1 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:07,000 Speaker 1: Welcome to Talking Politics, and welcome to twenty twenty six. 2 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:09,920 Speaker 2: This is the first Talking Politics pot of the year. 3 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:13,600 Speaker 1: But we also posted my brand new interview with Boston's 4 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:16,640 Speaker 1: own Dennis Leary and Off the Cup. 5 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 2: Go check it out. It is fantastic. He is such 6 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 2: a treasure. Loved it. 7 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:24,000 Speaker 1: Also, if you missed it, we wrapped up twenty twenty 8 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:26,759 Speaker 1: five with a compilation of the best answers from my 9 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:29,640 Speaker 1: celebrity guests to the all important question of when is 10 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 1: it iced coffee season? Here from Charlemagne, the God, Bradley Whitford, 11 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 1: Jenny Garth, James Vanderbeck. 12 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:36,040 Speaker 2: So ma anymore. 13 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:38,800 Speaker 1: That's also over Off the Cup. It's really fun to 14 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:43,280 Speaker 1: listen to. But here we're gonna talk about politics. It 15 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:45,519 Speaker 1: was such a nice break from it and then a 16 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:50,320 Speaker 1: rough reentry. Okay, bam, we're back and we're into nation 17 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 1: building again. We're into regime change. We're imperialists now. In 18 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 1: case you missed it, just before they break, the Trump 19 00:00:56,560 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 1: administration bombed Venezuela and captured President Nicola Maduro and his wife. 20 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:05,319 Speaker 1: Trump and his surrogates are saying all kinds of things 21 00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:10,320 Speaker 1: about this. It's about ending the drug cartels, it's about 22 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:16,319 Speaker 1: ending an illegitimate regime, it's about oil. They can't decide 23 00:01:16,319 --> 00:01:19,360 Speaker 1: what the actual reason is for why we did this 24 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:22,760 Speaker 1: without congressional approval, so they're just kind of throwing them 25 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:23,320 Speaker 1: all out there. 26 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:27,039 Speaker 2: But I have one more. I think it's pretty obviously 27 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:31,399 Speaker 2: also about the Epstein files. War is a great distraction, 28 00:01:31,760 --> 00:01:32,399 Speaker 2: as we all know. 29 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:35,160 Speaker 1: And later in today's show, actually I'm going to talk 30 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:36,959 Speaker 1: to someone who knows a lot about that, the author 31 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:39,680 Speaker 1: of American Hero, which is the book that became Wag 32 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:43,240 Speaker 1: the Dog. But before that, let's talk about America first. 33 00:01:43,319 --> 00:01:43,639 Speaker 2: Okay. 34 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:49,640 Speaker 1: America First is Trump's signature foreign policy doctrine. He's been 35 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 1: pushing it since twenty sixteen, twenty seventeen. He didn't invent it, 36 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:58,080 Speaker 1: but he's he's taken it up, okay, and it's become 37 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:01,360 Speaker 1: his foreign policy sort of slow again, to end the 38 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:06,279 Speaker 1: kinds of forever wars that previous administrations had gotten us into. 39 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:09,280 Speaker 1: Take a listen, this was Trump back in twenty sixteen. 40 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 3: Obviously, the war in Iraq was a big, fat mistake. 41 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:16,720 Speaker 3: All right, now, you can take it anywhere you want, 42 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 3: and took it took Jim Bush. If you remember, at 43 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:22,680 Speaker 3: the beginning of his announcement, when he announced the president 44 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 3: took him five days. He went back, it was a mistake. 45 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 3: It wasn't a mistake. It took him five days before 46 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:31,560 Speaker 3: his people told him what to say, and he ultimately 47 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:34,640 Speaker 3: said it was a mistake. The war in Iraq, we 48 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:37,800 Speaker 3: spent two trillion dollars, thousands of lives. We don't even 49 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:40,320 Speaker 3: have it. Iran is taking over a Raq with the 50 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:43,440 Speaker 3: second largest oil reserves in the world. Obviously it was 51 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:46,880 Speaker 3: a mistake. So George Bush made a mistake. We can 52 00:02:46,919 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 3: make mistakes, but that one was a beauty. We should 53 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:53,200 Speaker 3: have never been in a wreck. We have destabilized the Middle. 54 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:56,480 Speaker 1: Eg we don't even have it. That kind of was 55 00:02:56,520 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 1: a mask slip right there. We don't even have it, 56 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 1: like as if we were supposed to take a rack 57 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:05,880 Speaker 1: when we've went into it. That's sort of a key 58 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:08,919 Speaker 1: into his insight. But back then he was anti war. 59 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 1: He said it all the time, and you know, I 60 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 1: guess he was running against ultimately Hillary Clinton, so that 61 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:20,440 Speaker 1: made sense politically. But he also got elected and re 62 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:26,920 Speaker 1: elected on this America first sort of isolationist. 63 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:28,440 Speaker 2: A project. 64 00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 1: And listen, foreign policy is complicated. I accept that I 65 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 1: understand that I cover foreign policy. I'm not an isolationist. 66 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 1: I'm not America first. I'm admittedly more of a Neocon, 67 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:44,800 Speaker 1: but we can also agree mistakes were made in Iraq 68 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:47,760 Speaker 1: and Libya and elsewhere. I also think it's pretty clear 69 00:03:47,760 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 1: that most Americans in twenty sixteen and twenty twenty. 70 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 2: Four were where Trump used to be. 71 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:56,360 Speaker 1: They didn't want us getting involved in everyone else's fight, 72 00:03:57,280 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 1: but something exchanged. In late twenty twenty, Trump started talking 73 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:06,480 Speaker 1: about invading Canada, Panama, Greenland right otherwise known as allies 74 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:10,320 Speaker 1: or allies. It sounded like maybe he was joking. He 75 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:15,080 Speaker 1: was not so cut to January twenty twenty five, before 76 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:19,280 Speaker 1: Trump was even sworn into office, Remember, he sent a 77 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:24,080 Speaker 1: plane to Nook, Greenland, where his son Don Junior and 78 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:27,920 Speaker 1: other Mega allies preamed for cameras and stomped around like 79 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:32,040 Speaker 1: stereotypical American tourists, like they owned the place because they very. 80 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:32,480 Speaker 2: Much wanted to. 81 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:36,920 Speaker 1: And upon returning, one of Trump's guys who went to Greenland, 82 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 1: an influential Mega podcaster, told his audience that it was 83 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:48,239 Speaker 1: absolutely imperative that America acquire Greenland. Why, in the words 84 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 1: of this podcaster, it makes America dream again. That were 85 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:58,440 Speaker 1: not just this sad low testosterone badea male slouching in 86 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:02,200 Speaker 1: our chair, allowing the to run over us. It is 87 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:06,920 Speaker 1: the resurrection of masculine American energy. It is the return 88 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:15,160 Speaker 1: of manifest destiny. Wow, Okay, what an endorsement of invading 89 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:19,719 Speaker 1: a sovereign nation, the idea that America is essentially owed 90 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:24,040 Speaker 1: greenland as retained by God. Right, that's manifest destiny, and 91 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:27,080 Speaker 1: that acquiring it was going to accomplish nothing short of 92 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 1: resurrecting both the American dream and masculine American energy. That's 93 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:38,120 Speaker 1: quite the preposterous promise, okay, But it was made in 94 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:41,440 Speaker 1: earnest by someone that Trump voters really loved and trusted. 95 00:05:41,960 --> 00:05:44,960 Speaker 2: That was Charlie Kirk. Charlie Kirk is who said that. 96 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:48,760 Speaker 1: Now, that was a huge shift in a very short 97 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:51,400 Speaker 1: period of time from the way Kirk and other mega 98 00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:55,000 Speaker 1: accolytes had been talking. Kirk had long bought into Trump's 99 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:59,320 Speaker 1: America First marketing pitch. He believed in America first when 100 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:04,200 Speaker 1: it came to immigration policy, foreign policy, domestic policy, and 101 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:07,200 Speaker 1: as Trump touted an end to forever Wars while on 102 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:11,480 Speaker 1: the campaign trail, Kirk and others in the manisphere decided 103 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:14,479 Speaker 1: America first was Trump's calling hard, It was his rais 104 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:19,120 Speaker 1: on destra, his most compelling principle. Gone would be the 105 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:24,240 Speaker 1: days of George W. Bush's cowboy new Conservatism. Real men 106 00:06:24,839 --> 00:06:28,200 Speaker 1: minded their own business. That was the pitch to voters 107 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:33,640 Speaker 1: made for years by MAGA influencers, who promised nothing was 108 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:39,920 Speaker 1: more morally imperative than America retreating from the world until 109 00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:43,840 Speaker 1: it wasn't. Kirk was not alone in flipping the script 110 00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:46,440 Speaker 1: to suddenly defend the thing they'd been told by Trump 111 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:47,480 Speaker 1: would never happen. 112 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:48,880 Speaker 4: Now. 113 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:53,640 Speaker 1: They were telling us interventioneering, threatening to invade sovereign nations, 114 00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:56,880 Speaker 1: maybe even getting involved in some foreign wars. And even 115 00:06:56,920 --> 00:07:01,720 Speaker 1: Trump's tariffs, which were an economic interventionist policy. We're not 116 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:05,679 Speaker 1: only okay, they were crucial. They were crucial to making 117 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:10,920 Speaker 1: America great again. And and men too. Apparently this is 118 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:16,560 Speaker 1: now America first, plundering imperialism, saying out loud, we're keeping 119 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:19,800 Speaker 1: the oil, saying out loud, this is ours now we're 120 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:25,040 Speaker 1: in charge. Here's Rick Scott this week boasting about taking 121 00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 1: Cuba too. 122 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:28,680 Speaker 2: Do you believe it is the beginning of the end 123 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:29,160 Speaker 2: of Cuba? 124 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:31,280 Speaker 5: Still and if so one is Cuba liberated. 125 00:07:32,840 --> 00:07:34,960 Speaker 6: Oh, it's it's gonna be. It's gonna be the end 126 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:37,640 Speaker 6: of the das Canal regime. The cash regime is going 127 00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:39,680 Speaker 6: to happen if we're in the processes that happen. 128 00:07:39,760 --> 00:07:39,960 Speaker 4: Now. 129 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:40,880 Speaker 6: I mean, I was just going. 130 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:45,239 Speaker 2: To think like within a week or within weeks or months. 131 00:07:46,560 --> 00:07:50,920 Speaker 6: I everything takes longer than you think, right, you know, Look, 132 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:53,040 Speaker 6: I'd like everything that happened today for the for the 133 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:56,160 Speaker 6: kids of Venezuela, for the kids of Cuba. But it's 134 00:07:56,320 --> 00:07:58,200 Speaker 6: I think it's going to happen, you know. I think 135 00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:00,560 Speaker 6: it will probably happen, maybe this year, maybe next year. 136 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:03,440 Speaker 2: It's going to happen for the kids. Of course, for 137 00:08:03,520 --> 00:08:03,920 Speaker 2: the kids. 138 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:10,080 Speaker 1: Here's Lindsey Graham warning Iran, We're coming for them too. 139 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:14,160 Speaker 7: To the people of Iran, we stand with you tonight. 140 00:08:14,840 --> 00:08:18,280 Speaker 7: We stand for you taking back your country from the 141 00:08:18,360 --> 00:08:22,640 Speaker 7: Iahtola religious Nazi who kills you and terrorizes the world. 142 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:25,400 Speaker 7: We pray for you, We support you. 143 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:26,040 Speaker 2: Donald J. 144 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:29,440 Speaker 7: Trump is not Barack Obama. He has your back. And 145 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:33,120 Speaker 7: to the iatoas you need to understand, if you keep 146 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:36,640 Speaker 7: killing your people who demanding a better life, Donald J. 147 00:08:36,800 --> 00:08:41,320 Speaker 7: Trump is going to kill you. 148 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:45,880 Speaker 2: I mean, listen, that's Lindsay. We used to call him. 149 00:08:46,040 --> 00:08:48,800 Speaker 2: I know, Lindsay, warheads on foreheads. Okay, that's Lindsay. 150 00:08:48,880 --> 00:08:52,120 Speaker 1: But listen, here's Tolcy Gabbard, a long time critic of 151 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:55,040 Speaker 1: American foreign policy, and this is just two months ago. 152 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:59,520 Speaker 4: For decades, our foreign policy has been trapped in a 153 00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:05,160 Speaker 4: counter productive and endless cycle of regime change or nation building. 154 00:09:05,480 --> 00:09:09,839 Speaker 4: It was a one size fits all approach of toppling regimes, 155 00:09:10,040 --> 00:09:14,880 Speaker 4: trying to impose our system of governance on others, intervene 156 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:18,520 Speaker 4: in conflicts that were barely understood, and walk away with 157 00:09:18,559 --> 00:09:26,960 Speaker 4: more enemies than allies. The results trillions spent, countless lives lost, 158 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:31,080 Speaker 4: and in many cases, a creation of greater security threats, 159 00:09:31,679 --> 00:09:37,440 Speaker 4: the rise of Islamists terrorist groups like ISIS. President Trump 160 00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:40,600 Speaker 4: was elected by the American people to put an end 161 00:09:40,679 --> 00:09:43,360 Speaker 4: to this, and from day one he has showed a 162 00:09:43,480 --> 00:09:46,360 Speaker 4: very different way to conduct foreign policy. 163 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:51,559 Speaker 1: Yes, is this a very different way to conduct foreign policy? 164 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:56,000 Speaker 1: In case you expected Tulsi Trump's Director of National Intelligence 165 00:09:56,040 --> 00:09:59,840 Speaker 1: to criticize doing the exact thing she was criticizing other 166 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:04,800 Speaker 1: administrations are doing, guess what instead she's offered kudos. It's 167 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:09,880 Speaker 1: quote kudos, kudos for capturing Maduro in a constitutionally questionable 168 00:10:09,920 --> 00:10:12,600 Speaker 1: operation that ended with Trump insisting we're in charge. 169 00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:12,880 Speaker 5: Now. 170 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:14,280 Speaker 2: He just did the. 171 00:10:14,240 --> 00:10:16,839 Speaker 1: Thing she was talking about two months ago that she 172 00:10:17,040 --> 00:10:22,160 Speaker 1: said we're not doing anymore. Now listen again. I lean 173 00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:27,000 Speaker 1: more interventionist. I was begging the Obama administration. I mean literally, 174 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:28,920 Speaker 1: I'd go to DC monthly with members of Congress and 175 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:33,480 Speaker 1: aid groups begging Obama to intervene in Syria. I think 176 00:10:33,520 --> 00:10:35,920 Speaker 1: there are global theaters in which it is both morally 177 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:39,240 Speaker 1: imperative that America bring its strength and also where it's 178 00:10:39,280 --> 00:10:42,760 Speaker 1: important to American national security to intervene. I'm up for 179 00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:47,120 Speaker 1: these kinds of conversations, but they should be conversations. 180 00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:50,160 Speaker 2: They should include Congressional approval. 181 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:53,240 Speaker 1: They should they should be laid out for the American 182 00:10:53,440 --> 00:10:58,840 Speaker 1: public to see and understand and approve of. None of 183 00:10:58,840 --> 00:11:01,560 Speaker 1: that's happening here. But this isn't about me. I'm not 184 00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:05,280 Speaker 1: a Trump voter. Millions of Trump voters voted for him 185 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:08,400 Speaker 1: because of America first, because he promised not to. 186 00:11:08,320 --> 00:11:12,600 Speaker 2: Be Bush Senior or Bush Junior or Hillary Clinton. What 187 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:13,280 Speaker 2: do they do? 188 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:17,079 Speaker 1: MAGA might be defending this because they're afraid of Trump, 189 00:11:17,160 --> 00:11:20,679 Speaker 1: just as they're defending Trump on all of his broken promises, 190 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:25,040 Speaker 1: releasing the Epstein files, making America more affordable, training the swamp, 191 00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:28,400 Speaker 1: replacing Obamacare. He's done none of these things, and they'll 192 00:11:28,440 --> 00:11:33,400 Speaker 1: defend that. But on America first, will there be a 193 00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:37,080 Speaker 1: line in the sand? I'll ask my next guest after 194 00:11:37,120 --> 00:11:54,640 Speaker 1: the break, welcome back to talking politics. 195 00:11:54,760 --> 00:11:56,840 Speaker 2: Joining me now is Christine Todd Whitman. 196 00:11:56,920 --> 00:11:59,800 Speaker 1: She was the fiftieth governor of New Jersey, the first 197 00:11:59,840 --> 00:12:01,720 Speaker 1: one and to have served in that role. She headed 198 00:12:01,760 --> 00:12:04,440 Speaker 1: up the EPA under w She's author of the book 199 00:12:04,440 --> 00:12:07,120 Speaker 1: It's My Party Too, taking back the Republican Party and 200 00:12:07,160 --> 00:12:09,880 Speaker 1: bringing the country together again, and she co founded the 201 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:12,600 Speaker 1: Forward Party, a centrist third party, with Andrew Yang. 202 00:12:12,920 --> 00:12:14,120 Speaker 2: Welcome, Governor Whitman. 203 00:12:14,480 --> 00:12:15,560 Speaker 5: It's a pleasure to be with you. 204 00:12:16,280 --> 00:12:18,360 Speaker 1: So I just want to get your take, big picture 205 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:22,400 Speaker 1: on what Trump's doing now in Venezuela, what he's threatening 206 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:25,240 Speaker 1: to do in Cuba and Colombia and Mexico and Greenland 207 00:12:25,559 --> 00:12:28,959 Speaker 1: and Iran. Not like is this good or bad, okay 208 00:12:29,040 --> 00:12:33,040 Speaker 1: or not okay, legal or illegal? But politically, what do 209 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:35,680 Speaker 1: you think it means to Maga voters? 210 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:38,800 Speaker 2: Who did not sign up for all of this interventionism. 211 00:12:39,800 --> 00:12:40,960 Speaker 5: I think a lot of them love it. 212 00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:42,800 Speaker 8: I think a lot of them are saying, you know, 213 00:12:42,920 --> 00:12:45,600 Speaker 8: this is us, We're strong, it will take over the world, 214 00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:48,480 Speaker 8: which is what he's doing, and they don't understand the 215 00:12:48,600 --> 00:12:52,120 Speaker 8: instability that is causing the huge amount of money that's 216 00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:54,880 Speaker 8: being spent on this with these military troops around. I mean, 217 00:12:54,880 --> 00:12:56,520 Speaker 8: it's mind boggling to me. 218 00:12:56,559 --> 00:12:58,320 Speaker 5: That we've become this kind of a country. 219 00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:02,199 Speaker 8: And it seems to me that with this president, we're 220 00:13:02,280 --> 00:13:04,880 Speaker 8: kind of heading to a place where the United States 221 00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:09,280 Speaker 8: controls the western hemisphere, you give Russia the rest of Europe, 222 00:13:09,320 --> 00:13:12,360 Speaker 8: and then you give China everything in the Far East. 223 00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:14,840 Speaker 8: And that's I think the world that he'd like to see. 224 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:17,000 Speaker 8: But I do believe that a lot of the mega 225 00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:18,760 Speaker 8: voters it's more the. 226 00:13:18,760 --> 00:13:21,040 Speaker 5: Economy that's that's making them mad. 227 00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:24,160 Speaker 8: It's the Epstein files, because he ran on making sure 228 00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:26,160 Speaker 8: that that was going to be that was going to 229 00:13:26,160 --> 00:13:28,640 Speaker 8: be all exposed, everything would be out there. But as 230 00:13:28,640 --> 00:13:32,120 Speaker 8: far as this takeover of countries, I think they probably 231 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:32,520 Speaker 8: love it. 232 00:13:33,440 --> 00:13:38,559 Speaker 1: Yeah, I have heard many defend it. It's just very jarring. 233 00:13:38,960 --> 00:13:40,600 Speaker 1: See I'm a principled person. 