1 00:00:11,657 --> 00:00:14,937 Speaker 1: You're listening to The Buck Sexton Show podcast, make sure 2 00:00:14,937 --> 00:00:17,977 Speaker 1: you subscribe to the podcast on the iHeartRadio app or 3 00:00:17,977 --> 00:00:21,337 Speaker 1: wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, everybody, welcome to the 4 00:00:21,457 --> 00:00:24,857 Speaker 1: Buck Sexton Show. On this episode, Mark Hemingway is with 5 00:00:24,977 --> 00:00:29,097 Speaker 1: us of Real Clear Investigations. He's also an editor at 6 00:00:29,177 --> 00:00:34,177 Speaker 1: The Federalist and the husband of the formidable Molly Hemingway, 7 00:00:34,457 --> 00:00:38,297 Speaker 1: who is fantastic author and writer in her own right. 8 00:00:38,897 --> 00:00:42,577 Speaker 1: Mister Mark, how are you doing, sir? How is America? 9 00:00:43,977 --> 00:00:46,777 Speaker 1: You know America is hanging on? But yeah, I'm doing 10 00:00:46,817 --> 00:00:49,937 Speaker 1: all right. You know one thing that I know you 11 00:00:49,977 --> 00:00:53,417 Speaker 1: get very focused in on is all the school stuff. 12 00:00:53,457 --> 00:00:56,457 Speaker 1: You've been on the board of a classical school for 13 00:00:56,577 --> 00:01:00,017 Speaker 1: nearly eighteen years. Want to I want you to tell 14 00:01:00,017 --> 00:01:01,657 Speaker 1: me about that, But then I also want to ask 15 00:01:01,697 --> 00:01:04,897 Speaker 1: about you may have seen, you know, Biden is saying 16 00:01:04,897 --> 00:01:10,377 Speaker 1: that it's cruel now to prevent gender transition surgery for kids. 17 00:01:10,657 --> 00:01:15,057 Speaker 1: That's it's cruel to stop kids from getting surgery that 18 00:01:15,177 --> 00:01:18,017 Speaker 1: is going to almost certainly ruin their lives. But anyway, 19 00:01:18,017 --> 00:01:19,937 Speaker 1: well we'll get to that first. Telling me what is it? 20 00:01:20,017 --> 00:01:22,177 Speaker 1: What is this classical school You've been on the board 21 00:01:22,217 --> 00:01:26,057 Speaker 1: of for almost twenty years. Yeah, my church has had 22 00:01:26,097 --> 00:01:28,537 Speaker 1: a school in some form or another for you know, 23 00:01:28,577 --> 00:01:30,737 Speaker 1: nearly one hundred years, like a lot of Lutheran churches. 24 00:01:32,337 --> 00:01:35,977 Speaker 1: But you know, like I think a religious education in 25 00:01:36,017 --> 00:01:38,457 Speaker 1: this country kind of suffered an identity crisis in the 26 00:01:38,617 --> 00:01:40,657 Speaker 1: you know, in the sort of the late twentieth century, 27 00:01:41,017 --> 00:01:42,857 Speaker 1: and you know, our school have gotten very small. We 28 00:01:42,857 --> 00:01:44,937 Speaker 1: were reciting what to do with it, and you know, 29 00:01:45,737 --> 00:01:47,937 Speaker 1: you know, the school population have gotten so low, like 30 00:01:47,977 --> 00:01:50,617 Speaker 1: do we close the school or something. So what we did, 31 00:01:50,697 --> 00:01:53,617 Speaker 1: and this was you know, gosh, eighteen twenty years ago. Now, 32 00:01:53,737 --> 00:01:56,417 Speaker 1: we basically doubled down on the religious emphasis of the 33 00:01:56,417 --> 00:01:59,177 Speaker 1: school and we made it a classical school. Now twenty 34 00:01:59,257 --> 00:02:01,137 Speaker 1: years ago. It's kind of funny because you know, talking 35 00:02:01,137 --> 00:02:03,857 Speaker 1: about classical education like like these days, you know, I 36 00:02:03,937 --> 00:02:06,217 Speaker 1: talked to well educated parents and they know exactly what 37 00:02:06,297 --> 00:02:09,457 Speaker 1: classical educationism and ask me questions like are you teaching 38 00:02:09,497 --> 00:02:11,657 Speaker 1: Saxon or sing a poor math? And they have like 39 00:02:12,297 --> 00:02:15,297 Speaker 1: very opinionated ideas about private schooling because they've had to 40 00:02:15,377 --> 00:02:17,617 Speaker 1: because of the collapse of public education. But at the 41 00:02:17,617 --> 00:02:19,377 Speaker 1: time we did this, we didn't really know what we 42 00:02:19,377 --> 00:02:22,097 Speaker 1: were doing, and we were taking a gamble, and obviously 43 00:02:22,137 --> 00:02:25,097 Speaker 1: with you know, during the pandemic was sort of the culminations. 44 00:02:25,137 --> 00:02:27,897 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, we have a very well regarded 45 00:02:27,977 --> 00:02:32,057 Speaker 1: classical religious school in a Washington, DC suburb, and during 46 00:02:32,057 --> 00:02:34,297 Speaker 1: the pandemic, when all the schools in the Northern Virginia 47 00:02:34,337 --> 00:02:36,297 Speaker 1: were closed, we had to take the application off the 48 00:02:36,337 --> 00:02:39,817 Speaker 1: website at our school, which is crazy. And now like 49 00:02:39,857 --> 00:02:41,977 Speaker 1: getting into private schools in DC in recent years has 50 00:02:42,017 --> 00:02:44,777 Speaker 1: been absolute blood sport, which is just you know, amazing 51 00:02:44,817 --> 00:02:47,777 Speaker 1: to me because you look at how many people in 52 00:02:47,817 --> 00:02:50,097 Speaker 1: the DC area are in somewhere or another, you know, 53 00:02:50,177 --> 00:02:55,457 Speaker 1: responsible for destroying public education, you know, via the Democratic 54 00:02:55,497 --> 00:02:58,737 Speaker 1: Party or teachers unions or whatever it is, and you 55 00:02:58,737 --> 00:03:00,817 Speaker 1: know they're living in an area where you know, nobody 56 00:03:00,857 --> 00:03:03,377 Speaker 1: with any money feels good about sending their kids a 57 00:03:03,377 --> 00:03:07,057 Speaker 1: public school. So, you know, education reformancy has got to 58 00:03:07,097 --> 00:03:10,377 Speaker 1: be a much higher priority than it's been. You know, 59 00:03:10,577 --> 00:03:17,377 Speaker 1: I think that one one constant reality of the public 60 00:03:17,377 --> 00:03:20,137 Speaker 1: school system. And I know there are people always they 61 00:03:20,177 --> 00:03:22,177 Speaker 1: always played this game like we can't speak about this 62 00:03:22,617 --> 00:03:24,977 Speaker 1: with any nuance or or you know, it's always oh, 63 00:03:25,057 --> 00:03:26,697 Speaker 1: but you know I went to a great public school 64 00:03:26,737 --> 00:03:29,017 Speaker 1: or they're great public schools, hear me, Okay, but there 65 00:03:29,017 --> 00:03:30,657 Speaker 1: are also a lot of terrible public schools and they 66 00:03:30,697 --> 00:03:33,817 Speaker 1: never get better. And the fact that the DC public 67 00:03:33,817 --> 00:03:35,657 Speaker 1: if you're right next to Washington, DC, you live right 68 00:03:35,657 --> 00:03:37,977 Speaker 1: outside of DC, I know where you guys are, and 69 00:03:37,977 --> 00:03:39,697 Speaker 1: I know that city pretty well, having lived there a 70 00:03:39,777 --> 00:03:43,897 Speaker 1: couple of times. They've spent don't they spend something like 71 00:03:43,977 --> 00:03:47,097 Speaker 1: in the twenty thousand dollars range per student. It's like 72 00:03:47,137 --> 00:03:49,937 Speaker 1: the highest in the country. And the public school system 73 00:03:49,977 --> 00:03:53,377 Speaker 1: there is is horrible. I remember there was a Washington 74 00:03:53,377 --> 00:03:55,377 Speaker 1: Post story. This is about a decade ago, and so 75 00:03:55,577 --> 00:03:58,377 Speaker 1: I'm sure the figures are certainly much higher now, but Washington, 76 00:03:58,497 --> 00:04:02,377 Speaker 1: DC was spending about thirty thousand dollars per kid. Wow, 77 00:04:02,377 --> 00:04:04,857 Speaker 1: and Washington the Washington DC school district is by several 78 00:04:04,897 --> 00:04:08,417 Speaker 1: objective metrics, the worst school district in the in the country. 79 00:04:08,497 --> 00:04:10,937 Speaker 1: I mean, it's like constantly can eating with school districts, 80 00:04:10,937 --> 00:04:12,537 Speaker 1: and in certain parts of New Jersey for like the 81 00:04:12,537 --> 00:04:15,457 Speaker 1: absolute wrisk performance in terms of dropout rates and stuff 82 00:04:15,457 --> 00:04:17,497 Speaker 1: like that. You know, it's it's also a situation where 83 00:04:17,737 --> 00:04:19,457 Speaker 1: there've been a number of high profile cases in the 84 00:04:19,497 --> 00:04:22,097 Speaker 1: last twenty years of like teachers union corruption, like actual 85 00:04:22,097 --> 00:04:25,017 Speaker 1: embezzlement like millions of dollars and things like that from 86 00:04:26,257 --> 00:04:29,137 Speaker 1: the unions and schools in DC. So, I mean, it's 87 00:04:29,177 --> 00:04:32,417 Speaker 1: just just bad at every level. But what's also interesting though, 88 00:04:32,457 --> 00:04:35,537 Speaker 1: in this area in particular, is that just outside of DC, 89 00:04:35,737 --> 00:04:38,777 Speaker 1: in northern Virginia, you know, in Loudon County, in Fairfax County, 90 00:04:39,177 --> 00:04:42,257 Speaker 1: you had, by some measures, some of the best public 91 00:04:42,297 --> 00:04:45,057 Speaker 1: high schools in the nation. Fairfax County in particular. You know, 92 00:04:45,057 --> 00:04:47,417 Speaker 1: it was always upheld as a model. And what happened. 93 00:04:48,537 --> 00:04:50,737 Speaker 1: A bunch of woke people got elected to the school 94 00:04:50,737 --> 00:04:52,777 Speaker 1: board and like within a span of a few years, 95 00:04:53,017 --> 00:04:55,257 Speaker 1: it's become a national news story what's happened with Loudon 96 00:04:55,297 --> 00:04:58,257 Speaker 1: County schools with the trans bathroom stuff. And then in 97 00:04:58,297 --> 00:05:02,377 Speaker 1: Fairfax County they had this famous magnet school for science 98 00:05:02,377 --> 00:05:05,817 Speaker 1: and Technology, that Thomas Jefferson High School. It's when you know, 99 00:05:05,857 --> 00:05:07,377 Speaker 1: it was an Ivy League feeder school and it was 100 00:05:07,377 --> 00:05:10,417 Speaker 1: a public high school, and the day school board has 101 00:05:10,417 --> 00:05:13,297 Speaker 1: basically tried to destroy merit based admission to it. You 102 00:05:13,337 --> 00:05:16,337 Speaker 1: had to test into it, right, But what happened was 103 00:05:16,457 --> 00:05:18,377 Speaker 1: is because there were a ton of Asian immigrants in 104 00:05:18,497 --> 00:05:21,537 Speaker 1: me in the Northern Virginia, you know, and again these 105 00:05:21,577 --> 00:05:25,257 Speaker 1: are historically discriminated against immigrants. We're taking up all the 106 00:05:25,337 --> 00:05:28,137 Speaker 1: spots in the STEM schools. So all of a sudden 107 00:05:28,177 --> 00:05:30,297 Speaker 1: they had to do away with the merit based admission 108 00:05:30,337 --> 00:05:32,017 Speaker 1: to the school. And that this has been a big fight. 109 00:05:32,537 --> 00:05:34,737 Speaker 1: Um as that school gets, you know, fallow starts to 110 00:05:34,777 --> 00:05:37,937 Speaker 1: fall apart. Um. There's a recent scandal where they didn't 111 00:05:37,937 --> 00:05:41,217 Speaker 1: inform several students because of what looks like because they 112 00:05:41,217 --> 00:05:43,577 Speaker 1: were you know, white or Asian, that they had won 113 00:05:43,697 --> 00:05:47,017 Speaker 1: national merit scholarships. You know, I mean like they're just 114 00:05:47,217 --> 00:05:49,577 Speaker 1: they're just waging war on people. And it's it's it's 115 00:05:49,577 --> 00:05:52,337 Speaker 1: absolutely sounding to me to watch this just implode and 116 00:05:52,817 --> 00:05:55,537 Speaker 1: everyone's sort of standing around, powerless, you know, to do 117 00:05:55,537 --> 00:05:57,377 Speaker 1: anything about it. And I've been screaming for in the 118 00:05:57,417 --> 00:06:00,257 Speaker 1: twenty plus years Republicans need to make an education reform 119 00:06:00,297 --> 00:06:04,897 Speaker 1: a much bigger political priority. How do they do that? Well, 120 00:06:04,937 --> 00:06:07,457 Speaker 1: for one thing, they need to start talking about it. Um. 121 00:06:07,737 --> 00:06:10,457 Speaker 1: You know, obviously there's you know, a war are on 122 00:06:10,657 --> 00:06:14,337 Speaker 1: meritocracy in this country, you know, right now in advance 123 00:06:14,417 --> 00:06:17,737 Speaker 1: for an advance of what looks like there's a potential 124 00:06:17,777 --> 00:06:19,657 Speaker 1: to the Spreme Court to basically, you know, take away 125 00:06:19,737 --> 00:06:23,697 Speaker 1: affirmative action in this country. Ivy League schools even have 126 00:06:23,777 --> 00:06:25,897 Speaker 1: announced they're no longer going to be using SAT scores. 127 00:06:26,377 --> 00:06:30,057 Speaker 1: You know, and I'm sorry, but SAT scores and standardized tasks. Look, 128 00:06:30,097 --> 00:06:32,577 Speaker 1: we all have issues with them. You know, maybe we 129 00:06:32,617 --> 00:06:34,937 Speaker 1: didn't enjoy them, but the fact of the matters is 130 00:06:35,057 --> 00:06:37,817 Speaker 1: SAT scores, for instance, we're a great equalizer. I mean, 131 00:06:37,817 --> 00:06:39,657 Speaker 1: it was a you know, if you were an Asian 132 00:06:39,657 --> 00:06:42,417 Speaker 1: immigrant who spends you know, I don't know, twenty hours 133 00:06:42,417 --> 00:06:44,177 Speaker 1: a week or whatever outside of school, working in your 134 00:06:44,217 --> 00:06:47,177 Speaker 1: family restaurant, you don't have time to burnish your resume 135 00:06:47,337 --> 00:06:49,897 Speaker 1: doing all these fancy extracurriculous that look good on an 136 00:06:49,897 --> 00:06:52,577 Speaker 1: Ivyleague school application. But if you go in and you know, 137 00:06:52,617 --> 00:06:55,097 Speaker 1: you pull a fourteen fifty on the SAT, then you've 138 00:06:55,097 --> 00:06:57,177 Speaker 1: got a shot at getting in an Ivyleague school. Well, 139 00:06:57,417 --> 00:06:59,497 Speaker 1: they do away with the SAT all of a sudden, 140 00:06:59,497 --> 00:07:01,737 Speaker 1: What's all that's going to do is empower you know, 141 00:07:01,777 --> 00:07:03,977 Speaker 1: the kids who have the money and time and resources 142 00:07:04,177 --> 00:07:06,577 Speaker 1: go out and burnish their resume with you know, charity 143 00:07:06,617 --> 00:07:09,377 Speaker 1: work and you know, higher education consultants and all that 144 00:07:09,417 --> 00:07:12,377 Speaker 1: other nonsense you know, involving in schools these days. So 145 00:07:12,377 --> 00:07:14,337 Speaker 1: that's like one issue right there. You just talk about, like, 146 00:07:14,377 --> 00:07:16,537 Speaker 1: you know, why are we doing away with merit based 147 00:07:16,537 --> 00:07:19,577 Speaker 1: admission to you know, like STEM school, Stem high schools, 148 00:07:19,577 --> 00:07:22,017 Speaker 1: now and colleges. You know, just go out there and 149 00:07:22,057 --> 00:07:25,177 Speaker 1: talk about that. I wonder as well. You know, you're 150 00:07:25,217 --> 00:07:26,697 Speaker 1: so you're on the board of this school having for 151 00:07:26,697 --> 00:07:29,777 Speaker 1: a long time of your school attached to your Lutheran church. 152 00:07:30,857 --> 00:07:32,897 Speaker 1: Are there parents who show up at any of the meetings? Now? 153 00:07:32,937 --> 00:07:35,137 Speaker 1: I know it's it's a pre selected group in so 154 00:07:35,217 --> 00:07:37,097 Speaker 1: far as these are people that are choosing to go 155 00:07:37,137 --> 00:07:41,297 Speaker 1: to this school and it's you know, Christian affiliated, But 156 00:07:41,457 --> 00:07:43,377 Speaker 1: is anyone showing up and saying, hey, you know, I 157 00:07:43,417 --> 00:07:47,537 Speaker 1: really think we need to expand gender ideology for the 158 00:07:47,617 --> 00:07:50,017 Speaker 1: kids starting around the third grade? I mean, do you 159 00:07:50,057 --> 00:07:52,737 Speaker 1: come up against that? Uh? I always I find it 160 00:07:52,777 --> 00:07:55,977 Speaker 1: remarkable trying to figure out where does this begin? Because 161 00:07:55,977 --> 00:07:57,697 Speaker 1: we know what happens in a lot of different schools 162 00:07:57,697 --> 00:08:01,497 Speaker 1: across the country where they start the very sexualized books 163 00:08:01,537 --> 00:08:05,497 Speaker 1: for young kids and the LGBTQ plus indoctrination stuff at 164 00:08:05,537 --> 00:08:07,457 Speaker 1: a very young age. Obviously in Florida that calls to 165 00:08:07,537 --> 00:08:10,497 Speaker 1: Hughes fight a huge fight. Do you know, had you 166 00:08:10,497 --> 00:08:14,017 Speaker 1: come across any parents who feel like there's not enough 167 00:08:14,297 --> 00:08:17,417 Speaker 1: of the left wing stuff going on for the kids, 168 00:08:17,457 --> 00:08:18,697 Speaker 1: do you know what I mean? I mean that they're 169 00:08:18,737 --> 00:08:23,057 Speaker 1: not being LGBTQ plus friendly enough or something. There's stuff 170 00:08:23,057 --> 00:08:25,737 Speaker 1: like that, but it's very much confined to the margins. 171 00:08:26,497 --> 00:08:29,257 Speaker 1: One reason why religious schools are good for this sort 172 00:08:29,297 --> 00:08:30,857 Speaker 1: of thing, and if I were, you know, a parent, 173 00:08:30,897 --> 00:08:32,777 Speaker 1: I'd be out there looking for religious that cares about 174 00:08:32,817 --> 00:08:35,137 Speaker 1: these issues. I'd be looking at religious schools is because 175 00:08:35,537 --> 00:08:38,817 Speaker 1: most religious schools are actually controlled by the church. In 176 00:08:38,897 --> 00:08:40,657 Speaker 1: order to be on the board of the school or whatever, 177 00:08:40,697 --> 00:08:42,657 Speaker 1: you also be a member of the church. And then 178 00:08:42,777 --> 00:08:45,897 Speaker 1: you know that board ensures that nothing that the school 179 00:08:45,937 --> 00:08:48,017 Speaker 1: does is going to go against the doctrine of the church. 180 00:08:48,057 --> 00:08:50,737 Speaker 1: And if the church that's running the school is you know, 181 00:08:50,777 --> 00:08:55,777 Speaker 1: a solid, you know church with traditionally Christian, biblically centered beliefs, 182 00:08:55,817 --> 00:08:57,617 Speaker 1: you're not going to encounter any of that stuff. Because 183 00:08:57,617 --> 00:09:01,737 Speaker 1: the moment the parents, the parents sort of raise these issues, 184 00:09:02,217 --> 00:09:04,297 Speaker 1: then you know they can be you know, pretty much 185 00:09:04,337 --> 00:09:07,177 Speaker 1: dismissed because you know, it's it's they don't have any 186 00:09:07,177 --> 00:09:09,177 Speaker 1: sort of direct input in it. It's a private school. 187 00:09:09,217 --> 00:09:10,537 Speaker 1: You can need to choose this in your kids there 188 00:09:10,537 --> 00:09:13,137 Speaker 1: are choose not to. And then the other thing that's 189 00:09:13,137 --> 00:09:15,777 Speaker 1: happened simply is like I said, you know, it's become 190 00:09:15,857 --> 00:09:19,097 Speaker 1: basically what supposed pandemic become blood sport in a lot 191 00:09:19,177 --> 00:09:20,937 Speaker 1: of you know, fluent areas to get your kids into 192 00:09:20,977 --> 00:09:24,697 Speaker 1: a private school, and the demand to get into private 193 00:09:24,697 --> 00:09:27,697 Speaker 1: schools is really really high, so that for once, you know, 194 00:09:28,057 --> 00:09:30,777 Speaker 1: if you if you have a private school where there 195 00:09:30,817 --> 00:09:33,097 Speaker 1: isn't a lot of pressure to get kids into the school, 196 00:09:33,137 --> 00:09:35,217 Speaker 1: and in fact, as is the case in a lot 197 00:09:35,257 --> 00:09:37,417 Speaker 1: of private schools, you know they're turning people away because 198 00:09:37,457 --> 00:09:40,577 Speaker 1: they're waiting less in every grade. Then parents aren't in 199 00:09:40,617 --> 00:09:43,697 Speaker 1: in a position whatever too, So I should say, parents 200 00:09:43,777 --> 00:09:46,537 Speaker 1: who have ideas contrary to with the school wants in 201 00:09:46,617 --> 00:09:48,657 Speaker 1: terms of values, you know, are not in position to 202 00:09:48,657 --> 00:09:51,737 Speaker 1: tell schools what to do, which is very different obviously 203 00:09:51,777 --> 00:09:54,177 Speaker 1: than public schools, where you know you have all these 204 00:09:54,457 --> 00:09:58,097 Speaker 1: you know, massive political factors going in to things, and 205 00:09:58,577 --> 00:10:01,337 Speaker 1: it really sort of upsets things. Do you think that 206 00:10:01,377 --> 00:10:04,097 Speaker 1: they because you're you're a Virginia resident. You mentioned Loudon 207 00:10:04,137 --> 00:10:06,777 Speaker 1: County as well. That was clearly a big part of 208 00:10:07,577 --> 00:10:12,817 Speaker 1: Governor Younkin's victory, right, the frustration with the schools because 209 00:10:12,857 --> 00:10:17,177 Speaker 1: of COVID, but also the you know, trans student attacking 210 00:10:17,177 --> 00:10:20,257 Speaker 1: the other student in the bathroom and the policies around 211 00:10:20,297 --> 00:10:23,337 Speaker 1: a lot of this. Does that frustration continue and do 212 00:10:23,377 --> 00:10:26,297 Speaker 1: you think that that'll play a role in how Virginia 213 00:10:26,337 --> 00:10:30,817 Speaker 1: goes just politically in general in twenty twenty four. I 214 00:10:31,137 --> 00:10:35,177 Speaker 1: think it, honestly, you know, continues because it very much 215 00:10:35,177 --> 00:10:39,497 Speaker 1: affects the Northern Virginia area where there are a lot 216 00:10:39,497 --> 00:10:43,697 Speaker 1: of affluent people and in a huge population hub that 217 00:10:43,777 --> 00:10:46,057 Speaker 1: determines a lot of the voting in the state essentially, 218 00:10:46,337 --> 00:10:48,937 Speaker 1: And so what happened in Virginia, it's really interesting and 219 00:10:48,977 --> 00:10:50,857 Speaker 1: instructive and why I think that Republicans need to go 220 00:10:50,857 --> 00:10:52,897 Speaker 1: out there and talk about this a lot more because 221 00:10:52,937 --> 00:10:55,137 Speaker 1: you know, it really worked for young Ken. Basically, you 222 00:10:55,177 --> 00:10:57,737 Speaker 1: have a situation where, yes, most of the residents in 223 00:10:57,737 --> 00:11:01,777 Speaker 1: Northern Virginia are you overwhelming Democrats, and they vote overwhelming Democrat. 224 00:11:02,137 --> 00:11:04,937 Speaker 1: But having said that, they're not like urban progressives. They're 225 00:11:04,977 --> 00:11:08,057 Speaker 1: you know, like they tend to be much more moderate Democrats, 226 00:11:08,097 --> 00:11:10,617 Speaker 1: unlike say, the voters that live in DC are big cities, 227 00:11:11,097 --> 00:11:14,337 Speaker 1: and these are people that you know, care about certain 228 00:11:14,377 --> 00:11:17,457 Speaker 1: things a great deal, you know. And with the pandemic, 229 00:11:17,537 --> 00:11:21,017 Speaker 1: basically two things happen. One is that DC completely fell 230 00:11:21,057 --> 00:11:23,417 Speaker 1: apart as a city like a lot of other urban centers. 231 00:11:23,657 --> 00:11:25,457 Speaker 1: It just it had been falling apart for a while, 232 00:11:25,457 --> 00:11:27,777 Speaker 1: but it got really really bad. Now, like the homeless problem, 233 00:11:27,777 --> 00:11:29,577 Speaker 1: all these other things are exploding in DC in ways 234 00:11:29,617 --> 00:11:33,377 Speaker 1: that wasn't before. And so young kid is running, you know, 235 00:11:33,417 --> 00:11:35,537 Speaker 1: post pandemic, and the people in northern Virginia are looking 236 00:11:35,577 --> 00:11:38,457 Speaker 1: over the bridge and they're seeing all this crime that 237 00:11:38,497 --> 00:11:41,017 Speaker 1: they're worried about, you know, coming over into their neighborhoods. 238 00:11:41,657 --> 00:11:43,977 Speaker 1: And then the other thing was Virginia had one of 239 00:11:43,977 --> 00:11:46,657 Speaker 1: the worst pandemic responses of any state in the nation. 240 00:11:46,657 --> 00:11:49,297 Speaker 1: I mean, it basically just completely shut down schools for 241 00:11:49,337 --> 00:11:52,657 Speaker 1: eighteen months, you know, deferred to the teachers' unions on everything. 242 00:11:53,057 --> 00:11:55,097 Speaker 1: You know, these are high achieving parents with jobs, and 243 00:11:55,137 --> 00:11:57,257 Speaker 1: they were frustrated beyond belief with you know, having to 244 00:11:57,257 --> 00:11:59,337 Speaker 1: take care of their kids and you know, having all 245 00:11:59,337 --> 00:12:02,697 Speaker 1: the problems that come with doing school from home and 246 00:12:03,017 --> 00:12:05,137 Speaker 1: seeing what their kids woke curriculum was like for the 247 00:12:05,177 --> 00:12:07,417 Speaker 1: first time, and all these other things. And you know, 248 00:12:07,497 --> 00:12:09,977 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, you know, with a lot of Democrats are 249 00:12:10,097 --> 00:12:12,937 Speaker 1: on the country, especially the affluent ones. If you do 250 00:12:13,017 --> 00:12:15,417 Speaker 1: two things, you know, if you threaten their property values 251 00:12:15,457 --> 00:12:18,737 Speaker 1: at crime and you you know, ruin their kids ability 252 00:12:18,777 --> 00:12:21,137 Speaker 1: to get into a top flight college because you're messing 253 00:12:21,137 --> 00:12:23,777 Speaker 1: with their education, well then God have mercy on your 254 00:12:23,777 --> 00:12:26,657 Speaker 1: political soul. I mean, it's just such a losing message 255 00:12:26,657 --> 00:12:29,057 Speaker 1: for Democrats across the board, you know, those two things, 256 00:12:29,337 --> 00:12:31,817 Speaker 1: and that's how young can one basically, I think messaging 257 00:12:31,897 --> 00:12:34,857 Speaker 1: very effectively on both of those issues. But education in 258 00:12:34,897 --> 00:12:37,657 Speaker 1: particular was just huge because you had all those international 259 00:12:37,697 --> 00:12:41,537 Speaker 1: scandals and Karen McCulloch just took for granted that the 260 00:12:42,217 --> 00:12:45,177 Speaker 1: national press in Washington, DC was going to run interference 261 00:12:45,217 --> 00:12:48,337 Speaker 1: for him, and it didn't work out that way because 262 00:12:48,377 --> 00:12:51,497 Speaker 1: you know, Yunka was relentless about hammering the education issue 263 00:12:51,617 --> 00:12:54,297 Speaker 1: and it resonated with enough Northern Virginia voters to peel 264 00:12:54,337 --> 00:12:57,857 Speaker 1: them off. It was very effective strategy, as we saw. 265 00:12:58,057 --> 00:13:00,217 Speaker 1: I want to ask you speaking about how cities are doing. 