --> 00:09:45,920 Speaker 1: Adam shift. We're now seeing it with the Fed governor. 171 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:48,440 Speaker 1: And I will just tell you a basic rule of thumb. 172 00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:53,360 Speaker 1: If Roger Stone, which is a longtime Trump dark arts 173 00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:57,760 Speaker 1: on and off again advisor, he hypes these two things 174 00:09:57,800 --> 00:10:00,800 Speaker 1: more than anything. Right, Well, when his own is involved 175 00:10:00,800 --> 00:10:02,360 Speaker 1: in something, you know it's not on the up and 176 00:10:02,440 --> 00:10:05,600 Speaker 1: up right. This guy is as crooked as they come 177 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:09,760 Speaker 1: when it comes to political dark arts. He arguably invented 178 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:13,319 Speaker 1: the modern version of it in many ways, and his 179 00:10:14,480 --> 00:10:18,199 Speaker 1: obsession with this tells me how manufactured that is. So still, 180 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:20,880 Speaker 1: it's part of a bigger pattern, right, constant motion, not 181 00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:23,440 Speaker 1: a lot of movement. Every day, one of these stories 182 00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:26,360 Speaker 1: takes over every day the boat rocks again. Trump's first 183 00:10:26,440 --> 00:10:28,960 Speaker 1: term he did the same thing. But there were people 184 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:32,440 Speaker 1: inside government who did try to study the ship. Not anymore. 185 00:10:32,679 --> 00:10:35,920 Speaker 1: Maybe there's Bessin on the economy, maybe Ruby on Ukraine. 186 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:39,679 Speaker 1: In fact, I do wonder if you didn't have Bessin 187 00:10:39,760 --> 00:10:42,000 Speaker 1: on the economy, we'd probably already be in a recession 188 00:10:42,080 --> 00:10:44,360 Speaker 1: with the tear of craziness. And if you didn't have 189 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:49,920 Speaker 1: Rubio there, Ukraine would already have lost its sovereignty to Russia. 190 00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:53,480 Speaker 1: But outside of that, everyone else is enabling this chaos. 191 00:10:53,559 --> 00:10:55,880 Speaker 1: I mean, this is I mean, my gosh, the FBI 192 00:10:56,559 --> 00:10:59,120 Speaker 1: is not a true I mean, this is so deeply 193 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:01,600 Speaker 1: damaging to the repation of the FBI. What Cash Betel 194 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:04,880 Speaker 1: is doing. I mean, you know what American is going 195 00:11:04,920 --> 00:11:07,080 Speaker 1: to believe anything coming out of the FBI right now? 196 00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:10,280 Speaker 1: It all feels And if I were a rank and 197 00:11:10,320 --> 00:11:13,400 Speaker 1: file a BI agent, I'd be just appalled. This is terrible. Say, 198 00:11:13,559 --> 00:11:17,360 Speaker 1: what's happening to the core rank and file at Border Patrol, DHS, 199 00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:19,800 Speaker 1: your average National Guard. You know, remember these people are 200 00:11:19,800 --> 00:11:24,280 Speaker 1: following orders and they're they're really it's it's what Trump 201 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:27,040 Speaker 1: is doing to these folks. What's happening to these agencies. 202 00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:30,800 Speaker 1: This is doing long term damage where it's just trust 203 00:11:30,800 --> 00:11:33,800 Speaker 1: will erode for everybody. But it also brings me to 204 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:37,720 Speaker 1: the economy because this is the real danger. What happens 205 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:40,160 Speaker 1: when things get worse with this economy, and they're going 206 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:42,440 Speaker 1: to get worse, right, You've heard it from Mark Xandy. 207 00:11:42,960 --> 00:11:46,960 Speaker 1: I just heard it from one of Trump's most loyal 208 00:11:47,840 --> 00:11:51,840 Speaker 1: economic advisor, Steve Moore, who's certainly more bullish than most, 209 00:11:51,920 --> 00:11:58,720 Speaker 1: but has some concerns about this economy. Things are getting worse. 210 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:03,000 Speaker 1: I mean, now just give you everybody hates the airport anecdote, 211 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:06,920 Speaker 1: but I was at the airport killing some time. Ordered 212 00:12:06,960 --> 00:12:09,959 Speaker 1: a couple eggs and the men you said three seventy 213 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:15,000 Speaker 1: five per egg, so you know, two eggs. Waiter said, actually, 214 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:17,040 Speaker 1: we just had to We just raised them. The price 215 00:12:17,160 --> 00:12:19,679 Speaker 1: changed and it's six dollars per egg now. And he 216 00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:22,320 Speaker 1: went through this whole reason. He was like apologizing. He goes, 217 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:24,240 Speaker 1: you know, are you sure you want to order eggs? 218 00:12:24,360 --> 00:12:26,800 Speaker 1: Or do you want to just order one egg? And 219 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:31,840 Speaker 1: it was just, you know, look, it's an anecdotal, but 220 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:34,320 Speaker 1: you're hearing it. I told you about stringflation already taking 221 00:12:34,320 --> 00:12:36,640 Speaker 1: place of Trader Joe's. We know others of you have 222 00:12:36,720 --> 00:12:38,680 Speaker 1: been when I weighed in on that. I've been hearing 223 00:12:38,679 --> 00:12:40,960 Speaker 1: from other folks on this. I mean, the cost of 224 00:12:41,040 --> 00:12:44,319 Speaker 1: living has gone up. There's not a single streaming service 225 00:12:44,920 --> 00:12:49,240 Speaker 1: that has is deciding to charge less for entertainment, and 226 00:12:49,280 --> 00:12:51,920 Speaker 1: in fact, everybody seems to be charging more, even as 227 00:12:51,920 --> 00:12:55,480 Speaker 1: there's weird consolidation Disney, Hulu and ESPN. I thought, We're 228 00:12:55,520 --> 00:12:57,120 Speaker 1: all under the same umbrella, and somehow I'm going to 229 00:12:57,160 --> 00:12:59,720 Speaker 1: be paying more, not less. Right, we all see that coming. 230 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:05,960 Speaker 1: All of that impacts the pocketbook, all of it. So 231 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:09,440 Speaker 1: here we are, we have, jobs are scarcer. The next 232 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:13,160 Speaker 1: jobs report, next couple of jobs report are going to 233 00:13:13,160 --> 00:13:19,800 Speaker 1: be very very telling. Inflation is still rising. Stagflation in 234 00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:23,400 Speaker 1: the spring of twenty six is a real potential problem. 235 00:13:23,880 --> 00:13:28,600 Speaker 1: And what happens when that happens, Right, what's the federal government? 