1 00:00:01,840 --> 00:00:04,800 Speaker 1: Welcome back to a Numbers Game podcast, Ryan Gradowski, thank 2 00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:07,400 Speaker 1: you for being here on this Thursday episode. On our 3 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:09,879 Speaker 1: last episode, we had a listener request from a woman 4 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:13,280 Speaker 1: named Patty to do an entire thing on California politics. 5 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:16,400 Speaker 1: So the second part of our show will be about California. 6 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 1: This is for you, Patty. I'm doing this show for 7 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:21,079 Speaker 1: my listeners. I'm here for you guys. So if you 8 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:22,840 Speaker 1: have an idea for a show with i' me an 9 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:25,599 Speaker 1: email at Ryan at Numbers gamepodcast dot com and I 10 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:29,440 Speaker 1: will do my best. But before we get to California, 11 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:32,080 Speaker 1: radio host John Phillips talking about the state, I want 12 00:00:32,120 --> 00:00:35,040 Speaker 1: to talk about Elon Musk for a second. Over the 13 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:37,239 Speaker 1: fourth of July weekend, Musk announced that he was going 14 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:40,200 Speaker 1: to start his own political party, called the America Party. 15 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:42,879 Speaker 1: He conducted a poll on Twitter asking his audience if 16 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:45,320 Speaker 1: we should have a third party. In sixty five percent 17 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:49,080 Speaker 1: said yes. So the following day, on July fifth, he tweeted, 18 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:51,360 Speaker 1: by a factor of two to one, you want a 19 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:53,720 Speaker 1: new political party and you shall have it. When it 20 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:56,960 Speaker 1: comes to bankrupting our country and with waste and graft, 21 00:00:57,240 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 1: we live in a one party system, not a democracy 22 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 1: today the America Party is formed to give you back 23 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:05,720 Speaker 1: your freedom. At the full point of creating a new 24 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 1: party is Musk's frustration with Congressional Republicans and President Trump's 25 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:13,120 Speaker 1: Big Beautiful Bill, which failed to balance the budget and 26 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 1: at trillions of new debt over the next decade. Musk 27 00:01:16,319 --> 00:01:18,920 Speaker 1: said he was hoping to target a handful of seats 28 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:21,199 Speaker 1: in the House and Senate, which would give the party 29 00:01:21,319 --> 00:01:24,319 Speaker 1: leverage in the next Congress, especially with the margins between 30 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:29,040 Speaker 1: Republicans and Democrats were tight. Basically, if Speaker Johnson needed 31 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:31,679 Speaker 1: the votes of people from the America Party to become 32 00:01:31,760 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 1: Speaker because there wasn't enough outright Republicans, he'd have to 33 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:38,200 Speaker 1: make certain some concessions on the debt and spending, and 34 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:41,240 Speaker 1: vice versa if it was a Democrat speaker with a 35 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:44,760 Speaker 1: similar margin. This instantly earned criticism from the media in 36 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:47,360 Speaker 1: comparison to the last billionaire who decided to run for 37 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 1: president on a third party ticket in nineteen ninety two, 38 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 1: Ross Preroux, who led in the polls through most of 39 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 1: the early parts of his campaign until he dropped out 40 00:01:55,360 --> 00:01:58,320 Speaker 1: several months in, only to announce that he was going 41 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:01,400 Speaker 1: to run again and then relaunch his campaign with much 42 00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:05,680 Speaker 1: lower poll numbers. He ultimately end up getting nineteen percent 43 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:08,280 Speaker 1: of the election and never won a single state. He 44 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:10,240 Speaker 1: probably would have won a state had he stayed in 45 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:12,040 Speaker 1: the race. I think his numbers went from like thirty 46 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:15,920 Speaker 1: five percent to eight and then grew to nineteen. But 47 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:18,720 Speaker 1: in the end he lost, and he's perceived as the 48 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 1: spoiler that won Bill Clinton that election. I know this 49 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:23,520 Speaker 1: has nothing to do with what I want to talk about, 50 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 1: but this is just drives me crazy. Proro was not 51 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 1: the spoiler that got Clinton elected. Once Proro dropped out, 52 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 1: most of his numbers went to Clinton, and when he 53 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 1: jumped back into the race, he took more votes from 54 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:42,520 Speaker 1: Clinton than from Bush. In the summer, when Pero was 55 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 1: not in the race, Clinton actually led Bush by over 56 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:47,840 Speaker 1: twenty points in some polls. He ended up going down 57 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:50,720 Speaker 1: to the single digits once Perro jumped back in. Anyway, 58 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:53,360 Speaker 1: side note a little bit of history of politics, because 59 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:55,680 Speaker 1: it just drives me crazy when people say that, Okay, 60 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:58,680 Speaker 1: let's go back to Elon Musk a chance. What are 61 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:01,480 Speaker 1: the chances that Elon is successful in his bid to 62 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:03,959 Speaker 1: launch the American Party. Well, he's not talking about a 63 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 1: presidential candidate running for president, at least not yet. He's 64 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:10,240 Speaker 1: talking about the Senate and Congress, but that's basically just 65 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:13,000 Speaker 1: as much of a long shot as president. Currently we 66 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: have two independents in the Senate, Bernie Sanders from Vermont 67 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:19,440 Speaker 1: and Angus King from Maine, both of whom caucus with 68 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:22,680 Speaker 1: the Democrats, and none in the House before then. The 69 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 1: last Senator who won a race by being a third 70 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:29,040 Speaker 1: party candidate, not a Republican or Democrat who became third 71 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: party but a true third party candidate was New York's 72 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 1: James Buckley in nineteen seventy one when he won as 73 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:38,880 Speaker 1: a member of the Conservative Party. Before him was Arkansas's 74 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 1: John Miller in nineteen thirty seven. The last time that 75 00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:45,480 Speaker 1: we elected an independent in the House was nineteen ninety 76 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:48,880 Speaker 1: with then Representative Bernie Sanders. Before him, you got to 77 00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:51,640 Speaker 1: go back to nineteen seventy nine with William Carney when 78 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:54,280 Speaker 1: he won a seed in New York and the Conservative 79 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 1: Party as a member of the Conservative Party. So the 80 00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:59,240 Speaker 1: chances of someone outside a major party winning his seat 81 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:02,400 Speaker 1: as and it is extremely slim. Currently, out of the 82 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:06,080 Speaker 1: thousands of state legislative seats in the country, only thirty 83 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 1: six are by people who are either independents or members 84 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:11,680 Speaker 1: of a minor party like the Progressive Party of Vermont 85 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:14,120 Speaker 1: or the Forward Party of Utah. Now there's also a 86 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 1: question of access to party lines. Some states make it 87 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:20,680 Speaker 1: very difficult for non Republicans and non Democrats to even 88 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:25,159 Speaker 1: get on the ballot. States like New York, Georgia, Illinois, Texas, 89 00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:27,920 Speaker 1: and North Carolina are very difficult because candidates need to 90 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:31,479 Speaker 1: get a certain threshold of valid signatures based upon the 91 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:35,200 Speaker 1: people who voted in the previous gubernatorial election, and they 92 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:37,600 Speaker 1: have to do it in a very short window and 93 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:40,680 Speaker 1: all those signatures are verified. There's lawyers that go through it, 94 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 1: and it has to sometimes go in front of a judge. 95 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:45,440 Speaker 1: It's very hard. States that make it easy to get 96 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:49,479 Speaker 1: get on the ballot are places like Colorado, Minnesota, Vermont, Maine, 97 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 1: and Hawaii. But none of those states actually have a 98 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:54,880 Speaker 1: lot of seats that compete in the House, and as 99 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:57,599 Speaker 1: far as senence seats go, they're all Democrats except for 100 00:04:57,640 --> 00:05:01,240 Speaker 1: Susan Collins. Now, Elon brings a lot of resources at 101 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:04,839 Speaker 1: the table, most notably money and press. Anyone running for 102 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:08,599 Speaker 1: office under the America Party will definitely have access to both, 103 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:11,600 Speaker 1: especially the first time, because they'll all perceive it as 104 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:16,920 Speaker 1: being difficult. There's also a question of the America Party's platform. Sure, 105 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:20,760 Speaker 1: the ideas of tackling the deficit and space exploration are 106 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:23,480 Speaker 1: very popular. People are very interested in those two subjects, 107 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:27,320 Speaker 1: and they're way more popular than Musk himself is. But 108 00:05:27,440 --> 00:05:30,320 Speaker 1: what are the other issues that this party is going 109 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:32,160 Speaker 1: to stand for. What are they going to think about 110 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:36,840 Speaker 1: gun control or abortion, or immigration or China, things that 111 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:39,839 Speaker 1: Musk is far outside the mainstream of the GOP and 112 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:43,400 Speaker 1: Democrats on. You can't run for office on only two issues. 113 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:46,000 Speaker 1: That's not going to work. This is a very expensive 114 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:49,440 Speaker 1: gamble where every grift or consultant, and I know a 115 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:51,440 Speaker 1: bunch of them are going to sit there and try 116 00:05:51,560 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 1: to get their claws into and try to work for Musk. Listen, 117 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:58,400 Speaker 1: if this is really about the debt, I myself and 118 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:01,800 Speaker 1: most Republicans that I know I probably agree with Musky. 119 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:03,800 Speaker 1: I know a lot of Democrats would agree with Musk. 120 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:06,599 Speaker 1: They think the spending is out of control, They're worried 121 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 1: about the debt, their word about inflation from it. They 122 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:12,200 Speaker 1: think Congress has failed us on this issue. But a 123 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:15,479 Speaker 1: third party is probably not going to get him anywhere. 124 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:17,760 Speaker 1: A better way forward, and this was echoed by Governor 125 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:20,359 Speaker 1: Ronda Stansis, was to get states to move forward on 126 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 1: a balanced budget amendment added to the Constitution. Currently, twenty 127 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:28,000 Speaker 1: seven states have signed onto a resolution supporting a constitutional 128 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:31,640 Speaker 1: convention that would add the amendment. We need seven more 129 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:34,240 Speaker 1: states in order to have the convention, and then eleven 130 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:36,400 Speaker 1: states total, sorry, eleven more states on top of the 131 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:40,040 Speaker 1: twenty seven thirty eight total to pass a constitutional amendment. 132 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:42,840 Speaker 1: I wrote this on my substack, the National Populist newsletter. 133 00:06:42,920 --> 00:06:45,880 Speaker 1: It's on substec dot com. If you want to visual 134 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:48,120 Speaker 1: I map the whole thing out. It's a free article, 135 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:49,320 Speaker 1: so you don't have to sign up, although if you 136 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:52,719 Speaker 1: want to, very much appreciate it. But there's already twenty 137 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:55,520 Speaker 1: seven states that have signed on. There's also four more 138 00:06:55,560 --> 00:06:59,679 Speaker 1: with Republican trifactors who haven't signed on but could South 139 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:02,919 Speaker 1: carol West, Virginia, Montana, and Idaho. If you live in 140 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:05,640 Speaker 1: those states and you want your legislature and governor to 141 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:07,920 Speaker 1: sign on to a balanced budget amendment at the Constitution, 142 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:11,160 Speaker 1: you can absolutely do that, and Musk could probably spend 143 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:14,960 Speaker 1: a lot less money lobbying legislators to bring that up 144 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:17,160 Speaker 1: for a vote and getting the governor to sign it. 145 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:19,360 Speaker 1: That would take him to thirty one, so he only 146 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:21,640 Speaker 1: needs thirty forty even get the convention. There are two 147 00:07:21,680 --> 00:07:25,120 Speaker 1: more states with the Republican legislatures but a Democratic governor, 148 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:28,880 Speaker 1: Kentucky and Wisconsin. You flip those two governorships and you're 149 00:07:28,880 --> 00:07:31,840 Speaker 1: at thirty three. All you need is one more. Musk 150 00:07:31,880 --> 00:07:34,880 Speaker 1: could invest a lot less money than starting a third 151 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:39,040 Speaker 1: party by investing in places with either close legislative elections 152 00:07:39,040 --> 00:07:42,640 Speaker 1: where the Republicans Democrats have very small margins, or areas 153 00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:45,680 Speaker 1: that President Trump is gaining steam and has gained Steinman 154 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:48,680 Speaker 1: over the last few election cycles. So places like Vermont, 155 00:07:48,680 --> 00:07:51,800 Speaker 1: which has a liberal Republican governor but where the GOP 156 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:54,800 Speaker 1: made immense gains in the last election. They almost tied 157 00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:57,440 Speaker 1: the state Senate and they won more than a dozen 158 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 1: seats in the state House. He could invest in Vermont. 159 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:03,520 Speaker 1: He could invest in Minnesota, where the Republicans hold the 160 00:08:03,520 --> 00:08:06,280 Speaker 1: state House not the state Senate, by one vote one 161 00:08:06,280 --> 00:08:09,040 Speaker 1: seat in both places. He could invest in Virginia, which 162 00:08:09,080 --> 00:08:11,760 Speaker 1: is also a one seat margin in both places and 163 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:16,880 Speaker 1: has a very conservative Republican governor, there's all those opportunities 164 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:19,480 Speaker 1: that is, you know, at you know, right in front 165 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:22,240 Speaker 1: of us, right in front of us, that takes a 166 00:08:22,240 --> 00:08:25,000 Speaker 1: lot less money and makes huge gains on a number 167 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:27,480 Speaker 1: of issues for people who live in those states. There's 168 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:30,680 Speaker 1: also states like New Mexico and New Jersey which have 169 00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:35,559 Speaker 1: which are democratic but where Trump made huge, you know gains, 170 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:40,280 Speaker 1: he increases support substantially. And there's also places like Rhode Island. 171 00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:43,560 Speaker 1: Rhode Island, even though being a democratic state, Republicans are 172 00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:46,840 Speaker 1: anemic in the state legislature, far less than what President 173 00:08:46,880 --> 00:08:50,240 Speaker 1: Trump receives. And they are the Democrats in the state, 174 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:53,319 Speaker 1: A lot of them are extremely conservative. There's a running 175 00:08:53,400 --> 00:08:56,160 Speaker 1: joke in political circle circles that most of the Democrats 176 00:08:56,200 --> 00:08:59,199 Speaker 1: in the state legislator voted for Trump. So there's ways 177 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:02,160 Speaker 1: to get around to get one to thirty four votes 178 00:09:02,440 --> 00:09:04,640 Speaker 1: in to get to a constitual convention going, and to 179 00:09:04,679 --> 00:09:08,400 Speaker 1: get thirty eight votes to pass a constitual amendment that 180 00:09:08,559 --> 00:09:13,120 Speaker 1: demanding Congress have a balanced budget every year. It's possible, 181 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:16,400 Speaker 1: and it is much easier than hoping that you win 182 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:20,000 Speaker 1: a dozen House seats and several US Senate seats to 183 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:23,199 Speaker 1: make demands on the part of Chuck Schumer or John 184 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:27,120 Speaker 1: Thune or Speaker Johnson or Rakeem Jeffries. That's actually much 185 00:09:27,160 --> 00:09:30,559 Speaker 1: more difficult than Elon Must thinks. So if this is 186 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:33,720 Speaker 1: about if this is really about the budget and the deficit, 187 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:36,079 Speaker 1: I'm with Elon. I think we have to get it 188 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:39,600 Speaker 1: under control. I think going through the States is the 189 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:42,560 Speaker 1: best and easiest way possible. But if this is not, 190 00:09:42,760 --> 00:09:45,120 Speaker 1: if this is about EV mandates or just a few 191 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:48,680 Speaker 1: with Trump or you know who knows something else that 192 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:51,679 Speaker 1: he's thinking about in that exact moment, then this is 193 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:54,240 Speaker 1: a vanity project, one that he is going to spend 194 00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:57,240 Speaker 1: waste a lot of people's time, energy and getting people's 195 00:09:57,320 --> 00:10:00,720 Speaker 1: hopes up for nothing. Anyway, that's where Must should focus 196 00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:04,800 Speaker 1: his attention, because if he's really talking about EV mandates 197 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:06,880 Speaker 1: or about you know, a few with Trump, he's going 198 00:10:06,920 --> 00:10:09,960 Speaker 1: to get people's hopes up a lot for very very little. 199 00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:12,440 Speaker 1: And if he wants to actually solve this problem the debt, 200 00:10:12,600 --> 00:10:15,080 Speaker 1: a const social convention is definitely the way to go. Now, 201 00:10:15,160 --> 00:10:18,720 Speaker 1: let's focus in on Wednesday, particularly, this is my episode 202 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:21,719 Speaker 1: with John Phillips about the state of California. Coming up 203 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:27,760 Speaker 1: next with me for this episode is my buddy, John Phillips. 204 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:30,480 Speaker 1: He is a fantastic radio host out of LA. He's 205 00:10:30,480 --> 00:10:34,600 Speaker 1: on KABC Radio. He knows everything. He's expert on everything California. 206 00:10:34,679 --> 00:10:37,440 Speaker 1: So John, thanks for being here. Thank you for having 207 00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:40,760 Speaker 1: me So John. Most people don't realize, but Trump increased 208 00:10:40,760 --> 00:10:43,320 Speaker 1: his vote share in California in not one, but two 209 00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:46,040 Speaker 1: back to back elections. He lost California by thirty points 210 00:10:46,040 --> 00:10:48,760 Speaker 1: in twenty sixteen, twenty nine points in twenty twenty, and 211 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:51,400 Speaker 1: twenty points in twenty twenty fours, a ten point jump 212 00:10:51,440 --> 00:10:55,160 Speaker 1: over twelve years. Despite Kamala that her being her home state. 213 00:10:56,080 --> 00:10:59,120 Speaker 1: Is it because voters knew Kamala or is there was 214 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:00,560 Speaker 1: a bigger thing going on? 215 00:11:02,440 --> 00:11:04,920 Speaker 2: In an odd sort of way, I think that Kamala 216 00:11:04,920 --> 00:11:09,200 Speaker 2: helped the Democrats in California because before Kamala became the 217 00:11:09,240 --> 00:11:12,640 Speaker 2: nominee they were running Joe Biden's rotting corpse, and Joe 218 00:11:12,640 --> 00:11:15,760 Speaker 2: Biden's rotting corps was not doing too hot, even in 219 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:19,600 Speaker 2: places like California. And if you go back to when 220 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:24,800 Speaker 2: Democrats in their internal caucus meetings started sounding the alarms, 221 00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:28,560 Speaker 2: one of the loudest voices was a Democrat from California. 