Live from Music Row Tuesday morning on The 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 public affairs strategist Clint Brewer in the studio.
At the top of the third hour, Brewer analyzed how the American people are too distracted to be bothered with conventions right now. He added that the traditional “bump” conventions would give to a campaign wouldn’t happen to suggest that the public may prefer to be watching sports.
Leahy: We are joined in the studio by our good friend recovering journalist. I got it right. A recovering journalist, public affairs strategist, and all-star panelist Clint Brewer. Good morning Clint.
Brewer: Good morning. This is an extra cup of coffee morning for me, Mike.
Leahy: Were you up late?
Brewer: Yes. Probably an ill-advised bedtime on a Monday night.
Leahy: See you’ve been out. The problem I have is not Monday night. Because I was out at like eight o’clock last night which is good. The problem is Sunday. Sunday, you know you I hate the weekend ending. So I’ll end up staying up and end up saying I’m not going to fight it.
Brewer: You are trying to hang on.
Leahy: I’m trying to hang on and have fun!
Brewer: Sunday’s not over!
Leahy: It’s not over yet! I’ve just realized don’t fight it. So like on a Monday night before Monday, I’ll get like four hours of sleep and that’s not good.
Brewer: No. It’s bad.
Leahy: So Monday is tough. But Tuesday’s are always good. But the other great thing about Tuesday Clint is you are here.
Brewer: You should get your extra sleep Monday night because I’m coming in.
Leahy: You are coming in and we are going to have a delightful conversation. Not always agreeing. But always agreeable.
Brewer: That’s right. (Leahy laughs) That’s right. Absolutely correct.
Leahy: So I know it was really at the top of your list last night of things to do to watch this virtual Democratic National Convention where the stellar voices of the former Republican governor of Ohio John Kasich who was there to make the case for Joe Biden. You know he made the case against Joe Biden at the 2012 Republican Convention? But now apparently in eight years, Biden’s gotten better according to John Kasich.
Brewer: Ah yeah. He’s sort of a lost soul, isn’t he? Kasich? Here’s the thing with these conventions. Either party. The traditional thing is the bump, right? That’s what everybody expects is that the tickets are going to get a bump. And I just don’t think this is going to happen.
Leahy: See, this is a very important point that you make. If you look at I would say every presidential campaign since the television era. Perhaps 1952 when they started really broadcasting the conventions and people were glued to them. They’d do cover to cover. There has been a bump for each party. Five or six points?
Brewer: Sure.
Leahy: I’m with you. First, who is watching John Kasich and Bernie Sanders, and Susan Molinari?
Brewer: On Monday night, people want to watch sports again. They don’t want to watch a convention. And I say that for both parties. I just think that folks are so distracted right now. I think they are paying attention to the tickets.
I think like when Senator Harris was announced as a running mate, which by the way, I advised the former vice president that that was his best choice. We didn’t think he was going to do it but it was clearly the best choice and he took it.
Leahy: Joe Biden’s advisors obviously listen to our program.
Brewer: Clearly. Clearly.
Leahy: Because they took the advice to go with the one that would help them.
Brewer: I’m certain the Biden campaign is completely dialed into this program.
Leahy: Totally dialed in. But especially when Clint Brewer is on. (Laughs)
Brewer: The point is, I saw a lot of excitement. You can track it in the media and social media with activists here and other places. There was tangible palpable excitement about Kamala Harris.
Leahy: Palpable.
Brewer: It was there. You could tell people were energized about a ticket that hadn’t really been energized thus far. So I think they get that. But I just don’t think the normal sort of perfunctory convention even in its weird form now is going to get any kind of resonance with people. Again, we often advise the president on this show and he often doesn’t listen, but I read something where he was going to speak every night. Is that right?
Leahy: Yeah. Yeah.
Brewer: That’s not a good idea.
Listen to the full third 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.
Photo “Anti-Lockdown Protesters” by Becker1999. CC BY 2.0.