236 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:30,880 Speaker 1: How's Trump going to try to distract from all of this. 237 00:13:31,640 --> 00:13:34,000 Speaker 1: I don't know if he can, because lived experience is 238 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:35,880 Speaker 1: just that you feel it at the grocery store. You'll 239 00:13:35,880 --> 00:13:37,880 Speaker 1: feel it at the gas pump. You'll feel it when 240 00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:40,199 Speaker 1: ren hikes outpaced paychecks. You'll feel it when the soul 241 00:13:40,240 --> 00:13:42,880 Speaker 1: called booming economy doesn't match the reality of your own 242 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:45,880 Speaker 1: household budget. Stocks may be going up in a handful 243 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:49,319 Speaker 1: of stocks that are betting on AI, but all those 244 00:13:49,320 --> 00:13:53,120 Speaker 1: bets on AI are about eliminating your job. That's what's 245 00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:56,120 Speaker 1: scary out there for people. So when the economy does 246 00:13:56,160 --> 00:13:58,880 Speaker 1: sour in twenty six, Trump's going to panic. So what 247 00:13:58,920 --> 00:14:00,000 Speaker 1: are we going to see. We're going to see more 248 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:04,480 Speaker 1: boltons probably, you know, if you're a nominee in a 249 00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:08,960 Speaker 1: race that's on the edge and you're going up against Trump, 250 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:14,440 Speaker 1: whether you're an independent, Democrat, whatever, don't be surprised if 251 00:14:14,480 --> 00:14:17,839 Speaker 1: an allegation, you know, gets instead of a piece of 252 00:14:17,880 --> 00:14:21,360 Speaker 1: oppo research, they just use it. They have a US 253 00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:24,880 Speaker 1: attorney make an announcement to make it seem more real. Right, 254 00:14:25,720 --> 00:14:28,720 Speaker 1: I think we know those that's all coming. There'll be 255 00:14:28,760 --> 00:14:31,160 Speaker 1: more abuse of the irs, more abuse of the DOJ 256 00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:35,840 Speaker 1: and the FBI, there'll be a lot more distraction retribution. 257 00:14:36,680 --> 00:14:40,520 Speaker 1: All of it will be motion, but no movement, right, 258 00:14:40,680 --> 00:14:43,280 Speaker 1: no movement. And in the end, that's the Trump's strategy. 259 00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:47,120 Speaker 1: The boat must always be rocking motion for its own sake, 260 00:14:47,280 --> 00:14:50,240 Speaker 1: and when you squeal, when you get seasick, he leans 261 00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:52,720 Speaker 1: into it. That was true in his first term. It's 262 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:54,640 Speaker 1: more true now with no guardrails left. The question is 263 00:14:54,680 --> 00:14:58,040 Speaker 1: how much of this will the country tolerate When the 264 00:14:58,120 --> 00:15:01,560 Speaker 1: trains aren't running on time, when the rocking boat isn't 265 00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:05,680 Speaker 1: going anywhere, how long before people simply want off? Well, 266 00:15:05,720 --> 00:15:10,360 Speaker 1: we found out in twenty twenty, right this strategy made 267 00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:16,520 Speaker 1: people literally sick and they wanted out. And that's to me, 268 00:15:16,640 --> 00:15:18,960 Speaker 1: the real risk that's out there, because right now all 269 00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:22,400 Speaker 1: this motion is just leaving us a drift economically, certainly, 270 00:15:22,480 --> 00:15:26,160 Speaker 1: leaving us a drift politically certainly, leaving us a drift 271 00:15:26,320 --> 00:15:29,640 Speaker 1: when it comes to America's place in the world. We're exhausted, 272 00:15:29,680 --> 00:15:33,800 Speaker 1: we're seasick, and we're likely worse off than when we started. 273 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:38,720 Speaker 1: So I have a few other things that I wanted 274 00:15:38,720 --> 00:15:42,400 Speaker 1: to I wanted folks that I just sort of think 275 00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:45,360 Speaker 1: of them as little notebook blips but I have to 276 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:48,800 Speaker 1: tell you the reaction to the latest episode of South Park. 277 00:15:48,840 --> 00:15:50,440 Speaker 1: And I know a lot of people, a lot of 278 00:15:50,440 --> 00:15:54,840 Speaker 1: the South Park ride ups always focused about writing it 279 00:15:54,920 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 1: up through the prism of their anti trumpness. But to me, 280 00:15:58,240 --> 00:16:04,720 Speaker 1: this most recent episode was more brilliant in its satire 281 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:08,400 Speaker 1: against Silicon Valley right and against AI and sort of 282 00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:12,920 Speaker 1: the techridy, you know, as he became Well literally, I'm 283 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:15,720 Speaker 1: watching that episode and the next morning I'm going to 284 00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:20,600 Speaker 1: read you the following story about Elon Musk and this 285 00:16:20,760 --> 00:16:23,760 Speaker 1: is I thought it was part of the south Park parody. 286 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:27,200 Speaker 1: Elon Musk announced he wants to simulate software companies like 287 00:16:27,280 --> 00:16:31,320 Speaker 1: Microsoft using only artificial intelligence. He's even got a name 288 00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:34,760 Speaker 1: for the new venture, macro Hard. Do you get it? 289 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:40,080 Speaker 1: Microsoft macro Hard. I literally, I'm reading this story. I'm like, wait, 290 00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:43,160 Speaker 1: wait a bite, waite. Is this a ketamine fueled idea 291 00:16:43,280 --> 00:16:45,840 Speaker 1: that came out of South Park or is this actually 292 00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:48,520 Speaker 1: a real idea? And the fact that there are all 293 00:16:48,560 --> 00:16:51,440 Speaker 1: these people that enable Musk around him, you know at 294 00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:54,160 Speaker 1: this point, like I know, there's a fine line between 295 00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:57,320 Speaker 1: genius and crazy, and you throw a little kenemine into it, 296 00:16:57,360 --> 00:17:00,240 Speaker 1: and God only knows what that does. But I'm sorry 297 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:04,600 Speaker 1: macro Hard versus my I mean it was it is? 298 00:17:04,600 --> 00:17:08,280 Speaker 1: Is it life imitating art imitating life at this point anyway, 299 00:17:08,359 --> 00:17:14,199 Speaker 1: I just you just can't see. Sometimes it's impossible to 300 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:19,680 Speaker 1: parry to parody reality when the reality itself feels completely 301 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:23,120 Speaker 1: like a parody. One of the other pieces of seasickness 302 00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:26,320 Speaker 1: that folks scott was this, you know, sort of the 303 00:17:26,400 --> 00:17:30,920 Speaker 1: random you know campaign that Trump, I guess launched last 304 00:17:30,920 --> 00:17:32,600 Speaker 1: week saying you wanted to get rid of mail and voting. 305 00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:36,320 Speaker 1: I did want to point out some polling information that 306 00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:40,040 Speaker 1: if let's say, states, do I mean we know he 307 00:17:40,160 --> 00:17:42,920 Speaker 1: is running, if he tells a state governor and a 308 00:17:42,960 --> 00:17:46,480 Speaker 1: state legislature that is that is controlled by Trump, the 309 00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:49,720 Speaker 1: Trump machine, which is, you know, say your Missouri's, you're Indiana's, 310 00:17:49,760 --> 00:17:52,040 Speaker 1: places like that right everywhere where he's been able to 311 00:17:52,119 --> 00:17:55,120 Speaker 1: in Texas, where he's being able to order people essentially 312 00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:58,480 Speaker 1: to do his bidding on redistricting and stuff, he probably 313 00:17:58,480 --> 00:18:01,800 Speaker 1: can order the getting rid of mail in ballots in 314 00:18:01,840 --> 00:18:05,600 Speaker 1: some of these states. But I have a feeling the 315 00:18:05,600 --> 00:18:07,920 Speaker 1: only way voters are going to accept that is if 316 00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:12,440 Speaker 1: you extend early voting and in person early voting, and 317 00:18:12,520 --> 00:18:15,520 Speaker 1: so you know if you told me. And what's interesting is, 318 00:18:15,680 --> 00:18:18,040 Speaker 1: you know, if you were actually looking for a way 319 00:18:18,040 --> 00:18:21,320 Speaker 1: to sort of eliminate this fight over mail in ballots 320 00:18:21,640 --> 00:18:23,359 Speaker 1: and if you just wanted to limit them to the 321 00:18:23,359 --> 00:18:27,840 Speaker 1: military ballots, this is what the public would tolerate, right, 322 00:18:28,080 --> 00:18:33,440 Speaker 1: which is eighty four percent. This is a Pew pole 323 00:18:33,680 --> 00:18:36,840 Speaker 1: that came out this week Centers for American Trends panel poll. 324 00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:40,919 Speaker 1: So it's a panel survey. It's not random sample, but 325 00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:44,800 Speaker 1: it's interesting what the public. These were the most popular 326 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:49,080 Speaker 1: voting reform proposals. One requiring electronic voting machines to print 327 00:18:49,119 --> 00:18:51,600 Speaker 1: a paper backup of a voter's ballot. Eighty four percent 328 00:18:51,640 --> 00:18:54,640 Speaker 1: favored that. Requiring all voters to show government issued voto 329 00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:57,560 Speaker 1: or ID. That's eighty three percent. Support making early and 330 00:18:57,640 --> 00:19:00,679 Speaker 1: in person voting Okay, not mail voting, early and in 331 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:03,240 Speaker 1: person voting available for at least two weeks prior to 332 00:19:03,240 --> 00:19:06,800 Speaker 1: the election. That has eighty percent favorability making election day 333 00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:09,439 Speaker 1: a federal holiday as seventy four percent. Everything else started 334 00:19:09,480 --> 00:19:12,440 Speaker 1: to get more polarizing. I mean, Trump has effectively polarized 335 00:19:12,480 --> 00:19:14,600 Speaker 1: the idea of mail in ballots. When again this was 336 00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:18,160 Speaker 1: an invention of the Republicans, right. It was all frankly, 337 00:19:18,359 --> 00:19:21,399 Speaker 1: in my home state of Florida, they encouraged mail in 338 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:24,320 Speaker 1: ballots because of the snowbirds, and the snowbirds were wealthier 339 00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:27,679 Speaker 1: and more Republican leaning. So it was an incentivized by 340 00:19:27,680 --> 00:19:31,600 Speaker 1: the Republican lawmakers to make it easier convenience voting for 341 00:19:31,640 --> 00:19:33,679 Speaker 1: the snowbirds who didn't have to fly back to the 342 00:19:33,680 --> 00:19:36,240 Speaker 1: state of Florida in time to make it for their 343 00:19:36,640 --> 00:19:40,159 Speaker 1: five months and twenty nine days or actually, no, excuse me, 344 00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:44,159 Speaker 1: six months and six months plus one day, so that 345 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:48,080 Speaker 1: they could avoid paying stay and income tax. But I 346 00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:51,919 Speaker 1: think that is a if you do see an effort 347 00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:54,879 Speaker 1: that actually does. I think the only way that voter 348 00:19:55,359 --> 00:19:57,640 Speaker 1: the public would tolerate getting rid of mail in ballots 349 00:19:58,359 --> 00:20:02,120 Speaker 1: is if you extend early in person voting. And I'll 350 00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:04,480 Speaker 1: tell you you cannot. If we try to have everybody 351 00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:07,560 Speaker 1: vote on election day and election day only, there'd be 352 00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:10,760 Speaker 1: you know, we would have lines that would probably last 353 00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:14,760 Speaker 1: past midnight in quite a few states. So it is 354 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:19,200 Speaker 1: it is we have. You cannot process everybody. You cannot 355 00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:22,000 Speaker 1: process one hundred and fifty million ballots in one twenty 356 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:25,560 Speaker 1: four hour period. Okay, one hundred years ago when we 357 00:20:25,560 --> 00:20:28,800 Speaker 1: were you know, half of that population even less so. 358 00:20:29,800 --> 00:20:31,119 Speaker 1: By the way, if you ever wanted, you know, in 359 00:20:31,119 --> 00:20:35,280 Speaker 1: the nineteenth century elections, some you know, some states held 360 00:20:35,320 --> 00:20:39,359 Speaker 1: their presidential electoral vote election to decide which way the 361 00:20:39,359 --> 00:20:41,840 Speaker 1: electoral votes go in, like in October. There was no 362 00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:44,960 Speaker 1: one day. Different states would hold it on different days. 363 00:20:46,040 --> 00:20:49,239 Speaker 1: So this is anyway, The point is is that I 364 00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:53,119 Speaker 1: there is you could see if there was, if you 365 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:57,560 Speaker 1: wanted to try to reach out to a voter who 366 00:20:57,640 --> 00:21:01,320 Speaker 1: was bought into Donald Trump's manufactured threats about mail in ballots. 367 00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:06,040 Speaker 1: The easiest way to sort of get around it is 368 00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:11,520 Speaker 1: to propose longer in early, in person, in person situation. 