222 00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:32,760 Speaker 2: Mark Ticano, who represents the Democratic district from Riverside County, 223 00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:36,199 Speaker 2: and he said that he had polling showing Joe Biden 224 00:11:36,320 --> 00:11:39,800 Speaker 2: losing his district and if that was going to happen, 225 00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:44,200 Speaker 2: then you were going to see essentially a landslide nationwide 226 00:11:44,559 --> 00:11:48,440 Speaker 2: and an even more dramatic shift in California. Kamala kind 227 00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:51,440 Speaker 2: of helped stabilize that a little bit. But if you 228 00:11:51,520 --> 00:11:55,440 Speaker 2: look at just voter registration numbers since the election, these 229 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:59,000 Speaker 2: trends have all continued. Republicans are continuing to register voters, 230 00:11:59,240 --> 00:12:04,080 Speaker 2: Democrats from losing support, and the Democrats I think in California, 231 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:06,600 Speaker 2: in part, pushed a little bit too far, where people 232 00:12:06,600 --> 00:12:09,760 Speaker 2: are upset at their performance on any number of state issues, 233 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:14,800 Speaker 2: whether it's holmemless as crime, the budget, the bullet train insurance, whatever, 234 00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:18,480 Speaker 2: and right now they're starting to pay those consequences. It's 235 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:21,360 Speaker 2: not enough for them to start losing statewide races yet, 236 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:23,800 Speaker 2: but it's enough to make them concerned. 237 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:27,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, you mentioned the voter registration. I have some numbers here. 238 00:12:27,280 --> 00:12:31,120 Speaker 1: So in twenty November twenty twenty two, California Democrats had 239 00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:34,440 Speaker 1: a five million, fifty one thousand, one hundred and sixty 240 00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:37,880 Speaker 1: four voter advantage by March twenty twenty five, that number 241 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:40,880 Speaker 1: I'd fall into four million, five hundred and ninety thousand, 242 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:43,800 Speaker 1: nine hundred and sixty five is a decline of four 243 00:12:43,960 --> 00:12:46,920 Speaker 1: hundred and sixty thousand voters in the voter advantage in 244 00:12:47,080 --> 00:12:51,319 Speaker 1: just three years in a party that, like the California GOP, 245 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:53,600 Speaker 1: is not the Florida GOP. Right, they don't have the 246 00:12:53,679 --> 00:12:58,319 Speaker 1: tremendous political apparatus to register voters in and an effective 247 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:02,280 Speaker 1: state like head of governor. They don't have any state 248 00:13:02,280 --> 00:13:05,360 Speaker 1: wide elected offices, but there's no one really directing that. 249 00:13:05,880 --> 00:13:09,640 Speaker 1: So although they did win I think three legislative seats 250 00:13:09,679 --> 00:13:11,560 Speaker 1: last year, they won two state House seats and one 251 00:13:11,600 --> 00:13:17,040 Speaker 1: state Senate seats. Why are voters seemingly in a state 252 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:20,960 Speaker 1: that doing this organically or is there an organization apparatus 253 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:22,640 Speaker 1: really trying to register these voters? 254 00:13:23,960 --> 00:13:26,160 Speaker 2: Well, I mean, you have some people who are doing that. 255 00:13:26,240 --> 00:13:29,520 Speaker 2: Rick Rernell has a group fixed California that's registering voters, 256 00:13:29,559 --> 00:13:33,040 Speaker 2: and you know, the state party chairwoman, the outgoing state 257 00:13:33,040 --> 00:13:36,160 Speaker 2: party chairwoman, Jessica Patterson, would take credit for some of it. 258 00:13:36,480 --> 00:13:39,560 Speaker 2: But I do think it's organic. I think it's it's 259 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:44,360 Speaker 2: not something that any organized group is producing. I think 260 00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:47,720 Speaker 2: what you're seeing is you're seeing real movement among portions 261 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:52,040 Speaker 2: of the Democratic coalition that are just not happy with 262 00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:54,440 Speaker 2: what they're getting. I mean, don't forget we pay a 263 00:13:54,480 --> 00:13:57,680 Speaker 2: fortune to live here, and you basically can't use many 264 00:13:57,720 --> 00:14:00,280 Speaker 2: of the public services. You can't use public trand it. 265 00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:04,000 Speaker 2: You can't use the parks, including MacArthur Park, which Gavin 266 00:14:04,040 --> 00:14:07,240 Speaker 2: Newsom has now declared to be beautiful, which is hilarious 267 00:14:07,440 --> 00:14:11,400 Speaker 2: because it's an open air prison. You know, you can't 268 00:14:11,480 --> 00:14:14,120 Speaker 2: use the libraries. That's where the bums look at porn. 269 00:14:15,280 --> 00:14:18,559 Speaker 2: You know, we've just given up our public spaces to 270 00:14:19,120 --> 00:14:22,760 Speaker 2: essentially the zombies. And and you know, if you're a 271 00:14:22,800 --> 00:14:26,640 Speaker 2: young Latino guy who's trying to start a family, or 272 00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:28,920 Speaker 2: you're a young Asian guy who's trying to start a 273 00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:33,840 Speaker 2: business or whatever, that pisses you off. And I think 274 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:35,960 Speaker 2: that those are the groups where you're starting to see 275 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:38,720 Speaker 2: the real movement. And it's totally understandable. 276 00:14:39,640 --> 00:14:43,160 Speaker 1: Is Kamala Harris going to be the next governor of California? Think, 277 00:14:43,880 --> 00:14:47,600 Speaker 1: oh god, I hope not. Well, who is a real 278 00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:51,000 Speaker 1: republic or Republican who could actually run a competitive state 279 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:53,400 Speaker 1: wide race, and maybe even if they can, when they 280 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:54,920 Speaker 1: can help Republicans down ballot. 281 00:14:56,120 --> 00:14:58,960 Speaker 2: So there's two schools of thought to this. One is 282 00:14:59,160 --> 00:15:02,080 Speaker 2: you need a a very rich person to come in 283 00:15:02,760 --> 00:15:07,320 Speaker 2: and essentially pull what Meg Whitman pulled, which is start 284 00:15:07,360 --> 00:15:11,120 Speaker 2: throwing crazy money in the state parties and county parties 285 00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:16,920 Speaker 2: and really funding a professionalized operation that can compete with 286 00:15:16,960 --> 00:15:19,560 Speaker 2: the Democratic Party and the money that the unions grow 287 00:15:19,600 --> 00:15:23,440 Speaker 2: into it in Hollywood and Silicon Valley and those sorts 288 00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:26,120 Speaker 2: of things. That's what we did with Meg Whitman, That's 289 00:15:26,160 --> 00:15:30,520 Speaker 2: what we did with Bill Simon, and certainly if Grant Cardone, 290 00:15:30,520 --> 00:15:33,920 Speaker 2: who is the Trump associate, jumps into the race for 291 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:37,120 Speaker 2: governor and spends a ton of money, we would certainly 292 00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:41,200 Speaker 2: be moving along with that model. There's another model that 293 00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:46,080 Speaker 2: I think would actually work better that hasn't been spoken 294 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:48,440 Speaker 2: of a lot, but it's what we used to do 295 00:15:48,520 --> 00:15:51,440 Speaker 2: in the past. So the way that California used to 296 00:15:51,480 --> 00:15:55,520 Speaker 2: work was essentially you had a few different groups, a 297 00:15:55,560 --> 00:16:00,360 Speaker 2: few different organizations let's call it, that would get together 298 00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:02,560 Speaker 2: and would get in a room and decide who would 299 00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:04,840 Speaker 2: be the nominee, and then they would put up the money. 300 00:16:05,160 --> 00:16:07,440 Speaker 2: It used to be the railroads, the oil companies, and 301 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:10,160 Speaker 2: the Chandler family, the family that own the La Times. 302 00:16:10,880 --> 00:16:13,560 Speaker 2: And that's how Dick Nixon, for example, got picked to 303 00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:16,920 Speaker 2: be the US Senator. He was their fourth or fifth choice, 304 00:16:17,240 --> 00:16:19,680 Speaker 2: but it was that cabal of people that picked him 305 00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:23,200 Speaker 2: and then funded the candidacy so he could win the seat. 306 00:16:23,720 --> 00:16:26,880 Speaker 2: I think that we now have a cadre of people 307 00:16:27,040 --> 00:16:29,560 Speaker 2: who have the power to do that. Most of them 308 00:16:29,600 --> 00:16:32,400 Speaker 2: come from the tech industry. If Elon Musk wants to 309 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:37,640 Speaker 2: make a contribution that pushes down debt or modernizes government, 310 00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:42,480 Speaker 2: whatever it is that's he's leaning into that particular day, 311 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:44,920 Speaker 2: you can have someone like him and Peter Thiel and 312 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:48,040 Speaker 2: David Sachs, a group of them get together and say, Okay, 313 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:49,440 Speaker 2: here's what we're going to do. We're gonna put up 314 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:52,480 Speaker 2: one hundred million dollars, which to them is nothing, but 315 00:16:52,640 --> 00:16:54,960 Speaker 2: in the world of politics is a huge sum of money. 316 00:16:55,360 --> 00:16:58,880 Speaker 2: And we're going to find someone who has the ability 317 00:16:58,960 --> 00:17:02,240 Speaker 2: to answer questions in a coherent way on a debate stage, 318 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:05,919 Speaker 2: has a resume, has a name, and run that person. 319 00:17:06,560 --> 00:17:08,800 Speaker 2: Just think if you had one hundred million dollars behind 320 00:17:08,840 --> 00:17:11,760 Speaker 2: Lonnie Chit or someone like that, who would otherwise never 321 00:17:11,800 --> 00:17:14,040 Speaker 2: be able to raise the money. But you just have 322 00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:17,080 Speaker 2: the money. People stay in their lane and put up 323 00:17:17,119 --> 00:17:20,679 Speaker 2: the money that's necessary to make that campaign viable. And 324 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:23,560 Speaker 2: instead of trying to make themselves the candidates, which is 325 00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:29,119 Speaker 2: always just you know, Asiana going in the SFO, you know, 326 00:17:29,480 --> 00:17:31,680 Speaker 2: just let them do what they're good at, let them 327 00:17:31,760 --> 00:17:35,960 Speaker 2: raise money, and let someone who understands the vocation of 328 00:17:36,040 --> 00:17:39,320 Speaker 2: politics be the candidate, and then boom, there you go. 329 00:17:39,400 --> 00:17:41,080 Speaker 2: You have a credible candidate. You have money. 330 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:44,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, and I mean with so much of AI regulation 331 00:17:44,560 --> 00:17:47,080 Speaker 1: coming out of California for the national standard, you would 332 00:17:47,080 --> 00:17:50,040 Speaker 1: imagine they would be invested in getting somebody. I have 333 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:53,520 Speaker 1: a question of your current governor, Gavin Newsom, who by 334 00:17:53,560 --> 00:17:55,640 Speaker 1: all looks of it, seems to be planning a run 335 00:17:55,680 --> 00:17:59,000 Speaker 1: for president. He is on his third version of himself. 336 00:17:59,040 --> 00:18:02,800 Speaker 1: He's now back to being a Centri's podcast host. He 337 00:18:03,080 --> 00:18:05,840 Speaker 1: was a progressive fighter. He was a progressive actually most 338 00:18:05,880 --> 00:18:08,760 Speaker 1: of his life, I think post marriage to Kimberly Guilfoyle, 339 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:12,720 Speaker 1: he was very very far left, but he was He's 340 00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:17,520 Speaker 1: smoothed away from a noticeable number of things. He was 341 00:18:17,560 --> 00:18:21,040 Speaker 1: a race conscious white guy during the BLM riots. Now 342 00:18:21,080 --> 00:18:23,120 Speaker 1: he is a Now he's going to be the centrist 343 00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:27,000 Speaker 1: boys who could talk to regular white Americans. What do 344 00:18:27,080 --> 00:18:30,320 Speaker 1: you make of his evolution? And if he I don't 345 00:18:30,359 --> 00:18:33,080 Speaker 1: think he has a real chance. But what do you think? 346 00:18:33,320 --> 00:18:37,359 Speaker 2: I think you're probably right. He does not connect with 347 00:18:37,440 --> 00:18:41,359 Speaker 2: blue collar whites at all. You look at at his 348 00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:45,880 Speaker 2: performance in California. He's very popular along the coast, He's 349 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:48,560 Speaker 2: very popular in the big cities. He's popular with the 350 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:53,480 Speaker 2: wine and bree crowd. But that's that's enough to get 351 00:18:53,560 --> 00:18:56,200 Speaker 2: by in San Francisco and enough to get by state 352 00:18:56,240 --> 00:18:59,280 Speaker 2: wide in California if you have the teachers' unions behind you, 353 00:18:59,320 --> 00:19:02,239 Speaker 2: which he did when he initially ran for governor. But 354 00:19:02,600 --> 00:19:04,960 Speaker 2: it's not enough to win a Democratic primary, and it's 355 00:19:04,960 --> 00:19:09,199 Speaker 2: certainly not enough to win a presidential election. He is 356 00:19:09,240 --> 00:19:15,399 Speaker 2: in a feat gentry class San Franciscan and that just 357 00:19:15,560 --> 00:19:19,400 Speaker 2: doesn't sell right now. I know Nancy Pelosi was able 358 00:19:19,440 --> 00:19:21,159 Speaker 2: to become the Speaker of the House and was a 359 00:19:21,240 --> 00:19:25,240 Speaker 2: very successful Democratic Speaker of the House, but those are 360 00:19:25,320 --> 00:19:29,359 Speaker 2: internal caucus elections. It's very different trying to win over 361 00:19:29,520 --> 00:19:32,800 Speaker 2: blue collar people in Michigan or Pennsylvania, or even in 362 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:35,960 Speaker 2: the Democratic primaries. I mean one of the places he's 363 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:40,000 Speaker 2: going to in South Carolina, besides all the diners or 364 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:44,359 Speaker 2: you know, a guy who wouldn't need a carb if 365 00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:47,359 Speaker 2: it's mac him in the face, is now hitting every 366 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:51,840 Speaker 2: waffle house along the Eastern seaboard. But he's going to 367 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:56,240 Speaker 2: the black churches. And it's like, Okay, here's this rich 368 00:19:56,320 --> 00:19:59,240 Speaker 2: guy who owns Plump Jack Winery, who dines at the 369 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:02,679 Speaker 2: French Laundry, who's going to start showing up to the 370 00:20:02,720 --> 00:20:05,440 Speaker 2: black churches in South Carolina with an amos and andy 371 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:08,120 Speaker 2: drawl and he thinks that that's going to work. 372 00:20:11,119 --> 00:20:13,439 Speaker 1: I speaking of Nancy Pelosi, I didn't even have this 373 00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:15,800 Speaker 1: question written down, but it just dawned to me. What 374 00:20:15,880 --> 00:20:17,879 Speaker 1: do you think of her getting a primary challengement with 375 00:20:17,960 --> 00:20:18,680 Speaker 1: state senator? 376 00:20:20,080 --> 00:20:24,040 Speaker 2: Well, that's not entirely what's happening. So she is eighty 377 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:26,639 Speaker 2: five years old right now and has opened up an 378 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:29,640 Speaker 2: account to run for reelection, although she hasn't gone on 379 00:20:29,640 --> 00:20:31,720 Speaker 2: the record saying what she's going to do. For sure, 380 00:20:32,720 --> 00:20:36,359 Speaker 2: her daughter, Christine, who is very active within the California 381 00:20:36,359 --> 00:20:40,479 Speaker 2: Democratic Party, wants that seat. Scott Wiener has been an 382 00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:44,119 Speaker 2: elected official in that area in the state legislature and 383 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:47,320 Speaker 2: the Board of Supervisors for a very long time, and 384 00:20:47,359 --> 00:20:50,440 Speaker 2: he has long coveted that seat. If the election were 385 00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:55,080 Speaker 2: held today, my guest is that Scott Wiener would probably 386 00:20:55,119 --> 00:21:00,600 Speaker 2: beat Nancy Pelosi's daughter, and everyone understands that Solosi will 387 00:21:00,760 --> 00:21:03,840 Speaker 2: likely do, in my opinion, is pull some kind of 388 00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:09,560 Speaker 2: stunt that benefits her daughter and screws over all other competitors, 389 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:11,879 Speaker 2: with Scott Wiener being at the top of the list. 390 00:21:11,960 --> 00:21:15,119 Speaker 2: So if she decides right before the filing deadline that 391 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:17,320 Speaker 2: she's not going to do it, tells the daughter, doesn't 392 00:21:17,359 --> 00:21:20,760 Speaker 2: tell anyone else, then the daughter obviously benefits from that. 393 00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:24,040 Speaker 2: If she were to resign so that a special election 394 00:21:24,200 --> 00:21:26,639 Speaker 2: would take place on a date where they think it 395 00:21:26,720 --> 00:21:29,520 Speaker 2: benefits them, then she's going to go ahead and do that. 396 00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:32,920 Speaker 2: And I think Weiener understands that they're going to pull 397 00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:37,439 Speaker 2: some dirty trick that will help her daughter. So he 398 00:21:37,520 --> 00:21:40,560 Speaker 2: has opened up an account not because he intends on 399 00:21:40,640 --> 00:21:44,080 Speaker 2: running against Nancy Pelosi, but because he is. It's a 400 00:21:44,119 --> 00:21:47,800 Speaker 2: defensive mechanism just in case she decides to pull a stunt. 401 00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:52,520 Speaker 1: That's interesting. I can't imagine the Democratic Caucus without Nancy Pelosi. 402 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:54,439 Speaker 1: I really, I mean it's she is kind of like 403 00:21:54,480 --> 00:21:58,879 Speaker 1: that one figure who never goes away. But California, like 404 00:21:58,920 --> 00:22:02,440 Speaker 1: my home state of New York, suffers from the same 405 00:22:02,680 --> 00:22:06,040 Speaker 1: sort of problems that the population is leaving. Life is unaffordable, 406 00:22:06,440 --> 00:22:08,639 Speaker 1: the urban areas, in some parts of the urban areas 407 00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:11,880 Speaker 1: are just horror shows with drug addiction and crime, and 408 00:22:12,160 --> 00:22:14,680 Speaker 1: people are just they won't take it anymore. And we're 409 00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:17,720 Speaker 1: replacing very productive members of society who pay a lot 410 00:22:17,760 --> 00:22:21,160 Speaker 1: of taxes with illegal aliens, with some legal aliens who 411 00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:24,320 Speaker 1: just don't bring the same number in tax revenue. And 412 00:22:24,440 --> 00:22:28,320 Speaker 1: Democrats answer to I think voters' concerns. This was the 413 00:22:28,359 --> 00:22:30,120 Speaker 1: case of Andrew Cuomo, and I think it's the case 414 00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:32,000 Speaker 1: a lot of times with some California people. Though they 415 00:22:32,119 --> 00:22:36,560 Speaker 1: pretend it's more optimistic, but their ad in New York was, 416 00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:40,640 Speaker 1: I will manage your decline. That's basically what they're saying constantly. 417 00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:43,440 Speaker 1: Who says I will manage the decline better than anybody else? 418 00:22:44,359 --> 00:22:46,960 Speaker 1: What is a What is the answer then for a 419 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:51,280 Speaker 1: Republican Because for so long people would say we were 420 00:22:51,400 --> 00:22:54,320 Speaker 1: the state back in the fifties sixty seventies, no one, 421 00:22:54,640 --> 00:22:57,720 Speaker 1: no real voting block that is alive or members that 422 00:22:57,880 --> 00:23:00,760 Speaker 1: time when California's public schools were the best in the country. 423 00:23:03,040 --> 00:23:07,639 Speaker 2: Yeah, Democrats survived their poor performance by nationalizing every election. 424 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:13,080 Speaker 2: Every election is about abortion, it is about climate change, 425 00:23:13,160 --> 00:23:16,320 Speaker 2: it is about the Supreme Court, it is about Donald Trump. 426 00:23:16,880 --> 00:23:21,159 Speaker 2: It has nothing to do with anything regarding issues they 427 00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:24,800 Speaker 2: would have influence over. And because we've become so tribal 428 00:23:24,880 --> 00:23:29,080 Speaker 2: with our politics, the moment you let the voting electorate 429 00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:31,960 Speaker 2: know that you're the Democrat who hates Donald Trump and 430 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:34,639 Speaker 2: that the other guy is the Republican who loves Donald Trump. 431 00:23:35,160 --> 00:23:39,880 Speaker 2: That's usually good morning, good afternoon, good night. And in California, 432 00:23:40,080 --> 00:23:43,280 Speaker 2: don't forget. That's how Gavin Newsom saved himself during the recall. 433 00:23:43,840 --> 00:23:45,840 Speaker 2: There was a moment in time where I think we 434 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:48,520 Speaker 2: had two or three polls in a row that showed 435 00:23:48,560 --> 00:23:51,639 Speaker 2: him losing, and he was able to write the ship 436 00:23:51,720 --> 00:23:56,280 Speaker 2: by making the election essentially a federal one. And it's 437 00:23:56,280 --> 00:23:58,679 Speaker 2: not just Gavin Newsom. I mean you look at racist 438 00:23:58,720 --> 00:24:01,760 Speaker 2: for city council and water or school board or whatever. 439 00:24:02,119 --> 00:24:05,120 Speaker 2: It's all the same thing which leads to the death 440 00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:08,320 Speaker 2: of local government. And if you want to find the 441 00:24:08,840 --> 00:24:15,119 Speaker 2: most gross example of the liberal democratic excess in California, 442 00:24:15,160 --> 00:24:19,040 Speaker 2: it's not even San Francisco, it's Oakland. Oakland looked like 443 00:24:19,119 --> 00:24:25,280 Speaker 2: the day after the End of the World. I went there. 444 00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:29,639 Speaker 2: I'm an Angel fan and I went there last season 445 00:24:29,680 --> 00:24:33,120 Speaker 2: to watch the Angels play the A's. And you get 446 00:24:33,119 --> 00:24:35,280 Speaker 2: on the bar in San Francisco and you go under 447 00:24:35,280 --> 00:24:39,359 Speaker 2: the bay and you come out and what you see 448 00:24:39,880 --> 00:24:42,480 Speaker 2: is like something that you would see out of one 449 00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:46,359 Speaker 2: of those zombie apocalypse movies, where every spot on the 450 00:24:46,480 --> 00:24:49,480 Speaker 2: road is taken by an RV that had been set 451 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:54,479 Speaker 2: on fire that is non operational, and the graffiti is 452 00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:58,639 Speaker 2: not only on public spaces, like single family homes are 453 00:24:58,640 --> 00:25:02,919 Speaker 2: all tagged up. The amount of trash on the streets 454 00:25:03,640 --> 00:25:07,680 Speaker 2: is shocking. It looked like images of South Florida after 455 00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:11,040 Speaker 2: Hurricane Andrew hit, where you just had just you know, 456 00:25:11,200 --> 00:25:15,440 Speaker 2: trash and debris everywhere. And when you get out off 457 00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:19,639 Speaker 2: the subway and you walk on this like enclosed catwalk 458 00:25:19,720 --> 00:25:22,359 Speaker 2: that has a chain length fence around it, you walk 459 00:25:22,480 --> 00:25:25,720 Speaker 2: over a homeless encampment full of RVs where they just 460 00:25:25,760 --> 00:25:28,840 Speaker 2: set things on fire. So you're walking over these RVs 461 00:25:28,840 --> 00:25:31,680 Speaker 2: that are on fire to get to the baseball stadium 462 00:25:31,760 --> 00:25:35,119 Speaker 2: to watch the game. And that is that is a 463 00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:40,320 Speaker 2: level of government, the Oakland City government that is run 464 00:25:40,600 --> 00:25:45,360 Speaker 2: entirely by Democrats. Everyone on the council, the mayor, the 465 00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:50,639 Speaker 2: DA school board, whatever like they own that. That should 466 00:25:50,720 --> 00:25:53,480 Speaker 2: be the city on the hill for them. That shows you, like, 467 00:25:53,520 --> 00:25:56,879 Speaker 2: you give us everything we want, this is what we produce. Well, 468 00:25:57,119 --> 00:26:00,280 Speaker 2: guess what, it's a horror movie if you go along 469 00:26:00,320 --> 00:26:04,359 Speaker 2: with that. And for Republicans, I think the goal is 470 00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:07,679 Speaker 2: to take the focus off of those federal issues that 471 00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:10,920 Speaker 2: don't have anything to do with the failures in California 472 00:26:11,359 --> 00:26:13,960 Speaker 2: and just bring it back to the basics. Throw the ball, 473 00:26:14,040 --> 00:26:16,640 Speaker 2: catch the ball, hit the ball. Every time they talk 474 00:26:16,680 --> 00:26:19,680 Speaker 2: about Trump, every time they talk about immigration, every time 475 00:26:19,720 --> 00:26:22,760 Speaker 2: they talk about abortion or things that don't have anything 476 00:26:22,760 --> 00:26:25,280 Speaker 2: to do with anything at the state level. You just 477 00:26:25,359 --> 00:26:28,320 Speaker 2: have to keep bringing it back to the nuts and 478 00:26:28,359 --> 00:26:30,840 Speaker 2: bolts of their failure in running the government. 479 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:33,560 Speaker 1: So you're saying, you're flying to San Francisco and I 480 00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:35,280 Speaker 1: have to go to a wedding in the area and 481 00:26:35,320 --> 00:26:38,160 Speaker 1: not not Oakland. Oh, if you. 482 00:26:38,160 --> 00:26:40,119 Speaker 2: Rent a car in Oakland, there's a street called the 483 00:26:40,119 --> 00:26:43,359 Speaker 2: hagen Berger right near the airport. If you rent a 484 00:26:43,359 --> 00:26:46,000 Speaker 2: car in Oakland, they will give you a whole list 485 00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:49,119 Speaker 2: of places that you can't go to because if you do, 486 00:26:49,240 --> 00:26:52,520 Speaker 2: you will get carjacked, or they will break into your 487 00:26:53,280 --> 00:26:56,160 Speaker 2: trunk and steal all your clothes, steal all your bags 488 00:26:56,440 --> 00:26:59,840 Speaker 2: while you're pumping gas in the car or sitting through 489 00:26:59,840 --> 00:27:03,320 Speaker 2: a drive through or whatever, and their insurance policy won't 490 00:27:03,359 --> 00:27:05,440 Speaker 2: cover it if you go to one of those places. 491 00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:11,600 Speaker 1: It's a long list that is that is very wild. 492 00:27:12,640 --> 00:27:14,840 Speaker 1: So if you look at like I was making a 493 00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:17,119 Speaker 1: joke with that because I'm flying into I have a 494 00:27:17,119 --> 00:27:20,720 Speaker 1: wedding next month. I'm flying into uh San Francisco over there. 495 00:27:20,720 --> 00:27:21,840 Speaker 1: But I looked at the Oakland I'm like, oh, the 496 00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:24,679 Speaker 1: Oakland prices for flights aren't that bad. Now I know 497 00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:31,120 Speaker 1: why the divorce. Well. The the last thing is we've 498 00:27:31,119 --> 00:27:34,600 Speaker 1: seen in California. One one sign of hope is that 499 00:27:34,680 --> 00:27:37,439 Speaker 1: some moderate Democrats have won, like the DA's race in 500 00:27:37,680 --> 00:27:40,360 Speaker 1: Los Angeles and in San Francisco and the school board 501 00:27:40,400 --> 00:27:45,320 Speaker 1: in San Francisco. Is there any cities that you can 502 00:27:45,359 --> 00:27:47,879 Speaker 1: point to that are a sign of hope for Republicans 503 00:27:47,920 --> 00:27:51,160 Speaker 1: where they're really making a ground over in Imperial County. 504 00:27:51,280 --> 00:27:55,199 Speaker 1: There's been tremendous movement from Republicans. Someone in Riverside County. 505 00:27:55,359 --> 00:27:57,720 Speaker 1: I think it's San Jose. I was looking this up. 506 00:27:57,880 --> 00:28:02,159 Speaker 1: San Jose also had amendous growth for Republicans in it. 507 00:28:02,760 --> 00:28:05,119 Speaker 1: I think certain precincts are actually going Republican for the 508 00:28:05,240 --> 00:28:08,760 Speaker 1: very first time. That seems to me like there is 509 00:28:08,800 --> 00:28:12,440 Speaker 1: a potential because Republicans can't just give up these massive 510 00:28:12,560 --> 00:28:16,000 Speaker 1: urban centers and say, what do you want? Let it burn. 511 00:28:16,040 --> 00:28:17,919 Speaker 1: I here's the New York and Mondonia time, what do 512 00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:20,320 Speaker 1: you want? Who cares it's just New York? No, Like 513 00:28:21,440 --> 00:28:24,240 Speaker 1: this is I mean, we shouldn't have to surrender every 514 00:28:24,320 --> 00:28:28,480 Speaker 1: major city in this country, and that's what they're essentially doing. 515 00:28:28,560 --> 00:28:30,639 Speaker 1: I mean, is there any place that you're saying, wow, 516 00:28:31,040 --> 00:28:33,919 Speaker 1: Republicans have a chance to pick up even local seats in. 517 00:28:35,359 --> 00:28:38,800 Speaker 2: Well, historically that city has always been San Diego. Where 518 00:28:38,840 --> 00:28:42,120 Speaker 2: San Diego has had Republican mayors. Pete Wilson at one 519 00:28:42,120 --> 00:28:44,440 Speaker 2: point in time was the Republican mayor of San Diego. 520 00:28:45,440 --> 00:28:48,400 Speaker 2: Most recently we had Kevin Faulkner who was the mayor 521 00:28:48,480 --> 00:28:53,480 Speaker 2: before the current mayor, and they had very good city 522 00:28:53,520 --> 00:28:56,479 Speaker 2: government in San Diego, and then they gave it to 523 00:28:56,520 --> 00:29:00,320 Speaker 2: this left wing Democratic assemblyman and it just went to hell. 524 00:29:00,840 --> 00:29:04,760 Speaker 2: And now San Diego looks like Los Angeles and San Francisco, 525 00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:08,800 Speaker 2: and not quite like Oakland, but looks like the other 526 00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:14,440 Speaker 2: big cities in California. And I think that the Republicans 527 00:29:14,440 --> 00:29:18,160 Speaker 2: should certainly focus on that city because it's not ancient 528 00:29:18,280 --> 00:29:21,360 Speaker 2: history when that city was run well, and they can 529 00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:24,080 Speaker 2: go back to that if they choose to. And even 530 00:29:24,120 --> 00:29:27,240 Speaker 2: though it's a democratic city now, and you know a 531 00:29:27,280 --> 00:29:29,360 Speaker 2: lot of the people who work in the defense industry 532 00:29:29,360 --> 00:29:31,120 Speaker 2: are gone and a lot of people who work in 533 00:29:31,160 --> 00:29:34,520 Speaker 2: the military are gone, it's still a city where Republicans 534 00:29:34,520 --> 00:29:39,360 Speaker 2: should have a fighting chance, both citywide and in certain districts. 535 00:29:39,800 --> 00:29:42,560 Speaker 2: So that's where I would focus on on the Democratic 536 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:46,320 Speaker 2: side of the isle. The only city where they're actually 537 00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:51,760 Speaker 2: doing anything productive right now is San Jose with Matt 538 00:29:51,800 --> 00:29:56,560 Speaker 2: Mayhan the Democratic mayor there, and given his political profile 539 00:29:56,760 --> 00:29:58,880 Speaker 2: and how he is just unwilling to put up with 540 00:29:58,960 --> 00:30:03,480 Speaker 2: crime or homelessness, that homeless people that won't accept help, 541 00:30:04,560 --> 00:30:07,040 Speaker 2: you know, they're going to cast him out of that party. 542 00:30:07,440 --> 00:30:09,960 Speaker 2: He is not going to be a Democrat in good 543 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:14,080 Speaker 2: standing much longer because he's driving them crazy. He's not 544 00:30:14,280 --> 00:30:18,000 Speaker 2: backing down. He's very vocal about it. He was vocal 545 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:21,400 Speaker 2: and supporting Prop thirty six directly against Gavin Newsom's wishes, 546 00:30:21,720 --> 00:30:25,440 Speaker 2: and Gavin Newsom got real bitchy with him during that elect. 547 00:30:29,240 --> 00:30:31,720 Speaker 1: And I well Philip so much. I'll tell you exactly 548 00:30:31,800 --> 00:30:32,040 Speaker 1: how he. 549 00:30:32,120 --> 00:30:37,240 Speaker 2: Feels if you want to be real bitchy. By the way, 550 00:30:37,320 --> 00:30:41,800 Speaker 2: look at his press team on social media Newsome. Oh yeah, 551 00:30:41,840 --> 00:30:44,680 Speaker 2: it's like he hires all these twenty year old Paul 552 00:30:44,760 --> 00:30:47,880 Speaker 2: Lyns and then gives him the passwords. 553 00:30:49,120 --> 00:30:52,320 Speaker 1: That's a reference that I get and you get, and 554 00:30:52,320 --> 00:30:55,240 Speaker 1: no one else under fifty we'll understand. But anyway, I 555 00:30:55,280 --> 00:30:57,200 Speaker 1: love it, John, Thank you. So where can people go 556 00:30:57,280 --> 00:31:00,000 Speaker 1: to read more about what? Because you're right, you write constantly. 557 00:31:00,040 --> 00:31:02,200 Speaker 1: I read your stuff, and you're also the great radio show. 558 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:05,120 Speaker 1: So where we go to hear more about you? 559 00:31:05,120 --> 00:31:08,520 Speaker 2: You can find me online at KABC dot com or 560 00:31:08,680 --> 00:31:12,000 Speaker 2: KSFO dot com. I think it is in San Francisco. 561 00:31:12,080 --> 00:31:15,680 Speaker 2: I'm on KMJ and Fresno now too, wow, And you 562 00:31:15,680 --> 00:31:18,040 Speaker 2: can listen to me live nowon to three in those 563 00:31:18,080 --> 00:31:20,360 Speaker 2: markets and then read me in the pages of the 564 00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:22,800 Speaker 2: Orange County Register and LA Daily News. 565 00:31:23,240 --> 00:31:25,520 Speaker 1: John Phillips, thank you for coming the show. Thank you 566 00:31:25,520 --> 00:31:28,040 Speaker 1: for having me. You're listening to It's a Numbers Game 567 00:31:28,080 --> 00:31:34,080 Speaker 1: with Ryan Grodowsky. We'll be right back now for the 568 00:31:34,120 --> 00:31:36,200 Speaker 1: Ask Me Anything segment. If you want to be part 569 00:31:36,240 --> 00:31:38,760 Speaker 1: of the Ask Me Anything segment, please email me ryanat 570 00:31:38,880 --> 00:31:43,040 Speaker 1: Numbers Game Podcast dot com. That's Ryan at Numbers Plural 571 00:31:43,080 --> 00:31:46,440 Speaker 1: Numbers Game Podcast dot com. I read every question, every email. 572 00:31:46,760 --> 00:31:48,440 Speaker 1: I try to respond everything. If I don't do it 573 00:31:48,440 --> 00:31:49,920 Speaker 1: on the show, I do it privately, So please I 574 00:31:49,960 --> 00:31:52,480 Speaker 1: love your emails. Thank you for doing it. This question 575 00:31:52,560 --> 00:31:55,720 Speaker 1: comes from Tristan Shelby. He writes that he's trying to 576 00:31:55,760 --> 00:31:58,040 Speaker 1: figure out why younger gen Z is more conservative than 577 00:31:58,040 --> 00:32:00,760 Speaker 1: older gen Z. He said, the first people bring up 578 00:32:00,840 --> 00:32:03,320 Speaker 1: is COVID lockdowns, but I don't see how they're necessarily 579 00:32:03,400 --> 00:32:08,640 Speaker 1: related to other ideas. I think that the COVID lockdowns 580 00:32:08,680 --> 00:32:11,760 Speaker 1: definitely affected people differently based upon the age in which 581 00:32:11,800 --> 00:32:14,680 Speaker 1: had happened. Remember it happened five years ago, and if 582 00:32:14,680 --> 00:32:17,600 Speaker 1: you were living in certain places, the lockdowns were two 583 00:32:17,680 --> 00:32:22,520 Speaker 1: and a half years long. So if you were thirteen 584 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:25,680 Speaker 1: when it happened, or fourteen when it happened, you may 585 00:32:25,680 --> 00:32:29,040 Speaker 1: not have had a lot of political ideas. You may 586 00:32:29,040 --> 00:32:32,880 Speaker 1: not have had your thought process fully built out. So 587 00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:35,040 Speaker 1: you spent your time in those two and a half 588 00:32:35,120 --> 00:32:37,320 Speaker 1: years when you were couldn't do anything besides going on 589 00:32:37,320 --> 00:32:40,360 Speaker 1: the interrant. Especially that one and a half year you 590 00:32:40,440 --> 00:32:43,120 Speaker 1: were probably listening to Charlie Kirk or Joe Rogan or 591 00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:46,760 Speaker 1: Ben Shapiro. You were hearing them talk about lockdowns. You 592 00:32:46,760 --> 00:32:49,040 Speaker 1: were hearing them talk about Florida and that it was open, 593 00:32:49,040 --> 00:32:52,080 Speaker 1: and maybe you saw videos of kids doing things in 594 00:32:52,120 --> 00:32:54,000 Speaker 1: other states. If you were in New York or New 595 00:32:54,080 --> 00:32:58,240 Speaker 1: Jersey or California or Hawaii. You saw kids in Georgia 596 00:32:58,280 --> 00:33:02,560 Speaker 1: and Texas and Florida, you know, going to soccer games 597 00:33:02,600 --> 00:33:06,200 Speaker 1: and baseball games and having a regular life. And that 598 00:33:06,240 --> 00:33:09,640 Speaker 1: could be the big divider is when your formative years 599 00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:13,680 Speaker 1: where you start getting political thoughts in your head, then 600 00:33:14,040 --> 00:33:19,800 Speaker 1: you are opening yourself up to kind of more right 601 00:33:19,840 --> 00:33:22,040 Speaker 1: wing ideas than you would have. Let's say, if you 602 00:33:22,080 --> 00:33:24,600 Speaker 1: were twenty one or twenty two and you're still gen Z, 603 00:33:24,960 --> 00:33:28,800 Speaker 1: but you're an older gen Z, and so your ideas 604 00:33:28,800 --> 00:33:30,760 Speaker 1: were kind of already formed. Maybe some people changed their 605 00:33:30,800 --> 00:33:34,880 Speaker 1: minds on some things, but maybe others didn't. Probably most didn't. 606 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:38,040 Speaker 1: So that change among young people. I think that was 607 00:33:38,080 --> 00:33:41,680 Speaker 1: the key with COVID. There's also I actually emailed David Shore. 608 00:33:41,840 --> 00:33:45,720 Speaker 1: He's the Democratic polster and analysis person who I think 609 00:33:45,920 --> 00:33:48,280 Speaker 1: so highly of, and he was the first person to 610 00:33:48,320 --> 00:33:51,960 Speaker 1: really flag this issue among younger gen Z versus older 611 00:33:52,000 --> 00:33:54,520 Speaker 1: gen Z. It was his I think it's called a 612 00:33:54,640 --> 00:33:59,760 Speaker 1: rose in Rose Rose policy of Rose Polling. His company 613 00:33:59,800 --> 00:34:03,840 Speaker 1: was going to say that white men in I think 614 00:34:03,840 --> 00:34:06,000 Speaker 1: eighteen to twenty year old white men seventy five percent 615 00:34:06,080 --> 00:34:08,120 Speaker 1: voted for Trump, which was the largest share of any 616 00:34:08,480 --> 00:34:11,440 Speaker 1: demographic that there was. And he said, and this is 617 00:34:11,480 --> 00:34:14,520 Speaker 1: fascinating because I never thought of this before. He said, 618 00:34:14,520 --> 00:34:17,680 Speaker 1: the difference between older gen Z is that they their 619 00:34:17,920 --> 00:34:23,239 Speaker 1: parents in many times are young baby boomers. Still. You know, 620 00:34:23,360 --> 00:34:25,520 Speaker 1: a twenty five year old could have a sixty year 621 00:34:25,520 --> 00:34:27,040 Speaker 1: old parent. They could have had a kid in the 622 00:34:27,239 --> 00:34:30,319 Speaker 1: thirty five years old, it makes complete sense, or forty 623 00:34:30,400 --> 00:34:33,880 Speaker 1: years old if they're sixty five. But younger gen Z 624 00:34:34,200 --> 00:34:39,000 Speaker 1: are almost entirely gen X parents unless they're millennial parents. 625 00:34:39,000 --> 00:34:43,080 Speaker 1: But they're almost all gen X parents. So the gen 626 00:34:43,239 --> 00:34:47,040 Speaker 1: X generation is the most right wing generation. And it's 627 00:34:47,160 --> 00:34:50,840 Speaker 1: possible if the most right wing generation raised a generation 628 00:34:50,960 --> 00:34:53,319 Speaker 1: that was right wing, and then COVID added fuel to 629 00:34:53,320 --> 00:34:57,879 Speaker 1: that fire and put gasoline on the fire and made 630 00:34:57,880 --> 00:35:01,359 Speaker 1: it made them, you know, very right wing. I think 631 00:35:01,400 --> 00:35:04,000 Speaker 1: that's completely possible. I think of who raised them could 632 00:35:04,040 --> 00:35:07,239 Speaker 1: possibly be one of the things that motivated them to 633 00:35:07,280 --> 00:35:10,439 Speaker 1: be more conservative and vote more for Trump. Anyway, something 634 00:35:10,480 --> 00:35:12,399 Speaker 1: to think about. I'll loveitely do more researcher on it though. 635 00:35:12,400 --> 00:35:14,920 Speaker 1: Thank you for the question so much, Tristan, and thank 636 00:35:14,960 --> 00:35:17,480 Speaker 1: you guys for listening for this episode. Please like and 637 00:35:17,480 --> 00:35:20,560 Speaker 1: subscribe to this podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 638 00:35:20,560 --> 00:35:22,759 Speaker 1: wherever you get your podcasts, and I will see you 639 00:35:22,760 --> 00:35:27,080 Speaker 1: guys on Monday.