Podcast 258

Fox News Crushes. As we head into Thanksgiving, people taking various parts of the week off, heading out on the road to where ever they’re going, easing into the week. The big story to watch in the next few days is Ferguson, Missouri. Deliberations of the Grand Jury there on whether or not there is enough evidence to charge the policeman who shot and killed Michael Brown during and after an altercation with Brown. The Grand Jury could report out at any time until January 7th, when its term comes to an end, and a new jury is empaneled. Media critics have suddenly discovered that Fox News is beating the daylights out of its cable competitors CNN and MSNBC, and on election night 2014, all three of the major networks as well. What will happen to CNN and MSNBC? What is the future for the broadcast news networks and stations? While Fox News will probably reign for some time, even Cable Television is starting to show its age. How will new digital sources of information and new ways for people to get their news effect the 2016 election. As we witness a revolution in Media, will we witness a revolution in politics? Whenever there is a major national or international story such as President Obama’s executive order on Immigration recently, The Bob Davis Podcasts gets a spate of emails from listeners, with examples of emails they want to send to Speaker Of The House John Boehner telling him what to do, and what they don’t like. Is it better to send emails and call your congressman’s office? Or to start working in local politics to influence your local governments, state government and state wide races, with an eye toward developing an organization that delivers votes and money, and therefore influence? There are many Republicans who might be candidates for President in 2016. The worst thing that could happen is another season of debates between 16 candidates. Forget writing letters to the Speaker and start organizing in your neighborhood. While there are divisions in the Republican party (watch as the media develops that story line), there are also divisions among Democrats. Republicans continue to need a cogent plan for improving the US Economy, showing they’re capable of running the White House (not too hard, given the current occupant) and a plan to improve the international relations of the US. On the Bill Cosby front, come the obligatory commentaries about how Hollywood, Politics and Sports do not give our children any role models anymore. Its time people started acting as role models for their own children, and especially teach them its ok to have heroes and role models, but famous people are humans too and they make mistakes, sometimes terrible mistakes. Planning on doing some drinking this Thanksgiving? Did you know doctors may consider you an excessive drinker? Find out why and how. Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul

Podcast 195

Ferguson – The Rush To Judgement. A very late podcast for Bob Davis, and a very early Friday morning podcast for you. Updates for your weekend start with the controversy surrounding a police shooting and subsequent death of an 18 year old. Is the media fanning the flames? Should President Obama be interrupting his vacation to comment on the situation? Tensions have calmed somewhat with the introduction of State Police Security and the removal of a militarized local police force, at the request of Missouri Governor Nixon. Are our police too militarized? Some first hand memories of Saint Louis and surrounding communities may help people who have never been there visualize what is happening; Saint Louis is an aging industrial city, dealing with many different problems at once, with several surrounding small communities suffering as well, on the North Side. Might incompetent policing be at the core of this controversy and tragedy? Moreover, is it possible the root causes of discontent are economic, not racial? With economic growth stalling around the world, retail numbers dropping here in the US, are the policies directed at solving our economic problems working? If you watch television (broadcast or cable) these days, how would you know? What passes for ‘analysis’ is pure comedy, most of the time. Television short circuits your ability to reason, exciting your reptilian, emotional brain. Of course, the vast wasteland that has become broadcast talk radio, only seems to play on those emotions as well. Music by Brian Just. Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul.

Podcast 117

Podcast 117 gets you started on the last day of March 2014, and ready for the first week of April. A shout out to the Constitution Party of Minnesota, and why I won’t be podcasting my speech there this weekend. There’s a big controversy between the North Metro Tea Party and candidate for the Republican endorsement for the US Senate in 2014, Mike McFadden. Can moderates lead Republicans to victory if they force the nomination of yet another Bush in 2016? Will mushy moderates inevitably give way to ‘radical’ libertarian ideas espoused by leaders like Rand Paul, Ted Cruz and Scott Walker? And why are we talking about the presidential race in 2016 when there is a perfectly pivotal election for the House of Representatives, Senate, state houses and governor’s mansions in 2014? Is Democracy dying in America? Plus updates on MH370 and the Ukraine, Obama’s foreign policy, MSNBC’s sinking ratings and a special note on the Minneapolis South West Metro Light Rail controversy. Sponsored by Edelweissdesign.com.