369 00:21:11,560 --> 00:21:13,399 Speaker 1: And then finally, I want to close with this because 370 00:21:13,400 --> 00:21:16,480 Speaker 1: it's my favorite. It was my favorite thing I read 371 00:21:16,600 --> 00:21:18,800 Speaker 1: all week, and it comes from a newsletter out of 372 00:21:18,840 --> 00:21:23,520 Speaker 1: the Dispatch by Scott Lindselcombe. It's very economics focused. It's 373 00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:25,480 Speaker 1: one of my favorite newsletters. People ask me all the time, 374 00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:28,040 Speaker 1: what do you read? I always forget to mention Scott, 375 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:31,359 Speaker 1: but he had this great lead the other day and 376 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:35,280 Speaker 1: it's a great word that I will be using a lot, 377 00:21:35,520 --> 00:21:39,080 Speaker 1: and it summarizes what happens to debate online better than 378 00:21:39,119 --> 00:21:41,960 Speaker 1: anything else. He said this, he writes this easily. One 379 00:21:41,960 --> 00:21:44,480 Speaker 1: of the worst and most cynical plays in modern politics 380 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:48,320 Speaker 1: is the practice of nut picking. What does he mean 381 00:21:48,320 --> 00:21:52,400 Speaker 1: by nut picking? Partisans will treat the loopy utterance of 382 00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:56,120 Speaker 1: some random member of the other political team as broadly 383 00:21:56,200 --> 00:21:59,920 Speaker 1: representative of the entire movement, thereby seeking to discredit it 384 00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:03,400 Speaker 1: and it's saner and stronger players, and to reassure their 385 00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:06,760 Speaker 1: comrades that everyone on the other side is a wackadoodle freak, 386 00:22:07,119 --> 00:22:11,560 Speaker 1: not worth engaging, etc. The practice of nut picking is 387 00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:14,600 Speaker 1: widespread on both sides of the aisle, especially on social media, 388 00:22:14,640 --> 00:22:18,120 Speaker 1: and typically related to culture, war issues, family, race, gender, crime, etc. 389 00:22:18,800 --> 00:22:23,560 Speaker 1: That arouse strong feelings and push people's buttons. Don't you 390 00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:26,639 Speaker 1: feel satisfied now that there is now a word for 391 00:22:26,680 --> 00:22:30,320 Speaker 1: this nonsense? When you see it like that whole conversation 392 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:34,000 Speaker 1: about the genes was this back and forth between nut 393 00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:38,280 Speaker 1: pickers Right there, You could just feel that there was 394 00:22:38,320 --> 00:22:44,760 Speaker 1: an attempt to attack others' political positions based on an 395 00:22:44,760 --> 00:22:49,200 Speaker 1: outlanders position that somebody took that has no connection to anybody, 396 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:52,159 Speaker 1: but somebody wants to make you think it does. Anyway, 397 00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:55,760 Speaker 1: The point is I just love this phrase. It so 398 00:22:55,920 --> 00:22:59,960 Speaker 1: applies to political debate today. This is what has replaced 399 00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:03,320 Speaker 1: actual political debate. This is what the conversation is on 400 00:23:03,400 --> 00:23:06,840 Speaker 1: cable news quite a bit nutpicking. Literally, a segment is 401 00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:11,680 Speaker 1: created based on nut picking. So let's just say, let's 402 00:23:11,680 --> 00:23:15,520 Speaker 1: stop not can we You know, friends don't let friends 403 00:23:16,400 --> 00:23:20,080 Speaker 1: not pick. Maybe we can. Maybe there's some better ways 404 00:23:20,119 --> 00:23:23,040 Speaker 1: to phrase this. I would love to hear from you 405 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:26,960 Speaker 1: and what's your favorite or worst versions of nutpicking are? 406 00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:30,480 Speaker 1: And with that, we'll sneak in a break for those 407 00:23:30,520 --> 00:23:34,480 Speaker 1: of you listening to the entire episode in one fell swoop, 408 00:23:34,480 --> 00:23:36,600 Speaker 1: we'll sneak in a break and bring in Jonathan Martin. 409 00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:38,920 Speaker 1: The rest of you will be getting the mail back. 410 00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:48,680 Speaker 1: All right, let's do a little ass Chuck, ask Chuck. 411 00:23:54,040 --> 00:23:57,400 Speaker 1: We got a decent number of questions today. I don't 412 00:23:57,400 --> 00:23:59,240 Speaker 1: know how many I'll get through. I think I'll try 413 00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:01,800 Speaker 1: to get through or maybe five. We'll see how long 414 00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:05,199 Speaker 1: I ramble on here. Question one here, This comes from 415 00:24:05,280 --> 00:24:10,320 Speaker 1: Dylan Lebanon, Pennsylvania, Swing State. Very appreciated. Can you explain 416 00:24:10,359 --> 00:24:12,359 Speaker 1: how a vice presidential pick can boost or hurt a 417 00:24:12,400 --> 00:24:14,480 Speaker 1: campaign with some examples of both. Also, do you think 418 00:24:14,640 --> 00:24:18,040 Speaker 1: that if Gored picked Graham Bob Graham over Joe Lieberman 419 00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:23,080 Speaker 1: in two thousand, he beats Bush? Well, that's u A. 420 00:24:24,359 --> 00:24:27,080 Speaker 1: It's certainly something many of US Floridians believe. Right, was 421 00:24:27,119 --> 00:24:29,880 Speaker 1: Bob Graham worth five hundred and thirty eight votes? Right? 422 00:24:29,920 --> 00:24:32,200 Speaker 1: Bush won by five hundred and thirty seven votes? Officially 423 00:24:32,640 --> 00:24:34,680 Speaker 1: Was Bob Graham worth five hundred and thirty eight votes? 424 00:24:34,680 --> 00:24:38,320 Speaker 1: The answer is yes? Right? The point is do running 425 00:24:38,359 --> 00:24:41,560 Speaker 1: mates matter? Well, if an election is decided by five 426 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:45,240 Speaker 1: hundred and thirty eight seven votes, having that person from 427 00:24:45,240 --> 00:24:48,000 Speaker 1: the home state probably is worth something. Right? Is it 428 00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:50,440 Speaker 1: a half a percentage point? Is it a whole percentage point? 429 00:24:50,480 --> 00:24:52,840 Speaker 1: Is it too? You could? I don't think we've had 430 00:24:52,960 --> 00:24:56,119 Speaker 1: enough instances to prove it. Does John Kennedy carry Texas 431 00:24:56,119 --> 00:25:01,879 Speaker 1: without obj right? Now? Michael Ducaccas had Lloyd Benson, a 432 00:25:01,880 --> 00:25:04,879 Speaker 1: Texas Senator, on trying to do the same Massachusetts Texas 433 00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:08,680 Speaker 1: pairing was trying to invoke Kennedy Johnson with do Coccas Benson, 434 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:13,160 Speaker 1: George H. W. Bush Kerry Texas. So you know it 435 00:25:13,200 --> 00:25:17,720 Speaker 1: is It's one of those things that I think is 436 00:25:17,800 --> 00:25:22,880 Speaker 1: extraordinarily overrated, right, which is, I do think you're better 437 00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:25,800 Speaker 1: off picking a running mate to help you with a 438 00:25:25,840 --> 00:25:30,800 Speaker 1: state or help you with an image issue, right, So 439 00:25:31,520 --> 00:25:33,800 Speaker 1: as much, you know, let's take your two thousand example, 440 00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:39,280 Speaker 1: I do believe Bob Graham on the ticket is better 441 00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:47,159 Speaker 1: than Joe Lieberman for carrying Florida. But Joe Lieberman. Getting 442 00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:52,720 Speaker 1: Joe Lieberman was a way for Al Gore to separate 443 00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:56,440 Speaker 1: from Bill Clinton on a character level in a way 444 00:25:56,600 --> 00:26:01,080 Speaker 1: that served Gore well. I think when you look at 445 00:26:01,080 --> 00:26:04,400 Speaker 1: the Gore surge, it really begins the naming of Lieberman 446 00:26:05,119 --> 00:26:07,080 Speaker 1: and the idea that he was his own person. He 447 00:26:07,119 --> 00:26:09,600 Speaker 1: was separating himself from Clinton. It was seen as you know, 448 00:26:09,760 --> 00:26:12,639 Speaker 1: the biggest critic of Bill Clinton's morality in the Democratic 449 00:26:12,680 --> 00:26:16,000 Speaker 1: Party at that time was seen as Joe Lieberman. So 450 00:26:16,119 --> 00:26:19,240 Speaker 1: that created that and it you know, and boy did 451 00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:21,320 Speaker 1: Bill Clinton hate those headlines. And I know there are 452 00:26:21,359 --> 00:26:23,720 Speaker 1: some that will argue that Gore should have wrapped his 453 00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:27,320 Speaker 1: arms around Clinton even more, right, And the one Democrat 454 00:26:27,359 --> 00:26:29,199 Speaker 1: who did wrap his arms around Bill Clinton was a 455 00:26:29,240 --> 00:26:32,159 Speaker 1: Democrat named Jade Dickie in the fourth District of Arkansas. 