Podcast 463

Inside An Iowa Caucus. Live from Tennessee, we take a final look at the Iowa Caucuses, by taking subscribers inside a rural Iowa precinct caucus. Thirteen US States and 2 US territories use the caucus system. People who live in states with primary elections – where people cast a single vote on a ballot of some kind on primary election day – may hear the word ‘caucus’ but have never been inside one and don’t really understand the process. As democrats argue about how Hillary Clinton eked out a victory in the Iowa caucus, and Donald Trump making noises about Ted Cruz’ efforts to win, just how a caucus is conducted is news. In this podcast we take you inside an Iowa Caucus; The Rules, The Speeches, The Vote Counting and The Results. If you’re lucky enough to live in a state with caucuses, when you participate you’re taking part in one of the oldest democratic processes in the world. Classic representative government in Athens, Rome, and the Venetian Republic among others, allowed a sort of people’s congress. All citizens in good standing could participate in choosing candidate for leadership positions. We still do it to this day with caucuses. It’s fascinating to participate, or listen to everyday citizens conducting an orderly meeting in which leaders are nominated, voted upon, and citizens from that precinct are chosen to represent their neighbors at the next level meeting. While these podcasts have questioned Iowa’s permanent position as the first in the nation vote in presidential cycles, the commitment of its citizens to the process should be celebrated. Having escaped the snows of Des Moines and decamped to Chattanooga Tennessee, I am joined in this podcast by an old friend, who also provides some insight as to how one of the key states in the so called ‘Southeastern Conference’ may vote on Super Tuesday. From here, its on to South Carolina, where all the campaigns are headed after New Hampshire. This concludes the Iowa Caucus portion of 2016 coverage for the Bob Davis Podcasts. A few days of barbecue, shooting and some southern hospitality and we’re back on the road again. (Big thanks to John Berg of Jefferson, Iowa for inviting the Bob Davis Podcasts into his precinct caucus!) Sponsored by Brush Studio and Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul.

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Podcast 412

Dream It Do It. Thanks to all the beta testers of the Bob Davis Audiobook ‘The Chieftain 2021’ delivery systems. If you have not received an email download link yet, let us know. Advising beta testers of some of the issues related to the audiobook and how they’re solved provokes a discussion about creativity, what a dream is, and living the dream. We live in a society that increasingly seems as though its trying to tell us why we can’t do something rather than encouraging us to try. Some people who mean well, are really dream killers. What it would be like to make one tiny part of your dream come true? How would you feel? How would your life change? Technology makes it easier than ever to make our dreams come true. Now, all we have to do is create a structure that encourages people to make their dreams come true, rather than an aging structure that kills dreams. One way to make dreams come true would be to encourage economic growth. Republican candidate Jeb Bush says he has a plan for four percent economic growth, achieved through ‘cutting taxes’. ‘Cutting Taxes’; the holy grail of Republican politics. The thing is, growth won’t happen if you cut taxes on one group and raise taxes on the other if you don’t cut spending too. All you’re really doing is gathering water from the deep end of the pool and pouring it into the shallow end. Here’s a dream for you; A government that spends less every year and taxes less because of it. A government that doesn’t spy on its citizens because it needs to focus resources on existential threats. A government that doesn’t pick winners and losers, all the while adding to its own payrolls and growing larger and more dangerous every year. Guess what? None of the Republicans and certainly not the Democrats are talking about doing this. Meanwhile, the state of Illinois — the national financial basket case — is giving its lottery winners IOU’s; There isn’t enough cash in state coffers to pay them. Maybe its time to think differently about what government does, and what it costs us. Sponsored by X Government Trucks, Pride Of Homes and Luke Team Real Estate.

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Podcast 385

The Pope and The Media Circus. After a long trip home from the East Coast in the Mobile Podcast Command Unit, it’s time for a full stereo podcast from just outside the Broadcast Bunker, on the flat, by a real fire, back in Minnesota. Sometimes getting you ready for the coming week is a tall order, especially when it comes to the ‘borg’; the modern media machine. Will the new technology revolution – and it is coming – disrupt institutions that have existed for generations? Government, and religion, all seem to have become cloying media whores, looking to make one more lurid statement so they can get another story written for the Daily Beast, or get on CNN, or get some kind coverage for something…anything to stay relevant. Here comes the Pope all tarted up, to condemn capitalism and the ‘filth’ in the world. Of course the reaction is already classified as right wing or left wing, in tweets, on FaceBook and any number of shout-fests, roundtable gabs, and table pounding orations. If there is one takeaway from the recent trip through the American Southeastern Coast, including Washington DC, and from a trip earlier this spring to the West Coast, its seems like the people in this country are living their lives in spite of the constant chatter. Is it possible that our government and other institutions are becoming irrelevant, thus their leaders struggle more and more to be heard, by making one lurid statement after another? The media, and the politician, even when he is a ‘man of the cloth’ have become all one thing, feeding on each other, feathering their own nests and advancing no one else’s fortune but their own. All of them busting into our living rooms, cars and onto our phones with their incessant nonsense. Most of the time we spend our time just trying to get out of the way, hoping whatever international initiative, legislation or some nonsense laden bill sponsored by a publicity hungry politician doesn’t ruin our business, our town, our life or the lives of someone we love. Sometimes you find yourself wishing they would just shut up. You know, maybe we need a new holiday in America. How about Dead Air Day. All the stations go dark, all the politicians shut up, and all the media whores take a day off, including and especially the Pope. Oh wait! That would mean passing another law. Never mind! On the longest day of the year, and the shortest night. Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing of Saint Paul. 

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