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Now here's a highlight from Coast 11 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:33,879 Speaker 1: to Coast AM on iHeart Radio. You ran for president 12 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:35,800 Speaker 1: a couple of times. What's your take? You know, we 13 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:38,480 Speaker 1: we try to be very a political on this program, 14 00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:40,519 Speaker 1: so you know, I like to just call it the 15 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:43,280 Speaker 1: way I see it. I don't vote for the presidency 16 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:45,319 Speaker 1: because I want to say as unbiased as I can 17 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 1: on this program. Ralf, But what do you think about 18 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:50,240 Speaker 1: the way things are happening right now? People just seem 19 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:54,040 Speaker 1: to be so uptight. Uh. This administration seems to have 20 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:58,520 Speaker 1: some kind of controversy every other week or somebody resigns. 21 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 1: I've never seen anything like in an administration that is 22 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:04,479 Speaker 1: so young, But what's your take on all this? Well, 23 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:07,040 Speaker 1: it's going to be more of that because the vetting 24 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:12,360 Speaker 1: process for these UH political appointees on the agencies and departments, 25 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:16,759 Speaker 1: it was not very carefully done, and the Republicans didn't 26 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:20,080 Speaker 1: like to ask tough questions at the confirmation hearings. So 27 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:22,600 Speaker 1: we're going to have more of these resignations, more of 28 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 1: these UH scandals going on. I think, apart from the 29 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:31,479 Speaker 1: personal scandals, we're going to have political scandals. We're gonna 30 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:35,679 Speaker 1: have For example, Scott Pruett, who heads the Environmental Protection Agency, 31 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:39,200 Speaker 1: was former attorney general from Oklahoma. He was taking campaign 32 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:43,320 Speaker 1: contributions from this payday lending company that was pretty abusive, 33 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 1: and he goes and heads excuse me, it wasn't Scott Pruett. 34 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 1: It was Mike Mulveney. Excuse me, Scott Pruitt. He has 35 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:55,600 Speaker 1: his own problems. This meant he doesn't need anymore. It 36 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:59,640 Speaker 1: was Mike Mulvaney, who was a congressman from South Carolina 37 00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:03,200 Speaker 1: and UM he became head of the Office of Management 38 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:07,639 Speaker 1: Budget and now UH Trump has given him a second 39 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:13,440 Speaker 1: job on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as it's called inside. 40 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:16,679 Speaker 1: The Federal Reserve is supposed to be a watchdog of 41 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 1: all street and financial firm and he um he was 42 00:02:25,919 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 1: accepting funds campaign funds from this payday lending operation. And 43 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:38,840 Speaker 1: when he took over this bureau, the prosecutors were ready 44 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:42,760 Speaker 1: to go to court in California, and he pulled the case. 45 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:50,040 Speaker 1: He pulled the case and ntrgist and investigative report on this, 46 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:54,640 Speaker 1: and they said they called up the PR firm, the 47 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:59,480 Speaker 1: PR office for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and they said, well, 48 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:02,680 Speaker 1: it was a special staff they advised and and the 49 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 1: professional staff said, no, we wanted to pursue this case. 50 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:09,600 Speaker 1: And so they didn't tell the press the truth. So 51 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:12,040 Speaker 1: this is the kind of thing that's going on. They're 52 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:16,120 Speaker 1: taking the federal cop off the corporate crime beat big time. 53 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 1: Not good, not good. Your latest book one of them 54 00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:24,000 Speaker 1: breaking through power. It's easier than we think. A lot 55 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:27,320 Speaker 1: of people think we can't break through power, that we're stuck, 56 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:30,560 Speaker 1: that we're trapped. You are one of those who have 57 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 1: showed us you can. Yeah. I have a one percent rule. 58 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 1: It never takes more than one to change Congress on 59 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 1: important issues. With the following criteria, they have to the changes. 60 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 1: The reforms have to be supported by majority of the people, 61 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:53,720 Speaker 1: and the people who comprise the one percent of active 62 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 1: citizens in the congressional districts have to know what they're 63 00:03:57,080 --> 00:04:01,000 Speaker 1: talking about. They have to have the evidence, and then 64 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:04,680 Speaker 1: they take the public opinion and the evidence and focus 65 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:08,520 Speaker 1: at laser beam on the senators and representatives. You want 66 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 1: to turn around Washington. The most powerful branch under the 67 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:16,679 Speaker 1: Constitution is the Congress. And luckily it's only five hundred 68 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:19,160 Speaker 1: and thirty five people who put their shoes on like 69 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:22,400 Speaker 1: we do every day, and we know their names, unlike 70 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:26,320 Speaker 1: the big bureaucracies. And I'm trying to convince people that 71 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:31,240 Speaker 1: throughout American history has never taken more than one percent 72 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:35,840 Speaker 1: of the people becoming active, defined as two three four 73 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:39,799 Speaker 1: hundred hours a year, far less than people watch TV 74 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:45,520 Speaker 1: and representing public opinion. And the other thing we have 75 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:49,800 Speaker 1: to be worried about is that throughout history, George, all 76 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:52,640 Speaker 1: over the world, the few have controlled the many by 77 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:57,159 Speaker 1: dividing and ruling. They divide him on religion, ethnic, class, whatever. 78 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:00,880 Speaker 1: And in this country every day we hear how we're 79 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:04,920 Speaker 1: polarized red state, blue state, conservative liberal. So I finally 80 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:10,479 Speaker 1: wrote a book called uh uh, a book that showed 81 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:14,960 Speaker 1: uh twenty four areas where conservatives and liberals back home 82 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:20,200 Speaker 1: where they work, live and raise their families. Not much ideology. 83 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:22,920 Speaker 1: They all want clean air, they all want safe food, 84 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:28,680 Speaker 1: safe medicine, healthcare, fair taxation, etcetera. Uh that there are 85 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:34,080 Speaker 1: twenty four major areas living wage. That's one, cracking down 86 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 1: on corporate crime, law and order against the Wall street crooks, 87 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 1: breaking up the big banks of full medicare for all 88 00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:45,240 Speaker 1: with your free choice of doctor in hospital, much more 89 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:48,520 Speaker 1: efficient in the present system, and everybody is covered in 90 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:52,160 Speaker 1: a lot of lives saved. There are seventy eight on 91 00:05:52,279 --> 00:05:55,680 Speaker 1: the poles. That means you can't get sent people behind 92 00:05:55,720 --> 00:06:00,200 Speaker 1: the change in Congress without having conservatives and liberals, and 93 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:04,080 Speaker 1: so we gotta be very careful about divide and rule. Uh. 94 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:06,679 Speaker 1: They're very good at that to two political parties because 95 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:10,039 Speaker 1: when they divide and rule, they can raise money that way. 96 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:14,000 Speaker 1: Hey I represent right wingers, Hey I represent lefties. Hey 97 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:18,800 Speaker 1: I represent red state, blue state. And that's why we 98 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:21,440 Speaker 1: have to do our homework. You know how we get 99 00:06:21,480 --> 00:06:25,360 Speaker 1: bad politicians by not doing our homework. Then we're very 100 00:06:25,440 --> 00:06:30,479 Speaker 1: vulnerable to slogans to you know, uh, the kind of 101 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:35,200 Speaker 1: deceptive deception about what people say in Congress compared to 102 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:38,359 Speaker 1: what they actually do, the hypocrisy. So if we do 103 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:42,160 Speaker 1: our homework, we'll get better candidates. We get better candidates, 104 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:46,800 Speaker 1: we get better lawmakers who have inherited a huge power 105 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:50,560 Speaker 1: under our constitution that they often use against us. So 106 00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:53,640 Speaker 1: it's that one percent thing gives people a lot of optimism. 107 00:06:53,920 --> 00:06:56,880 Speaker 1: And I'll tell you we we change the auto industry. 108 00:06:57,000 --> 00:07:00,000 Speaker 1: We got a better brand of food industry and nutrition, 109 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:04,800 Speaker 1: and we want a big um reform of the insurance 110 00:07:04,839 --> 00:07:08,480 Speaker 1: industry in California that saved people over a hundred billion 111 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 1: dollars through a statewide referendum with far less than one 112 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:16,080 Speaker 1: You cleaned up the water and so many other things. Yeah, 113 00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:19,840 Speaker 1: because we had public opinion behind us. Well, and you 114 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:22,120 Speaker 1: knew that. You knew that you ran for president of 115 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:26,800 Speaker 1: what five times? About four times? Yeah, maybe there's a 116 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:30,840 Speaker 1: fifth time coming, not likely. You see, in this country 117 00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:34,640 Speaker 1: we got a two party duopoly. The blocks competition. They 118 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:37,760 Speaker 1: can't stand, in fact, they can't stand competition against each other, 119 00:07:37,840 --> 00:07:41,360 Speaker 1: so they gerrymander these districts. So they're all Republican, rigged 120 00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:44,440 Speaker 1: or Democrat rigged depending who runs the state government and 121 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:48,440 Speaker 1: carves up the district. So we can't have a democracy 122 00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:53,080 Speaker 1: without competition and elections. And so the third parties, which 123 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:57,040 Speaker 1: historically George were first with so many things. They were 124 00:07:57,080 --> 00:08:00,560 Speaker 1: first against slavery, first for women's right to vote, first 125 00:08:00,640 --> 00:08:05,080 Speaker 1: for UH forty hour week, first for labor unions, first 126 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:09,440 Speaker 1: for farmer progressive regulatory reforms on the railroads and the banks, 127 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:13,160 Speaker 1: on and on UH and they never won a national election, 128 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:16,960 Speaker 1: but they forced to wonder, both of the two parties 129 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:21,440 Speaker 1: to pick up these reforms in the twentieth century. But 130 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:24,720 Speaker 1: now it's harder than ever because the media just looks 131 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:26,560 Speaker 1: at him saying, you can't win, so we're not going 132 00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:29,600 Speaker 1: to cover you. And if you can't get covered, you 133 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:31,800 Speaker 1: can't you can't win. You can't reach the people. When 134 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:34,520 Speaker 1: people say, Ralph, what are you running for? I say, 135 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:37,480 Speaker 1: I'm running to get media coverage because if I can't 136 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:40,960 Speaker 1: get media coverage, I can't reach the voters. And so 137 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:43,520 Speaker 1: they didn't even know I was voted. I was one 138 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:46,080 Speaker 1: of the best known people in America and when I 139 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:48,800 Speaker 1: was running for president, because I couldn't get on the networks, 140 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:52,199 Speaker 1: I couldn't get on syndicated radio couldn't get on even 141 00:08:52,200 --> 00:08:56,720 Speaker 1: though we filled Madison Square Garden, the Target Center. Uh, 142 00:08:56,800 --> 00:09:01,000 Speaker 1: you know the big arenas in two thousands, we filled 143 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:04,439 Speaker 1: them when the other two party candidates couldn't fill them. 144 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:07,000 Speaker 1: But that was like two the people we could reach. 145 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:09,960 Speaker 1: Had I been on one presidential debate and a majority 146 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:13,360 Speaker 1: of the people on polls, including a Fox poll, wanted 147 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:17,440 Speaker 1: me under presidential debate, but they headed debate commission controlled 148 00:09:17,480 --> 00:09:21,480 Speaker 1: by the two parties, who kept third party candidates out. 149 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:24,640 Speaker 1: And that's a big problem. But we're starting to get 150 00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:27,960 Speaker 1: reforms in ballot access on and you know, if you 151 00:09:28,040 --> 00:09:31,959 Speaker 1: can't have good candidates, you can't have meaningful votes because 152 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:34,559 Speaker 1: you don't have a voice and choice for the voters. 153 00:09:34,920 --> 00:09:37,800 Speaker 1: Listen to More Coast to Coast a m every weeknight 154 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:40,480 Speaker 1: at one a m. Eastern and go to Coast to 155 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:42,240 Speaker 1: Coast am dot com for more