1 00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:20,995 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio, the 2 00:00:21,115 --> 00:00:23,835 Speaker 1: trial in a moment, and the rare opportunity for me 3 00:00:23,955 --> 00:00:27,275 Speaker 1: to say I told you so about something legal. But first, 4 00:00:27,275 --> 00:00:30,835 Speaker 1: it is becoming increasingly obvious that Trump and the authoritarians 5 00:00:31,035 --> 00:00:34,875 Speaker 1: seeking to overthrow democracy in the United States and install 6 00:00:34,955 --> 00:00:37,355 Speaker 1: him as a dictator for life and then enact the 7 00:00:37,395 --> 00:00:41,915 Speaker 1: equivalent of ethnic cleansing, have made the choice to let 8 00:00:41,995 --> 00:00:46,315 Speaker 1: everybody know in advance that they are seeking to overthrow 9 00:00:46,395 --> 00:00:48,715 Speaker 1: the democracy in the United States and install him as 10 00:00:48,715 --> 00:00:51,595 Speaker 1: a dictator and then enact the equivalent of ethnic cleansing. 11 00:00:53,595 --> 00:00:58,115 Speaker 1: You may recall Trump summoning most of the fossil fuel 12 00:00:58,155 --> 00:01:01,835 Speaker 1: industry of this nation to Mari Lago in April and 13 00:01:01,995 --> 00:01:06,435 Speaker 1: essentially demanding that they put one billion dollars into his 14 00:01:06,595 --> 00:01:10,995 Speaker 1: campaign so that he can get elected and then eliminate 15 00:01:11,075 --> 00:01:14,155 Speaker 1: virtually all of the restrictions on their businesses as they 16 00:01:14,195 --> 00:01:20,355 Speaker 1: try to destroy the planet faster now. The Washington Post 17 00:01:20,395 --> 00:01:23,835 Speaker 1: reports that early this month, he summoned most of the 18 00:01:23,995 --> 00:01:28,075 Speaker 1: big money non gas donors to the Republicans and other 19 00:01:28,155 --> 00:01:32,955 Speaker 1: fascists to the Pierre Hotel here in New York, around 20 00:01:33,035 --> 00:01:37,435 Speaker 1: the corner from me, and there was essentially demanding that 21 00:01:37,475 --> 00:01:41,115 Speaker 1: they increase their donations by a factor of twenty five 22 00:01:41,355 --> 00:01:45,715 Speaker 1: or fifty times so he can eliminate virtually all taxes 23 00:01:46,075 --> 00:01:53,075 Speaker 1: on their businesses and their personal incomes. One businessman Trump 24 00:01:53,155 --> 00:01:56,235 Speaker 1: told them had offered him a donation of a million 25 00:01:56,315 --> 00:02:01,795 Speaker 1: dollars in exchange for lunch. The Posts sources quoted Trump 26 00:02:01,875 --> 00:02:05,035 Speaker 1: is replying, I'm not having lunch. You've got to make 27 00:02:05,075 --> 00:02:09,315 Speaker 1: it twenty five million. Then there was the other would 28 00:02:09,355 --> 00:02:11,795 Speaker 1: be donor, who normally gave two to three million. 29 00:02:12,315 --> 00:02:12,675 Speaker 2: Quote. 30 00:02:12,675 --> 00:02:15,275 Speaker 1: He told the donor that he wanted a twenty five 31 00:02:15,355 --> 00:02:18,995 Speaker 1: million dollar or fifty million dollar contribution or he would 32 00:02:19,035 --> 00:02:24,475 Speaker 1: not be quote very happy. Quote The tax cuts all 33 00:02:24,555 --> 00:02:28,515 Speaker 1: expire for wealthy and poor and middle income and everybody else, 34 00:02:29,195 --> 00:02:32,835 Speaker 1: he told the coven at the Pierre, According to the 35 00:02:32,955 --> 00:02:37,115 Speaker 1: Washington Post, But they expire in another seven months, and 36 00:02:37,235 --> 00:02:39,995 Speaker 1: Biden's not going to renew them, which means taxes are 37 00:02:39,995 --> 00:02:42,715 Speaker 1: going to go up by four times. You're going to 38 00:02:42,755 --> 00:02:49,715 Speaker 1: have the biggest tax increase in history. It's blackmail. Give 39 00:02:49,755 --> 00:02:52,915 Speaker 1: me the money I want twenty five times or fifty 40 00:02:52,955 --> 00:02:55,515 Speaker 1: times as much as you plan to give me, or 41 00:02:55,595 --> 00:03:00,715 Speaker 1: else is this legal. Of course, it's not legal. What 42 00:03:00,755 --> 00:03:03,755 Speaker 1: does legal mean to Trump? At this point? If he 43 00:03:03,955 --> 00:03:09,195 Speaker 1: loses the election, he might as well enact the original 44 00:03:09,275 --> 00:03:14,035 Speaker 1: outcome to the novel on which House of Cards was based, 45 00:03:14,315 --> 00:03:18,075 Speaker 1: and go up to the roof somewhere and light himself 46 00:03:18,155 --> 00:03:24,275 Speaker 1: on fire and jump off. The Washington Post quoted campaign 47 00:03:24,355 --> 00:03:27,915 Speaker 1: finance lawyers who say Trump was technically allowed to ask 48 00:03:27,995 --> 00:03:35,435 Speaker 1: these donors for contributions of thirty three hundred dollars or less. Well, 49 00:03:35,435 --> 00:03:42,915 Speaker 1: he's close only fifty million. The quid pro quo is 50 00:03:43,035 --> 00:03:47,435 Speaker 1: in Trump's blood. It's why he's on trial. It is 51 00:03:47,515 --> 00:03:50,715 Speaker 1: the through line of his relationship with Michael Cohen and 52 00:03:50,835 --> 00:03:54,675 Speaker 1: Stormy Daniels. It's why he was impeached over Ukraine. It 53 00:03:54,795 --> 00:03:58,195 Speaker 1: was the premise of January sixth. It is why he 54 00:03:58,355 --> 00:04:01,755 Speaker 1: is running a pre sale on the environment for one 55 00:04:01,955 --> 00:04:05,595 Speaker 1: billion dollars. It is why he will tell you lower 56 00:04:05,715 --> 00:04:12,035 Speaker 1: taxes for fifty million dollars a plate. It's why, of course, 57 00:04:12,035 --> 00:04:15,235 Speaker 1: he doesn't care if anybody knows, because if it works, 58 00:04:15,435 --> 00:04:18,675 Speaker 1: exactly who is going to prosecute him for blackmail and 59 00:04:18,715 --> 00:04:21,635 Speaker 1: corruption and quid pro quos? And if it doesn't work, 60 00:04:22,555 --> 00:04:25,275 Speaker 1: there are a whole lot of buildings he can jump off, 61 00:04:25,435 --> 00:04:30,875 Speaker 1: many of which have his own name on them. If 62 00:04:30,875 --> 00:04:38,635 Speaker 1: this unvarnished, unrestrained, undeniable corruption, we're not obvious enough. If 63 00:04:38,715 --> 00:04:41,755 Speaker 1: it were not obvious enough that Trump just doesn't give 64 00:04:41,835 --> 00:04:45,115 Speaker 1: a shit anymore, You're not gonna shame him, You're not 65 00:04:45,155 --> 00:04:47,675 Speaker 1: going to restrain him, You're not going to prosecute him. 66 00:04:47,875 --> 00:04:52,595 Speaker 1: He's decided it's us or him. There's the second part 67 00:04:52,595 --> 00:04:59,155 Speaker 1: to this. Trump reposted or posted a video, another one 68 00:04:59,195 --> 00:05:04,275 Speaker 1: of these fig leaf deniable Reich videos. He didn't make 69 00:05:04,315 --> 00:05:11,475 Speaker 1: the video, he just posted the video. In it, a 70 00:05:11,595 --> 00:05:17,715 Speaker 1: man encounters at a New York apparently airport Joe Scarborough. 71 00:05:18,755 --> 00:05:22,875 Speaker 1: He rolls his phone camera and he starts swearing at 72 00:05:22,955 --> 00:05:28,595 Speaker 1: Joe Scarborough for twenty three seconds, complete with a bad 73 00:05:28,755 --> 00:05:32,755 Speaker 1: New York accent. Now, look, who am I to judge? 74 00:05:32,995 --> 00:05:38,875 Speaker 1: We've all done this. And Scarborough tried to mainstream Trump, 75 00:05:39,275 --> 00:05:42,835 Speaker 1: and he coached Trump before the debates in twenty sixteen, 76 00:05:43,035 --> 00:05:47,035 Speaker 1: and he only stopped and suddenly found God when Trump 77 00:05:47,035 --> 00:05:50,075 Speaker 1: did not pick him to be his vice president, or 78 00:05:50,155 --> 00:05:53,075 Speaker 1: Scarborough would be out there at the trial supporting Trump. 79 00:05:53,715 --> 00:05:57,515 Speaker 1: And Scarborough thus long ago forfeited the usual rules about 80 00:05:57,555 --> 00:06:04,075 Speaker 1: deserving that minimal level of decorum in public. So he 81 00:06:04,195 --> 00:06:07,475 Speaker 1: got screamed at with swear words for twenty three seconds 82 00:06:07,475 --> 00:06:09,755 Speaker 1: by this guy. And by the way, the assumption is 83 00:06:09,795 --> 00:06:12,195 Speaker 1: it's a guy. But to me, go listen to the 84 00:06:12,235 --> 00:06:14,715 Speaker 1: tape you judge for yourself. To me, it sounded like 85 00:06:14,795 --> 00:06:20,355 Speaker 1: Judge Janine Piro from Fox but who knows, and swearing 86 00:06:20,395 --> 00:06:25,075 Speaker 1: at Scarborough. But the lunatic then branched out. And this 87 00:06:25,275 --> 00:06:31,395 Speaker 1: is the point. Quoting quote again mildly correcting quote, He'll 88 00:06:31,395 --> 00:06:35,035 Speaker 1: get rid of all you efing liberals. You liberals are 89 00:06:35,155 --> 00:06:38,915 Speaker 1: gone when he e fing wins, You e fing blowjob 90 00:06:39,035 --> 00:06:45,715 Speaker 1: liberals are done. Uncle Buny's gonna take this election. Landslide, landslide, 91 00:06:45,795 --> 00:06:49,995 Speaker 1: You fing half a blowjob landslide. Get the f out 92 00:06:49,995 --> 00:06:56,995 Speaker 1: of here, you scumbag unquote. Watch that guy wind up 93 00:06:56,995 --> 00:07:00,355 Speaker 1: as Secretary of State. The point, of course, is that 94 00:07:00,395 --> 00:07:03,835 Speaker 1: Trump posted that video and he can come up with 95 00:07:03,875 --> 00:07:07,075 Speaker 1: any excuse he Oh, I thought it was funny. Oh, 96 00:07:07,115 --> 00:07:10,635 Speaker 1: it's just criticism of Joe Scarborough. Oh I didn't look 97 00:07:10,675 --> 00:07:15,115 Speaker 1: at it as that I didn't make that video. He 98 00:07:15,275 --> 00:07:19,435 Speaker 1: is as responsible for that as if somebody verbally assaulted 99 00:07:19,915 --> 00:07:23,475 Speaker 1: I don't know Jesse Waters in a video? Does Jesse 100 00:07:23,555 --> 00:07:26,075 Speaker 1: Waters recognize his own name if it's yelled at it 101 00:07:26,515 --> 00:07:29,835 Speaker 1: on the streets? He yells at Jesse Waters in a video, 102 00:07:29,915 --> 00:07:33,155 Speaker 1: promises Biden is going to purge Jesse Waters and his 103 00:07:33,235 --> 00:07:38,235 Speaker 1: family and his supporters, and then Biden posted the video 104 00:07:38,395 --> 00:07:41,875 Speaker 1: on his accounts on social media. It is the most 105 00:07:42,555 --> 00:07:48,475 Speaker 1: rapidly efficiently worn out cliche of our century. But truly, 106 00:07:48,555 --> 00:07:50,515 Speaker 1: what would be happening right now if Joe Biden had 107 00:07:50,555 --> 00:07:54,315 Speaker 1: posted some kind of video like the Trump Scarborough video. 108 00:07:55,875 --> 00:07:58,915 Speaker 1: If that had happened, the New York Times headquarters would 109 00:07:58,915 --> 00:08:03,755 Speaker 1: be the first building in human history to faint from 110 00:08:03,795 --> 00:08:10,355 Speaker 1: the vapors. And obviously Biden would not post that hypothetical 111 00:08:10,435 --> 00:08:14,555 Speaker 1: video because his campaign is not an ever increasingly criminal 112 00:08:14,595 --> 00:08:19,515 Speaker 1: plot to extort money from donors and pedal all the 113 00:08:19,595 --> 00:08:23,435 Speaker 1: influence he has and trade tax cuts for political contributions, 114 00:08:23,595 --> 00:08:25,875 Speaker 1: and sell the right to destroy the planet to oil 115 00:08:25,915 --> 00:08:29,075 Speaker 1: executives who apparently get signed kind of bonus if they 116 00:08:29,155 --> 00:08:31,635 Speaker 1: kill all of us by the year twenty thirty instead 117 00:08:31,635 --> 00:08:36,555 Speaker 1: of merely the year twenty thirty five. I have been 118 00:08:36,635 --> 00:08:40,035 Speaker 1: arguing since the year twenty sixteen that the essence of 119 00:08:40,075 --> 00:08:45,115 Speaker 1: the Trump campaign, the Trump zeitgeist. The essence of Trump 120 00:08:45,595 --> 00:08:49,315 Speaker 1: has been hit Larian. Not that he would take the 121 00:08:49,395 --> 00:08:52,555 Speaker 1: oath of office and then open concentration camps a half 122 00:08:52,595 --> 00:08:54,915 Speaker 1: an hour later, Not that I was comparing him to 123 00:08:54,995 --> 00:08:59,555 Speaker 1: Hitler nineteen forty two, but that the point of Trump 124 00:09:00,235 --> 00:09:05,555 Speaker 1: is to help one part of the country metaphor or 125 00:09:05,675 --> 00:09:12,355 Speaker 1: literally kill the other half of the country. When you say, 126 00:09:12,435 --> 00:09:15,515 Speaker 1: as Trump has said, the immigrants are poisoning the blood 127 00:09:15,675 --> 00:09:19,315 Speaker 1: of the nation. When you say, as Trump has said, 128 00:09:19,355 --> 00:09:23,595 Speaker 1: his enemies are vermin and you will remove them, and 129 00:09:23,635 --> 00:09:26,755 Speaker 1: you will use the military, and you will also immunize 130 00:09:26,835 --> 00:09:29,875 Speaker 1: the cops. So guess what. Then you could use the 131 00:09:29,915 --> 00:09:33,275 Speaker 1: cops too, and you will do it quickly. First thing, 132 00:09:33,555 --> 00:09:37,195 Speaker 1: and you will decide who is an immigrant. Guess what? 133 00:09:37,195 --> 00:09:41,035 Speaker 1: What you are building to is an ethnic cleansing of 134 00:09:41,075 --> 00:09:45,355 Speaker 1: the United States of America, only the ethnic definitions are 135 00:09:45,435 --> 00:09:50,795 Speaker 1: kind of fluid. Step one, purge all the immigrants. Step two, 136 00:09:51,475 --> 00:09:56,235 Speaker 1: declare that all of your political opponents are immigrants. It's 137 00:09:56,355 --> 00:10:02,395 Speaker 1: just a word. You could purge. I don't know people 138 00:10:02,395 --> 00:10:05,355 Speaker 1: who look like Swiss cheese. And and then declare that 139 00:10:05,435 --> 00:10:09,715 Speaker 1: all of your political opponents look like Swiss cheese. The 140 00:10:09,875 --> 00:10:14,635 Speaker 1: only thing knew about this is that most of Trump's 141 00:10:14,675 --> 00:10:21,275 Speaker 1: predecessors on this list, Hitler, Mussolini, Mao, Paul Pott, they 142 00:10:21,875 --> 00:10:25,275 Speaker 1: tried to fool some of the people some of the 143 00:10:25,355 --> 00:10:31,395 Speaker 1: time before revealing their final solutions. Trump is not only 144 00:10:31,515 --> 00:10:36,035 Speaker 1: revealing it. He's not only posting it in videos that 145 00:10:36,155 --> 00:10:41,675 Speaker 1: mock Joe Scarborough. He's not only doing that. But if 146 00:10:41,715 --> 00:10:45,995 Speaker 1: you give him a billion dollars, he'll say, would you 147 00:10:46,235 --> 00:11:15,675 Speaker 1: like to have naming rights to the final solution? Okay? 148 00:11:15,755 --> 00:11:20,355 Speaker 1: Final statements at the trial and ironically, as an aside, 149 00:11:20,395 --> 00:11:22,915 Speaker 1: reading of Trump threatening donors at the Pierre Hotel, which 150 00:11:22,955 --> 00:11:26,955 Speaker 1: I walk past every day every day. I once had 151 00:11:27,195 --> 00:11:30,515 Speaker 1: an hour long staring contest with Bill O'Reilly at a 152 00:11:30,635 --> 00:11:34,155 Speaker 1: charity event inside the Pierre Hotel, reading of him there, 153 00:11:34,555 --> 00:11:37,235 Speaker 1: Reading of him at Mary Lago offering to sell all 154 00:11:37,275 --> 00:11:42,155 Speaker 1: the remaining oxygen for a billion dollars. I think less 155 00:11:42,195 --> 00:11:45,915 Speaker 1: of Hitler and Paul pod and those and more of 156 00:11:45,955 --> 00:11:52,235 Speaker 1: the movie The Untouchables and the Al Capone baseball bat 157 00:11:52,395 --> 00:11:57,475 Speaker 1: scene where Capone in formal attire is meeting with his 158 00:11:57,555 --> 00:12:03,475 Speaker 1: henchmen at a formal dinner and talking about enthusiasms like 159 00:12:03,675 --> 00:12:08,915 Speaker 1: baseball and good teamwork like in baseball. And the next thing, you, oh, 160 00:12:09,115 --> 00:12:12,835 Speaker 1: he's beating in the skull of the character played by 161 00:12:12,915 --> 00:12:17,675 Speaker 1: John Rocky with a baseball bat. And oh yeah, who 162 00:12:17,755 --> 00:12:20,075 Speaker 1: is it that Trump keeps referencing when he boasts about 163 00:12:20,115 --> 00:12:24,675 Speaker 1: how often he's been indicted al Capone? And who is 164 00:12:24,675 --> 00:12:26,235 Speaker 1: it again, who plays. 165 00:12:25,995 --> 00:12:30,555 Speaker 2: Al Capone in the movie The Untouchables. That's right, Robert 166 00:12:30,595 --> 00:12:35,795 Speaker 2: de Niro, who went to the courthouse yesterday and spoke 167 00:12:35,835 --> 00:12:41,315 Speaker 2: out vividly against Trump on Biden's behalf, on America's behalf, 168 00:12:41,435 --> 00:12:47,995 Speaker 2: on Freedom's behalf, and broke all the Republicans. They declared 169 00:12:48,035 --> 00:12:52,715 Speaker 2: he was washed up despite the Oscar nomination this year, 170 00:12:54,515 --> 00:12:58,435 Speaker 2: because the other key to enabling Trump's ethnic more or 171 00:12:58,515 --> 00:13:01,435 Speaker 2: less cleansing of this country is to insist that everybody 172 00:13:01,515 --> 00:13:05,315 Speaker 2: but you and Trump are doing it. On Fox yesterday, 173 00:13:05,395 --> 00:13:10,315 Speaker 2: after De Niro swore at Trump and Maga scum in public, 174 00:13:10,595 --> 00:13:15,555 Speaker 2: Dana Perino, who, until the invention of Kaylee Mcananey, was 175 00:13:15,675 --> 00:13:20,755 Speaker 2: easily the dumbest Press secretary in White House history, Dana 176 00:13:20,875 --> 00:13:24,635 Speaker 2: Perino actually said that de Niro had been sent by 177 00:13:24,755 --> 00:13:28,715 Speaker 2: quote the campaign to do a speech across the street 178 00:13:28,755 --> 00:13:32,435 Speaker 2: from the jury trial. I actually think that they could 179 00:13:32,515 --> 00:13:36,275 Speaker 2: probably file a lawsuit about that, because I think it 180 00:13:36,315 --> 00:13:39,435 Speaker 2: is against the law, that it's against the rights of 181 00:13:39,515 --> 00:13:43,435 Speaker 2: the defendant and of the former president, and it's tampering 182 00:13:43,475 --> 00:13:48,315 Speaker 2: with the jury. Trump bringing the Speaker of the House 183 00:13:49,155 --> 00:13:52,515 Speaker 2: and half a dozen Senators and half a dozen congressmen 184 00:13:52,675 --> 00:13:55,755 Speaker 2: into the courthouse, not across the street, but into the 185 00:13:55,755 --> 00:13:59,115 Speaker 2: courthouse several at a time every day of the trial, 186 00:13:59,195 --> 00:14:05,515 Speaker 2: that's fine. Robert de Niro holding a news conference outside, 187 00:14:05,715 --> 00:14:11,915 Speaker 2: that's against the law. Because simpletons like Dana Perino really 188 00:14:12,075 --> 00:14:15,675 Speaker 2: think like that, and it's not complicated why they think 189 00:14:15,795 --> 00:14:16,035 Speaker 2: like that. 190 00:14:16,635 --> 00:14:20,675 Speaker 1: They are right. Therefore, the laws are there to protect 191 00:14:20,715 --> 00:14:26,715 Speaker 1: them and to punish you. Doesn't matter if it's oh, 192 00:14:26,755 --> 00:14:30,155 Speaker 1: going around a formal dining room with a baseball bat, legal, 193 00:14:30,195 --> 00:14:34,755 Speaker 1: if it's Republicans, not legal, if it's Democrats more or 194 00:14:34,875 --> 00:14:37,595 Speaker 1: less at the same hour that Dana Perino was saying that, 195 00:14:38,115 --> 00:14:40,995 Speaker 1: and think about how many things she clearly doesn't understand 196 00:14:40,995 --> 00:14:45,715 Speaker 1: about the United States of America, more or less at 197 00:14:45,715 --> 00:14:49,955 Speaker 1: that same hour, Hogan Gidley, the Trump spokesman who either 198 00:14:49,995 --> 00:14:53,275 Speaker 1: has a really bad wig that he bought at Woolworth's 199 00:14:54,315 --> 00:14:57,635 Speaker 1: or was never taught by his dad how to comb 200 00:14:57,675 --> 00:15:02,275 Speaker 1: his real hair. Hogan Gidley was on CNN upbraiding Jake 201 00:15:02,355 --> 00:15:06,755 Speaker 1: Tapper because Jake Tapper had noted that Judge Eileen Cannon 202 00:15:07,315 --> 00:15:10,595 Speaker 1: was appointed by Trump, but he did not also note 203 00:15:10,595 --> 00:15:14,395 Speaker 1: that Judge Juan mere Shaan once donated to the Biden campaign, 204 00:15:15,075 --> 00:15:17,995 Speaker 1: and to his credit, Tapper replied, yeah, I think he 205 00:15:18,035 --> 00:15:20,035 Speaker 1: gave like thirty five bucks to get a T shirt 206 00:15:20,075 --> 00:15:24,435 Speaker 1: for his daughter, and Hogan Gidley smiled with great satisfaction, 207 00:15:26,515 --> 00:15:33,675 Speaker 1: because this is how they think one judge corrupt, clearly stalling, 208 00:15:34,715 --> 00:15:37,435 Speaker 1: stalling so much. She may actually have stalled too much 209 00:15:37,595 --> 00:15:41,235 Speaker 1: and may get herself removed from that trial, probably not 210 00:15:41,355 --> 00:15:43,675 Speaker 1: in time, but she may get herself removed from that 211 00:15:43,835 --> 00:15:49,195 Speaker 1: trial and sanctioned by the judges above her. Was appointed 212 00:15:49,235 --> 00:15:52,555 Speaker 1: by Trump and the other judge once donated thirty five dollars. 213 00:15:52,555 --> 00:15:55,835 Speaker 1: That's the same thing to them. Because it is illegal 214 00:15:56,155 --> 00:16:01,155 Speaker 1: to oppose Trump, it is illegal to contradict Trump, it 215 00:16:01,235 --> 00:16:05,075 Speaker 1: is illegal to work against Trump, and if it isn't, 216 00:16:06,555 --> 00:16:14,315 Speaker 1: it will be. That's the idea I said. This part 217 00:16:14,355 --> 00:16:18,955 Speaker 1: was about the trial itself, with jury's who knows, But 218 00:16:19,035 --> 00:16:21,195 Speaker 1: I will point out that on May fourteenth, I noted 219 00:16:21,195 --> 00:16:24,915 Speaker 1: the defense's self congratulatory insistence that they had blown up 220 00:16:24,955 --> 00:16:29,075 Speaker 1: Michael Cohen because they insisted a critical call from Cohen 221 00:16:29,715 --> 00:16:33,115 Speaker 1: to the phone of Trump bouncer Keith Schiller on October 222 00:16:33,115 --> 00:16:36,595 Speaker 1: twenty four, twenty sixteen, could not have included questions about 223 00:16:36,875 --> 00:16:40,195 Speaker 1: Harrison calls and the latest on the payments to Stormy Daniels, 224 00:16:40,915 --> 00:16:42,715 Speaker 1: That the call was less than two minutes, that Cohen 225 00:16:42,755 --> 00:16:45,435 Speaker 1: could not have talked about two different things to Shiller 226 00:16:45,755 --> 00:16:48,595 Speaker 1: and to Trump in just that span of time. I 227 00:16:48,715 --> 00:16:52,995 Speaker 1: noted that day. The last part is nonsense. I once 228 00:16:53,155 --> 00:16:57,435 Speaker 1: fired my business manager and my agent in one phone call. 229 00:16:57,755 --> 00:17:02,835 Speaker 1: They were both on that including the pleasantries, lasted thirty 230 00:17:03,275 --> 00:17:09,755 Speaker 1: six seconds. So sure enough, what does Prosecutor Joshua Steinlass 231 00:17:09,795 --> 00:17:12,395 Speaker 1: do in his closing argument to the jury yesterday? Per 232 00:17:12,435 --> 00:17:15,155 Speaker 1: The New York Times, Steinlass just started a timer and 233 00:17:15,195 --> 00:17:18,515 Speaker 1: pretended to have the exact same conversation, adding plenty of 234 00:17:18,515 --> 00:17:21,035 Speaker 1: asides and silences as he played the role of Cohen 235 00:17:21,435 --> 00:17:24,835 Speaker 1: talking first to Schiller and then to Trump. The call 236 00:17:24,875 --> 00:17:27,795 Speaker 1: felt as if it lasted a long time. But when 237 00:17:27,835 --> 00:17:32,315 Speaker 1: Steinlass stopped the timer. It had only been about forty 238 00:17:32,435 --> 00:17:36,395 Speaker 1: nine seconds, about as long as the call in question. 239 00:17:36,755 --> 00:17:40,155 Speaker 1: The point he was seeking to illustrate was simple that 240 00:17:40,195 --> 00:17:42,915 Speaker 1: Cohen could have easily talked to both men just like 241 00:17:43,035 --> 00:17:47,595 Speaker 1: he testified. This was a real piece of showmanship, clever 242 00:17:47,915 --> 00:17:50,595 Speaker 1: and useful at the same time. Moments like these show 243 00:17:50,675 --> 00:17:54,595 Speaker 1: Steinlass's experience as a longtime trial lawyer who can lean 244 00:17:54,635 --> 00:17:58,515 Speaker 1: into the innate theatricality of the role. Jonah Bromwich, New 245 00:17:58,555 --> 00:18:05,915 Speaker 1: York Times Tall JISSEU no idea what the jury will do. 246 00:18:06,555 --> 00:18:10,475 Speaker 1: I know one of Trump's old attorneys was on TV 247 00:18:10,555 --> 00:18:13,435 Speaker 1: and rolled his eyes at much of the Trump closing arguments. 248 00:18:13,955 --> 00:18:17,155 Speaker 1: I know Trump's lawyer violated all the rules of the 249 00:18:17,155 --> 00:18:19,115 Speaker 1: court and told the jury it could not send Trump 250 00:18:19,115 --> 00:18:21,315 Speaker 1: to jail on Cohen's testimony, when this is not the 251 00:18:21,435 --> 00:18:24,315 Speaker 1: jury that would decide if he goes to jail. The 252 00:18:24,435 --> 00:18:27,995 Speaker 1: judge insisted that the lawyer did that deliberately. I don't 253 00:18:27,995 --> 00:18:32,835 Speaker 1: know how you unhear that you can't desclare a mistrial 254 00:18:32,955 --> 00:18:38,355 Speaker 1: in favor of the prosecution. And I do know lawyers 255 00:18:38,555 --> 00:18:41,835 Speaker 1: keep pointing out the crux of this that Trump confessed 256 00:18:41,995 --> 00:18:48,515 Speaker 1: elsewhere to paying Cohen to pay Daniels. And I also 257 00:18:48,595 --> 00:18:50,875 Speaker 1: know that if I were Bob de Niro and I 258 00:18:50,995 --> 00:18:53,795 Speaker 1: was going to speak outside the Trump courthouse about scum 259 00:18:53,955 --> 00:18:58,235 Speaker 1: like Trump, I would have talked more about enthusiasms, and 260 00:18:58,275 --> 00:19:12,875 Speaker 1: I would have brought my baseball back with me coffee. 261 00:19:13,515 --> 00:19:17,515 Speaker 1: Last point. Sometimes I think the New York Times and 262 00:19:17,675 --> 00:19:26,715 Speaker 1: Politico collude. I think they alternate in covering the campaign. Now, 263 00:19:26,755 --> 00:19:29,595 Speaker 1: you guys are going to insist Biden can't win. Okay, 264 00:19:29,955 --> 00:19:33,155 Speaker 1: will write something good saying he could win. Oh wait, no, no, 265 00:19:33,675 --> 00:19:35,555 Speaker 1: you change it. You're going to write something good, Okay, 266 00:19:35,635 --> 00:19:40,795 Speaker 1: then we'll write something bad. Times Yesterday headline, Trump leans 267 00:19:40,955 --> 00:19:47,315 Speaker 1: into an outlaw image as his criminal trial concludes, Preparing 268 00:19:47,355 --> 00:19:49,555 Speaker 1: for a potential verdict in Manhattan, the former president has 269 00:19:49,595 --> 00:19:53,915 Speaker 1: increasingly aligned himself with fellow defendants and people convicted of crimes. 270 00:19:55,515 --> 00:19:59,555 Speaker 1: By this logic, Whenever Trump eventually dies, the Times could 271 00:19:59,595 --> 00:20:03,075 Speaker 1: run a headline saying Trump leans into a dead image 272 00:20:03,915 --> 00:20:09,275 Speaker 1: as his life concludes, explains it'll be easier for him 273 00:20:09,275 --> 00:20:12,275 Speaker 1: to get around because he's lost so much weight. So 274 00:20:12,355 --> 00:20:18,715 Speaker 1: that was the Times out law image, who no rules? 275 00:20:19,075 --> 00:20:28,195 Speaker 1: Just Trump? Politico Yesterday their headline a full blown freak 276 00:20:28,195 --> 00:20:31,275 Speaker 1: out over Biden. I'll read this. A pervasive sense of 277 00:20:31,355 --> 00:20:33,795 Speaker 1: fear has settled in at the highest levels of the 278 00:20:33,795 --> 00:20:37,315 Speaker 1: Democratic Party over Joe Biden's reelection prospects, even among office 279 00:20:37,315 --> 00:20:40,235 Speaker 1: holders and strategists who have previously expressed confidence about the 280 00:20:40,235 --> 00:20:42,955 Speaker 1: coming battle with Donald Trump. A few choice quotes a 281 00:20:42,955 --> 00:20:46,035 Speaker 1: Democratic operative, this isn't oh my god, Mitt Romney might 282 00:20:46,075 --> 00:20:48,995 Speaker 1: become president. It's oh my god, the democracy might end. 283 00:20:49,755 --> 00:20:52,195 Speaker 1: There's still a path to win this, but they don't 284 00:20:52,195 --> 00:20:55,155 Speaker 1: look like a campaign that's embarking on that path right now, 285 00:20:55,475 --> 00:20:59,275 Speaker 1: said Pete g and Greco, a longtime Democratic strategist who's 286 00:20:59,315 --> 00:21:02,635 Speaker 1: worked time Blah blah. New York Democrats need to wake up, 287 00:21:02,675 --> 00:21:06,595 Speaker 1: said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levy. The number of people 288 00:21:06,595 --> 00:21:08,995 Speaker 1: in New York, including people of color, that I come across, 289 00:21:08,995 --> 00:21:14,395 Speaker 1: who are saying positive things about Trump is alarming. So 290 00:21:14,435 --> 00:21:19,515 Speaker 1: they are the negatives. This followed last Friday, the Friday 291 00:21:19,715 --> 00:21:22,995 Speaker 1: of Memorial Day weekend, when nobody is reading the holy 292 00:21:23,035 --> 00:21:28,275 Speaker 1: goddamn New York Times, the holy goddamnedest New York Times story. 