Podcast 471

Trump’s Sudden Inevitability. The shouting match between Senator Rubio, Senator Ted Cruz and Donald Trump in the Texas Debate recently, doesn’t change the almost daily lame reporting from the campaign trail and the utter emptiness of what they call ‘analysis’ these days. Now suddenly Donald Trump is the ‘inevitable’ candidate. Now suddenly there will be a contested Republican National Convention. Now suddenly the world quakes at the prospect of Donald J. Trump, President. Now suddenly Trump can beat Hillary Clinton, forget what was said earlier. Reporters, TV Stars, ‘consultants’ and ‘analysts’, Talk Radio Clowns and even the Pope can’t resist inserting themselves into ‘the process’ whatever that is. What a process it is. Thanks to the idiots at the RNC we have an almost weekly political wrestling match, with the winner declared before the show is over, because of the barbs thrown and the jabs and thrusts and innuendo. Why not do away with voting entirely and just have people call a number for their candidate at the end of these cage matches, and declare the winner with a mix of votes and judgements by the perfumed princes of media, chosen to look really serious and ask the candidates questions. Ted Cruz is George Washington. No Wait! Ted Cruz is the New Reagan. Trump is Mussolini. Clinton is Jimmy Carter. Bernie Sanders is uh…Larry David. The predictions from the ‘experts’. Trump has a lock on the nomination, even though we’ve only had two caucuses and two primaries, but there it is people. Step right up! See the bearded lady and the midget perform! The voters? The voters you say? Oddly enough The Bob Davis Podcasts is traveling, speaking with and listening to actual regular people and here in the South there are a lot of Trump signs and bumperstickers on brand new cars. People seem angry, and frustrated and ready to stick it to the man, and don’t seem to be taking it any more seriously than the half time show at the Super Bowl. Why should they? Meanwhile, once again the country is not falling apart. The infrastructure is not crumbling. People seem to be miraculously going about their business despite all the magpies telling them how to live and what to think. Have they already made a decision to stick it to the man? Only time will tell. Sponsored by X Government Cars and Brush Studio.

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Podcast 468

South Carolina’s Vote. The big first in the south primary is over, and the undisputed winner is New York’s Donald J. Trump. What must have made Trump’s night, Governor Jeb Bush suspended his presidential campaign. More ‘suspensions’ are sure to follow as actual votes, upend story lines, predictions and prognostications. Meanwhile Hillary Clinton defeated Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in the Nevada Caucuses. Will it make any difference for the Vermont Senator’s chances to defeat the former Secretary of State this week in the Democrat South Carolina primary? Probably not. Caucuses are completely different animals from primaries, where people actually vote. Let’s not forget on the GOP side, Ted Cruz won the Iowa Caucus, but lost to Trump in New Hampshire and South Carolina. As the news rolled over the wires, I took a little bit of time outside a hotel where a huge celebration was taking place, to make some observations about the race, the presidential primary systems, and the difference between traditions, law, and a written constitution. Are you ready to have traditions — not the constitution — fundamentally change the way the United States chooses its president? Between the tradition of state by state primaries, a grueling campaign effort that wastes money and winnows candidacies and efforts to slave the Electoral College not to state legislatures but to the popular vote — and by ‘constitutionalist republicans’ no less — how we elect a president is changing, and judging from this primary cycle’s wacky, craven, foolish, disgusting and sad efforts by politicians described by the same kinds of words, not for the better. IS the cream rising to the top? Good question. Also in this podcast, the first excerpt of the Bob Davis Podcast Radio show, heard on GCN Live. Expect an announcement regarding this new show around the beginning of March. We’re in Key West Florida for this podcast, getting some maintenance on Mobile Podcast Command and preparing for the next leg of this massive road trip, which takes us back up Florida’s Gulf Coast, the Red Neck Riveria to New Orleans, Texas, back up 35 to Minneapolis-Saint Paul. Sponsored by X Government Cars and Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul.

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Podcast 463

Inside An Iowa Caucus. Live from Tennessee, we take a final look at the Iowa Caucuses, by taking subscribers inside a rural Iowa precinct caucus. Thirteen US States and 2 US territories use the caucus system. People who live in states with primary elections – where people cast a single vote on a ballot of some kind on primary election day – may hear the word ‘caucus’ but have never been inside one and don’t really understand the process. As democrats argue about how Hillary Clinton eked out a victory in the Iowa caucus, and Donald Trump making noises about Ted Cruz’ efforts to win, just how a caucus is conducted is news. In this podcast we take you inside an Iowa Caucus; The Rules, The Speeches, The Vote Counting and The Results. If you’re lucky enough to live in a state with caucuses, when you participate you’re taking part in one of the oldest democratic processes in the world. Classic representative government in Athens, Rome, and the Venetian Republic among others, allowed a sort of people’s congress. All citizens in good standing could participate in choosing candidate for leadership positions. We still do it to this day with caucuses. It’s fascinating to participate, or listen to everyday citizens conducting an orderly meeting in which leaders are nominated, voted upon, and citizens from that precinct are chosen to represent their neighbors at the next level meeting. While these podcasts have questioned Iowa’s permanent position as the first in the nation vote in presidential cycles, the commitment of its citizens to the process should be celebrated. Having escaped the snows of Des Moines and decamped to Chattanooga Tennessee, I am joined in this podcast by an old friend, who also provides some insight as to how one of the key states in the so called ‘Southeastern Conference’ may vote on Super Tuesday. From here, its on to South Carolina, where all the campaigns are headed after New Hampshire. This concludes the Iowa Caucus portion of 2016 coverage for the Bob Davis Podcasts. A few days of barbecue, shooting and some southern hospitality and we’re back on the road again. (Big thanks to John Berg of Jefferson, Iowa for inviting the Bob Davis Podcasts into his precinct caucus!) Sponsored by Brush Studio and Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul.

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