In a break from his usual policy talk, Rich talks about what happened last week in Politics. Impeachment, Iowa, and State of the Union.
Engage the conversation on Substack at The Common Bridge!
In a break from his usual policy talk, Rich talks about what happened last week in Politics. Impeachment, Iowa, and State of the Union.
Engage the conversation on Substack at The Common Bridge!
[inaudible].
Speaker 2:Welcome to the podcast, the common bridge with Richard helpy. Rich is a successful entrepreneur in the technology, health and finance space. He and his wife Leslie, are also philanthropists with interest in civic and artistic endeavors, but with a primary focus on medically and educationally underserved children. My name is Brian Kruger, and from time to time I'll be the moderator and host of this podcast. Rich, welcome back to the common bridge and like we did a week or so ago. Um, this really isn't the common bridge. I'm going to ask you for an opinion and it's opinion that our listeners like because that last episode, that wasn't the common bridge spiked in our ratings. So I fooled you again. Tell me about what happened last week in us politics. That was an amazing week.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think the whole impeachment episode really calls out how disconnected our federal politicians are from what really makes a difference to the citizens of the United States. Um, and frankly I think they're aided and abetted and fueled by a media complex that needs a 24 by seven, I don't know, hysteria, but they want to continue to report an outrage, a threat, whatever, and keep people on this kind of agitated state. Um, we spoke months ago now February, and you know, September, October said, look, yeah, they're going to find a way to impeach the president. And when they do, he's going to be acquitted in the Senate and for all the noise for all of the hundreds of hours of, uh, electronic reporting and for all of the print that's gone out and for all the vitriol and for all the argument, look where we are today. We had a president impeached and we had a president acquitted. Um, and we're going to keep getting that as a long as we keep consuming it. And this division of us versus them, um, was really brought home when they brought out the testimony of senators, uh, during the Clinton impeachment, what they were saying then. And now that the shoe was on the other foot, they're saying 180 degrees opposite. It's like they forgot that they were being taped or something, or they just were so arrogant, they just don't care. I think you can find that on both sides though too, right? Oh, absolutely. This is a universal issue. Um, and it's the way that we've allowed the conduct to occur. Um, and again, I don't claim to be a historian, so you know, maybe somebody might come along and say, gosh, you know, this happened in 18, 12, and you know, this was, uh, there was a parallel there. Uh, but I know that the pace of our world is changing, uh, that we do need to have good government and we need to have reasonable people doing reasonable things on behalf of the citizenry and they're not, they're spending all this time battling each other. Um, and it's just
Speaker 2:nonsense. Hey, well let me, let me prompt you with this then. Uh, there are a lot of people that say last week was the best week that, uh, Trump and the Republicans have had during his presidency. I'm going to ask you to be devil's advocate on here and what do you think went bad for them? Last week? Trump opened his mouth after I read, you put it the best this morning. What did you say? He can't hit or he snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. And he does that.
Speaker 3:And look there, there are a limited number of explanations for that behavior. Um, two of them are that this is very crafty. Always staying ahead of the news cycle. That would be a one or the massive personal issues and they're just manifesting. Um, in any case they're uncalled for. And what it's done is it's masked the really positive things that have been done about the economy.
Speaker 2:We've just been talking about trade. It seems to be universally accepted that what the guy's done with trade has been just top notch.
Speaker 3:Well, not only has it been time notch, but if you, you know, and I don't know that people understand this, but the speakers I'm bringing on are not, uh, from the Republican side of the aisle necessarily. Yeah. And it may get them offline and they day hates a pretty strong word, but, um, they loath the guy, uh, the, the president and, um, but they're like, yeah, the trade thing was long overdue. Um, and that they weren't good agreements, uh, that we had prior. And that when you hear the theme, yep, this is good for America and American workers, um, which, you know, if I'm the Democrat today, I think a suicide mission is to try to convince Americans that they're not doing well.
