Podcast: "I Feel Snitty"
Episode 33: Freak Out at Bernie's
Premiere Date: 2/28/20
Length: 14:11 (2,287 words)
Link: https://ifeelsnitty.podbean.com/e/freak-out-at-bernies/
Transcript:
Welcome to I Feel Snitty, episode 33, entitled, “Freak Out at Bernie’s.” I’m your host, Craig Rozniecki.
Today’s show is going to be lighter in tone and subject matter than usual. Yeah, so the world is about to end. No, I’m not talking about the coronavirus. I’m talking about democratic socialist Bernie Sanders’ inevitable nomination to the top of the Democratic ticket for the 2020 presidential election against Donald Trump. The Doomsday
Democrats, as I call them, have said each of the following:
- “Bernie Sanders is going to destroy the Democratic Party!”
- “He will get demolished in the election and we’ll have four more years of Donald Trump!”
- “Not only that, but we’ll lose control of the House and have no chance at reclaiming control of the Senate!”
- “He will send the Democratic Party back to the point of no return!”
- “If Bernie Sanders wins the Democratic nomination, coronavirus will kills us all!”
Okay, so I may not have heard that last one yet, but you get my point. At least, I hope you do.
So why the paranoia? Because Bernie Sanders is a self-described democratic socialist; is a registered Independent; and historically, such candidates haven’t fared all too well in general elections. However, like Aaron Rodgers said a few years ago after his Green Bay Packers got off to a slow start, “R-E-L-A-X. Relax.”
The fact of the matter is, it’s way too soon to declare a winner for the Democratic nomination. If a candidate were to win on the first ballot, he or she would need to rack up 1,991 pledged delegates. How many does Bernie Sanders have at this moment? 45, or 2.3% of the total needed. Saying he already has the nomination would be like a student saying, “You know what? I know I got the first two questions right on this 100-question test. If I turn it in now, I’ll ace it, no doubt.” Yeah, your teacher may disagree with you there, I’m sorry to say. So sure, Bernie Sanders is currently leading in delegates and could wind up being the Democratic nominee, but it’s not inevitable. It’s anything but inevitable. One must possess a short memory if, after the 2016 campaign and election seasons, they think anything in politics is inevitable.
Secondly, I know many in this country negatively connote socialism; think Bernie is too far left; and believe this is a center-right nation. Well, as College GameDay’s Lee Corso would say, “Not so fast, my friend.”
While it’s true that, according to January 8th, 2019 Gallup poll, 35% of this country identifies as conservative; 35% identify as moderate; and 26% label themselves as liberal, when you look into specific issues, you’ll see that we’re more center-left than we are center-right.
One thing the Republican Party has done much more efficiently over the years than the Democratic Party is branding. Especially in the ‘90s, with the inception of Fox News and when right-wing talk radio hit its peak, the term “liberal” was bastardized to such a grand extent, many formerly self-described liberals began referring to themselves as progressives or even moderates. That bastardization of the term has gradually lost some steam in recent years, as “liberals” have made up ground in the before-mentioned Gallup poll, as in 1996, Conservatives held a net +22 advantage on liberals, and that gap has since decreased 13 points.
“Liberal” is just a word, though, one that has been demonized over the past 30+ years. What essentially makes a liberal a liberal? What do they tend to believe? A large majority of self-described liberals believe the following:
- That we should abolish the electoral college.
- That we should continue federal funding for Planned Parenthood.
- That we should increase the minimum wage to $15.
- That felons should have their voting rights restored once they’ve finished their prison sentences.
- That environmental protection is of greater importance than economic growth.
- That we need criminal justice reform, especially when it comes to drug laws.
- That sex education should be mandated in both middle and high school.
- That we should implement term limits for members of Congress.
- That we should do away with the Senate filibuster.
- That we need to overturn Citizens United.
- That equal work should result in equal pay, regardless of gender.
- That gay marriage should be legal.
- That children who were brought to this country illegally should be given a chance to become citizens.
- That marijuana should be legal.
- That we need to pass stronger gun laws.
- That we need a government-run universal healthcare system.
- That women should have the right to choose what to do with their bodies when it comes to abortion.
- That we should increase taxes on the wealthy.
- That we should have net neutrality.
- That Election Day should be a national holiday.
- That transgender Americans should be allowed to serve in our military.
Well, guess what? On these 21, yes 21 issues, a plurality of the American public is liberal.
- In a May 6th, 2019 NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, it showed that 53% support abolishing the electoral college, while 43% do not.
- In a March 15th, 2017 Kaiser poll, it showed that 75% support continued federal funding for Planned Parenthood, whereas 22% want said funding stopped.
- In a July 30th, 2019 Pew Research Center poll, 67% said they supported increasing the minimum wage to $15, while 33% disagreed.
- In a March 21st, 2018 Huff Post poll, 63% said they believed felons should have their voting rights restored after completing their prison sentences, and just 20% said they didn’t.
- In a 2019 Gallup poll, 65% said they felt environmental protection was of greater importance than economic growth; 30% disagreed.
- In an August 23rd, 2018 Program for Public Consultation at the University of Maryland poll showed the following: That 75% support changing the 20-year mandatory minimum for a second drug offense to 15 years; 70% support changing mandatory life sentences for a third drug offense to 25 years; and 74% support making retroactive adjustments for sentencing disparities between crack and powder cocaine offenses.
- In a May 29th, 2018 Planned Parenthood poll, it showed that 98% support sex
education in high school and 89% support it in middle school.
- In a January 15th, 2018 McLaughlin & Associates poll, 82% said they supported implementing term limits for members of Congress; only 9% disagreed.
- In a September 6th, 2019 Hill-Harris poll, 47% said they thought we should do away with the Senate filibuster, while 40% felt we should keep it the way it is.
- In a May 10th, 2018 Voice of the People poll, 75% said a constitutional amendment should be added to outlaw Citizens United.
- In an April 11th, 2018 Rasmussen, yes, Rasmussen poll, 67% said they believed in equal pay for equal work, regardless of gender; 21% disagreed.
- In a 2019 Gallup poll, 63% said they supported gay marriage being legal.
- In a 2019 Gallup poll, 83% said they felt children, who were brought to this country illegally, should be given the opportunity to become citizens, if they meet certain requirements, whereas 15% said they shouldn’t.
- In a November 14th, 2019 Pew Research Center poll, it showed that 67% believe marijuana should be legalized, whereas 32% do not.
- In an October 20th, 2019 Pew Research Center poll, 60% said they believed in passing stronger gun laws, while only 11% said we should have weaker gun laws.
- In a February 7th, 2019 Hill-Harris poll, it showed that 71% believe in some form of a government-run universal healthcare system, compared to just 15% who want the government completely out of healthcare.
- In a June 7th, 2019 NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll, 77% said they believe the Supreme Court should uphold the Roe v. Wade decision in giving women the right to choose what to do with their bodies post-pregnancy, compared to just 13% who feel the ruling should be overturned.
- In a February 4th, 2019 Politico/Morning Consult poll, 70% said they supported raising taxes on those making $10 million or more and 61% supported Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren’s call for a “wealth tax.”
- In a March 20th, 2019 Comparitech poll, 80% said they supported net neutrality.
- In a November 6th, 2018 American Barometer poll, 54% said Election Day should become a national holiday, while 46% do not.
- Lastly, in a June 20th, 2019 Gallup poll, 71% said they felt transgender people should be allowed to serve in the military, while 26% did not.
So how on earth can we be a center-right nation if we’re center-left or even far left when it comes to: Abortion rights, gun laws, the environment, taxes, the Internet, education, the military, LGBT matters, elections, healthcare, immigration reform, criminal justice reform, marijuana, voting rights, minimum wage, etc., etc., etc.? Simple, we’re not.
Also, why is it we can lambast potential Democratic nominees on being supposedly too far left by being in favor of policies which a plurality of the public also supports, yet we don’t hear much about potential Republican nominees - Donald Trump in particular - being too far right? Why, when 30 - 40,000 people die of gun violence every year is it too far left to suggest we need to strengthen gun laws but not too far right to suggest people with a history of anger and violence, terrorists, or the blind should be allowed to legally acquire firearms? Why is it too far left to believe in climate science and think something needs to be done to curtail the impacts of climate change but not too far right to say that climate science is a Chinese hoax? Why is it too far left to think there’s too large of a wage gap in this country and taxes need to be increased on the top 1-2% as a result, but not too far right to continue believing in the debunked trickle-down economics theory? On most every issue, the people are on Democrats, on progressives’ side. We just need to find a way to beat the Republican Party at their own game - branding.
Lastly, Donald Trump isn’t even popular. The guy has never been popular. As of right at this very moment, according to well-renowned pollster 538, Donald Trump has an approval rating of 43.2%, and historically, if an incumbent has an approval between 46 and 54%, it’s resulted in a close race. However, if his approval has been south of 46% entering election day, he’s typically lost. Last I checked, 43.2 was less than 46, but perhaps that’s just me. Then you’ll hear, “Oh, but Craig, these are national polls. As we saw in 2016, Trump can lose the popular vote and still win the electoral college.” Even if we were to go that route, however, Trump would be in trouble. According to the monthly state-by-state tracking polls conducted by Morning Consult, Trump has a net +10 or better approval rating in just 11 states worth a total of 76 electoral votes. On the flip-side, he has a -10 or worse approval rating in 23 states worth a total of 252 electoral votes, just 18 shy of what’s needed to win the election. Among those 17 states in between are: Virginia, which is worth 13 electoral votes, where he’s at -6; Ohio, which is worth 18 electoral votes, where’s he’s at -5; Arizona, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, which are worth a combined 46 electoral votes, where he sits at -4; Georgia, which is worth 16 electoral votes, where he’s at -3; and Alaska, Florida, and Nebraska, which are worth a combined 37 electoral votes, where he’s at -2. In addition to that, he has a net of just +1 in Montana; +3 in Texas; +4 in Kansas; +5 in Utah; +6 in Missouri, North Dakota, and South Dakota; and +7 in Indiana. So no matter which way you cut it, whether it be via the popular vote or electoral college, Donald Trump, as of today, is not in good shape.
So, when it all comes down to it, whether Bernie Sanders is the Democratic nominee or it’s someone else, we need to relax; start more effectively branding Trumpism and corporate socialism; and come together on November 3rd to vote the national embarrassment of Donald Trump out of office. Let’s cut it out with all of these doomsday scenarios and look back to just a few years ago when we were inspired by Barack Obama’s message of hope and change. Can we beat Donald Trump? If we continue saying it’s inevitable he’s going to win, then no, we can’t. If we come together, though, then yes we can!
In my Twitter poll of the week, I asked the question, “It’s been reported that Trump’s doctor has hid cauliflower in the fake president’s mashed potatoes to improve his diet. How else do you think the Toddler-in-Chief’s doctor has attempted to accomplish said goal?”
After 164 votes, here were the results:
- “Says Obama hates spinach” received 70.1% of the vote.
- “Chase burgers on treadmill” earned 12.2%.
- “Feed beans with jet noises” got 11.0%.
- “Calls it Trump broccoli” came in fourth with 6.7% of the vote.
My favorite response came from TX Pablito @pumbarger, who said, “Slips vitamins into his Adderall!!”
Thanks to everyone who participated. I’ll try to make these things more regular.
That’s it for today’s episode. I’ll see you again next week. Until then, check me out on PodBean, Twitter, Amazon, and Blogpsot. This has been I Feel Snitty with Craig Rozniecki. Take care.
