1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:02,400 Speaker 1: Hey, it's Buck Sexton and you're listening to the Carol 2 00:00:02,440 --> 00:00:06,080 Speaker 1: Markowitz Show on the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton podcast Network. 3 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:11,760 Speaker 2: Hi, and welcome back to the Carol Markowitz Show. This 4 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:15,040 Speaker 2: is not going to be a political show. It was 5 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:18,759 Speaker 2: important to me that this show be on bigger topics 6 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:22,320 Speaker 2: and not just news of the day. But the news 7 00:00:22,360 --> 00:00:26,119 Speaker 2: right now is extremely personal to me, and so I 8 00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 2: have to say something about it. On Saturday morning, Israel 9 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:34,480 Speaker 2: was attacked. I'm sure you've seen the horrifying videos and stories. 10 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:38,800 Speaker 2: I'm not going to go over any of that. I've 11 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:42,479 Speaker 2: barely slept since Saturday. The images, they really stay on 12 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:46,519 Speaker 2: my mind. We're just getting to know each other on 13 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:49,960 Speaker 2: this podcast, so I wanted to tell you a little 14 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:53,559 Speaker 2: bit more about myself. I mentioned last episode that I 15 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 2: was born in the Soviet Union. I'm Jewish, and that's 16 00:00:57,120 --> 00:01:00,560 Speaker 2: actually how my family was able to get out. I 17 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 2: won't go into the whole history, but I do enjoy 18 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:07,199 Speaker 2: noting that my family owes their freedom to President Gerald Ford. 19 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:10,679 Speaker 2: He negotiated for Jews to be let out of the 20 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:14,160 Speaker 2: Soviet Union because we were being persecuted for our religion. 21 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:18,960 Speaker 2: We couldn't hold various jobs, live in certain places, and 22 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 2: so on. I feel like people sometimes don't understand that 23 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 2: Judaism is a religion, yes, but we are also a people. 24 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:31,119 Speaker 2: That's why I can take a DNA test and find 25 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:33,959 Speaker 2: out that I'm Jewish, but you can't similarly take a 26 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 2: DNA test for other faiths and find out that you're 27 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:41,440 Speaker 2: Catholic or Muslim or something. So in the Soviet Union, 28 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:45,200 Speaker 2: we were Jews as our nationality. That's what it said 29 00:01:45,240 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 2: on our papers. It wasn't like you could convert out 30 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:52,160 Speaker 2: of it. Some of you might know Jews from the 31 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:54,920 Speaker 2: Soviet Union who live in America and refer to themselves 32 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:58,880 Speaker 2: as Russian, maybe not recently, but then you come to 33 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 2: find out they were born in Ukraine or Belarus or elsewhere. 34 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:07,200 Speaker 2: But that's because we were never Russian or Ukrainian or Belarussian. 35 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:11,960 Speaker 2: We were just Jews. My family moved to Brooklyn, New 36 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:14,600 Speaker 2: York when I was a small child, and despite the 37 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:18,519 Speaker 2: fact that my parents were both atheists, because again Soviet 38 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:21,680 Speaker 2: I went to an Orthodox Jewish school for the first 39 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:26,120 Speaker 2: eight years of my life. I mentioned that because I 40 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:28,639 Speaker 2: want to give you some insight into what little Jewish 41 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:30,160 Speaker 2: kids learn in Brooklyn. 42 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:30,640 Speaker 1: All day. 43 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 2: We learned about peace. Our songs were about making peace, 44 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:40,839 Speaker 2: we read books about peace, We prayed for peace. I've 45 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:44,200 Speaker 2: been lucky in some ways because my ex Soviet world, 46 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:47,359 Speaker 2: and my politically conservative world, and my Florida world are 47 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 2: all overwhelmingly pro Israel. So I never fear in speaking 48 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:54,840 Speaker 2: out that I'm going to lose friends or something. And 49 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:58,040 Speaker 2: while I noticed the silence of some people I follow, 50 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:01,200 Speaker 2: I really don't have any in my life arguing that 51 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:05,080 Speaker 2: murdering babies or kidnapping grandma's is just to be expected. 52 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:09,400 Speaker 2: And honestly, I know some Jews are angry about it, 53 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 2: but I somewhat understand the people who are not speaking out. 54 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:15,280 Speaker 2: If you're not Jewish and you want to stay out 55 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 2: of it, I get it. You can feel disgusted by 56 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:21,320 Speaker 2: the images of dead bodies at a music festival but 57 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:23,799 Speaker 2: not take to Facebook to let your friends know how 58 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 2: you feel. It's understandable. But I am Jewish and I 59 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:32,520 Speaker 2: can't stay out of it. I can't be quiet. Those 60 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:35,840 Speaker 2: dead people are me. I see my children's faces in 61 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 2: the faces of the kids that were taken. I won't 62 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 2: pretend otherwise. I can't. Of course, if you comment on 63 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:48,160 Speaker 2: every single other catastrophe around the world and are suddenly 64 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:52,040 Speaker 2: silent on this. Yes, we notice, and there are a 65 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 2: lot of people like that, big time activists for every cause, 66 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:01,840 Speaker 2: who care a lot about everything except dead Jews. We notice. 