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Podcast 468

South Carolina’s Vote. The big first in the south primary is over, and the undisputed winner is New York’s Donald J. Trump. What must have made Trump’s night, Governor Jeb Bush suspended his presidential campaign. More ‘suspensions’ are sure to follow as actual votes, upend story lines, predictions and prognostications. Meanwhile Hillary Clinton defeated Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in the Nevada Caucuses. Will it make any difference for the Vermont Senator’s chances to defeat the former Secretary of State this week in the Democrat South Carolina primary? Probably not. Caucuses are completely different animals from primaries, where people actually vote. Let’s not forget on the GOP side, Ted Cruz won the Iowa Caucus, but lost to Trump in New Hampshire and South Carolina. As the news rolled over the wires, I took a little bit of time outside a hotel where a huge celebration was taking place, to make some observations about the race, the presidential primary systems, and the difference between traditions, law, and a written constitution. Are you ready to have traditions — not the constitution — fundamentally change the way the United States chooses its president? Between the tradition of state by state primaries, a grueling campaign effort that wastes money and winnows candidacies and efforts to slave the Electoral College not to state legislatures but to the popular vote — and by ‘constitutionalist republicans’ no less — how we elect a president is changing, and judging from this primary cycle’s wacky, craven, foolish, disgusting and sad efforts by politicians described by the same kinds of words, not for the better. IS the cream rising to the top? Good question. Also in this podcast, the first excerpt of the Bob Davis Podcast Radio show, heard on GCN Live. Expect an announcement regarding this new show around the beginning of March. We’re in Key West Florida for this podcast, getting some maintenance on Mobile Podcast Command and preparing for the next leg of this massive road trip, which takes us back up Florida’s Gulf Coast, the Red Neck Riveria to New Orleans, Texas, back up 35 to Minneapolis-Saint Paul. Sponsored by X Government Cars and Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul.

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Podcast 466

South Carolina BBQ and Kasich. In Greenville, South Carolina on the night of the Republican Debate at Clemson. Hear what a Governor John Kasich event at Mutt’s BBQ in Mauldin, South Carolina sounds like. Hear John Kasiche’s stump speech. Which is why this podcast is entitled, South Carolina BBQ and Kasich. In the wake of Justice Scalia’s death, constitutionalists republicans forget the constitution and bemoan the possibility that sitting President Obama may appoint a liberal justice, swaying the court to the left. Some suggest the President avoid an appointment ‘in an election year’ (which the constitution makes no provisions for), or that the Senate refuse to hold hearings or confirm this president’s appointment, waiting for the ‘new’ president, which they assume will be republican, a distinct contravention of the Senate’s duties outlined in the constitution. Meanwhile, it may be painful to quote Hillary Clinton but ‘elections have consequences’. Had republicans been able to elect Mitt Romney, a republican would be filling the vacancy created by the untimely death of the Justice. Perhaps this is a good lesson to remember for the GOP heading into 2016, as ‘establishment’ republicans throw a tantrum because showmen like Trump and Cruz are crushing establishment candidates like Bush, Rubio, and Katich, at least according to polls. We’ll see what happens when South Carolina Republicans vote on February 20th. Meanwhile, the media does its best to sell all of America on the idea that South Carolina and South Carolinians are ‘quirky’, ‘conservative’, ‘moderate’, ‘different’ or fill in the blank with your own superlative. Myths that continue to dominate the political narrative, all the way through the debates. This is a ‘gut punch’ kind of state, they say. So, the candidates did their best to gut punch each other at the debates. After this weekend’s debate performance, one wonders when state party leaders across this country will take a look at a primary system that puts candidates in a cage, and forces them to answer questions from TV Stars. First, it elevates the media to a position it doesn’t deserve. Second, it seems to force the candidates to not just act craven, and rude, but to be so. This is the process that brings the cream to the top in US politics? I don’t think so. The cool thing about this event was the music. All the campaigns use music to stage their events, but whoever did this one, did a great job. This podcast includes a lot of the music they chose to stage the event. Sponsored by Brush Studio and X Government Cars. 

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