266 00:13:01,017 --> 00:13:04,737 Speaker 1: You are a native Portlander? Is that correct? Well, my 267 00:13:04,777 --> 00:13:11,177 Speaker 1: mom I'm a native, or well my mother is. My 268 00:13:11,257 --> 00:13:13,297 Speaker 1: mother grew up in Portland. I lived in Portland for 269 00:13:13,297 --> 00:13:15,977 Speaker 1: a time. I've got a ton of relatives growing married. Yeah, 270 00:13:16,457 --> 00:13:18,377 Speaker 1: we want to talk Portland and what has happened to 271 00:13:18,417 --> 00:13:20,777 Speaker 1: that city specifically in just a second. But first I 272 00:13:20,777 --> 00:13:25,017 Speaker 1: want to ask everybody who's listening, how's your energy level 273 00:13:25,057 --> 00:13:27,817 Speaker 1: these days? Are you as fit and energetic as say 274 00:13:27,857 --> 00:13:30,097 Speaker 1: our friend Governor Ronda Santa. See that guy's lost like 275 00:13:30,137 --> 00:13:33,337 Speaker 1: twenty pounds, man, he's doing chin ups with one hand. Well, 276 00:13:33,617 --> 00:13:35,897 Speaker 1: you could benefit, like a lot of folks out there 277 00:13:36,097 --> 00:13:38,897 Speaker 1: from Chalk. It's as easy as getting dialed into the 278 00:13:38,977 --> 00:13:41,017 Speaker 1: right supplements that have been helping so many men and 279 00:13:41,057 --> 00:13:43,937 Speaker 1: women already in this audience thanks to Chalk. I introduce 280 00:13:44,017 --> 00:13:45,937 Speaker 1: you to their products last year. Here's how you spell 281 00:13:45,977 --> 00:13:49,537 Speaker 1: it cchoq. They make the most effective supplements that bring 282 00:13:49,537 --> 00:13:52,897 Speaker 1: your energy levels back to optimum. They spend years looking 283 00:13:52,937 --> 00:13:55,857 Speaker 1: for the right helpful ingredients and organize them into products 284 00:13:55,937 --> 00:13:58,177 Speaker 1: especially made for men and women. If you're looking for 285 00:13:58,177 --> 00:14:00,977 Speaker 1: an answer that's a little more sophisticated than that fifth 286 00:14:01,017 --> 00:14:03,857 Speaker 1: cup of coffee in the afternoon, check out Chalk's Male 287 00:14:03,937 --> 00:14:07,417 Speaker 1: Vitality Stack or the Female Vitality Stack. Each one is 288 00:14:07,417 --> 00:14:11,737 Speaker 1: formulated to help maximize your everyday potential. Their website is simple, 289 00:14:11,897 --> 00:14:15,737 Speaker 1: easy to spell chalkcoq dot com. Use my name Buck 290 00:14:15,777 --> 00:14:17,657 Speaker 1: when you make your first purchase on the site and 291 00:14:17,737 --> 00:14:20,697 Speaker 1: get thirty five percent off. Any Chalk subscription for life, 292 00:14:20,737 --> 00:14:23,817 Speaker 1: not just your first purchase for life thirty five percent off. 293 00:14:23,857 --> 00:14:26,857 Speaker 1: Go to Chalk cchoq dot com. Use my name Buck. 294 00:14:26,857 --> 00:14:29,377 Speaker 1: When you're setting yourself up. You'll receive these products every month. 295 00:14:29,577 --> 00:14:31,537 Speaker 1: They're really going to help you. You You can cancel anytime 296 00:14:31,537 --> 00:14:33,657 Speaker 1: if you want to, but once you see all the benefits, 297 00:14:33,697 --> 00:14:35,937 Speaker 1: you feel a lot of benefits, You're gonna love your Chalk. 298 00:14:36,177 --> 00:14:41,097 Speaker 1: Go to cchoq chalk dot com. Promo code Buck. All right, Portland, 299 00:14:41,097 --> 00:14:42,777 Speaker 1: Can I just tell you. I've been to Portland once. 300 00:14:42,817 --> 00:14:47,417 Speaker 1: It was two and ten, and I remember thinking to myself, 301 00:14:48,217 --> 00:14:53,777 Speaker 1: this city is amazing. It's beautiful, the food is great, 302 00:14:54,177 --> 00:14:59,337 Speaker 1: it's got a really interesting vibe to it. Obviously great coffee, 303 00:14:59,457 --> 00:15:02,017 Speaker 1: like so much going for it. It wasn't very expensive 304 00:15:02,017 --> 00:15:04,457 Speaker 1: then either. It was starting to get more expensive to city. 305 00:15:05,177 --> 00:15:07,617 Speaker 1: But I remember also talking to people who were there, 306 00:15:07,697 --> 00:15:09,057 Speaker 1: and I was like, when I'm in a place for 307 00:15:09,057 --> 00:15:11,057 Speaker 1: the first time it's been They said, yeah, you know, 308 00:15:11,097 --> 00:15:13,777 Speaker 1: the downtown and we got a lot of a lot 309 00:15:13,817 --> 00:15:17,257 Speaker 1: of vagrants. That it was. It was just beginning to happen, right, 310 00:15:17,497 --> 00:15:21,057 Speaker 1: and you could kind of see that the the Democrat 311 00:15:21,217 --> 00:15:25,537 Speaker 1: left was becoming more assertive in its craziness, you know. 312 00:15:25,577 --> 00:15:28,497 Speaker 1: And I think this really happened to Austin in the 313 00:15:28,577 --> 00:15:31,057 Speaker 1: last you know, five to seven years. You know, these 314 00:15:31,097 --> 00:15:33,697 Speaker 1: cities go through, all these people moved there, they realize 315 00:15:33,697 --> 00:15:36,137 Speaker 1: how great it is. But then also the Democrat reality 316 00:15:36,217 --> 00:15:39,857 Speaker 1: starts to creep in more and more. What happened to Portland, man, 317 00:15:39,937 --> 00:15:43,377 Speaker 1: I mean it is it is hemorrhaging people. It had 318 00:15:43,497 --> 00:15:46,297 Speaker 1: I think in twenty twenty one a thousand shootings, which 319 00:15:46,417 --> 00:15:49,937 Speaker 1: some some crazy number, which for a city of that size, 320 00:15:50,057 --> 00:15:52,017 Speaker 1: just means that there are areas where there are shootings 321 00:15:52,057 --> 00:15:54,817 Speaker 1: going on all the time. What happened? What happened to 322 00:15:55,377 --> 00:15:59,777 Speaker 1: and why isn't Why aren't Oregonians up in arms? Yeah, 323 00:15:59,817 --> 00:16:01,497 Speaker 1: this is a good question. I mean the answer is 324 00:16:01,537 --> 00:16:04,777 Speaker 1: Oregonians are up in arms, which is to say, um, 325 00:16:05,177 --> 00:16:08,217 Speaker 1: business owners in Portland and almost everyone outside of the 326 00:16:10,177 --> 00:16:12,977 Speaker 1: city are, you know, incredibly frustrated by what's going on? 327 00:16:13,017 --> 00:16:15,097 Speaker 1: And I'll sort of get to why that, why that 328 00:16:15,177 --> 00:16:16,777 Speaker 1: is in the moment in a moment, but basically what 329 00:16:16,817 --> 00:16:19,977 Speaker 1: happened is one of my favorite Portland anecdotes is is that, 330 00:16:20,017 --> 00:16:22,057 Speaker 1: you know, starting in the late nineteen nineties, Portland became 331 00:16:22,057 --> 00:16:25,937 Speaker 1: known as a very trendy city. And as evidence of that, 332 00:16:26,017 --> 00:16:29,097 Speaker 1: I like the site that they didn't they didn't mark. 333 00:16:29,137 --> 00:16:31,737 Speaker 1: They did this elaborate market research. I remember reading about 334 00:16:31,737 --> 00:16:33,897 Speaker 1: this New York Times. They were trying to pinpoint what 335 00:16:33,977 --> 00:16:37,177 Speaker 1: started the Paps Blue Ribbon revival in the nineteen nineties, 336 00:16:37,377 --> 00:16:39,457 Speaker 1: like why all of a sudden hipsters started drinking Paps 337 00:16:39,457 --> 00:16:42,097 Speaker 1: Blue Ribbon. And they found out that, for whatever reason, 338 00:16:42,097 --> 00:16:44,817 Speaker 1: it started as an organic trend in Portland, Oregon, Like 339 00:16:45,057 --> 00:16:48,017 Speaker 1: you know, like Portland was like hipster central, like that's 340 00:16:48,017 --> 00:16:50,857 Speaker 1: where people, you know, they had a great music scene, 341 00:16:50,977 --> 00:16:53,777 Speaker 1: it had, you know, this burgeoning restaurant scene that you 342 00:16:53,817 --> 00:16:55,697 Speaker 1: mentioned that was like really sort of flowering and started 343 00:16:55,697 --> 00:16:58,777 Speaker 1: in late nineteen nineties, and it became trendier and trendier 344 00:16:58,817 --> 00:17:00,137 Speaker 1: until right around the time when you were there in 345 00:17:00,137 --> 00:17:02,737 Speaker 1: twenty and ten, that was the height of Portlandy of fame, 346 00:17:02,857 --> 00:17:05,857 Speaker 1: remember the TV show about that or whatever. The sort 347 00:17:05,857 --> 00:17:08,537 Speaker 1: of like made fun made sort of gentle fun of 348 00:17:08,777 --> 00:17:10,817 Speaker 1: right about it. They didn't want to eat the chicken 349 00:17:11,497 --> 00:17:13,937 Speaker 1: in like the chicken kebab or whatever until they knew 350 00:17:14,057 --> 00:17:17,337 Speaker 1: the chicken's name and what the chickens hopes and dreams 351 00:17:17,377 --> 00:17:20,417 Speaker 1: were and all I remember that from Portlandia. Yeah, right. 352 00:17:20,577 --> 00:17:23,937 Speaker 1: Funny thing about that sketch was that Portlandia was like 353 00:17:24,657 --> 00:17:27,577 Speaker 1: it was the reality of Portland at that was so 354 00:17:27,697 --> 00:17:31,137 Speaker 1: much actually crazier than the sort of sketch show. There 355 00:17:31,217 --> 00:17:34,257 Speaker 1: was like an actual there was a local culinary competition 356 00:17:34,337 --> 00:17:36,657 Speaker 1: right around the time I want to say, a year 357 00:17:36,737 --> 00:17:38,617 Speaker 1: or two before the show aired with that sketch, and 358 00:17:38,737 --> 00:17:42,537 Speaker 1: you just described about meeting the heritage Breed chickens where 359 00:17:42,657 --> 00:17:45,777 Speaker 1: there was a local culinary competition where two chefs got 360 00:17:45,777 --> 00:17:48,057 Speaker 1: into a fight and one of them had a fractured 361 00:17:48,097 --> 00:17:51,977 Speaker 1: tibias result with mug shots because one of them wasn't 362 00:17:52,057 --> 00:17:55,617 Speaker 1: using locally sourced pork at some culinary competition. I mean, 363 00:17:56,097 --> 00:17:59,737 Speaker 1: that's how crazy Portland was in terms of all that stuff. 364 00:18:00,537 --> 00:18:02,497 Speaker 1: But it was right around that time that like, because 365 00:18:02,537 --> 00:18:04,657 Speaker 1: it became trending the nineties, people started moving there and 366 00:18:04,697 --> 00:18:07,817 Speaker 1: moving there. And the situation with Oregon is it's like 367 00:18:07,857 --> 00:18:09,457 Speaker 1: a lot of Western stay it's kind of this way, 368 00:18:09,497 --> 00:18:12,217 Speaker 1: but Oregan is kind of an extreme example where Oregon 369 00:18:12,337 --> 00:18:15,017 Speaker 1: has about four million people and it's it's a large state, 370 00:18:15,057 --> 00:18:16,737 Speaker 1: you know, it's like the size of Germany and has 371 00:18:16,777 --> 00:18:19,937 Speaker 1: four million people. But of the four million people, of 372 00:18:20,137 --> 00:18:22,977 Speaker 1: just over about half those the population lives in like 373 00:18:23,017 --> 00:18:25,697 Speaker 1: two or three counties that make Portland metro area. So 374 00:18:25,737 --> 00:18:29,257 Speaker 1: what happens is is that once there's this even greater 375 00:18:29,337 --> 00:18:32,937 Speaker 1: influx of population into Portland, then all of a sudden, 376 00:18:32,977 --> 00:18:34,857 Speaker 1: whatever is going on in that city, no matter how 377 00:18:34,857 --> 00:18:38,657 Speaker 1: crazy it is, it's going to like basically ruin the 378 00:18:38,697 --> 00:18:41,937 Speaker 1: politics the entire state. And in this case, basically it 379 00:18:42,057 --> 00:18:45,577 Speaker 1: was a whole bunch of Californians and you know, people 380 00:18:45,617 --> 00:18:48,257 Speaker 1: from around the country that lived in urban environments that 381 00:18:48,257 --> 00:18:50,497 Speaker 1: had gotten too expensive or you know whatever, they were 382 00:18:50,537 --> 00:18:52,577 Speaker 1: just sick of dealing with, you know, the traffic and 383 00:18:52,657 --> 00:18:55,977 Speaker 1: smog in La or whatever it was, all moved to 384 00:18:56,017 --> 00:18:58,617 Speaker 1: Portland and they brought with them their progressive politics, thinking 385 00:18:58,817 --> 00:19:01,057 Speaker 1: that while I can just have my progressive politics somewhere 386 00:19:01,057 --> 00:19:04,257 Speaker 1: where it's cheaper and easier to live, and then almost 387 00:19:04,257 --> 00:19:06,617 Speaker 1: immediately started voting for all these you know, sort of 388 00:19:06,697 --> 00:19:10,417 Speaker 1: radical ideas and progressive policies that you know, they basically 389 00:19:10,417 --> 00:19:14,457 Speaker 1: completely ruined the city. Why is it the heartland of antifa? 390 00:19:14,497 --> 00:19:16,257 Speaker 1: Like how did that have because that's even a level 391 00:19:16,297 --> 00:19:18,457 Speaker 1: beyond you know, people say, oh, you know, they'll call 392 00:19:18,497 --> 00:19:21,177 Speaker 1: them hippies. I'm like, these are not hippies. There's these 393 00:19:21,177 --> 00:19:24,137 Speaker 1: are people. There's a lot of white dudes with face 394 00:19:24,177 --> 00:19:28,977 Speaker 1: and neck tattoos, putting black balaclavas over their heads, acting 395 00:19:29,017 --> 00:19:32,137 Speaker 1: like they're fighting fascism by throwing rocks at cops and 396 00:19:32,257 --> 00:19:37,977 Speaker 1: immigration you know, enforcement officers and like bad stuff going on. Yeah, 397 00:19:38,017 --> 00:19:43,017 Speaker 1: that's actually a really interesting question. Um um, So, I 398 00:19:43,057 --> 00:19:45,377 Speaker 1: don't you know how familiar with the history of this 399 00:19:45,457 --> 00:19:47,857 Speaker 1: sort of stuff. You probably are more so than most people, 400 00:19:48,217 --> 00:19:51,137 Speaker 1: But you know, there's this issue of anarchism, which was 401 00:19:51,177 --> 00:19:53,737 Speaker 1: an actual sort of you know, prominent current in the 402 00:19:53,817 --> 00:19:56,897 Speaker 1: late nineteenth century. I remember, well the late nineteen I 403 00:19:56,897 --> 00:19:58,817 Speaker 1: think you could say the late twentieth century when they 404 00:19:58,937 --> 00:20:01,297 Speaker 1: did all that stuff in Seattle. Remember it went they 405 00:20:01,337 --> 00:20:03,937 Speaker 1: went crazy and they shouted all the Starbucks windows right 406 00:20:04,017 --> 00:20:06,617 Speaker 1: yeah right, yeah, no, no, that wasn't that was Seattle too. 407 00:20:06,617 --> 00:20:09,097 Speaker 1: It was the Pacific Northwest. But in the late nineteenth century, 408 00:20:09,297 --> 00:20:12,537 Speaker 1: remember was the the person that assassinated was a McKinley 409 00:20:12,577 --> 00:20:14,897 Speaker 1: was an anarchist, and there was all this anarchist violence 410 00:20:15,577 --> 00:20:17,697 Speaker 1: in the early part of the twentieth century. Well, for 411 00:20:17,737 --> 00:20:21,417 Speaker 1: whatever reason, the anarchists were actually you know, there was 412 00:20:21,417 --> 00:20:23,937 Speaker 1: a there was a strong sort of bunch of anarchists 413 00:20:23,977 --> 00:20:25,817 Speaker 1: enclaves that were in the Pacific Northwest. I mean it 414 00:20:25,817 --> 00:20:28,057 Speaker 1: was always looming. I mean there are towns in Washington 415 00:20:28,057 --> 00:20:30,577 Speaker 1: State that existed this day. They were founded specifically as 416 00:20:30,617 --> 00:20:35,217 Speaker 1: like anarchists, like communes or whatever. And so there was 417 00:20:35,217 --> 00:20:38,297 Speaker 1: always that sort of current. And then you built on 418 00:20:38,337 --> 00:20:42,377 Speaker 1: top of that with this sort of weird hippie fringe 419 00:20:43,817 --> 00:20:47,257 Speaker 1: that was always attractive Pacific Northwest, you know, like there 420 00:20:47,337 --> 00:20:50,017 Speaker 1: was like some extreme ideology, you know, in terms of 421 00:20:50,017 --> 00:20:52,977 Speaker 1: the hippies. There was a guy named John Zerzan that 422 00:20:53,097 --> 00:20:54,697 Speaker 1: was a living in Eugene, Oregon when I was going 423 00:20:54,697 --> 00:20:56,177 Speaker 1: to school there in the mid nineties, and he had 424 00:20:56,457 --> 00:21:01,337 Speaker 1: a radio show, right, and he was this anti technology anarchist. 425 00:21:01,377 --> 00:21:04,457 Speaker 1: He was a close associate of Ted Kazinski, the UNI 426 00:21:04,497 --> 00:21:07,217 Speaker 1: bomber or whatever, and he was going around in Eugene, 427 00:21:07,257 --> 00:21:09,777 Speaker 1: Oregon when I was there in the mid nineties, basically 428 00:21:09,777 --> 00:21:12,017 Speaker 1: like reaching to you know, these gutter punks that were 429 00:21:12,057 --> 00:21:15,337 Speaker 1: like homeless kids skateboarding on the streets and preaching anarchism 430 00:21:15,377 --> 00:21:17,657 Speaker 1: to them. And when I was in high school, when 431 00:21:17,657 --> 00:21:19,617 Speaker 1: I was in college, there are all these stories of 432 00:21:19,657 --> 00:21:22,017 Speaker 1: like the you know, these anarchists breaking into like city 433 00:21:22,057 --> 00:21:24,617 Speaker 1: council meetings and all this other stuff and causing a 434 00:21:24,697 --> 00:21:27,257 Speaker 1: ruckus and like all the local stuff in Eugene, Oregon 435 00:21:27,377 --> 00:21:30,217 Speaker 1: University of Organism. And then like three or four years 436 00:21:30,217 --> 00:21:32,537 Speaker 1: after that, I turn on the television during the WTO 437 00:21:32,657 --> 00:21:35,417 Speaker 1: riots and I look up and I'm like, oh my gosh, 438 00:21:35,457 --> 00:21:38,737 Speaker 1: it's all the same gutter punks you know that I 439 00:21:38,817 --> 00:21:42,057 Speaker 1: was seeing in Oregon um you know, uh, just a 440 00:21:42,097 --> 00:21:44,337 Speaker 1: couple of years earlier. And so, I mean I really 441 00:21:44,337 --> 00:21:45,777 Speaker 1: think that there was there was this sort of weird, 442 00:21:45,857 --> 00:21:50,257 Speaker 1: underground ideological thing that had been happening for a long 443 00:21:50,297 --> 00:21:53,297 Speaker 1: time in the state that sort of created this um. 444 00:21:53,937 --> 00:21:58,177 Speaker 1: But but it didn't really become a problem until it 445 00:21:58,657 --> 00:22:02,017 Speaker 1: certainly grew around in twenty and ten with the with 446 00:22:02,097 --> 00:22:06,177 Speaker 1: the Occupy Wall Street movements right gave some fuel to that. 447 00:22:06,417 --> 00:22:09,417 Speaker 1: But what really happened would really change, was all of 448 00:22:09,417 --> 00:22:12,977 Speaker 1: a sudden, with all these progressive anti politics, basically there 449 00:22:13,017 --> 00:22:15,257 Speaker 1: was no longer any political will to reign any of 450 00:22:15,257 --> 00:22:17,577 Speaker 1: these people in and all of a sudden, like Portland 451 00:22:17,657 --> 00:22:20,737 Speaker 1: became like an Antifa theme park. Basically, well, these people 452 00:22:20,777 --> 00:22:22,577 Speaker 1: could go out, you know, and do all this stuff 453 00:22:22,617 --> 00:22:25,337 Speaker 1: and they would never be um, you know, sort of 454 00:22:25,617 --> 00:22:28,097 Speaker 1: attacked or you know, you know, he's going back ten 455 00:22:28,177 --> 00:22:29,777 Speaker 1: years ago, and the cops were afraid to do too 456 00:22:29,857 --> 00:22:32,337 Speaker 1: much or else they'd be, you know, accused of attacking 457 00:22:32,337 --> 00:22:35,097 Speaker 1: you know, homeless kids. Um, never mind that they were 458 00:22:35,137 --> 00:22:38,897 Speaker 1: basically violent. They were organizing themselves into terror cells and 459 00:22:38,937 --> 00:22:41,417 Speaker 1: they were just going around like on random Wednesday nights, 460 00:22:41,537 --> 00:22:44,337 Speaker 1: breaking the windows and restaurants and this totally insane, and 461 00:22:44,377 --> 00:22:47,977 Speaker 1: they just allowed this to continue to this day. I mean, 462 00:22:48,137 --> 00:22:50,057 Speaker 1: you know, you may have seen this. Actually, Ted Wheeler, 463 00:22:50,657 --> 00:22:54,057 Speaker 1: the mayor, who I think it's tough. There's some really 464 00:22:54,057 --> 00:22:56,137 Speaker 1: bad mayors, but certainly one of the worst mayors in 465 00:22:56,177 --> 00:23:00,137 Speaker 1: America in terms of our results. And it's kind of 466 00:23:00,137 --> 00:23:02,857 Speaker 1: funny to see him. I remember during the pandemic where 467 00:23:02,897 --> 00:23:05,577 Speaker 1: he went down to talk to Antifa and they just started, 468 00:23:05,937 --> 00:23:08,217 Speaker 1: you know, f bombs and you know, you're the worst. 