67 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:05,800 Speaker 2: One of the things that is hard about this current 68 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:09,160 Speaker 2: moment is that people hear your support for Israel or 69 00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:13,840 Speaker 2: just general opposition to rape and slaughter, and immediately imagine 70 00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:17,320 Speaker 2: you're pushing a policy position. I'm sure there are people 71 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 2: who want the US to get involved in Israel's fight. 72 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:23,480 Speaker 2: I'm not one of them. I think Israel can handle 73 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:28,000 Speaker 2: her own business and will understand that you're being lied to. 74 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:32,080 Speaker 2: If you hear the Jews in general or Israelis in particular, 75 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:37,560 Speaker 2: are asking for American involvement, it's simply untrue. We're afraid 76 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:40,880 Speaker 2: right now. I always saw America as a safe haven 77 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 2: for Jews, and I always referred to American Jews like 78 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:47,960 Speaker 2: myself as the luckiest Jews in history. But I'm not 79 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:50,960 Speaker 2: going to lie. It's been a tough few years. There 80 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:54,159 Speaker 2: was a moment where there were attacks on Jews every day, 81 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:57,240 Speaker 2: and so many people rush to excuse them. It was 82 00:04:57,279 --> 00:05:03,279 Speaker 2: happening in Brooklyn daily, and even other Jews shrugged. I 83 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:06,839 Speaker 2: remember Kanye West said Hitler was right, and way too 84 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:09,840 Speaker 2: many people invited him on their shows to hear more 85 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:14,920 Speaker 2: about that. It hasn't felt great. If you have Jews 86 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:17,599 Speaker 2: in your life, understand that they are really going through 87 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 2: something right now. None of us are functioning well. All 88 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:25,680 Speaker 2: of us are afraid. Good people have asked what they 89 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:28,680 Speaker 2: can do and how they can help. There are Israeli 90 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:31,799 Speaker 2: charities you can support. I've listed some on my Twitter. 91 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:35,080 Speaker 2: You can check in with your Jewish friends, especially if 92 00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:37,720 Speaker 2: they have family in Israel, which many of us do. 93 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:41,880 Speaker 2: Another thing is, if you go shooting, offer to take 94 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:45,120 Speaker 2: your Jewish friend. Silly as that may sound, many of 95 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:47,719 Speaker 2: us didn't grow up in a shooting culture, and many 96 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:50,760 Speaker 2: of us are very interested in protecting ourselves but don't 97 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:54,760 Speaker 2: know exactly how. Listen. I want my kids to sing 98 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:57,080 Speaker 2: those songs of peace, and i want them to work 99 00:05:57,120 --> 00:05:59,560 Speaker 2: for peace, but I'm also going to teach them how 100 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:01,560 Speaker 2: to shoot as soon as they are old enough. And 101 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:04,280 Speaker 2: I'm never going to cower to people who hate us 102 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 2: for an identity we couldn't shed if we wanted to. 103 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:11,360 Speaker 2: So that's it. This is a podcast about life and 104 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:13,240 Speaker 2: this is what's going on in my life right now. 105 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:17,080 Speaker 2: Coming up next is an interview I did with Clay Travis, 106 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:20,760 Speaker 2: recorded before the war in Israel began. Join us after 107 00:06:20,800 --> 00:06:27,200 Speaker 2: the break. My guest today is my friend Clay Travis, 108 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:29,839 Speaker 2: co host of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show 109 00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:33,039 Speaker 2: and author of the best selling book American Playbook. 110 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:35,000 Speaker 3: Hi, Clay, how are you, Carol? 111 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:36,919 Speaker 1: I appreciate you having me on. Yes, I've got my 112 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:39,000 Speaker 1: own copy. I hope you're enjoying it. It's supposed to 113 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:42,080 Speaker 1: be a fun read, and so I hope you're enjoying it. 114 00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:44,080 Speaker 1: I hope anybody else who's reading it I am. 115 00:06:44,600 --> 00:06:47,480 Speaker 2: I haven't reached the part where you are insulting the 116 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 2: Dallas Cowboys yet. 117 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:53,160 Speaker 1: I'm always thinking, like, hey, can I write an entertaining 118 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:56,120 Speaker 1: book for people who might not otherwise be interested in 119 00:06:56,160 --> 00:06:57,440 Speaker 1: a politics book? 120 00:06:57,640 --> 00:07:00,160 Speaker 3: And I like to think that I have done. So 121 00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:03,600 Speaker 3: we'll see whether or not that continues to be a case. 122 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:06,640 Speaker 2: I mean, I'm loving it, and you know, I mean, 123 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:08,719 Speaker 2: let's just get right into it. But you know, you 124 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:11,080 Speaker 2: mentioned in your book that you are a history nerd, 125 00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 2: and you know this is something that I did know 126 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:14,760 Speaker 2: about you already. I have two sons, and you know, 127 00:07:14,840 --> 00:07:18,000 Speaker 2: one is a sports kid, you know, a superstar in 128 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:20,680 Speaker 2: football and nic name every player on every team, and 129 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:23,480 Speaker 2: the other one is super into history. I've really never 130 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 2: seen anybody kind of merge those two interests. Do you 131 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:28,720 Speaker 2: feel like you're unique in that way? 132 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:31,640 Speaker 3: Maybe? I don't know. 133 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:37,360 Speaker 1: I mean, I've always been obsessed with sports and also 134 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:41,120 Speaker 1: obsessed with history my whole wife. When I was six 135 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:43,360 Speaker 1: years old, I don't think this is in the book, 136 00:07:43,440 --> 00:07:46,240 Speaker 1: but what I wanted to do for my sixth birthday 137 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:48,920 Speaker 1: was go to the Alamo. So my dad took me 138 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:52,040 Speaker 1: to the Alamo. I wanted to go to every Civil 139 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:58,320 Speaker 1: War battlefield growing up and read everything about the Civil War. Also, 140 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:02,800 Speaker 1: and when you're kid, I think you think whatever you 141 00:08:02,880 --> 00:08:05,640 Speaker 1: do is normal, and then you get to be an 142 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:08,760 Speaker 1: adult and you raise your own kids, and you're like, yeah, 143 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:11,800 Speaker 1: knowing everything about the Alamo when you're six years old 144 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:15,160 Speaker 1: is not like a normal thing, right, And also simultaneously 145 00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:18,880 Speaker 1: knowing everything about let's say SEC football and Major League 146 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:20,000 Speaker 1: baseball when you're six. 147 00:08:21,120 --> 00:08:23,880 Speaker 3: But uh, I don't know where that all came from. 148 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:27,960 Speaker 1: I was always a massive reader, and uh, you know, 149 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:31,280 Speaker 1: I would say maybe the reading thing was abnormal, But 150 00:08:31,720 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 1: of being obsessed with sports meant that I couldn't be 151 00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:39,520 Speaker 1: any body on the planet who liked sports, and I 152 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:43,160 Speaker 1: felt like I had always that that dichotomy where you 153 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:45,480 Speaker 1: could have like sort of a super nerdy interest. As 154 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:47,480 Speaker 1: I know, I say this in the book because my 155 00:08:47,559 --> 00:08:50,559 Speaker 1: wife still refuses to believe that she married somebody who 156 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:52,560 Speaker 1: went to Civil warst sleep away Camp and had. 157 00:08:52,520 --> 00:08:54,000 Speaker 3: Kids with them, and. 158 00:08:57,040 --> 00:08:59,920 Speaker 1: Camp scholarship kid to Civil Wars sleep Away Camp is 159 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:04,559 Speaker 1: a different universe, right, But I do think that that 160 00:09:04,559 --> 00:09:08,720 Speaker 1: that whole aspect to me kind of always felt intertwined, 161 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:13,040 Speaker 1: and I see it in my kids. My oldest, in particular, 162 00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:16,000 Speaker 1: as a monster sports fan, was also great at debate, 163 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:20,920 Speaker 1: and whereas I was super interested in the Civil War 164 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:23,439 Speaker 1: when he was young, he was very, very interested in 165 00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:25,680 Speaker 1: World War Two and he would read everything about World 166 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:27,560 Speaker 1: War Two, and so I saw that. I don't know 167 00:09:27,559 --> 00:09:29,679 Speaker 1: where that comes from, but I saw that a little 168 00:09:29,679 --> 00:09:32,000 Speaker 1: bit in him, and I said, Okay, this kind of 169 00:09:32,360 --> 00:09:33,920 Speaker 1: is in some way a reflection. 170 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:34,040 Speaker 3: I think of me. 171 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:37,680 Speaker 2: Wow, so you have the biggest radio show in the country. 172 00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:39,040 Speaker 2: Did you always want to be in radio? 173 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:39,280 Speaker 1: No? 174 00:09:40,120 --> 00:09:40,560 Speaker 3: I didn't. 175 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:46,120 Speaker 1: I didn't look I growing up listened to sports talker 176 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:49,200 Speaker 1: radio as a young kid. And so when my dad 177 00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:51,560 Speaker 1: would pick me up at school or whatever what we did, 178 00:09:51,559 --> 00:09:54,320 Speaker 1: and we were driving home, and it's funny, I had 179 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:57,160 Speaker 1: my he just turned nine, but I had my eight 180 00:09:57,280 --> 00:09:59,640 Speaker 1: year old in the car recently, and I was listening 181 00:09:59,640 --> 00:10:01,960 Speaker 1: to sports talk radio and he just reminds me a 182 00:10:01,960 --> 00:10:04,680 Speaker 1: lot of me as well. But he said, Dad, can 183 00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:07,640 Speaker 1: you believe there's a radio station where all they do 184 00:10:07,760 --> 00:10:08,719 Speaker 1: is talk about. 185 00:10:08,559 --> 00:10:11,000 Speaker 3: Sports, Like that's the best thing ever. 186 00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:13,160 Speaker 1: And you know, like he'll just sit there and listen 187 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:14,640 Speaker 1: to it, and he knows all the players, and they 188 00:10:14,640 --> 00:10:16,440 Speaker 1: got the fantasy football teams and everything else. 189 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:18,040 Speaker 3: So I was. 190 00:10:18,080 --> 00:10:21,720 Speaker 1: Interested in radio, Like as a kid, I called into 191 00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:25,080 Speaker 1: local sports talk radio to talk about whatever at the top. 192 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:26,760 Speaker 1: I mean I would sit on wait on hold for 193 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:29,640 Speaker 1: forty five minutes to an hour or whatever and be 194 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:34,360 Speaker 1: super nervous. So I was interested and aware of sports 195 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:37,079 Speaker 1: talk radio. But you know that I went to college 196 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:39,680 Speaker 1: and then I went to law school, and so I 197 00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:40,920 Speaker 1: thought that I would. 198 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:42,560 Speaker 3: Do something with the law degree. 199 00:10:43,040 --> 00:10:45,400 Speaker 1: And I had what I would call a quarter life 200 00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:48,760 Speaker 1: crisis where I was in my law firm and I 201 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:51,120 Speaker 1: was twenty five years old, and I just almost had 202 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:53,760 Speaker 1: like this panic attack come over me because I was like, 203 00:10:53,840 --> 00:10:56,559 Speaker 1: oh my god, this could be the next forty years 204 00:10:56,559 --> 00:11:00,920 Speaker 1: of my life. So I thought writing that I would 205 00:11:01,240 --> 00:11:03,280 Speaker 1: My goal was to make a living as a writer, 206 00:11:03,800 --> 00:11:07,040 Speaker 1: and in my mind, I knew writing and radio and TV. 207 00:11:07,640 --> 00:11:10,640 Speaker 1: I still think of myself as a writer, even though 208 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:12,439 Speaker 1: it's a small part of what I do on a 209 00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:13,600 Speaker 1: day to day basis now. 210 00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:16,160 Speaker 3: But that was my love. So I would have said. 211 00:11:16,160 --> 00:11:18,600 Speaker 1: You know, if you've been talking to me when I 212 00:11:18,640 --> 00:11:21,319 Speaker 1: was fifteen, and if you said, Clay, what do you 213 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:22,720 Speaker 1: want to do when you grow up, if you had 214 00:11:22,760 --> 00:11:24,520 Speaker 1: told me that I could make a living as a writer, 215 00:11:24,840 --> 00:11:26,760 Speaker 1: I'd be like, that's the greatest job in the history 216 00:11:26,760 --> 00:11:28,959 Speaker 1: of the world. And I went and got a law degree, 217 00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:34,280 Speaker 1: but I also got an MFA and thought that I 218 00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:39,520 Speaker 1: would like to teach creative writing, that I would like 219 00:11:39,559 --> 00:11:43,040 Speaker 1: to teach creative writing as the way in which that 220 00:11:43,840 --> 00:11:45,920 Speaker 1: I would make a living. And I taught creative writing 221 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:48,920 Speaker 1: at Vanderbilt, and I still think that I'm minored in 222 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:52,280 Speaker 1: creative writing in college. I still think that's probably one 223 00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:53,880 Speaker 1: of the best jobs out there to live on a 224 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:57,360 Speaker 1: college campus and just get to teach kids writing, creative 225 00:11:57,360 --> 00:12:00,839 Speaker 1: writing in particular. But so I I probably would have 226 00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:04,199 Speaker 1: said at fifteen, what do you want to do if 227 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:05,560 Speaker 1: I could make a living as a writer. 228 00:12:05,760 --> 00:12:06,000 Speaker 3: Either. 229 00:12:06,280 --> 00:12:08,440 Speaker 1: I would have probably said fiction at that point in time, 230 00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:10,839 Speaker 1: because I'd always been a huge reader. But that's probably 231 00:12:10,880 --> 00:12:12,719 Speaker 1: what I would have thought I would do. I never 232 00:12:12,760 --> 00:12:16,880 Speaker 1: really thought radio or television or anything like that was 233 00:12:17,080 --> 00:12:18,200 Speaker 1: likely to be a career path. 234 00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:21,080 Speaker 2: Do you feel like you've made it. 235 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:28,760 Speaker 3: So? No? But yes in some ways. Let me explain 236 00:12:28,760 --> 00:12:29,400 Speaker 3: what I mean by that. 237 00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:33,160 Speaker 1: About a decade ago, I was at a minor league 238 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:35,960 Speaker 1: baseball game Triple A, which is one level below the 239 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:39,360 Speaker 1: major leagues, and I remember feeling like I was a 240 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:42,720 Speaker 1: Triple A media talent. I felt like I could be 241 00:12:42,800 --> 00:12:46,120 Speaker 1: a major league player, but I was doing local sports 242 00:12:46,200 --> 00:12:50,839 Speaker 1: talk radio in Nashville. I was running my own website 243 00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:55,240 Speaker 1: at the time, out Kick, but I wasn't a major Yeah, 244 00:12:55,360 --> 00:12:58,000 Speaker 1: I wasn't a major league player yet, but I felt 245 00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:00,680 Speaker 1: like I had the talent to be in the major leagues. 246 00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:03,320 Speaker 1: I feel like I'm in the major leagues, and that's 247 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:06,120 Speaker 1: great because I don't have to worry about paying my 248 00:13:06,280 --> 00:13:10,120 Speaker 1: mortgage or whether my kids can afford to go to college. 249 00:13:10,200 --> 00:13:13,200 Speaker 1: Like those things are great, but I still feel like 250 00:13:13,559 --> 00:13:17,920 Speaker 1: I'm not at the top level performance that I can be. 251 00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:19,720 Speaker 1: So I feel like maybe I'm in major leagues and 252 00:13:19,760 --> 00:13:22,560 Speaker 1: I still can prove that I'm an all star and 253 00:13:22,640 --> 00:13:24,839 Speaker 1: so so I feel like I'm fortunate to be in 254 00:13:24,840 --> 00:13:28,160 Speaker 1: the major leagues, but I don't feel like I've reached, 255 00:13:28,880 --> 00:13:33,360 Speaker 1: you know, the apex ability of what I could could accomplish. 256 00:13:33,400 --> 00:13:35,280 Speaker 2: What's it like living a public life, Like do you 257 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:38,480 Speaker 2: get recognized everywhere you go? And like what you know, 258 00:13:38,720 --> 00:13:39,800 Speaker 2: any any hate. 259 00:13:39,679 --> 00:13:42,560 Speaker 1: Or it's mostly positive where I live now. Remember I 260 00:13:42,600 --> 00:13:46,840 Speaker 1: live in Nashville, and I think that's probably different than 261 00:13:46,960 --> 00:13:48,400 Speaker 1: if I lived in New York or LA. 262 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:51,480 Speaker 3: Maybe the reactions would be would be different. 263 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:56,120 Speaker 1: But I think about it more in the context of 264 00:13:56,160 --> 00:14:00,240 Speaker 1: my kids, because they're getting old enough now where they 265 00:14:00,280 --> 00:14:03,720 Speaker 1: recognize that Dad doesn't have a normal job, and like 266 00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:06,400 Speaker 1: I had a conversation with them the other day where 267 00:14:06,440 --> 00:14:09,160 Speaker 1: I said, Hey, you know, you're getting old enough where 268 00:14:09,200 --> 00:14:11,320 Speaker 1: you may hear people say things about what I do 269 00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:14,000 Speaker 1: or what I say, And I said, that's great. You know, 270 00:14:14,040 --> 00:14:15,840 Speaker 1: I'm fortunate to get to be able to say exactly 271 00:14:15,840 --> 00:14:18,360 Speaker 1: what I think. But I said, all I ever want 272 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:21,560 Speaker 1: you guys to do is judge me on dad, Like, 273 00:14:22,240 --> 00:14:25,600 Speaker 1: don't let anybody else what they're saying publicly about anything 274 00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:27,720 Speaker 1: that I do. You know me better than anybody who's 275 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:29,760 Speaker 1: going to write about me. You live in the house 276 00:14:29,880 --> 00:14:32,360 Speaker 1: with me. If I'm doing a good job as dad, 277 00:14:32,480 --> 00:14:35,840 Speaker 1: which is my goal, then judge me on that. Everybody 278 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:38,280 Speaker 1: has jobs. The job you can be good at. 279 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:38,840 Speaker 3: Or bad at. 280 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:41,280 Speaker 1: The praise can come or go. You asked about whether 281 00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:43,800 Speaker 1: I feel like I've made it. What I would say, 282 00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:47,080 Speaker 1: and I bet you've seen this too, is media careers 283 00:14:47,080 --> 00:14:50,760 Speaker 1: are very much like roller coasters. Like you're really high 284 00:14:50,840 --> 00:14:53,520 Speaker 1: up and you think, oh man, everything's going great, and 285 00:14:53,560 --> 00:14:56,720 Speaker 1: then somebody like you'll lose something and you go back down, 