293 00:21:28,395 --> 00:21:33,555 Speaker 1: I think I have ever read the polls they wrote 294 00:21:33,675 --> 00:21:36,635 Speaker 1: last Friday. I doubt you saw it have shown Trump 295 00:21:36,675 --> 00:21:39,995 Speaker 1: with an edge for eight straight months, but there's one 296 00:21:40,035 --> 00:21:43,155 Speaker 1: big flashing warning sign suggesting that his advantage might not 297 00:21:43,195 --> 00:21:47,235 Speaker 1: be quite as stable as it looks. By the way, 298 00:21:47,675 --> 00:21:50,195 Speaker 1: that's as stable as The Times has made it look, 299 00:21:50,355 --> 00:21:52,515 Speaker 1: while everybody else has said, you know, it's not stable. 300 00:21:53,515 --> 00:21:57,115 Speaker 1: That warning sign the Times went on. His narrow lead 301 00:21:57,235 --> 00:22:01,115 Speaker 1: is built on gains among voters who aren't paying close 302 00:22:01,155 --> 00:22:05,595 Speaker 1: attention to politics, who don't follow traditional news, and who 303 00:22:05,675 --> 00:22:18,795 Speaker 1: don't regularly vote, who don't regularly vote, so he'll win 304 00:22:18,835 --> 00:22:23,795 Speaker 1: the votes of everybody who doesn't vote, go on. To 305 00:22:23,955 --> 00:22:26,515 Speaker 1: the extent that has not been true in the New 306 00:22:26,635 --> 00:22:29,555 Speaker 1: York Times Sienna College polling in the last eight years. 307 00:22:29,595 --> 00:22:32,835 Speaker 1: Disengaged voters are driving the overall polling results and the 308 00:22:32,875 --> 00:22:36,035 Speaker 1: storyline about the election. President Biden has actually led the 309 00:22:36,075 --> 00:22:39,195 Speaker 1: last three Times Sienna national polls among those who voted 310 00:22:39,235 --> 00:22:41,635 Speaker 1: in the twenty twenty election, even as he has trailed 311 00:22:41,635 --> 00:22:45,275 Speaker 1: among registered voters overall. And looking back over the last 312 00:22:45,315 --> 00:22:49,075 Speaker 1: few years, almost all of mister Trump's gains have come 313 00:22:49,115 --> 00:22:56,475 Speaker 1: from these less engaged voters. So all of your polls 314 00:22:56,515 --> 00:23:01,075 Speaker 1: this last year Times have been predicated on the opinions 315 00:23:01,235 --> 00:23:08,075 Speaker 1: and promises and plans of voters who do not vote. 316 00:23:08,315 --> 00:23:18,675 Speaker 1: I understand voters who do not vote might suddenly vote. Gotcha. 317 00:23:19,075 --> 00:23:22,795 Speaker 1: Seems though, that you might have wanted to have mentioned 318 00:23:22,795 --> 00:23:27,835 Speaker 1: this a little earlier, just saying in our polling, mister 319 00:23:27,835 --> 00:23:30,795 Speaker 1: Biden wins just three quarters of Democratic leaning voters who 320 00:23:30,835 --> 00:23:33,395 Speaker 1: didn't vote in the twenty twenty two midterm election, even 321 00:23:33,435 --> 00:23:37,155 Speaker 1: as almost all high turnout Democratic leaners continue to support him. 322 00:23:37,355 --> 00:23:41,475 Speaker 1: While the race has been stable so far. Okay, while 323 00:23:41,515 --> 00:23:44,235 Speaker 1: the race has been stable so far, mister Trump's dependence 324 00:23:44,275 --> 00:23:46,715 Speaker 1: on disengaged voters makes it easy to imagine how it 325 00:23:46,715 --> 00:23:50,635 Speaker 1: could quickly become more volatile as voters tune in over 326 00:23:50,675 --> 00:23:53,675 Speaker 1: the next six months. There's a chance that disengaged but 327 00:23:53,755 --> 00:23:59,315 Speaker 1: traditionally Democratic voters could revert to their usual partisan leanings. Alternately, 328 00:23:59,475 --> 00:24:03,435 Speaker 1: many of these disaffected voters might ultimately stay home, which 329 00:24:03,515 --> 00:24:09,315 Speaker 1: might help mister Biden. The Time's latest excuse for a 330 00:24:09,475 --> 00:24:13,755 Speaker 1: year of polls that have put a huge thumb on 331 00:24:13,875 --> 00:24:17,115 Speaker 1: the polling picture, on the entire coverage of the campaign, 332 00:24:17,515 --> 00:24:20,075 Speaker 1: on Democrats who have panicked and said get rid of 333 00:24:20,155 --> 00:24:25,355 Speaker 1: Joe Biden. The latest Times excuse for its intolerable indefensible 334 00:24:25,435 --> 00:24:29,315 Speaker 1: journalistic malpractice. Is Biden has not been reaching the non 335 00:24:29,475 --> 00:24:32,635 Speaker 1: voters who are non politically plugged in and are non 336 00:24:32,835 --> 00:24:37,795 Speaker 1: readers as well. What important factor might be the media consumption. 337 00:24:38,555 --> 00:24:40,955 Speaker 1: While mister Biden holds nearly all of his support from 338 00:24:40,995 --> 00:24:45,715 Speaker 1: voters who consume traditional mainstream media national newspapers, television networks 339 00:24:45,755 --> 00:24:49,395 Speaker 1: and the like, the disengaged are far likelier to report 340 00:24:49,435 --> 00:24:54,555 Speaker 1: getting their news from social media. Two things here. If 341 00:24:54,675 --> 00:25:00,115 Speaker 1: national newspapers have no sway on this election, why why 342 00:25:00,155 --> 00:25:03,515 Speaker 1: are we bothering to read their polls? Why are we 343 00:25:03,755 --> 00:25:07,675 Speaker 1: bothering to believe leave their polls? Why are we not 344 00:25:08,275 --> 00:25:12,355 Speaker 1: questioning the methodology of their polls? And the other thing, 345 00:25:12,875 --> 00:25:15,075 Speaker 1: If there's one thing we know for certain about social 346 00:25:15,195 --> 00:25:20,035 Speaker 1: media is that it's volatile and its influences are for 347 00:25:20,115 --> 00:25:24,635 Speaker 1: sale by the car load lot. If this really is 348 00:25:24,715 --> 00:25:30,595 Speaker 1: the crux of the problem, flood TikTok, flood insta, get 349 00:25:30,635 --> 00:25:35,795 Speaker 1: on all of them with Biden influencers. How much do 350 00:25:35,915 --> 00:25:39,675 Speaker 1: you think a million dollars will get you on TikTok? 351 00:25:41,475 --> 00:25:45,115 Speaker 1: And here's one idea minute long clips News from the 352 00:25:45,155 --> 00:25:51,475 Speaker 1: Future showing Trump jailing kids who are protesting, showing Trump 353 00:25:51,555 --> 00:25:56,675 Speaker 1: instituting a draft showing all flights being canceled because of 354 00:25:56,715 --> 00:26:00,795 Speaker 1: climate change because Trump sold all the oxygen after he 355 00:26:00,875 --> 00:26:04,155 Speaker 1: got re elected. Paint in broad strokes. In other words, 356 00:26:04,355 --> 00:26:06,995 Speaker 1: if this this is really about people who are influenced 357 00:26:06,995 --> 00:26:10,875 Speaker 1: by social media, largely younger people or even older people, 358 00:26:11,275 --> 00:26:15,675 Speaker 1: scare the crap out of them. And if that fails, 359 00:26:15,755 --> 00:26:17,675 Speaker 1: just run a lot of clips of de Niro with 360 00:26:17,755 --> 00:26:27,595 Speaker 1: the baseball bats. No one wants coffee after that. Also 361 00:26:27,635 --> 00:26:31,915 Speaker 1: of interest, here, who wants to be a millionaire? Jesus does? 362 00:26:33,035 --> 00:26:37,635 Speaker 1: A right wing pastor insists greed is good because Jesus 363 00:26:38,435 --> 00:26:42,755 Speaker 1: was a trust fund baby who was given a million 364 00:26:42,915 --> 00:26:48,435 Speaker 1: dollars at birth. And no, I'm not kidding, hallelujah, hallelujah. 365 00:26:48,475 --> 00:26:55,475 Speaker 1: I wonder if Jesus invested in bedkind. That's next. This 366 00:26:55,835 --> 00:26:56,635 Speaker 1: is Countdown. 367 00:26:58,795 --> 00:27:02,235 Speaker 2: This is Countdown, with Keith Elberman. 368 00:27:23,195 --> 00:27:26,675 Speaker 1: Still ahead of us on this almost all new edition 369 00:27:26,755 --> 00:27:31,275 Speaker 1: of Countdown. There are football fans, and then there are 370 00:27:31,315 --> 00:27:36,435 Speaker 1: football fans who thought about failing everybody in the IVY 371 00:27:36,515 --> 00:27:41,275 Speaker 1: League history class they taught as revenge against the universe 372 00:27:41,715 --> 00:27:45,915 Speaker 1: because their team blew a game on a terrible, stupid 373 00:27:46,035 --> 00:27:51,075 Speaker 1: last second mistake, and of course I was in his 374 00:27:51,235 --> 00:27:56,115 Speaker 1: class and I loved him. Still. Next in things I 375 00:27:56,155 --> 00:27:57,955 Speaker 1: promised not to tell, but first, as ever, there are 376 00:27:57,995 --> 00:28:01,475 Speaker 1: still more new idiots to talk about. The daily roundup 377 00:28:01,515 --> 00:28:05,075 Speaker 1: of the misgrants, morons and Dunning Kruger effects specimens who 378 00:28:05,115 --> 00:28:14,555 Speaker 1: constitute two days worst persons in the world Theron's worst 379 00:28:14,595 --> 00:28:18,195 Speaker 1: Senator Lindsey Graham. We have all watched as Graham has 380 00:28:18,195 --> 00:28:23,995 Speaker 1: turned from an occasionally surprisingly responsible Republican into a bloated, psychotic, 381 00:28:24,155 --> 00:28:27,075 Speaker 1: hallucinating a biologist for Trump who looks like he's being 382 00:28:27,115 --> 00:28:31,875 Speaker 1: blackmailed with something really, really bad, and he has late 383 00:28:31,915 --> 00:28:35,675 Speaker 1: stage PTSD, and he looks like he might take hostages 384 00:28:35,715 --> 00:28:38,555 Speaker 1: at any moment. On the other hand, Lindsay Graham got 385 00:28:38,555 --> 00:28:42,475 Speaker 1: a lot of grief undeserved, I think for something he 386 00:28:42,515 --> 00:28:46,195 Speaker 1: said recently on Fox. He was schmoozing the idiots on 387 00:28:46,235 --> 00:28:49,475 Speaker 1: the Fox Morning Show couch where you go to sit 388 00:28:49,675 --> 00:28:54,275 Speaker 1: on your brains, and he was reassuring the challenged hosts 389 00:28:54,275 --> 00:28:57,915 Speaker 1: that no, they were not propagandizing for fascism, they were 390 00:28:57,955 --> 00:29:03,435 Speaker 1: standing up for freedom. The bottom line he is, Graham drawled, 391 00:29:03,755 --> 00:29:07,315 Speaker 1: conservatives are tolerant. We are kind of get out of 392 00:29:07,355 --> 00:29:12,795 Speaker 1: your business. You leave me alone, I'll leave you alone. 