Podcast 608-Political Talk Gets Harder Every Day For Me

Can We Have The Room?

Time to clear the air. It’s getting harder to talk politics every day. On the heels of a presidential address to a joint session of congress things seemed to calm down. Then President Trump tweeted from his rooms at Mar A Lago. Trump alleges President Obama spied on him at Trump Tower. Suddenly it’s the end of the world. We’ll talk about it in Podcast 608-Political Talk Gets Harder Every Day For Me

During the election Republicans told everyone they would repeal Obama Care. Now suddenly ‘conservatives’ like Charles Krauthammer are telling people attempts by some republicans to repeal an entitlement are bad because “you can’t repeal an entitlement“. Isn’t that why people voted for republicans? In Podcast 608-Political Talk Gets Harder Every Day For Me.

Parallel Universe

We live side by side. Speak the same language. Shop the same stores. However, we live in different countries. Use completely different information sources. Believe completely different histories. Listen. Read. Watch only things we agree with. Tumult. Confusion. Frustration. We’re told what will happen not given news. News is a recitation of facts about things which have happened. Not a recitation of predictions about what’s going to happen.

Proof In The Pudding

People getting their jobs back at the factory? Economic growth at 4 percent? Respect for the United States across the world? Draining the Swamp? Making America Great. Again? Time will tell. In Podcast 608-Political Talk Gets Harder Every Day For Me.

Digging In

Wanna talk politics? Dig in. Help your audience dig in. Pick your poison. Dictator. Fascist. Racist. Or, Great Man. Elected by a landslide. Keeper of a mandate. A revolution. That’s not politics. Not discussion of policy with an open mind. This is riding on a train. North. South. East. West. Pick a track.

Cowards

I don’t like any of them. They’re all cowards. Doesn’t matter if there’s an R or a D in front of their name. Say one thing. Do another. Demand the media defend them. Demand the people defend them. Pass more laws impossible to understand or debate. Engage in one intrigue after another. Another investigation. Trial. Debate. Protest. Outrage. Rinse and repeat. In Podcast 608-Political Talk Gets Harder Every Day For Me.

Advancing The Story

Hard out here for a Podcaster. Best thing. One on one talks. Challenge. Try to make sense out of it all. Grow our thinking. Enjoyed our one on one. Ok you guys. You can have the room back.

Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul.

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Podcast 475

Fight For Your Caucus. Web Designer, Senate District Chair and CD5 Secretary Mitch Rossow joins the podcast to talk about the latest misguided initiative by mainstream republicans in Minnesota. State Representative Steve Garofalo and others want to get rid of the caucuses in Minnesota. Oddly enough, before Super Tuesday, the reason for getting rid of the caucus system was low participation. On Super Tuesday Minnesota experienced a record turnout for its caucuses. So now, apparently, there are too many people caucusing. Isn’t that what we want? Seems like the truth is those in power don’t like the caucus system because it allows for the grass roots to develop new leaders. Critics say the caucuses are too ‘inside’, but aren’t the critics the real insiders? It would be so much easier if the goons in Saint Paul picked party leaders and candidates rather than the citizens. The caucus is one of the few opportunities average citizens have to participate in and influence the political process. Democrats in the state are concerned about this initiative, since the late Senator Paul Wellstone developed the movement that ultimately put him in office through this channel. Mitch Rossow has developed a precinct organization training program, and a training program for caucus conveners. Precinct organizing is the next step after caucuses and its the quickest way for citizens to take back their local representation and eventually state legislature and statewide offices. The enemy of the Republican is the Republican. While Democrats in the state post training videos well before caucuses, and have programs to bring volunteers in to help their caucus attendees understand the process, republicans never got around to doing much of anything to help local precincts with their caucuses. Now they want to do away with it entirely. Moral of the story; the MNGOP talks a lot about democracy and inclusiveness, but doesn’t walk the talk. One wonders what it is that they actually do; Not much of anything. Most of the time the state party is whining and asking the local political units for help. On the DFL side, it’s the reverse. Maybe there a lesson there for the entrenched perfumed princes, hidden behind a security wall at their office in Cedar Riverside. What a joke. With so many new participants this year, maybe a new crop of leaders is being harvested. It can’t happen soon enough. Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating and X Government Cars.

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Podcast 336

Monday Updates. The week kicks off with a reply to one North Metro Tea Partier upset by comments in the previous podcast ‘Political Crossroads’. The point of the podcast? Is this group punching above, or below its weight politically? Is a true friend someone who tells you what you want to hear, or what you need to hear in order to be more effective? Yes, the nation is at a crossroads politically, and especially on the right. Either grassroots groups will mature and develop the kind of political power that changes political fortunes and history, or they will fade. In this time frame, that means more moderate republican candidates and leaders like John Boehner, for example. People tea partiers don’t generally like. While for voters 2016 is an ocean of time away, for political operatives, the election is already on. Just this past weekend in Minnesota’s open political process, local Basic Political Unit and Congressional meetings were held, with delegates chosen and rules voted on. If you weren’t there, you missed a prime opportunity to set the tone for, yep, 2016. In the end, the proof will be in the pudding. It would be nice to be wrong about the influence of these grassroots groups, but right now – and it brings us no joy to say this – the state’s Bicycle Lobby looks more effective. Meanwhile Minnesota has a surplus, and while the DFL wants to spend that cold, hard cash on programs, the republicans want to spend it in targeted tax cuts and other nonsense. Republican Chair Keith Downey says the money should be given back to the people, and he deserves credit. As usual the Minnesota Chamber of Italian Fascism and Speaker Kurt Daudt wants to split hairs; spend some money on roads and bridges and old people. Republicans need to be a strong voice for spending cuts, and tax cuts. The surplus is not a sign of success, but a sign of fiscal mismanagement. Give the money back, cut spending and then cut taxes. Lots of talk about layoffs at Target, and General Mills. Lots of people will be free lancing. Surprise, lots of people already are, and it may become the new way to work. 53 million Americans are freelancing and some surveys suggest as much as half the work force will be freelancing suggesting new ways to work, live and contribute. Here’s to the 1099’rs; You’re making a great contribution to the future of this country. Freelancers, and people working from home are happier and more productive than those in offices. In Austin, Texas this weekend at the SXSW Tech Conference, protesters demanded something done about stopping robots and autonomous machines. “If man was meant to fly”, they shouted, “God would have given us wings”. Not really, but they may as well have. Technology is fueling the greatest revolution in the history of mankind, and will change everything in the world in the next twenty to fifty years. Get on board, or get out of the way. The coolest development? If you could take a pill that reversed your aging, and allowed you to live fifty, one hundred, one hundred and fifty, maybe three hundred years, would you do it? Sponsored by Complete Basement Systems. 

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