456 00:26:32,320 --> 00:26:35,120 Speaker 1: He was a Democratic incumbent. He wanted Bill Clinton's help, 457 00:26:35,160 --> 00:26:38,240 Speaker 1: and Jay Dickey won reelection, and Bill Clinton made sure 458 00:26:38,240 --> 00:26:40,520 Speaker 1: everybody knew that the one place he did campaign he 459 00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:43,600 Speaker 1: was an asset, not a liability. Obviously that was Arkansas. 460 00:26:43,640 --> 00:26:50,000 Speaker 1: But still we could And yet George W. Bush is essential. 461 00:26:50,080 --> 00:26:52,080 Speaker 1: You know, he was running against Bill Clinton's character the 462 00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:55,280 Speaker 1: entire campaign, right. His tagline was I'm going to restore 463 00:26:55,320 --> 00:26:57,160 Speaker 1: honor and integrity into the White House. He wasn't running 464 00:26:57,160 --> 00:27:00,680 Speaker 1: against Al Gore. He was running against Bill Clinton, miche Lewinsky, 465 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:02,680 Speaker 1: and he was running against sort of are you exhausted 466 00:27:02,680 --> 00:27:04,919 Speaker 1: from this? Not saying whether he should be, he did not. 467 00:27:05,080 --> 00:27:07,400 Speaker 1: You know, he separated himself from all the impeachment nut 468 00:27:07,520 --> 00:27:09,760 Speaker 1: jobs and all of that stuff. But he was running 469 00:27:09,760 --> 00:27:14,080 Speaker 1: on character and Gore taking character off the table. Suddenly 470 00:27:14,200 --> 00:27:17,560 Speaker 1: even that race out. So and then you throw in 471 00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:19,840 Speaker 1: the kiss, right, which said, hey, look at this marriage. 472 00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:21,880 Speaker 1: Now the irony is of course Bill and Hillary Clinton 473 00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:24,320 Speaker 1: are still together, Alan Tipper or not, so you know, 474 00:27:24,680 --> 00:27:29,520 Speaker 1: I you know, irony is what it is. But at 475 00:27:29,520 --> 00:27:35,919 Speaker 1: the time, so you know, Lieberman did help. Collectively, it 476 00:27:36,040 --> 00:27:40,199 Speaker 1: helped reinforce a message. Right, It's about reinforcing a message right, 477 00:27:40,240 --> 00:27:43,719 Speaker 1: Bill Clinton, picking Al Gore was reinforcing a youthful message. 478 00:27:43,800 --> 00:27:46,159 Speaker 1: Now there was also a tactical reason he picked out 479 00:27:46,200 --> 00:27:49,439 Speaker 1: Gore in it. At the time Ross Perot. When he 480 00:27:49,440 --> 00:27:52,840 Speaker 1: picked out Gore, Ross Parou was the leader in the 481 00:27:52,840 --> 00:27:55,560 Speaker 1: presidential race, it looked like an even three way race, 482 00:27:55,560 --> 00:27:58,360 Speaker 1: that this was going to be an electoral college knife fight. 483 00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:00,960 Speaker 1: And in an electoral college to knife fight in the 484 00:28:01,000 --> 00:28:05,960 Speaker 1: early nineties, the Democrats benefit from a Southern strategy, so 485 00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:09,240 Speaker 1: going with an all Southern ticket would have allowed them 486 00:28:09,520 --> 00:28:12,879 Speaker 1: and it would open the door. And you basically, you know, 487 00:28:13,080 --> 00:28:15,879 Speaker 1: the Democratic vote being largely African American in many of 488 00:28:15,920 --> 00:28:20,000 Speaker 1: these Southern states, the Democratic floor is thirty eight thirty 489 00:28:20,080 --> 00:28:25,359 Speaker 1: ninety percent in many of those states versus the Republican 490 00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:27,439 Speaker 1: floor if you're splitting it with pro Now par ends 491 00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:30,400 Speaker 1: up dropping out then getting back in, and Bush essentially 492 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:34,080 Speaker 1: consolidated enough vote where where only I think Clinton did 493 00:28:34,080 --> 00:28:36,880 Speaker 1: carry Georgia, does Cary, Arkansas, it does carry Tennessee. So 494 00:28:37,040 --> 00:28:39,960 Speaker 1: he certainly overperformed in the southern states having an all 495 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:42,400 Speaker 1: Southern ticket, But that was so I could make a 496 00:28:42,440 --> 00:28:47,400 Speaker 1: both practical case and it reinforced this hey young change message, right, 497 00:28:47,520 --> 00:28:52,960 Speaker 1: So you know, it's one of those things where you 498 00:28:53,040 --> 00:28:55,120 Speaker 1: can argue both sides. Now, Kamala Harris, I don't think 499 00:28:55,160 --> 00:28:57,480 Speaker 1: did a single thing for Joe Biden, right, I don't 500 00:28:57,480 --> 00:28:59,000 Speaker 1: know if it hurt them. I don't know if it 501 00:28:59,080 --> 00:29:03,120 Speaker 1: helped them. And I would love to know what val 502 00:29:03,160 --> 00:29:08,640 Speaker 1: Deming's been enough to help find three percentage you know, 503 00:29:09,120 --> 00:29:12,400 Speaker 1: three percentage points in Florida. I don't know, right, we can't. 504 00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:14,880 Speaker 1: You know. That's that's why it's impossible to sit here 505 00:29:14,880 --> 00:29:17,880 Speaker 1: and say, you know, can can these running mates help 506 00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:20,760 Speaker 1: in a specific way? You know, did Vance add anything 507 00:29:21,360 --> 00:29:24,720 Speaker 1: to the numbers in Ohio? For Trump? I'd argue no, 508 00:29:25,360 --> 00:29:28,080 Speaker 1: So I don't know. Advance was an asset. In fact, 509 00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:32,080 Speaker 1: you could argue that maybe he brought more problems, potential 510 00:29:32,120 --> 00:29:36,360 Speaker 1: problems to the ticket than he did a good upside 511 00:29:36,360 --> 00:29:39,280 Speaker 1: of course financially though for Trump, Vance was a huge 512 00:29:39,320 --> 00:29:42,560 Speaker 1: upside because Silicon Valley wanted Advance and they gave Advance 513 00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:45,360 Speaker 1: in the crypto community and they all came in heavy. 514 00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:51,160 Speaker 1: So it so, I guess the question over VP picks 515 00:29:51,480 --> 00:29:53,800 Speaker 1: are it's what do you need from your VP pick? 516 00:29:54,480 --> 00:29:58,440 Speaker 1: Do you need a state? Do you need to unite 517 00:29:59,080 --> 00:30:02,240 Speaker 1: a faction of your hardy right. Reagan picked Bush not 518 00:30:02,280 --> 00:30:05,320 Speaker 1: for a state, but to bring the moderates into the fold, 519 00:30:05,560 --> 00:30:07,600 Speaker 1: the sort of the forward wing of the party. It 520 00:30:07,640 --> 00:30:09,680 Speaker 1: was originally going to be Reagan Ford in nineteen eighty, 521 00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:15,160 Speaker 1: and it instead became Reagan Bush. So it is. There 522 00:30:15,160 --> 00:30:17,600 Speaker 1: are examples of when it works or examples when it doesn't. 523 00:30:17,640 --> 00:30:21,000 Speaker 1: It's still usually like ninety five percent of the of 524 00:30:21,040 --> 00:30:24,480 Speaker 1: the equation is the top of the ticket in a 525 00:30:24,600 --> 00:30:28,880 Speaker 1: super close race. That's when you can look at examples 526 00:30:29,200 --> 00:30:33,960 Speaker 1: of the bottom of Look. I think Sarah Palin helped 527 00:30:34,080 --> 00:30:39,400 Speaker 1: McCain lose by less than he would have lost by. 528 00:30:39,440 --> 00:30:45,960 Speaker 1: You know, McCain wanted Lieberman, Gore. Obama Biden I think 529 00:30:46,080 --> 00:30:48,760 Speaker 1: beats McCain Lieberman by a bigger margin because the base 530 00:30:48,760 --> 00:30:51,560 Speaker 1: of the Republican Party, particularly the pro life community, would 531 00:30:51,600 --> 00:30:54,280 Speaker 1: have probably sat on their hands. And I think that 532 00:30:55,960 --> 00:30:59,440 Speaker 1: I think Obama probably wins Georgia. He already won North 533 00:30:59,480 --> 00:31:02,840 Speaker 1: Carolina that here, and he probably gets awfully close in 534 00:31:02,920 --> 00:31:05,680 Speaker 1: like a place like Mississippi or South Carolina. When I 535 00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:09,040 Speaker 1: say awfully close, like within five points, I think it 536 00:31:09,120 --> 00:31:13,880 Speaker 1: becomes because I think that was what McCain was warned about, 537 00:31:13,960 --> 00:31:17,440 Speaker 1: which is, be careful if you pick a Democrat, particularly 538 00:31:17,440 --> 00:31:19,400 Speaker 1: an abortion issue, back in two thousand and eight. So 539 00:31:19,680 --> 00:31:22,640 Speaker 1: I'd argue that Sarah Palin helped McCain. I think Sarah 540 00:31:22,680 --> 00:31:25,600 Speaker 1: Palin saved Georgia for the Republicans in that electoral So 541 00:31:26,040 --> 00:31:31,960 Speaker 1: the point is is, I think you can you can 542 00:31:32,600 --> 00:31:34,280 Speaker 1: look at it through one eye and make one case, 543 00:31:34,320 --> 00:31:36,680 Speaker 1: look at it through the other eye. Again, it's still 544 00:31:36,760 --> 00:31:38,680 Speaker 1: ninety five percent about the top of the ticket, but 545 00:31:39,200 --> 00:31:44,000 Speaker 1: in a super close selection, everything matters, all right. Next question, Hey, Chuck, 546 00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:45,960 Speaker 1: I'm a recent college grad who now is the time 547 00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:47,640 Speaker 1: to read for pleasure? Again? Do you have a book 548 00:31:47,640 --> 00:31:49,640 Speaker 1: suggestion or two? I'd love a suggestion for a non 549 00:31:49,680 --> 00:31:52,000 Speaker 1: political book if you have one. I'm from Michigan, where 550 00:31:52,120 --> 00:31:54,960 Speaker 1: people are already canvassing for Jocelyn Benson at the local 551 00:31:54,960 --> 00:31:57,440 Speaker 1: farmers market Mike dug and billboards are all over the place, 552 00:31:57,480 --> 00:31:59,520 Speaker 1: and my phone is blowing up with political texts. I 553 00:31:59,600 --> 00:32:03,280 Speaker 1: want some thing non political to read. Well, I'll tell 554 00:32:03,280 --> 00:32:07,720 Speaker 1: you this stuff that I've I guess it's look. I'll 555 00:32:07,760 --> 00:32:15,440 Speaker 1: admit I'm mostly a history and nerd. I if you're 556 00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:17,880 Speaker 1: tired of the political side of things. But you want 557 00:32:18,080 --> 00:32:22,680 Speaker 1: some nonfiction, I would recommend a few of these business biographies. 558 00:32:23,200 --> 00:32:27,760 Speaker 1: You're from Michigan, I actually think you'd enjoy the memoir 559 00:32:27,800 --> 00:32:30,320 Speaker 1: of Leiah Coca, who was the former chairman of Chrysler, 560 00:32:30,360 --> 00:32:33,840 Speaker 1: because the coolest part of it is learning about Lei. 561 00:32:33,960 --> 00:32:38,280 Speaker 1: Coca was the father of the Mustang. He's from soup 562 00:32:38,320 --> 00:32:41,320 Speaker 1: to nuts, and the book helps you understand the history 563 00:32:41,320 --> 00:32:44,360 Speaker 1: of the auto industry in Michigan. So that might be 564 00:32:44,760 --> 00:32:48,200 Speaker 1: and it's an easy read. Look, Leah, on one hand, 565 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:50,240 Speaker 1: it's a way back in time, so it's a forty 566 00:32:50,240 --> 00:32:52,760 Speaker 1: five year old book, all right. So I apologize for going, 567 00:32:52,960 --> 00:32:54,440 Speaker 1: but I was just trying to think of things that 568 00:32:55,800 --> 00:32:58,120 Speaker 1: might can you know that might be of interest to you, 569 00:32:58,240 --> 00:33:00,560 Speaker 1: tell you something about the history of your state out 570 00:33:00,800 --> 00:33:05,640 Speaker 1: that If you're a baseball fan, there's a couple of 571 00:33:06,280 --> 00:33:09,200 Speaker 1: books that I that I've really enjoyed over the years 572 00:33:09,240 --> 00:33:12,520 Speaker 1: that are historical in nature. A history of the of 573 00:33:12,560 --> 00:33:16,160 Speaker 1: the Negro leagues. It was called only the Ball Was White, 574 00:33:16,680 --> 00:33:20,680 Speaker 1: and it was. It is a history of the legendary 575 00:33:20,760 --> 00:33:25,480 Speaker 1: black players and all black professional teams. It's more than 576 00:33:25,560 --> 00:33:28,000 Speaker 1: just a book about baseball. More than just a book 577 00:33:28,040 --> 00:33:33,200 Speaker 1: about uh, racial justice. It's also a history of the country. Right, 578 00:33:33,280 --> 00:33:37,840 Speaker 1: it's a history of that and so a purely entertainment book. 579 00:33:37,880 --> 00:33:41,000 Speaker 1: If you're a basketball fan, uh history of the A 580 00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:43,560 Speaker 1: B A, which was the league, you know, the sort 581 00:33:43,600 --> 00:33:46,400 Speaker 1: of it was the fun league of basketball. Right. The 582 00:33:46,440 --> 00:33:49,200 Speaker 1: ABA gives three point shot. Right. If you like today's 583 00:33:49,200 --> 00:33:51,520 Speaker 1: modern NBA, you have the a BA to thank, Right. 584 00:33:51,560 --> 00:33:53,800 Speaker 1: The dunk contest began in the a BA, three point 585 00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:56,240 Speaker 1: shot all those things all began in the A B A. 586 00:33:57,960 --> 00:34:01,600 Speaker 1: It's an oral history called loose Ball, and it is 587 00:34:01,720 --> 00:34:05,920 Speaker 1: just fabulous. There's Bob Costas, cameos, all sorts of fascinating 588 00:34:05,960 --> 00:34:10,440 Speaker 1: figures from that era. And it also is culturally a 589 00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:13,640 Speaker 1: great history of the nineteen seventies, the good and the 590 00:34:13,640 --> 00:34:18,279 Speaker 1: bad and everything in between. It's great, there are and 591 00:34:18,920 --> 00:34:20,960 Speaker 1: it triggered two other oral histories. I'm a big fan 592 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:24,439 Speaker 1: of oral histories. They're just I just enjoy them quite 593 00:34:24,480 --> 00:34:27,759 Speaker 1: a bit. One is on the history of SNL by 594 00:34:27,800 --> 00:34:33,440 Speaker 1: Tom Shales and the History of SNL, which was done 595 00:34:33,480 --> 00:34:36,160 Speaker 1: I believe it was for the fortieth anniversary at the 596 00:34:36,280 --> 00:34:42,759 Speaker 1: time by Tom Shales and Andrew Miller and James, excuse me, 597 00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:46,560 Speaker 1: and James and Jim Miller, who's somebody I've known a 598 00:34:46,560 --> 00:34:48,880 Speaker 1: long time, sort of in the history of the TV business. 599 00:34:49,040 --> 00:34:51,960 Speaker 1: They also did the History of ESPN, which also was 600 00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:55,879 Speaker 1: a fun, little oral history of sort of ESPN's early 601 00:34:55,960 --> 00:34:58,440 Speaker 1: days in the late seventies and eighties and all the 602 00:34:58,480 --> 00:35:01,560 Speaker 1: different near misses for esp and both positive and negative. 603 00:35:02,480 --> 00:35:05,560 Speaker 1: So those were fun and oral histories that they're very 604 00:35:05,560 --> 00:35:09,440 Speaker 1: thick books, but oral histories you can read fast. And 605 00:35:09,480 --> 00:35:13,600 Speaker 1: if you're looking for some fiction older Karl Hyason is 606 00:35:13,640 --> 00:35:17,120 Speaker 1: a lot of fun. His new stuff's too political. It 607 00:35:17,160 --> 00:35:19,319 Speaker 1: won't give you the break that you're looking for. So 608 00:35:19,640 --> 00:35:22,000 Speaker 1: I have no idea whether I gave you good ideas 609 00:35:22,080 --> 00:35:25,680 Speaker 1: or not, whether it's anything that will entertain you there. 610 00:35:25,960 --> 00:35:30,000 Speaker 1: And I apologize for giving you older books, because all 611 00:35:30,040 --> 00:35:32,080 Speaker 1: the new stuff that I read is all history and 612 00:35:32,120 --> 00:35:36,640 Speaker 1: politics these days. All right. Next question, it's from Jim 613 00:35:36,800 --> 00:35:40,000 Speaker 1: in Tobahana, Pennsylvania. But he says, go Buffalo bills. Do 614 00:35:40,040 --> 00:35:42,319 Speaker 1: you anticipate there may be any modifications in the post 615 00:35:42,360 --> 00:35:47,799 Speaker 1: Trump era to limit executive power? Well, I hope so, 616 00:35:49,120 --> 00:35:53,279 Speaker 1: But I don't think anybody runs for president of a 617 00:35:53,320 --> 00:35:57,640 Speaker 1: major party nomination and then comes in and limits their 618 00:35:57,640 --> 00:36:02,440 Speaker 1: own power. Right, they'll say it. Joe Biden said he 619 00:36:02,440 --> 00:36:07,200 Speaker 1: would support, for instance, uh decreasing executive authority on the 620 00:36:07,239 --> 00:36:09,400 Speaker 1: More Powers Act and things like that. But did he 621 00:36:09,480 --> 00:36:14,399 Speaker 1: do it right? Did it actually happen. I think it's 622 00:36:14,440 --> 00:36:18,239 Speaker 1: going to take an outsider breaking up both parties for 623 00:36:18,280 --> 00:36:21,160 Speaker 1: a for a term or something like that that runs 624 00:36:21,200 --> 00:36:25,840 Speaker 1: on this and runs on sort of constitutional restoration of 625 00:36:26,520 --> 00:36:29,080 Speaker 1: the of the checks and balances. But I don't know 626 00:36:29,080 --> 00:36:31,200 Speaker 1: if the public is ready for a message like that yet. 627 00:36:32,480 --> 00:36:35,560 Speaker 1: I wish it were. I think this is desperately needed. 628 00:36:36,120 --> 00:36:39,439 Speaker 1: I think we're we're you know. I think this redistricting 629 00:36:40,560 --> 00:36:43,640 Speaker 1: knife fight that we're seeing between you know, best exemplified 630 00:36:43,640 --> 00:36:48,040 Speaker 1: by Texas and California, is a primal scream for a 631 00:36:48,120 --> 00:36:51,719 Speaker 1: constitutional convention. We really need to refresh the rules of 632 00:36:51,719 --> 00:36:55,480 Speaker 1: our democracy and rebuild some things here. Some of it 633 00:36:55,520 --> 00:36:58,080 Speaker 1: needs to be refreshed, some of it needs to be renewed, 634 00:36:58,120 --> 00:37:00,759 Speaker 1: and some of it needs to be subtracted. An attitude, right, 635 00:37:01,960 --> 00:37:04,600 Speaker 1: but we have a mess in our hands. It is 636 00:37:04,760 --> 00:37:09,240 Speaker 1: created the conditions that allow for somebody to hijack the government, 637 00:37:10,280 --> 00:37:12,759 Speaker 1: and that's what's been happened, right, it's, you know, a 638 00:37:12,800 --> 00:37:20,279 Speaker 1: cult of personality, reanimated a dying political party and was 639 00:37:20,320 --> 00:37:22,759 Speaker 1: able to shape it into his own vision. And it 640 00:37:22,800 --> 00:37:27,480 Speaker 1: is he has recreated a political machine without it without 641 00:37:27,480 --> 00:37:30,000 Speaker 1: an ideology. If anything, it's just a cult of personality. 642 00:37:30,840 --> 00:37:32,720 Speaker 1: You know, if you've ever read the history of Tammany 643 00:37:32,760 --> 00:37:35,239 Speaker 1: Hall or any of these party machines. Trump is trying 644 00:37:35,239 --> 00:37:39,880 Speaker 1: to essentially bring it back, bring back the political machine, 645 00:37:40,160 --> 00:37:45,759 Speaker 1: if you will, and Democrats might be you know, my 646 00:37:45,920 --> 00:37:50,400 Speaker 1: fear is that in reaction, Democrats sort of start behaving 647 00:37:50,719 --> 00:37:54,080 Speaker 1: like machine party themselves, right, and they're doing it now, 648 00:37:54,239 --> 00:38:00,160 Speaker 1: rallying around a bad idea like redistricting in California. You know, 649 00:38:00,280 --> 00:38:03,120 Speaker 1: when you're answer to disenfranchising voters in Texas is to 650 00:38:03,200 --> 00:38:05,960 Speaker 1: disenfranchised voters in California. And you want to be the 651 00:38:06,000 --> 00:38:09,120 Speaker 1: constitutional party, You want to be the adult in the room. 652 00:38:10,360 --> 00:38:14,680 Speaker 1: So I think there will be an appetite by some 653 00:38:14,880 --> 00:38:17,520 Speaker 1: to try to limit to try to sort of Trump 654 00:38:17,560 --> 00:38:22,000 Speaker 1: proof the presidency after he leaves, But a lot of 655 00:38:22,040 --> 00:38:24,880 Speaker 1: it depends on who replaces him and how he's replaced. 656 00:38:25,080 --> 00:38:30,040 Speaker 1: All right, I'll make this the final question here. This 657 00:38:30,120 --> 00:38:32,759 Speaker 1: comes from Marcus R. President Trump is attack pressured and 658 00:38:32,800 --> 00:38:37,400 Speaker 1: threatened federal employees, colleges, media organizations, corporations, foreign countries, state governments, 659 00:38:37,400 --> 00:38:40,640 Speaker 1: FESA holders, legal immigrants, and others with little to no 660 00:38:40,719 --> 00:38:44,000 Speaker 1: resistance or consequences. His attacks are often based on dubious 661 00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:47,200 Speaker 1: assertions or outright lies. It seems like he already has 662 00:38:47,239 --> 00:38:49,319 Speaker 1: the power of a king. What would stop him from 663 00:38:49,320 --> 00:38:51,680 Speaker 1: issuing an executive order stating that the Democratic Party is 664 00:38:51,680 --> 00:38:54,439 Speaker 1: a terrorist organization and all Democratic leaders have the choice 665 00:38:54,440 --> 00:38:57,080 Speaker 1: of switching to the Republican Party or be arrested. Based 666 00:38:57,120 --> 00:38:59,200 Speaker 1: on the previous responses from the Democratic Party leaders to 667 00:38:59,200 --> 00:39:01,440 Speaker 1: Trump's power grabs, it seems like they would fall apart, 668 00:39:01,480 --> 00:39:04,439 Speaker 1: like what toilet paper if that happened? Thank you? Well, look, 669 00:39:04,480 --> 00:39:06,600 Speaker 1: you get at sort of the dilemma that I think 670 00:39:07,080 --> 00:39:09,760 Speaker 1: the Trump resistance is running into. How do you push 671 00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:12,840 Speaker 1: back on this and do you use any means necessary 672 00:39:12,920 --> 00:39:17,520 Speaker 1: or do you try to continue to follow some form 673 00:39:17,600 --> 00:39:22,080 Speaker 1: of principles so that you can win the argument the 674 00:39:22,160 --> 00:39:27,720 Speaker 1: right way? And maybe it's easy for me to say, 675 00:39:27,840 --> 00:39:31,600 Speaker 1: you know, ends justifies the means, Well, you know this 676 00:39:31,680 --> 00:39:34,000 Speaker 1: is not going to end well, and I still don't 677 00:39:34,000 --> 00:39:39,759 Speaker 1: believe it ends well. If Donald Trump is able to 678 00:39:39,800 --> 00:39:45,600 Speaker 1: successfully radicalize both parties, that's troubling and that's my fear here. 679 00:39:45,640 --> 00:39:48,840 Speaker 1: And yet you're not wrong. I think the real problem 680 00:39:49,200 --> 00:39:51,239 Speaker 1: and the real reason why Trump is getting away with 681 00:39:51,280 --> 00:39:53,560 Speaker 1: more this term than he did the last term, is 682 00:39:53,600 --> 00:39:56,640 Speaker 1: that we're missing Republicans with spines. There were quite a 683 00:39:56,680 --> 00:39:59,919 Speaker 1: few Republicans that had working spines in the twenty seven 684 00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:03,320 Speaker 1: seen in twenty eighteen. There are no elected Republicans left 685 00:40:04,239 --> 00:40:08,560 Speaker 1: with a spine outside of Lisa Murkowski, right, I think 686 00:40:08,640 --> 00:40:14,120 Speaker 1: she's it. Maybe Spencer Cox in Utah, maybe so, maybe 687 00:40:14,120 --> 00:40:16,120 Speaker 1: the governor of Vermont has a spine, and Bill Scott. 