286 00:14:56,800 --> 00:14:58,360 Speaker 1: and then you climb your way back up, and then 287 00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:01,840 Speaker 1: I've just seen you know, I've been in media for 288 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:05,040 Speaker 1: twenty years now, you know, a generation, and I've just 289 00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:08,280 Speaker 1: seen that happen so many times, where you think, oh, 290 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:10,800 Speaker 1: this is really great, and then you get fired and 291 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:14,080 Speaker 1: then work you know as hard agin and then you 292 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:16,080 Speaker 1: know it may not be anything that you did. You know, 293 00:15:16,160 --> 00:15:19,760 Speaker 1: like I started out kick because FanHouse shut down the 294 00:15:19,800 --> 00:15:20,800 Speaker 1: site that I was at. 295 00:15:20,920 --> 00:15:21,600 Speaker 3: I loved it. 296 00:15:21,720 --> 00:15:23,120 Speaker 1: I would have kept doing it for the rest of 297 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:26,360 Speaker 1: my life. So I just think you have to The 298 00:15:26,400 --> 00:15:28,640 Speaker 1: thing that I would say I'm proud of is I 299 00:15:28,640 --> 00:15:30,720 Speaker 1: think I'm a pretty good dad. I'm not as good 300 00:15:30,720 --> 00:15:33,120 Speaker 1: of a dad as my dad was, he was phenomenal, 301 00:15:33,560 --> 00:15:36,840 Speaker 1: but I think I'm a pretty good dad. And I 302 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:40,560 Speaker 1: think I'm an okay husband, and I've been married almost 303 00:15:40,600 --> 00:15:44,240 Speaker 1: twenty years, and I think I'm pretty good at radio 304 00:15:44,320 --> 00:15:47,320 Speaker 1: writing and TV. And so when you ask, I think 305 00:15:47,320 --> 00:15:48,640 Speaker 1: it's such a good question. Do you feel like you've 306 00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:50,520 Speaker 1: made it? Here's a way that I would think about it. 307 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:54,080 Speaker 1: If I could go back in time right now, would 308 00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:58,680 Speaker 1: I change anything? My answer is no, because I'm very 309 00:15:58,720 --> 00:16:01,360 Speaker 1: comfortable with where I am today. That doesn't mean I've 310 00:16:01,400 --> 00:16:03,000 Speaker 1: not made a lot of mistakes. It doesn't mean that 311 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:06,120 Speaker 1: I'm not incredibly flawed and imperfect like every person out there. 312 00:16:06,720 --> 00:16:09,720 Speaker 1: But I'm very comfortable in my own skin and with 313 00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:13,400 Speaker 1: where I am today, and I wouldn't want to change anything, 314 00:16:13,520 --> 00:16:15,440 Speaker 1: Like I wouldn't want to not go to law school, 315 00:16:15,520 --> 00:16:17,320 Speaker 1: or I wouldn't want to go to a different college, 316 00:16:17,440 --> 00:16:20,280 Speaker 1: or certainly I wouldn't want to, you know, not get married. 317 00:16:20,320 --> 00:16:22,600 Speaker 1: I got married at twenty five years old. Like, I 318 00:16:22,640 --> 00:16:26,320 Speaker 1: wouldn't change anything. I would the only thing I would 319 00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:27,640 Speaker 1: want to have had more kids. 320 00:16:28,160 --> 00:16:29,360 Speaker 3: I don't think. I don't think I'm going to have 321 00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:30,840 Speaker 3: any more. I think we got three. 322 00:16:30,920 --> 00:16:33,920 Speaker 1: I feel happy that we have three healthy and happy 323 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:36,680 Speaker 1: kids right now. But you know, other than like, I 324 00:16:36,680 --> 00:16:38,560 Speaker 1: would like to have five or six kids because I've 325 00:16:38,560 --> 00:16:40,200 Speaker 1: got the ability to take care of them, and I 326 00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:42,320 Speaker 1: think they're so amazing and so unique as I know, 327 00:16:42,440 --> 00:16:43,360 Speaker 1: you know, as a parent. 328 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:45,040 Speaker 3: But other than that, I wouldn't. 329 00:16:45,080 --> 00:16:47,640 Speaker 1: There's not really anything in my life that And I 330 00:16:47,760 --> 00:16:50,040 Speaker 1: fought for us to have three, so I feel like 331 00:16:50,080 --> 00:16:52,200 Speaker 1: I won that battle. My wife, I think, would have 332 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:55,040 Speaker 1: said stayed at two, but I would have had four 333 00:16:55,120 --> 00:16:57,720 Speaker 1: or five or six if the timing had worked out 334 00:16:57,920 --> 00:16:58,720 Speaker 1: a little bit different. 335 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:02,480 Speaker 2: It's funny because in the book, you say I don't 336 00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:04,439 Speaker 2: think I'm going to have a daughter, and I was like, 337 00:17:04,640 --> 00:17:07,200 Speaker 2: he's thinking about possibly having a fourth. 338 00:17:07,480 --> 00:17:10,199 Speaker 3: Oh. I say to my wife all the time, like 339 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:12,800 Speaker 3: you're not, you know, I don't think. 340 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:14,680 Speaker 2: I mean, I mean, that's a maybe. 341 00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:16,720 Speaker 1: It's a maybe for me, it's a no for her 342 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:21,520 Speaker 1: so so, and usually mom wins in these battles because 343 00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:23,640 Speaker 1: having a child for me is a lot less work 344 00:17:23,680 --> 00:17:26,640 Speaker 1: than having a child for her, as I will readily acknowledge. 345 00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:28,280 Speaker 1: But but yeah, I would. 346 00:17:28,320 --> 00:17:28,600 Speaker 3: I would. 347 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:30,480 Speaker 1: I think it would have been cool to have a 348 00:17:30,600 --> 00:17:33,280 Speaker 1: daughter and see what it's like to raise a daughter 349 00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:35,000 Speaker 1: compared to having, you know, three boys. 350 00:17:35,040 --> 00:17:36,400 Speaker 3: I'm very happy to have three boys. 351 00:17:36,600 --> 00:17:39,080 Speaker 1: Thankful that I don't have three girls, trust me, but 352 00:17:39,119 --> 00:17:41,520 Speaker 1: I would like to have had three boys and maybe 353 00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:42,200 Speaker 1: a girl too. 354 00:17:44,080 --> 00:17:45,560 Speaker 2: All right, Well, I was going to ask you how 355 00:17:45,560 --> 00:17:47,879 Speaker 2: long you've been married. You said almost twenty years. Do 356 00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:49,840 Speaker 2: you have any advice for newlyweds? 357 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:51,159 Speaker 3: Oh, that's a good question. 