393 00:29:13,035 --> 00:29:17,275 Speaker 1: Needless to say, this has been met with guffaws, except 394 00:29:17,315 --> 00:29:21,035 Speaker 1: I think it was met with guffaws because people thought 395 00:29:21,035 --> 00:29:26,595 Speaker 1: when Lindsey Graham said tolerant, they thought he meant human tolerance, 396 00:29:26,715 --> 00:29:29,995 Speaker 1: like letting people believe what they want to believe, letting 397 00:29:29,995 --> 00:29:35,155 Speaker 1: women vote, letting minorities vote, letting Democrats vote, not trying 398 00:29:35,195 --> 00:29:37,915 Speaker 1: to destroy the Capitol because they lost an election and 399 00:29:37,955 --> 00:29:40,755 Speaker 1: they cannot deal with it. No, of course he didn't 400 00:29:40,795 --> 00:29:45,115 Speaker 1: mean that kind of tolerant. Lindsey Graham said exactly literally 401 00:29:45,155 --> 00:29:47,115 Speaker 1: what he meant. Let me read you that quote again. 402 00:29:47,515 --> 00:29:51,155 Speaker 1: Conservatives are tolerant. We are kind of get out of 403 00:29:51,195 --> 00:29:56,395 Speaker 1: your business. Take him literally here. Of course, Conservatives are 404 00:29:56,395 --> 00:29:59,715 Speaker 1: tolerant about your business. I mean he just said your 405 00:29:59,755 --> 00:30:03,875 Speaker 1: business business. They are get out of your business, conservatives, 406 00:30:04,115 --> 00:30:08,675 Speaker 1: especial if your business wants to cheat on its taxes, 407 00:30:09,315 --> 00:30:14,555 Speaker 1: or discriminate against gays, or payoff porn stars before an election, 408 00:30:15,075 --> 00:30:19,035 Speaker 1: or hire eight year olds to clean dangerous machinery, or 409 00:30:19,075 --> 00:30:22,835 Speaker 1: contribute billions of dollars to overthrowing democracy. That's what Lindsey 410 00:30:22,915 --> 00:30:28,315 Speaker 1: Graham meant by tolerant. Literally, get out of my business. 411 00:30:30,715 --> 00:30:34,355 Speaker 1: The runner's up Congress here is an enigma. A year ago, 412 00:30:34,435 --> 00:30:37,315 Speaker 1: last March, the House of Representatives passed a spending bill 413 00:30:37,355 --> 00:30:44,275 Speaker 1: that included required, mandated the construction, creation, and installation of 414 00:30:44,315 --> 00:30:48,155 Speaker 1: a plaque listing the names of the officers who served 415 00:30:48,195 --> 00:30:51,555 Speaker 1: at the capitol on January sixth, ordering that it be 416 00:30:51,715 --> 00:30:55,715 Speaker 1: installed when ready on the western front of our capital. 417 00:30:56,075 --> 00:31:00,795 Speaker 1: And fourteen months later, nothing, All quiet on the western 418 00:31:00,875 --> 00:31:05,915 Speaker 1: front of our capital, no plaque, and Presentative Zoe Lofgren's 419 00:31:05,955 --> 00:31:08,395 Speaker 1: letters to Speaker Mike Johnson about what he did with 420 00:31:08,435 --> 00:31:12,635 Speaker 1: the plaque have gone unanswered. Well, of course, you don't 421 00:31:12,635 --> 00:31:14,435 Speaker 1: have to be an expert to figure this one out. 422 00:31:14,435 --> 00:31:18,315 Speaker 1: The plaque would offend Trump because it would give official 423 00:31:18,355 --> 00:31:21,915 Speaker 1: sanction to the idea that the police were the good 424 00:31:21,995 --> 00:31:26,755 Speaker 1: guys on January sixth, and Trump's traders were the bad guys. 425 00:31:27,635 --> 00:31:31,595 Speaker 1: And Trump can't accept that. So Mike Johnson is slow 426 00:31:31,715 --> 00:31:39,035 Speaker 1: walking a plaque that you know, backs the Blue, because 427 00:31:39,075 --> 00:31:43,635 Speaker 1: Trump and the Republicans don't back the Blue. On the 428 00:31:43,635 --> 00:31:46,755 Speaker 1: other hand, Monday Memorial Day, a man named Ben Pollock, 429 00:31:47,315 --> 00:31:50,555 Speaker 1: the proud father of not one, but two insurrectionist bastards, 430 00:31:50,595 --> 00:31:53,115 Speaker 1: who attacked the Capitol and the cops on January sixth 431 00:31:53,395 --> 00:31:56,635 Speaker 1: led a convoy that tried to force its way into 432 00:31:56,915 --> 00:32:01,795 Speaker 1: Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day to install there in 433 00:32:01,835 --> 00:32:07,595 Speaker 1: the nation's most hallowed ground, a stone reading in honor 434 00:32:07,635 --> 00:32:10,395 Speaker 1: of the ones who lost their lives on jan six, 435 00:32:10,515 --> 00:32:15,435 Speaker 1: twenty twenty one, starting with Ashley Babbitt, and then there 436 00:32:15,475 --> 00:32:19,155 Speaker 1: were three other names of insurrectionists or whatever garbage they were. 437 00:32:19,715 --> 00:32:24,195 Speaker 1: When stopped by authorities this Yahoo Pollock got out live 438 00:32:24,235 --> 00:32:27,755 Speaker 1: streaming this, and he insisted that Ashley Babbitt should be 439 00:32:27,835 --> 00:32:32,715 Speaker 1: buried there quote right up there with mister Lee. And again, 440 00:32:32,755 --> 00:32:36,115 Speaker 1: the appalling glorification of Traders is one thing. I'm afraid 441 00:32:36,155 --> 00:32:39,515 Speaker 1: we're sort of used to that. But the continuously amazing 442 00:32:39,595 --> 00:32:42,515 Speaker 1: part to me is the endless stupidity of these idiots, 443 00:32:42,715 --> 00:32:47,995 Speaker 1: because while Arlington National Cemetery was once the mansion of 444 00:32:48,075 --> 00:32:51,675 Speaker 1: Robert E. Lee, Robert E. Lee Trader is in fact 445 00:32:51,715 --> 00:32:55,955 Speaker 1: buried at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, where 446 00:32:55,995 --> 00:32:59,195 Speaker 1: he was president when he died, which they could have 447 00:32:59,275 --> 00:33:02,835 Speaker 1: googled if only they were smart enough to think. I 448 00:33:02,955 --> 00:33:07,915 Speaker 1: wonder if I might be wrong out something in life PostScript, 449 00:33:08,395 --> 00:33:11,195 Speaker 1: speaking of which one of the other names printed on 450 00:33:11,235 --> 00:33:13,355 Speaker 1: that rock, And it's a rock with white paint on 451 00:33:13,435 --> 00:33:16,795 Speaker 1: it and names then stenciled on it in black, and 452 00:33:16,835 --> 00:33:21,115 Speaker 1: it looks like crap. It looks like a large frozen 453 00:33:21,555 --> 00:33:25,075 Speaker 1: turkey from the A and P. One of the names 454 00:33:25,115 --> 00:33:28,275 Speaker 1: on there is a woman named Roseanne Boyland, and these 455 00:33:28,355 --> 00:33:37,595 Speaker 1: geniuses misspelled her name Roseanne. But our winner, Pastor Shane Vaughan. 456 00:33:38,275 --> 00:33:43,435 Speaker 1: We visited with Pastor Shane before, courtesythefine folks at Friendlyatheist 457 00:33:43,475 --> 00:33:47,475 Speaker 1: dot com. Pastor Shane was the one who said he 458 00:33:47,515 --> 00:33:50,555 Speaker 1: had to be careful. He could not go on his 459 00:33:51,115 --> 00:33:54,395 Speaker 1: live stream and call Joy Read of MSNBC a quote 460 00:33:54,475 --> 00:33:57,315 Speaker 1: jungle bunny. And of course he said those exact words 461 00:33:57,515 --> 00:34:00,195 Speaker 1: while claiming he was not saying them, because all you 462 00:34:00,275 --> 00:34:01,755 Speaker 1: need to do is look at this guy and you 463 00:34:01,835 --> 00:34:04,555 Speaker 1: realize that he has the ethics of the most corrupt 464 00:34:04,715 --> 00:34:08,555 Speaker 1: insurance agent you've ever met. Pastor Shane has moved on 465 00:34:08,675 --> 00:34:11,395 Speaker 1: to defending himself after what appears to have been a 466 00:34:11,555 --> 00:34:16,515 Speaker 1: spate of complaints because he's been caught driving around in 467 00:34:16,595 --> 00:34:23,235 Speaker 1: a Cadillac. Even his parishioners are wondering why so. Pastor 468 00:34:23,275 --> 00:34:27,835 Speaker 1: Shane did another stream of some sort, just attacked all 469 00:34:28,035 --> 00:34:33,195 Speaker 1: his own faithful who think maybe pastors shouldn't be rich. 470 00:34:33,395 --> 00:34:37,635 Speaker 3: For some reason. There is this messed up thinking in 471 00:34:37,675 --> 00:34:43,435 Speaker 3: the minds of people that pastors are to be poor. 472 00:34:45,795 --> 00:34:48,355 Speaker 3: And I don't know. For example, this vehicle I'm driving 473 00:34:48,435 --> 00:34:53,035 Speaker 3: right here, people look at it. Yes, it's a very 474 00:34:53,155 --> 00:34:57,275 Speaker 3: extensive vehicle, very very But what you don't know is 475 00:34:57,355 --> 00:35:01,195 Speaker 3: I didn't buy it. You didn't know that, did you. 476 00:35:02,035 --> 00:35:04,235 Speaker 3: That's because you got your nose in places and you 477 00:35:04,235 --> 00:35:08,035 Speaker 3: don't even know what you're talking about. This was given 478 00:35:08,395 --> 00:35:13,515 Speaker 3: to me. You understand that people don't know those things. 479 00:35:13,515 --> 00:35:16,835 Speaker 3: It's none of their business. But yes, I drive a 480 00:35:16,915 --> 00:35:21,675 Speaker 3: Cadillact that I did not buy. Do you think I'm 481 00:35:21,715 --> 00:35:24,515 Speaker 3: just gonna throw it in the ditch because it was 482 00:35:24,515 --> 00:35:25,075 Speaker 3: given to me? 483 00:35:25,635 --> 00:35:33,435 Speaker 1: So religious vows of poverty and whatnot just nonsense, utter nonsense, 484 00:35:33,715 --> 00:35:40,435 Speaker 1: says Pastor Shane. Why look at Jesus, Jesus, Jesus is 485 00:35:40,475 --> 00:35:43,995 Speaker 1: your defense for driving a Cadillac. I can't wait to 486 00:35:43,995 --> 00:35:47,995 Speaker 1: see how this plays out. Jesus, according to Pastor Shane, 487 00:35:48,915 --> 00:35:50,635 Speaker 1: was a trust fund baby. 488 00:35:51,035 --> 00:35:54,435 Speaker 3: Where do we get this thing from that? Anybody in 489 00:35:54,475 --> 00:35:59,755 Speaker 3: the world can be blessed except a pastor. Where did 490 00:35:59,835 --> 00:36:03,875 Speaker 3: that thinking come from? People say, well, Jesus didn't even 491 00:36:03,915 --> 00:36:08,435 Speaker 3: have a place to lay his head, you poor uneducated 492 00:36:09,035 --> 00:36:13,195 Speaker 3: Bible reader. Go look. I believe in the Book of 493 00:36:13,315 --> 00:36:16,715 Speaker 3: Mark where it says the total opposite. It says that 494 00:36:16,795 --> 00:36:18,755 Speaker 3: they were at Jesus's. 495 00:36:18,435 --> 00:36:21,875 Speaker 1: House, his home. He had a home. 496 00:36:23,075 --> 00:36:26,795 Speaker 3: What do you think Yashua did with all the money 497 00:36:27,675 --> 00:36:30,955 Speaker 3: that was brought to him at his birth? Do you 498 00:36:31,035 --> 00:36:33,435 Speaker 3: know what was brought to him from the kings of 499 00:36:33,515 --> 00:36:39,435 Speaker 3: the East Gold Frankensons, mrkh Do you know how much 500 00:36:39,475 --> 00:36:43,435 Speaker 3: that was worth in today's dollars? Almost a million dollars 501 00:36:43,555 --> 00:36:46,355 Speaker 3: was given to the baby Jesus. What do you think 502 00:36:46,395 --> 00:36:50,115 Speaker 3: financed his life? What do you think financed his ministry? 503 00:36:50,355 --> 00:36:51,835 Speaker 3: Supernatural finances? 504 00:36:52,355 --> 00:37:01,155 Speaker 1: Hallelujah and pass the tax deductions? Supernatural finances. Million dollar baby, 505 00:37:01,475 --> 00:37:07,515 Speaker 1: million dollar Jesus, hallelujah, a million dollar Jesus. Okay, we 506 00:37:07,515 --> 00:37:10,315 Speaker 1: can make fun of Pastor Shane with the ethics of 507 00:37:10,355 --> 00:37:13,035 Speaker 1: a corrupt insurance agent, and God knows we will make 508 00:37:13,035 --> 00:37:15,315 Speaker 1: fun of him, but I do have to offer a 509 00:37:15,315 --> 00:37:19,355 Speaker 1: little factual analysis of his rationalization. His biblical greed is 510 00:37:19,395 --> 00:37:24,115 Speaker 1: good because Jesus had a million dollars at birth. People 511 00:37:24,195 --> 00:37:27,675 Speaker 1: who take the Bible seriously but also believe in like 512 00:37:27,835 --> 00:37:33,355 Speaker 1: you know. Historical research have concluded that if you superimposed 513 00:37:33,435 --> 00:37:36,315 Speaker 1: today's economics on the world of two thousand years ago, 514 00:37:36,755 --> 00:37:40,915 Speaker 1: a pound of frankincense would be worth in today's money 515 00:37:41,515 --> 00:37:44,955 Speaker 1: five hundred dollars, a pound of gold would be worth 516 00:37:44,995 --> 00:37:51,155 Speaker 1: six hundred dollars, and a pound of murrh four thousand dollars. Hey, 517 00:37:51,195 --> 00:37:53,835 Speaker 1: forget buying any of that gold. Let's invest in murr. 518 00:37:55,755 --> 00:37:58,755 Speaker 1: In short, it would be as if putin King Charles 519 00:37:58,755 --> 00:38:03,035 Speaker 1: and Trump gave Jesus twenty twenty four fifty one hundred 520 00:38:03,035 --> 00:38:13,235 Speaker 1: bucks supernatural finances. You betcha hallelujah. Pastor Shane Vaughn can't add, 521 00:38:13,675 --> 00:38:19,355 Speaker 1: can't count, can't do math, can't lie well, which is 522 00:38:19,675 --> 00:38:22,555 Speaker 1: really a problem because he actually is an insurance agent 523 00:38:22,595 --> 00:38:26,315 Speaker 1: as well. Can I pay you later past your insurance 524 00:38:26,315 --> 00:38:30,035 Speaker 1: agent when my supernatural finances come through? 525 00:38:31,075 --> 00:38:34,675 Speaker 2: Two days? Worst person. 526 00:38:37,075 --> 00:38:39,435 Speaker 4: In the world? 527 00:38:40,955 --> 00:38:46,715 Speaker 2: Where where are you? Tone? Why did you need me? Me? 528 00:38:46,955 --> 00:38:50,275 Speaker 1: Roll alone? I searched the world. 529 00:38:50,115 --> 00:38:52,915 Speaker 4: Over and a thought of about your love, But you 530 00:38:53,155 --> 00:39:04,675 Speaker 4: made another and he was gone. 531 00:39:04,475 --> 00:39:07,315 Speaker 1: The number one story on the countdown, and why don't 532 00:39:07,355 --> 00:39:10,955 Speaker 1: we just make this stuff from my college days week? 533 00:39:12,395 --> 00:39:14,555 Speaker 1: I know, I know, there's a really good chance you 534 00:39:14,595 --> 00:39:17,795 Speaker 1: still have not finished yesterday's things. I promised not to 535 00:39:17,835 --> 00:39:20,795 Speaker 1: tell about how I had to take twenty eight credits 536 00:39:21,315 --> 00:39:24,715 Speaker 1: ten classes in my last semester of college just to 537 00:39:24,795 --> 00:39:28,075 Speaker 1: graduate on time because Dad wouldn't pay for a dollar's 538 00:39:28,115 --> 00:39:31,355 Speaker 1: worth after that one semester, and I had to walk 539 00:39:31,435 --> 00:39:34,635 Speaker 1: up hill in the snow both ways. Had to take 540 00:39:34,675 --> 00:39:37,035 Speaker 1: twenty eight credits in my last semester of college just 541 00:39:37,075 --> 00:39:40,515 Speaker 1: to graduate on time, And how because of that I 542 00:39:40,555 --> 00:39:43,795 Speaker 1: have endured nearly half a century of dreams about not 543 00:39:43,955 --> 00:39:46,955 Speaker 1: graduating on time. I know I went on for a 544 00:39:46,995 --> 00:39:52,555 Speaker 1: bit about this subject, like about half an hour. Sorry anyway, 545 00:39:52,595 --> 00:39:56,995 Speaker 1: this story is two semesters before that, and much much shorter. 546 00:39:57,515 --> 00:40:00,355 Speaker 1: It was the fall of my senior year at Cornell, 547 00:40:00,995 --> 00:40:03,755 Speaker 1: and it's about a four credit course that I nearly failed, 548 00:40:03,795 --> 00:40:06,195 Speaker 1: in fact, that every but in the class nearly failed 549 00:40:06,435 --> 00:40:14,275 Speaker 1: because a quarterback fumbled a football in an NFL game. Seriously, 550 00:40:15,915 --> 00:40:19,395 Speaker 1: in September nineteen seventy eight, I walked reluctantly but proudly 551 00:40:19,435 --> 00:40:22,155 Speaker 1: into this one class at Cornell University, and if I 552 00:40:22,195 --> 00:40:26,435 Speaker 1: remember correctly, to get into nineteenth century American history with 553 00:40:26,595 --> 00:40:32,155 Speaker 1: Professor Joel Silby eight credits spanning two semesters, I had 554 00:40:32,155 --> 00:40:35,795 Speaker 1: to get special permission from the History department because I 555 00:40:36,035 --> 00:40:38,795 Speaker 1: was not a history major. I just took all the 556 00:40:38,875 --> 00:40:42,315 Speaker 1: history classes I could get, even this one, which was 557 00:40:42,675 --> 00:40:48,315 Speaker 1: really toughly graded, an awful lot of reading, amazing amount 558 00:40:48,315 --> 00:40:53,075 Speaker 1: of detail, and really good. Not only was Professor Silby 559 00:40:53,115 --> 00:40:57,715 Speaker 1: really good, but the reading material was outstanding. I took 560 00:40:57,835 --> 00:41:00,875 Speaker 1: all the Corneill history classes I could get, and this 561 00:41:01,235 --> 00:41:04,675 Speaker 1: was one of the best ones. And I remember Profess 562 00:41:04,755 --> 00:41:07,795 Speaker 1: Sir Sylby's first lecture and the accent and the mannerisms 563 00:41:07,795 --> 00:41:10,435 Speaker 1: that quickly identified him not only as a fellow native 564 00:41:10,515 --> 00:41:14,435 Speaker 1: New Yorker, but as a Brookly Knight and a Brookly 565 00:41:14,515 --> 00:41:17,195 Speaker 1: Knight fan of as he quickly told us the New 566 00:41:17,235 --> 00:41:22,075 Speaker 1: York football giants. What Professor Joel Silbey said next, cause 567 00:41:22,195 --> 00:41:24,635 Speaker 1: the I think it was two hundred or so other 568 00:41:24,755 --> 00:41:28,235 Speaker 1: students in the lecture hall to laugh, all of them 569 00:41:28,275 --> 00:41:32,475 Speaker 1: except me, because I was the sports director of the 570 00:41:32,515 --> 00:41:35,515 Speaker 1: Cornhill student owned radio station, and in those days you 571 00:41:35,555 --> 00:41:40,075 Speaker 1: could actually know everything about and everybody in all the 572 00:41:40,195 --> 00:41:42,675 Speaker 1: national sports off the top of your head, and usually 573 00:41:42,755 --> 00:41:44,555 Speaker 1: that meant you could figure out all the teams in 574 00:41:44,595 --> 00:41:47,075 Speaker 