688 00:40:16,640 --> 00:40:21,000 Speaker 1: But for the most part, right, there's no Republican pushback 689 00:40:21,320 --> 00:40:27,080 Speaker 1: because the Republican pushback gave the Democratic pushback legitimacy. Right, 690 00:40:27,480 --> 00:40:30,920 Speaker 1: It gave cover to corporate leaders to feel as if 691 00:40:30,920 --> 00:40:35,640 Speaker 1: they were being above politics by pushing back. And you know, 692 00:40:35,960 --> 00:40:43,320 Speaker 1: Trump basically crying bias and partisanship at every criticism has 693 00:40:43,520 --> 00:40:48,080 Speaker 1: effectively neutered critics, the non political critics, and now the 694 00:40:48,120 --> 00:40:52,680 Speaker 1: Democrats are alone in criticizing, right. It's a that's a 695 00:40:52,800 --> 00:40:54,319 Speaker 1: I guess to catch twenty two if you want to 696 00:40:54,560 --> 00:40:57,880 Speaker 1: use that metaphor. But it certainly, I think is a 697 00:40:57,920 --> 00:41:03,080 Speaker 1: problem that the real, I mean, the real failure of 698 00:41:03,120 --> 00:41:06,880 Speaker 1: accountability on Trump is his own party, right you know 699 00:41:06,960 --> 00:41:10,440 Speaker 1: that the Democrats can only do so much here, they 700 00:41:10,440 --> 00:41:13,960 Speaker 1: were more The reason there was successful pushback of Trump 701 00:41:14,080 --> 00:41:17,560 Speaker 1: in eighteen is that it was bipartisan. It was coming 702 00:41:17,600 --> 00:41:21,120 Speaker 1: from a multiple corners, you know, obviously more from one 703 00:41:21,160 --> 00:41:25,520 Speaker 1: spot than the other. But you know, I don't see 704 00:41:25,560 --> 00:41:28,200 Speaker 1: any new List Cheney's walking through that door. I don't 705 00:41:28,200 --> 00:41:30,880 Speaker 1: see any new Bob Corker's walking through that door. I 706 00:41:30,880 --> 00:41:33,120 Speaker 1: don't see any new Jeff Flake's walking through that door. 707 00:41:35,800 --> 00:41:40,759 Speaker 1: So it's I think that's I think that's why it 708 00:41:40,760 --> 00:41:44,560 Speaker 1: feels like the Democrats don't know what to do. It 709 00:41:44,680 --> 00:41:48,560 Speaker 1: is also a party that's just a mess right now. 710 00:41:49,280 --> 00:41:51,480 Speaker 1: I mean, you've seen it. It's you know this is 711 00:41:51,560 --> 00:41:53,960 Speaker 1: this goes back to and my last substack got into this, 712 00:41:54,040 --> 00:41:59,279 Speaker 1: but you know it, the party was so convinced that 713 00:41:59,440 --> 00:42:02,160 Speaker 1: demographs were on their side. It's almost as if they 714 00:42:02,280 --> 00:42:04,960 Speaker 1: decided they didn't need to have to worry about what 715 00:42:05,120 --> 00:42:09,920 Speaker 1: voters thought of them because the demographics were going to 716 00:42:10,000 --> 00:42:14,120 Speaker 1: overcome any messaging problems that they would have. But you know, 717 00:42:14,160 --> 00:42:17,759 Speaker 1: when you lose two and a half million voter registrations 718 00:42:17,800 --> 00:42:20,000 Speaker 1: in four years while the other party gains two and 719 00:42:20,000 --> 00:42:23,640 Speaker 1: a half million voter registrations, right, You've lost. You've lost 720 00:42:23,640 --> 00:42:28,200 Speaker 1: the plot on this front. I think it's I'm shocked 721 00:42:28,280 --> 00:42:30,279 Speaker 1: that there has not been a bigger house cleaning of 722 00:42:30,280 --> 00:42:34,879 Speaker 1: democratic leadership. I'm shocked that there's not been more innovative 723 00:42:35,400 --> 00:42:40,000 Speaker 1: ideas try you know more. I'm shocked at the at 724 00:42:40,000 --> 00:42:43,200 Speaker 1: the you know, I think the reason Gavin Newsom has 725 00:42:43,239 --> 00:42:44,959 Speaker 1: sort of filled the void for the moment is nobody 726 00:42:45,000 --> 00:42:48,799 Speaker 1: else is filling the void. But I'm not sure that's 727 00:42:48,840 --> 00:42:52,480 Speaker 1: the answer. But maybe I'm wrong, Maybe I'm the one 728 00:42:52,480 --> 00:42:57,560 Speaker 1: that's out of touch. But I think that if the 729 00:42:57,719 --> 00:43:04,080 Speaker 1: answer to an undemomocratic, unconstitutional movement is not to throw 730 00:43:04,120 --> 00:43:09,200 Speaker 1: away democratic principles and throw away constitutional ideals, I just 731 00:43:09,280 --> 00:43:12,160 Speaker 1: think the long term consequences of that it sort of 732 00:43:12,640 --> 00:43:16,440 Speaker 1: I think it accelerates our decline and accelerates the possibility 733 00:43:16,440 --> 00:43:20,400 Speaker 1: that would lose the republic. I think you got to 734 00:43:20,440 --> 00:43:24,200 Speaker 1: give the voters something to fight for. If everything is 735 00:43:24,360 --> 00:43:28,880 Speaker 1: becomes purely transactional, which in some ways the Democrats are 736 00:43:28,920 --> 00:43:32,840 Speaker 1: accepting that premise, right, if you accept the premise that 737 00:43:32,880 --> 00:43:37,440 Speaker 1: this is the only rule that matters, you know that 738 00:43:37,960 --> 00:43:43,480 Speaker 1: that is how that is how democracies crumble, right, That's 739 00:43:43,600 --> 00:43:47,960 Speaker 1: essentially what Turkey is. Yeah, it's a democracy sort of, 740 00:43:49,120 --> 00:43:53,960 Speaker 1: you know, but it's just that sort of. And by 741 00:43:54,000 --> 00:43:58,279 Speaker 1: the way, everything's gotten worse than Turkey everything, so it 742 00:43:58,320 --> 00:44:00,520 Speaker 1: hasn't been good for them to be this sort of 743 00:44:01,000 --> 00:44:04,000 Speaker 1: democratic authoritarianism that they've been under, which is kind of 744 00:44:04,000 --> 00:44:09,919 Speaker 1: what Trump's trying to create, right, authoritarianism with democratic sort 745 00:44:09,920 --> 00:44:15,719 Speaker 1: of support, if you will, smalldy. But I think you're 746 00:44:15,800 --> 00:44:19,440 Speaker 1: right to be concerned about what Trump will do. I 747 00:44:19,600 --> 00:44:22,799 Speaker 1: just you know, I do think that lived experience will 748 00:44:23,000 --> 00:44:29,040 Speaker 1: still trump everything else, and if everybody's paying more to 749 00:44:29,120 --> 00:44:33,520 Speaker 1: get by, it does. I don't know how many indictments 750 00:44:33,560 --> 00:44:35,879 Speaker 1: or proclamations he can put out. I don't know if 751 00:44:35,880 --> 00:44:38,600 Speaker 1: he can win that, you know, if he can overcome 752 00:44:38,640 --> 00:44:43,680 Speaker 1: that obstacle. All right with that, I hope do you? 753 00:44:44,040 --> 00:44:46,600 Speaker 1: This is for some of you, the last week before 754 00:44:46,600 --> 00:44:49,640 Speaker 1: the big big September push. For others, it's a back 755 00:44:49,680 --> 00:44:52,840 Speaker 1: to school week for quite a few, particularly on the 756 00:44:52,920 --> 00:44:56,319 Speaker 1: university level classes. If it didn't start last week. Just 757 00:44:56,360 --> 00:45:00,640 Speaker 1: about everything else starts this week, So with that, I 758 00:45:00,680 --> 00:45:03,279 Speaker 1: will take a rest for forty eight hours and see 759 00:45:03,280 --> 00:45:07,359 Speaker 1: you on Wednesday. M m hmmm mm hmm