358 00:17:53,200 --> 00:17:55,159 Speaker 2: I mean your co host is a newlywed, have you. 359 00:17:55,240 --> 00:17:55,440 Speaker 1: Yeah. 360 00:17:55,480 --> 00:17:56,960 Speaker 3: We've not talked about this with Buck. 361 00:17:57,000 --> 00:17:59,280 Speaker 1: I mean because Buck's in a unique spot because he 362 00:17:59,320 --> 00:18:02,359 Speaker 1: didn't get married till after he was forty. And you know, 363 00:18:02,440 --> 00:18:05,440 Speaker 1: men get so set in their ways that I think 364 00:18:05,480 --> 00:18:08,800 Speaker 1: it's actually more challenging for men if they stay single 365 00:18:08,880 --> 00:18:12,479 Speaker 1: for that long to get married than it is depending 366 00:18:12,520 --> 00:18:15,000 Speaker 1: on how old your husband is. I think women are 367 00:18:15,040 --> 00:18:18,280 Speaker 1: way more mature than men. And what I mean by 368 00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:23,040 Speaker 1: that is like a lot of the whole marital process, 369 00:18:23,440 --> 00:18:25,680 Speaker 1: Like I never really just thought about it that much. 370 00:18:26,359 --> 00:18:29,840 Speaker 1: Like I feel like, you know, for instance, the age 371 00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:32,520 Speaker 1: at which you should have kids. My wife just said 372 00:18:32,560 --> 00:18:34,520 Speaker 1: she's two years older than me. She was like, yeah, 373 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:36,840 Speaker 1: we're going to start trying to have kids now. And like, 374 00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:40,320 Speaker 1: as a man, I think, because you have the luxury 375 00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:43,000 Speaker 1: of like, you could have a kid at sixty, right, 376 00:18:43,119 --> 00:18:47,360 Speaker 1: Probably not advisable, but you could. Like, So, the clocks 377 00:18:47,440 --> 00:18:52,720 Speaker 1: are different for women than men, and so I would 378 00:18:52,800 --> 00:18:57,040 Speaker 1: say women probably need, in my. 379 00:18:57,080 --> 00:18:58,119 Speaker 3: Opinion, to. 380 00:18:59,760 --> 00:19:04,560 Speaker 1: Be more linient with men, particularly early in marriage, because 381 00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:08,159 Speaker 1: they're not what you want them to be. What I 382 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:13,040 Speaker 1: have come to find out is ye, most men when 383 00:19:13,040 --> 00:19:16,480 Speaker 1: they get married, in my experience, would love for their 384 00:19:16,520 --> 00:19:20,840 Speaker 1: wives to stay the exact same forever, right, especially if 385 00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:23,159 Speaker 1: you're getting married young. We would like, we would like, 386 00:19:23,400 --> 00:19:26,920 Speaker 1: we love everything about you. We would like for you 387 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:30,080 Speaker 1: to be eternally the exact same way you are right now. 388 00:19:30,760 --> 00:19:35,320 Speaker 1: Every woman basically gets married to a guy in my experience, 389 00:19:35,600 --> 00:19:39,520 Speaker 1: with the idea being he's okay, but I'm gonna you know, 390 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:42,280 Speaker 1: like you women go into like, hey I'm going to 391 00:19:42,359 --> 00:19:42,840 Speaker 1: rehab this. 392 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:44,119 Speaker 2: We see potential. 393 00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:48,439 Speaker 1: Yeah, you guys invest in potential. Men invest in the 394 00:19:48,480 --> 00:19:51,480 Speaker 1: reality of now, and so men are very comfortable I 395 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:54,880 Speaker 1: think oftentimes into now, and women are very comfortable with 396 00:19:54,920 --> 00:19:57,560 Speaker 1: the He isn't just kind of okay now, but in 397 00:19:57,680 --> 00:19:59,919 Speaker 1: ten years he can be a good dad. I think 398 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:02,080 Speaker 1: he's going to have a good future. Like that's what 399 00:20:02,119 --> 00:20:05,080 Speaker 1: I'm saying about. You guys see a longer trajectory and 400 00:20:05,320 --> 00:20:06,320 Speaker 1: range than. 401 00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:07,520 Speaker 3: I think a lot of men do. And I'll give 402 00:20:07,560 --> 00:20:08,520 Speaker 3: you an easy example. 403 00:20:09,160 --> 00:20:11,880 Speaker 1: Every man when they get engaged has no idea what 404 00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:15,480 Speaker 1: the next step is. Every woman is like ready to 405 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:18,320 Speaker 1: figure out every aspect of the marriage within, like in 406 00:20:18,359 --> 00:20:21,000 Speaker 1: terms of the ceremony and everything else where it should happen, 407 00:20:21,119 --> 00:20:23,000 Speaker 1: what the time is, or you know, it gets on 408 00:20:23,040 --> 00:20:24,840 Speaker 1: the phone with her mom and like it's it's like 409 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:28,119 Speaker 1: the whole apparatus is moving in place. Because you guys 410 00:20:28,119 --> 00:20:30,760 Speaker 1: have all been thinking about it. I can barely even 411 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:33,800 Speaker 1: you know, like conceive of all the details that were involved. 412 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:36,480 Speaker 1: So I just think women are way more involved. 413 00:20:36,880 --> 00:20:39,320 Speaker 2: I wasn't one of those women who had thought about 414 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:41,199 Speaker 2: what her wedding would be like, and that was a 415 00:20:41,240 --> 00:20:44,160 Speaker 2: mistake because you can't figure it out in a short 416 00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:47,479 Speaker 2: period of time. You need those years of planning, like 417 00:20:47,520 --> 00:20:50,240 Speaker 2: which I realized, you know, I realized in retrospect I 418 00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:53,200 Speaker 2: hadn't done. Yeah, so I you know, I think it's 419 00:20:53,440 --> 00:20:55,040 Speaker 2: I think it's the right way to go. That women 420 00:20:55,080 --> 00:20:57,000 Speaker 2: think about it for a long time before and then 421 00:20:57,040 --> 00:20:59,640 Speaker 2: you get to the most expensive event of your life 422 00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:00,480 Speaker 2: and I don't. 423 00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:00,760 Speaker 3: Know what you're doing. 424 00:21:00,840 --> 00:21:02,439 Speaker 1: And the other thing I would say was I was 425 00:21:02,600 --> 00:21:06,879 Speaker 1: very conscious of what I wanted. I wanted good looking 426 00:21:07,080 --> 00:21:10,680 Speaker 1: and super smart. Those were my two criteria, right, and 427 00:21:10,760 --> 00:21:13,000 Speaker 1: I think I went I hit a home run on. 428 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:14,480 Speaker 3: That, But you got it. 429 00:21:14,560 --> 00:21:17,560 Speaker 1: I think a lot of men focus on the good 430 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:22,280 Speaker 1: looking and they don't necessarily focus on the like idea 431 00:21:22,520 --> 00:21:25,439 Speaker 1: of hey, you're potentially going to be having children with 432 00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:29,240 Speaker 1: this person, like I want, you know, the offspring to 433 00:21:29,359 --> 00:21:33,560 Speaker 1: also be successful, so you know, and also thinking about. 434 00:21:33,320 --> 00:21:34,920 Speaker 2: What was not pretty dumb? 435 00:21:35,240 --> 00:21:39,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, what kind of mom h your potential significant other 436 00:21:39,880 --> 00:21:42,800 Speaker 1: would be. So I would say two men focus less 437 00:21:42,880 --> 00:21:45,800 Speaker 1: on the immediate Oh she's really pretty, I really like 438 00:21:45,880 --> 00:21:50,119 Speaker 1: her right now, and more on okay, ten years, twenty years, 439 00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:52,240 Speaker 1: what's the trajectory. 440 00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:55,840 Speaker 2: So the potential you want to think about than we do. 441 00:21:57,280 --> 00:22:01,320 Speaker 2: M Yeah, so what do you think are like some 442 00:22:01,400 --> 00:22:04,439 Speaker 2: of our largest societal problems in America, Like, what do 443 00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:06,560 Speaker 2: you worry about for your kids? 444 00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:07,120 Speaker 3: Yeah? 445 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:10,200 Speaker 1: So, my thing that I hammer home to my boys, 446 00:22:10,440 --> 00:22:12,119 Speaker 1: and I try to say this every time I go 447 00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:18,320 Speaker 1: talk to young audiences is focus on what you can control. 448 00:22:18,560 --> 00:22:22,360 Speaker 1: I'm big on individual responsibility, but also just the only 449 00:22:22,359 --> 00:22:24,760 Speaker 1: thing you can really control is your work ethic. You 450 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:27,639 Speaker 1: can't control how the world around you responds to you, 451 00:22:28,040 --> 00:22:30,520 Speaker 1: but I can control that. I work super hard every day. 452 00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:35,080 Speaker 1: So I say, graduate from high school. These are minimum standards, 453 00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:37,359 Speaker 1: by the way, but if every kid could do this, 454 00:22:37,440 --> 00:22:39,679 Speaker 1: I think the country would be far better. Graduate from 455 00:22:39,760 --> 00:22:44,920 Speaker 1: high school, get a job, get married, don't have a 456 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:48,360 Speaker 1: kid until you're twenty five, white, Black, Asian, Hispanic, gay, 457 00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:52,320 Speaker 1: straight male female. If you do that, your poverty rate 458 00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:56,200 Speaker 1: is zero, no matter how poor your family circumstances were 459 00:22:56,440 --> 00:22:59,560 Speaker 1: for your upbringing, and then you can provide a better 460 00:22:59,560 --> 00:23:00,919 Speaker 1: opportunity for your kids. 461 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:02,280 Speaker 3: That would be my pitch. 462 00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:05,080 Speaker 1: My concern, and I write about this a lot in 463 00:23:05,119 --> 00:23:11,080 Speaker 1: the book, is that we have allowed identity politics to 464 00:23:11,359 --> 00:23:15,800 Speaker 1: completely take over our body politic. And what I mean 465 00:23:15,840 --> 00:23:20,240 Speaker 1: by that is you'll often hear somebody say, hey, as 466 00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:24,800 Speaker 1: a transgender woman, I believe and I always think like, 467 00:23:24,880 --> 00:23:27,560 Speaker 1: if you put your identity in front of your opinion, 468 00:23:28,119 --> 00:23:30,800 Speaker 1: why should I care your opinions either a valid and 469 00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:33,159 Speaker 1: a good argument or it's not. I don't care about 470 00:23:33,240 --> 00:23:37,320 Speaker 1: the things you didn't control. And I'm concerned that when 471 00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:40,840 Speaker 1: we were growing up, because you're around my age, it 472 00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:44,280 Speaker 1: seemed like what we were taught was most people are 473 00:23:44,320 --> 00:23:49,320 Speaker 1: pretty similar, right, whether despite your background, your common humanity. 474 00:23:49,320 --> 00:23:52,800 Speaker 1: In America, most people are pretty similar. And now I 475 00:23:52,840 --> 00:23:56,840 Speaker 1: think what we're often teaching kids is you're all very dissimilar, 476 00:23:57,240 --> 00:24:01,200 Speaker 1: and that's because of things you didn't choose, as opposed 477 00:24:01,240 --> 00:24:04,320 Speaker 1: to things you did choose, like the idea that that 478 00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:08,879 Speaker 1: your race and your your your gender, to me are 479 00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:11,159 Speaker 1: two of the least interesting things about people. 480 00:24:11,880 --> 00:24:14,359 Speaker 3: The things that you don't the things that. 481 00:24:14,280 --> 00:24:18,760 Speaker 1: You don't choose are are are far more interesting to me, 482 00:24:20,040 --> 00:24:22,040 Speaker 1: so far less interesting to me than things that you 483 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:24,680 Speaker 1: do choose. And I think we focus on identity over 484 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:25,359 Speaker 1: everything else. 485 00:24:27,520 --> 00:24:28,639 Speaker 2: So is that solvable? 486 00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:30,480 Speaker 3: Is that? Yeah? I think it is what. 487 00:24:32,119 --> 00:24:35,399 Speaker 1: I think we have to have a landslide election, and 488 00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:38,639 Speaker 1: we have to have somebody who can speak to and 489 00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:40,800 Speaker 1: I think we're starting to see it right, because the 490 00:24:40,920 --> 00:24:43,840 Speaker 1: argument when Trump won in sixteen was oh, he's super 491 00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:47,800 Speaker 1: racist and Republicans are doomed forever to only have white voters. 492 00:24:48,119 --> 00:24:49,120 Speaker 3: And then what's happened. 493 00:24:49,480 --> 00:24:52,560 Speaker 1: Hispanic, Asian and Black voters have actually become more likely 494 00:24:52,600 --> 00:24:55,639 Speaker 1: to vote Republican in twenty twenty and in twenty twenty 495 00:24:55,640 --> 00:24:58,879 Speaker 1: two than they were before Trump. Because I think the 496 00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:01,399 Speaker 1: fundamental lie that Democrats and I should say left this 497 00:25:01,440 --> 00:25:03,760 Speaker 1: because there's some Democrats who would reject this, but the 498 00:25:03,760 --> 00:25:06,080 Speaker 1: fundamental lie that Democrats tell is that America is an 499 00:25:06,119 --> 00:25:08,880 Speaker 1: awful racist place and that's simply not. 500 00:25:08,800 --> 00:25:11,520 Speaker 2: True that brown people are dying. 501 00:25:11,240 --> 00:25:15,920 Speaker 1: To literally every day black and brown people die trying 502 00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:18,360 Speaker 1: to get into this country. If this were the most 503 00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:22,160 Speaker 1: racist country out there, their decision to do that would 504 00:25:22,160 --> 00:25:24,840 Speaker 1: make zero syd. So I think that's the fundamental lie 505 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:27,640 Speaker 1: that Democrats have brought into Then I think it's rooted 506 00:25:27,640 --> 00:25:30,520 Speaker 1: in identity politics because this idea that all white men 507 00:25:30,560 --> 00:25:33,119 Speaker 1: are evil. I used to joke and I still do 508 00:25:33,200 --> 00:25:35,840 Speaker 1: make this joke visually, but like I pick the worst 509 00:25:35,880 --> 00:25:39,320 Speaker 1: time ever to become a rich white guy for basically 510 00:25:39,520 --> 00:25:42,400 Speaker 1: all of American history. If you're a rich white guy 511 00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:45,520 Speaker 1: like everything you were, like you the best person ever, 512 00:25:46,040 --> 00:25:48,399 Speaker 1: and now I suddenly I was poor. My family was poor, 513 00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:50,320 Speaker 1: you know, basically our whole life, and now I'm a 514 00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:53,879 Speaker 1: rich white guy like that? How dare you be a 515 00:25:53,960 --> 00:25:57,240 Speaker 1: rich white guy? You're you've done everything that's wrong with America. 516 00:25:57,280 --> 00:25:59,440 Speaker 1: I'm like, I went to public school. I didn't even 517 00:25:59,440 --> 00:26:00,760 Speaker 1: grow up in a good part of Nashville. 518 00:26:01,240 --> 00:26:04,719 Speaker 2: And here with your best tip for my listeners on 519 00:26:04,840 --> 00:26:08,479 Speaker 2: how they can improve their lives. What's the advice that 520 00:26:08,520 --> 00:26:11,760 Speaker 2: you think people should follow to make their lives better. 