The A&G Replay Friday Hour Three

Summary

Podcast Summary: Armstrong & Getty On Demand Episode: The A&G Replay Friday Hour Three
Release Date: January 3, 2025
Host(s): Jack Armstrong, Joe Getty
Guest: Katie Grimes, Editor-in-Chief of the California Globe

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Introduction

In "The A&G Replay Friday Hour Three," hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty delve into pressing issues surrounding illegal immigration, agricultural labor, the state of democracy, and California's political landscape with special guest Katie Grimes. The episode blends serious discourse with moments of humor, providing listeners with a comprehensive analysis of current events impacting California and the broader United States.

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Agriculture and Illegal Immigration

The episode opens with a focus on California's Central Valley, a critical agricultural hub producing 25% of the nation's food supply and generating $17 billion annually. The discussion centers on the reliance of farmers in the region on undocumented workers, highlighting that approximately 330,000 workers lack legal status (00:56).

Key Points:

• Dependence on Undocumented Labor: The Central Valley's agricultural productivity heavily depends on undocumented workers, posing significant challenges if these workers were to be removed.

• Public Opinion vs. Practicality: Despite 60% of Americans reportedly supporting the removal of undocumented workers (01:31), the immediate consequence would be a destabilization of the agricultural system.

Notable Quotes:

• Katie Grimes (01:31): "If you followed what recent polling says, 60% of America wants [undocumented workers] all be booted out of the country. And that would be, obviously, if you did that all at once, would be quite the wrecking of the whole agricultural system."

• Unnamed Farmer (02:36): "I think people will look and say, but wait a minute, they're Americans who are unemployed. Why can't you just hire them?"

Discussion Highlights:

• Economic Implications: Raising wages for farm workers to attract American labor proves ineffective, as even with high wages, the physical demands deter local workers (03:12).

• Sanctuary Cities and Policy Complexity: Efforts to deport undocumented workers are complicated by California's sanctuary policies, which protect these individuals from federal immigration enforcement (08:43).

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The State of Democracy

A significant portion of the episode examines the fragility of democratic systems through the lens of Lord Woodhousely's quote. This reflection underscores concerns about monetary policies and societal dependency.

Notable Quotes:

• Lord Woodhousely (12:46): "A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government can only exist until the voters discover they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury..."

• Jack Armstrong (13:07): "We seem to be somewhere between apathy and dependence."

Key Points:

• Cyclic Decline: The conversation traces the progression from bondage to spiritual faith, liberty, abundance, selfishness, apathy, dependence, and back to bondage, suggesting that democracies are inherently susceptible to decline.

• Current Positioning: Armstrong and Grimes agree that society is currently between apathy and dependence, raising alarms about the sustainability of democratic institutions.

Discussion Highlights:

• Government's Role in Redistribution: Armstrong emphasizes that democracies rely on distributing funds from the treasury, often leading to excessive reliance on government benefits (06:08).

• Societal Choices: The hosts question the societal acceptance of certain jobs being deemed undesirable for citizens, pushing reliance on undocumented labor (05:10).

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California Politics and Gavin Newsom’s Policies

Guest Katie Grimes offers an in-depth analysis of Governor Gavin Newsom's recent political maneuvers and policies, critiquing their effectiveness and impact on California's electorate.

Notable Quotes:

• Katie Grimes (20:31): "He needs to learn to read the room because he's about as popular as Kamala Harris."

• Jack Armstrong (23:50): "And Gavin's contention is that we have all these challenges and we're dealing with them courageously and creatively..."

Key Points:

• Energy and Environmental Policies: Newsom's stringent regulations on oil and gas industries aim to combat climate change but inadvertently lead to higher gas prices and shortages (25:23).

• Electoral Shifts: Recent elections show a shift in voter sentiment, with Republicans making significant gains in traditionally Democratic counties (21:58).

• Policy Backlash: Voters express fatigue with California's policies, citing increased crime, water shortages, and deteriorating infrastructure (22:16).

Discussion Highlights:

• Media Influence: Grimes criticizes how media portrays politicians like Marjorie Taylor Greene, arguing that their actions do not align with traditional conservative values (16:38).

• Governor's Ambitions: Speculation arises around Newsom's potential aspirations for national politics, comparing his strategy to that of Al Gore (28:36).

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Humor and Light-Hearted Segments

Interspersed with serious discussions, Armstrong and Getty incorporate humor and interactive segments to engage their audience.

Key Segments:

• Internet Trends Challenge (33:18): The hosts attempt the "exhale and scream challenge," resulting in playful banter and laughter.

• Mailbag and Listener Interactions (34:10): Responding to listener comments, they address topics ranging from internet habits to personal anecdotes.

Notable Moments:

• Jack Armstrong (35:40): "The only thing I took away from that is how incredibly infectious laughter is..."

• Katie Grimes (37:15): "That's awful" – in response to a humorous critique of a university lecturer.

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Conclusion

In this episode, Armstrong and Getty, alongside Katie Grimes, provide a critical examination of the intersection between immigration, labor, and political policies in California. They highlight the complexities and unintended consequences of current governance, while also offering thought-provoking insights on the state of democracy. The balanced mix of serious analysis and light-hearted interaction ensures the podcast remains both informative and entertaining for its listeners.

Key Takeaways:

• The reliance on undocumented workers is a double-edged sword for California's agriculture, necessitating comprehensive legislative solutions.

• Democratic institutions face inherent vulnerabilities due to economic policies and societal dependencies.

• California's political landscape is shifting, with voter dissatisfaction driving electoral changes and challenging incumbent policies.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Katie Grimes (01:31): "If you followed what recent polling says, 60% of America wants [undocumented workers] all be booted out of the country..."

• Unnamed Farmer (02:36): "I think people will look and say, but wait a minute, they're Americans who are unemployed. Why can't you just hire them?"

• Lord Woodhousely (12:46): "A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government..."

• Katie Grimes (20:31): "He needs to learn to read the room because he's as popular as Kamala Harris."

• Jack Armstrong (35:40): "The only thing I took away from that is how incredibly infectious laughter is..."

---

Timestamp Reference:

1. 00:56 – Introduction to Central Valley's reliance on undocumented workers.
2. 01:31 – Public opinion on deporting undocumented workers.
3. 02:36 – Farmer's perspective on hiring Americans.
4. 05:10 – Discussion on societal acceptance of certain jobs.
5. 06:08 – Democracy's dependency on treasury distribution.
6. 12:46 – Quote from Lord Woodhousely on democracy.
7. 16:38 – Media portrayal of conservative figures.
8. 20:31 – Katie Grimes on Gavin Newsom's popularity.
9. 21:58 – Electoral shifts in California.
10. 22:16 – Voter fatigue with California policies.
11. 23:50 – Critique of Gavin Newsom's handling of challenges.
12. 25:23 – Gavin Newsom's energy policies and their impact.
13. 28:36 – Speculation on Newsom's political ambitions.
14. 33:18 – Internet trend challenge segment.
15. 34:10 – Mailbag and listener interactions.
16. 35:40 – Armstrong on infectious laughter.
17. 37:15 – Grimes on male feminists.

---

This summary captures the essence of "The A&G Replay Friday Hour Three," highlighting the critical discussions and engaging segments that provide listeners with a deep dive into current socio-political issues.

Transcript

[Jack Armstrong]

Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln Radio Studio, the George Washington Broadcast Center, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

And now, here's Armstrong and Getty.

[Katie Grimes]

Welcome to a replay of the Armstrong and Getty Show. We're off. All week long, we, we give a lot of thanks. We eat a lot, we watch a lot of football. We'll come back refreshed. But I hope you enjoyed this stuff. It's going to be really good.

[Jack Armstrong]

Some delicious leftovers, if you will. The flavors have made friends overnight in the fridge. Plus drop by Armstrong and Yeti.com download podcasts or grab an Ang T shirt.

[Unnamed Farmer]

California's Central Valley is without question one of the most vital agricultural regions In Americ, producing $17 billion worth of crops, 25% of the nation's food supply. And to help grow and harvest those crops, many farmers here rely on undocumented workers. The Department of Agriculture estimates that about half of the hired crop workers do not have legal status. That is estimated to be more than 330,000 workers in the Central Valley alone.

[Katie Grimes]

300,000 workers in the Central Valley alone that if you followed what recent polling says, 60% of America wants would all be booted out of the country. And that would be, obviously, if you did that all at once, would be quite the wrecking of the whole agricultural system. Doesn't mean it's not a good idea, though, because you gotta have a system of some sort for having workers. And that's the job of Congress to come up with and be implemented and follow through. I don't know if they're going to or not, but Joe and I have been talking about illegal immigration and farm workers for, geez, 25 years or whatever, being on the air in this very part of the California, in the country that they're talking about on ABC this week. And we used to talk about it all the time when we were only on in the Sacramento area and people would always talk, do you want tomatoes to be $5? Well, then, you know, gonna pick the lettuce. Yeah, exactly, Was always the conversation.

[Jack Armstrong]

And our answer was always somebody or nobody or a machine.

[Katie Grimes]

Well, let's hear from a couple of farmers in the Central Valley and their theories on why you need to have illegals picking. Here's more from ABC this week. We can't afford a labor shortage. Back during Obama, we had a labor shortage and there were times where we.

[Unnamed Farmer]

I think people will look and say, but wait a minute, they're Americans who are unemployed. Why can't you just hire them?

[Katie Grimes]

They don't Want to come out here and work in this, in this extreme conditions, 100 plus degree temperatures, dust, hard work.

[Unnamed Farmer]

What if you paid them more?

[Katie Grimes]

It doesn't matter. You know, we, we pay some of the highest wages for farm workers in the nation right here in California, and they won't come out. And just so before we have that conversation, here's a different farmer, same question, same topic there. I don't care what you pay them. I don't care if you pay them $26 an hour. That ain't gonna happen. They're not gonna get up at 4 or 5 in the morning, drive to.

[Jack Armstrong]

The field and pick fruit.

[Katie Grimes]

So, and that question was, why? Why don't you just hire Americans? They won't do it. I don't care what you pay them. They're not going to get up that time of day and come out and do that job. So I don't understand why that isn't a. Hold on pause, let's have a conversation about that sort of revelation on ABC this week. They just move on to. And there you see, Americans won't do this work. So it makes sense to have illegal brown people do it. What, what, how do you craft a society like that? How about, why would people who are unemployed or underemployed take the option of not doing a job even if it paid really well?

[Jack Armstrong]

Right, right.

[Katie Grimes]

How could they do that? How does that work? How does that, how are they paying the rent? How are they eating?

[Jack Armstrong]

Can you imagine if you went to family counseling and, and you said, my children refused to do their chores? And the counselor said, well, let's talk about how you can hire someone to.

[Katie Grimes]

Do your children's chores.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right, that, no, that's not the right question.

[Katie Grimes]

Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. Oh, that's funny.

[Katie Grimes]

But, and we've been, we, we've been talking about this very topic for decades now. How have we just accepted that people born in this country shouldn't have to do work that's not, I don't know, glamorous or kind of hard or it's outside or whatever the reason is, people don't want to do it. I did that kind of work when I was in high school. Lots of us did. You can't do it anymore.

[Jack Armstrong]

Many Americans did.

[Katie Grimes]

But is everybody okay with that? Creating a welfare state so lavish that people can choose not to do jobs that they don't find like something they want to do, even, even if it pays 29 an hour?

[Jack Armstrong]

And one more amusing irony, this has amused me for many, many years is the more quote, unquote progressive you are. The more in favor of white people won't do this work. Let's bring in some of those brown people. I mean, that's the further left you are, the more you're a hardcore. Open up the borders and let them in person, which I think is hilarious.

[Katie Grimes]

There's also the unspoken unstated realization that if millions of people come here and do those jobs, they're getting by, they must be able to live somewhere and have a car and eat and, you know, do all the things you want to do with a job.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right?

[Katie Grimes]

By definition, yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's just, it's. It boils down to a couple of very, very simple principles. Number one is the purpose of getting the reins of government is to be able to distribute money from the treasury. Doesn't matter what the system is. They vary in how they do that, but that's the point. And in our system, you've got to get a little support from a lot of people. Kim Jong Un just needs a hell of a lot of support from a fairly small group of people. But in a democracy, you need a little support from a hell of a lot of people. How do you do that? By handing out money, government benefits, you know, three and a half dozen different social programs that make sure nobody's going to starve. And so the second very broad and easy to understand principle is people go for their best alternative. They will do their best option. And for Americans, working in a field in the heat and the dust bent over is not nearly their best option. For some Guatemalan it is.

[Katie Grimes]

I just, I don't understand how we got to where we're okay with that or think that that's a workable plan going forward that doesn't end up with like, I've been taking in a lot of French Revolution stuff over the weekend. You know, that sort of society falling apart.

[Jack Armstrong]

I believe the French Revolution is your Roman Empire, although you are quite interested in the Roman Empire as well.

[Katie Grimes]

It is.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, so the answer of how we get there is because nobody asks the question, the, the moral question there, the one that we keep harping on. It's not part of the conversation at all.

[Katie Grimes]

No, it wasn't. ABC this week did a long segment on this topic and not a word of. Doesn't seem a little weird to have a society where you've declared certain jobs off limits for your citizens. Like, no, that's too grungy a job. Even at 29 an hour, you just don't want to have to do. I mean, would you do that? With your own kids.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'll.

[Katie Grimes]

I'll keep supporting you, you know, until you're 30 or past, rather than you go do that job. What?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah.

[Katie Grimes]

Who would live their lives like that?

[Jack Armstrong]

Democracies end when they realize they can vote themselves money from the treasury. Can you imagine running on the platform? I'm going to get you off of your couch and into the field. Good luck with that.

[Katie Grimes]

Right?

[Jack Armstrong]

We're a soft, decadent country. That's just.

[Katie Grimes]

That's it. We really are. Which is what France was when they fell apart. Not to get back to the revolution, but. And then here they wrapped up the conversation with this portion.

[Unnamed Farmer]

Deporting undocumented workers in California is complicated. The state enacted a measure in 2017 that prevents state resources from being used for federal immigration enforcement. And while that law varies by city and county, California is the sanctuary city capital of America, with dozens of cities and counties protecting undocumented residents from arrest based solely on their immigration status.

[Katie Grimes]

So that's a problem. I mean, it all fits together as part of a puzzle. I hate the whole thing, but if you're going to accept. I'm not, but apparently we have accepted that our American born people shouldn't have to do those jobs. Well, then you're gonna have to have illegals here. And then if you're going to have illegals here, you can't have them being deported. So you got to be a sanctuary county. I mean, it all fits together.

[Jack Armstrong]

Or you just admit all of the above and you design a temporary worker.

[Katie Grimes]

Program, which is what Congress should do. Also not a part of the conversation where they said, well, if you want it to be this way, and apparently people do, well, then Congress needs to sit down and come up with a very complex system for workers or making these people citizens or whatever it is you're gonna do. But you gotta come up with a plan. The all the arguments I seem to see on the Sunday talk shows, nobody was offering anything other than continuing to just randomly let people come in by the millions, come and go by the millions, not know who they are. Martha Raddatz even admitted to whoever was pushing back on this story. There are 600,000 known criminals. Not the crime of being here illegal, but like other crimes from Mexico or Venezuela. 600,000 criminals in the United States right now, we don't know where they are. What kind of, who does that?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, yeah, that's nuts. Yeah, it is. It's. It's self destructive. It's, it's horrible because we won't get to the root questions and the final annoying Reality I'd like to trot out there. This is why I don't get many invitations to to dinner parties. Oh, you invited Mr. Annoying Reality. Oh, good. Is the left raises money from soft heads. In my opinion, with their no human being is illegal. Build bridges, not walls. Nonsense. And the right raises money on boot them all out, seal the borders. And to say we're going to craft a guest worker program that's going to let 1.1 million people in temporarily, we'll keep track of them, blah, blah, blah. We're going to streamline the courts that just. You can't raise money on that. It's too complicated. The devil is in the details and there's always plenty to anger, you know, virtually everybody in the discussion. So, I don't know, I don't mean to be discouraging, but as long as small money donations rule politics, it's going to be hard to work out stuff like this.

[Katie Grimes]

I'm just appalled by the idea. I've always cringed when anybody says those are jobs Americans won't do. That makes me cringe. You cannot be a strong, functioning, successful society if you've decided certain jobs are off limits to your citizens. That's sickening as a notion.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, that's how empires fall back to Rome. Or if you'd prefer, I assume with your French Revolution passion, you'd like to say see guillotines all over America cutting off the heads of the disloyal or immigrant. I don't know what in your your crazy world. The Armstrong and Getty Show. Get more Jack, more Joe podcasts and our hot links at armstrong and getty.com the Armstrong and Getty show.

[Katie Grimes]

Here'S your.

[Jack Armstrong]

Freedom loving quote of the day. It's an absolute classic. Frank sent it along. He said it's probably a little long, but what the heck, we always have time for it. It's from Lord Woodhousely, also known as Alexander Fraser Tyler from back in the 1700s. A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government can only exist until the voters discover they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. Then he goes into a bit of history. These nations have progressed through the sequence from bondage to spiritual faith, from spiritual faith to great courage, from courage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from selfishness to apathy, from apathy to Dependence from dependence back into bondage.

[Katie Grimes]

So where are we right now? Somewhere between apathy and dependence.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes. Yeah, I would say so. Yeah. We've certainly progressed past selfishness to apathy. Yeah. Apathy to dependence. I think you nailed it.

[Katie Grimes]

Yep. Baby boomers were the selfish and we moved into the apathy. Now we're headed into the dependence. Yep, there you go. That sounds right. Pretty accurate, I think. That's absolutely right. And I was thinking about this last night when I went to bed for some reason about how there's a shelf life to these things and there just is. Always has been, probably always will be. And it's depressing. Really freaking depressing.

[Jack Armstrong]

Unless you consider the following. This is your cheeriah up note during every one of those stages. Smart people, energetic people. Well, I'm not very energetic, so let's just go with smart. Smart and semi energetic people have found ways to craft happy, productive lives. It just gets a little tougher.

[Katie Grimes]

Well, yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

What? In the words of the old bluesman, what is you going to do?

[Katie Grimes]

Right. I understand if you're going to focus on you and yours, but kind of like the whole thing to last for.

[Jack Armstrong]

A while, but I kind of wanted a pony for Christmas. All right, Wake up. Grow up, mailbag.

[Katie Grimes]

Oh, geez.

[Jack Armstrong]

Drop us [e-mail] when convenient. I. I had a screed yesterday. I unleashed a screed about how the Internet fertilizes stupid stupidity. I never would have thought of it again as long as I lived. Except several emailers have brought it up.

[Katie Grimes]

That is pretty good. I forgot it already myself.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, Rich says Joe's book about enter the Internet fertilizing stupidity. No, he says true, but it's not fertilizing women. Whoa. Hence the low birth rates.

[Katie Grimes]

That's.

[Jack Armstrong]

That could be an angle on my book. Rich, I'll give you full credit. Thanks, buddy.

[Katie Grimes]

The Internet fertilizer stupidity might be your best quote ever.

[Jack Armstrong]

And I forgot I said it. Anyway, Mark and Stanton writes. Gents, regarding the MSNBC reporter and the other media chuckleheads describing our Marjorie Taylor Greene is the most conservative Republican in the House. Whatever. Which is an absurd description. I think a better description was inadvertently coined earlier in the show by Joe. You might say Marjorie Taylor Greene is a grandstanding moron. Quote fertilizing stupidity in her caucus. Judging by the Republican caucus actions lately, this is producing a bumper crop of dysfunction and asininity. The sun is a mighty powerful eat Mark in Stanton.

[Katie Grimes]

Well, and one of the reasons I.

[Jack Armstrong]

Love that as a sign off by the way Mark, One of the reasons.

[Katie Grimes]

I hate the so much is portraying a variety of things as conservative is it comes from the liberal media. They want conservative to have a stench to it. But there's nothing conservative about Marjorie Taylor Greene or Matt Gaetz that. That's not a. They're not extra conservative as they're portrayed in the media. That's not what they are.

[Jack Armstrong]

I would have to work for a while to to come up with a term for exactly what they are. More like Trumpy is not bad.

[Katie Grimes]

Well, I don't think you. I don't think you would turn to political science for a label for them though, correct?

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, no, no, no. You would turn to Marshall McLuhan. Was that the name of the guy who coined the. And just the modern the postmodern media world whipping up interest and fervor and clicks and that sort of thing. We're out of time already. I've got a lot of great stuff here.

[Katie Grimes]

We got, I believe, a lot more show. Quick question for you. What if you happen to miss this unbelievable radio program?

[Jack Armstrong]

The answer is easy, friends. Just download our podcast. Armstrong you Getty on Demand. It's the podcast version of the podcast show available anytime, any day. Every single, single podcast platform known to man.

[Katie Grimes]

Download it now. Armstrong and Getty on Demand.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Getty.

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[Katie Grimes]

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[Jack Armstrong]

I know, right?

[Katie Grimes]

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[Jack Armstrong]

Crazy affordable to replace our old blinds.

[Katie Grimes]

Hard to install. No, it's easy.

[Jack Armstrong]

Even you could do it.

[Katie Grimes]

Nice.

[Jack Armstrong]

I installed these and then got some for my mom too.

[Katie Grimes]

You fly across the country to do the install? Nope. Blinds.com can do it all.

[Jack Armstrong]

All she had to do was pick what she wanted.

[Katie Grimes]

She talked to a design consultant for free and scheduled a professional measure and install. Look at you. Hall of fame, son.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, I just picked the winning team. They're the number one online retailer of custom window coverings in the world. Oh.

[Katie Grimes]

Blinds.com is the goat. The goat.

[Joe Getty]

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[Jack Armstrong]

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[Joe Getty]

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[Jack Armstrong]

The Armstrong and Getty Show Speaking of the recent electoral results in which the Democratic Party took a hell of a drubbing, in particular the more progressive side of it, and anybody who was advocating the wildest of the woke policies really took it on the chin, thank God. It seems like an odd moment for perhaps the most progressive of America's governors to decide this is my moment. But Gavi Newsom of California did just that with a maneuver or two, which we will discuss with our guest, Katie Grimes, the editor in chief of the California Globe who has been covering the California State Capitol for ages and ages. Katie, welcome. How are you?

[Unnamed Guest]

Good morning, Joe. Good morning, Jack. I'm well, I'm especially well after the election.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I'd imagine so. I love the headline, your recent piece, Gavin Newsom is attempting to play on a stage well above his pay grade. Would you agree? It seems like an odd moment for the woke Gavin to decide this is my time.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah, he needs to learn to read the room because he's about as popular as Kamala Harris.

[Katie Grimes]

I understand the, the wanting to be the first in as the leader of the resistance for the, you know, the nomination of Democratic candidate for 2028. He wants to be the first name out there. But this whole fighting on a couple of areas that seem to be thoroughly beaten, at least in this most recent reelection. What's he thinking?

[Unnamed Guest]

You know, you ask a really good question because I don't have an answer for that. I don't think the way he does, thankfully, because he's just a full blown narcissist. And I think part of the problem is a he has no interest in governing and he has no clue in governing. So his natural inclination is to pivot to something that's going to get him some media headlines. And so, you know, claiming to fight Trump is going to certainly provide him some headlines in our, you know, in our lefty media.

[Jack Armstrong]

So you've made your career covering California and California politics. For folks listening around the country, what has the trend been in California? And you can pick whatever item you want, but I'm struck by the illustration in your piece in the California Globe of the presidential results by county from 2020 to 2024, for instance.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yes. Yes. Isn't that. Boy, there's nothing like a good visual. So it looks like in this election, Republicans flipped at least eight states that we know of right now. And that's only with 72% of the votes counted. Some are saying it might. Yes, it might be as many as 10 counties flipping to the red. And so that's why that visual is so lovely. My point in this is even Californians are set up with these ridiculous, horrible, damaging policies that, frankly, they're harming people in California, whether it's the increase in crime or withholding water to our agriculture or, I mean, the lousy schools. Even lefties are tired of this, because lefties, while they might vote very left in California, they live like Republicans. They're tight with a buck. They want their kids to go to good schools. They do care about the roads in which their rims are getting bent on. There's all kinds of things. Of course, the crime just is in everybody's face.

[Katie Grimes]

It's funny you mentioned that.

[Jack Armstrong]

I.

[Katie Grimes]

My car's in the shop for a week because I cracked my wheel on a pothole because of our crappy, crappy roads ripped from real life. So. So it is interesting to see that there is a limit to how long people will put up with the same party despite the results.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah. And I think what we're. What we're talking about are same people, maybe people who don't pay a lot of attention to politics day in and day out the way we do, but they know what's happening right outside their front door. And, you know, in this case, it's a lot of crime. It's really lousy maintenance in their cities and counties. You know, everything just in California, we're starting to look like a third world country in many places. And this is supposed to be, you know, the Golden State.

[Jack Armstrong]

And Gavin's contention is that. And he's utterly a con man, his contention is that we have all these challenges and we're dealing with them courageously and creatively, as if these challenges came out of nowhere, as if they fell like rain. And all of a sudden you got, you know, a million bums and junkies on the streets, as if they're not a result of the very policies that he's espoused. But I mean, he took a hell of a spanking recently. And the voters overwhelmingly approving Proposition 36, which overturned the disastrous Proposition 47. You'd think he'd wake up and smell the discontent.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah, he has no ability to do that. And I think that shows his unbridled narcissism. All he can see, he's got tunnel vision and he's focused on national politics next. That's where his career was supposed to take him. So, by golly, he's going to shove Josh Shapiro out of the way as fast as he can, right?

[Katie Grimes]

Yeah, he wants to jump ahead of Josh Shapiro and a number of other people out there. Kamala Harris. Well, does Kamala Harris have any future or is she just done.

[Unnamed Guest]

That's hilarious. I just published an article this morning and I titled it. Are you kidding? Berkeley poll reports California voters want Kamala for governor. No, this is an absolute last gas attempt by Berkeley and the Los Angeles Times to try to see if her fledgling political career could be saved.

[Jack Armstrong]

I just. That's. That's unimagina. That hit me like a blow.

[Katie Grimes]

I gotta take a knee real quick. I.

[Jack Armstrong]

Are you skilled in the arts of karate or what?

[Katie Grimes]

Out of me?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. I can't even imagine that. So once again, for people who are listening around the country who may not be familiar, can you give us the nickel version of Gavin Newsom's energy policies? And, and, and just. And as Katie talked, perhaps, folks, you can imagine this being implemented nationwide.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah, actually, what Gavin Newsom is doing is imposing unbelievable regulations on our oil and gas industry. We're not fracking for natural gas in California, even though we sit on top of the world's largest gas reserves. So he's trying to restrict all this. He's forcing oil and gas companies to withhold, hold back some of their oil and gas, and it's going to lead to even higher gas prices. His California Air Sources Board, that's the regulatory agency for our global warming policies, just passed a little amount to at least a 65 cent additional tax on top of our highest gas prices in the entire country. So what he's doing is creating shortages of everything, including water deliveries. I mean, it's hard to make this stuff up. It's almost like the UN is running Gavin Newsom and California because nobody in this state wants to live like this. And yet these morons are still voting for this.

[Katie Grimes]

So is there any chance that he's not actually angling to be the nominee in 2028? That he's trying to get some other really lucrative Gig like an Al Gore type lifestyle or something? I mean, is it just a money grab that I don't quite understand yet?

[Unnamed Guest]

It's about power and money. I wrote right before the election an article about how the only thing he really has left to focus on is his climate change chop. And so he's trying to pivot to become the next Al Gore. On the national.

[Katie Grimes]

There's a lot of money in that. There's a lot of freaking money at that. And you don't have the scrutiny of politics.

[Unnamed Guest]

Exactly. And you don't have to, you don't have to produce anything. There's no results necessary. You just go around and blather on about climate change, this and that and carbon emissions. And for some reason the media buys it hook, line and sinker.

[Katie Grimes]

Oh boy.

[Jack Armstrong]

Katie Grimes is the editor in chief of the California Globe. Katie, I picture Gavin announcing officially for president the presidency within a couple of years. We will organize a March of all 40 million Californians from California to DC, Kansas. You're going to need to stock up on avocado toast, but we will march to D.C. and declare America. Please don't do this to yourselves. Please don't. We've linked Katie's a couple of recent pieces up top at the hot [e-mail] if you want to take a read. Katie, great to talk to you as always. Keep fighting the good fight.

[Unnamed Guest]

Thanks. Great to be with you guys.

[Jack Armstrong]

Always fun. Thanks. Yeah, just, you know, I don't want to embarrass Katie or anything but she was, she was a fairly mainstream to left leaning journalist who just prized old school journalism. Telling the truth. And she has gone from, you know, absolutely, you know, tolerant and sympathetic toward kind of the center left to being aghast at what she's seeing in her home state, as so many are.

[Katie Grimes]

Yeah, I think this is my current working theory that he's not actually angling to be the 28 nominee, that he's trying to raise his Q factor, his name and everything like that just in progressive circles and become something that makes him a lot of money for a long time. Al Gore style.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, he's calculating enough that I still say he is absolutely fully turgid aroused for the idea of the White House.

[Katie Grimes]

I wouldn't say that. I think are enjoying the imagery is what's going on.

[Jack Armstrong]

Shakespeare had sexy stuff in his place too and he's worshipped. So anyway, but, but I. You do make an interesting point. He's calculating enough that that's his main goal, but he's Positioning himself in such a way that other goals are, are pursued at the same time. Yeah, he's really, in a word, evil. An evil human being.

[Katie Grimes]

So dogecoin different than bitcoin, but also a cryptocurrency, has now as of today, jumped 20% since Trump announced Elon and the Doge Group, or whatever they're going to call it, Doge, the Department of Government Efficiency. So because it's named the same as their cryptocurrency, their people invested in the cryptocurrency.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, the general friendliness toward cryptocurrency, plus the branding wise, that helps.

[Katie Grimes]

God, I gotta figure out the timing on this. Like yesterday I thought too late. If I had invested in Bitcoin yesterday, I'd be significantly wealthier today. Damn it.

[Jack Armstrong]

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[Katie Grimes]

Yeah, I'm looking up at Biden and Trump together in the Oval Office. We'll have some highlights from that coming up for you in a little bit. Oh God, I can't imagine what they're saying. Simply safe, active guard, outdoor protection is what I love. Changes the game. Preventing crime before it happens with the agents being able to see in real time anybody looking at breaking into your house, they can actually talk to them directly.

[Jack Armstrong]

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[Katie Grimes]

So to paint the picture for you, it's Trump and Biden all smiles in blue suits and red T sitting there in front of a roaring fireplace there in the Oval Office. And Biden's good at that whole backslapping, we're pals thing he's been doing for since before most of us were born.

[Jack Armstrong]

And that's really the only thing he's good at.

[Katie Grimes]

Yeah, it's really his only. And and Trump of course, is joining the fact that he has defeated that side thoroughly. First time they've been together since the debate that ended Biden's career. Oh my God. Trump probably never been as happy in his life than sitting next to this guy that he so thoroughly trounced Having.

[Jack Armstrong]

On the way out, he slaps Biden on the back and says, remind Hunter to pay his taxes, huh? See you around. The Armstrong and Getty Show. Get more Jack, more Joe podcasts and.

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[Joe Getty]

This winter comes to you of being ranked the number one state in public art spending looks like experience, world class performances and legendary venues. Learn more at explore minnesota.com.

[Jack Armstrong]

Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty the Armstrong and Getty.

[Katie Grimes]

Show Katie, you're gonna have to explain to us what the hell this is we're hearing here.

[Unnamed Guest]

So apparently there's this Internet trend going on, right?

[Katie Grimes]

An Internet trend.

[Unnamed Guest]

You say it's an Internet trend and apparently if you exhale all the way, get all the air completely out of your lungs and then you try to scream, you make some form of a noise like that.

[Katie Grimes]

Okay, gotcha. The exhale and scream challenge. I'll do that with my kids today for fun.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah, take a video, let us know how it goes.

[Katie Grimes]

Well, I'll do it with one of my kids. My high school kid is no longer interested in anything whimsical. He is just glum Teenager.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah.

[Katie Grimes]

What?

[Jack Armstrong]

The official uniform of teenager. The whole reason I brought disgust.

[Unnamed Guest]

I want to see if Michelangelo could do it.

[Katie Grimes]

Michael, do that for us on Mike. Exhale completely then try to scream. Okay. Will you do that for us? Here we go. Here we go.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, you took you in.

[Katie Grimes]

You didn't. You didn't exhale enough either. Completely exhale. Okay.

[Jack Armstrong]

No, you inhaled again at the end of Your exhale.

[Katie Grimes]

You can't inhale. You blew out, then you took a breath.

[Jack Armstrong]

Okay, let me blow.

[Katie Grimes]

I'm gonna just do nothing but blow out completely.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, don't take a breath in. Never mind.

[Katie Grimes]

Never mind.

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't understand. Wow. I'm just blowing out.

[Katie Grimes]

That's how I excel. What do you want then? Do not take a breath.

[Jack Armstrong]

You are taking.

[Katie Grimes]

The fact that you're not following these instructions is all my life. I'm just gonna blow out. Right? Okay, Katie, we gotta go.

[Jack Armstrong]

No, we're not gonna go through this again, Michael. You blow out, you go, and then you go, and then you scream. You're not supposed to.

[Katie Grimes]

That's an leave out the last try.

[Jack Armstrong]

Okay, so just blow and scream.

[Katie Grimes]

But. But don't. Okay, all right.

[Jack Armstrong]

Okay.

[Katie Grimes]

All right.

[Jack Armstrong]

So earlier. Earlier.

[Katie Grimes]

All right, Katie, for the podcast, you need to do it, because I want to hear you try to do it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Okay? Okay. You know, the. The only thing I took away from that is how incredibly infectious laughter is listening to those numb skulls try to do the numb skullish challenge of the day.

[Katie Grimes]

Right?

[Jack Armstrong]

But they're all laughing, so you just can't help but, you know, giggle.

[Katie Grimes]

Here is a professor at the University of Kansas, where I spent a year in grad school. Poorly. I don't know what class he's teaching here, but somebody got out their cell phone. He's doing this in the little lecture room in front of a bunch of students. I can't believe it. But here you go.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's what frustrates me. There are going to be some males in our society that will refuse to vote for a potential female president because they don't think females are smart enough to be president. We could line all those guys up and shoot them. They clearly don't understand the way the world works. Did I say that? Scratch that from the recording. I don't want the deans hearing that I said that.

[Katie Grimes]

We missed the very first part of that where he's. He's in a conversation when somebody put. Starts their cell phone where he's saying, people who think that men are smarter than women. So why is he having that conversation anyway? Who. Who thinks either way, that either gender is, as a whole, smarter than the other. That's just a dumb premise to start with. And then he goes into, there are people that won't vote for Kamala Harris because they don't believe women are smart enough. Who thinks that? How many people do you know thinks that?

[Jack Armstrong]

What are you talking about? Katie, feel free to weigh in, but as a guy who loves and cherishes women in every part of life. The male who has to prostrate himself talking about women are so much smarter. Men are so dumb. Women are smarter.

[Katie Grimes]

You.

[Jack Armstrong]

You are a patient. Pathetic. You should turn in your genitals, sir. And I use that term loosely. That's pathetic. Two.

[Katie Grimes]

Two points.

[Unnamed Guest]

One, I hate nothing more than a male feminist.

[Jack Armstrong]

There.

[Unnamed Guest]

That there's.

[Katie Grimes]

That's awful.

[Unnamed Guest]

Second, this guy's name is Philip Locock.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, no, it's not.

[Katie Grimes]

It is.

[Jack Armstrong]

No. Yes, it is. How did that escape me?

[Unnamed Guest]

And he's a lecturer in the Department of Health, Sport and Exercise Science.

[Katie Grimes]

All right.

[Jack Armstrong]

You know, good urologist could probably help you with your problem there.

[Katie Grimes]

Or a support garment.

[Jack Armstrong]

I mean, how low is it?

[Katie Grimes]

It's a support garment that gets that thing up where you need it to be.

[Jack Armstrong]

You gotta change your name.

[Katie Grimes]

You don't want it down around your knees. You want her up here, waist level.

[Jack Armstrong]

I mean, maybe Many generations of Low Cox settled the west and made Kansas.

[Katie Grimes]

The fabulous state that it is today.

[Jack Armstrong]

You gotta change your name. I'm sorry. With all due respect to great grandf Father Locock and the work he did in Prohibition and Grandpa Lowcock and is how he, you know, opened the first bank of Salina or whatever. You gotta change your name.

[Katie Grimes]

Yeah. You know, maybe I should have more sympathy. He grew up with that name. Probably many endless jokes like we're doing now. And drove him to being a male feminist. Where he has to overreact the other direction or something.

[Jack Armstrong]

Low T. Armstrong and getty toxic. 650 KSTE.

[Joe Getty]

This winter comes to what being ranked the number one state in public art spending looks like experience, world class performances and legendary venues. Learn more at exploreminnesota.

[Unnamed Guest]

Com.