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