Episode 33: Freak Out at Bernie's
Premiere Date: 2/28/20
Length: 14:11 (2,287 words)
Link: https://ifeelsnitty.podbean.com/e/freak-out-at-bernies/
Transcript:
Welcome to I Feel Snitty, episode 33, entitled, “Freak Out at Bernie’s.” I’m your host, Craig Rozniecki.
Today’s show is going to be lighter in tone and subject matter than usual. Yeah, so the world is about to end. No, I’m not talking about the coronavirus. I’m talking about democratic socialist Bernie Sanders’ inevitable nomination to the top of the Democratic ticket for the 2020 presidential election against Donald Trump. The Doomsday
Democrats, as I call them, have said each of the following:
- “Bernie Sanders is going to destroy the Democratic Party!”
- “He will get demolished in the election and we’ll have four more years of Donald Trump!”
- “Not only that, but we’ll lose control of the House and have no chance at reclaiming control of the Senate!”
- “He will send the Democratic Party back to the point of no return!”
- “If Bernie Sanders wins the Democratic nomination, coronavirus will kills us all!”
Okay, so I may not have heard that last one yet, but you get my point. At least, I hope you do.
So why the paranoia? Because Bernie Sanders is a self-described democratic socialist; is a registered Independent; and historically, such candidates haven’t fared all too well in general elections. However, like Aaron Rodgers said a few years ago after his Green Bay Packers got off to a slow start, “R-E-L-A-X. Relax.”
The fact of the matter is, it’s way too soon to declare a winner for the Democratic nomination. If a candidate were to win on the first ballot, he or she would need to rack up 1,991 pledged delegates. How many does Bernie Sanders have at this moment? 45, or 2.3% of the total needed. Saying he already has the nomination would be like a student saying, “You know what? I know I got the first two questions right on this 100-question test. If I turn it in now, I’ll ace it, no doubt.” Yeah, your teacher may disagree with you there, I’m sorry to say. So sure, Bernie Sanders is currently leading in delegates and could wind up being the Democratic nominee, but it’s not inevitable. It’s anything but inevitable. One must possess a short memory if, after the 2016 campaign and election seasons, they think anything in politics is inevitable.
Secondly, I know many in this country negatively connote socialism; think Bernie is too far left; and believe this is a center-right nation. Well, as College GameDay’s Lee Corso would say, “Not so fast, my friend.”
While it’s true that, according to January 8th, 2019 Gallup poll, 35% of this country identifies as conservative; 35% identify as moderate; and 26% label themselves as liberal, when you look into specific issues, you’ll see that we’re more center-left than we are center-right.
One thing the Republican Party has done much more efficiently over the years than the Democratic Party is branding. Especially in the ‘90s, with the inception of Fox News and when right-wing talk radio hit its peak, the term “liberal” was bastardized to such a grand extent, many formerly self-described liberals began referring to themselves as progressives or even moderates. That bastardization of the term has gradually lost some steam in recent years, as “liberals” have made up ground in the before-mentioned Gallup poll, as in 1996, Conservatives held a net +22 advantage on liberals, and that gap has since decreased 13 points.
“Liberal” is just a word, though, one that has been demonized over the past 30+ years. What essentially makes a liberal a liberal? What do they tend to believe? A large majority of self-described liberals believe the following:
- That we should abolish the electoral college.
- That we should continue federal funding for Planned Parenthood.
- That we should increase the minimum wage to $15.
- That felons should have their voting rights restored once they’ve finished their prison sentences.
- That environmental protection is of greater importance than economic growth.
- That we need criminal justice reform, especially when it comes to drug laws.
- That sex education should be mandated in both middle and high school.
- That we should implement term limits for members of Congress.
- That we should do away with the Senate filibuster.
- That we need to overturn Citizens United.
- That equal work should result in equal pay, regardless of gender.
- That gay marriage should be legal.
- That children who were brought to this country illegally should be given a chance to become citizens.