1: all the sports that had the slightest chance of succeeding, 575 00:41:47,395 --> 00:41:49,595 Speaker 1: and all the teams in all the sports that did not. 576 00:41:49,755 --> 00:41:53,195 Speaker 1: And the New York Football Giants did not. I want 577 00:41:53,195 --> 00:41:55,395 Speaker 1: you to know I grade the papers, not the teaching 578 00:41:55,395 --> 00:41:59,435 Speaker 1: assistants me and I happened to be a lifelong, therefore 579 00:41:59,595 --> 00:42:03,715 Speaker 1: long suffering fan of the New York Football Giants. I 580 00:42:03,755 --> 00:42:06,675 Speaker 1: saw my first Giant game in nineteen forty five, and 581 00:42:06,755 --> 00:42:09,435 Speaker 1: over the years I happened to developed this habit of 582 00:42:09,475 --> 00:42:12,275 Speaker 1: grading your papers on Sunday afternoons and evenings right after 583 00:42:12,315 --> 00:42:15,995 Speaker 1: I watch my New York Football Giants. So, to some 584 00:42:16,075 --> 00:42:20,555 Speaker 1: degree great or small, your grade will depend on how 585 00:42:20,635 --> 00:42:24,395 Speaker 1: well the New York Football Giants do. In this nineteen 586 00:42:24,515 --> 00:42:28,755 Speaker 1: seventy eight National Football League season, one hundred and ninety 587 00:42:28,835 --> 00:42:33,995 Speaker 1: nine of Joel Sylbe's students laughed. I emitted a low moan, 588 00:42:35,995 --> 00:42:39,355 Speaker 1: since they had gone to five NFL championship games in 589 00:42:39,395 --> 00:42:42,355 Speaker 1: the six seasons ending in nineteen sixty three and lost 590 00:42:42,475 --> 00:42:46,115 Speaker 1: all five. By the way, the Giants had had exactly 591 00:42:46,195 --> 00:42:49,475 Speaker 1: two winning seasons and they had lost nine of fourteen 592 00:42:49,555 --> 00:42:52,715 Speaker 1: games the year before nineteen seventy seven. Though they had 593 00:42:52,755 --> 00:42:55,555 Speaker 1: opened this nineteen seventy eight season with a narrow victory 594 00:42:55,595 --> 00:42:58,275 Speaker 1: over a very bad Tampa Bay team, and the first 595 00:42:58,315 --> 00:43:00,435 Speaker 1: half of their schedule had as many as four more 596 00:43:00,475 --> 00:43:03,355 Speaker 1: opponents who they might be better than. They would be lucky 597 00:43:03,395 --> 00:43:05,955 Speaker 1: to win two games in the second half of the season. 598 00:43:07,035 --> 00:43:09,195 Speaker 1: When I got back to the radio station, I looked 599 00:43:09,195 --> 00:43:13,635 Speaker 1: at the Giants' schedule and Professor Silbey's class schedule, and 600 00:43:13,715 --> 00:43:18,595 Speaker 1: I circled one critical day when the schedules converged, Sunday, 601 00:43:18,675 --> 00:43:23,075 Speaker 1: November nineteenth, nineteen seventy eight. Our term papers were due 602 00:43:23,115 --> 00:43:27,115 Speaker 1: on Thursday the sixteenth. He could actually read them all 603 00:43:27,915 --> 00:43:33,155 Speaker 1: after the Giants Eagles game that night in the following day. Amazingly, 604 00:43:33,235 --> 00:43:36,835 Speaker 1: your New York Football Giants actually opened the season winning 605 00:43:36,915 --> 00:43:39,475 Speaker 1: three of their first four. In the middle of October, 606 00:43:39,475 --> 00:43:41,515 Speaker 1: they were still five and three, and in the history 607 00:43:41,555 --> 00:43:44,435 Speaker 1: lecture room, Professor Sylby was very happy, and he often 608 00:43:44,475 --> 00:43:48,435 Speaker 1: recreated highlights of his glorious giants pleasing success. And he 609 00:43:48,595 --> 00:43:51,875 Speaker 1: was furiously fanboying on the new quarterback they'd brought in 610 00:43:51,875 --> 00:43:58,115 Speaker 1: from the Canadian League Joe Pisarchik. If you are a 611 00:43:58,115 --> 00:44:00,955 Speaker 1: football history fan, or god forbid, a fan of the 612 00:44:00,995 --> 00:44:04,435 Speaker 1: New York Football Giants, you already know where I'm going 613 00:44:04,475 --> 00:44:08,315 Speaker 1: with this. The Giants lost the next three games, and 614 00:44:08,395 --> 00:44:11,355 Speaker 1: then our term papers were due on November sixteenth, and 615 00:44:11,475 --> 00:44:15,435 Speaker 1: Joel Sylbey turned morose and I was at the radio 616 00:44:15,475 --> 00:44:18,595 Speaker 1: station watching the Giants Eagles game of the nineteenth on 617 00:44:18,635 --> 00:44:21,515 Speaker 1: a big black and white TV in the lounge when 618 00:44:21,635 --> 00:44:26,275 Speaker 1: my nightmare unfolded impossibly. The Giants led the much better 619 00:44:26,315 --> 00:44:30,275 Speaker 1: Philadelphia Eagles fourteen nothing. After the first quarter. Pisarcik threw 620 00:44:30,315 --> 00:44:33,275 Speaker 1: two touchdown passes. After the third quarter, it was still 621 00:44:33,315 --> 00:44:36,475 Speaker 1: seventeen to six Giants. Then the Eagles scored and they 622 00:44:36,475 --> 00:44:38,235 Speaker 1: were driving to go ahead with a minute and a 623 00:44:38,235 --> 00:44:41,315 Speaker 1: half left in the game, when the impossible happened deep 624 00:44:41,355 --> 00:44:45,035 Speaker 1: in Giants' territory. The Philly quarterback threw an interception with 625 00:44:45,195 --> 00:44:48,275 Speaker 1: eighty three seconds left and in possession of the ball. 626 00:44:48,315 --> 00:44:52,195 Speaker 1: The Giants led seventeen thirteen. The crowd at the radio 627 00:44:52,315 --> 00:44:57,155 Speaker 1: station was ecstatic. I was even more ecstatic. All the 628 00:44:57,195 --> 00:44:59,875 Speaker 1: Giants now had to do was stall and have the 629 00:44:59,955 --> 00:45:03,555 Speaker 1: quarterback fall on the ball, maybe twice, as if he 630 00:45:03,635 --> 00:45:06,955 Speaker 1: had heard me. Quarterback Joe Pisarchik fell on the ball. 631 00:45:07,515 --> 00:45:10,595 Speaker 1: Then he nearly killed me by handing the ball off 632 00:45:10,635 --> 00:45:12,835 Speaker 1: to his running back Larry Zanka, who plowed up the 633 00:45:12,875 --> 00:45:15,595 Speaker 1: middle to get a first down and burn another thirty 634 00:45:15,635 --> 00:45:19,315 Speaker 1: seconds off the clock. The Eagles called their last time out, 635 00:45:19,395 --> 00:45:22,555 Speaker 1: thirty one seconds left, thirty one seconds to my grade 636 00:45:22,595 --> 00:45:26,475 Speaker 1: in Joel Silbey's nineteenth century American history class, probably ending 637 00:45:26,555 --> 00:45:30,355 Speaker 1: up being half or maybe even a full grade better 638 00:45:30,395 --> 00:45:32,995 Speaker 1: than I deserved. All Joe Pisarchik had to do was 639 00:45:33,035 --> 00:45:34,635 Speaker 1: fall on the damn ball again. 640 00:45:34,395 --> 00:45:35,315 Speaker 2: And it was over. 641 00:45:36,795 --> 00:45:42,195 Speaker 1: However, on the Giant's sideline, offensive coordinator Bob Gibson decided 642 00:45:42,235 --> 00:45:45,275 Speaker 1: that the safe play, the winning play, was for Jopisarcik 643 00:45:45,355 --> 00:45:48,675 Speaker 1: to hand the ball off again to Larry Zanka. Now 644 00:45:48,755 --> 00:45:52,515 Speaker 1: that might have been the right play, only Bob Gibson 645 00:45:52,875 --> 00:45:57,675 Speaker 1: and everybody else failed to tell Larry Zanka. Larry Zanka 646 00:45:57,715 --> 00:46:00,075 Speaker 1: assumed he was there just to block for Joe Pisarcik. 647 00:46:00,315 --> 00:46:03,035 Speaker 1: As Joe Pisarcik collapsed to the turf and ran out 648 00:46:03,035 --> 00:46:06,635 Speaker 1: the clock and got me a better grind instead, Pisarchik 649 00:46:06,675 --> 00:46:09,835 Speaker 1: handed the ball to where Zanka's hands should have been, 650 00:46:10,115 --> 00:46:13,115 Speaker 1: except Larry Zanka was in the blocking stance, and Pisarchik 651 00:46:13,115 --> 00:46:16,835 Speaker 1: in fact handed it off directly to Larry Zanka's helmet. 652 00:46:17,995 --> 00:46:21,875 Speaker 1: I screamed. The ball bounced once off the turf and 653 00:46:21,915 --> 00:46:24,915 Speaker 1: directly into the hands of Philadelphia cornerback Herman Edwards. I 654 00:46:24,995 --> 00:46:28,115 Speaker 1: continued to scream. There was nobody near Edwards, and he 655 00:46:28,155 --> 00:46:30,235 Speaker 1: scooted twenty six yards into the end zone and the 656 00:46:30,235 --> 00:46:33,155 Speaker 1: Giants lost the damn game nineteen to seventeen. In the 657 00:46:33,235 --> 00:46:35,595 Speaker 1: last seconds, And as the Giants fans at the radio 658 00:46:35,635 --> 00:46:39,235 Speaker 1: station shouted or moaned or swore, I could see Professor 659 00:46:39,355 --> 00:46:42,715 Speaker 1: Joel Sylvie shutting off the TV, grabbing our papers and 660 00:46:42,835 --> 00:46:50,555 Speaker 1: sentencing us to hell, and I continued to scream. Our 661 00:46:50,715 --> 00:46:53,355 Speaker 1: term papers were returned on Tuesday the twenty first, just 662 00:46:53,395 --> 00:46:57,355 Speaker 1: before school broke for Thanksgiving. I actually was thankful I 663 00:46:57,435 --> 00:46:59,955 Speaker 1: got either a B or a B plus. I can't 664 00:46:59,995 --> 00:47:01,955 Speaker 1: find the paper. It should be somewhere in a box. 665 00:47:02,595 --> 00:47:05,555 Speaker 1: There was a rumor which I was never able to confirm, 666 00:47:05,635 --> 00:47:08,235 Speaker 1: that my B or B plus was the highest grade 667 00:47:08,315 --> 00:47:13,195 Speaker 1: in the class. I can confirm I saw classmates, most 668 00:47:13,355 --> 00:47:16,435 Speaker 1: far more prepared and astute than myself, most of them 669 00:47:16,515 --> 00:47:20,435 Speaker 1: history majors, looking at their grades and blanching visibly. One 670 00:47:20,555 --> 00:47:27,275 Speaker 1: girl cried, a C, really a C. Professor Joel Silbey said, 671 00:47:27,395 --> 00:47:29,075 Speaker 1: much of our grade would depend on how well the 672 00:47:29,115 --> 00:47:31,435 Speaker 1: New York Football Giants did in that nineteen seventy eight 673 00:47:31,515 --> 00:47:34,475 Speaker 1: national football season. And my god, they had just sustained 674 00:47:34,475 --> 00:47:36,475 Speaker 1: a loss so bad that it is still talked about 675 00:47:36,475 --> 00:47:42,395 Speaker 1: to this day. My classmates did not listen, and I 676 00:47:42,515 --> 00:47:49,635 Speaker 1: only am escaped alone to tell thee there is a PostScript. 677 00:47:50,155 --> 00:47:54,715 Speaker 1: The PostScript takes place thirty two and one half years later. 678 00:47:55,835 --> 00:47:59,155 Speaker 1: I returned to Cornell in March of twenty eleven to 679 00:47:59,195 --> 00:48:02,035 Speaker 1: give a lecture and teach a series of classes to 680 00:48:02,075 --> 00:48:04,835 Speaker 1: students who no longer afterwards felt they had got in 681 00:48:04,835 --> 00:48:08,155 Speaker 1: their full money from the university. My alma mater was 682 00:48:08,275 --> 00:48:10,955 Speaker 1: very kind to me. They gave me a tour of 683 00:48:10,995 --> 00:48:13,155 Speaker 1: the secret places they never would have shown me when 684 00:48:13,155 --> 00:48:16,195 Speaker 1: I was a struggling student, like where they kept Cornell's 685 00:48:16,195 --> 00:48:19,475 Speaker 1: copy of the Gettysburg address. And they promised me something 686 00:48:19,515 --> 00:48:22,195 Speaker 1: special for lunch the first day, and sure enough I 687 00:48:22,275 --> 00:48:25,315 Speaker 1: was dropped off at a restaurant, and there, rising from 688 00:48:25,315 --> 00:48:29,155 Speaker 1: a table to greet me with applause, were Cornell's official 689 00:48:29,275 --> 00:48:32,835 Speaker 1: historian and former Professor Glenn alt Schuller and their very 690 00:48:32,875 --> 00:48:38,555 Speaker 1: famous history professor Walter LaFeber, and I swear Professor Joel Silby, 691 00:48:39,795 --> 00:48:44,275 Speaker 1: and they were fans of mine. Of course, I could 692 00:48:44,315 --> 00:48:47,875 Speaker 1: not leave well enough alone. After a few minutes of 693 00:48:47,995 --> 00:48:51,395 Speaker 1: very pleasant conversation with mister alt Schuller and Professor la 694 00:48:51,435 --> 00:48:54,635 Speaker 1: Faber and Professor Silby, I brought up the nineteen seventy 695 00:48:54,675 --> 00:48:58,955 Speaker 1: eight term paper Joe pisarcik Handoff Story. Professor la Faber 696 00:48:59,035 --> 00:49:01,555 Speaker 1: looked at Professor Silby like Professor Silby was out of 697 00:49:01,595 --> 00:49:06,635 Speaker 1: his mind? Is that true? And Sylbey smiled and said, yes, 698 00:49:07,635 --> 00:49:11,075 Speaker 1: yes it is. And then Joel Silbey looked off into 699 00:49:11,155 --> 00:49:14,315 Speaker 1: the distance as if he were peering backwards through time. 700 00:49:15,555 --> 00:49:19,595 Speaker 1: Nineteen seventy eight, that's when you could really enjoy being 701 00:49:19,595 --> 00:49:25,195 Speaker 1: a professor. He then looked back at me and smiled, Keith, 702 00:49:25,235 --> 00:49:28,155 Speaker 1: you won't believe this, but I actually graded those papers 703 00:49:28,195 --> 00:49:31,675 Speaker 1: pretty fairly, and I didn't follow through on my original plan. 704 00:49:32,675 --> 00:49:35,115 Speaker 1: After the fumble, I actually turned off the TV and 705 00:49:35,155 --> 00:49:37,115 Speaker 1: I sat there for a few minutes, and I asked 706 00:49:37,115 --> 00:49:40,155 Speaker 1: my soul if it was okay for me to take 707 00:49:40,275 --> 00:49:43,915 Speaker 1: my revenge on the universe by failing all of you. 708 00:49:45,555 --> 00:49:50,315 Speaker 1: The favorite gulped. Oh, said Sylby. It was so great 709 00:49:50,355 --> 00:49:54,235 Speaker 1: to be a professor back then. I laughed so much 710 00:49:54,235 --> 00:49:58,155 Speaker 1: I had tears in my eyes. And then Sylby said, okay, okay, 711 00:49:58,155 --> 00:50:00,075 Speaker 1: maybe I was a little unfair to you guys, but 712 00:50:00,635 --> 00:50:04,355 Speaker 1: you know it's the Giants and you have to take 713 00:50:04,355 --> 00:50:06,075 Speaker 1: this as as a whole. The year they won their first 714 00:50:06,115 --> 00:50:09,195 Speaker 1: Super Bowl, what was that eighty six? The final exam 715 00:50:09,235 --> 00:50:11,715 Speaker 1: in that class was like two days after they finished 716 00:50:11,715 --> 00:50:14,355 Speaker 1: the regular season, fourteen and two, eight o'clock in the morning. 717 00:50:14,555 --> 00:50:16,955 Speaker 1: So I go to the final see, which I never do. 718 00:50:17,515 --> 00:50:20,235 Speaker 1: And I waited until they were all sitting there sweating, 719 00:50:20,635 --> 00:50:22,915 Speaker 1: and I said, remember last September when I told you 720 00:50:22,915 --> 00:50:24,835 Speaker 1: your grade will depend on how well the New York 721 00:50:24,835 --> 00:50:29,115 Speaker 1: Football Giants doing this nineteen eighty six National Football League season, 722 00:50:29,955 --> 00:50:33,395 Speaker 1: And there was just silence, and I said, well, if 723 00:50:33,395 --> 00:50:36,395 Speaker 1: you didn't notice, they went fourteen and two, and I 724 00:50:36,395 --> 00:50:38,395 Speaker 1: haven't been this happy since when they won the title 725 00:50:38,395 --> 00:50:43,035 Speaker 1: in nineteen fifty six. So guess what, there's no final exam, 726 00:50:43,995 --> 00:50:47,115 Speaker 1: and nobody moved, so I said it again, there's no 727 00:50:47,315 --> 00:50:50,595 Speaker 1: final exam, Go home, go study for something else. You' 728 00:50:50,595 --> 00:50:53,515 Speaker 1: all get a's. And then there was a couple of 729 00:50:53,515 --> 00:50:56,075 Speaker 1: seconds of silence, and they all simultaneously realized I was 730 00:50:56,115 --> 00:50:59,195 Speaker 1: not kidding, and everybody cheered and ran out into the sunshine. 731 00:51:01,275 --> 00:51:04,635 Speaker 1: So with me and professors Alt Schuler and la Faber 732 00:51:04,795 --> 00:51:09,475 Speaker 1: now in tears, Sylby said, see it evens out, and 733 00:51:09,515 --> 00:51:12,675 Speaker 1: I said, the hell it does. I graduated in nineteen 734 00:51:12,715 --> 00:51:15,275 Speaker 1: seventy nine. How does a canceled final in nineteen eighty 735 00:51:15,315 --> 00:51:16,235 Speaker 1: six even it out? 736 00:51:16,275 --> 00:51:16,555 Speaker 2: For me? 737 00:51:16,755 --> 00:51:21,515 Speaker 1: Fella Joel Silby thought for a second and then he said, wow, 738 00:51:22,835 --> 00:51:38,395 Speaker 1: I am buying you lunch. I've done all the damage 739 00:51:38,435 --> 00:51:40,875 Speaker 1: I can do here. Thank you for listening. Countdown. Musical 740 00:51:40,875 --> 00:51:44,875 Speaker 1: directors Brian Ray and John Phillip Chanel arranged, produced, and 741 00:51:44,955 --> 00:51:48,515 Speaker 1: performed most of our music. Mister Ray was on guitars, bass, 742 00:51:48,555 --> 00:51:51,635 Speaker 1: and drums, and mister Shanelle handled orchestration and keyboards, and 743 00:51:51,675 --> 00:51:54,875 Speaker 1: it was produced by Tko Brothers. Other music, including some 744 00:51:54,915 --> 00:51:58,635 Speaker 1: of the aetoven compositions, arranged and performed by No Horns Allowed. 745 00:51:59,795 --> 00:52:02,875 Speaker 1: The sports music is the Olberman theme from ESPN two, 746 00:52:02,875 --> 00:52:06,715 Speaker 1: written by Mitch Warren Davis Curtis of ESPN, Inc. Where 747 00:52:06,955 --> 00:52:09,795 Speaker 1: or Where Are You Tonight? Was from heehaw in about 748 00:52:09,875 --> 00:52:14,235 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy and I sang that a cappella. Our satirical 749 00:52:14,235 --> 00:52:16,755 Speaker 1: and pithy musical comments are by Nancy Faust, the best 750 00:52:16,795 --> 00:52:20,235 Speaker 1: baseball stadium organist ever. Our announcer was my friend John Dean, 751 00:52:20,315 --> 00:52:23,675 Speaker 1: and everything else was pretty much my fault, especially singing 752 00:52:23,715 --> 00:52:26,915 Speaker 1: a cappella. So that's countdown for this the one hundred 753 00:52:26,915 --> 00:52:31,155 Speaker 1: and sixty second day until the twenty twenty four presidential election, 754 00:52:31,555 --> 00:52:35,235 Speaker 1: the one two hundred and thirty ninth day since Dictator 755 00:52:35,355 --> 00:52:38,995 Speaker 1: Jay Trump's first attempted coup against the democratically elected government 756 00:52:38,995 --> 00:52:42,195 Speaker 1: of the United States. Use the legal system, use the 757 00:52:42,235 --> 00:52:45,835 Speaker 1: mental health system, use presidential immunity if it happens, use 758 00:52:45,875 --> 00:52:51,555 Speaker 1: the not regularly given elector objection to stop him from 759 00:52:51,595 --> 00:52:56,755 Speaker 1: doing it again while we still can. The next scheduled 760 00:52:56,755 --> 00:52:59,675 Speaker 1: countdown is tomorrow bulletins as the news warrants till then, 761 00:52:59,715 --> 00:53:03,715 Speaker 1: I'm Keith Ulberman, good morning, good afternoon, good night, and 762 00:53:04,235 --> 00:53:16,715 Speaker 1: good luck. Supernatural Finances Countdown with Keith Oldman is a 763 00:53:16,755 --> 00:53:21,555 Speaker 1: production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the 764 00:53:21,595 --> 00:53:26,155 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.