234 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:42,280 Speaker 5: I was very jarring. 235 00:13:42,559 --> 00:13:44,640 Speaker 1: I stick to my convictions and the things that I 236 00:13:44,679 --> 00:13:48,520 Speaker 1: believe in. I didn't just dump because Trump said so. 237 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:52,520 Speaker 1: So it's very jarring for me to contemplate going from 238 00:13:52,559 --> 00:13:55,240 Speaker 1: America first to imperialism. 239 00:13:55,840 --> 00:13:57,120 Speaker 5: Yeah, and that's where we are. 240 00:13:57,440 --> 00:13:59,840 Speaker 8: It's interesting that the latest poll that I saw said 241 00:13:59,840 --> 00:14:04,679 Speaker 8: that it's about forty nine fifty fifty one fifty one 242 00:14:04,720 --> 00:14:08,280 Speaker 8: percent not agreeing with what's happening, in forty nine percent 243 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:09,720 Speaker 8: saying it's great. 244 00:14:10,679 --> 00:14:13,720 Speaker 2: Is this a problem of history and not? 245 00:14:14,920 --> 00:14:16,959 Speaker 1: Obviously we have a president who doesn't care about history 246 00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:19,160 Speaker 1: and people around him who don't care about history. But 247 00:14:19,240 --> 00:14:22,880 Speaker 1: is it a problem that we've not learned from so 248 00:14:23,040 --> 00:14:25,320 Speaker 1: many mistakes? 249 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:26,920 Speaker 5: Well, I mean. 250 00:14:27,040 --> 00:14:30,280 Speaker 8: He's making mistakes all over the place with domestic policy 251 00:14:30,360 --> 00:14:32,280 Speaker 8: and what's happening in the country that it's going to 252 00:14:32,360 --> 00:14:33,840 Speaker 8: cost us long term. 253 00:14:34,680 --> 00:14:35,920 Speaker 5: But he didn't care. 254 00:14:36,280 --> 00:14:40,480 Speaker 8: I mean, that's the real problem, that's not his Those 255 00:14:40,520 --> 00:14:43,080 Speaker 8: are not the issues about which he cares. He really cares, 256 00:14:43,080 --> 00:14:45,440 Speaker 8: And I think it was very blatant recently when he 257 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:49,360 Speaker 8: called all the utility executives, the oil executives into the 258 00:14:49,400 --> 00:14:52,760 Speaker 8: White House and basically said Venezuela is yours now, gang, 259 00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:55,160 Speaker 8: let's just we're going to take AI oil and go 260 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:59,680 Speaker 8: to town. It's about making his friends richer, the rich richer. 261 00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:01,240 Speaker 5: Those are the people he likes. 262 00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:03,760 Speaker 8: And the thing that's so sad to me is that 263 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:06,440 Speaker 8: so many of the maga people that voted for him, 264 00:15:07,160 --> 00:15:09,280 Speaker 8: or people who are struggling people are on the edge, 265 00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:13,040 Speaker 8: people who wanted change, and he doesn't care about them. 266 00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:15,240 Speaker 5: He really does not care about them. 267 00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:17,280 Speaker 8: I mean, he would no more sit down and have 268 00:15:17,320 --> 00:15:23,840 Speaker 8: a conversation with somebody that wore overalls overalls and worked 269 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:26,760 Speaker 8: had dirty hands because they worked with their hands in 270 00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:29,080 Speaker 8: the side of the moon. I mean, when he was 271 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:33,360 Speaker 8: in Atlantic City and had the casinos, he put a 272 00:15:33,560 --> 00:15:39,640 Speaker 8: number of electricians plumbers out of business because he refused 273 00:15:39,680 --> 00:15:42,160 Speaker 8: to pay them everything that he owed them. He had 274 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:44,360 Speaker 8: his lawyers call them all in at one point after 275 00:15:44,400 --> 00:15:47,240 Speaker 8: they'd done all this building for him and put everything together, 276 00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:49,520 Speaker 8: and said, you know, we'll pay you X pennies on 277 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:51,800 Speaker 8: the dollar and you can sue us if you want. 278 00:15:51,920 --> 00:15:53,880 Speaker 5: You'll win in the end, but you'll be broke by them. 279 00:15:54,600 --> 00:15:57,640 Speaker 8: And they did go broke because they accepted the money 280 00:15:57,680 --> 00:16:00,720 Speaker 8: they could get, but it wasn't enough so he doesn't 281 00:16:00,760 --> 00:16:03,600 Speaker 8: really care about the people who believe he does, which 282 00:16:03,640 --> 00:16:05,200 Speaker 8: is what's so confusing to me. 283 00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:07,080 Speaker 2: It is confusing. 284 00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:10,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, and we've talked about this before on this podcast, 285 00:16:10,920 --> 00:16:15,120 Speaker 1: that you know, he's doing what Biden did, what cost 286 00:16:15,280 --> 00:16:19,360 Speaker 1: Biden and Kamala the election, was telling people there is 287 00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:20,880 Speaker 1: no affordability crisis. 288 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:22,240 Speaker 2: The economy is great. 289 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:29,119 Speaker 1: Add that, add the bad economic feelings to the voters 290 00:16:29,440 --> 00:16:34,200 Speaker 1: for whom America First is really important and they're out there. 291 00:16:35,320 --> 00:16:37,760 Speaker 1: Add that to the voters who are angry about the 292 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:44,200 Speaker 1: Epstein files. Add up all these folks. Are Republicans going 293 00:16:44,280 --> 00:16:44,960 Speaker 1: to be in trouble? 294 00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:48,360 Speaker 8: Well, I don't think there is a Republican party anymore 295 00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:49,240 Speaker 8: per se. 296 00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:52,360 Speaker 5: There's a cult of Trump. Yeah, that there's not a 297 00:16:52,600 --> 00:16:55,720 Speaker 5: Republican party with a platform that says this is what 298 00:16:55,720 --> 00:16:57,440 Speaker 5: we are as Republicans, because. 299 00:16:57,160 --> 00:17:01,400 Speaker 8: It's whatever he says to believe in and whatever day 300 00:17:01,560 --> 00:17:05,040 Speaker 8: we happen to be in. And so it's for me, 301 00:17:05,200 --> 00:17:10,200 Speaker 8: it's that's why I am so firmly committed to Forward, 302 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:13,439 Speaker 8: because we need the third party. When you have eighty 303 00:17:13,480 --> 00:17:17,200 Speaker 8: percent of the states being in the hands of one party. 304 00:17:17,440 --> 00:17:20,440 Speaker 5: You know, you it's just wrong. 305 00:17:20,520 --> 00:17:22,480 Speaker 8: Nobody I don't care whether it's a publican state or 306 00:17:22,480 --> 00:17:26,240 Speaker 8: a democratic state. Nobody is well served when you have 307 00:17:26,359 --> 00:17:29,520 Speaker 8: the executive and the legislative branches in the hands of 308 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:33,840 Speaker 8: one party, and when you have seventy percent of elections 309 00:17:33,840 --> 00:17:37,520 Speaker 8: in any given year uncontested, that the voters don't have 310 00:17:37,520 --> 00:17:39,360 Speaker 8: a choice. They go into the ballot box and there's 311 00:17:39,400 --> 00:17:42,639 Speaker 8: only one person to vote for for particular office. 312 00:17:42,960 --> 00:17:43,800 Speaker 5: That's wrong too. 313 00:17:44,320 --> 00:17:47,840 Speaker 8: We're not well served with that. We have principal people 314 00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:50,240 Speaker 8: in office. There are very principal people in office, or 315 00:17:50,280 --> 00:17:52,760 Speaker 8: they would like to be, but they're scared of what 316 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:55,800 Speaker 8: happens if they step outside the lines of what the 317 00:17:55,800 --> 00:17:58,159 Speaker 8: parties are telling them. On both sides, there's happens on 318 00:17:58,240 --> 00:18:00,240 Speaker 8: both sides. Yes, I'm telling them what. 319 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:03,119 Speaker 5: To do, but it's been worse on the Republican side 320 00:18:03,359 --> 00:18:05,520 Speaker 5: because it's the threats. 321 00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:09,760 Speaker 8: I mean, I look the threats on everybody. I frankly 322 00:18:09,840 --> 00:18:12,439 Speaker 8: think that the attack on Mark Kelly that's going on 323 00:18:12,560 --> 00:18:17,360 Speaker 8: now is a real test of freedom of speech. It's 324 00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:21,879 Speaker 8: I mean, they're saying, if you say anything, tell the truth. 325 00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:25,399 Speaker 8: He was telling the truth. He was saying legally, They 326 00:18:26,040 --> 00:18:29,760 Speaker 8: if you pledge, if you raise your right hand and 327 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:33,199 Speaker 8: swear to uphold the Constitution. You don't have to obey 328 00:18:33,640 --> 00:18:37,320 Speaker 8: illegal orders as a member. 329 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:40,680 Speaker 5: Of the military. I mean, that's the law, right And yet. 330 00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:43,600 Speaker 8: Because he said that and they don't like it, they're 331 00:18:43,640 --> 00:18:48,440 Speaker 8: going after him. And that's a message that was reverberating, reverberating. 332 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:51,480 Speaker 5: Across not just the military but everywhere. You better not 333 00:18:51,560 --> 00:18:52,200 Speaker 5: step out of line. 334 00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:54,439 Speaker 8: You better not say anything that this guy doesn't like, 335 00:18:54,920 --> 00:18:56,000 Speaker 8: or they're going to come after you. 336 00:18:57,560 --> 00:19:01,680 Speaker 1: That the defense toart like, that's scary. I'm sure Mark 337 00:19:01,760 --> 00:19:03,600 Speaker 1: Kelly can handle it, but like that is scary. 338 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:06,280 Speaker 5: Shit, it really is. It's very scary. Shit. 339 00:19:06,600 --> 00:19:09,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm glad you brought up forward because I think 340 00:19:09,040 --> 00:19:11,399 Speaker 1: this is related. People on both sides of the aisle 341 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:17,520 Speaker 1: feel bamboozled by politicians, and certainly Trump, as a twice 342 00:19:17,600 --> 00:19:21,359 Speaker 1: elected president, is a politician now and he's proving to 343 00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:24,840 Speaker 1: be just like the rest of them, a liar, self dealer, corrupt, 344 00:19:24,960 --> 00:19:27,440 Speaker 1: say anything to get elected. Do you think twenty twenty 345 00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:30,360 Speaker 1: eight will be the year for a third party candidate? 346 00:19:31,720 --> 00:19:35,800 Speaker 8: Well, I you know, I think so, But we're trying forward. 347 00:19:35,800 --> 00:19:38,000 Speaker 8: As you know, the major parties don't want to have 348 00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:39,920 Speaker 8: anything to do with anything that's going. 349 00:19:39,840 --> 00:19:41,280 Speaker 5: To disrupt their powerhole. 350 00:19:41,720 --> 00:19:44,320 Speaker 8: Right, So, while we're on the ballot now in ten 351 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:48,240 Speaker 8: states to one degree or another, we want to be 352 00:19:48,320 --> 00:19:48,960 Speaker 8: on all of them. 353 00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:51,520 Speaker 5: But to get there by twenty twenty eight is going 354 00:19:51,560 --> 00:19:52,280 Speaker 5: to be a challenge. 355 00:19:52,320 --> 00:19:54,360 Speaker 8: But that's where after we may or may not have 356 00:19:54,560 --> 00:19:57,199 Speaker 8: a third party candidate. But there are a lot of 357 00:19:57,240 --> 00:20:00,919 Speaker 8: different organizations working in this space that are protective of 358 00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:03,919 Speaker 8: our democracy. None of them are doing the kind of 359 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:06,720 Speaker 8: party building that we're doing at the state and local level. 360 00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:10,200 Speaker 8: Right They all are working on these efforts, and who knows, 361 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:12,959 Speaker 8: there may be a third party candidate, but it's a 362 00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:15,359 Speaker 8: lot of effort to get on the ballot as a 363 00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:16,240 Speaker 8: third party. 364 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:17,560 Speaker 5: Candidate and takes a lot of money. 365 00:20:18,080 --> 00:20:20,800 Speaker 8: We're the ones who are building it gradually at the 366 00:20:20,840 --> 00:20:23,679 Speaker 8: state and local level. So I mean, we'd hope to 367 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:25,640 Speaker 8: be we'd like to be on the ballot in every 368 00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:28,439 Speaker 8: state by twenty twenty eight, and if it means that 369 00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:31,400 Speaker 8: we then have a candidate for presidency and vice presidency, 370 00:20:31,480 --> 00:20:35,680 Speaker 8: that'd be great. But right now we're looking at what's 371 00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:37,359 Speaker 8: going to happen in the Senate and the House and 372 00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:38,280 Speaker 8: at the state level. 373 00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:39,720 Speaker 5: Because people have. 374 00:20:39,680 --> 00:20:42,879 Speaker 8: To remember that the decisions that most directly affect your 375 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:46,760 Speaker 8: life are made at the state and local rate. And 376 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:49,240 Speaker 8: when you look at things like redistricting, which is such 377 00:20:49,280 --> 00:20:52,360 Speaker 8: a huge problem, that's a state decision. And you look 378 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:56,520 Speaker 8: at the courts, many of those are state appointed, not 379 00:20:56,600 --> 00:20:59,119 Speaker 8: even elected, but they're elected at the state level. There 380 00:20:59,160 --> 00:21:03,880 Speaker 8: are so many need, so many important decisions being made 381 00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:07,040 Speaker 8: at on the local level that that's where you start 382 00:21:07,080 --> 00:21:09,240 Speaker 8: to build, and you build a farm team for the future, 383 00:21:09,400 --> 00:21:11,400 Speaker 8: the ones who are then going to go from say 384 00:21:11,760 --> 00:21:15,760 Speaker 8: mayor a council person in a municipality, to the legislature 385 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:16,800 Speaker 8: to Congress. 386 00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:18,919 Speaker 5: And you don't have to have everybody. 387 00:21:19,680 --> 00:21:22,320 Speaker 8: What you need is a full from if I firmly 388 00:21:22,359 --> 00:21:25,240 Speaker 8: believe that if we'd had three senators in the US 389 00:21:25,280 --> 00:21:26,760 Speaker 8: Senate and the last Congress and. 390 00:21:26,680 --> 00:21:30,680 Speaker 5: Say seven afford Us in the House, you never would 391 00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:31,440 Speaker 5: have had a shutdown. 392 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:34,679 Speaker 8: You wouldn't have had people losing their livelihood and not 393 00:21:34,840 --> 00:21:39,840 Speaker 8: knowing whether they could afford to continue in their jobs 394 00:21:39,880 --> 00:21:41,560 Speaker 8: such as they were if they knew if they were 395 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:42,760 Speaker 8: going to have them when they went back. 396 00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:44,080 Speaker 5: But because of the money they. 397 00:21:44,080 --> 00:21:48,719 Speaker 8: Lost in the interim and bills, unfortunately, those bills have 398 00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:52,360 Speaker 8: to be paid. Whether you're getting paid or not, your 399 00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:54,200 Speaker 8: creditors want their money, right. 400 00:21:55,160 --> 00:22:01,040 Speaker 1: The Democratic and Republican brands are so bad. But both 401 00:22:01,080 --> 00:22:04,760 Speaker 1: brands are are terrible and and and you know, I 402 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:07,600 Speaker 1: think the Republican brand is Trump. Democrats are facing a 403 00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:09,639 Speaker 1: similar crisis of confidence, like what is our brand? 404 00:22:09,680 --> 00:22:13,600 Speaker 2: Are we? Yeah? 405 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:19,040 Speaker 1: How do you think a third party should in addition 406 00:22:19,119 --> 00:22:21,800 Speaker 1: to the groundwork you're doing, how do you think a 407 00:22:21,880 --> 00:22:28,399 Speaker 1: third party should exploit that brand? Those branding problems for 408 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:30,000 Speaker 1: both of those parties right now. 409 00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:34,280 Speaker 8: Well, what people want is they want to elect someone 410 00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:37,240 Speaker 8: who is going to represent them and not a party. 411 00:22:37,680 --> 00:22:39,240 Speaker 5: And that's why the Forward Party. 412 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:42,840 Speaker 8: Is different from any other party in that we're not setting. 413 00:22:42,480 --> 00:22:44,600 Speaker 5: Up with a set of. 414 00:22:46,840 --> 00:22:50,280 Speaker 8: Positions that you have to take, you know, pro or 415 00:22:50,359 --> 00:22:54,199 Speaker 8: anti guns, choice whatever we're saying. Look, this should be 416 00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:58,600 Speaker 8: about your constituents and the people that you represent and 417 00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:02,320 Speaker 8: what they want. And so people have to in order 418 00:23:02,440 --> 00:23:06,240 Speaker 8: to be supported by the Forward Party or to become 419 00:23:06,280 --> 00:23:08,639 Speaker 8: a member of the Forward Party, you sign a pledge 420 00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:09,360 Speaker 8: it says you're going. 421 00:23:09,320 --> 00:23:10,600 Speaker 5: To upholl the rule of law. 422 00:23:10,560 --> 00:23:14,280 Speaker 8: Respect the constitution, work with anyone to solve problems, create 423 00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:17,520 Speaker 8: a safe space to discuss the controversial issues and work 424 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:19,560 Speaker 8: to ensure that everyone who has a legal right to 425 00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:23,760 Speaker 8: vote gets to vote, and base those on decency, democracy, 426 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:24,440 Speaker 8: and diversity. 427 00:23:25,160 --> 00:23:26,600 Speaker 5: It's embarrassing to say. 428 00:23:26,400 --> 00:23:28,399 Speaker 8: That you want somebody to sign a pledge saying that 429 00:23:28,440 --> 00:23:30,440 Speaker 8: they will hold the rule of law, because that kind 430 00:23:30,440 --> 00:23:33,600 Speaker 8: of should be automatic when you go into office, since 431 00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:37,240 Speaker 8: you take a pledge to that effect anyway and the Constitution. 432 00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:41,280 Speaker 8: But that's what it is, and we're putting to the 433 00:23:41,359 --> 00:23:44,480 Speaker 8: kind of people there who want to just do what's right, 434 00:23:44,960 --> 00:23:47,679 Speaker 8: and they need to have an organization behind it. You 435 00:23:47,720 --> 00:23:51,439 Speaker 8: can't do that without some support. I mean, you cannot 436 00:23:51,520 --> 00:23:54,399 Speaker 8: run for office. If you don't have support, it's not 437 00:23:54,440 --> 00:23:56,520 Speaker 8: going to happen. And you need to have volunteers, You 438 00:23:56,600 --> 00:23:59,280 Speaker 8: need to have somebody who does fundraising, You need to 439 00:23:59,320 --> 00:24:02,439 Speaker 8: have somebody who understands media. I mean, those are things 440 00:24:02,440 --> 00:24:05,520 Speaker 8: that where we should provide the support for people who 441 00:24:05,680 --> 00:24:06,760 Speaker 8: meet our criteria. 442 00:24:07,840 --> 00:24:11,080 Speaker 1: I think, what, Yeah, it's it's interesting because I covered 443 00:24:11,119 --> 00:24:14,920 Speaker 1: the New York City mayoral election last year. I had 444 00:24:14,960 --> 00:24:19,120 Speaker 1: a nightly sure, yeah, so, I mean it was actually pretty. 445 00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:23,800 Speaker 2: Fascinating to cover it. And what I noticed was that 446 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:25,840 Speaker 2: Zorn Mum Donny One without. 447 00:24:25,600 --> 00:24:28,480 Speaker 1: The support of the Democratic Party completely. I mean he 448 00:24:29,280 --> 00:24:32,880 Speaker 1: didn't even get key endorsements. They really didn't help him 449 00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:38,080 Speaker 1: at all. But the Democratic Socialists did. They provided volunteer, 450 00:24:38,240 --> 00:24:43,560 Speaker 1: the groundwork, the framework, you know, the get up the vote. 451 00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:47,800 Speaker 1: So that's sort of an example of how a non 452 00:24:47,920 --> 00:24:53,680 Speaker 1: major party can effectively get a relatively. 453 00:24:53,160 --> 00:24:55,240 Speaker 2: Unknown I mean, nobody knew who he. 454 00:24:55,320 --> 00:25:00,160 Speaker 1: Was until like April last last year, elected to a giant, 455 00:25:00,240 --> 00:25:01,120 Speaker 1: giant office. 456 00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:03,359 Speaker 2: There is a roadmap here, No. 457 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:06,920 Speaker 8: There absolutely is that. It's because people are well. First 458 00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:10,320 Speaker 8: of all, I think there's buyer's remorse on they're starting 459 00:25:10,359 --> 00:25:12,720 Speaker 8: to play. There are people who wanted change, but not 460 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:16,040 Speaker 8: this way. I mean, when they see ice shooting people, 461 00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:20,840 Speaker 8: women and cars, it's just wrong, breaking up families. That's 462 00:25:20,920 --> 00:25:24,000 Speaker 8: not what anyone really wanted. There are few who think good. 463 00:25:24,040 --> 00:25:25,520 Speaker 5: They're probably bad people, but. 464 00:25:25,520 --> 00:25:28,080 Speaker 8: When you find out that, no, they're just average citizens 465 00:25:28,080 --> 00:25:31,040 Speaker 8: and most of many of them, unfortunately. 466 00:25:30,640 --> 00:25:33,240 Speaker 5: Are just that. They're citizens leading residents here. 467 00:25:33,760 --> 00:25:36,639 Speaker 8: But so there's some buyers remorse coming in and they 468 00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:41,360 Speaker 8: wanted somebody, I mean say what too well about Zaram Lungdavid. 469 00:25:42,160 --> 00:25:44,960 Speaker 5: You may not agree with his policies, but at least 470 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:46,680 Speaker 5: he set out what he wanted. 471 00:25:46,359 --> 00:25:48,280 Speaker 8: To do when he was very clear in his policies, 472 00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:52,840 Speaker 8: very yeah, and so that made people feel good saying, Okay, 473 00:25:52,920 --> 00:25:55,199 Speaker 8: now I know what i'm voting for. Now I know 474 00:25:55,440 --> 00:25:56,960 Speaker 8: what he's going to do. I may not agree with 475 00:25:57,000 --> 00:26:00,720 Speaker 8: all of it, but there's a positive campaign. I think 476 00:26:00,760 --> 00:26:02,560 Speaker 8: that's the difference from the others. 477 00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:03,679 Speaker 5: He always looked happy. 478 00:26:04,280 --> 00:26:07,280 Speaker 8: I mean, he wasn't scowling, he didn't look like he 479 00:26:07,320 --> 00:26:08,960 Speaker 8: was mad and angry and the world. 480 00:26:08,760 --> 00:26:11,439 Speaker 5: Was coming to an end. Yeah, And that gave people 481 00:26:11,640 --> 00:26:12,800 Speaker 5: a good feeling. 482 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:15,040 Speaker 8: And so they were willing to overlook some of the 483 00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:18,800 Speaker 8: concerns they might have had about specific policy. 484 00:26:18,880 --> 00:26:21,960 Speaker 5: Issues and physicians that he took. 485 00:26:22,400 --> 00:26:25,520 Speaker 8: They were more comfortable with saying, Okay, I'll give this 486 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:28,080 Speaker 8: guy a try, because he seems like the real deal. 487 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:30,280 Speaker 2: Yeah. Oh, for sure. 488 00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:35,280 Speaker 1: His authenticity went a very, very, very long way. Because 489 00:26:35,359 --> 00:26:37,919 Speaker 1: I've said this before, New York is liberal. It's not 490 00:26:38,080 --> 00:26:40,679 Speaker 1: Portland liberal, Okay, I mean, New York is still a 491 00:26:40,680 --> 00:26:45,800 Speaker 1: place that elects Republicans for mayor and governor occasionally. So 492 00:26:45,880 --> 00:26:49,000 Speaker 1: he was saying some things that could have been you know, 493 00:26:49,160 --> 00:26:52,639 Speaker 1: scary and disqualifying, but the way he introduced himself and 494 00:26:52,680 --> 00:26:55,360 Speaker 1: his authenticity, and you thought, well, he believes in this. 495 00:26:55,800 --> 00:26:57,600 Speaker 1: It really did. It really did a lot of the 496 00:26:57,600 --> 00:26:58,240 Speaker 1: work for him. 497 00:26:58,600 --> 00:27:02,320 Speaker 8: That's a key word that you here is believes in it. Yeah, yeah, 498 00:27:02,320 --> 00:27:03,840 Speaker 8: I mean he meant it, believe in it. 499 00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:05,160 Speaker 5: People can see through that. 500 00:27:05,760 --> 00:27:08,360 Speaker 8: I mean, they are all these political phrases you can 501 00:27:08,440 --> 00:27:12,520 Speaker 8: throw out, and you know, if you don't believe it, 502 00:27:12,560 --> 00:27:15,320 Speaker 8: if it's really not you, it's not going to fly 503 00:27:15,760 --> 00:27:16,520 Speaker 8: the way it should. 504 00:27:16,520 --> 00:27:18,320 Speaker 5: And he believed. 505 00:27:18,800 --> 00:27:23,240 Speaker 1: Yes, Okay, I like to end with we call it 506 00:27:23,240 --> 00:27:27,440 Speaker 1: an exit poll. It's three questions of varying degrees of seriousness. 507 00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:30,640 Speaker 1: The first question, Governor Whitman, is what is your favorite 508 00:27:30,880 --> 00:27:33,080 Speaker 1: movie about politics? 509 00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:39,800 Speaker 5: Favorite movie about politics? Haven't? Oh, I have to I 510 00:27:39,920 --> 00:27:41,960 Speaker 5: have to think hard. I can't come up with one. 511 00:27:42,320 --> 00:27:45,480 Speaker 5: I come up with a TV sharing The West Wing. 512 00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:47,800 Speaker 2: You're give me your TV series The West Way. 513 00:27:48,160 --> 00:27:51,520 Speaker 8: It was not what's real, but it's what everybody hoped 514 00:27:51,560 --> 00:27:53,080 Speaker 8: for in a presidency. 515 00:27:53,080 --> 00:27:55,600 Speaker 2: Frankly, I think one hundred percent it was. 516 00:27:55,760 --> 00:27:59,720 Speaker 1: I've said this before too, mister Smith is already in Washington. 517 00:28:00,440 --> 00:28:00,720 Speaker 9: That was. 518 00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:03,320 Speaker 5: I mean, that would be my favorite movie I think 519 00:28:03,359 --> 00:28:05,520 Speaker 5: on politics. Mister Smith goes to Washington. 520 00:28:05,600 --> 00:28:09,200 Speaker 8: But really what came to mind first was the West Wing, 521 00:28:09,359 --> 00:28:11,119 Speaker 8: just because it's what everybody wanted. 522 00:28:11,440 --> 00:28:13,480 Speaker 5: It's not it's accurate, but. 523 00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:15,359 Speaker 2: Yes, but you know, it's funny. 524 00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:17,520 Speaker 1: You mentioned that we've had several West Wing actors on 525 00:28:17,560 --> 00:28:20,760 Speaker 1: this podcast, and people are rewatching it, and I think 526 00:28:20,800 --> 00:28:24,159 Speaker 1: it's really telling as to why they are rewatching it, 527 00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:26,359 Speaker 1: and young kids are watching it for the first time 528 00:28:26,480 --> 00:28:29,320 Speaker 1: because they want that feeling again and they can't find 529 00:28:29,359 --> 00:28:30,600 Speaker 1: it in reality. 530 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:31,119 Speaker 4: No. 531 00:28:31,640 --> 00:28:37,679 Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, since you feel firmly ensconced in the center, 532 00:28:37,760 --> 00:28:41,080 Speaker 1: now name a Republican and a Democrat that you admire. 533 00:28:42,720 --> 00:28:44,120 Speaker 5: Oh gosh, you mean today? 534 00:28:44,680 --> 00:28:45,280 Speaker 2: Yeah? Today? 535 00:28:45,760 --> 00:28:48,400 Speaker 5: Let me think you know, I think she's still a Republican. 536 00:28:48,520 --> 00:28:50,960 Speaker 8: I didn't agree with her when she was in most 537 00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:53,920 Speaker 8: of her positions and when she was in Congress, but 538 00:28:54,080 --> 00:28:56,640 Speaker 8: when she stood up and I'm talking about Liz Cheney, Yeah, 539 00:28:56,720 --> 00:28:59,880 Speaker 8: when she stood up after January sixth, I have to 540 00:29:00,120 --> 00:29:03,760 Speaker 8: are a whole host of credit because she said democracy 541 00:29:03,800 --> 00:29:06,000 Speaker 8: is more important than anything, and she knew exactly what 542 00:29:06,040 --> 00:29:07,800 Speaker 8: she was doing, what it was going to cost her. 543 00:29:08,360 --> 00:29:11,240 Speaker 8: So I have to say I admire that. I admire 544 00:29:11,280 --> 00:29:13,680 Speaker 8: that a lot. 545 00:29:14,040 --> 00:29:15,160 Speaker 5: On the Democratic side. 546 00:29:15,560 --> 00:29:19,480 Speaker 8: You know Andrew frankly, because one of the things he's 547 00:29:19,520 --> 00:29:22,440 Speaker 8: done is is he said, I'm sorry, Democratic Party and 548 00:29:22,480 --> 00:29:25,040 Speaker 8: if he wants, he would he wants to run for president. 549 00:29:25,160 --> 00:29:27,320 Speaker 5: I know that. I mean he did already tried once 550 00:29:27,680 --> 00:29:28,680 Speaker 5: and then he tried from there. 551 00:29:29,520 --> 00:29:32,160 Speaker 8: So he has a political future ahead of him, or 552 00:29:32,160 --> 00:29:33,080 Speaker 8: he had, but. 553 00:29:33,080 --> 00:29:35,280 Speaker 5: He sure doesn't have it now with the Democratic Party. 554 00:29:35,440 --> 00:29:39,240 Speaker 5: And he knows that, and he knows that that takes. 555 00:29:39,560 --> 00:29:42,000 Speaker 5: That takes some courage and some gumption to do that. 556 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:43,000 Speaker 2: It does. 557 00:29:43,080 --> 00:29:47,400 Speaker 1: We've also had Andrew Yang on the podcast. Okay, uh, finally, 558 00:29:47,520 --> 00:29:49,080 Speaker 1: how do we save our democracy? 559 00:29:50,280 --> 00:29:53,400 Speaker 8: I think we we build it back with people who 560 00:29:53,520 --> 00:29:55,280 Speaker 8: believe in it and are going to support it. And 561 00:29:55,320 --> 00:29:58,720 Speaker 8: that's why I am so focused on the Forward Party. 562 00:29:58,760 --> 00:30:01,640 Speaker 8: It's it's not fast, it's not sexy because it's not 563 00:30:01,720 --> 00:30:03,720 Speaker 8: all playing at the residential level right away. 564 00:30:03,760 --> 00:30:06,479 Speaker 5: But that's not It has to happen, and that's how 565 00:30:06,480 --> 00:30:09,160 Speaker 5: it's happened in our past, and it takes time. 566 00:30:10,840 --> 00:30:13,440 Speaker 8: Reading about Margaret Chase Smith and what she did with 567 00:30:13,560 --> 00:30:16,800 Speaker 8: Joseph McCarthy, it took three years after that speech that 568 00:30:16,880 --> 00:30:21,080 Speaker 8: she made in the House as a freshman woman, only 569 00:30:21,120 --> 00:30:23,280 Speaker 8: one serving in the United States Senate at the time 570 00:30:23,320 --> 00:30:23,760 Speaker 8: from Maine. 571 00:30:23,920 --> 00:30:25,280 Speaker 5: She was from any state. 572 00:30:25,320 --> 00:30:26,760 Speaker 8: I mean she was the only woman, but she was 573 00:30:26,760 --> 00:30:30,480 Speaker 8: from Maine, and she had no seniority anywhere, knew what 574 00:30:30,520 --> 00:30:32,600 Speaker 8: it was going to cost her in the House, and 575 00:30:32,680 --> 00:30:38,640 Speaker 8: yet she really stripped away the veil behind which McCarthy 576 00:30:38,720 --> 00:30:43,040 Speaker 8: was hiding, without ever mentioning his name, just appealing to 577 00:30:43,080 --> 00:30:46,080 Speaker 8: the better agels of the nature of the other members. 578 00:30:46,080 --> 00:30:49,040 Speaker 5: And it took three years, but it happened. So it's 579 00:30:49,080 --> 00:30:51,960 Speaker 5: not These things don't happen overnight. It does take time. 580 00:30:52,040 --> 00:30:54,640 Speaker 8: But if everybody sits back and says, oh darn, then 581 00:30:54,720 --> 00:30:57,640 Speaker 8: it's never going to happen and this is all awful, Well, 582 00:30:57,640 --> 00:31:00,160 Speaker 8: then it won't have to get an. 583 00:31:00,760 --> 00:31:04,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, Christian Todd, women, thanks so much for joining me today. 584 00:31:04,360 --> 00:31:05,040 Speaker 5: It's a pleasure. 585 00:31:20,240 --> 00:31:22,040 Speaker 1: Before I let you guys go, I had a quick 586 00:31:22,120 --> 00:31:25,560 Speaker 1: chat today with Larry Beinhart. He's the author of the 587 00:31:25,600 --> 00:31:29,160 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety three novel American Hero, which became the movie 588 00:31:29,800 --> 00:31:32,480 Speaker 1: Wag the Dog. I want you to listen to our conversation. 589 00:31:32,560 --> 00:31:34,719 Speaker 1: It's really interesting. And I asked him where he got 590 00:31:34,760 --> 00:31:39,440 Speaker 1: the inspiration to write a book about a fake war and. 591 00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:41,880 Speaker 2: He said, well, it was while he was watching the 592 00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:42,400 Speaker 2: Gulf War. 593 00:31:43,320 --> 00:31:46,600 Speaker 9: It was like watching a made for TV movie. Every 594 00:31:46,680 --> 00:31:53,200 Speaker 9: network had its logos, its theme music, it's dramatic introductions. 595 00:31:53,680 --> 00:31:57,760 Speaker 9: Later on, I think it was ABC made a documentary 596 00:31:57,800 --> 00:32:00,160 Speaker 9: about the whole war, and right at the beginning it 597 00:32:00,200 --> 00:32:03,080 Speaker 9: says some of the facts may have been altered to 598 00:32:03,120 --> 00:32:07,120 Speaker 9: make a better story. But this was supposedly an actual 599 00:32:07,720 --> 00:32:13,640 Speaker 9: news documentary from a news station, not from a Hollywood movie, 600 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:15,240 Speaker 9: where at the beginnings based. 601 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:17,200 Speaker 2: On real events. Yeah. 602 00:32:16,680 --> 00:32:19,600 Speaker 9: Right, So I said, well, wait a minute, what if 603 00:32:19,640 --> 00:32:24,480 Speaker 9: it really was a made for TV movie. What if 604 00:32:24,520 --> 00:32:28,400 Speaker 9: they hired a Steven Spielberg type character and said, you know, 605 00:32:28,520 --> 00:32:31,120 Speaker 9: we need a war that America will love on TV. 606 00:32:32,640 --> 00:32:37,200 Speaker 9: What will you do? And the novel spends a lot 607 00:32:37,240 --> 00:32:41,160 Speaker 9: of time the guy developing what's a war that America 608 00:32:41,200 --> 00:32:43,800 Speaker 9: will love on TV? And mostly he comes up with 609 00:32:43,920 --> 00:32:50,120 Speaker 9: essentially World War two two the video okay, and you know, 610 00:32:50,160 --> 00:32:53,560 Speaker 9: you get somebody to play Hitler and he gets to 611 00:32:53,600 --> 00:32:57,080 Speaker 9: invade one small country kind of like Poland, but kuwait, 612 00:32:57,760 --> 00:33:01,120 Speaker 9: and then the Allies come and they get rid of 613 00:33:01,160 --> 00:33:05,000 Speaker 9: him and have a triumph. And I have to say 614 00:33:05,280 --> 00:33:07,600 Speaker 9: at the time, I watched it. It was very cynical 615 00:33:07,640 --> 00:33:11,720 Speaker 9: about it. Now looking backward, it's a difference between Go 616 00:33:11,880 --> 00:33:14,440 Speaker 9: War one and Go four two. I'm saying, well, you know, 617 00:33:14,760 --> 00:33:19,880 Speaker 9: George hw Bush was really good at it. He made 618 00:33:19,880 --> 00:33:24,800 Speaker 9: a good war. He knew when, he knew when to stop, 619 00:33:26,560 --> 00:33:30,160 Speaker 9: and his reasons were stopping were right. To go any 620 00:33:30,240 --> 00:33:30,920 Speaker 9: further would. 621 00:33:30,720 --> 00:33:31,320 Speaker 8: Have been illegal. 622 00:33:31,600 --> 00:33:35,600 Speaker 9: He kept it legal. Great Actually deposing Saddam Hussein was 623 00:33:35,640 --> 00:33:39,240 Speaker 9: going to re destabilize the entire Middle East, and they 624 00:33:39,320 --> 00:33:42,720 Speaker 9: knew it. They discussed it, and it wasn't until they 625 00:33:42,760 --> 00:33:44,640 Speaker 9: did it the second time, and it really screwed it 626 00:33:44,720 --> 00:33:48,760 Speaker 9: up that you could get to see that right. And 627 00:33:48,800 --> 00:33:51,400 Speaker 9: the other thing that George hw Bush did that was 628 00:33:51,480 --> 00:33:55,600 Speaker 9: quite brilliant. He had the war paid for and this 629 00:33:55,760 --> 00:33:58,120 Speaker 9: is in a novel. It's part of the proof of 630 00:33:58,200 --> 00:34:00,640 Speaker 9: why this must have been a holly would work because 631 00:34:00,640 --> 00:34:02,600 Speaker 9: the way they paid for it was they pre solved 632 00:34:02,640 --> 00:34:08,920 Speaker 9: the foreign rights. They really did right. They got Japan 633 00:34:09,040 --> 00:34:12,320 Speaker 9: and Germany and our parts of the Arab country say hey, guys, 634 00:34:12,520 --> 00:34:14,399 Speaker 9: we'll have this war. We'll get rid of this guy, 635 00:34:14,520 --> 00:34:17,800 Speaker 9: but you have to pay for it, and they said okay. 636 00:34:18,320 --> 00:34:23,920 Speaker 9: So but anyway, the idea of using a foreign war 637 00:34:24,080 --> 00:34:29,480 Speaker 9: to distract from domestic political problems is very feasible. It's 638 00:34:29,480 --> 00:34:33,680 Speaker 9: been done very often because there's a natural human reaction 639 00:34:33,960 --> 00:34:35,160 Speaker 9: of rally around the flag. 640 00:34:36,080 --> 00:34:37,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, all right. 641 00:34:38,800 --> 00:34:43,200 Speaker 9: As with so many things about Trump, this is different 642 00:34:43,719 --> 00:34:50,800 Speaker 9: and it's weird and it's casual, and it's lazy, and 643 00:34:51,080 --> 00:34:55,319 Speaker 9: you can't quite figure out why he's doing it and 644 00:34:55,360 --> 00:34:57,920 Speaker 9: how he's doing it. There was no build up to this. 645 00:34:58,800 --> 00:35:03,520 Speaker 9: Not spend the time establishing that Maduro was the new Hitler, 646 00:35:03,920 --> 00:35:09,040 Speaker 9: right right. They didn't spend five minutes claiming that we're 647 00:35:09,080 --> 00:35:10,200 Speaker 9: threatened by him. 648 00:35:10,360 --> 00:35:10,600 Speaker 2: Yep. 649 00:35:10,960 --> 00:35:16,640 Speaker 9: The things that they attacked him for were nonsensical. I mean, 650 00:35:16,719 --> 00:35:18,640 Speaker 9: there's a certain amount of blame to be laid on 651 00:35:18,640 --> 00:35:20,759 Speaker 9: the media, but not saying, hey, wait a minute, this 652 00:35:20,840 --> 00:35:23,800 Speaker 9: is nonsensical. Yeah, flaming Venezuela, if a fentanyl. 653 00:35:24,320 --> 00:35:28,480 Speaker 1: Well, as my friend Jonah Goldberg just wrote yesterday, he said, 654 00:35:29,120 --> 00:35:32,719 Speaker 1: it's really impressive actually that none of us could see 655 00:35:32,760 --> 00:35:35,680 Speaker 1: this coming because they didn't lead us up to it. 656 00:35:35,760 --> 00:35:38,880 Speaker 1: And that's not impressive in a good way. But usually 657 00:35:39,239 --> 00:35:41,879 Speaker 1: you can tell by some pieces on the chessboard being 658 00:35:41,920 --> 00:35:46,200 Speaker 1: moved around, or the way maybe defense is talking something's coming. 659 00:35:46,480 --> 00:35:49,000 Speaker 2: No one could tell that this was going to be 660 00:35:49,120 --> 00:35:49,520 Speaker 2: the move. 661 00:35:50,280 --> 00:35:54,919 Speaker 9: Well, usually if you're using war as a diversion, yep 662 00:35:55,000 --> 00:36:01,759 Speaker 9: from domestic political problems, then they want to right, we 663 00:36:01,800 --> 00:36:04,360 Speaker 9: didn't see it coming because it made no shite. 664 00:36:04,320 --> 00:36:07,480 Speaker 2: No previews, no trailers. Let me ask you back at 665 00:36:07,880 --> 00:36:10,120 Speaker 2: when when you wrote American Hero. I just want to 666 00:36:10,120 --> 00:36:12,200 Speaker 2: know were you when it was published? 667 00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:15,480 Speaker 1: Were you worried that the administration would come for you 668 00:36:15,520 --> 00:36:16,680 Speaker 1: would say something. 669 00:36:19,520 --> 00:36:22,120 Speaker 9: Had they done so, would have helped booksales. 670 00:36:22,360 --> 00:36:23,800 Speaker 2: Actually you're helping. 671 00:36:24,040 --> 00:36:28,200 Speaker 9: I was disappointed. Nobody ever complained. I mean it shent 672 00:36:28,280 --> 00:36:29,840 Speaker 9: the copy to Colon Powell. 673 00:36:31,719 --> 00:36:34,600 Speaker 2: That's so good, right, and nothing you know, no, I 674 00:36:34,640 --> 00:36:35,000 Speaker 2: think I. 675 00:36:34,960 --> 00:36:38,279 Speaker 9: Got a cop a thank you note. You know meant 676 00:36:38,320 --> 00:36:39,160 Speaker 9: you hadn't read it. 677 00:36:40,160 --> 00:36:40,960 Speaker 2: That's so good. 678 00:36:43,560 --> 00:36:45,960 Speaker 1: All right, guys, that's it for us and talking politics. 679 00:36:46,000 --> 00:36:48,000 Speaker 1: Two great, great guests today and. 680 00:36:48,040 --> 00:36:49,400 Speaker 2: Uh, we'll see you next week. 681 00:36:54,760 --> 00:36:57,200 Speaker 1: Off the Cuff is a production of iHeart Podcasts as 682 00:36:57,239 --> 00:36:58,680 Speaker 1: part of the Reason Choice Network. 683 00:36:58,960 --> 00:37:01,120 Speaker 2: If you want more, check out the other Reason. 684 00:37:00,920 --> 00:37:05,040 Speaker 1: Choice podcasts Spolitics with Jamel Hill and Native Land Pod. 685 00:37:05,480 --> 00:37:07,560 Speaker 1: For Off the Cup, I am your host se cup. 686 00:37:07,800 --> 00:37:11,239 Speaker 1: Editing and sound design by Derek clements. Our executive producers 687 00:37:11,280 --> 00:37:15,200 Speaker 1: are me Se Cup, Lauren Hanson, and Lindsay Hoffman. Rate 688 00:37:15,239 --> 00:37:18,799 Speaker 1: and review wherever you get your podcasts, Follow or subscribe 689 00:37:19,040 --> 00:37:24,880 Speaker 1: for new episodes every Wednesday,