521 00:26:12,119 --> 00:26:16,440 Speaker 1: I think it has to be that you completely own 522 00:26:16,880 --> 00:26:21,679 Speaker 1: your own success or failure, and whatever you find that 523 00:26:21,720 --> 00:26:24,840 Speaker 1: you have a skill in that you enjoy spending time in. 524 00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:27,960 Speaker 1: I said, I had a quarter life crisis. Being a 525 00:26:28,040 --> 00:26:31,360 Speaker 1: lawyer's not an awful job. My grandfather's worked in factories 526 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:33,600 Speaker 1: their whole lives. There are a lot of bad jobs, 527 00:26:33,640 --> 00:26:35,879 Speaker 1: trust me, I know, and a lot of jobs that 528 00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:38,320 Speaker 1: stink and also don't pay well, which is a double combo. 529 00:26:39,640 --> 00:26:43,800 Speaker 1: But I think if you can find something that you 530 00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:48,439 Speaker 1: don't look at the clock while you do over time, 531 00:26:48,560 --> 00:26:49,240 Speaker 1: you will win. 532 00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:51,520 Speaker 3: If you can find a way to do that. 533 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:53,600 Speaker 1: I looked at the clock all the time when I 534 00:26:53,640 --> 00:26:57,199 Speaker 1: practice law, I couldn't wait for the day to be 535 00:26:57,320 --> 00:27:00,600 Speaker 1: over so I could leave and no longer be required 536 00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:04,000 Speaker 1: to be practicing laws. I don't look at the clock 537 00:27:04,040 --> 00:27:06,199 Speaker 1: when I sit down and write. I don't really look 538 00:27:06,240 --> 00:27:08,000 Speaker 1: at the clock other than to make sure we hit 539 00:27:08,119 --> 00:27:10,879 Speaker 1: time breaks when I sit down to do radio. I 540 00:27:10,920 --> 00:27:13,920 Speaker 1: haven't looked at the clock for this entire conversation that you. 541 00:27:13,880 --> 00:27:14,720 Speaker 3: And I are having. 542 00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:18,359 Speaker 1: That's because I enjoy it, and I think you can't 543 00:27:18,359 --> 00:27:23,120 Speaker 1: fake enjoyment because over time, if you like what you do, 544 00:27:23,680 --> 00:27:25,960 Speaker 1: you will be more successful. 545 00:27:25,440 --> 00:27:28,200 Speaker 3: At that than someone who does not like what they do. 546 00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:34,520 Speaker 1: So if you can mirror your your advocation with something 547 00:27:34,560 --> 00:27:37,800 Speaker 1: that you enjoy spending time doing, you're going to be 548 00:27:37,840 --> 00:27:42,280 Speaker 1: successful in it. I also would say this, figure out. 549 00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:44,800 Speaker 1: If you have a job, look and see what your 550 00:27:44,840 --> 00:27:49,160 Speaker 1: boss's boss does. If you don't think that you would 551 00:27:49,240 --> 00:27:52,879 Speaker 1: like to do what your boss's boss does, then you 552 00:27:53,160 --> 00:27:57,439 Speaker 1: probably shouldn't be in that profession because what are you 553 00:27:57,560 --> 00:28:01,119 Speaker 1: building toward what I think you know? Like in the 554 00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:03,760 Speaker 1: law firm, I'd be like, oh, the name partner, Well, 555 00:28:03,800 --> 00:28:05,120 Speaker 1: he just gets paid more to. 556 00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:07,160 Speaker 3: Do basically the same thing that I do now. 557 00:28:07,640 --> 00:28:09,280 Speaker 1: I was in a small law firm, so I could 558 00:28:09,280 --> 00:28:12,199 Speaker 1: see kind of what they did that wasn't for me. 559 00:28:12,560 --> 00:28:14,800 Speaker 1: Doesn't mean I couldn't have been successful at it, but 560 00:28:14,880 --> 00:28:17,800 Speaker 1: ultimately I would have never succeeded like someone who loved it. 561 00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:20,080 Speaker 1: And I think the reason I've had success in media 562 00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:22,320 Speaker 1: is because I genuinely love what I get to do. 563 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:29,720 Speaker 1: And final way, by the way Carol would be when 564 00:28:29,760 --> 00:28:33,439 Speaker 1: I sold out Kicked two years ago, I feel like 565 00:28:33,520 --> 00:28:36,000 Speaker 1: I kind of won the lottery, and I think everybody 566 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:38,280 Speaker 1: sits around and thinks, oh, what would I do if 567 00:28:38,280 --> 00:28:40,560 Speaker 1: I won the lottery? How would I spend my life? 568 00:28:40,560 --> 00:28:43,479 Speaker 1: Like everybody has had that fantasy and everybody's played through it. 569 00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:45,959 Speaker 1: That's the entire basis of why the lottery works as 570 00:28:45,960 --> 00:28:49,280 Speaker 1: a business, right, It's that fantasy fulfillment. To me, the 571 00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:52,400 Speaker 1: ultimate answer is I would wake up and keep doing 572 00:28:52,440 --> 00:28:57,640 Speaker 1: what I'm already doing. If you answered that, then you 573 00:28:57,840 --> 00:29:00,880 Speaker 1: are living a life that you can be. I think 574 00:29:00,960 --> 00:29:04,080 Speaker 1: successful and proud and happy in And I felt like 575 00:29:04,440 --> 00:29:07,160 Speaker 1: I had that experience where I woke up, Okay, I 576 00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:09,440 Speaker 1: won the lottery. I've got money, I've got the ability 577 00:29:09,480 --> 00:29:11,880 Speaker 1: to do lots of things. What do I want to do? 578 00:29:12,120 --> 00:29:14,240 Speaker 1: Oh wait, I want to keep doing exactly what I'm 579 00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:17,400 Speaker 1: already doing. I think that's why I ended up winning 580 00:29:17,400 --> 00:29:20,000 Speaker 1: the lottery, because I had already worked myself into a 581 00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:22,320 Speaker 1: place where I was so happy doing what I was doing. 582 00:29:22,600 --> 00:29:24,920 Speaker 2: Thank you so much. I really love that answer. That's 583 00:29:24,920 --> 00:29:28,120 Speaker 2: some really great advice. I think our listeners should definitely 584 00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:30,560 Speaker 2: listen to that. Thank you Clay for coming on. Loved 585 00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:32,520 Speaker 2: having you, and please come back any time. 586 00:29:32,560 --> 00:29:36,160 Speaker 1: Well, by the way, you are killing it. I love 587 00:29:36,200 --> 00:29:39,000 Speaker 1: reading your columns. You are super talented. 588 00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:39,600 Speaker 3: At your show. 589 00:29:39,640 --> 00:29:41,880 Speaker 1: You probably shouldn't expect to get praised all the times 590 00:29:41,960 --> 00:29:47,280 Speaker 1: by the guests, but I am really impressed with how talented. 591 00:29:46,880 --> 00:29:48,440 Speaker 3: You are the work that you are doing. 592 00:29:48,800 --> 00:29:51,760 Speaker 1: The only negative thing I can say is that your 593 00:29:51,760 --> 00:29:56,080 Speaker 1: poor cowboy fan son is going to be miserable for 594 00:29:56,120 --> 00:29:57,840 Speaker 1: most of his life because he's a Cowboys fan. 595 00:29:58,080 --> 00:30:01,920 Speaker 2: I really hope we play the Titans sometimes. 596 00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:05,280 Speaker 3: Well. Titans fans are definitely my courage. 597 00:30:06,560 --> 00:30:12,880 Speaker 2: Thanks Clay, Thanks so much Clay Travis for joining the 598 00:30:12,920 --> 00:30:16,960 Speaker 2: Carol Markowitz Show. We'll see you again on Mondays and Thursdays. 599 00:30:17,040 --> 00:30:19,280 Speaker 2: Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.