Doug Jones Beats Roy Moore-Trump-Alabama-GOP Chaos-Podcast 685

Is the South suddenly turning blue? Democrats have handed the GOP a shocking defeat in the Alabama US Senate Race. Coverage in Doug Jones Beats Roy Moore-Trump-Alabama-GOP Chaos-Podcast 685.

A Stinging Defeat

What are the takeaways from this race? What about winners and losers? Where do the President and Republicans in the Senate go from here? Where does the President’s former chief strategist Steve Bannon go from here?

Comedy of Errors

This was a race that captured the whole country’s attention. First there was the botched appointment of Luther Strange to the Senate Seat held by Jeff Sessions by an embattled Governor. A controversial primary election followed. Especially relevant were salacious allegations of misconduct leveled against republican candidate Judge Roy Moore. We’ll talk about it in Doug Jones Beats Roy Moore-Trump-Alabama-GOP Chaos-Podcast 685.

Welcome To The Blue South?

This is the second state to elect a democrat in a state wide race this fall. With Virginia electing a democrat governor in November and now a Senator in Alabama in December republicans are suddenly concerned about a lot more than their majority in the US Senate. What about the 2018 races coming up?

The Tax Bill Suddenly Got More Expensive

Republicans have a thin majority in the Senate. With the democrats adding a seat and a few republicans soft on the President’s agenda, suddenly passing legislation like the Tax ‘Reform’ Bill, Confirmations and Treaty Votes will be a little more uphill. In 2018 you can be sure past histories of congressmen and senators and their relationships with women will be on the ballot. But there’s more.

Get That Old Religion

In Doug Jones Beats Roy Moore-Trump-Alabama-GOP Chaos-Podcast 685 we’ll talk about the failure of something called ‘Republican Populism‘ in Alabama. Truth is, many people have overlooked Roy Moore’s decidedly far right and ‘populist’ political ideas because of the allegations against him. While those allegations certainly had an effect, his politics couldn’t have helped.

Time For A Plan

Finally, do republicans have a plan for the future beyond, “We can’t let democrats win”. Is there a plan beyond barnstorming politicians who say whatever enters their mind and blame of the media? We’ll talk about it in Doug Jones Beats Roy Moore-Trump-Alabama-GOP Chaos-Podcast 685.

Trump Has To Take The Blame

The president, his former chief strategist and the republican party have suffered a stinging defeat. The idea was, go out and campaign for our guy because he is our guy and we can’t afford another ‘liberal’ democrat in the senate. Well, that is exactly what happened. President Trump has no one else to blame for this defeat, but himself.

(Editor’s Note: A late night meant I was a little fuzzy with my Senate numbers. With the GOP losing this seat they lose a vote in the Senate. Democrats gain one. So it’s GOP 51, DEM 49. Add two independents who caucus with democrats…and it’s 51 51. With a soft majority for the republicans – they don’t necessarily vote as a block – the future could be uphill for the President and Republicans.)

Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul

Doug Jones Beats Roy Moore-Trump-Alabama-GOP Chaos-Podcast 685

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas 2017-New Year’s 2018-Getting Through-Road Ahead-Podcast 684

That time of year again. Christmas and Holiday pressure. End of Year Themes. Predictions. Maybe the best thing to do is to kick back and wait it out. In Christmas 2017-New Year’s 2018-Getting Through-Road Ahead-Podcast 684.

It’s Christmas Season Already?

Hard to believe we’re nearing the end of another year. Just ahead of the big slow down between Christmas and New Year’s every year. The pressure is on though. Christmas 2017-New Year’s 2018-Getting Through-Road Ahead-Podcast 684 is an opportunity to give ourselves permission to take a slow down.

Pressure Time Doesn’t Have To Be Pressure Time

These days with people wanting to visit, pressures of blended and non blended families and the normal pressures of life it can get pretty hectic. Moreover, many of us try to pack so many tasks into the mix, it feels like four months of living in about thirty days or less, between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

As a Guy This Is How I Roll

How do some people get through it. My excuse is, I’m a guy. I don’t do much aside from planning my yearly Chinese dinner out on Christmas Day, which few in the family want to come to. It’s a nice opportunity to hang with the younger generation including my son and my nephews, escaping what might termed lightly as ‘the madness’.

Breathe

Especially relevant is the sudden exhortation at the yoga studio for people to ‘take a breath’ and ‘slow down’. Amen to that! What do I want? Time. Time to do nothing. Back in the day, the people out on the plains mended their tools, drank egg coffee and pored over the seed and Sears catalogs to plan what they were going to plant, grow and hopefully harvest in the next year. Take a slow down with me in Christmas 2017-New Year’s 2018-Getting Through-Road Ahead-Podcast 684.

Be A Kid

Then there are the endless predictions and prognostications from a media hell-bent-for-leather to predict the future. What’s going to happen. What happened last year, as though each year has earthshaking developments that will never be forgotten. No time to enjoy the present like we used to when we were kids.

Take Time Off If You Can

Especially relevant for me are the memories of trips to Florida when I was a kid. Getting up at 4AM, climbing into the way-back of the wagon. We couldn’t wait for the moment when you could feel the warmth against the windows. Listening to this podcast, you may find yourself in a reverie of your own memories when Christmas was a simpler time.

Sponsored by Brush Studio In The West End Saint Louis Park and Reliafund

Christmas 2017-New Year’s 2018-Getting Through-Road Ahead-Podcast 684