Podcast 424

Retail Politics. The 2016 presidential election cycle isn’t yet in the primaries, but campaigns have locked in their rhetoric. Speakers are throwing out red meat at small gatherings of potential voters and political actives across the country, especially in the early caucus and primary states. This podcast takes you inside a political event in Minnesota where a surrogate for the Ted Cruz For President Campaign — The Senator’s Father — makes a speech. Sorry? Did you think these events would include substance, discussion of the issues, details on how to achieve goals, and detailed analysis of opponents? Media focus, polling, ‘cattle call’ debates, a desperate need for money to fuel bare bones campaigns, and propel candidates to the top of the heap before a single vote has been cast, has all but destroyed ‘discussion’ and ‘substance’. It may be early, but it’s already all about firing up the hopeful, the political active, getting the contribution, getting people on the email list, jumping on the plane or bus, and heading to the next event. Even local supporters and state legislators at the event are ‘on message’. The problem with retail politics and red meat is, do people have any better idea of what the candidates actually will do? What is a conservative? What is the plan for the country and why? What do Republicans stand for? Listen and find out. Sponsored by X Government Trucks and Pride of Homes and Luke Team Real Estate. 

Podcast 369

Night Train. An Amtrak train going over 100 miles an hour derails and the reason for the crash? Infrastructure. Really? It will be weeks before the real cause of the crash, which killed at least 7 people is known. Yet the ghouls in Congress are already making the most out of a crisis and tragedy by demanding, you guessed it, more spending for ‘infrastructure’. Is that what we really need? Speaking of train wrecks, Jeb Bush, a sort of candidate for the republican presidential nomination, answered a question last week he shouldn’t have, and now he is ‘evolving’ his comments. Bush said he would have supported the Iraq invasion in 2003, if he had been in Congress. No wait, now he says he wouldn’t have, if he knew then what he knows now. Well of course Governor! Bush should have instructed his interviewer to ask someone who actually voted for the resolution, or ordered the invasion. In the process Jeb Bush – the so called ‘smart Bush’ – missed the point; Republicans do not have a foreign policy. Democrats do not have a foreign policy. The President does not have a foreign policy. We’re in a new era with new rules. For one thing, with the US as the world’s largest oil producer, and largest swing producer state, it changes the picture considerably. Second, unfortunately we now know that invading countries, fixing them, and then leaving precipitously is probably not a workable policy. Other than that, no candidate whether democrat or republican has been able to articulate a foreign policy position that makes any sense. A protest in Minneapolis this week resulted in the police using pepper spray, and apparently inadvertently pepper spraying a ten year old. Now the mom wants answers. We want answers to, like why on earth would you take a ten year old kid to a potentially violent protest? Apparently no one has any common sense anymore. The Pope continues to wave the red flag, and when he’s not doing that, he’s genuflecting to communists, or pushing his version of global warming. Joining the world’s biggest useful idiot (the Pope) is the world’s second most celebrated useful idiot Francois Hollande, President of France, giving Raul Castro a rock star welcome to the fourth republic. A former bodyguard to Fidel Castro is telling his story, after years of torture and incarceration at the hands of the communist dictator. While the Cuban people starved, Fidel Castro enjoyed luxury in several estates, drank wine, cavorted with mistresses, and offered rich American movie stars (did I mention useful idiots) holidays at his Bay of Pigs ‘ranche’. We are now being warned of the impending disasters which will be brought by El Nino. Do you know what the effects of an El Nino event are? Do you know how accurate the predictions are? Find out in this podcast. Sponsored by X Government Cars.

Podcast 353 – Sunny Lohmann

Live From Napa California. The road trip continues through California, stopping in Napa to do a podcast with Sunny Lohmann. A breathless romp through pop culture and current events. A road rage incident in the sun drenched wine drinking paradise, provokes a question about rage. What is the difference between Meme and Mime? As the tax deadline approaches, both Bob and Sunny struggle with their tax issues. Is it better to rush to file on the deadline, or file an extension? Some stories about the trip up to San Francisco and Napa using the Pacific Coast Highway, and the story of the Nepenthe in Big Sur, California. This was the weekend Secretary of State John Kerry tried to defend the so called Iran ‘deal’ that the Supreme Leader in Iran says isn’t a deal. The President defended the Secretary by citing his status as a Vietnam Veteran. What is the reality in Iran, and the reality of the Iranian political system? With the negative comments about the US from Iran, is this the new model for US Foreign Relations? If the Iran ‘deal’ collapses, the President can now say he tried. As Sunny says, it’s amazing that the President will talk to the Iranian leadership, and Raul Castro, but not Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. What is the effect of environmentalism is California? According to Sunny, environmentalism and recycling is a religion in the Golden State. Two Midwesterners talk about the difference between services in the Midwest and California. Sunny reacts to the White House picture of President Obama waving at the bottom of the arc of a rainbow as he boarded Air Force 1. Is this good for the President, or not? As we come to the end of an era in America, will the right be able to actually present an agenda? What will the real issues of 2016’s election be? Is the country asleep right now? And, if we are at the end of an era, what’s next? One additional bit of advice from a woman who moved from Minnesota to California with her husband and new baby. Sponsored by X Government Cars