The Bob Davis Podcast

Podcast 243

Halloween 1. The first of two podcasts for Halloween, 2014. Some developing stories catching Bob Davis’ interest as the media zeroes in on Election 2014 coverage. Now we’re scolding people for the Halloween costumes they’re wearing. Admittedly, most of today’s adults have never grown up and thus feel compelled to wear costumes for any and all occasions, whenever there is an opportunity. Yet now, the scolds are telling people Ebola Hazmat suits are ‘in bad taste’, those dressing up as ISIS terrorists ‘could be shot by police if ISIS terrorists were to dress up as ISIS terrorists’ (Editor’s Note: That one is really a stretch, but I did not make it up.) and Halloween displays with ‘severed heads’ are also in bad taste. Not to mention the criticism of young women’s increasingly sexy costumes as inappropriate, which if you are a single male is decidedly NOT inappropriate, but anyway. Hey people! It’s Halloween. It’s an offensive ‘holiday’ anyway. Can we give it a rest for 24 hours, and let people have some fun before they die of Ebola, or in a terror attack …or not? Meanwhile in the real world, the Centers For Disease Control has subtly let America know that Ebola can be transmitted through ‘water droplets’, which means yes, sneezing and coughing by an infected person could potentially infect someone else, and there would be no touching or ‘direct contact with bodily fluids’. Maybe this is why the US Military is quarantining personnel coming back from Ebola stricken areas in West Africa, for 21 days, no exceptions. A doctor in the Minneapolis and Saint Paul area writes in the Minneapolis Tribune this week, that in his experience symptoms are often difficult for doctors to connect with diseases, and people can be symptomatic before they have fevers, and not know it. Tom Combs also says there isn’t enough data yet to conclusively say that a quarantine isn’t just safe, and smart policy. He also says, people need to understand Quarantine is not punishment, nor incarceration. Quarantine is a way contain a disease and prevent its spread. Meanwhile, states are getting out in front of our intellectual-and-reluctant-to-act President. Louisiana sent letters to attendees to a topical disease forum in New Orleans, disinviting those who had been in West Africa in the last week, citing the need to protect the citizens of Louisiana. Hey! Some good economic news came out just in time for the election! How about that? 3.5 percent GDP growth in the 3rd Quarter. Most of it in the Government and Energy Sector. Oddly enough, Goldman now says that the US has dethroned OPEC and is now the New Oil Order. Falling prices for Gas is good, but this is not so good for investors in oil stocks, or countries that rely on oil revenues. (Editors Note: Take that suckers!) By the way … where’s your old crazy ‘peak oil’ uncle these days? The richest man in the world, Carlos Slim says 60 is the new 40, you shouldn’t retire and that soon people will work only 3 days a week. Machines work work 24/7, we’ll work 11 hour shifts and have more time for retraining and leisure. Finally, when was the last time you took a vacation? Why 5 weeks of vacation may soon become mandatory, and common. Sponsored by Depotstar. 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:54 — ) | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Podcast 241

One Week To Go. Election 2014 Update. On Wednesday morning November 5th, 2014, we will know most of the outcomes for US House of Representatives, and Gubernatorial races. We may not know the full result of the vote for US Senate. Close elections in runoff states mean that we may not know which party will control the US Senate until late on January 6th. Which races are close, which can be called now? In this podcast we’ll go through the close races, the races that will determine whether Republicans take control of the Senate, or Democrats retain a majority. There is, however, one key point about the ongoing Ebola debacle that needs to be addressed. The President spoke recently, attempting to pooh pooh the idea of establishing quarantines for returning ‘health workers’. The idea is, putting ‘health workers’ who are trying to help stop Ebola in Africa, will cause them to think twice before ‘volunteering’. Problem is, President Obama lifted his language directly from a New England Journal of Medicine article, written by Doctors. What’s going on here? First, ‘Health Workers’, are in fact Doctors and Nurses, who want special treatment. While we celebrate their interest in helping in Africa, we also celebrate our own Military Personnel who serve, and are being quarantined (including their officers, all the way to General) upon their return to base in Italy. Why do Doctors and Nurses expect to be treated as special citizens, when one of their own recently returned from West Africa to New York, with Ebola, to take a ride in an Uber Car, go Bowling, and ride the subway? Moreover, doctors and the President say science says a person with Ebola who is asymptomatic is not contagious, but in fact science is inconclusive on this subject. As far as election 2014 is concerned, baseless speculative reporting continues. Suddenly West Virginia is ‘going republican’, why? Maybe it has something to with Obama saying he wanted to put ‘coal out of business’? Oh no, it couldn’t be that, it must be that Hillbillies are racists and hate women. (Editor’s note: This is why I hate the ‘media’). Bloomberg’s Jonathon Bernstein says the media’s problem is there aren’t very many good reporters in states with close races, and he might be right. We know very little about key US House races. Minority leader Nancy Pelosi is reportedly bracing for deep losses for her party. As to the polls, CNN says ‘voters are angry’ (really?). Another poll says Latinos are ‘surprisingly’ OK with a Republican led Senate. Conventional wisdom is the enemy of objective analysis. Hispanic’s political views are becoming increasingly difficult to predict as this is not a monolithic group the media can latch onto, but they try. They sure do try. The polls show tough, close races in Colorado, Iowa, North Carolina, Georgia, Kansas, Alaska, New Hampshire, Kentucky, Louisiana, with some movement in Arkansas. Still, small sample sizes, and electronic interviewing make these polls highly questionable. Run offs in North Carolina, Georgia and Louisiana (where there are multiple candidates) if the winner does not achieve at least 50 percent of the vote, mean there could be US Senate races in 3 states, we will not know the outcome of until after the runoffs. No one can say what will happen…the polls are just too close. Republicans could have a phenomenal night, a good night, or be disappointed, yet still win seats in the House and Senate. Democrats could retain control of the Senate, but lose seats in the house, or suffer heavy losses. It comes down to getting the vote out on election day (even with early voting). Sponsored by XGovernmentcars. 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 40:38 — ) | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Podcast 237

Election 2014. Rundown of the top issues currently in election 2014, ending with analysis of polls in key Senate races. We’ll start with focus groups. Researchers use focus groups to sharpen their understanding of survey research, to help refine questions to be asked in surveys, and to gain insights on consumer behavior, perceptions and the differences between. The new ‘Soccer Mom’ is a thing called ‘The Walmart mom’; adult women in a certain income range, with children who shop at Walmart. If these women are the new ‘swing’ voter, America is profoundly under informed. For those trying to predict an outcome that is ‘red’ or ‘blue’ in the upcoming elections; the only thing you can be sure of is voters are restive. They’re worried about Ebola, their jobs, their kids, their living standard, ISIS and terrorists. They’re concerned about Obama’s performance as a leader, they really hate congress, and don’t trust the government as a whole. Overall, on both sides of the imaginary political fence, incumbents might actually suffer the worst fate on election night. That could be a harbinger of pick ups for both Republicans, and Democrats. President Obama didn’t help himself on Al Sharpton’s radio show the other day. Now the idea there is some back room deal which allows democrats to distance themselves from the President while he works secretly to get them re elected, because they support ‘his’ policies, through and through, is spreading through media like ebola in West Africa. Between the President’s loud mouth and the First Lady’s confusion about Bruce Braley (not bailey), and what office he is running for in Iowa (Senate not Governor), it’s democrats angry at the White House ‘Jay-Vee’ team, not just Republicans. Meanwhile, the New York Times is doing everything it can to help democrats in battleground states. The latest is an effort to portray Iowa as a burgeoning urbanized state. (Editor’s note: I have driven through Iowa many times in the last few years and I assure you, there are a great many corn and soy bean fields remaining). Add to the din, James Okeefe’s latest video which shows democrat operatives in Colorado cheering an actor who explains how to commit massive voter fraud using absentee ballots, and Teacher’s Unions spending millions in the last few days before November 4th (Election Day), and its starting to get interesting. Then comes the so called battleground states, where republicans, democrats and independents are running neck and neck, confounding the punditry’s attempts to make claims about pick ups and losses. Suddenly Republican strongholds are in play, and visa versa. Listen to this podcast and you will know the latest on polls in all of them, and what the data means. Remember though, late breaking voters tend to be terribly misinformed, and as predicated by Bob Davis weeks ago, in the end this all comes down to which teams are going to be more successful getting the vote out. The GOP hopes for the usual higher turn out in off years, but the DNC knows it has to turn out the Obama coalition (Minorities, women and young adults) just one more time, like they did in 2008 and 2012, and they are well equipped to do just that. Now it’s all up to you … the voter. Or not. Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul. 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 36:34 — ) | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS