LaMaster Interview – Podcast October 24, 2022

Posted on October 26, 2022 by Gary LaMaster

GOP Derangement Syndrome. Even though I’ve written three books about Republican lies and disinformation, until the last two years, I could not have imagined that one of our two major political parties would be willing to undermine our democracy through an attempted coup and threats of violence. But that’s where it now stands.

Contrary to the deranged claims of the GOP, the reality is that nobody is grooming your kids to become gay or trans. There is no cabal of sex trafficking cannibals run by Democrats and A-list celebrities. There is no open border. What there is is a political party intent on creating fear and division in order to gain power. A political party that thrives, not by the wisdom of its policies, but by lies, deceit, dirty tricks and threats of violence.

This is not just my opinion. It is an opinion shared by many former Republicans and counterterrorism experts.

Fact is, the GOP is no longer the party of Lincoln. Not even the party of Reagan or Bush. It’s more the party of Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee. It has become indistinguishable from MAGA, QAnon, white nationalists, and faux Christians. It now strives to maintain white privilege, to discriminate against people of color, gays, lesbians and trans, and to tear down the barrier between church and state.

It no longer believes in personal freedom for all, security from all enemies foreign and domestic, limited government or budget restraint. It has departed from all that. It wants to control who votes, to control women’s bodies, to control who or what you worship, even personal thought. And its supporters are willing to use violence to achieve its goals.

It must be repudiated. A vote for a Republican candidate – any Republican candidate – is a vote to destroy our democracy.

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Posted in Anti-Federalism, Anti-Gay Discrimination, Bigotry, Civil Liberties, Civil Society, Conservative Paranoia, Conservatives and Reactionaries, Conspiracy Theories, Constitutional Issues, Democratic Governance, Department of Homeland Security, Disinformation, Domestic Extremism, Domestic Terrorism, Domestic Violence, Elections, Founding Fathers, Government, Homeland Security, Human Rights, Immigration, Interviews, LIberals and Conservatives, National Politics, Political History, Political Lies, Political Parties, Political Polarization, Racism, Religion, Scandal Mongering, Voting | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on LaMaster Interview – Podcast October 24, 2022

Jablow – Podcast October 17, 2022

Posted on October 18, 2022 by Gary LaMaster

Knowledge And Experience Versus Bluster And Questions. Steve Williamson and Karen McClelland welcome Scott Jablow, Sedona’s vice-mayor and finalist in the city’s mayoral runoff election.

Having worked for Sedona in a number of positions, few know the city’s needs as well as Jablow. Certainly not his Hollywood opponent, a Trump-supporting ideologue financed by extremist groups. It seems all she has to offer are insults and questions.

During the show, Jablow covers his vision for the city’s future, practical solutions for problems, and recent successes. And the hosts address some of the propositions on the ballot.

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Posted in Arizona Politics, Civic Renewal, Community, Conservatives and Reactionaries, Elections, Environmental Issues, Fiscal Policy, Global Warming, Government, Health Care, Housing, Infrastructure, Initiative and Referendum, Interviews, Local Politics, Political Candidacy, Political Polarization, Public Accountability, Public Lands, Public Service, Voting | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Jablow – Podcast October 17, 2022

Montgomery Interview – Podcast October 3, 2022

Posted on October 4, 2022 by Gary LaMaster

The Politics Of Religion And Hate. Democratic Perspective welcomes Peter Montgomery of Right Wing Watch, a project of People For The American Way, to discuss the growing threat of White Christian Nationalism.

When asked if the difference between Christian nationalism and white supremacy, Montgomery responds that there is a lot of overlap, noting they’re both grounded in the same kind of politics of grievance. He explains that both groups believe that this country was founded by and for white Christians, and that other people are trying to take it away from them or have taken it away from them. “And that’s why all this grievous rhetoric you see from the religious right about secularists and feminists driving prayer out of the schools or, you know, forcing kids, you know, to be in schools where there are affirming policies toward gay kids.”

He continues, “It’s the same issue as white nationalists…that this is a white country and that immigrants and people of color are trying to take it away. That plays into this grim replacement theory we hear from the white nationalists that Jews are trying to import black and brown people into the country to dilute the white majority. You see it in the kind of rhetoric from Donald Trump and the “Stop the Steal” people who say the election was stolen from Trump supporters by illegitimate black and brown voters and corrupt election officials. So that dynamic of the politics of grievance is really central to the MAGA movement. It’s central to Christian nationalism and it’s central to white nationalism.”

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Posted in Anti-Federalism, Arizona Politics, Bigotry, Conservative Paranoia, Conservatives and Reactionaries, Conspiracy Theories, Cultural Change, Democratic Governance, Demographic Trends, Disinformation, Domestic Extremism, Domestic Terrorism, Elections, Founding Fathers, Immigration, Interviews, LIberals and Conservatives, Local Politics, Misogyny, National Politics, Paul Gosar, Political Lies, Political Polarization, Presidential Elections, Propaganda, Racism, Religion, Theocracy, Voting, Women's Issues | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Montgomery Interview – Podcast October 3, 2022

O’Halleran Interview – Podcast September 26, 2022

Posted on September 27, 2022 by Gary LaMaster

Working To Find Common Ground. Steve Williamson, Karen McClelland and Stephen Hanks welcome U.S. Congressman Tom O’Halleran to discuss the issues and his campaign for re-election in a newly apportioned district in Arizona. The new district stretches from the Tucson area in southern Arizona to the Utah border, even larger than the district he currently represents. Yet despite the enormous territory, O’Halleran says he holds more town halls with constituents than the rest of Arizona’s delegation combined.

“My philosophy is very simple. We, as Americans, are a stronger country when we work together. And I’m the 28th most bipartisan member of Congress because I feel it’s important for us to come back together again as a Congress.” He explains that one of the consequences of divisive politics is that what once to a year for Congress to get something done now takes 10 years or more. As an example, he notes that it took 20 years to get an infrastructure bill passed.

Asked about the impact of the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v Wade, O’Halleran says, “I’m for a woman’s right to choose” noting that the decision has created much confusion involving everything from a woman’s privacy to her healthcare and medication decisions to her freedom to travel.  On the other hand, his Trump-endorsed opponent is against a woman’s right to choose with no exceptions.

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Posted in Agricultural Policy, Arizona Politics, Budget Negotiations, Campaign Finance, Civil Liberties, Civil Society, Dark Money, Democratic Governance, Economic Policy, Elections, Fiscal Policy, Government, Health Care, Housing, Infrastructure Investment, Interviews, Law Enforcement, National Politics, Philosophy, Political Candidacy, Political History, Political Parties, Political Polarization, Public Service, Social Security, States' Rights, Supreme Court, Veterans' Issues, Voting, Women's Rights | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on O’Halleran Interview – Podcast September 26, 2022

Quezada Interview – Podcast September 19, 2022

Posted on September 20, 2022 by Gary LaMaster

Investing In Arizona. Not Politics. Steve Williamson and Karen McClelland welcome Arizona Senator Martin Quezada, candidate for Arizona State Treasurer. Quezada says that treasurer is a much different role than serving in the Senate. “The role of treasurer, ideally, should be much less political, much less partisan, and much more technical.” He explains, “The treasurer basically serves three main roles in our state government: Number one, you’re the chief banker, number two the chief investment officer, and number three the chief financial officer.”

As chief investment officer, Quezada notes that the Treasurer is in charge of investing a portfolio of more than $23 billion, adding that where the money is invested should reflect the priorities of the people of Arizona. For example, investing in things that address the massive threat of climate change.

Quezada promises to bring new energy and a new commitment to the office, noting that the current and two previous treasurers seemed more concerned with running for higher office. He says that current treasurer Kimberly Yee spent the first two years in office running for governor while checking in to the Treasury office only once every two weeks.

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Posted in Arizona Politics, Banking And Finance, Climate Change, Economic Policy, Education, Education Policy, Elections, Environmental Issues, Ethics, Fiscal Policy, Global Warming, Government, Interviews, Monetary Policy, Political Candidacy, Public Accountability, Tax and Investment Policy | Tagged , | Comments Off on Quezada Interview – Podcast September 19, 2022

Bitecofer Interview – Podcast September 12, 2022

Posted on September 14, 2022 by Gary LaMaster

Hyper-partisanship, Polarization, And Political Realignment. Karen McClelland and Stephen Hanks welcome Rachel Bitecofer, Political Scientist and Election Analyst, to discuss the upcoming midterms. She begins by noting that the electorate is always in flux driven by changing demographics, geographic allegiances, and ideologies. Bitecofer then goes on to explain how today’s hyper-partisanship and polarization affect individual level voter behavior.

For example, she does not believe you can distinguish between fascist MAGA Republicans and so-called moderate Republicans because almost all Republicans voted against an investigation of the January 6 insurrection and have since gone to great lengths to excuse the attempted coup. She says, “This is a time we must prevent them from gaining political power.”

Bitecofer says that the recent Supreme Court decision on Roe v Wade presents an opportunity for Democrats by increasing voter enthusiasm. She explains that even Republican leaning dads may be concerned about the impact on their daughters.

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Chevalier, Oliphant Interview – Podcast September 5, 2022

Posted on September 7, 2022 by Gary LaMaster

The Yavapai College Curriculum: Addition And Subtraction With An Emphasis On Division. Addition of resources for the Prescott and Prescott Valley campuses. Subtraction of leadership and courses for the Verde Valley campuses. And division between the taxpayers on the east and west sides of the county.

To discuss the situation, Steve Williamson and Karen McClelland welcome Paul Chevalier and Bob Oliphant, current and former members of the Yavapai College Governing Board.

Oliphant begins by explaining, “What we’re really talking about here is a $93 million corporation – a publicly taxpayer supported corporation, number one. Number two, it has a complex budget…a very, very challenging budget. You have this Governing Board that Paul’s on, it is a very weak Governing Board. It’s managed by a president. We pay her around $300,000 a year now. She’s the highest paid employee in the county. All major decisions are based in Prescott.”

As an example of the inequity between the two sides of the county, Chevalier notes that, with no explanation, the college removed a much-needed 10,000 sq. ft. expansion of the Verde campus’ CTE building from the five-year plan and added a $10 million beer brewery. “I said: What’s the need for this? No answer. Second question is: How are you going to spend the $10 million and use the 14,000 sq. ft.? No answer.”

“They don’t want to be transparent,” says Chevalier. “They do not want anybody in the public to know how they’re going to spend this $10 million. The president refused to answer my questions. And the chairman of the Board wrote me and said it’s none of my business.”

Keep in mind that he is an elected member of the Governing Board!

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Posted in Community, Continuing Education, Corruption, Education, Education Policy, Ethics, Housing, Interviews, Local Politics, Public Accountability, Tax and Investment Policy | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Chevalier, Oliphant Interview – Podcast September 5, 2022

Levy Interview – Podcast August 29, 2022

Posted on August 30, 2022 by Gary LaMaster

Keeping Elections Secure And Transparent. Karen McClelland and Stephen Hanks welcome Emily Levy, founder and director of Scrutineers, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to voting integrity and election transparency.

Levy explains that she first got involved in the aftermath of the 2004 election during which some very suspicious things happened in Ohio. “I did not trust the results of that election,” she says.

She founded Scrutineers in 2020 after noticing gaps in the work being done by other organizations. “And I also really wanted to help connect the folks who are working and have been working for generations, really, on the right to vote making sure that everybody can cast ballots and the folks who are working on making sure those votes got counted accurately. Those two groups of people have not traditionally worked together much, and I really wanted to change that.”

As for the aftermath of the 2020 election, Levy says, “It has been very painful.” She feels that her work, and that of others, has been twisted around and mixed with lies and spit out again in a way that confuses the public. But though she absolutely disagrees that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, she does believe that we should not trust the voting systems that are computerized and use proprietary software that people don’t get to see. “That message has always been hard to get through to people,” she says. “People that don’t want to hear it. And now it’s harder to be believed because so many of the people who are saying it are mixing it with so many lies.”

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Cohn Interview – Podcast August 22, 2022

Posted on August 23, 2022 by Gary LaMaster

Christian Dominionism: Another Name For Fascism. Steve Williamson, Karen McClelland, and Stephen Hanks welcome Jennifer Cohn to the show to discuss a rapidly growing worldwide authoritarian threat posing as Christianity.

Cohn is an election security advocate and prolific essayist who recently authored an article in a Pennsylvania newspaper, the Bucks County Beacon, about a rapidly growing worldwide theocratic movement. The movement known as the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), which was originated by C. Peter Wagner, is determined to take control of all aspects of our society – government, business, and culture – in order for Jesus to return to Earth. Of particular concern, convicted and pardoned felons Michael Flynn and Roger Stone, along with numerous other Trump acolytes such as the My Pillow guy and other MAGA supporters seem to have formed an alliance with the movement.

The merging of such authoritarian advocates with theocrats presents a real threat to the future of our constitutional republic. Especially concerning is the fact that a number of GOP candidates, such as Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano have espoused NAR talking points.

As Cohn points out, the NAR movement has already permeated much of America’s political and cultural life, and the movement is growing at an astonishing rate. In fact, it is now the fastest growing religion and the largest non-Catholic Christian faith. And it’s inextricably tied to Trump.

In her article, Cohn writes, “Leading NAR apostles are blatantly pro-Trump, and claim their view is supported by God, whereas opposition to Trump is satanic.” Indeed, NAR apostle Lance Wallnau claims that “Fighting with Trump is fighting God.”

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Posted in Conservatives and Reactionaries, Conspiracy Theories, Constitutional Issues, Corruption, Domestic Extremism, Domestic Terrorism, Elections, Interviews, LGBT Issues, Morality, National Politics, Political Action Committees, Political Polarization, Propaganda, Religion, Slavery, Theocracy, Women's Rights | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Cohn Interview – Podcast August 22, 2022

Singal Interview – Podcast August 15, 2022

Posted on August 15, 2022 by Gary LaMaster

Optimism For Democrats In Upcoming Elections. Steve Williamson and Karen McClelland welcome historian Dan Singal back to the show to give his views on the current state of politic affairs. Asked about Democrats’ prospects for the midterms, Singal, who has been remarkably accurate in the past, says he is optimistic.

“I’m looking at the objective indicators and they tell me something very different from what the pundits are seeing,” Singal reports. “This all started about the middle of July…I thought the pundits were completely the wrong. That if you looked at the economic data, the political data, a whole series of other things, in fact, prospects were a lot better for the Democrats going into the Fall election than people were forecasting.” In fact, he believes Democrats could pick up two, maybe three Senate seats. And he says the prospects for Democrats are really good if you look ahead to 2024.

Singal explains his optimism by noting that the price of gasoline is already going down and that the price of oil is plummeting because of China. “That means the price of gasoline is going to continue to go down,” he says. Singal points to other factors, including the robust economy, the Inflation Reduction Act and other recent legislation, as well as the Dobbs v Jackson decision which overturned Roe v Wade, and the fact that Republicans have been nominating such far right extremists.

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Posted in Arizona Politics, China, Climate Change, Conservatives and Reactionaries, Constitutional Issues, Democratic Governance, Department of Justice, Domestic Extremism, Economic Policy, Elections, Energy Policy, Fiscal Policy, Foreign Policy, Global Warming, Government, Health Care Policy, Infrastructure Investment, Innovation, Interviews, Mass Media, Medicare, Military Policy, Monetary Policy, National Politics, Pharmaceutical Pricing and Procurement, Political Candidacy, Political Polarization, Political Theory, Presidential Elections, Public Health Policy, Supreme Court, Taxation, Women's Issues, Women's Rights | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Singal Interview – Podcast August 15, 2022