Speaker 2:You're right. It, or you had mentioned that earlier too. So there's plans should be, okay, we've got that. We're going to go, we're not going to touch what's going on now. Here's what we're going to improve on, which I think is an uphill battle anyway. Well,
Speaker 3:the thing is, you, it, it's, you're going into, um, Donald Trump's wheelhouse and, and then they think they're going to attack him. It's, that's not the way to win if you're looking at this politically against this president, um, the notion that you're going to drag out a 70 something year old career politician, uh, with a lot of baggage. Who has decades long history of making really stupid statements, racially tinge remarks, who has boundary issues with women and Ukrainian corruption problem. And that's your answer. Seriously. Um, that, uh, I think there are some, uh, bright stars. I think today there are actually three Democrat candidates that could beat Donald Trump. Expound on that for me. Okay. So, um, I don't think any of this will be a surprise. And by the way, I really like Tulsi gabber and I really liked John Hickenlooper when they were in the game. Um, well you thought Hickenlooper at that was a shame. You think that, uh, Gabbert could be around for awhile. It's just a little early for her. I think that was one of your early, or it's our political career is over. I mean, it could be that too, but um, if she turns out to be a Russian spy, which I, I, it's, it's unusual that Hillary, if you don't tow the line for Hillary Clinton, you're a Russian agent. Although we now know from the inspector General's report and other sources that 100% of the Russian disinformation brought into the 2016 campaign was bought and paid for by Hillary Clinton. I mean, it's just another thing. It's talk about your three Democrats. So, okay. So, um, Pete Buddha, judge alright is, um, really, really wicked smart and he doesn't seem to take the bait. Um, if someone attacks him or someone asks him a loaded question, um, I mean he just comes across as a real thoughtful guy with, uh, Midwest sensibilities. Um, I have a good friend who says he won't vote for anyone older than himself. And I'm like, and I'm a month younger than he is. So I said, okay, good. That leaves me and Pete budaj so far. But I think, I think Buddha judge running a, a campaign of, of measured response, uh, intellectual depth, uh, and the great, uh, military background that he's got, um, that this is a guy Americans could say, you know, I'm tired of the Trump show. Um, maybe this will be a relief. And of course, you know, obviously, you know, has he had a big enough job before, you know, when we see that with, with Obama that didn't seem to hold them back and in different jobs of course
Speaker 2:with um, with Trump. But do you think that Buddha judge is, um, is kept, uh, you know, that that issue in the room that people don't want to talk about as the effort African American voter, the male African American voters going to have a real hard time with homosexuality? It seems to, it's come across in all the polls and that doesn't seem to be a problem, not necessarily with the African American female population, it's just the male population. Um, and it has roots in Southern Baptist religion and such. Uh, do you think he can go, he can win as a Democrat and not be able to pull that vote?
Speaker 3:Well, I think it's absurd that the sex lives of politicians is even, uh, an issue. And, um, you know, if you go back to John Kennedy's dalliances and you know, did Eisenhower have a mistress? And you're into that. But you know what bill Clinton was up to, you know, Thomas Jefferson, um, with Sally hemming. Um, and we're not voting for any kind of, you know, spiritual icon necessarily. I mean, w we want people to be a good character and trustworthy, but this notion that candidates a sex and love life is better than candidates B is just absurd. Um, and if you think from a political perspective about homosexuality, because of our society not being able to accept that it made people in powerful positions, um, vulnerable to blackmail, well, guess what? You're not gonna blackmail a guy that's openly homosexual, right? And that, you know, we're not voting for someone based on their love life. I hope. I mean, you know, but you got to know what's out there. I mean, that, that issue is going to be out there, but you know, he's dealt with this as life and they'll find a way to do it. And you know, when I think about the attack surface, uh, that a presidential campaign brings in, um, I just believe that any candidate, including Donald Trump that attacks, uh, Pete Buddha judge for who he is, is, it's a sure loser. I think it, I think they leave them alone. I think, I just think that there's a, you know, that, that he's gonna have that issue. Well, they're there and he may, um, but I'm just saying that the, the kind of campaign that he could run to win is one of, I'm a sensible, smart guy. I speak seven languages. I've been, I carried a backpack and a rifle in, uh, Afghanistan. Uh, he checks a lot of boxes and, and, and just as demeanor, um, you know, how easy it is to get under the president skin today. This guy is like the polar opposite. He's like ice man. And he's like, you know, you're not gonna, you're not gonna get him into a rage. Um, you know, and, and the issue would be is if he became a nominee, you know, who he picked for VP, and if he became the president, would the forces inside of his party, which are really unresolved, which way would that drag him? That's interesting. Yeah. What do you have to get a diverse, cause he a white male. I know he's white, homosexual male, but I'm not sure if that checks the box for diversity necessarily on that side. What I'm saying when I don't mean, you know, any kind of, uh, ancestral, uh, diversity or any kind of, um, social identifier. But I mean, uh, the ultra liberal wing, and you know, if you remember when bill Clinton ran, he said it's a third way. All right. And he was a centrist and after his first term, um, it, bill Clinton would be reflective. And he said, you know, he said, I got dragged so far to the left. I didn't recognize myself. And that's when he started reaching out to new Gingrich. And they started saying, all right, reminiscent of the Reagan tip O'Neill discussions. And I think that would be a risk for, um, any of the, uh, democratic contenders. Um, the other two that I think, uh, could win, and this one won't surprise you. Uh, but Elizabeth Warren, she's taken a lot of hits and she's done some things that are self destructive, but she also can beat Donald Trump based on just staying on issues. All right. That and getting off the, trying to tell people that things aren't going really well for them as far as their earnings in the light. Um, she, she runs a non attack campaign. She is, she remains calm and continues to go after policy after policy after policy. Um, I think she could make a real run, uh, because look, as we've talked before, everybody wakes up in the morning, goes, did he tweet last night and look what he just did after the acquittal and, and where he went on rants. It's like, you're like waited for this. I don't know if, can I say shit? That's my show, right? Where we wait for this, the shit show of impeachment to be over and it's, Oh, good. And then he likes that. It's like, Holy crap and amazing. He doesn't. And so, so I think that there's a, a sector of the population, a large sector of the population that said, you know, I'd like to change gears. I'd like to find a different president. And the Democrats have done everything possible to make themselves look attractive. Um, had they simply beginning in 2016 instead of the resistance and the pouting and we're going to impeach the guy literally the day he got elected. Um, and we're going to drag up, uh, stormy Daniels, Mike Lewminatti, Michael Cohen, uh, we're going to send a SWAT team to go, there was something every six months. Yeah, exactly. And we're, and we're going to have, uh, an investigation to find out that Paul Manafort's taxes from 14 years ago, um, weren't any good. You know, uh, that we were going to bring out a, uh, a bombshell secret witness in the, uh, the Supreme court hearing, um, and then have them, you know, sacrifice their dignity by going down party lines. I believe you come on. Um, they didn't act like adults. They didn't bring forth a candidate people wanted and they don't have a platform yet that Americans want. And that's why Trump's running so strong, because there's no place to go.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Last year you and I had a conversation. It was a brief one though, but you had mentioned it was about a Nancy Pelosi, if you remember, really didn't want to go down the impeachment path. She just didn't. And then it was a lot of pressure from the extreme left. The AOC is, you know, that group that really kind of pressured you got to go do it. Well, now the smoke is cleared. It went down to be the disaster that I think that Pelosi thought it would be. And now they got to pick up the pieces. If they take one more step, I mean, there's some[inaudible] they're out of time and they're there. They're there. We're talking about, look, let's, let's, let's investigate him some more, and then it just becomes a pure attack and not an, it's purely political then.