- That marijuana should be legal.
- That we need to pass stronger gun laws.
- That we need a government-run universal healthcare system.
- That women should have the right to choose what to do with their bodies when it comes to abortion.
- That we should increase taxes on the wealthy.
- That we should have net neutrality.
- That Election Day should be a national holiday.
- That transgender Americans should be allowed to serve in our military.
Well, guess what? On these 21, yes 21 issues, a plurality of the American public is liberal.
- In a May 6th, 2019 NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, it showed that 53% support abolishing the electoral college, while 43% do not.
- In a March 15th, 2017 Kaiser poll, it showed that 75% support continued federal funding for Planned Parenthood, whereas 22% want said funding stopped.
- In a July 30th, 2019 Pew Research Center poll, 67% said they supported increasing the minimum wage to $15, while 33% disagreed.
- In a March 21st, 2018 Huff Post poll, 63% said they believed felons should have their voting rights restored after completing their prison sentences, and just 20% said they didn’t.
- In a 2019 Gallup poll, 65% said they felt environmental protection was of greater importance than economic growth; 30% disagreed.
- In an August 23rd, 2018 Program for Public Consultation at the University of Maryland poll showed the following: That 75% support changing the 20-year mandatory minimum for a second drug offense to 15 years; 70% support changing mandatory life sentences for a third drug offense to 25 years; and 74% support making retroactive adjustments for sentencing disparities between crack and powder cocaine offenses.
- In a May 29th, 2018 Planned Parenthood poll, it showed that 98% support sex
education in high school and 89% support it in middle school.
- In a January 15th, 2018 McLaughlin & Associates poll, 82% said they supported implementing term limits for members of Congress; only 9% disagreed.
- In a September 6th, 2019 Hill-Harris poll, 47% said they thought we should do away with the Senate filibuster, while 40% felt we should keep it the way it is.
- In a May 10th, 2018 Voice of the People poll, 75% said a constitutional amendment should be added to outlaw Citizens United.
- In an April 11th, 2018 Rasmussen, yes, Rasmussen poll, 67% said they believed in equal pay for equal work, regardless of gender; 21% disagreed.
- In a 2019 Gallup poll, 63% said they supported gay marriage being legal.
- In a 2019 Gallup poll, 83% said they felt children, who were brought to this country illegally, should be given the opportunity to become citizens, if they meet certain requirements, whereas 15% said they shouldn’t.
- In a November 14th, 2019 Pew Research Center poll, it showed that 67% believe marijuana should be legalized, whereas 32% do not.
- In an October 20th, 2019 Pew Research Center poll, 60% said they believed in passing stronger gun laws, while only 11% said we should have weaker gun laws.
- In a February 7th, 2019 Hill-Harris poll, it showed that 71% believe in some form of a government-run universal healthcare system, compared to just 15% who want the government completely out of healthcare.
- In a June 7th, 2019 NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll, 77% said they believe the Supreme Court should uphold the Roe v. Wade decision in giving women the right to choose what to do with their bodies post-pregnancy, compared to just 13% who feel the ruling should be overturned.
- In a February 4th, 2019 Politico/Morning Consult poll, 70% said they supported raising taxes on those making $10 million or more and 61% supported Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren’s call for a “wealth tax.”
- In a March 20th, 2019 Comparitech poll, 80% said they supported net neutrality.
- In a November 6th, 2018 American Barometer poll, 54% said Election Day should become a national holiday, while 46% do not.
- Lastly, in a June 20th, 2019 Gallup poll, 71% said they felt transgender people should be allowed to serve in the military, while 26% did not.
So how on earth can we be a center-right nation if we’re center-left or even far left when it comes to: Abortion rights, gun laws, the environment, taxes, the Internet, education, the military, LGBT matters, elections, healthcare, immigration reform, criminal justice reform, marijuana, voting rights, minimum wage, etc., etc., etc.? Simple, we’re not.
Also, why is it we can lambast potential Democratic nominees on being supposedly too far left by being in favor of policies which a plurality of the public also supports, yet we don’t hear much about potential Republican nominees - Donald Trump in particular - being too far right? Why, when 30 - 40,000 people die of gun violence every year is it too far left to suggest we need to strengthen gun laws but not too far right to suggest people with a history of anger and violence, terrorists, or the blind should be allowed to legally acquire firearms? Why is it too far left to believe in climate science and think something needs to be done to curtail the impacts of climate change but not too far right to say that climate science is a Chinese hoax? Why is it too far left to think there’s too large of a wage gap in this country and taxes need to be increased on the top 1-2% as a result, but not too far right to continue believing in the debunked trickle-down economics theory? On most every issue, the people are on Democrats, on progressives’ side. We just need to find a way to beat the Republican Party at their own game - branding.
Lastly, Donald Trump isn’t even popular. The guy has never been popular. As of right at this very moment, according to well-renowned pollster 538, Donald Trump has an approval rating of 43.2%, and historically, if an incumbent has an approval between 46 and 54%, it’s resulted in a close race. However, if his approval has been south of 46% entering election day, he’s typically lost. Last I checked, 43.2 was less than 46, but perhaps that’s just me. Then you’ll hear, “Oh, but Craig, these are national polls. As we saw in 2016, Trump can lose the popular vote and still win the electoral college.” Even if we were to go that route, however, Trump would be in trouble. According to the monthly state-by-state tracking polls conducted by Morning Consult, Trump has a net +10 or better approval rating in just 11 states worth a total of 76 electoral votes. On the flip-side, he has a -10 or worse approval rating in 23 states worth a total of 252 electoral votes, just 18 shy of what’s needed to win the election. Among those 17 states in between are: Virginia, which is worth 13 electoral votes, where he’s at -6; Ohio, which is worth 18 electoral votes, where’s he’s at -5; Arizona, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, which are worth a combined 46 electoral votes, where he sits at -4; Georgia, which is worth 16 electoral votes, where he’s at -3; and Alaska, Florida, and Nebraska, which are worth a combined 37 electoral votes, where he’s at -2. In addition to that, he has a net of just +1 in Montana; +3 in Texas; +4 in Kansas; +5 in Utah; +6 in Missouri, North Dakota, and South Dakota; and +7 in Indiana. So no matter which way you cut it, whether it be via the popular vote or electoral college, Donald Trump, as of today, is not in good shape.
So, when it all comes down to it, whether Bernie Sanders is the Democratic nominee or it’s someone else, we need to relax; start more effectively branding Trumpism and corporate socialism; and come together on November 3rd to vote the national embarrassment of Donald Trump out of office. Let’s cut it out with all of these doomsday scenarios and look back to just a few years ago when we were inspired by Barack Obama’s message of hope and change. Can we beat Donald Trump? If we continue saying it’s inevitable he’s going to win, then no, we can’t. If we come together, though, then yes we can!
In my Twitter poll of the week, I asked the question, “It’s been reported that Trump’s doctor has hid cauliflower in the fake president’s mashed potatoes to improve his diet. How else do you think the Toddler-in-Chief’s doctor has attempted to accomplish said goal?”
After 164 votes, here were the results:
- “Says Obama hates spinach” received 70.1% of the vote.
- “Chase burgers on treadmill” earned 12.2%.
- “Feed beans with jet noises” got 11.0%.
- “Calls it Trump broccoli” came in fourth with 6.7% of the vote.
My favorite response came from TX Pablito @pumbarger, who said, “Slips vitamins into his Adderall!!”
Thanks to everyone who participated. I’ll try to make these things more regular.
That’s it for today’s episode. I’ll see you again next week. Until then, check me out on PodBean, Twitter, Amazon, and Blogpsot. This has been I Feel Snitty with Craig Rozniecki. Take care.
Comments
Post a Comment