Podcast 477

Stuck With Trump. The last spate of primary results are in, ushering in the inevitable implosion of Marco Rubio’s campaign for the Republican Presidential Nomination. John Kasich wins Ohio but the delegate count continues to widen in favor of Donald Trump, thus republicans might just be Stuck With Trump. Kasich has already hired establishment operatives with experience in ‘brokered’ or ‘contested’ conventions, as the Republican Party Establishment Thugs desperately try to ignore the wishes of republican voters. The same voters the party encouraged to attend debate viewing parties, the same party that ballyhooed the ‘deep republican field of young candidates’, all of whom busted. What a surprise that a reality TV star saw a huge opportunity to take advantage of the RNC’s creation of the ‘Greatest Show On Earth’. Who’s to blame? It’s tough to say it, and tough to hear it, but not the Establishment, not the Paulites, not the Christian Evangelists. Nope. Who’s to blame? The rank and file republicans who wanted simple explanation and meme style politics. The Tea Partiers who handed out the ‘How to Argue with a Liberal’ pamphlets. The people who wanted easy explanations to complex problems. The people who only sometimes vote, who make excuses when it comes to doing any work, the republicans who talk a good freedom game but are nowhere to be seen when its time to organize, because ‘they’re working’. Ok. They should all be thrilled with Donald Trump, who is for most of the things they are against, who could be running on the same ticket as Hillary Clinton. Rubio talked about ‘conservative’ values and ‘Republicans’ in his campaign suspension announcement but didn’t define either. He never defined conservative values or republicans on the campaign trail either. None of the republican candidates have. Now they’re frantically meeting to discuss a third party candidacy, which will take an enormous amount of work on a short deadline. There’s also sudden talk of the return of Jeb Bush as the result of a brokered convention, something this podcast warned people about weeks ago. Anything to stop Trump. Yet, Trump is the candidate the republican voters deserve. Trump is the candidate they have been praying for. The guy who can win the argument. Republicans and Trump; They deserve each other. Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul and Pride of Homes real estate.

Podcast 433

Voting Surprises. Elections held on November 3rd, 2015 show the potential for voters to surprise and even shock media, pundits and commentators. Is a Tea-Party Republican victory in the Kentucky Governor’s race a harbinger of surprises to come once people start actually voting in the primaries and caucuses starting February 1st, 2016? Voters in Ohio rejected legalizing Marijuana, Democrats in Virginia lost their bid to gain control of the State Senate, and LGBT rights legislation failed in Houston, Texas. Is this a conservative voting trend? The next actual election is November 21st in Louisiana, where polls say a Democrat is favored to win the bid to replace Republican Governor Bobby Jindal. Is the chattering class underestimating the possibility that conservative voters could show up in large numbers, shifting the country to the right. Same question applies to the grip of establishment republicans on power in the GOP. It is dangerous to believe polls, especially this early in the process. When it comes to real political science, the proof is in the pudding. If there is a trend of angry voters on the right turning out, the punditry is going to be caught flat footed, but the establishment republicans will be shocked. One gets the impression, reporters and commentators covering these elections hear so many stump speeches and have so much red meat thrown at them they get jaded when it comes to the degree of frustration of ordinary voters. The turmoil on the right is a storm brewed up by svengali strategists at the RNC who expected to crown Jeb Bush the nominee. Now Trump, Carson and Cruz threaten the whole house of cards, demanding their own rules for debates or upsetting the carefully constructed plan. Outliers Trump and Sanders on the left are shaking up the status quo and challenging the idea that suzerains in Washington get to decide who the nominee will be on either side. In the real news, things don’t seem to be going so well and the commentariat continues to write tripe. The GDP only ‘grew’ 1.5 percent, but don’t worry growth is expected when consumers, ‘spending the savings from lower gas prices like a tax cut’ finally kicks in. A new study done by Democrat Operatives that says Mergers and Acquisitions are causing ‘inequality’. Is this true? Meanwhile Congressional Republicans lift the debt ceiling and federal spending jumped by 338 billion dollars. Maybe they should be talking about cutting spending rather than cutting taxes? Sponsored by Pride of Homes and Luke Team Real Estate and Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul

Podcast 331

DHS Funding and Netanyahu. Minnesota’s 6th District Congressman Tom Emmer voted for the ‘clean’ DHS funding bill, as congress capitulates to the President. Emmer says he is disappointed in his colleagues who fought to refuse funding the President’s effort to ‘amnestitize’ illegal aliens through executive memoranda. Emmer says the courts will handle it. The question really is where supporters in the 6th district – one of America’s most conservative – will come down on the issue. Congress seems to be loathe to actually have a fight with the President, in order to put some limits on what he thinks he can do with executive action. The fact is, capitulating to President Obama will only further embolden him to issue yet more executive orders, and cause further disputes Congressional Republicans can run away from. According to the White House, Obama is considering executive action on corporate taxation, and second amendment issues as his staff works day in and day out to find ways for him to run the country more like a Boris Yeltsin or Vladimir Putin, than a constitutional US Chief Executive. For those who suggest Republicans need to ‘keep their powder dry’, or pick the big issue they can win to fight on … If not now, when? Be prepared; the new argument is you’re a ‘child’ if you advocate cutting the Government Gordian Knot. What we need, they’ll say, is trustworthy conservatives to make it run, right. Which is exactly what Obama said in 2008. The fact is, ‘radical’ ideas of lesser government aren’t childish, they date back to the birth of the republic. Moreover, there are structured proposals to audit the Fed, as well as eliminating agencies that are inefficient, or don’t work. They’re hardly rash, or childish. The idea that ‘conservatives’ need to nominate ‘responsible’ candidates ‘who can win’ is back. Times have changed, though, and the last thing this country and the Republicans need is another retread from the 1980’s, or timid go-along-get-along ‘problem solvers’ who believe NASA and the Interstate Highway system represent our future. As the so called radicals get organized, and raise money and votes, the message from Minnesota’s 6th voters, may soon be akin to Wyatt Earp’s … “Commence to fighting or get out of the way!” Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu addressed a joint session of Congress, upsetting White House aides who tweeted insults, and apparently nearly bringing minority leader Pelosi to tears. Contrary to critics, Netanyahu’s speech does provide alternatives to the agreement now being negotiated with Iran which the Israeli leader says constitutes an existential threat to Israel, and the US. Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul.