A break down about Easter politics, Ronna McDaniel, Axios Abortion Poll, and Gov. Tim Walz's State of the State Address

[00:00:00] Welcome to The Break Down with Brodkorb and Becky, a weekly podcast that breaks down politics,

[00:00:16] policy and current affairs.

[00:00:18] I'm Becky Scherr.

[00:00:19] And I'm Michael Brodkorb.

[00:00:20] For the first time in a while today's show is going to be just the two of us.

[00:00:23] We're going to focus on a variety of topics from the past week, starting with the infamous

[00:00:28] second annual Easter Turkey versus Ham debate.

[00:00:31] We'll then break down the controversy surrounding President Biden's tweet on Easter celebrating

[00:00:36] International Transgender Day of Visibility.

[00:00:39] We will stand the topic of national politics by breaking down NBC's recent hiring and

[00:00:44] firing of former R&C Chair, Ron and McDaniel.

[00:00:47] Then we'll hit on the abortion topic by discussing a recent Axios poll on the issue

[00:00:52] and what voters really think.

[00:00:54] And we'll end with a brief breakdown of last week's state-of-the-state address from

[00:00:59] Governor Tim Walls.

[00:01:00] Thank you for joining us today, and we hope you enjoy this show.

[00:01:06] We'll back you.

[00:01:07] We're back for another episode.

[00:01:08] Did you have a nice Easter weekend?

[00:01:10] We did have a nice one.

[00:01:12] We went to Joe's families in Marshall, Wisconsin.

[00:01:16] And it was a lovely drive.

[00:01:18] It was our first drive on the way there without factoring a nap or sleep time for the baby

[00:01:22] and he's not a baby, that was too.

[00:01:25] But yeah, it was great.

[00:01:26] We had Easter icons with some family come over and it was fantastic.

[00:01:30] That's wonderful.

[00:01:33] I was down in the state of Iowa for part of the Easter weekend at just a lovely time.

[00:01:39] Great drive down there.

[00:01:40] Got to see in-laws family.

[00:01:43] I want to give a shout out to my sister-in-law, Alori who is listening to the podcast

[00:01:48] out of regular basis and was disappointed that she had not been mentioned yet.

[00:01:53] And so I just want to give a shout out to her for listening.

[00:01:56] And note that, but I had a great time in Iowa and came back and spent part of the day

[00:02:00] part of Easter in Minnesota too with my family, my mother, it was great to see her.

[00:02:06] We're great to see you talk about stuff.

[00:02:08] I did spend some time and I think it's a good segue into our first subject which is once

[00:02:12] again our long battle, Hambur says Turkey.

[00:02:19] Have you learned the errors of your ways?

[00:02:21] Well, no but I do have a caveat here.

[00:02:26] Oh, interesting.

[00:02:27] I've worn it down after a year.

[00:02:28] Go ahead.

[00:02:29] Yes, so we had a delicious ham, had a great glaze on it.

[00:02:33] It was fantastic.

[00:02:34] However, the in-laws were here in town about a month ago and we asked them, hey,

[00:02:43] I got this friend who sent me a turkey.

[00:02:48] Would we like to include this in our Easter dinner?

[00:02:51] The share extended family ate Turkey provided by the one and only Michael Bradcorp

[00:02:57] and your wife that you sent us for a part of our wedding gift.

[00:03:01] And I have to say it was delicious.

[00:03:03] My father-in-law injected it, got all the good stuff under the skin and deep fried it and

[00:03:09] it was tasty, man.

[00:03:13] It's an Easter miracle.

[00:03:14] It's not the Easter miracle but it's an Easter miracle.

[00:03:18] That's fantastic.

[00:03:19] You had turkey on Easter, supplied, used the gift I had.

[00:03:23] That's fantastic.

[00:03:24] What was good?

[00:03:25] It was not dry.

[00:03:26] It was great.

[00:03:27] It was tasty.

[00:03:28] The big hit.

[00:03:29] So while I still believe that ham is the meat of the day, that's a weird thing to say.

[00:03:36] The turkey was delicious.

[00:03:38] Yes, so thank you.

[00:03:39] My family is grateful.

[00:03:40] It was delicious and so we had a little chat about you on Easter.

[00:03:46] That's what everyone wants to do.

[00:03:47] It's talking to me on Easter.

[00:03:48] That's obviously great.

[00:03:51] I just have to say to you, so I had, I think I'd become much more militant in my anti.

[00:03:57] I think our debate about hamburger's turkey has made me much more militant about my anti-Hamm agenda.

[00:04:03] So I was asking some questions.

[00:04:05] Now, let me also bring up something that I think is I had not expiled down which it left

[00:04:10] over.

[00:04:11] I'm a big thanksgiving left over person and I really put some more thought into this

[00:04:17] and I'm not going to deviate from my position on ham but I am going to coach it a little

[00:04:22] bit differently which might help explain my reasoning and might explain it a bit more

[00:04:28] than just an anti-Hamm agenda.

[00:04:31] Ham I've come to realize and I learned this from speaking with my mother about it.

[00:04:35] I'm a very bland eater apparently.

[00:04:37] I'm not into seasoning spices and so we both came to the realization that she doesn't

[00:04:43] like ham because it's really salty and it's really see if you get the glaze on it,

[00:04:48] you get all that stuff.

[00:04:49] It's really over flavored in my take.

[00:04:52] It's just very salty.

[00:04:53] And so I think that the reason why I gravitate more towards ham is just more than ill, it's

[00:04:58] just more bland and so you can add stuff to it.

[00:05:01] I think discusses with my mom, we discussed if ham which I don't think you can do and

[00:05:07] only the whole process of hearing a ham is salty enough and doing this stuff.

[00:05:11] So I guess if there was a less salty version of ham I would be more inclined.

[00:05:18] Also the consistency of it bothers me like I see people eating ham steaks and stuff,

[00:05:22] it's just ridiculous but it wasn't interesting discussion on ham.

[00:05:26] I also live with the leftovers after we had Easter dinner down in Iowa on Sunday evening.

[00:05:34] I'm sorry, on Saturday evening so it was a night before because we were going to be leaving

[00:05:37] the next day come to come back to Minnesota.

[00:05:39] So we went to church and then left.

[00:05:41] The leftover situation with Easter is also bad because late in the evening then I'm

[00:05:45] like I'm hungry, I want to have some leftovers.

[00:05:47] We have all these great sides but then he has to play the ham.

[00:05:51] It's just I like the turkey sandwiches versus the ham but I thought I would explain

[00:05:56] in that way because I'm known.

[00:06:00] Those have been around me that have seen me eat know that I'm a very bland eater.

[00:06:03] I'm not into like salt or anything, I'm just a bland eater.

[00:06:07] I sometimes think I like mild salsa.

[00:06:10] I'm just not a spice kind of person so that might be a little bit why I have such strong

[00:06:14] objections to ham.

[00:06:16] So this is a Michael problem not a ham first of all let's just be clear everything's

[00:06:20] always a Michael problem.

[00:06:21] It's not it's never the innocent hands fault but I will say to you that I realized

[00:06:26] particularly when it came to dealing with the leftovers that that's really the ham and

[00:06:32] the salt.

[00:06:33] Speaking with my mom I figured out a little bit more and so I think it's great.

[00:06:38] I think we both learned a little bit this Easter about stuff and I'm so happy to hear deep

[00:06:43] frying a turkey is something I've always wanted to do.

[00:06:46] I'm so impressed by people who do it.

[00:06:49] It's a great way to do it.

[00:06:50] I understand I've seen it done.

[00:06:52] I haven't done it myself but it looks like the person who dealt with that ham and did

[00:06:59] it was an aficionado was a connoisseur of ham.

[00:07:03] I'm sorry a turkey and delivered a good quality poultry product on Easter which is just so

[00:07:08] remarkable to know.

[00:07:09] It was delicious.

[00:07:10] Yes, a happy day.

[00:07:12] The worst part about the day is that pretty quickly after our Easter supper dinner we had

[00:07:18] to jump in the car so why it could catch us now on the way home and that's a heavy meal

[00:07:22] to have right before sitting in the car for three and a half hours but we survived.

[00:07:26] You can't drive after eating a good Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is like a day visit.

[00:07:30] Thankfully.

[00:07:31] Oh you're the fantastic.

[00:07:32] You got to be the passenger wonderful.

[00:07:33] I'm glad you had a lovely Easter with your family got back safe.

[00:07:37] I'm glad there was some turkey involved.

[00:07:39] And again in the interest of transparency I did have a little ham.

[00:07:42] I have my criticisms of it.

[00:07:44] I'm not going to be rude but I did have ham and it has its role just not as the main

[00:07:47] act but thank you for discussing that and thank you for keeping this rival regalling.

[00:07:51] Always continuing on the trend of Easter here there was a little dust up over the weekend

[00:07:57] some backlash against a tweet that President Biden sent out on Easter Sunday while he

[00:08:03] did send out he is I believe Catholic.

[00:08:05] He's Christian Catholic.

[00:08:07] Just tweeted Jill and I send our warmest wishes to Christians around the world celebrating

[00:08:11] the power of hope in the promise of Christ resurrection this Easter Sunday.

[00:08:15] He also tweeted today on transgender day of visibility.

[00:08:18] I have a simple message to all trans Americans.

[00:08:21] I see you you were made in the image of God and you are worthy of respect and dignity.

[00:08:25] Now international transgender day of visibility was established 15 years ago has always been

[00:08:31] celebrated on March 31st.

[00:08:33] This is the second time in those 15 years that it happens to also fall on Easter because

[00:08:37] Easter is a moving target.

[00:08:40] And so there was some backlash both of again Spiden and his Christianity but also just some

[00:08:46] folks who thought it was inappropriate for this to also be celebrated on Easter Sunday.

[00:08:51] What's your take on this?

[00:08:53] I think it is one of the most disingenuous idiotic moronic debates I've ever seen on social

[00:09:00] media.

[00:09:01] It was just moronic.

[00:09:03] First of all Joe Biden did not in any way for Joe Biden's Catholic.

[00:09:08] He in no way shape or form attempted to erase Easter.

[00:09:12] He was recognizing another aspect of that day that he chose to acknowledge he's done

[00:09:18] these types of proclamations in the past nearly every day there is depending on any day

[00:09:25] of the year there's some random proclamations that are done and I don't want to be dismissive

[00:09:30] of any of them by saying they were saying on any given day the president is issuing proclamations

[00:09:35] recognizing what this day is.

[00:09:38] And so I understand the politics of it.

[00:09:41] I just I don't respect the argument which is that someone chose to weaponize for the sake

[00:09:48] of riling up their base a little bit of hatred on Easter Sunday or the day before each

[00:09:53] are trying to masquerade and pretend as if Joe Biden was a racing Easter.

[00:09:57] It's simply a dishonest argument.

[00:10:00] The other point that I think people were trying to make was that Joe Biden had removed

[00:10:05] or banished from the Easter egg hunt any symbols any religious symbols on that day.

[00:10:11] Actually that's been a practice that's been going on for my understanding around 45

[00:10:15] years.

[00:10:16] So it was the double whammy of here Joe Biden is trying to erase Easter.

[00:10:21] He's then also banning any kind of religious imagery from the White House Easter egg

[00:10:27] kind of hunt and roll that they do which isn't the case.

[00:10:29] It's was done.

[00:10:30] It was the same practice that existed under Donald Trump exists under Joe Biden.

[00:10:35] There's been no change in the policy that I'm aware of.

[00:10:38] I think that this is just incredibly disingenuous a disingenuous arguments.

[00:10:42] And my best example of that is Caitlin Jenner who had tweeted out previously acknowledging

[00:10:48] acknowledging transgender day of visibility on previous years.

[00:10:54] And then wanting to buy into this false narrative of that this year is because it was falling

[00:11:01] on Easter.

[00:11:02] It was a problem and it's just an inconsistent.

[00:11:04] First of all, it's not a valid argument.

[00:11:06] It's based on misinformation.

[00:11:09] I think it's going to be a good segue into our next conversation, but I was just disappointed

[00:11:13] to see people wanting to engage in that type of misinformation and get into religion

[00:11:19] and using it in that type of way.

[00:11:21] I just think was really inappropriate.

[00:11:22] Your take.

[00:11:23] I agree.

[00:11:24] I think it's a mountain out of a molehill here every day since he has been president,

[00:11:29] he has tweeted both happy Easter and a celebration of international transgender day of visibility.

[00:11:36] This is not something new.

[00:11:37] This is not something that he did just because they fell on the same day.

[00:11:40] Two things can be true at the same time we can celebrate multiple things.

[00:11:44] And like you mentioned, this is something I do for my jobs now and in the past is very

[00:11:48] often look up days of note.

[00:11:50] There is a day every day, right?

[00:11:52] Every day is a day of donuts or coffee or agriculture or administrators.

[00:11:57] There's a day to celebrate everything that just happened to be a day that folks tried

[00:12:03] to make politically charged when there wasn't that behind it.

[00:12:08] Now, I understand that there are obviously this is Easter is a huge day for Christians

[00:12:14] and I understand there's a lot of Christians that do have issues with sexual identity or

[00:12:19] transgender individuals and I understand that dynamics.

[00:12:24] But that was not what this is.

[00:12:25] You can just, can you just ignore the president's tweet if you don't buy into that or if you

[00:12:29] don't support that?

[00:12:31] It was ridiculous.

[00:12:33] Speaker Johnson did also question whether he knew whether Biden knew what he was signing

[00:12:38] which again, I get the whole principle here of the things on Biden's mental capacity.

[00:12:45] Like I said, this is something that he has celebrated for the last three years.

[00:12:48] Well, he has been in office.

[00:12:49] This has been something that has been celebrated by the White House and folks for the last 15

[00:12:54] years since it has been proclaimed or announced or set on this date.

[00:12:59] And it has always been April March 31.

[00:13:00] So it should be a done deal and it was just ridiculous.

[00:13:04] I will also say as someone who is, let me just also, I think I mentioned this to you before

[00:13:10] that my general take on religion is, I want to know what's a part of your life.

[00:13:15] I view religion religion not like exercise.

[00:13:17] I'd like to know what's a part of your life, but I don't want to see it do.

[00:13:20] That's always been my take on religion is that I'm not wanting to talk about my faith.

[00:13:26] I don't, I don't ask friends what their religious mean.

[00:13:30] You and I have discussed it just in the context of the show sometimes occasionally, but

[00:13:33] I don't, it's not one of my questions that I want to know as a practicing Roman Catholic,

[00:13:38] someone who attended Mass on Sunday, having a day for transgender day at visibility does

[00:13:43] nothing to distract from anything that I experienced on Easter.

[00:13:48] And in fact, I just think it's so objectionable that this kind of narrative was framed out

[00:13:55] as I just to sit in church or to sit anywhere and on all days to act as a transgender people

[00:14:02] do not exist.

[00:14:03] And we're going to want to stake that flag that one day, it's just simply ridiculous.

[00:14:10] It defends me on multiple levels, but I get frustrated when people bring up, when they

[00:14:15] introduce religion into the political spheres to the level which they do.

[00:14:20] This was done to once again target a group of individuals who are just looking in many

[00:14:27] ways to just be seen and respected for who they are.

[00:14:32] And people want to, there's a group of people who've want to at any given point try to say

[00:14:37] that recognizing that those people exist, sometimes some way diminishes what they're experiencing

[00:14:43] or what they see.

[00:14:44] I've tell you something, I went to Easter Mass at a Catholic church.

[00:14:48] I don't know if someone at that mass or someone that I went or I was in contact with that

[00:14:54] day was transgender but I certainly don't believe that acknowledging that transgender

[00:15:00] people exist had the takes away from anything that would have occurred on Easter Sunday,

[00:15:08] either at church or any part of the day.

[00:15:11] The fact that there are people out there that want to weaponize that type of stuff for

[00:15:13] politically exam, for political reasons I just think is so unfortunate.

[00:15:19] Goes into my whole rant I could go on at some point my frustration with Republican

[00:15:23] where we believe the government should not control all aspects of our lives but then get

[00:15:28] frustrated and want them to insert themselves in different ways.

[00:15:31] Correct.

[00:15:32] Yeah, frustrating, not surprising but frustrating.

[00:15:36] Yes.

[00:15:37] Thank you for discussing with us.

[00:15:39] Yes.

[00:15:40] I'm excited for our next topic because I believe we might have a little bit of a differing

[00:15:43] of opinions on this one.

[00:15:45] We are going to break down the hiring and firing of former RNC chair, Ronna McDaniel.

[00:15:50] So just a little bit of background for folks who might not be aware, Ronna was previously

[00:15:55] the chair of the Michigan GOP.

[00:15:57] She was picked by Trump to take over the RNC.

[00:15:59] She was served as chair there for 2017 to 2024.

[00:16:03] Recently stepped away because President Trump, I think there was a mutual agreement that

[00:16:07] she is no longer the flagship, the best person to that with Trump as the nominee to run

[00:16:14] the national party should be mentioned.

[00:16:17] She was the longest RNC chair serving since the Civil War which is so a couple weeks after

[00:16:22] she stepped down as the chair of the RNC.

[00:16:25] She was hired as contributor for NBC and fired within four days.

[00:16:30] So I guess let's start with before we, oh go ahead.

[00:16:34] No, what's going to have you start?

[00:16:36] Okay.

[00:16:37] So starting just initially, before we even get into the controversy and her getting fired,

[00:16:43] initial takes of her being hired on my side, I do really like Ronna.

[00:16:47] I think that she has done a good job.

[00:16:49] She's been a strong vocal Republican woman over the years.

[00:16:53] Then I think that she has done showed good leadership and has been a good party messenger.

[00:17:01] That said, I think there is something that we need to look at when you're a party messenger,

[00:17:05] campaign messenger of what your job is and what that entails.

[00:17:08] So I thought it was a great hire personally.

[00:17:12] I think that obviously I think that are major news channels need to do more to bring in

[00:17:18] the Republican side.

[00:17:19] There's been a lot of conflict under the Trump era with news, media in general and what

[00:17:24] they say about Republicans and obviously namely Trump.

[00:17:29] So the Trump angle is all over this.

[00:17:31] And then she was hired four days later.

[00:17:35] To me that was something that I was like just alone way with.

[00:17:39] First it's a total pierced disaster and we'll chat about how it even got to that point

[00:17:43] of higher and fire.

[00:17:45] To me it was something I took it as I had a different take than I think you did and obviously

[00:17:49] I've read a little bit more and thought a little bit more about it.

[00:17:52] So I see your side of things but from my point of view, it was once again a double what

[00:17:58] is the word I'm looking for the way where double chance brings that we have Jen Pizzaki or

[00:18:03] however you say her last name.

[00:18:05] Josh Ernst, we've have Jay Karnie.

[00:18:07] We've got all of these different Democrats coming from really high powered positions

[00:18:12] getting hired within day or weeks of their leaving the White House or wherever they were

[00:18:17] to no fanfare.

[00:18:18] And then from my perspective, this was Rana, the leader of the Republican National Committee

[00:18:23] who was hired and Democrats had a lot of issue with it and that was throughout because we

[00:18:29] don't want Republicans and Republican voices to have that strong of a point of view on our

[00:18:36] news stations.

[00:18:37] Now I saw some tweets from you about this and you took the angle that'll be in the

[00:18:42] middle of the election.

[00:18:43] I think that's a lot of folks and when I'm reading about that there are a lot of folks

[00:18:45] and so I want you to get into your view because yours really centers more about the election

[00:18:50] denier and January 6th, I believe, correct?

[00:18:52] Yeah, I mean, let's say a couple things.

[00:18:54] First and foremost, I think that I think that the media there are clear examples, clear

[00:19:00] unrefutable I think examples where the media has bias.

[00:19:04] I've long said that.

[00:19:05] I've long said that there is a media bias that exists.

[00:19:08] Number one.

[00:19:09] I do believe that television stations, networks, media outlets need to do more to include

[00:19:17] conservative voices in their coverage.

[00:19:20] I do not believe on the whole that coverage is balanced along party lines.

[00:19:26] I think that there is pretty clear evidence and just anecdotal experiences and other things

[00:19:30] that I've had where I could make that case very easily.

[00:19:34] That being said, and one more point I'll make which is that there's been a clear kind of

[00:19:38] conveyor belt that has existed between people working in politics and then becoming analysts,

[00:19:44] pundits, and having more established roles inside media.

[00:19:48] The problem here is not so all those things are true, I believe.

[00:19:52] The problem here though is I think is Ron McDaniel is that I would say that her appearance

[00:19:56] on meat the press and how she transitioned made what I think was just disastrous.

[00:20:03] I think her literally going from literally flipping a switch and just saying, I'm not

[00:20:08] an RNC chair anymore, but I don't have to say those things way too quick, way too fast,

[00:20:15] not enough thought and analysis.

[00:20:17] The transition that a lot of media personnel have taken from their previous roles.

[00:20:22] If they worked in politics and then became on-air analysts, Ron McDaniel I think is just

[00:20:29] a bit different.

[00:20:30] I think just a bit different because of what she's trafficked it and what she's done.

[00:20:34] And foremost, I will say I think that there needs to be a perspective.

[00:20:39] There needs to be attention given to having their be a voice for people and having discussions

[00:20:45] on what the candidacy of Donald Trump and their supporters believe it.

[00:20:51] Let me just also explain a little bit.

[00:20:54] It called very often by media outlets to comment on partisan politics from the side of

[00:20:58] the Republicans.

[00:21:00] I always disclose the beginning of those requests if they're asking about the presidential

[00:21:05] race, so they're asking about Donald Trump.

[00:21:07] I said in sport them in 16 or 20, I will not be voting for him again in 24.

[00:21:12] So if you're looking for someone to offer a pure Trump perspective, you should probably

[00:21:16] go somewhere else.

[00:21:17] Now, that being said, I think my analysis of Trump has been fair.

[00:21:24] I certainly do not like him as a person and as a candidate and what I can certainly

[00:21:29] push back on that.

[00:21:31] But we have had people on our podcast that are 100% Trump supporters, and we can have

[00:21:38] those types of discussions.

[00:21:39] We can have a discussion on that race.

[00:21:41] What I think is so problem about Ron McDaniel is what she has expiled, what she has pushed

[00:21:47] and where she is coming from.

[00:21:48] Her role at the RNC, all of the facts you laid out about her tenure and all that things

[00:21:53] are great.

[00:21:54] The truth of the matter is that she has been, she was at the leadership of a political party

[00:21:58] at a time when the Republican president was doing a number of things I think to undermine

[00:22:03] a democracy to undermine journalism and Rana was there right by his side doing those

[00:22:10] types of things.

[00:22:11] So I think the transition was a bit too quick.

[00:22:15] I think there can be a space for Rana McDaniel in the media.

[00:22:19] But I honestly believe, the reason why I didn't really, I don't think I jumped on, I'm not

[00:22:26] a fact check myself, but I don't believe I made any comments when she was hired.

[00:22:32] But I was supportive of the decision to let her go because I think her one and only appearance

[00:22:37] on Nitha Press, I thought was disastrous.

[00:22:40] I don't think that she had put any constructive thought into how she was going to answer in

[00:22:47] a compelling, candid and insightful way how she was transitioning so quickly.

[00:22:55] And I think that's ultimately, I take the reason why I think it was good for that, it was

[00:22:59] a mistake for them to hire her and I supported their decision to have her leave was in large

[00:23:04] part because of appearance on Nitha Press.

[00:23:07] So a few things about that to clarify so they announced that they hired her.

[00:23:11] She had been previously booked in this spot on Nitha Press.

[00:23:14] So Kristen Walker did have some frustrations with that because it was meant to be a rather

[00:23:18] hard hitting interview and started out by saying she was enough just higher.

[00:23:24] This is not something I had to do with, I'm still going to do my interview, but she's

[00:23:27] technically a colleague with this woman now, right?

[00:23:29] This is no longer an objective sitting on the same side of their both NBC employees.

[00:23:34] Yes, but one of them is different than the other 100% 100%, but it changes the dying,

[00:23:40] some could perceive that it would change the dynamics of how you interview somebody that

[00:23:44] you may have been a little harsher on previously.

[00:23:47] I don't think it did, I think Kristen Walker did a great job but playing devil lab, I get

[00:23:51] a little bit here.

[00:23:52] Do you not think that NBC is a little bit at fault for not preparing run up for those questions?

[00:23:57] They knew those questions were going to be coming that they did not similar to like our conversation

[00:24:01] when we chatted with Erin Dupree and felt that the walls in the administration left her

[00:24:05] out in the wind and not able to answer and deal with some of this.

[00:24:11] Wasn't NBC, this is now their little new little figurehead?

[00:24:14] Don't you think that they should have had some media prep or some conversations with her

[00:24:18] heading into that?

[00:24:19] Based on what I've read, there was not much prep that was done and so I think NBC was

[00:24:25] also a short side in this.

[00:24:26] I don't think, I don't think Rhonda McDaniel is at fault for accepting the job.

[00:24:32] I think the problem was the hiring and the letting go of her.

[00:24:36] I think the problem was that NBC had hired her in the first place.

[00:24:39] And yes, you are correct to be fair and answer the question fully.

[00:24:43] I think NBC made a mistake in hiring her and I also think the process that was done to

[00:24:49] prepare her for those appearances, the her one appearance was not good but I also don't

[00:24:54] think Rhonda McDaniel is without blame in the situation.

[00:24:58] And so I think the problem that the mistake I think NBC made was hiring Rhonda McDaniel.

[00:25:04] Then they made process mistakes behind the scenes in how they handled it internally and

[00:25:09] other mistakes but I just think Rhonda McDaniel was the wrong hire.

[00:25:14] Again, I'm not to say you can't that I think there absolutely needs to be a perspective

[00:25:19] on Trump.

[00:25:20] I think news coverage needs to be as balanced as it can be.

[00:25:24] But let me also caveat to something.

[00:25:26] It is not the responsibility of journalists and the media to just act as court reporters

[00:25:35] and report exactly what people are saying.

[00:25:39] There is a number of things that Rhonda McDaniel did in her capacity as chair of the RNC

[00:25:45] to undermine that some of the basic tenants of our country elections and democracy.

[00:25:50] There's a number of things narratives that she pushed in the media that were completely

[00:25:55] fictitious.

[00:25:56] And so if she now wants to be seen as someone who is credible, she just can't show up

[00:26:03] to NBC slap their logo on slap a peacock on her chest or a lapel pin and suddenly told

[00:26:10] the party line and think that transition is going to be that easy.

[00:26:13] I think what's missing here in a number of people is they gen saw and I'll just say this

[00:26:20] to you again, what do I believe?

[00:26:21] I believe that there is a bias in the media.

[00:26:25] I believe that media markets, media outlets, newspapers need to do a better job of ensuring

[00:26:32] that their coverage is balanced, fair and balanced, and it has an invite conservative perspective

[00:26:37] than including those of Trump supporters.

[00:26:40] They have every responsibility to do that.

[00:26:43] I just think in this particular instance, bringing in someone who is intimately involved

[00:26:50] comes with some barnacles.

[00:26:53] It comes with some problems that comes with some additional wrinkles that I don't think

[00:26:57] anyone is stopping and realizing that's what's going on out.

[00:27:01] There's a big difference in my mind between Gen Socky and Rhonda McDaniel and it has nothing

[00:27:06] to do with partisanship.

[00:27:08] What it has to do with did Gen Socky engage in the same level of misinformation?

[00:27:14] Did she challenge our democracy in a way that she engaged in that type of activity?

[00:27:20] She didn't.

[00:27:21] That totally changes the dynamic.

[00:27:23] For people to go out there and say that she should be treated like Gen Socky or Chakkat

[00:27:29] or other people who worked or Tim Russert, a number of people who worked for Democratic

[00:27:33] elected officials.

[00:27:35] I don't think it is once again a good example.

[00:27:38] It's a fundamental understanding of what Rhonda McDaniel engaged in and what she did during

[00:27:44] her time as RNC chair.

[00:27:46] To think that she's in the same position as Gen Socky, I think is incredibly over simplistic.

[00:27:55] As I was reading it and here listening to you now, I do understand the extra dynamic

[00:28:01] that it really does come because obviously you and I have made it very clear that January

[00:28:06] 6 was an insurrection and that we believe that Joe Biden legitimately won the 2020 election.

[00:28:12] So those are two things that you and I have in common that we've talked about.

[00:28:16] I think where, and this is maybe just more of a personal viewpoint for me, is that

[00:28:21] I spent a number of years working for individuals or party or the MNGOP, both as communications

[00:28:28] director and as executive director, where a lot of my role was supporting President Donald

[00:28:35] Trump.

[00:28:36] Writing things for my members, writing statements, tweeting both for myself and the party

[00:28:40] and posting on social media how great Trump is all of this now.

[00:28:45] I did leave the party and my partisan politics rolls in October of 2020 and I was not there

[00:28:50] in 2020 election nor on January 6th.

[00:28:53] But for me, I do understand really what Rhonda has been saying about that.

[00:28:58] That was my job.

[00:28:59] My job was to save these things, do these things as the RNC chair, as the person who is the

[00:29:07] top of the party that our presidential candidate and nominee represents, that is my job and

[00:29:14] that's something that was hard for me to grapple with and I've had some guilt about that.

[00:29:19] But that is where I think I totally understand where she's coming from that what her level

[00:29:25] of belief on that spectrum of what she was saying and what she actually believes I do

[00:29:30] believe could differ.

[00:29:32] I think really what it comes down to for me is like you said, when we did see her on

[00:29:38] that meet the press interview, she was not adequately ready prepared to talk about that

[00:29:44] and she did seem like it was just foot clapping.

[00:29:47] She pushed, made the call to the Michigan County election folks and waffled on that.

[00:29:52] She did say that Biden legitimately won the election but was pushed why it took her

[00:29:57] until now to talk about that and didn't have those appropriate questions other than

[00:30:00] it was my job.

[00:30:02] But I think that's where I just have a little maybe personal bone to pick or just personal

[00:30:08] issue with this is because I feel also sometimes should I be held to the standard of what I was

[00:30:14] pushing and what I was saying.

[00:30:15] Now, again, it wasn't about election tonight.

[00:30:17] It wasn't about January 6th and I'm hoping that's where that division is.

[00:30:20] But I'm interested as you were a party official, you worked in these jobs working for members

[00:30:26] which I have to assume you didn't believe fully everything that all of the members you

[00:30:30] work for.

[00:30:32] Everything that they stood for but I'm curious if you do understand and do get what where

[00:30:37] she is saying was that was her job.

[00:30:40] I absolutely do.

[00:30:41] I actually get how she thinks it and I think how she thinks it is that the what she was

[00:30:46] doing in that partisan role was just following the directive and taking one for as she described

[00:30:50] to taking one for the team.

[00:30:52] I think she's misreading the level which she was involved and I don't think that she is

[00:30:57] introspective enough of what she participated former Congressman Liz Cheney said, Rana facilitated

[00:31:03] Trump's corrupt fake electric plot in his effort to pursue Michigan officials not to certify

[00:31:10] the legitimate election outcome.

[00:31:12] She spread his lies and called January 6th legitimate political discourse.

[00:31:17] It's quote not taking one for the team.

[00:31:20] It's enabling criminality into gravity.

[00:31:22] I think the former Congressman is spot on.

[00:31:25] That's the distinction here and I think that and that's the distinction that I think people

[00:31:30] just don't want to make.

[00:31:32] Again, and I'm being this specific because I want to push back a little bit on some of

[00:31:37] the response I got on social media from some people.

[00:31:40] I believe the media is biased.

[00:31:42] I believe they need to do a better job of including conservative voices, including those

[00:31:47] who passionately believe in the candidacy of Donald Trump.

[00:31:51] I do believe they need to do a better job of that.

[00:31:53] I recognize on the surface some of the comparisons that folks are trying to make, but I believe

[00:32:01] it was her meat-to-press appearance that really sunk it for her.

[00:32:05] I don't think that she had adequately put any thought into how she was going to have

[00:32:09] to explain and justify positions that are out of step with the vast majority of Americans.

[00:32:15] Let me go a bit further here.

[00:32:17] If you believed that January 6 was legitimate political discourse, if you believed that Joe

[00:32:22] Biden didn't win the election, I would not host a podcast with you.

[00:32:26] No, that's fair.

[00:32:27] I would hope that if I believed in those things you would have questions too, but there are

[00:32:31] certain just basic things that I wouldn't do.

[00:32:34] I would not host a podcast with someone who held those views because here's the reason

[00:32:39] why.

[00:32:40] I am sure that we have had people on our podcast who will have questions about the 2020

[00:32:46] election.

[00:32:47] People at some point have conversations with people about the 2020 election.

[00:32:52] We will approach it from the standpoint from the position that I think both of you and

[00:32:57] I believe in as you articulate, because the 2020 election was legitimate and Joe Biden

[00:33:02] is a legitimate president of the United States.

[00:33:06] I completely understand that there are people out there that don't believe that, but I would

[00:33:11] not want to lend my brand and would want to have a podcast with someone or have someone

[00:33:17] on consistently on that subject and not push back.

[00:33:22] And I think that what Ron McDaniel engaged it, particularly as was articulated by former

[00:33:27] Congresswoman, Gina thinks is why this transition is so problematic?

[00:33:32] I do not believe.

[00:33:34] I do not believe.

[00:33:36] I don't have any responsibility to repeat the false narratives that other people exposed

[00:33:42] and when I wrote the book, I wrote about the disappearance of some missing kids.

[00:33:48] Part of the title is about the adults who conspired to keep the truth hidden.

[00:33:53] There were a number of people that were involved in that case that traffic in lies and misinformation.

[00:34:01] Not surprisingly many of them were Trump supporters, but they trafficked in lies and misinformation.

[00:34:06] There are people that in the course of writing that book that believed one plus one to

[00:34:11] not equal to in some instances.

[00:34:13] And so you get to a point where what would I gain?

[00:34:17] What do I gain if we want to have number one productive conversations, thoughtful conversations

[00:34:22] and we want to banter back and forth?

[00:34:24] How can we do that?

[00:34:26] How can there be a discussion when one of us, either me or you, doesn't believe the 2020

[00:34:31] election was valid?

[00:34:33] That Joe Biden wasn't the legitimately elected president.

[00:34:37] If I believe that or you didn't believe that, I don't think this podcast dynamic would

[00:34:41] work.

[00:34:42] There has to be, I think, some general concepts that we believe in order to have this type

[00:34:48] of discussion.

[00:34:50] And that's what I think makes work.

[00:34:51] That being said, you and I have never said we're not going to have Trump people on or we

[00:34:56] don't have a prerequisite.

[00:34:59] I think our only kind of general rule about who we want to have on is people that we think

[00:35:03] could be a part of substantive thoughtful conversations and for lack of a better word aren't

[00:35:09] going to be jerks.

[00:35:10] Is that probably it?

[00:35:11] But we've, but I wouldn't say to you, and I don't think you said to me, Michael, we can't

[00:35:17] have someone on who doesn't, we can't have a Trump supporter on.

[00:35:21] We can't have someone on who doesn't believe that the 2020 election.

[00:35:25] We've never said that I don't think to each other nor would that be a prerequisite

[00:35:28] correct?

[00:35:29] Absolutely.

[00:35:30] We've already had Trump supporters on.

[00:35:31] We might not have talked about Trump but we've certainly had lots of them on.

[00:35:34] So my point is not and I think some people, I think are mistakenly wanting to die on

[00:35:40] a hill here.

[00:35:41] That's honestly not where dying on, I think because I think the issue here is Ron the

[00:35:45] McDaniel.

[00:35:47] And I think that's my issue with it.

[00:35:50] It's the meat depressed appearance coupled with what she said.

[00:35:53] She was just in an unattainable position and I think you've explained it.

[00:35:57] I think you added the dynamic of NBC, which I think is important.

[00:36:01] I think it's a good comparison on kind of the air and your pre-situation about not having

[00:36:07] there not having the institution that hired in that instance.

[00:36:10] It was the Walls administration not did enough to vet her and I think also prepare her.

[00:36:16] I don't think Ron and McDaniel was prepared for what she was going to walk into on NBC.

[00:36:22] And I absolutely think that Ron and McDaniel can serve as an analyst on a television station.

[00:36:29] There's no question she can but I do believe that she needs to explain other than just

[00:36:37] a glib answer on her first appearance, not in her first appearance on the network after

[00:36:44] her hiring had been announced.

[00:36:46] But it had been pre-scheduled.

[00:36:48] I think she needs to offer a more detailed answer as to why her positions have changed

[00:36:55] other than this is now who's signing my check basically.

[00:36:58] Excuse me.

[00:36:59] Do you want to chat just a couple things before we jump off this topic.

[00:37:04] Going back to that meat depressed interview.

[00:37:05] It is mind boggling to me that she was so unprepared even aside from this announcement.

[00:37:10] Let's just say this announcement did not happen.

[00:37:13] She is just going on as the recently stepped down RNC chair in that media prep which she

[00:37:19] has a team they let her go after this.

[00:37:22] Her agents dropped her after this NBC debacle but she had a team of some sort or at least

[00:37:27] a friend or has been doing it long enough that she should be able to jack down the time

[00:37:32] question she knows she's going to be asked.

[00:37:34] This is what we do in media prep and anticipate the questions go through answers.

[00:37:39] Something of this scale we probably do a mock interview.

[00:37:42] How did she not, how was she not prepared to answer?

[00:37:48] You are recently stepped down and no longer Trump 101.

[00:37:51] You have recently been a big advocate of the election denier and January 6th comments

[00:37:56] where do you stand now?

[00:37:59] You would think had this announcement not happen she'd be bidding for some of these jobs

[00:38:03] right?

[00:38:04] You would think that she would walk towards the center and so this is something where I

[00:38:07] did have frustration with her as well.

[00:38:10] Obviously we have some differing opinions and I will say that coming through this and

[00:38:14] listening to you a lot, I do understand from my perspective it's really a Republican

[00:38:20] RNC chair and somebody who really it was involved in both again that election denying

[00:38:25] and January 6th because we do have ranked previous as a contributor for RNC chair and

[00:38:30] Michael Steil for my RNC chair he has his own show I believe.

[00:38:34] This is something that they have done before.

[00:38:37] Before we get completely off, I do want to just chat about the NBC side of things because

[00:38:41] one thing, Ryan's previous in recent interview he's on ABC said that before his hiring he

[00:38:47] went in he did the conversations he was with staff, he was with on your talent, had conversations

[00:38:52] with answered questions did interview off the record kind of stuff to see if this would

[00:38:56] work and he was surprised that was not the case that it seemed a lot of the on air talent

[00:39:00] was surprised about this decision that it wasn't said and then the NBC chair had his quote

[00:39:06] after letting her go said no organization particularly at newsroom can succeed unless

[00:39:10] it's cohesive and aligned over the last few days have been clear that this appointment

[00:39:14] undermines that call.

[00:39:16] So these are when these kind of things always happen it just is always a little crazy to

[00:39:19] me obviously NBC like you mentioned and these other new sources do need to find a way

[00:39:23] to appeal to Republicans in this move it seems like despite the fact that we're Republican

[00:39:28] party just fired Rana and now NBC fired and Republican they're upset so it is weird

[00:39:32] little thing.

[00:39:34] But where do these where does NBC go from here?

[00:39:36] Where is where to remedy this fact and now they pissed off maybe even more Republicans

[00:39:41] that were already not paying attention to.

[00:39:44] There's no question that there's any need to be an average here I just want to answer

[00:39:48] that I'll answer that but then I want to just offer one more thing you made a great

[00:39:52] point about how when we're in roles that these people need to sometimes tell the company

[00:39:58] line.

[00:39:59] Let's talk about baseball for a second it's you there are broadcasters baseball analysts

[00:40:05] who work for baseball teams so someone goes from work being a player for a baseball team

[00:40:11] and they come in and offer analysis that's informed analysis they played the game there's

[00:40:16] so I believe that some of the best kind of commentary and analysis that comes on game day

[00:40:21] whether it's baseball or other sports comes from those who have played the game because

[00:40:24] they're offering insight.

[00:40:26] The problem is what would happen if a media outlet decided to bring in Pete Rose to call

[00:40:32] baseball games all the time who has a lifetime ban for baseball now there that's an extreme

[00:40:37] example but he has some barnacles on him based on his career in baseball and the fact that

[00:40:43] he's been banned from he wasn't that was banned for a long time from all major league

[00:40:48] events but he has to checkered past in the world of baseball and so having him come in

[00:40:53] and be a regular on air commentator aside from the legal challenges and some of the restrictions

[00:41:00] at major league baseball will put on that people would I think recognize that he has a

[00:41:05] perspective he certainly has a perspective and knowledge of the game but having him on

[00:41:10] takes some time and there's been a slow transition where Pete Rose has come back into the

[00:41:17] universe of baseball now that's an extreme example I'm not saying that Ronald McDaniel

[00:41:22] did anything to the same degree of some of the issues that Pete Rose was accused of but

[00:41:28] they are both in essence figures in their particular arenas one in sports and one in politics

[00:41:36] where they have some degree of some questions about some decisions they made in their roles

[00:41:41] in that and so their transition and I think as someone who's you know read a lot about Pete

[00:41:47] Rose I think one of the reasons his transition has been a bit slower in his been his willingness

[00:41:53] to admit and be contrite about what he fully did I think Rana was far too speedy on that

[00:42:00] and so I do think that that's a I think an example that I would offer I will say the danger is

[00:42:06] going to be that this is going to be a message that Republicans aren't welcomed which again I started

[00:42:12] this premise by saying that media outlets need to do a better job of reaching out and tap

[00:42:16] in a conservative voices and what that means is not conservative voices not people who consider

[00:42:22] themselves Republicans like I do who don't support Trump but Republicans who passionately support

[00:42:28] Trump and believe in his candidacy in ways in which I never have and never will that voice needs

[00:42:34] to be covered I just think that Rana McGanill was the wrong pick and so there's going to need to be

[00:42:38] some course corrections by the media outlets but I just in closing on this subject want to say

[00:42:44] Rana McGanill is not the hill I think for conservatives to be dying on last question though on that is

[00:42:51] how who I'm not saying you have to name a name right now but is there a high level Republican

[00:42:59] messenger who supports Trump that hasn't made a comment about the election or in January 6th

[00:43:06] would be able to even step into that role it's not it's not there are Republicans on broadcast

[00:43:12] television all the time who have doubts and criticisms about the 2020 election she was what was

[00:43:18] her role she was in that she was at the head of the RNC at that point she had a much more active role

[00:43:26] has articulated very well by Congresswoman Jeanie about her role in pressuring Michigan officials

[00:43:32] not to certify legitimate election outcome Rana McGanill has her hands dirty a bit and again I believe

[00:43:41] she's smart she has a perspective and she should have a voice in media I just believe in this

[00:43:48] particular incident specie it was far too fast and there was not enough thought burden and I think

[00:43:54] your comparison to Aaron DePri is a great way to explain it and I hadn't thought about it that way

[00:44:00] once you said I'm like okay that makes that's a really good way to explain it because in the

[00:44:04] scenario that you're describing that gives an example I think outside of the partisanship and that allows

[00:44:11] people to look into it so it's a really good example that you offered thank you and I enjoyed

[00:44:15] doing these podcasts because I think like we talked about having these kind of conversations and so

[00:44:20] when this was one that we had different angles and points of view I obviously I enjoy having

[00:44:25] that time to have that conversation and I learn a lot and I do see it from a different view I think

[00:44:32] with my maybe personal internal guilt about some of this and it was a little jaded and wanting to

[00:44:39] be a little bit more supportive of her but I'm hopeful that we get Republicans in there and we get

[00:44:45] more reasonable rational local messengers to show what their Republican party is about and stands

[00:44:51] for outside of simply January 6th. Absolutely I learned a lot that your perspective was good

[00:44:58] very good and it's helped moderate and time for some of my remarks so appreciate the discussion.

[00:45:02] Moving on a topic that is now apparently a weekly topic here which is no surprise I think we

[00:45:11] shouted that we expected this to be is abortion there was a recent poll Axios put out that conducted

[00:45:17] March 26th to 27th you alerted me to this one that says more than 7 and 10 American support

[00:45:23] access to abortion pills. Is that high to you? Is that number what do you feel about this? Was

[00:45:29] this surprising for you to see the breakdown across party lines? My first reaction was to say

[00:45:35] that you called it. That's literally my first reaction when I heard the head and like oh this is

[00:45:39] exactly what back you've been saying. That was literally my first reaction and I think that

[00:45:43] with 7 and 10s I 7 and 10 Americans support access to abortion pills. I think that is

[00:45:50] a really just clear message about a subject as your articulate that we've discussed before

[00:45:56] and I think in clear kind of realistic political terms. I think it's just that number that I think

[00:46:03] is reinforces I think also a narrative that we've discussed and going back and talking about abortion

[00:46:09] in how much of how much action there is by Americans across all political spectrums now

[00:46:19] that access to abortion pills is something that they support I think the Axios poll was

[00:46:24] pretty just a very clear message. You're take absolutely agree I was a little surprised that

[00:46:29] Republicans did hit 51% you can officially say a majority. I think that is something I expected

[00:46:35] to be in the 40s if I was making a guess about this but I think I have long believed that abortion

[00:46:43] is something that obviously as time goes on I think as hard to say this without sounding more

[00:46:50] bad but as my generation and continues and younger generations of Republicans come up I believe this

[00:46:56] is a generational issue. I believe that this is something that younger voters are not saying that

[00:47:00] there aren't older Republican voters that do support abortion but it is something that's so ingrained

[00:47:05] in even some Democrats 91% of Democrats support this so there is I believe still probably at 9%

[00:47:11] chunk I believe would argue to say it is likely in the large or the older category of Democrat voters.

[00:47:19] So this is something that I do see we will continue to see trending. I fully support this I think

[00:47:24] especially this isn't just access to abortion this is access to the abortion pills. We've been hearing

[00:47:30] a lot about this there would be some pre-incorporate ruling about this I believe this summer and Bravo

[00:47:35] good job voters. What would you let me put you really on the hot seat here you get this poll

[00:47:41] I guess I'd answer this too but I'll start with you just you and I are in our roles as partisans

[00:47:47] we're we're wearing partisans hats we're doing them. We get this poll what would our message be

[00:47:52] to those for serving in a staff role to those higher up saying okay we need to look at this issue

[00:47:57] because this really validates something a discussion that you've led a lot about just talking

[00:48:04] about this issue. These numbers are not good for Republicans. Let me rephrase it these numbers

[00:48:10] are not good for Republicans who want to continually message on this issue and represent the 49%

[00:48:16] is that fair to say? Absolutely. If we're going let's just if we're looking at Minnesota even by

[00:48:23] congressional district or statewide we need to get more people on our side we are not winning elections

[00:48:29] we have the Republicans we have those 49% of Republicans that don't support abortion right

[00:48:35] we've got them we need to talk to the 51% of Republicans that do and the 76% of independents 76%

[00:48:42] of independents those are folks we've talked about so much that are this is an issue that

[00:48:47] is can be a complete turn on enough for folks right. We need to find a way to message on abortion

[00:48:52] to talk to those 51% of people Republicans and those independent voters who potentially could

[00:48:59] come to our side if we're not just saying ban it all ban abortion ban access to pills go do away

[00:49:07] with IVF all of that we alien a good portion of those percentages and and that's something that

[00:49:15] if I was working on a campaign right now I would say we need to figure out a way let's look at

[00:49:19] Nikki Haley's debate comments on this let's find a way to talk to voters about abortion because again

[00:49:26] you look at some of those younger independents Republicans this is something talking to my friends

[00:49:31] that are not Republican voters immediately if this is something that they is an issue that they

[00:49:37] are willing to to to to die in the hell and so we need to find a way to talk to them at or it's

[00:49:43] just going to be continuing to lose. Yes I think the what you will hear a lot from pro-life people

[00:49:50] is that they say it's we just need to win them the hearts and minds over we need to win them what

[00:49:57] we need to win people over on the hearts and we just need to convince people that this is the right

[00:50:01] thing to do and pull after pull I think shows that people have made their mind up and where they

[00:50:08] are in this issue and I think the messaging I think it's a subject that I think I feel it was not

[00:50:17] a subject that it was not a subject that I expect to talk about as much as we have but it keeps coming

[00:50:22] up and I think our discussions help frame it up I think for others and so I hope we continue to discuss

[00:50:29] about when it's relevant in its newsworthy in the discussion but I think that this is still a

[00:50:34] problem for Republicans I go back to our conversation we had about walls where he just talked about that

[00:50:39] I'm paraphrasing him but old white men needed to start listening to women more on this issue

[00:50:44] that is still the farther I get away from that message the more I think it's just a pitch perfect

[00:50:50] message and I just wonder if they're the space sometimes for in the Republican party for to have

[00:50:57] that discussion because I think the data is pretty clear I think the polling data is pretty clear

[00:51:04] as to where voters are on this and I don't think that Republicans which is frustrating because

[00:51:10] I imagine in your roles and certainly I know my roles but I manage your roles there was some

[00:51:15] poultry in discussions discussed on polling and things and so in many ways I think Republicans

[00:51:20] are messaging to the minority rather than messaging to the majority at the same time they're losing

[00:51:27] election anything sometimes what is often forgotten by folks who are poor choice are

[00:51:34] some of the reasons that some of the pro-life people are pro-life and it's not about

[00:51:40] they're wanting to deny women access it's about them believing that life begins at conception

[00:51:46] and that this is murdering a trial essentially or murdering an infant or a fetus right so

[00:51:54] it's a different way of looking at it that again I in a lot of my work I've talked to a lot of

[00:51:59] these really incredible pro-life individuals who have really strong beliefs because of that and so

[00:52:05] I do get that but I think this is again where we Republicans need to take that messaging opportunity

[00:52:10] that let's go back and listen to our conversation with our Gumnotorial Candidate Scott Jensen

[00:52:15] that we want it none of my friends that are pro-choice would you go up and be like I hope I get to have

[00:52:19] one abortion one day they say if God forbid something that were to happen they want that

[00:52:27] opportunity or that access that ability to be that option to be on the table and I think that's

[00:52:33] where again the safely going rare we need to get back to that way of talking about it that this is not

[00:52:38] what we're striving for or a goal but we should find a way that if a woman needs or wants that

[00:52:45] option it is accessible to an extent and so yes I agree and one one point I would say if we have

[00:52:52] I think we should discuss about more on future episodes but I would want to ask in some ways talk

[00:52:57] about it from the electoral standpoint I'd yet to have someone explain to me with polling data

[00:53:04] in a strong way and I think a credible way how a statewide Republican can win being as pro-life

[00:53:11] as Republicans want to be and so I think the challenge I always say on the issue of abortion is

[00:53:17] okay great to have that position explaining me how you win in an election when the polling data

[00:53:23] I think is so convincing on the other side and so I think we've yet to see a credible example or

[00:53:30] a credible plan by someone who is passionately pro-life how they can run in this state in particular

[00:53:37] and win an election on it and I think that's the challenge but I greatly appreciate our

[00:53:42] discussions on it and you're willing us to engage in it and be as thoughtful as you are

[00:53:46] and if anybody out there knows of any state where there is a statewide Republican or even maybe

[00:53:52] a congressional Republican that has one in a district that we don't necessarily think a pro choice

[00:53:58] or not 100% pro-life of person would win let us know I might do some research on this and see

[00:54:03] if we can glean anything from anywhere but moving on to our last topic of the day state

[00:54:10] of the state so last week at Governor Walts had his state of the state address he was down in

[00:54:15] Oatana at a newly renovated high school what was your overall feel of it to me it had a feel of

[00:54:25] he's running that's honestly and what was interesting and I it's interesting because of the

[00:54:32] podcast because of how we've discussed these things I now approach listening to these I'm listening

[00:54:37] to a more from the perspective of how can we discuss it and we have framed up a number of these

[00:54:42] discussions about state of the unions and state of the state as quasi campaign speeches and so

[00:54:47] when I listened to his speech and watched it to me it had very much of that feel he was there

[00:54:53] was some clips some other kind of audio visual things in ways to present his kind of narrative

[00:55:01] of kind of accomplishments that he's had and my first reaction my first kind of thought during

[00:55:07] this speech and then at the end was like yeah he's running there's this speech is packaged in a way

[00:55:13] that is is presenting I think the case for Walts to be a national figure completely agree you start

[00:55:20] with a backdrop this is the school he's a former teacher leaning into that highlighted the GFL wins

[00:55:26] not surprising free lunch i'm at goals paid family leave talked about goals for this upcoming session

[00:55:32] gun control abortion protection had a nice story that he shared criticizing Alabama again the IVF

[00:55:38] controversy that's going on there and that him and his wife when used IVF for their children and in

[00:55:44] how it obviously hits really home which anytime you can have a nice personal narrative it really

[00:55:49] helps humanize a individual like a governor one aspect that I I don't think there was any shock

[00:55:56] value to it i think it was a pretty nice even keeled good solid speech right i liked the building

[00:56:03] component he had he talked about building roads and bridges and career pathways in schools and

[00:56:07] opportunities for our kids and if that's if I had to put a pin and something that I think would be

[00:56:12] a theme for governor walls on a national scale building is what I would pick that I could see him

[00:56:18] trying to naglam on to and bring that forward because you're building bridges you're building the

[00:56:24] future your bravo if someone is that has that much foresight otherwise future candidates building

[00:56:29] is something that i think would be a good campaign thing you do think that it was more backward was

[00:56:37] back thinking then it wasn't his vision as much as it was a little bit of a little bit of

[00:56:43] despite getting the football in zone dancing building of the narrative about previous success is

[00:56:48] correct yeah because it's an election year he needs to he is doing his role this year's not about him

[00:56:52] he's doing his role right now to help prep up the dfl legislators try to maintain all the

[00:56:57] majorities he's trying to do what he can do to get you obviously know that every news outlet in

[00:57:01] state is going to cover this this is your opportunity to get articles get stories radio audio tv

[00:57:07] everywhere talking about what the democrats did last session and what voters should have on the top

[00:57:13] of their mind and speed play that role well in an interesting development governor walls is going

[00:57:19] to be speaking speaking in new hamster it was announced that he will be speaking in new hamster

[00:57:24] he's going to be attending the the to will be the keynote speaker at an event in a new hamster

[00:57:30] of course we know becky that new hamster has no political significance at all that's what in

[00:57:35] the nomination of a president no you can just listen to our wonderful breakdown episode on new

[00:57:40] hamster politics in the granted state of that becky led but him traveling to new hamster

[00:57:47] for an event is a sure a clear indication of something that we've discussed which is walls a

[00:57:52] national figure and i think we go back to we just we made a certain but clearly i think this

[00:57:58] speech the event in new hamster i think it's fair to say he's he may not be running but he's

[00:58:04] certainly laying it down laying down the steps to run for something and be considered in that field

[00:58:11] absolutely he's trying to raise the name ID build the relationships at some point if he is running

[00:58:16] with that's in for eight whatever years and he could run for the next 30 based on our current

[00:58:22] candidates age he's certainly he's going to need to call up people and say can you host a fundraiser

[00:58:27] can you host any bank can you meet me introduce me to people so every trip he was in Iowa on super

[00:58:32] juira on Iowa caucus day he's been doing all these different things and yeah he's certainly starting

[00:58:38] to try to build those relationships and that network absolutely we'll see what happens

[00:58:44] it's going to be an interesting year i want to thank you very much for the discussion this week

[00:58:48] this was just the two of us talking no gas and we really went round and round and some stuff and

[00:58:53] i learned a lot let me start over i learned a lot about your perspective on random

[00:58:57] and daniel and others objects i learned nothing from you about him i learned nothing

[00:59:02] i learned nothing from you about him but for other subjects it was a great discussion i'm really

[00:59:06] glad to do this week no it was great we don't really have many shows without a guest and so it's a

[00:59:12] nice change of pace here and i learned that you are a bland eater so i will keep my fast and

[00:59:18] away from you that's right thank you again and we'll be back next week may it

[00:59:27] we want to thank you for listening to the breakdown with broadcorkbecky before we go show some

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[00:59:42] media platforms at bb break putt the breakdown with broadcorkbecky will return next week thank you

[00:59:49] again for listening