On Wednesday’s Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael to the studio.
At the end of the second hour, Leahy and Carmichael questioned how ultra-blue state governor’s power-hungry control of their states would play out with their constituents hoping to maintain their power positions. They agreed that the media was an important accessory to their agendas in an effort to aid in the forced submission of average Americans (i.e. “1984”).
(Mnunchin clip plays)
We’ve issued more than 140 million economic impact payments for over $240 billion to provide direct relief to millions of Americans. The typical family of four received approx. $3,400. We have distributed $150 billion to states and local governments though the coronavirus relief fund for essential services.
Leahy: Crom that is Treasury Secretary Steve Mnunchin talking about all the money the federal government has been given to people. Of course, if the governors hadn’t shut down all the states they wouldn’t have to give all that money away but they have.
Carmichael: Well, I think there were seven or eight states that did not fully close down and there were a couple of them that didn’t close down at all. But since the reopening started two or three weeks ago there have been a number of states and it looks like unfortunately its become just a political issue.
The blue-state governors other than the governor of Colorado seem to be doing everything they can to hurt their own citizens. I have to say I simply don’t understand it at all. Because I don’t even understand how the politics of it works to the benefit of Democrats to crush their own constituents and then say please vote for me.
Leahy: So I have a theory about it.
Carmichael: OK.
Leahy: Would you like to hear it?
Carmichael: Yes.
Leahy: You and I grew up with the idea that we were all American citizens and part of this constitutional republic with civic duties and responsibilities. And when elected into office as an elective representative or governor has a duty to the citizens to try to advance their welfare. And we thought for many many years that that was the attitude shared by these folks.
I’m beginning to think that that’s not the case at all. That they aren’t motivated by that. They are motivated by one word: power. They want power and they are not animated whatsoever by any of the traditional American values that formed our constitutional republic.
Carmichael: I’m not disagreeing with that at all. It’s obvious that they not only want power but they enjoy hurting people with it.
Leahy: Yes.
Carmichael: But my question is how do they think it advances their political well being? That’s the thing I don’t understand. It’s one thing to say I want to crush all these people but it’s another thing to ask all these people that you’ve just crushed to vote for you. Come November the citizens will get to weigh in on whether or not they think the Democrats crushing them is something that they think is desirable.
Leahy: Now we get to the second part of my theory and that is how they view average Americans. You and I view Americans as independent thinkers and actors who act in their own self-interest. I think related to this view of the world is simply the authoritarian superiority view that I think all these Democrats have. And they have a condescending view of the intellect and capability of average citizens.
Carmichael: I’m going to push back on that in this way. When all these Democrats other than the ultra-blue states but I’m talking about the states that are blue. Not New York. Not Connecticut. Not California for example.
Leahy: Oregon maybe.
Carmichael: And maybe not Oregon. But Virginia and maybe Illinois. But Virginia, Michigan, Pennsylvania.
Leahy: Michigan and Pennsylvania are probably the best examples for your point.
Carmichael: Well, Virginia is still a good one for what I’m trying to say here. Governor Northam did not run as some power lusting person. He ran two years ago?
Leahy: Yes.
Carmichael: He ran as a reasonable person and so did the governor of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. And now they are not. It’s not as if they ran and said vote for me and I’m going to destroy our economy and I’ll do whatever I want to. In other words, it wasn’t what they ran on is not at all on what they are now doing. Media are overpaid dumb people for the most part.
Leahy: Right.
Carmichael: They are overpaid. They lean left. And they are paid a great deal of money to tow the party line. That is what they are paid to do. But politicians, you don’t get elected governor if you are stupid. There is no towing the party line. I’m looking at the governor of Minnesota. Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, what these people are doing is almost like Germany.
Leahy: Let me add to that theory. It’s how they view the average citizen. The protagonist of 1984…
Carmichael: I’m not questioning how they view them. I’m talking about how they would at least be cynical enough to want to win an election.
Leahy: Let me continue.
Carmicheal: OK. Go ahead.
Leahy: Now you just finished “1984” and the main character was Winston, right?
Carmichael: You are talking about the victim? It was Winston yes.
Leahy: Winston in this very short but compelling novel at the very beginning was resisting big brother. The entire novel is about his resistance to big brother. What Crom is the very last line of the book?
Carmichael: Well he wasn’t resisting. He was tortured.
Leahy: Winston came to a sudden realization. He loved big brother.
Carmichael: OK.
Leahy: So, let me continue. I think they believe they can get away with it because in their minds they think that the average citizen is gone through a Winston experience. And it’s because of all this non-stop media presence. So they think now their role is to simply guide Winston to love their authoritarian control more.
Carmichael: Let me say this. I think what you just said is right on the money on their thinking.
Leahy: Yes.
Carmichael: So that’s useful.
Leahy: I’m trying to be useful.
Carmichael: No, no, no. That’s really useful in the context of what we are talking about here. Because unlike “1984” Winston didn’t have a choice in “1984.” He was picked up by the equivalent of the Gestapo and he was taken into a torture chamber and he was tortured. The governors don’t have that much power. But they are still trying to abuse their population. We’ll see how the population responds.
Leahy: That’s why I think that this election is going to be even more important than the 2016 election.
Carmichael: Oh sure.
Leahy: We’ve moved the ball forward here this morning Crom I think.
Listen to the full second hour here:
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Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510. Listen online at iHeart Radio.