Speaker 3:Well, it, it, the other thing is that it's, um, it's the Counterstrike, right? That, uh, you know, look, if John Bolton has something to say, then you know, they need to get him into a place where he can say it. Okay. Well also the house committees want to interview Adam Schiff under oath. Uh, which ought to be really interesting. What, what people have lost sight of is that there's really been nothing hidden here. There was a phone call. Alright, the record of the phone call is not in dispute. Um, but now we have a second hand whistleblower and I've ever read the whistleblower report when it came out. Right on the first page says, I don't have any firsthand information. Adam Schiff at the time said, we've spoken to the guy and he's going to be here in a week. And then he sh then he adjusts his position. No, I never talked to him. Nope. Not me. It's like, ah, you know, it kind of doesn't pass the smell test. Right. Anyway, I don't want to rehash all that. We don't have a third candidate that can beat Donald Trump. Uh, uh, is Bernie Sanders. And the reason is that, um, Sanders is hated by the democratic national committee establishment as much as the DNC hates Donald Trump and the, he might be right with that. And you actually, that's interesting. Yeah. He is, um, uh, picked up, uh, disaffected, uh, voters. He runs really strong with, uh, younger people. Um, he does have a grasp on the issues. Um, and he, he has a, a view on solutions that, um, I think appeal to people. But the other thing, if you listen carefully to Bernie Sanders, he will get the best deal he can. So we talked about, you know, really what was in his Medicare for all bill. And so first of all, it's not Medicare as Nate Kaufman and I went through, but I think his general theme is how do we give healthcare security to people better than the way we're doing it today. Yeah. And I would think a president Sanders would be a guy to champion that and find a middle ground. Um, he's, uh, again, he's a bit of a loose cannon, but I don't imagine he's owed too many favor. He doesn't owe too many favors inside the Democrat party. I bet you're right on that. And similarly to Donald Trump, uh, didn't know anybody any favors inside the Republican party. And I guess that's not much of an endorsement for Sanders cause you, you would say then that Sanders could have his own populous appeal. I mean, that's how we got Trump. There was a populous part of that that said, Oh it is, and go. I've said this, uh, since 16, that uh, the only good thing with Trump being nominated is that it, it blew a hole in the Republican party establishment. Remember the Republicans thought, Hey, we're going to have this show and then job's going to be our candidate. And then the only thing I said, the only thing good about him getting elected would be he'd blow up the establishment of the democratic party. And so the Dems ran the most establishment candidate they could and lost and apparently not getting the memo. They're trying it again. Right. And if you talk about the events of the week, and I don't know if I should put up crazy conspiracy warning or not, there'll be fun for the first time. And I believe 75 years, the Des Moines register did not their final poll the Sunday before the caucuses. And I'm like, huh, what? What did they find in there that they didn't want to publish? No, no, it was a font issue. Yeah. Yeah. Right. And uh, and then they run the caucuses and they go, um, well we can't count them. That's how I wonder, I wanted to wrap a segment up with that. We're both old software guys. Tell me about yeah. And it's like well wait a minute, we've got video and paper and, and now look at the headline. The headline is not Sanders wins Iowa cause he's going to win New Hampshire probably. Right. That's it. The headline is, I was too close to call and who Dodges the bullet there? Guy Biden, exact, really bad coming out of Iowa with those numbers. And so I, my sense if you think about in Baba was pure speculation cause I don't know, it's just fun. I caught you up 2016 the, the DNC clearly, um, tried to disadvantage Bernie Sanders unfairly, clearly. Um, you listen to what Hillary Clinton said about the guy recently. They let her out to, you know, to get some fresh air. And I guess they caught her with a mic, but, um, nobody likes them. Nobody likes them. Like said that. Yeah. Um, that and now and the guy's winning voters and all of a sudden you can't get the news about that. I just, it just seems curiously coincidental to me that this could occur. Um, but we'll, we'll have to wait and see. And, uh, I wish our president behaved better, uh, because if he did, he would be getting credit for the things that, that he has accomplished. Um, and if the opposition party, the Democrats had behaved better, people would have said, thank you, Mr. Trump. Um, w one we got a real person coming in. Yeah. Yeah. One term will be enough. And the, the news would be, you know, Trump's approval rating given a viable place to go would be high twenties, low thirties, and the, and the news would be who's running in the Republican primary against Trump, whether it be a John Case, look at Nikki Haley or someone else, but because of their behavior, there's race to the bottom by both sides. Um, we're left in this quandary, so I'll just end on, that's why we're doing the comments bridge because well done. Those guys aren't getting it done and, and, and let's at least talk about possibly ability for changes, but, um, you know, thanks for no thank you and apologize the
Speaker 2:second time for, well, I was surprised that we got a lot of positive feedback. Um, I just don't want to fall into any kind of trap of fueling the crappy media environment we've got now. Yeah. Um, I think we're better than that and I think if we quit listening to that stuff, we're going to be a better country. And for folks listening to this, if you'd like to go to Richard helpy.com, um, you can, uh, join, uh, the website and also on his blog page, you can put your own questions up and say, Hey, look, you know, what do you think about this? And you can actually be a topic of a future podcast when we try to lump some of those in. We'd like to get your voice heard on this too. So anyway, thanks rich. Alright, thanks Brian. Appreciate it. You have been listening to Richard help and he's common bridge podcast recording and post-production provided by stunt three multimedia. All rights are reserved by Richard helpy. For more information, visit Richard helpy.com.