Podcast 470

The Florida Gulf Coast. 2 days of travel have taken me through some of the most populated and spectacular parts of Florida. From the sugar white Siesta Beach through Sarasota, to Saint Petersburg, and the search for the weatherbeaten deserted beach takes me to the Florida Panhandle. Driving across US 19 all along the coastline, picking up US 98 at Perry, finally finding a beach town that’s pretty close, on through to Panama City, Destin and Pensacola. Although I keep mixing up Pensacola and Panama City, the Florida Gulf Coast was pretty nice on a windy, sunny day not unlike late September back in the upper midwest. I’ve traveled through the southern states many times in my life, and different times. As a kid it was road trips with the family to see the grandparents at Christmas. As an adult work brought me down to Florida, or the pleasure of picking up a brand new car and driving it where ever I wanted. Florida has changed. It seems to be a theme in these travel podcasts, how the southern United States has changed. There are more people than ever. More business than ever. And all kinds of businesses, from industry to banking, tourism, of course the mainstays like agriculture. Those days of finding the out of the way beach and the quiet beach down, still weather beaten from the last hurricane, are waning. Oh those towns are still there, but you might have to look on the Gulf, or on the west coast, or higher up the Atlantic coast, north and south of Jacksonville. Still, travel is so much fun. Getting off the Interstate and onto US19 and US98 were great decisions. Having objectives and deadlines has made this trip great. Ahead, the famous Red Neck Rivera, Louisiana, New Orleans, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Iowa, and back to the Twin Cities. Sponsored by Pride of Homes and Luke Team Real Estate and Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul. 

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Podcast 449

It’s Just The Presidency. Live from Minneapolis and Saint Paul International Airport, Lindberg Terminal, since this is where almost everyone will be at some point during the Holiday season. As family and friends get together for Christmas and The New Year’s, conversations about the Presidential Race and politics will inevitably come up. Some will be new discussions, others will be continuations of discussions began during Thanksgiving. As we walk and talk through the airport, we discuss the idea that there has been a predominant and early focus on the personalities for the presidential race, and with early primaries coming up starting February 1st, and running through next summer, that focus will only increase. With all this presidential coverage it seems like we have completely forgotten 435 house members will be chosen, a third of the US Senate and a host of local, state representatives will be elected, as well as governors in some states. How many of us will be talking about elections for congress, state houses, and governor’s this year, rather than the latest gaffe by some over-televised and exhausted candidate, somewhere in Iowa, or New Hampshire or South Carolina? We’re supposed to have a balanced government in the United States, with sovereignty resting with the people, but it seems more and more as though we rely on one person as the Imperial President to administer the largest and most expensive federal government in the world, with now huge responsibilities. What is the history of ‘mixed’ or ‘balanced’ government. How can a system of checks and balances work if all we talk about are the personalities running for just one part of our balanced government; the executive? What did the founders think of the presidency? Why are there a whole list of enumerated powers in the US Constitution for Congress, the states and a Bill of Rights for the people, and few for the President? What happened in our history to make our presidency so powerful, and is this a good thing? How do we undo it? This is the conversation and the question families and friends should be having this year, heading into 2016’s election. However, people just seem to want a personality to ‘fix’ things, they don’t want to be bothered with details. Maybe this is why the founders also checked the people with an electoral college and Senate appointed by state legislatures and governors. If we’re not going to do our duty as citizens, maybe we need to go back to the old ways. Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul and X Government Trucks. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, from the Bob Davis Podcasts. 

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