Podcast 283 – Craig Westover

Craig Westover. Long time editorial writer for the Saint Paul Pioneer Press, and political activist in the Twin Cities and Minnesota, Craig has the chops to be able to discuss the lack of principle underpinning right wing politics these days. Previous podcasts have discussed the so called discourse on social media and our society. Craig sat down with Bob Davis for lunch at a local ‘power-breakfast/power-lunch’ diner, and the result is a dynamic, freewheeling discussion in this podcast. It’s a great companion to the other podcasts decrying a lack of intellect when it comes to some posts and discussions on line, on talk radio and on cable television news services these days. This is a pronounced problem on the right, although it exists on the left as well. So, where does one start to sort it out? Craig starts with arguing from basic principles rather than what might be referred to as ‘issue advocacy’, progresses to Libertarianism, Republican politics, the US Constitution, the Tea Party, the Declaration of Independence, natural law, with some anecdotes about Minnesota politics thrown in. Craig ends on a somewhat positive note, suggesting government may not be necessary after all! If you’re involved in republican politics, job one is going to be figuring out the principles underpinning everything else. You can’t answer the question ‘What IS a Conservative’, or ‘What IS a Republican’ without first articulating some basic principles and working from there, rather checking boxes next to issues, or platform planks. If you want some answers, Craig Westover is a good person to start with. You’ll also end the podcast with a lot of questions. (Editor’s Note: The final podcast of 2014 also includes a shout out to sponsors, listeners and people who have made generous donations, but I did not have my list of names at the restaurant, so I will thank you guys now, both in the podcast and here and name you later. The Bob Davis Podcasts would not be possible without all of you.) Sponsored by Depotstar 

Podcast 281

Live From The Living Room. There’s no plastic wrap on the furniture, but The Bob Davis Podcasts is live from the living room, updating you on the last few stories of 2014. No, there are no countdown lists, best of’s, worst of’s, rankings or other nonsense to tell you how ‘special’ 2014 was, in its final hours, as we head to the New Year’s this week. Remember all those sale price deals from Black Friday? With the Christmas season over, the returns begin. Retailers now take your return, put it in a box, and send it to an online liquidator, which sells it for pennies on the dollar. While retailers moan and groan about Internet sales, they continue to follow business and customer service models that seem like they’re from the 1980’s, let alone 21st century. Making customers traipse across town to find items they need now, offering discounts only after you send in the rebate, not having items in stock, and of course, not seeming to care when customers find the sweater they paid 150 dollars for on some online liquidator for 20 dollars. Did you watch Sony’s The Interview on You Tube? If you did, or tried to, you discovered the hoops you have to jump through to see it. Now iTunes will feature the ‘controversial’ and critically panned comedy about the assassination on North Korea’s ‘Leader’, Kim Jong Un, and you can rent it for 5.99. Wonder if Sony’s intention all along was to bypass the theaters to be able to release first run films to VOD? Jeb Bush as ‘surged’ to the ‘top’ of all potential Republicans candidates for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016, and here come the articles extolling his so called conservative virtues. Do we really have to ask whether Bush is conservative? Are Republicans going to fall for this trick again? (Editor’s Note: Probably? Yes.) What’s needed is a radical reduction in the scope, size, cost and power of all government. The new technologies want Low Entropy systems, and Government is one of the highest entropy systems known to man. Jeb Bush will not ‘make government work’ any more than Barack Obama did. And speaking of the President; Despite the departing Congress’ effort to remove funding for Obama’s immigration ‘executive memorandum’ on immigration, the White House is spending at least 50 million dollar to hire a thousand federal employees and set them up in a building near Washington to process all the illegals effected by the order. Yep. Don’t use existing bureaus because that might actually make sense. But don’t worry, Bush III will fix that. Finally, MSNBC acknowledged it has a terrible year (because it blows), and the network will begin offering digitally delivered programming, mostly sports. Bob Davis has already predicted the network will go all sports soon. Not only is the retail model ‘so 1999’, so is the model for talk radio, and cable television news services. Sponsored by Depotstar

Podcast 280

FaceBook Politics. Comments on Facebook provoke a podcast about rhetoric in place of political involvement and activism with people on the right side of the political spectrum. Social media, specifically Facebook but increasingly Twitter as well, has become a dumping ground of snark, rhetorical, even nonsensical comments that don’t advance issues, don’t persuade, don’t make arguments and in short spread despair and resignation. One of the chief problems with right wing politics is its inability to define itself, use terms that actually have meaning, make cogent arguments with supporting examples and evidence, or even to understand how the political process works. In this podcast you’ll hear a few of the comments on The Bob Davis Podcasts Facebook page. Taken out of the context of social media, you can see, or hear readily what’s wrong with so called Republicans, and others on the right in this country. Despite all the shouting, screaming, pounding, snark and complaints about ‘principle’, Republicans already appear poised to accept former Florida Jeb Bush as a presidential candidate. Why are so called ‘activists’ unable to take control of their party (at least in Minnesota)? Because there is no organization behind the rhetoric. Without involvement in politics, opinions are…well let’s put it this way; Everybody’s got one. Just opinions. Why get involved. How to get involved. What to do when you get involved. Why incessant whining about the two-party system is a waste of your time, and everyone else’s, and once involved, what the goal is…in Podcast 280. What can you learn from political involvement? Can involvement make you a better person? Why the typical excuse of, “some of us work”, or “I’m too old”, is total crap and why this particular ailment seems to be exclusively Republican these days. The party that used to call itself ‘The Party For People To Think’, is the party that can’t think. If you believe nothing can change … If you believe you have no voice; Listen to Podcast 280. Sponsored by Depotstar