Podcast 300

Republicans and Rhetoric. Wasn’t able to tape tonight’s appearance at the SD-61 Chili Dinner and Contest. Thanks to everyone who showed. Podcast 300, aside from being a milestone for The Bob Davis Podcasts, gives the listener an idea of what was discussed. One usually comes away from these kinds of events feeling a little uneasy, especially when hard political issues are discussed. I usually write these podcast notes in the third person, but not this time. I am either seeing things others don’t see in the political process — out in front of the vanguard so to speak — or the things I am seeing and feeling are internal issues and aren’t really there. At this weekend’s big confab in Iowa, the good news is that Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker was able to connect in a personal and substantive appeal to the conservatives gathered in the Hawkeye state for Congressman King’s event. The bad news is that Donald Trump and Sarah Palin made purely rhetorical appeals, which I think damage the so called conservative ‘brand’. Now, since it was a Republican get together I don’t expect good coverage from most of the media, but some of the things said were just not helpful. Aside from involvement in local politics, if so called conservatives are going to be able to argue their points, they are going to have more than just rhetorical arguments. If all Republicans are going to do is bray in an attempt to persuade, or shock, without eliciting any information, it is going to be a very long election cycle from next fall, to November of 2016. It is possible to persuade and inform. The problem is what do Republicans want to do? What do they stand for? What’s their plan for the long term? As people shift from outrage and frustration to addressing a kind of inner challenge, do any candidates in any political party understand that challenge? Mostly what I hear is a lot of empty talk about values and outrage and demands. Is that connecting with people? We talked about some of this at the SD61 event, and I review that conversation in this podcast. Sponsored by Depotstar. 

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Podcast 295

Nighttime Winter Walk. Warm days in the upper midwest mean warm nights. A good night to get out for a walk and talk. As the week progresses, the news will get heavier as coverage of the State of The Union message gets rolling, along with Davos, and financial concerns starting to take center stage. So, this is a great opportunity to take a walk and talk about some of the less controversial stories. Did you know that January 19th is officially the saddest day of the year? Why? What does a person do to combat this oppressive depression? In the UK, a five year old child was not able to attend a friend’s birthday party. No, the parents did not RSVP but they were surprised to find a professional bill for ‘services rendered’, due to the fact that they did not RSVP and their child did not attend, when he was scheduled to. Now the parents are being sued. In Wisconsin, legislators are ready to reintroduce the 70 mph speed limit, which is a good thing because no one drives 65, anywhere in the state, and least of all in 94, or 90-94, or any of the state highways. What Wisconsin needs though, is a law that requires residents of the badger state to get the hell out of the left lane if they want to go slow. A friend’s dinner suggestion of a ‘satellite internet’ was greeted by The Bob Davis Podcasts with skepticism. Lo and Behold, Mr Elon Musk plans to introduce a ‘space internet’, and eventually carry the signal all the way to Mars. If it works better than the Podcast’s current ISP, and can feature better customer service, it’s a lock. The number one movie in the country right now is ‘American Sniper’, the story of the late Chris Kyle. Michael Moore called him a coward on twitter, and a firestorm has ensued. Research shows quite a lot of controversy about characterizations of snipers in general. Moore got hammered in social media, while Actress Jane Fonda was hammered in Frederick Maryland, by Vietnam Vets who will never forget the picture of Fonda posing for the cameras on a North Vietnamese Anti Aircraft gun, during her trip to the enemy’s country during the Vietnam War. Fonda now says the photo was a huge mistake she has had to live with her whole life, but she still says the trip to Communist North Vietnam was ‘incredible’. Finally, some words about a recent podcast about the Tea Party, and a heads up on some speaking engagements for Bob Davis in the near future. Sponsored by Mycompletebasement.com. 

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