Charlottesville Is Final Nail In The Right’s Coffin-Podcast 656

Well before the 2016 primary campaign I posted a podcast announcing the death of the conservative movement. Whatever was left of the right is the final casualty this past weekend In Virginia. In Charlottesville Is Final Nail In The Right’s Coffin-Podcast 656.

A Deal With The Devil

During the 2016 presidential campaign Republican moderate leadership had the opportunity to allow the convention to move through the political process to select a candidate. Instead they chose to close ranks with a candidate famous for rhetoric and little else forcing that candidate on the American people. Surprisingly a week later, the democrats did the same thing. This faustian bargain resulted in a rhetorical presidency which has accomplished little.

Identity Politics Right Wing Style

In this way, the Grand Old Party closed ranks with the politics of division. Name calling and chaos. But wait! Right Wingers didn’t break windows or block freeways. It was the Left which used violence. Until now. In Charlottesville Is Final Nail In The Right’s Coffin-Podcast 656.

It Wasn’t Us!

Is it too soon to suggest humor in the irony of every paid commentator, blogger, show host and agitator of the right suddenly trying to show the world those people carrying Nazi Flags in Charlottesville aren’t really conservatives? Is it too soon to decry the loud mouths hocking constitutional conventions, fife and drum, messaging seminars and civil war?

Who is to blame? Everyone

Especially the voters. This generation of Americans. Children who think the louder they yell the better chance they have to get what they want. People who think good citizenship is doing a FaceBook Live video or throwing up a You Tube Channel predicting the end of the world. Commentators who want to tell you what happened when they weren’t there.

All Hat and No Cattle

People who refuse to help during election season but won’t miss a tea party meeting to discuss messaging and their version of the constitution. People who want to protest but can’t be bothered to stand up and run for office or do any of the hard work citizenship in a democratic society demands. Block a freeway? Why not! Shoot a congressman? Sure. Destroy someone online? Fun! Carry a nazi flag in a parade? Awesome! We’ll just blame the Mercers or George Soros. Doesn’t Matter.

Government Is More Powerful No Matter Who’s In Charge

Whatever you scream when you protest, one thing is true. Government power is more absolute. A prison we have created for ourselves is bankrupting us and destroying our society. National debt is dangerously high and climbing. Little more than window dressing passes for action. Political news watchers concern themselves with the latest greek drama live from the White House. Issues? Policy? You won’t get clicks with that.

Losing Equation

Neither majority nor minority provides anything close to leadership. Attacks and Counterattacks. Name calling. Gleeful enjoyment of this House of Cards. Surprise when it results in death. This does not end well.

Sponsored by Brush Studio in the West End Saint Louis Park

Charlottesville Is Final Nail In The Right’s Coffin-Podcast 656

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 36:00 — 82.4MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

The Strange Case of Susan Rice and Other Mysteries-Podcast 619

Different Mysteries Left and Right

Susan Rice is the leaker. A political Flack. Running an operation to discredit the new president before he took office. Rice is at least guilty of a felony. At least that’s the story the right wing commentators are telling. In The Strange Case of Susan Rice and Other Mysteries-Podcast 619.

On the left it’s a different story. National security became a top concern after someone hacked the DNC computers. The Russians did it. The Russians did it because Trump did some kind of back room deal.

Opinion Is Not News

In America’s increasingly partisan media most people only want their beliefs confirmed. There’s no chance a political point of view different from my own can be right. Is there? A sea of information. Where opinion masquerades as fact and personalities beat the drums. We’re supposed to dance to their rhythm.

We Know Nothing…yet

Real Facts? In The Strange Case of Susan Rice and Other Mysteries-Podcast 619 we’ll see there are few facts. Russians hacking the DNC? Not so fast. Trump making deals behind the scenes with Putin? Obama ordering illegal surveillance of a president elect? Maybe. Maybe not.

Tin Foil Hats Anyone?

Evidence supporting claims of the right and left in this case is thin. All of it has the classic elements of conspiracy theory. So we’ll take a moment in The Strange Case of Susan Rice and Other Mysteries-Podcast 619 to detail the known facts. You can draw your own conclusions. Mystery lovers beware though. We’re along way from wrapping this one up in the final chapter.

Basic Framework

Is Susan Rice a political operative? What is the legal framework regarding National Security Agency intercepts. Why did the Trump administration leak NSA documents to a congressmen? What provoked the president to tweet he was ‘wiretapped’ in the first place? Is there a difference between a wiretap and an NSA intercept? Who gets to see intercepts? What are the significant legal justifications for executive orders in 2011 and 2017 allowing sharing in the first place. Lots of questions.

Where There’s Smoke

One thing is true. The dust kicked up by the Susan Rice story obscures real developments. North Korean Missiles. Syrian chemical weapons. Congressional action on the ACA, Tax Reform and Immigration. We’ll talk about it in The Strange Case of Susan Rice and Other Mysteries-Podcast 619.

Sponsored by Brush Studio and X Government Cars.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:39 — 102.2MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Podcast 571-Bob Davis Podcasts Radio Show 52

Podcast 571-Bob Davis Podcasts Radio Show 52. Final Thoughts On Election 2016. The biggest loser in election 2016 is The Media. Specifically, pundits, prognosticators and predictors of the future. The Media did it to us through the masochistic 2 year presidential election cycle. Before President-Elect Trump has had a chance to get a good night’s sleep after a grueling election, we’re already being told what kind of president he’ll be. He is either the second coming of Reagan or the Anti-Christ. Four new mini podcasts for your weekend and some reminders about why I did not endorse, promote, defend, or attack candidates and positions. In 2016 the Media failed to cover any of the issues in favor of lurid, shock oriented gossip. So a new administration takes office while a poorly informed public nurses preconceived notions about what is ‘going to happen’. First thing to tackle? “The Polls Were Wrong”. What is wrong is the media’s reliance on national presidential preference polls, drawing incorrect conclusions and making predictions based on those conclusions. If you were surprised at the outcome of election 2016 it’s because of what you were watching and listening to. The Bob Davis Podcasts steadfastly maintained the polls were too close to call in key states. Given how close the race was in Ohio, and Pennsyvania, Florida, North Carolina and Wisconsin, Trump won because voters for Obama in 2008 and 2012 did not show up for Clinton. Trump was able to get enough people to vote for him to overwhelm Clinton where it counted. Elections are not won with polls. Elections are not won with predictions. Election outcomes are determined by the people who vote. Second thing to tackle? “Donald Trump Is Anti Establishment. The Establishment was Beaten”. Really? Who’s in charge of the Republican Party, the US Congress and the Senate? Who are the people running Trump’s transition team and where do they come from? In 2016 both mainline political parties rejected the grassroots in their parties in favor of candidates they thought could win. Finally, travel is the best way to temper judgements about what is going on in this country and what will happen as a result. The United States is still vibrant. From Silicon Valley to the Chesapeake Bay, from North Dakota to the Texas Gulf Coast. In my travels in 2016 I met people going to work, running their businesses, taking care of their kids and living their lives. Guess what? They weren’t hanging on every word spoken by Wolf Blitzer or Laura Ingram. While there are places worse for wear or facing tough challenges, on balance this country is not falling apart, despite what the charlatans say. The country now needs to think about the challenges and opportunity ahead. We need to take full advantage of the technology revolution on our doorstep. In Podcast 571-Bob Davis Podcasts Radio Show 52, I’ll run it all down for you. Sponsored by Brush Studio and Hydrus.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 51:16 — 117.4MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS