Marc Francois

Earnest ‘EJ’ Christian is joined by friend and activist Marc Francois to discuss the New York Mayor’s race, whether AOC will run for President, Kamala Harris new book, why he’s boycotting his beloved LA Dodgers, MLB Playoffs, and the Lakers Mount Rushmore.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
The Earnestly Speaking Podcast is a show that is founded
on free flowing conversation and may at times venture into
mature subjects. Listener discretion is advised.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Yeah, Earnestly Speaking Podcus.

Speaker 3 (00:22):
This kid is how much younging in New York.

Speaker 4 (00:25):
Give Miyammy carry heed so much more to storm a
productive flood the street opinion Nation god Father, see oh
ho fit the late nineties, gonna see me go hustlemon,
no limitation, no fad, army, untouchables opinionacious dad never went
off season.

Speaker 5 (00:43):
Homemade and chips and numblice, her propping.

Speaker 4 (00:46):
My old waite, supply your son, the comfort, earnestly speaking
to my ego was well faced, earnestly speaking to people,
and no bread. See him like a hurricane, durabile breeze,
earnestly speaking, leave it eat like.

Speaker 3 (00:59):
A time perfect podcast. It's back with us today. It's up.

Speaker 6 (01:11):
Good morning, Good morning.

Speaker 3 (01:12):
Of course Mark Frince. Will's been a little while as
show brother. How are you man?

Speaker 6 (01:16):
Yeah? Man, then been busy, has been a crazy summer.

Speaker 3 (01:21):
You're so busy.

Speaker 5 (01:22):
You're here all looking a little quaffing, nice and perfect
like look very president.

Speaker 6 (01:26):
Yeah, I got meetings after this. I can't be looking
floppy today.

Speaker 3 (01:30):
We're still to do this podcast last week and then
of course meetings on the way of course, and you're
youre a busy guy. I get it, brother, I get
it how you've been so much.

Speaker 6 (01:36):
Here when I'm back in New York too, Like I
was in California last week and it was just it's
so much tougher because like I don't have any of
my equipment there. Like, it's just it's so much easier
when I'm at home.

Speaker 5 (01:46):
Yeah, I'm trying to I'm trying to be mad at
you because I when I was in New York about
a month, about a month or so ago, and you
were happy to be the.

Speaker 3 (01:53):
Four days that happened to be in the city you're.

Speaker 6 (01:55):
Not there, yeah, like and it was what the first
time the first time you were in New York in
like three or four years?

Speaker 3 (02:00):
Like that every year ten?

Speaker 5 (02:03):
Oh yes, yes, And and honestly, my wife and I
am going to try to make it a yearly thing though,
just her.

Speaker 3 (02:09):
I try to get away if you because you.

Speaker 6 (02:11):
Have to have to.

Speaker 3 (02:12):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (02:14):
It's funny because because I'm born there, so obviously I
know what what the city's like and I get that,
but what do you experience when you actually experienced as
an adult a whole bunch of adult.

Speaker 3 (02:24):
And I can settle in. It's just you have a
better appreciation for the city now than he was a child.
You know what I'm saying, going to Broadway.

Speaker 6 (02:30):
Reil trip to the city. I was like thirty two
and thirty four or something like that and moved here
at almost forty and so no, man, absolutely, it's it's
one hundred percent that.

Speaker 5 (02:41):
Yeah, you know going and its socially do there. You
can obviously can eat all day long, which I fucking love.
But you can go to a Broadway I love Broadway
shows there.

Speaker 3 (02:49):
You can go to a sports game. You can do it.

Speaker 6 (02:51):
Yeah, I'm trying. I'm trying to hard, like this week,
which one probably either Wicked or Sunset Boulevard with the
culture singer.

Speaker 3 (03:00):
Oh really yeah nice nice.

Speaker 6 (03:04):
Yeah. My my list is getting pretty good, Like I've
checked a lot of boxes, but I still have a
few I need to hit.

Speaker 3 (03:12):
Yeah, I did.

Speaker 5 (03:13):
I did like an episode, a Little Soul episode a
couple of weeks ago where I said I'm a Broadway guy.
I've never not like Broadway, but the last couple of years,
I think, I think with the Hamilton thing and then
you know, really watching stuff with my wife in the
last couple of years. I have to have a better
appreciation for Broadway now and for musicals again in the
ways that there's a kid, but not really in the

(03:34):
same way. You know, my favorite movie is Growing up
we were musicals, but I didn't. I never considered musicals
the movies. We saw Book of Mormon. I was out there,
Oh my god, you have to see that there. Oh
my god, it's amazing. I can stop laughing. I couldna
stop laughing.

Speaker 3 (03:51):
Man.

Speaker 6 (03:52):
So yeah, that's what I'm dying to go see.

Speaker 3 (03:54):
Yeah, so what's the pulse right now? This is why
I want you on to show it especially too.

Speaker 5 (03:59):
We're about a month away from the New York's uh
the New York Mayor's race mayor of race that the
wasaveing covered right now nationally is like a presidential election
pretty much.

Speaker 6 (04:09):
Yeah, it's a big deal. Well, because I think it's
gonna be a big bell weather. Uh. You know, it's
one of the first major sort of dominoes to fall
going into the midterms. You know, you've had some of
these special elections like the one in Arizona that Mike
Johnson refused to certify. But the New York mayor's race
is a big one, like New York mayor, California governor.

(04:30):
You know, these are these are big bell weather elections
that kind of I think indicate at least where the
where the left in the country is leftish is.

Speaker 3 (04:42):
Going in the No, I you, I agree with you.

Speaker 5 (04:44):
And right now, the polling, the polling right now has
Donnie a big big right now.

Speaker 6 (04:50):
Yeah, yeah, I mean Adams is already out, and you know,
I don't see how Cuomo is going to overcome the
kind of what is of like a fourteen point deficit
right now or something.

Speaker 3 (05:02):
Yeah, he got destroyed against against Dundonnie in the primaries.

Speaker 6 (05:06):
Yeah, destroyed, Yeah, exactly. No, I mean he's so I
have some issues and some reservations about the way where
he's moved on, for example, Palestine. You know, he started
touching his language a lot around around that issue. You know,
he was a lot more he was a lot more

(05:26):
staunch in his positions earlier in the campaign. But that notwithstanding,
I mean, overall, his policies are going to broadly benefit
New Yorkers, and I think Will will signal to the
rest of the country that, you know, you can enact
a lot of these more progressive policies, rent stabilization policies,

(05:47):
you know, housing and transportation policies that are more equitable
and environmentally sound. You know, there's there's a lot that
can be done, and I think his administration will will
demonstrate that provides a bigger cover for mayors and governors
throughout the country.

Speaker 5 (06:04):
It's quite possibly that the couching you're saying he's doing,
it's strategic. It's just to if they're like moderate probably
on that issue, you know that maybe just to kind
of like tone downs a little bit, just make sure
they got those voltes in and then once he's in office,
then he can get back to who who he authentically
really is.

Speaker 3 (06:22):
That's the dem.

Speaker 6 (06:25):
That it seems that way, And I hope you're correct,
And I mean it's it's only natural a little bit
that through the course of the campaign the candidate's going
to moderate a little bit. But yeah, I still think,
you know, he is the guy for New York. He's
the only one talking about any kind of policies that
make sense, that are going to improve conditions for New

(06:46):
Yorkers because I mean, right now, in order to afford
a decent like one bedroom apartment in Midtown, you need
to be making one hundred and fifty hundred and sixty
thousand dollars a year minimum. Yeah, you know, that's that's crazy,
you know, Yeah, it's insane. I have a friend who

(07:08):
lives in the city and you know, pays thirty five
thirty six hundred a month, or like a four hundred
square foot studio. Now granted it's in a nice building
and stuff, but still so four hundred it's a hotel
room with a kitchenette.

Speaker 5 (07:21):
Yeah, just being in for four days, I will say
the energy is definitely on his side in talking people
there in the city and it's kind of listening to
people beaning cabs and whatnot. You can tell, even in August,
you can tell the race is a big deal, and
you can tell that Donnie has has the the the
the wave going his way. Yeah, it's really polling. Is

(07:45):
the polling is reflective of what it really is, at
least right now.

Speaker 6 (07:47):
Yeah, And I think you know, having the the UN
General Assembly here is only doubling down on you know,
people's consciousness around a lot of these issues and the
sorts of things that he's talking about focusing, you know,
it was it was a super weird moment earlier on
in the primary debates when they were asking every candidate

(08:10):
what their first foreign trip was gonna be, and they
were all talking about Israel, and it's like, why do
you know we have so many fucking problems right here
in the city. What And his answer was, I'm not
going anywhere. I'm gonna be right here in the five boroughs, right,
I need a little culture. I'll go to queens like.

Speaker 3 (08:33):
I am Christmas.

Speaker 5 (08:33):
Because you may have a point there about this being
the precursor of what the midterms like next next year,
because people, people for got people. People are still crying
over the election of comple of losing the Trump Where
you're away from midterms, well not that far away. This
this ship excellently is like you gotta get over that
and and kind of move on to the next thing now,
because this this thing is is picking up, you know

(08:55):
what I mean?

Speaker 6 (08:56):
And yeah, you know, I mean, campaign season is going
to start in.

Speaker 5 (08:59):
Six months, right, and I'm really curious, like or within
some months, because I think he will win.

Speaker 3 (09:05):
I think he will win. I think if he loses
because he got rigged because they didn't ringing.

Speaker 5 (09:09):
I believe Adams leave leaving the campaign, leaving suspend this
campaign was strategic to consolidate more votes.

Speaker 6 (09:16):
Yeah, I I correct, I I would agree with you.
It seems to me the only way that uh, mom,
Donnie loses is if there's you know, foot.

Speaker 3 (09:30):
But the things you can't you can't.

Speaker 5 (09:33):
I don't trust it. I don't trust people. I don't
trust I don't trust the system, you know. I mean,
so that's the thing, you know, so that.

Speaker 6 (09:38):
Like, yeah, well, I mean Americans trust in government and
elections broadly. Right now? Is that an all time low?

Speaker 3 (09:46):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (09:47):
I'm both taking but yeah, both both sides claim fraud.
That's that's the only thing. Like, both sides do the
same thing.

Speaker 3 (09:55):
As each other.

Speaker 6 (09:56):
Well, well, you know what's funny though, And I think
it's noteworthy that, yes, both sides do it. But I
think one side is projecting in one side has a case. Now,
am I one of these people that sits here and goes, oh,
Elon Musk hacked the system and stole the election for Trump?

Speaker 7 (10:13):
No, he did it.

Speaker 3 (10:14):
Shut the fuck up, thank you.

Speaker 6 (10:18):
He can't tie his shoes. He buys a company that
ties shoes for you, like stop it. However, However, in
the couple dozen or so cases of voter fraud that
get discovered every year every election cycle, in the last
few elections, everyone committing voter fraud or most people committing

(10:39):
voter fraud overwhelmingly are voting for candidates on the right
number one and number two. In the wake of the
twenty twenty four election, the only cases that are moving
forward that are asking questions about election integrity have been
cases brought in favor of Democratic candidates.

Speaker 3 (11:01):
So yeah, you know, do with that what you will.

Speaker 6 (11:06):
But like one group of people's lawsuits get advanced, and
another group of people get arrested for voter fraud, and
they tend to be from very specific camps over I.

Speaker 3 (11:16):
Love how people.

Speaker 5 (11:16):
I love people assume that it was fraud, that it's
it's it's a what itos to one party, Like, bro,
you don't understand, like people both cheat too.

Speaker 6 (11:24):
Wait when people talk about you know, when you hear
these like toothless morons in their f one fifties, you
know on TikTok that are like, oh, the Democrats vote
for their dead grandmothers. It's like, no, that's literally what
a maga hat dude in Wisconsin got arrested for.

Speaker 3 (11:39):
But try again, but go on, go on, you know
what I mean?

Speaker 6 (11:42):
Yeah, please no, please please continue.

Speaker 5 (11:45):
You make the great pointment what the whole elon thing
in the election? Because people there's a lot of people
who still don't They still.

Speaker 3 (11:52):
Think that Trump cheated, and I just agree with that.
I'm willing to hear arguments.

Speaker 6 (11:58):
I'll hear you out if you can point to maybe
specific districts or regions or states, but broadly across what
one hundred and sixty million votes cast? Something that was
actually a bit in the newsroom that they were talking about,
but it was factual. It was something like from the

(12:19):
election in the elections from like two thousand to twenty
and twelve, do you know how many instances of voter fraud?
There were eighty six.

Speaker 3 (12:33):
Actual like specific out of.

Speaker 6 (12:36):
Four election cycles including midterms, Like the reason six you're
talking about like eight hundred million votes cast in in
in those cycles between mid terms and everything, eighty six?
Fuck out of here.

Speaker 5 (12:56):
The reason why I don't buy voter fraud is not
a thing. Yeah, The reason why I don't buy that shit.
Either two is that this is the reason why I
don't buy that because to me, when you say that,
the first thing that you're you're letting Democrats off the hook.

Speaker 3 (13:10):
That's excuse what what have.

Speaker 6 (13:13):
We been screaming since election night? Screaming again more loudly
during the autopsy pod and every single time we've unpacked
the twenty twenty four election, I at least have said
the same thing, and you have tended to agree with me,
which is that it wouldn't have mattered who was selling
the product. The DNC put forth a shitty product. Period

(13:38):
the end Biden administration did not do enough to balance
the scales of wealth, inequality, and all of the other
like pillars of society that we talk about, whether it's healthcare, groceries, gas, rent,
you name it. And then you know, layer in Gaza
on top of that, and they're you know, feckless tacit

(14:01):
standby and support of Israel's genocide. You know, the Democrats
were not running on a positive record. And then on
top of that, you had one hundred and seven days
for Kamala Harris to campaign on the heels of an
embarrassingly poor debate performance by Joe Biden like a concerningly

(14:22):
point thank you, Like the Democratic platform sucked, donkey dick,
the poses they've gotten to. Something useful to voters was,
you know when they basically copy and pasted half of
Bernie's platform into Hillary Clinton's after the convention because they
had no fucking choice over how popular Bernie's policies were.

(14:45):
But like what, From twenty twenty one to twenty twenty five,
wealth inequality continued to expand, Corporate consolidation continued, Executive compensation
continued to rise exponentially relative to worker compensation. Housing affordability,
healthcare affordability, automotive affordability. None of these things have improved.

(15:08):
Education broadly has not improved. Like, yes, President Biden did
a whole lot more in his four years than he
got credit for. But they are things that only walks
like you and me pay attention to.

Speaker 3 (15:22):
Yeah, I agree, And again I ask.

Speaker 6 (15:26):
My average neighbor on Long Island here what even even
like a centrist or a lib, ask them what Like
Joe Biden's five biggest policy accomplishments were, Unless they're fucking
nerds like we are, they can't tell you.

Speaker 5 (15:41):
Right, And all I have to do and not to
get arrogant here, but you know, I have a lot
of friends, a lot of friends not only around here,
friends who live abroad, around the country, and we talk.

Speaker 3 (15:52):
We all talk.

Speaker 6 (15:54):
So what I did, and my homie in France, by
the way, he is constantly flicking my ear lobe in
the d MS about like you're going to me a sheet,
move to Toulon, we go camping.

Speaker 5 (16:09):
But what I did is I took a sample. Look,
it is a small sample the bigger electorate.

Speaker 3 (16:17):
But I had friends of mine who were either Democrats,
former Democrats, Centrists who may have vote for Biden or
Obama in years past, who check letter for Trump. And
there are a lot more of those this time around
than it was in the past.

Speaker 5 (16:34):
So if you apply that logic, that sample across the board,
you can understand why Alectionica swing like that.

Speaker 6 (16:40):
Yeah. Well, and I mean, it's it's disappointing that people
bought the snake oil in twenty twenty four. But this
simple truth is Republicans, even if they were lying, were
speaking to the issue. Like one of the one of
the cool I guess like data insights that I get

(17:01):
is talking to certain like female friends of mine about
their adventures in dating, and you know, like one of
the things you hear about a lot is that women
are basically Trump checking their dates and they know that.
Like if a guy says, oh, i'll talk about politics
or I'm a moderate, but up up, up, like, oh,
you voted for Trump, okay, but if you ask, you know,

(17:26):
sort of the average idiot who doesn't follow politics and
suddenly was posting about Charlie Kirk remembrance. You know, those
people genuinely bought the sticky, and the Democrats didn't have
an effective messaging. They just keep saying. Basically, the Democrats

(17:51):
position the last ten years has basically just been no,
we're not No, we didn't that's not true. Like that's
their response, ste Beckless there there. Yeah, they cower in
the corner and ask not to be kicked to get
and they're constantly on defense. There's no there's no counter punching,
there's no you know, standing on business to to to

(18:15):
fight for their policies and their positions. They're just you know,
trying to tell everybody that Trump's a fascist. And most
people don't understand how threatening that is because their education
system sucks and they didn't get the right version of US.

Speaker 3 (18:27):
History right care more.

Speaker 6 (18:33):
No, it's really as simple as that.

Speaker 5 (18:36):
No, I'm with you, Like I said, do you take
a small sample and you apply towhere else.

Speaker 3 (18:41):
And it made sense. It makes a lot of sense and.

Speaker 6 (18:46):
Crazy that it worked, and.

Speaker 5 (18:51):
It's almost being admired in some ways the rights ecosystem
and the way they built their chamber with podcasts and
with all this, they do a better job of staying
on message.

Speaker 6 (19:05):
You know where this PbD or you know they have
unifying forget like the fact that it's supported by rotten
soul selling like pillars and foundation. But the simple fact
is the right in this country has a figure around

(19:28):
whom they can rally and the left doesn't. There has
not been a consistent MH. But yeah, I mean he
was the last unifying standard bearer. But even by the
end of his presidency and in his post presidency, I

(19:49):
would argue he has probably damaged his reputation more than
any beloved political figure by being so neutral during election
cycles and not being vocal enough about helping to advance

(20:10):
the cause of elections like they were, not using his
cachet effectively to advance the cause of candidates like Biden
and Harris and you know, even back in twenty sixteen, and.

Speaker 5 (20:24):
It goes dude, it goes back to when we were
doing podcasts in twenty sixteen. It goes back to the
Berney situation, to him getting screwed, and people lost a
lot of trust in that party after that and to
this day.

Speaker 6 (20:36):
For example, I just saw a story from a like
Finance creator and he was talking about how Nancy Pelosi's
good buddy former Congresswoman Debbie Wasser Mitchell, or she former congressman,
or she's still congresswoman.

Speaker 3 (20:54):
I hope she's not more.

Speaker 6 (20:57):
I hope she's still a figure in the Democrat establishment.
That that's what matters. But she was just buying up
stocks at two dollars a share that are likely the
result of, you know, insider trading, because Congress has access
to financial information that the general public doesn't, and we
still miraculously don't have any kind of law apart from

(21:19):
our standard antitrust laws, banning members of Congress from from
stock trading and playing in the capital markets when they
have information that, again, the general public doesn't have access to.

Speaker 5 (21:34):
Yeah, she's she's on the current term right now. Actually,
I don't know how she still has something. I don't
know how she's still Yeah.

Speaker 6 (21:39):
I mean she buried, she buried Bernie's. Can't she built
the We we talked about this on the pod during
the twenty exteen I maryes in twenty sixteen, Yes, where
that there was a story that had come out and
it's burned into my memory. There was a Hillary Victory
Fund created by the DNC. It was a combination of

(22:01):
Podesta and Debbie Wasserman Schultz and other Clintonites that put
together the Hillary Victory Fund in twenty fourteen. Mm hmm.
That's when like the documents were filed and the registration
was done, and and yeah, we talked about this literally
almost ten years ago, Martin.

Speaker 5 (22:22):
Only that because the people I'm friends of mine who
come on this podcast regularly and they debate me on this,
and they say that it's not true, just and that
the Democratic you know, voters, and I say, the people
who did the rigging is admitting they rigged it.

Speaker 3 (22:38):
What do you I believe now?

Speaker 6 (22:40):
Yeah, think about it. We were watching shows like one
of our old, our old favorites, controversy notwithstanding. But on
Bloomberg they had with all due respect with Hilman and Halpern.

Speaker 3 (22:52):
Yeah, the old show.

Speaker 6 (22:53):
We were yeah, pre circus shit, you know, and we
were dreaming at each other about even the way those
quote unquote responsible journalists we were burying the leads on
Bernie when he was rallying to the tune of tens
of thousands of people at every stop along the way

(23:15):
and was getting no airtime. They were giving all this
free airtime to Trump and his campaign and the circus
around it, but no one was talking about, you know,
the popularity of Bernie's policies. You know, when he went
to what was like the La Sports Arena, filled the
arena and then had another fifteen thousand people outside watching

(23:38):
on big screens like it was crazy. Now, he didn't
do himself any favors every time he had a big
platform like a debate or a big like national television interview,
I feel like, Bernie, what's the bed? And he has
for a long time. He makes great speeches, he's a
great rallier. I've literally seen him speak live. He's incredible

(24:02):
in that forum. But for some reason, he just sits
there like repeating himself in debates, and he doesn't he
doesn't narrate his policies well on big platforms.

Speaker 5 (24:16):
I am curious if we'll go back to the New
York Madles race, if it's gonna be if if the
pivot's gonna be real, because you know we said this
last year, Biden's pelosis, even Obama, Clinton's done done. If
this party is not going to move for in a
real way, if this was, if twenty twenty four was
not a a what un Lesson learned, if he will,

(24:40):
you know that the party has to move into a
real working class message.

Speaker 3 (24:43):
I don't know what will be, you know, I mean.

Speaker 6 (24:46):
That's really what it boils down to in this country.
And this is what more people need to understand, is
it really doesn't have shit to do with right or
left anymore. I mean, obviously we need to beat back
fascism and authoritarianism, but the simple in this country is
the struggles between up and down, not left.

Speaker 5 (25:04):
And right, which begs which begs the question mark AOC
is AOC the next voice of the party. I'm gonna
play a clip because apparently I'm polling here from seeing it.

Speaker 6 (25:17):
Short, I'm gonna hear the clip, but short answer and
predictive answers no and I and I adore AOC as
such as you can adore a politician right.

Speaker 3 (25:29):
Let's see Harry Harry had to say about Alec's she.

Speaker 6 (25:31):
Looks a lot like famed airline pilot Roger Murdoch.

Speaker 3 (25:36):
Wrong video, Buddy coming down now.

Speaker 7 (25:39):
Ran for the president about the presidency about a decade ago.
I just think it's just such a tectonic shitic within
the Democratic election that early choice of the then presidential nominee.
Back in June of twenty fourteen, lak Hillary Clinton was
way ahead of everybody with sixty nine percent. Bernie Sanders
is like in ninth or tenth place with just two percent.

(26:00):
Look at where we are right now in September of
twenty twenty five. Look how much closer AOC is to
the top now than Bernie Sanders was back a decade ago.
She's a twelve percent, so she has six times his
amount of support. But more than that, look how much
closer she is to the leader. Gavin Newsom leads the
field right now, but just with twenty one percent, she
is within ten points of Gavin Newsom. I never thought

(26:22):
I would have seen the day when someone as liberal
as Alexandrio Costa Cortes's is to the leader.

Speaker 6 (26:28):
She's nine points back.

Speaker 7 (26:29):
As opposed to what sixty seven points back Bernie Sanders
was a decade ago at this point. If we thought
Bernie Sanders was a long shot back in June of
twenty fourteen, at this particular point, AOC has a very
real shot, at least according to the early numbers that
we see so far.

Speaker 3 (26:44):
I can't believe it's been ten years.

Speaker 6 (26:45):
That's what's freaking me out, as.

Speaker 3 (26:48):
Your thoughts.

Speaker 6 (26:50):
Okay, so I'm all right, there's a few things there
I want to touch on. Number One, I think making
a comparison of like where Bernie was relative to her
at the same time, you know, relatively in previous selections,
is flawed. And here's why. Okay, broadly, nobody knew who
the fuck Bernie was until people like us were screaming

(27:12):
about are you guys seeing this crazy old man from
Brooklyn by way of Vermont like.

Speaker 8 (27:19):
It was.

Speaker 6 (27:20):
He didn't have a national profile like she does. She
has been. She has been a polarizing national political figures
since she came onto the scene when she unseated a
you know, decades long Democrat in her primary race to
get into Congress in the first place. Wouldn't that help
her case, that kind of that that kind of profile.

Speaker 5 (27:44):
But what you could not argue that would help her
Casey Moore now, because she already had the platform ready.

Speaker 6 (27:50):
Potentially. So here's here's where I'm of two minds about this.
Number One, I do fear, after what we just saw
with both Linton and Harris, that this country is too
racist and too sexist to be able to capture the
independent voters you need. However, with the number of voters

(28:12):
who stayed home altogether, it's curious as to sort of like,
can we do it? But my countervailing thought on that
is the one thing that could overcome the racism and
sexism sort of just baked into this country is a

(28:35):
message that actually appeals to workers in a tangible way.
You know, our crusade is to get the national minimum
wage raised to eighteen dollars an hour by twenty thirty.
I don't know. You know, whatever new rent stabilization policies
do away with property tax for schools, I don't but

(28:56):
it has to be tangible and with real short term benefit.
This can't be shit that you're not going to realize
for ten years. You know, it has to be we're
going to We're going to rewrite the tax code the
same way President Trump did in twenty seventeen. We are
going to fix this. We're going to implement a wealth tax.

(29:18):
We are going, We're going, We're going. That's to me,
the only thing that could overcome you know, all of
the bullshit that you know, nonsense that got pedled on
quote unquote centrist and right leaning pods all over the
internet and the run up to the election. Yeah, honestly,
I think I think Boodhage, Edge or Newsome probably are

(29:42):
the more likely candidates to emerge from the convention, and
I could see AOC being number two on the ticket.
She's got to be right on the cusp of presidential
age eligibility. No, she's she's six then, though, Okay, so okay, no,
but that's what I mean. It is like, isn't it

(30:03):
thirty five? You have to be? Is thirty thirty for Congress,
thirty five for for the presidency?

Speaker 3 (30:09):
How old is Alec?

Speaker 6 (30:12):
Yeah, she's not. I don't think she's older than thirty seven.

Speaker 3 (30:16):
No, she's definitely in a the mid thirties.

Speaker 6 (30:18):
Yeah, Okay, how old Alec?

Speaker 3 (30:21):
You'll have to put making them on but yeah, five,
there you go. She uh she turned thirty five, thirty
six actually.

Speaker 9 (30:32):
Two weeks next week. Actually, okay, so she is ELVI president.
I wanted to no, but but I mean, there you
have it. So I mean that was that's cutting it
pretty close.

Speaker 6 (30:42):
But no, I I still think either Newsomer, Boodha, Diese
with their like they like taking gender and race out
of it and all of that, like, they do have
more requisite experience for the position. I you know, I
can't imagine an elected position in the United States that

(31:02):
more closely, you know, most closely mirrors a presidency more
than being say the governor of California the mayor of
New York City like those are Those are real executive
positions that have some serious gravitas to them that other
states and cities just don't compare to I. And I

(31:26):
think even the governor of New York and governor of
California aren't entirely comparable because California, as you know from
being there, like our major cities and our population centers,
are disparate and spread out. There's as much difference between California,
or between San Francisco and San Diego as there is
between like New York and Richmond.

Speaker 3 (31:47):
I can't I could see an ALC.

Speaker 5 (31:51):
I haven't use some ALC ticket working simply for the
fact that new some love, don't hate him. He is
very slick marketable, and I'm sorry that's part of campaigning.
Marketing self. Trump is the greatest of that. Trump Trump,
Yeah crazy.

Speaker 6 (32:05):
I mean, I have I have such a mixed bag
as a as a Californian on newsome. You know, there
there have been a number of things he's done where
he's sort of talked out of both sides of his
mouth from a policy standpoint. But he is the only
person in the national political discussion that has been able
to sort of materially chip away at and truly antagonize

(32:30):
Trump while popular. Yeah, he's only one.

Speaker 3 (32:38):
He's only one of the balls to to challenge Trump
head on.

Speaker 6 (32:43):
Yeah, he won't be bullied by him. And again, like
there's plenty of ship he's done to sell out workers,
There's plenty of things he's done that are that are
that go against housing policy, impacted families, a whole number
of things that I can I can, you know, go
on and on about him for but yeah, he's the
only one doing anything.

Speaker 5 (33:01):
Here's what I will say about uh Alec if she
ever present it next year, She'll win. She'll kill Chuck Schumer.

Speaker 6 (33:10):
Oh absolutely, Yeah. I think I think has managed to
sort of fly under the radar and her seats not necessarily.
I would think her seat's probably safer than Schumer's. But yeah,
I mean super is completely ineffectual and useless. The man
is what like eighty nine and three quarters year old?

Speaker 3 (33:29):
Like he?

Speaker 6 (33:31):
I mean, he can hardly see.

Speaker 3 (33:32):
He's a waste of space. Bro, He's a waste of space, bro.

Speaker 6 (33:37):
What is and yo? And he and he can hakeing
Jefferies can help him carry his boxes on the way
out of the out of the Ravers building.

Speaker 3 (33:44):
I think if next year she would win, and win
pretty convincingly, honestly.

Speaker 6 (33:49):
Yeah, No, I think so too.

Speaker 3 (33:52):
And I think that would and I think that was
at the stage for her run president well.

Speaker 6 (33:55):
And especially in you know, if you're talking about a
statewide race, I think she's going to turn out a
lot of the black and brown people and Muslim communities
that feel abandoned by people like Chuck Schumer, especially in
New York. Yeah, because the disparity of what you're seeing
in terms of treatment of immigrants in places like Nassau

(34:17):
and Suffolk County right here, you know, sort of in
the backyard of the city in Westchester County and elsewhere
throughout the state. It's bad. I mean, we got ice
trucks in West Babylon.

Speaker 3 (34:29):
Yeah. I think at this point where we're at, politically speaking,
I think away, I think being being a censris and
that's something I'm guilty of sometimes.

Speaker 5 (34:39):
I think there's there's there's no value in being centered anymore.
I think it's it's either you're you're one from a
political point of you're either once on the other.

Speaker 6 (34:47):
Now, Yeah, there's the there's a specific like academic term
for a uh something principal or windows like the Barnard windows.
I don't remember, but anyway, it what it says basically
is that, you know, the right in this country has
continued to pull the left consistently over the line. It's

(35:09):
like Republicans drag us to the right, and then a
Democrat win. Democrats control Congress or the White House, and
they managed to stop the dragons or slow slow the dragging,
but they're not doing anything materially to pull us back
over towards the left or or our national discussion to
the left, like our center in this country is considered

(35:32):
right to far right in just about every other developed
country in the world that has a more balanced political landscape.
You know, six to twelve.

Speaker 5 (35:40):
Say what you're will Republicans do a better job? And
I'm not doing just just like politicians. I'm not asking
you actual voters. You can, for example, you can agree
with disagree with Republicans on say you have tennis shoes
and you agree, maybe you disagree with seven to tennis shoes. Well,
folks on the three ses you agree with them on

(36:01):
and use that as a way to bring in Yeah, democrats,
opos away Democrats. You agree with seven to ten issues
on one thing, but they'll use three issues you disagree
with them and push you away.

Speaker 6 (36:10):
Yeah, yeah, they do know, and I mean way grating.

Speaker 3 (36:14):
The dimocrats are. I'm sorry they are.

Speaker 6 (36:15):
They are a great example of it is we watched
that show. I'm pretty sure you did too, the one
with Kate Blanchette about Phyllis Schlaffley and Eagle Forum Missus America, No,
like five or six years ago. Okay, Sharah Paulson's in it.
The guy who plays Roger Sterling and Mad Men, and
Howard Stark in Ironman, and so like he's in it.

(36:37):
It's great, It's honest, a really great show called one
of the Things Missus America. One of the things they
cover in it is how Egle Forum in its quest
to stop the Equal Rights Amendment and more or less,
you know, Project do their little Project twenty twenty five
things in nineteen seventy one of the concessions they had

(36:59):
to make to bring over all these Southern conservatives into
their camp who were segregationists and anti integration. And it
was at least in the show, it was depicted that
like Phylishlaffley and her Egle Forum people were actually super
uncomfortable with these Confederate flag waivers. But winning was more important,

(37:23):
and getting Nixon the White House was more important, so
they held their nose and let the klansmen in the camp.
But that kind of, in a nutshell, is what Republicans are.
What the right tends to do much better than the
left in this country is that, you know, no different
than in like Weimar, Germany or elsewhere throughout history, you
have like the centrist left, your moderate Democrats that you know,

(37:47):
demonized communism and socialism and alienate those members of the
left and the anarchists and whatnot. And then within the
more progressive and further left portions of the spectrum, you
have a lot of cannibalization between ideologies, you know, between
the communists, the socialists, the democratic socialists, the anarchists, whatever.

(38:12):
You know, if you are not ideologically pure, they don't
rock with you, and they have a very hard time
coalescing to win a bigger picture. I mean, you saw
a lot of this with the very valid criticisms of
you know, Kamala Harris's positions on Gaza and what the

(38:32):
administration had done since October seventh. However, you know, you
and I were still saying, like, this is a problem,
we need to stop sending money to Israel. However, electing
a fascist dictator who's incompetent is still a worse solution,
and staying home, sitting out the election is going.

Speaker 5 (38:51):
To You can argue this weird misshmash of far left
far right people on that issue are who agree with
you the feeling the people on the right also agree
through that Israel has way too much control and the
same money of Israel.

Speaker 6 (39:07):
Yeah, and that's been I mean, it's been the Israeli
intelligence and you know, administrative position for fifty fucking years now, yeah,
really since nineteen sixty seven that it's been there, just
it's been successfully executed to get their hooks into the
American political landscape and pull the strings on our politicians.

Speaker 5 (39:32):
I just don't know if that issue is actually something
strong enough to waiver an election either which way, because
because you have a mismash, you know, you don't is
that enough for someone to write who may not like
Israel what they're doing, but they know the policies are right.
Is that enough to have them go the way again?
And I say that because we're only we're to part theopoly.

Speaker 3 (39:53):
And I know I hate it.

Speaker 5 (39:55):
I wish I ranked towards voting. I wish I rectast voting.
But we are where we are, so I don't. But
but we should appreciate the fact that there's a lot
of things that we're starting to see, you know that
the far level four right do come together on.

Speaker 3 (40:07):
And this real issue is something that the Israel the
way the ID is not very poplar.

Speaker 6 (40:13):
Of course, correct, I mean in their own country.

Speaker 3 (40:18):
Right that they're popular to the to the to the rich,
and to the people who are would be a funded
by them.

Speaker 6 (40:23):
But if you're if you're a major stockholder in northro
Grumman or Raytheon, sure you love.

Speaker 5 (40:34):
But I'm seeing friends of mine, I'm in the church
where evangelicals who was center saying that this is a
thing is bullshit, not any I'm I'm wow.

Speaker 6 (40:43):
We are so far past the point of debate over
what is taking place. Are there Israeli hostages being held
by Hamas? Yes, there are. I don't know how many.
But what I do know is that tens of thousands
and the real number is not known, but it could

(41:04):
be upwards of several hundred thousand Gossens have been and
Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed since October seventh,
and tens of thousands of those have been children. They
have bombed every hospital, university, They are stopping food convoys.
They are creating death traps to be able to receive aid.

(41:27):
They are harassing, raiding, firing upon humanitarian flotilla's like these
things are not in dispute. They're being covered by harets
the Israeli New York Times like this, These things are
not in dispute. What is taking place is a genocide.

(41:47):
Plain and simple.

Speaker 3 (41:50):
Even so, I Trolie Kirk even even said that on record.

Speaker 6 (41:53):
Yeah, I mean there's I mean, there's the theory out
there that his business on Israel is kill potentially what
got him killed.

Speaker 5 (42:03):
Yeah, yeah, because there were rumors that because even Kennis
Owens and Kenneth Owens lover hater.

Speaker 3 (42:08):
She is on this thing.

Speaker 6 (42:10):
She is on the Yeah, she's she's more of it.
She I mean, she is at least for once saying
like kind of true to her roots and she's an isolationist.
She's not for sending all this money all over the world.

Speaker 3 (42:23):
No, but she's also knowledge that it's a deniside. She's
she's saying the words out loud and record for her
to her credit, she's been since well over a year now.
For a while before it was it was actually really
really uh you know.

Speaker 6 (42:36):
Well, and it's like, once you have found yourself agreeing
with Marjorie Taylor Green, Candice Owens and Charlie Clerk, Charlie Kirk,
we have truly jumped the shark.

Speaker 3 (42:47):
Yes, yes, again the mish mash I can talk about
like and.

Speaker 6 (42:52):
Again not writer like these people are morons and swindlers
and grifters, yes, and even like you know what a
broken clock is right twice a day?

Speaker 3 (43:04):
Yeah?

Speaker 6 (43:04):
Me, we're agreeing with Margine with them like.

Speaker 5 (43:09):
Yeah, some a little lighter, real quick. Some a little
light on politics real quick. Well, last thing, Kama Harrison
new book. Did you by chance get that?

Speaker 3 (43:18):
Are you going to get it? I got it. I
bought it, so I have I have credits.

Speaker 6 (43:23):
I have too many other books I'm trying to get through, right.

Speaker 5 (43:25):
No, I have too many. I have a lot of
credits on my audible that I need to burn. I
was really curious, and I'm like, I've read the experts.
I'm like, I want to get this book now, bro,
I want to I want to read.

Speaker 6 (43:34):
It from from what I understand listening to pods like
higher Learning and then you know, trading texts with you
about it. It sounds to me like she pulled punches.
She playcated and made excuses and didn't spill any real
tea about all the ways that she was handcuffed and
undermined in terms of like what she wanted to do

(43:55):
messaging wise on the campaign.

Speaker 3 (43:57):
And she don't mean.

Speaker 6 (44:00):
To me. I'm like, if it's not if it's basically
not a straight up pot of tea, just piping hot
tea mixed with a complete Maya Coopa leading into a
campaign against funding for Israel and getting Apak out of
our political discourse. I don't give a fuck. Yeah, the

(44:25):
there's so many there's so many other more important things
to pay attention to, and I have so little time
at the moment for reading like that's not that's I'm
breaking the that's not breaking through.

Speaker 3 (44:35):
All I'm saying is that I and you myself should
feel you know, victorious.

Speaker 5 (44:40):
The people who gave us ship about how their campaign change,
for example, the messaging in some days they went from
work class families to list Cheney and people will say, oh,
you can't.

Speaker 3 (44:50):
You should still do that, and like, no, should not
do that, And she's saying that they'll tell them.

Speaker 6 (44:54):
Yeah, I mean, let Liz Cheney go campaign to conservatives,
but you shouldn't be up there, like Armin with her,
like what the yeah.

Speaker 5 (45:02):
And then and everything said about the you know possible
Biden hiris, you know, fracturing in the relationship. She confirmed
that we said this on the podcast, that there's probably
something there, and then Biden is not is not doing
this confirming the health issues we said for years and
he was like, oh no, no, big confirmed by the
vice president.

Speaker 3 (45:22):
Okay, what the big one, the big tackle in the book?
And I want I want to get your thoughts on
this one. That she wanted Pete Buddha Jedge to be
her running mate. Yeah, but they were worried.

Speaker 5 (45:35):
About the fact that the optics of especially on her
some days, gay black woman, same ticket not as marketable.

Speaker 3 (45:41):
I get it.

Speaker 6 (45:43):
I don't.

Speaker 5 (45:43):
I don't disagree with her on her fear of that,
but I also think that you should have gone broke anyway. Now,
haven't said that Tim.

Speaker 6 (45:52):
Was mayor p was a broadly popular figure. He had
a much higher national profile. Even you and I didn't
know hardly who the fuck Tim Walls was until it
was announced that he was.

Speaker 3 (46:05):
I started researching him about three weeks before that. She
picked him, and I.

Speaker 6 (46:13):
When we were discussing that, we were discussing that a
little bit. But like like when his name started getting
mentioned in the short list, like is this guy we
thought it was going to be uh Mark Kelly or

(46:33):
I was hoping not I was, Yeah, but he he
tanked his with his comments about Israel. Yeah, a crazy.

Speaker 3 (46:41):
Zionist, also fake Obama to also for a record.

Speaker 6 (46:45):
Yeah, he does a he does the same ship hockem
Jefferies does. He goes on and on pontificating, trying to
be President Obama. And it's like, you're like Jay Farrow's
impression is better than yours. What are you talking about?

Speaker 5 (46:58):
Sorry, Bernie stand Bernie Stands brought Donald Trump's messing works
better because it's direct.

Speaker 3 (47:02):
And on us.

Speaker 6 (47:03):
Well, well it's direct.

Speaker 3 (47:05):
I wouldn't say direct.

Speaker 6 (47:07):
People perceive it as as direct and plane spoken. But
the simple truth is he's just bald faced lying to you.
I mean, it's sure, it's easy. It's easy to get
your point across when you're just making it up as
you go, right.

Speaker 5 (47:21):
Yea, but yeah, that was that was the biggest thing,
the whole thing with the the VP pick and all that.
But you know, to me, I think I to me,
the book tells me that she's burning the bridges here.
This to me, this is the this is the U Okay,
a career closer. I think she's on politics. I don't

(47:42):
see yeah, I don't.

Speaker 6 (47:43):
I don't see her as doing anything more than being
a uh podcast public speaking and campaign cheerleader. Yeah agreed,
because she is still she is still very popular in
a great many circles and and is a obviously valuable

(48:06):
political operative and a brilliant human being. But I don't,
I don't see a pathway to her, Like, I mean,
what's left. I mean, you're not going to win the presidency.
You've you've, you're, you're O for two and yeah, the

(48:26):
only thing really left that's even remotely comparable would be
I guess California governor, you know, but I don't even
know if she'd win that right now?

Speaker 3 (48:36):
No, she pulled out, she remember her running for running
for UH that that seat, and then she so if
she don't, don't.

Speaker 6 (48:47):
I I felt like she did the thing where she
maintained a little too much decorum. She should have taken
the gloves off more. And as long as the donor
class and the campaign managers and the messaging and PR
people aren't gonna let her do that, No, there's there's
no point putting her forth as a candidate.

Speaker 5 (49:08):
So I'm looking right now at the polling right now
for potential UH primary primary twenty twenty eight.

Speaker 3 (49:14):
Mm hm, you find it. It's not coming up here?
What's going on here? Hold on? Try this again? There
we go.

Speaker 6 (49:20):
But your computer is non compliant today. It's like a
bad child.

Speaker 3 (49:25):
As a brand new too.

Speaker 5 (49:26):
Also by the pulling, the pulling, she was leaving polling too,
I think it was her, And I think I think uh,
Gavin Newsom leaning polling.

Speaker 6 (49:32):
For probably more name recognition than anything else, because there
what are they campaigning about? I mean, what are they
what are they telling us about the pathway for I mean,
obviously Newsom is doing a lot, but like, you know,
what is what is she out there doing? Like I
I there was a cool moment where there was a

(49:55):
talk at some conference between her and Ufisa Collier about
the the stuff going on in the w NBA and
Kathy Engelbert and all that, But like, what is madame
Vice president out there doing that's gonna raise her? I
don't see it. I don't see it.

Speaker 3 (50:12):
I don't see it either. I don't I don't see that.

Speaker 5 (50:15):
All right, just go to baseball quick playoffs right from
the way, Uh you told me on off the record
though that you well Dodger fan.

Speaker 3 (50:24):
Well, I guess now, former Dodger Fannel you're out on
the Dodgers.

Speaker 6 (50:28):
Yeah, I mean, I'm in the midst of a boycott
at least for this season. To you know, we went
through this with Frank mccorr and that was over simple shit.
That was over baseball shit. But you know, the ugly
truth is that the La Dodgers have a very complicated
relationship with the Latino community, as specifically the Mexican community

(50:51):
in LA. For people who don't know, the land where
Dodger Stadium currently sits, Chavez Ravine, was three per dominantly
Mexican neighborhoods, and forgive me, I cannot remember the names
of all of them. It was Bishop and a couple others,
but that neighborhood was imminent domained and the houses were bulldozed.

(51:15):
People's land was taken from them. They were forced from
their homes literally after you know, they do the thing
where first the realtors come and give you low ball
all capers and they you know, they ask nicely, and
then when you can't be persuaded to leave, they force
you out. And it got so ugly in fact, that
they bulldozed homes with like old ladies inside. And that

(51:37):
was supposedly to you know, to facilitate a affordable housing
project in the late forties in LA and that never
came to pass, and then LA gave the land to
the O'Malley family when they moved the Dodgers from Brooklyn
to LA to build Dodger Stadium. And so for a
lot of decades, the Mexican community in LA didn't rock
with the Dodgers. It wasn't until Fernando violence Ila broke

(52:01):
out onto the scene that it rallied. You know, Mexican
fans in droves to Dodger Stadium. So fast forward, they've
now spent four decades leaning into the Los Douers of
it all and Latinos and you know, all that kind
of shit, making millions, if not billions of dollars off

(52:22):
of the Mexican community, and they've completely sold them out.
As ice raids began in the springtime, you had Dodger
Stadium allowing ice to stage vehicles and raids from their
parking lots. The team has been completely silent over the
invasion of our communities in Los Angeles, and you know,

(52:45):
people being kidnapped from home depot with warrantless, massed agents
who won't identify themselves. The team has been completely silent.
The only person who's really said anything about it is
Quik Hernandez. And then you know, sort of the cherry
on top of all of this is that Mark Walter,
the chairman uh CEO or head of He's effectively, for

(53:07):
all intents and purposes, he's the fucking owner of the
Dodger and the Lakers. And Mark Walter is a principal
shareholder in a company called Geo Group, and Geogroup is
one of the largest private prison companies in the country,
profiting off of the kidnapping and illegal detention of immigrants
in this country. And so, you know, I was already

(53:31):
out on the Dodgers when they went and tap danced
with fucking Taco Baby in DC. I thought that was
already spy. When when so many teams like the Warriors
and the Eagles have already sort of run head first
through that door, the Dodgers had an easy out to
stand on business and they went and fucking tap dance
for the furres.

Speaker 3 (53:51):
Given where they're where they're located.

Speaker 6 (53:53):
To walls, that's a very heavy Yeah, it's just it's
just such a bad look. And so no, I'm completely
out on the Dodgers this season. I was rooting for
their failure. It was go Giants in the division. I'll
never root for the Padres because I just hate their
fucking squad. But yeah, the Dodgers this year.

Speaker 3 (54:19):
Too.

Speaker 6 (54:21):
My homie and I we you know, our number two
team growing up was always the Mariners. My friend Kyle
shout out to Kyle, and like my mom and stepdadd
are from Seattle, Griffy was my favorite player growing up,
So it's kind of easy.

Speaker 3 (54:35):
Yeah, if they repeat you're not gonna You're not gonna celebrate,
are you?

Speaker 6 (54:39):
No, I won't buy I won't buy a T shirt.
I haven't. I haven't spent a single dollar dollar on
merch since the championship, Like since they went to the
White House. I have not spent a minute or a
dollar on the Dodgers. I unfollowed the team. I unfollowed
most of the players. Every player except I unfollowed the content.

(55:00):
I don't give two fucks because until they're willing to
stand up for the community, fuck them. And that's not
necessarily directed at the players on the field. I know
some Dodger fans have a complicated relationship with this, because
you know, what the players do and what the team
ultimately does is separated from who the ownership is, but

(55:20):
I I just can't swallow that. And so yeah, I'm
kind of out in the wind right now. And frankly,
this is gonna extend to the Lakers too. And the
same dude just bought the fucking Lakers. Yeah, I mean,
like I was talking to my mom about this, I said,
the Dodgers and the Lakers are the only things I've
loved in my life as long as you mom, you

(55:43):
know it's true. And yeah, I have a I have
a very complicated relationship with that now because of how
important to the fabric of Los Angeles the Mexican community
and the immigrant community are to see the two symbols
of LA, the Dodgers and the Lakers, being completely spineless,

(56:06):
and further that the ownership is profiting off of this atrocity.
I just I can't reckon with that.

Speaker 3 (56:13):
I respect it. Have you watched at least though, who
watched the Wales?

Speaker 6 (56:17):
Here and there? I catch highlights, I see what's happening
in the games. I see, you know, Dodgers have, for example,
looked really good against the Phillies. They've had some back
and forth moments, but the uh, you know, the Phillies
just can't get past him. The Yankees absolutely unraveled in Toronto.

Speaker 3 (56:35):
Does Aren Boom get fired? Do you think the series?

Speaker 6 (56:40):
I have a hard time with that because I feel,
you know, I was one of those people who for
years and years and years and only at punctuated moments
have I been on the like torch and Pitchfork, Dave
Roberts train. I felt like, you know, there were things
he did incorrectly that I had issues with. I will
still never forget him for throwing Hungen Reyeu in Game

(57:02):
two of the twenty eighteen World Series over Rich Hill.
I still think that was our only chance to win
that series. And like steal one from Boston, yeah, you know,
shit like that. But I feel like Aaron Boone has
been more saddled saddle, like, done more with less. Like yes,

(57:23):
obviously he has Aaron Judge, Jazz Chisholm, it's really really,
really nice players, Cody Bellinger, but I feel like he's
done more with less. And for like the fact that
they made the World Series last year, they were kind
of a fraud squad. I felt like the two best
teams in baseball were the Dodgers and Padres and that

(57:45):
and the Mets. Those were the Those were the three
teams that were like the out and out favorites last year,
that were just heads and shoulders better than everybody across
both leagues. I wouldn't be surprised to see Aaron Boon
get fired, but I don't necessarily thinking I give him
one ye.

Speaker 3 (58:03):
Also, but does this doctor strike mean does the door
open for you becoming a Mets fan?

Speaker 6 (58:11):
Yes, a bit. It's kind of like a coin flip.
I think the two my two. If I were to
fully like jump ship and change my allegiance, it's probably
neck and neck right now between Mets and Mariners. I
just don't know if I can so willingly invite perpetual

(58:32):
misery into my life in the way that is exactly
like specific you're get understand.

Speaker 5 (58:43):
What entails, Okay, entails failures like last last year was
a fluke.

Speaker 3 (58:52):
Like this, like I'm numbed like the failing this year.
I'm so numb to it.

Speaker 5 (58:57):
You know why, because I'm used to it, and it's
like breathing. I love my kids, my wife, and the
Mets always fucking fail me.

Speaker 6 (59:06):
No, I I'm with you on that, And truthfully, you
know we've talked about this before. Yeah, that was my
existence as a Dodgers fan. For most of my life.
It was you know, competitive, but a first or second
round exit if we were making the playoffs at all.

(59:27):
From you know, like we won the we won the
World Series in eighty eight when I was a kid,
and then we overspent on Darryl Strawberry and effectively ruined
his life because if you listen to him on interviews
for like S and Y and stuff, he'll tell you that, like,
obviously he learned to ski in Queens, but he became

(59:48):
a ski instructor in Los Angeles. Yeah. No, So I
was just saying, like, you know, the nineties were absolutely
brutal for us. It was only since you know, Magic
and the Guggenheim group brought the team and bought the
team that we're like, holy ship, this is amazing.

Speaker 3 (01:00:09):
All right, when I'm gona play on cook for you
before we got to get you out of here.

Speaker 5 (01:00:13):
This is a clip you said thing. It is the
Magic Johnson talking about the about Rushmore. Uh for the Lakers.
He was He's on the Byron Scott podcast and the
Lakers about Rushmore. Here's the clip here.

Speaker 6 (01:00:27):
If I'm not mistaken, I think they fucked this.

Speaker 2 (01:00:29):
Up because Cat, you got Kobe, That's that's easy.

Speaker 3 (01:00:33):
Them too, are easy. I think the first three are easy.
Them two and you.

Speaker 8 (01:00:37):
That's put yourself on that. I think the first three
are pretty damn easy. To be honest with, you don't,
I don't really talk about myself. I know, that's what
I'm saying. It's pretty damn easy. Irvin Magic Johnson, you
got two more bucks now because he's here. He'll probably
fit in there with Lebron and then probably shot. But

(01:00:58):
you got so many Jerry, you got Legend, you got clever. Yeah,
I mean you got so many dudes.

Speaker 2 (01:01:06):
That it's hard to say these five you almost have
to say fifteen or twenty, and no other franchise can
say probably be right there with us.

Speaker 3 (01:01:17):
But not too many franchise can say they got like
this many dudes. He's not wrong about that, for the record,
He's right.

Speaker 5 (01:01:27):
I'll do my four before you jump, before you jump
ship the Laker fan, because I know you have that.
That's depending for you.

Speaker 6 (01:01:32):
With the mor I mean his my hit like up
until twenty twenty five, like all things are still.

Speaker 3 (01:01:38):
True, right, Yes, that's very true. So you agree with
the magic here?

Speaker 6 (01:01:43):
Uh yeah, Well, Okay, maybe, so my four is of course, Magic, Kareem, Kobe,
and the big The fourth one is, if we're just
talking Lakers, Jerry West, it was really really height between
Shack and Jerry West for that four spot. I still

(01:02:04):
think Shaq is the single most dominant player of ever
of all time, and it's one in one a between
him and Kareem for best center of all time. But
I think if we're talking truly Lakers, Lakers, Mount Rushmore, Yeah, Magic, Kareem, Kobe,

(01:02:27):
Jerry West period. Because and here's why too, people will forget, Oh,
but Jerry West only won one championship and you know
parentally got bitch slapped by Boston. What about his time
as an executive? He built the Shack and Kobe Lakers
like And that to me is the that means the

(01:02:48):
tie breaker between Jerry West and Shack is that Jerry
West shot side check. He he means the same summer.

Speaker 5 (01:02:54):
Right, He means more to Lakers than Shack does overall. Now,
if we're doing strictly players than Shaq, yeah, because.

Speaker 6 (01:03:05):
Shaq, Yeah, who are the best? Yeah? Who are the
four best players who ever played for the Lakers? Kobe, Magic, Kareem,
and Shaq, and that fourth spot is you're not wrong
if you pick Wilt Shack or Lebron in the fourth spot.

Speaker 3 (01:03:22):
You know, no, no, I am not no Lebron. I'm
gonna hot take here.

Speaker 6 (01:03:28):
The best players to ever play for the franchise.

Speaker 3 (01:03:31):
Yeah, no, here's this.

Speaker 5 (01:03:35):
Lebron is is probably the greatest player ever to wear
that uniform. He is not the greatest Laker of all time.
If we have if Lebron were two my list all
time beyond Jordan La Lebron.

Speaker 6 (01:03:49):
Yeah, he still gets it heat. Like I've always said,
he gets a statue for no other reason than the
twenty twenty season. There was one job you had to
do you and he did it. And there were only
two people in the NBA that could have done it.
And I and I will die on this hill that
the only two people who could have been the face
of the Lakers in twenty twenty were Lebron or Staph.

Speaker 3 (01:04:11):
I'm gonna get hot take care of buddy. I don't
think it serves a statue. I don't. I don't. I
don't think.

Speaker 5 (01:04:16):
I don't think he was as important to Lakers as
and also given the fact that they didn't, I.

Speaker 6 (01:04:23):
Would say, if the bus was still the owner, it
would be a given.

Speaker 3 (01:04:28):
But that's why he doesn't step. I don't know outside
the one year he won a title, it's all mediocre
or those our disasters.

Speaker 6 (01:04:39):
Does he go in that same sort of like just
outside the deepest, you know, inner core of Laker history
of the like Laker lore. Is he kind of on
that outer edge with like Wilt because like ELT's never
gonna get like Wilt's not getting a statue. No, he
has well, and it wasn't arguable and canna argue, we

(01:05:00):
will have the Philadelphia.

Speaker 3 (01:05:02):
Guy will one two what you guys want? Only he
won one?

Speaker 6 (01:05:06):
There, you go to the one they won, the one
in sixty nine or seventy whatever that was right, because
that's all that's the all. Well, he might have gotten
one more, but I know Jerry West only got the one.

Speaker 5 (01:05:19):
Yeah, but again we established Jerry's importances to the franchise
goes beyond just playing.

Speaker 6 (01:05:25):
Yeah, I mean he's architect. He's the architect of Showtime
and the architect of Shaq and Kobe exactly.

Speaker 3 (01:05:31):
Yeah. I don't think. I don't think I think it's controversy.

Speaker 5 (01:05:35):
I don't think Lebron's be near enough about Russell more honestly,
I would put before him, honestly joking.

Speaker 6 (01:05:42):
In terms of Laker history. Yeah, I mean really, Norm
Nixon or Byron Scott have more have more claimed to
the space than than Lebron does.

Speaker 3 (01:05:51):
What hurst Lebron Mark?

Speaker 5 (01:05:53):
I mean you probably probably gree me. This is that
take away twenty twenty. I'm not saying twenty wasn't important. No,
they they a flat around that. There's a lot of
failure there around that, and that's a problem.

Speaker 6 (01:06:04):
Yeah, I think I think the twenty twenty one season
was an abject failure. Now, granted, I think there were
a lot of front off his moves that didn't make sense.
Why you didn't try to bring the bubble band back
together in principle was beyond me. They should have run
that back for one more you know, whether it's there's

(01:06:26):
a number of people we could we could split hairs over,
but Javal McGhee, Dwight Howard, Rondo, Alex Caruso letting all
of those guys slip away and go and get big paydays.
Like I'm not opposed to it, but like they should have.
They should have run that one back one more time, right,
But the other big thing is I would argue Anthony

(01:06:48):
Davis probably has much fewer injuries with the muscle of
guys like Javeail and Dwight Howard behind him, because now
he slides into the into the spot a lot more
often than the five spot, and getting banged in the
five spot is like having to deal with guys that
are bigger, stronger, younger, and more physical. At this point

(01:07:11):
in his career, I think was hell on his back
and shoulders. I think they did him no favors.

Speaker 3 (01:07:17):
Speaking of Lebron also to supposing this a big decision
seconds is coming to today at six.

Speaker 6 (01:07:23):
Oh, I saw something about that.

Speaker 3 (01:07:25):
Oh he is.

Speaker 6 (01:07:27):
Here's my one thing about Lebron I have figured out,
like my love hate relationship with him of mine too. Respect, respect,
the respect, the trophy case. But like there's a lot
you can't stand about the person who's the Taylor Swift
of basketball.

Speaker 3 (01:07:44):
He fit, he does fit what society is today. He's
not doingthing else.

Speaker 6 (01:07:50):
I mean, he's such a millennial superstar in so many ways.

Speaker 3 (01:07:56):
As well, So I'm with you, it's like normal.

Speaker 5 (01:08:01):
I mean, he's just begging older and worn, like all
these little antics that they don't land the same with
me anymore.

Speaker 6 (01:08:08):
No, it's not cute like some of the ship he
did was like cute and kooky when he was twenty
twenty two. But like, dude, you're not funny, You're a bit. Honestly,
Lebron's a big dork.

Speaker 3 (01:08:21):
Like he's a big dork.

Speaker 5 (01:08:24):
I'd rather that though, Honestly, I rather that than anything else.

Speaker 3 (01:08:27):
I just think he's an authentic.

Speaker 6 (01:08:29):
That's the other big thing is he's inauthentic. He he
comes across like a fucking politician trying to placate most
of them. There are very few moments where he has
been raw and open, even on shit like the shop.
He's he's stiff and uncomfortable and disingenuous. Yeah, you know,

(01:08:55):
and and I just the only time I've seen him
true be authentic is in twenty twenty with the combination
of you know, the uprising, in the wake of George Floyd,
Brenna Taylor and amud Arbery, and in the wake of
the death of Kobe. Those are the only two times

(01:09:15):
I've really gone all right, Lebron, you're talking about something important.

Speaker 5 (01:09:19):
No, he, to his credit, he does he does stand
on business that comes like these issues and it is
polarizing in a way that Michael Jordan was not yeah,
in the business, knowing the risk of that.

Speaker 3 (01:09:32):
But he also is not very intelligent when it comes
to like the stuff either.

Speaker 6 (01:09:36):
I mean, I wouldn't I think maybe dantically that's not
the right word. It's not. He doesn't, He doesn't could.
He doesn't convey intellectual honesty number one, right and number
two most of the time when he speaks on issues,
he gives that same energy as the person who only

(01:09:59):
posts a their story when a political tragedy happens, but
they're not actually following what's going on, you know exact.
I feel like and and maybe that's a good He's
so wrapped up in his family and his nutrition and
his body maintenance that he doesn't have time to read
a newspaper. I I like that at least I understand,
But don't don't try to just tap in when you

(01:10:20):
feel like you have to.

Speaker 5 (01:10:21):
Register on something, do you bring up China and Nike?
And he has done to say, yeah, that's what I'm.

Speaker 6 (01:10:29):
Saying, like you, you know, although I'm kinda kind of
over the picking on China and trying to call them,
you know, a humanitarian wasteland, because like, honestly, China is
no better or worse than us. Like they're different. They
have their they have their pros, they have their cons
they have their human rights abuses, but like we're we're

(01:10:51):
on no moral high ground, especially especially you know, having
like meeting more people who are actually from China living
in New York and especially if you're as adults and
getting getting to have conversations with like people who lived
in China into their late twenties, early thirties, especially in

(01:11:12):
the last fifteen years, Like a lot has changed and
a lot of American perceptions about China are misplaced.

Speaker 5 (01:11:19):
Right, I only that and I'm over that one and
miss me with the whole thing with China when you're
also okay, well what on Gaza.

Speaker 3 (01:11:26):
Sorry, That's what I mean.

Speaker 6 (01:11:27):
There's exactly between what we've been doing at the border
for since the Obama administration in terms of detentions and
then going into Title forty two and Trump and all
the crazy shit with Ice, all the things we do
to refugees, the things we do to poor people in

(01:11:47):
this country. I mean, it's yeah, we we have no
moral finger to wag at China.

Speaker 5 (01:11:57):
We really don't do you think you know his retirement
because I know I predicted in May, uh that far
back bay Mark that last season.

Speaker 6 (01:12:11):
I think odds are high, and especially like locally with
Kershaw and Copuitar, you know, both hanging it up. It's
you know, almost like a generational torch passing taking place
in the Southland right now. But I I still think
the way that the whole bron and Bronni playing together,

(01:12:35):
I don't want to say has flopped because we can
all agree like Bronnie was not NBA ready and he
is developing into him. Yeah, but I think the you know,
Bryce being as good as he is and looking as
good as he does at u of A, maybe Broun
gives it one more year to try to play with
Bryce too.

Speaker 3 (01:12:56):
He's certainly good enough to.

Speaker 6 (01:12:59):
I mean, there's take any player. I mean, Robert Parrish
did not look The only player left with I think
more total minutes played in the NBA is Robert Parrish,
and he did not look as good as Lebron does
right now at the back half of his career. You know,
by the time he'd left Boston, he was not doing

(01:13:20):
what Lebron is. So I mean, arguably Lebron. Lebron should
have been so much higher in the MVP voting the
last like three four seasons. Then he ultimately ended up
getting consideration for it. It's like, oh, what your time
has passed? Like are you watching this man?

Speaker 3 (01:13:37):
Like are we watching the same fucking game.

Speaker 5 (01:13:40):
Because because I predicted that this is last year, I'm
gonna go on and say it is retirement. However, don't
assume that because it could be an issue.

Speaker 6 (01:13:50):
Yeah, I mean, he's also got a pretty good sense
of humor and like, at least, for instance, like he
was really good in the movie train Wreck with Bill
Hayter and and Amy Schumer. And so maybe he's having
a little fun with everybody and doing something silly like

(01:14:10):
a shoe announcement or some kind of product launch or
god only knows. I would nothing surprises me anymore.

Speaker 3 (01:14:17):
But well he has he has everybody right else not
right now about what what the nothing is? So we'll
see what comes.

Speaker 6 (01:14:24):
I mean, are people that rap people on social media?

Speaker 3 (01:14:28):
Social media? Of course that's always okay.

Speaker 6 (01:14:30):
N the NBA Twitter is a buzz some ship.

Speaker 3 (01:14:34):
I try to Yeah, I mean, it's kind.

Speaker 6 (01:14:37):
Of like, I honestly care more about how I'm gonna
bowl tonight because I haven't gotten to bowl with my
teammates since the season started three weeks ago. So I'm like,
I'm more I'm more focused on putting up like tonight
than fucking Lebron's announcement.

Speaker 5 (01:14:54):
I'll be honestly, I am not looking forward to NBA
season right now and a lot because all the injuries just.

Speaker 6 (01:15:00):
I'm so little compelling about it right now.

Speaker 3 (01:15:02):
No, it's okay, see a bus for me, That's it.

Speaker 6 (01:15:06):
Yeah, that's that's the kind of the only good story
right now is okay, see and Denver will Denver, Milwaukee
will Milwaukee, Boston will Boston. You know what I mean? Yes,
a carbon poppy.

Speaker 3 (01:15:22):
Well, I will say, you're you're in the spot right now.
You're living in the spot right now where all the
eyes are right now are on a Knicks the finals
a bus from them this year. So that's it.

Speaker 6 (01:15:30):
I don't and I don't think they're good enough to
make the finals.

Speaker 3 (01:15:33):
But they might, but they will by the fault because
the East is so bad right now.

Speaker 6 (01:15:37):
That's true.

Speaker 3 (01:15:37):
Everybody, anybody's hurt.

Speaker 6 (01:15:39):
The East is really not competitive, and you know, like
one that kind of bummed me out was I really
wanted Kevin Durant to go back to the Warriors. I
thought that would have been compelling as all get out.
Probably Houston really well, okay, I think I get that decent.

Speaker 3 (01:15:56):
Team, but not competitive football than like NFL much much more.

Speaker 6 (01:16:04):
Yeah, there's like the NFL. Yeah, the NFL and college
football are so much better right now.

Speaker 3 (01:16:10):
But by the way, uh, good job you see like
a am I probably on on on Saturday?

Speaker 6 (01:16:16):
Did you see the cute the cute moment too that
their offensive new their offensive coordinator is Rick Newheizel's kid
who was the quarterback. I saw that he got carried
off the field as a quarterback and then after beating
Penn State he gets carried off the field and the
u c l A season has been like good moments
have been between Yes State's a big one rough.

Speaker 3 (01:16:41):
Minutes.

Speaker 6 (01:16:41):
I was gonna say that's probably be the highlight of
our season.

Speaker 3 (01:16:44):
Absolutely plug way, brother, No, I actually have.

Speaker 6 (01:16:48):
Very little to plug right now. As always at h
a C Global UH or h A C Underscore US
or h A C Global Dot US on and line
on the web, tap in see what we're doing with
the caucus and uh yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:17:08):
Go go Mariners, save me here.

Speaker 6 (01:17:11):
Man, I'm on the big I'm on the big dumper train.

Speaker 3 (01:17:17):
I'm there with you too, brother, good jobs, always more.

Speaker 6 (01:17:21):
Thanks a lot, man, I appreciate it.

Speaker 3 (01:17:23):
Yeah,