469 00:23:08,577 --> 00:23:11,217 Speaker 1: They they they just spot him, just like they despise 470 00:23:11,257 --> 00:23:14,737 Speaker 1: everybody else because they're spiteful, angry little idiots who aren't 471 00:23:14,737 --> 00:23:17,977 Speaker 1: accomplishing anything other than just destroying property and making people's lives, 472 00:23:18,137 --> 00:23:21,537 Speaker 1: you know, more difficult and miserable, um, you know, the 473 00:23:21,777 --> 00:23:24,177 Speaker 1: surrounding community. But but I think it's interesting is that 474 00:23:24,337 --> 00:23:28,817 Speaker 1: finally now Portland has started to have a little bit 475 00:23:28,817 --> 00:23:31,417 Speaker 1: of a conversation about, hey, maybe we can't just have 476 00:23:31,457 --> 00:23:34,297 Speaker 1: the whole downtown be an open air homeless shelter, Like 477 00:23:34,337 --> 00:23:37,177 Speaker 1: maybe maybe that's actually a bad idea. And Ted Wheeler 478 00:23:37,217 --> 00:23:40,857 Speaker 1: has started to try to move in that direction. And 479 00:23:40,897 --> 00:23:46,857 Speaker 1: there are there is still this left wing vanguard there 480 00:23:47,457 --> 00:23:49,697 Speaker 1: that is like that the city has been destroyed, and 481 00:23:49,737 --> 00:23:52,337 Speaker 1: they're like, how dare you try to turn things around? 482 00:23:52,417 --> 00:23:56,057 Speaker 1: They're still they're still pushing Oh no, yeah, I mean 483 00:23:56,137 --> 00:23:59,537 Speaker 1: as bad as Ted Wheeler is, and he's horrendous. He 484 00:23:59,737 --> 00:24:02,497 Speaker 1: very nearly lost the Democratic primary in the last election 485 00:24:02,577 --> 00:24:06,257 Speaker 1: to a woman who was literally Antifa. It's like publicly 486 00:24:06,297 --> 00:24:08,857 Speaker 1: declaring she was Antifa and he won like a few 487 00:24:08,857 --> 00:24:11,937 Speaker 1: percentage points over this one. I mean, so, I mean 488 00:24:11,977 --> 00:24:14,617 Speaker 1: that's the political reality that you're you're dealing with. But 489 00:24:14,617 --> 00:24:17,497 Speaker 1: you're right, they don't make any distinctions between say, you 490 00:24:17,537 --> 00:24:19,857 Speaker 1: know Ted Wheeler, the guy that you know constantly is 491 00:24:19,857 --> 00:24:24,297 Speaker 1: attacking the police unions on their behalf and the overall 492 00:24:25,097 --> 00:24:27,537 Speaker 1: you know, sort of fascist structure or whatever they're fighting. 493 00:24:27,857 --> 00:24:29,777 Speaker 1: He's just part of it. But but part of the 494 00:24:29,817 --> 00:24:31,777 Speaker 1: reason why that you know, they're able to do this 495 00:24:31,857 --> 00:24:34,337 Speaker 1: is because they have a demonstrated history of pushing Ted 496 00:24:34,377 --> 00:24:38,057 Speaker 1: Wheeler around. Portland has this you know events, the city 497 00:24:38,057 --> 00:24:40,177 Speaker 1: of Roses, they have a Rose Parade every year or 498 00:24:40,217 --> 00:24:42,377 Speaker 1: whatever it was. This goship was, like I want to say, 499 00:24:42,377 --> 00:24:45,217 Speaker 1: it was about four years ago they Ted Wheeler canceled 500 00:24:45,257 --> 00:24:49,257 Speaker 1: like the entire Rose Parade because Antifa threatened violence against 501 00:24:49,297 --> 00:24:52,737 Speaker 1: the parade anonymously, by the way, and the reason why 502 00:24:52,737 --> 00:24:56,537 Speaker 1: they were threatening violence was because the Multnoma County Republicans 503 00:24:56,537 --> 00:24:59,617 Speaker 1: wanted to march in the parade. Like, if he's going 504 00:24:59,697 --> 00:25:01,817 Speaker 1: to cancel an entire parade because you sent him an 505 00:25:01,817 --> 00:25:05,137 Speaker 1: anonymous threatening letter about this, why wouldn't you keep pushing it? 506 00:25:05,697 --> 00:25:08,257 Speaker 1: I mean, he's just you know, a read in the wind, 507 00:25:08,417 --> 00:25:11,537 Speaker 1: you know, as far as you know, ending fascism in America, 508 00:25:11,617 --> 00:25:13,537 Speaker 1: so you know, why not push him until he breaks. 509 00:25:14,497 --> 00:25:17,977 Speaker 1: It's also fascinating because in the case of Portland Antifa, 510 00:25:18,097 --> 00:25:20,337 Speaker 1: you had people who were trying to burn down a 511 00:25:20,377 --> 00:25:25,937 Speaker 1: federal courthouse who you could see were almost all white guys. 512 00:25:25,977 --> 00:25:28,737 Speaker 1: There were some women, but they were white, and they 513 00:25:28,737 --> 00:25:31,137 Speaker 1: were doing this in the name of BLM, and the 514 00:25:31,377 --> 00:25:33,257 Speaker 1: whole thing just struck me as, Oh, so they're just 515 00:25:33,577 --> 00:25:36,817 Speaker 1: you just choose whatever cause suits the moment, so that 516 00:25:36,857 --> 00:25:39,217 Speaker 1: you can throw your Molotov cocktails and act like you're 517 00:25:39,217 --> 00:25:42,497 Speaker 1: some kind of hero against fascism, right, And they'd already 518 00:25:42,497 --> 00:25:45,297 Speaker 1: burned like a police facility and a bunch of other 519 00:25:45,297 --> 00:25:47,857 Speaker 1: stuff around town at the time that happened, and they, 520 00:25:47,937 --> 00:25:49,937 Speaker 1: you know, they weren't even doing anything there. The wheeler 521 00:25:50,017 --> 00:25:53,977 Speaker 1: was joining the protests, and the national media was basically 522 00:25:54,297 --> 00:25:56,377 Speaker 1: one hundred percent behind it, like, oh, well, this is 523 00:25:56,417 --> 00:25:59,017 Speaker 1: just a peaceful protest with a few agitators. I mean 524 00:25:59,017 --> 00:26:02,457 Speaker 1: it was. It was totally insane. Seattle's just just as bad, 525 00:26:02,537 --> 00:26:04,897 Speaker 1: right pretty much. I Mean that's Seattle had the chatz 526 00:26:05,017 --> 00:26:06,657 Speaker 1: or the chop or whatever they were calling it a 527 00:26:06,817 --> 00:26:09,857 Speaker 1: Capitol hill zone. Are they turning things around? I just 528 00:26:10,137 --> 00:26:12,657 Speaker 1: under I haven't spent much time to the Pacific Northwest. 529 00:26:12,657 --> 00:26:13,897 Speaker 1: I told you, I've really just been out there that 530 00:26:13,977 --> 00:26:16,217 Speaker 1: one time. I went to Cannon Beach, which is beautiful though, 531 00:26:16,257 --> 00:26:19,657 Speaker 1: and it strikes me as it should be this great place. 532 00:26:20,097 --> 00:26:22,137 Speaker 1: But you've got two cities that should be the jewels 533 00:26:22,137 --> 00:26:25,617 Speaker 1: of the Pacific Northwest that are just turning into crappy 534 00:26:25,697 --> 00:26:28,817 Speaker 1: places to spend spend too much time, certainly in the downtowns. 535 00:26:29,777 --> 00:26:32,057 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, I know right now. Seattle is actually there 536 00:26:32,097 --> 00:26:35,497 Speaker 1: was just a big story recently about Seattle's facing a 537 00:26:35,497 --> 00:26:38,897 Speaker 1: ton of lawsuits from business owners in the Chazu as 538 00:26:38,937 --> 00:26:41,977 Speaker 1: they should. Basically, they just completely surrendered law and order 539 00:26:42,017 --> 00:26:44,097 Speaker 1: and you know, left these business people and people that 540 00:26:44,217 --> 00:26:46,297 Speaker 1: lived in an area at the mercy of these you know, 541 00:26:46,497 --> 00:26:50,097 Speaker 1: like literal war lords, you know, running the city. So, yeah, 542 00:26:50,137 --> 00:26:52,817 Speaker 1: they're still dealing with that Amazon and Amazon is going 543 00:26:52,857 --> 00:26:55,897 Speaker 1: to occupy an entire skyscraper in downtown Seattle, and they 544 00:26:55,937 --> 00:26:58,457 Speaker 1: just moved the whole project outside of the city because 545 00:26:58,857 --> 00:27:01,617 Speaker 1: they weren't going to begin to deal with that. And 546 00:27:01,657 --> 00:27:06,617 Speaker 1: you know, these things keep happening, and yet somehow, you know, 547 00:27:07,537 --> 00:27:11,257 Speaker 1: there isn't the political reform movement that you'd think be happening. UM. 548 00:27:11,737 --> 00:27:15,737 Speaker 1: In the last mid term, right, UM, Phil Knight, the 549 00:27:15,737 --> 00:27:18,537 Speaker 1: founder of Nike, dumped millions of dollars into the candidacy 550 00:27:18,577 --> 00:27:21,817 Speaker 1: of a tough on crime independent candidate and then later 551 00:27:21,817 --> 00:27:25,057 Speaker 1: switched to dumping millions of dollars into the Republican in 552 00:27:25,097 --> 00:27:28,017 Speaker 1: the Oregon governor's race, and in a three way race, 553 00:27:28,257 --> 00:27:31,737 Speaker 1: Republican came very close to winning, UM but ultimately didn't. 554 00:27:31,777 --> 00:27:34,697 Speaker 1: And then they ended up with yet another like crazy 555 00:27:34,857 --> 00:27:38,937 Speaker 1: progressive UM governor and Oregan's governor prior to that, Tina 556 00:27:39,017 --> 00:27:42,297 Speaker 1: cootech I think, wait now, Tina Gotech's the current governor, 557 00:27:42,697 --> 00:27:46,857 Speaker 1: Cameron Brown Brown. Yeah, Um, she she had the lowest 558 00:27:46,897 --> 00:27:49,937 Speaker 1: approval ratings of any governor in the country. And first 559 00:27:49,977 --> 00:27:52,817 Speaker 1: and you still can't get rid of these you know, progressives. 560 00:27:52,937 --> 00:27:56,217 Speaker 1: They just elected basically an acolyte of Brown essentially to 561 00:27:56,337 --> 00:27:59,457 Speaker 1: run the state. UM. It's it's like so far gone. 562 00:27:59,497 --> 00:28:01,337 Speaker 1: I don't know what it's going to take to fix it. 563 00:28:01,577 --> 00:28:04,057 Speaker 1: Part of the problem is is that you know people, Um, 564 00:28:04,377 --> 00:28:06,217 Speaker 1: you know all of the people that are sick of 565 00:28:06,257 --> 00:28:09,457 Speaker 1: what's going on. Portland are just moving to Boise, and 566 00:28:09,537 --> 00:28:11,217 Speaker 1: this is you know, I think a big warning for 567 00:28:11,257 --> 00:28:14,297 Speaker 1: everyone else. Um. You know, Boise is the only big 568 00:28:14,337 --> 00:28:18,497 Speaker 1: population anchor in Idaho. And you know, twenty five years 569 00:28:18,497 --> 00:28:20,457 Speaker 1: ago Boise was one of the most provincial cities in America. 570 00:28:20,497 --> 00:28:22,777 Speaker 1: Now there's got a tech sector in a microburry in 571 00:28:22,817 --> 00:28:25,097 Speaker 1: every corner. I wouldn't be surprised, you know, if the 572 00:28:25,337 --> 00:28:27,457 Speaker 1: Idaho isn't careful that that state goes the way of 573 00:28:27,457 --> 00:28:30,577 Speaker 1: Oregon in another twenty years. Um, So people really need 574 00:28:30,617 --> 00:28:33,177 Speaker 1: to be thinking hard about this. I think the good 575 00:28:33,217 --> 00:28:35,857 Speaker 1: news is after people saw what happened to Portland and 576 00:28:35,977 --> 00:28:39,577 Speaker 1: Austin in particular, people are a lot more wary about, 577 00:28:39,617 --> 00:28:43,177 Speaker 1: you know, people moving into your state. Um, you know, 578 00:28:43,217 --> 00:28:45,977 Speaker 1: they'll just necessarily see it as an unalloyed economic good. 579 00:28:46,217 --> 00:28:48,257 Speaker 1: They have to understand that there's a culture that's very 580 00:28:48,337 --> 00:28:50,537 Speaker 1: much they're worth preserving. And let me tell you, you know, 581 00:28:50,537 --> 00:28:54,297 Speaker 1: as a third generation Oregonian, I am really really sad. 582 00:28:54,937 --> 00:28:57,417 Speaker 1: I love that state. I mean it was gorgeous. I 583 00:28:57,457 --> 00:28:59,897 Speaker 1: mean it was a real privilege to grow up there 584 00:28:59,937 --> 00:29:02,977 Speaker 1: in terms of like just an unreal natural beauty of 585 00:29:02,977 --> 00:29:05,737 Speaker 1: the place, and not just that, like a wonderful local culture. 586 00:29:05,857 --> 00:29:07,457 Speaker 1: You know, for years growing up it was run by 587 00:29:07,497 --> 00:29:10,937 Speaker 1: a bunch of liberal rockefellow Republicans, but they're mostly libertarian 588 00:29:11,057 --> 00:29:13,217 Speaker 1: leaving me a loan types who did a really good 589 00:29:13,257 --> 00:29:15,217 Speaker 1: job of managing competing interests. And more than that, they 590 00:29:15,217 --> 00:29:18,177 Speaker 1: were just competent people. You know, they balanced budgets, they 591 00:29:18,177 --> 00:29:21,297 Speaker 1: did the right thing. They were good on environmentalist issues 592 00:29:21,417 --> 00:29:24,297 Speaker 1: in a very positive way that I unfortunately, I think 593 00:29:24,297 --> 00:29:26,257 Speaker 1: the Republican Party is a little too captive to special 594 00:29:26,257 --> 00:29:30,097 Speaker 1: interests on you know, nationally. It was just it was 595 00:29:30,137 --> 00:29:31,737 Speaker 1: a it was a good state to be from, and 596 00:29:31,897 --> 00:29:33,577 Speaker 1: I was really really proud of it. And like now 597 00:29:33,657 --> 00:29:36,497 Speaker 1: you mentioned, oh from Oregon, people literally roll their eyes 598 00:29:36,497 --> 00:29:39,177 Speaker 1: in your face because Portland is that bad. I mean, 599 00:29:39,177 --> 00:29:42,217 Speaker 1: I've got whatever, people, I guarantee you whatever you heard 600 00:29:42,217 --> 00:29:45,657 Speaker 1: about Portland, it's worse. I mean it's it's downtown is 601 00:29:45,697 --> 00:29:48,737 Speaker 1: a really really scary place. And it's not just downtown. 602 00:29:48,817 --> 00:29:50,417 Speaker 1: All of the violence and all the antife and all 603 00:29:50,457 --> 00:29:52,977 Speaker 1: the crazy homeless people, you know, yelling obscenities in the 604 00:29:52,977 --> 00:29:55,657 Speaker 1: street corner that's spread that basically the entire city and 605 00:29:55,657 --> 00:29:58,297 Speaker 1: anyone that tells you different is lying to you. Yes 606 00:29:58,377 --> 00:30:00,937 Speaker 1: you can live there. Yes it's not always violent. You know, 607 00:30:01,337 --> 00:30:03,657 Speaker 1: you can get around this. But like people that live 608 00:30:03,737 --> 00:30:06,697 Speaker 1: there and say, well it's not so bad and they 609 00:30:06,697 --> 00:30:09,017 Speaker 1: have Stockholm syndrome, they don't know what like an actual 610 00:30:09,097 --> 00:30:12,497 Speaker 1: functioning city looks like. I mean, I was I was 611 00:30:12,497 --> 00:30:14,737 Speaker 1: in Baghdad for a while during the war, and there 612 00:30:14,737 --> 00:30:17,537 Speaker 1: were people who were going out and you know, getting 613 00:30:17,617 --> 00:30:20,857 Speaker 1: like milk and eggs. But it was bad, right, I mean, 614 00:30:20,897 --> 00:30:22,977 Speaker 1: it's you know, people are still living in these places 615 00:30:23,017 --> 00:30:25,777 Speaker 1: that just bad things are happening, So you know that's 616 00:30:26,057 --> 00:30:28,217 Speaker 1: they're they're quiet there. You can find quiet in any 617 00:30:28,217 --> 00:30:30,417 Speaker 1: place at any time if you look for it. But 618 00:30:30,457 --> 00:30:31,737 Speaker 1: if there's too much of the other stuff going on, 619 00:30:31,737 --> 00:30:33,577 Speaker 1: that's real problem. I want to ask you about elections, 620 00:30:33,617 --> 00:30:36,337 Speaker 1: by the way, in election security. I know you've done 621 00:30:36,337 --> 00:30:39,137 Speaker 1: a lot of research into well the most important thing, 622 00:30:39,137 --> 00:30:40,897 Speaker 1: which is how do we fix things for twenty twenty 623 00:30:40,897 --> 00:30:44,097 Speaker 1: four instead of people just walking around screaming at me 624 00:30:44,217 --> 00:30:46,577 Speaker 1: and others, we won I look at them and I'm like, 625 00:30:47,577 --> 00:30:50,017 Speaker 1: not not really, I don't know what else to say. Like, 626 00:30:50,097 --> 00:30:51,897 Speaker 1: you know, we can sit around and talk. You can 627 00:30:51,937 --> 00:30:54,257 Speaker 1: tell me that they cheated, and but we got to 628 00:30:54,257 --> 00:30:57,177 Speaker 1: fix the cheating, not just stand here and scratch out 629 00:30:57,177 --> 00:30:58,537 Speaker 1: that we won, right. I mean, it's like if the 630 00:30:58,537 --> 00:31:00,857 Speaker 1: other team goes home with the trophy. You can say 631 00:31:00,897 --> 00:31:02,657 Speaker 1: the ref fix the game as much as you want, 632 00:31:02,737 --> 00:31:04,857 Speaker 1: but you got to figure out how you're gonna win 633 00:31:04,857 --> 00:31:06,977 Speaker 1: the next game. Let's talk about that in a second. Though. 634 00:31:07,137 --> 00:31:09,017 Speaker 1: You know, there's no company out there more focused on 635 00:31:09,057 --> 00:31:11,257 Speaker 1: delivering the goods you need for a great night's sleep. 636 00:31:11,297 --> 00:31:14,697 Speaker 1: Then My Pillow, the pillows, the mattress covers, the sheets, 637 00:31:14,737 --> 00:31:17,697 Speaker 1: the Geeza dream Sheets exclusively from My Pillow are amazing. 638 00:31:18,097 --> 00:31:19,697 Speaker 1: They're still in stock, by the way, even though they're 639 00:31:19,697 --> 00:31:21,817 Speaker 1: at their lowest price ever. The sheets come in as 640 00:31:21,817 --> 00:31:23,857 Speaker 1: low as twenty nine ninety eight one. When you use 641 00:31:23,937 --> 00:31:26,777 Speaker 1: my name Buck as the promo code, it's time to 642 00:31:26,817 --> 00:31:28,417 Speaker 1: update your sheets. Got a couple of pairs of them? 643 00:31:28,897 --> 00:31:31,617 Speaker 1: Buy a Geeza Dream Sheets set right now with the 644 00:31:31,617 --> 00:31:34,497 Speaker 1: world's best cotton. Geeza cotton comes from a region of 645 00:31:34,497 --> 00:31:37,337 Speaker 1: Egypt of the same name, where incredibly soft cotton is grown. 646 00:31:38,057 --> 00:31:40,537 Speaker 1: My Pillow products come with a ten year warranty and 647 00:31:40,617 --> 00:31:44,377 Speaker 1: a sixty day money back guarantee. You get eight weeks 648 00:31:45,137 --> 00:31:46,937 Speaker 1: of every night sleeping on the sheets. To make sure 649 00:31:46,977 --> 00:31:48,977 Speaker 1: your purchase is a great one. You're gonna love them. 650 00:31:49,257 --> 00:31:51,177 Speaker 1: Go to my pillow dot com. Click on radio list 651 00:31:51,257 --> 00:31:53,977 Speaker 1: or specials. Check out this flash sail on the Geeza 652 00:31:54,057 --> 00:31:56,777 Speaker 1: dream sheets. Remember to use my name as the promo 653 00:31:56,817 --> 00:32:00,057 Speaker 1: code Buck or call eight hundred seven nine two three 654 00:32:00,137 --> 00:32:02,817 Speaker 1: two six nine. That's eight hundred seven nine two three 655 00:32:02,857 --> 00:32:05,897 Speaker 1: two six nine. Get some Geeza dream sheets, all right? 656 00:32:06,537 --> 00:32:11,537 Speaker 1: Mark the election in twenty twenty four. He's going to 657 00:32:11,577 --> 00:32:14,457 Speaker 1: be hard for Republicans to win in terms of processes, 658 00:32:14,737 --> 00:32:19,417 Speaker 1: vote counting, and tactics unless we do what how do 659 00:32:19,417 --> 00:32:23,417 Speaker 1: we fix this thing? That's that's really tough. But I 660 00:32:23,417 --> 00:32:25,537 Speaker 1: mean there are two sort of basic things here I 661 00:32:25,537 --> 00:32:29,297 Speaker 1: think need to be addressed. One is that I was 662 00:32:29,377 --> 00:32:32,617 Speaker 1: somewhat heartened to see that Trump came out and sort of, 663 00:32:32,697 --> 00:32:36,137 Speaker 1: you know, moderated his position on vote by mail. To 664 00:32:36,217 --> 00:32:38,457 Speaker 1: be clear, I think vote by mail is terrible. It's 665 00:32:38,497 --> 00:32:41,857 Speaker 1: obviously more rife for fraud than almost any other form 666 00:32:41,857 --> 00:32:43,937 Speaker 1: of voting, and I'm not a fan of it. I 667 00:32:43,977 --> 00:32:46,537 Speaker 1: wish we could all come together society vote you know, 668 00:32:46,657 --> 00:32:48,737 Speaker 1: from sun up to sundown on a single day. And 669 00:32:48,777 --> 00:32:50,697 Speaker 1: know the results right away. I think that is the 670 00:32:50,697 --> 00:32:52,777 Speaker 1: way that democracy should be run. But the fact of 671 00:32:52,817 --> 00:32:55,017 Speaker 1: the matter is is that's not the way it's been 672 00:32:55,097 --> 00:32:57,057 Speaker 1: run for a long time. And even a lot of 673 00:32:57,057 --> 00:33:00,657 Speaker 1: Republicans are really you know, accustomed to vote by mail. 674 00:33:01,297 --> 00:33:03,497 Speaker 1: So public's need to come up with a strategy to 675 00:33:03,537 --> 00:33:05,417 Speaker 1: sort of address that. So we don't have you know, 676 00:33:05,737 --> 00:33:10,017 Speaker 1: two months of Democratic organizers running around, you know, maximize 677 00:33:10,297 --> 00:33:13,337 Speaker 1: vote totals, where Republicans are sitting back on their hands, 678 00:33:13,417 --> 00:33:16,017 Speaker 1: as we saw on the last mid term, basically hoping 679 00:33:16,057 --> 00:33:18,577 Speaker 1: that Republicans turn out big on election day to overwhelm 680 00:33:18,977 --> 00:33:21,937 Speaker 1: that effort. Again, I'm not a fan of vote by mail. 681 00:33:22,017 --> 00:33:24,417 Speaker 1: I think it's righted by fraud. But as a friend 682 00:33:24,417 --> 00:33:27,777 Speaker 1: of mine put it, you can't have arms control unless 683 00:33:27,817 --> 00:33:31,297 Speaker 1: both sides have news, right, and so intel Republicans prove 684 00:33:31,377 --> 00:33:33,257 Speaker 1: that they can sort of you know, equalize the playing 685 00:33:33,297 --> 00:33:36,497 Speaker 1: field in terms of organizing for vote by mail or whatever, 686 00:33:37,057 --> 00:33:38,777 Speaker 1: they're not going to be in a good position or 687 00:33:38,777 --> 00:33:42,497 Speaker 1: whatever to sort of push back against a lot of 688 00:33:42,497 --> 00:33:45,617 Speaker 1: these other sort of you know, dodgy ways that they're 689 00:33:45,617 --> 00:33:48,257 Speaker 1: trying to sort of expand the vote in it, open 690 00:33:48,337 --> 00:33:50,857 Speaker 1: it up to the hoping up the process to abuse. 691 00:33:51,377 --> 00:33:53,897 Speaker 1: So that's one thing I think that needs to happen. 692 00:33:54,217 --> 00:33:57,777 Speaker 1: And the other thing is that one of the things 693 00:33:57,777 --> 00:34:00,497 Speaker 1: that came out when I worked with my wife on 694 00:34:00,577 --> 00:34:05,697 Speaker 1: her last book on election security issues called rake ye 695 00:34:05,817 --> 00:34:09,337 Speaker 1: have a copy of, and one of the things that 696 00:34:09,417 --> 00:34:11,697 Speaker 1: really sort of shocked the heck out of me was, 697 00:34:11,977 --> 00:34:14,097 Speaker 1: and I think most people don't even realize this, which 698 00:34:14,177 --> 00:34:17,617 Speaker 1: was that there were some shenanigans in a gubernatorial election 699 00:34:17,657 --> 00:34:20,497 Speaker 1: in New Jersey in like the early nineteen eighties, and 700 00:34:20,857 --> 00:34:24,177 Speaker 1: a federal judge put the entire Republican Party under a 701 00:34:24,217 --> 00:34:27,097 Speaker 1: consent decree, which basically meant they couldn't do any sort 702 00:34:27,097 --> 00:34:32,217 Speaker 1: of election day monitoring or other in all the traditional 703 00:34:32,217 --> 00:34:35,257 Speaker 1: activities the party would do on election day. And that 704 00:34:35,337 --> 00:34:39,577 Speaker 1: federal judge literally he retired from the bench and he 705 00:34:39,657 --> 00:34:41,417 Speaker 1: kept senior status. I don't know if you know what 706 00:34:41,417 --> 00:34:43,657 Speaker 1: that is. That's like a way for retired judges to 707 00:34:43,697 --> 00:34:47,377 Speaker 1: sort of like stay active in the profession while actually 708 00:34:47,377 --> 00:34:51,897 Speaker 1: being retired. And he kept senior status just for for 709 00:34:51,897 --> 00:34:57,457 Speaker 1: for like decades, just to just to keep this injunction 710 00:34:57,497 --> 00:35:02,137 Speaker 1: in place, basically, and that injunction wasn't lifted until that 711 00:35:02,217 --> 00:35:05,257 Speaker 1: judge died and an Obama pointed, judge looked at what 712 00:35:05,257 --> 00:35:07,697 Speaker 1: he had done is basically hamstring the Republican Party for 713 00:35:07,697 --> 00:35:11,897 Speaker 1: forty years and keep them from doing any election day 714 00:35:12,057 --> 00:35:16,057 Speaker 1: you know, monitoring another activity. And in twenty twenty was 715 00:35:16,097 --> 00:35:18,497 Speaker 1: the first election where the Republican Party since it was 716 00:35:18,577 --> 00:35:21,377 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty or eighty two, the Republican Party had you know, 717 00:35:21,617 --> 00:35:23,937 Speaker 1: the ability to go out there and send organizers out 718 00:35:23,937 --> 00:35:26,057 Speaker 1: in the field or whatever and do poll watching and 719 00:35:26,097 --> 00:35:28,337 Speaker 1: all that stuff that the party would normally do the 720 00:35:28,337 --> 00:35:30,977 Speaker 1: first time in nearly forty years. And so the party 721 00:35:31,017 --> 00:35:33,057 Speaker 1: itself didn't have a lot of muscle memory in terms 722 00:35:33,097 --> 00:35:35,057 Speaker 1: of like how to go about doing those things, having 723 00:35:35,097 --> 00:35:37,257 Speaker 1: the trained lawyers out there that do that sort of thing. 724 00:35:37,777 --> 00:35:41,257 Speaker 1: So I think what needs to happen now that like 725 00:35:41,297 --> 00:35:42,897 Speaker 1: your pug and party can go back and do this. 726 00:35:43,897 --> 00:35:46,097 Speaker 1: You know, we need people at the ground level. You know, 727 00:35:46,137 --> 00:35:48,737 Speaker 1: we need party precinct people you know, going in and 728 00:35:48,857 --> 00:35:51,897 Speaker 1: volunteering to do the election day stuff. We need the 729 00:35:52,057 --> 00:35:55,297 Speaker 1: and we need the party apparatus to go in and 730 00:35:55,417 --> 00:35:56,697 Speaker 1: you know, make sure that there are people in place 731 00:35:56,737 --> 00:35:59,097 Speaker 1: to like watch these things and prevent any sort of 732 00:35:59,097 --> 00:36:02,017 Speaker 1: Shenanians that are going on, because I guarantee there are 733 00:36:02,017 --> 00:36:05,297 Speaker 1: Shenanions going on making accusations about widespread fraud or anything 734 00:36:05,337 --> 00:36:08,097 Speaker 1: like that. But people are very much abusing the process 735 00:36:08,297 --> 00:36:10,697 Speaker 1: in all sorts of ways and get away with it. 736 00:36:10,777 --> 00:36:12,537 Speaker 1: And we need to be much more sort of vigilant. 737 00:36:12,697 --> 00:36:15,337 Speaker 1: And that comes down to the listeners. You know they'll volunteer. 738 00:36:16,497 --> 00:36:19,897 Speaker 1: He is hem and Nature on Twitter. Highly recommend you 739 00:36:19,897 --> 00:36:23,377 Speaker 1: follow him Mark Hemmingway everybody, and also look for his 740 00:36:23,817 --> 00:36:26,977 Speaker 1: work on real Clear investigations and over at the Federalist 741 00:36:27,097 --> 00:36:29,737 Speaker 1: dot com market. Has been an honor, a privilege, and 742 00:36:29,777 --> 00:36:31,457 Speaker 1: a privilege, my friend. Thank you for being here with this. 743 00:36:31,537 --> 00:36:33,417 Speaker 1: We hope you come back. It's great to be on here.