415 Joe Rogan Experience Review of John Fetterman

Summary

Episode Summary: Joe Rogan Experience Review Podcast – Episode 415: Review of John Fetterman

Introduction

In Episode 415 of the Joe Rogan Experience Review Podcast, hosts Adam Thorne and his co-host Todd delve into their analysis of a recent Joe Rogan Experience (JRE) episode featuring Senator John Fetterman. Released on December 10, 2024, this episode provides an insightful breakdown of Fetterman's candid conversation with Joe Rogan, emphasizing Fetterman's authenticity, personal struggles, and political perspectives.

John Fetterman's Personal Struggles and Resilience

The episode begins with John Fetterman discussing the aftermath of his stroke, highlighting his resilience and the tools he employs to manage the lingering effects.

• Stroke Impact and Recovery (01:39 - 05:05):
  • Fetterman explains, "[...] the stroke never touched my intellect" (02:36) and emphasizes his use of captioning tools during interviews to aid his communication.
  • He likens his use of technology to wearing glasses, stating, "A lot of people across America use captioning to watch movies and TV, and that's really no different than that" (03:04).

Adam appreciates Fetterman's straightforwardness, noting, "He wasn't making excuses [...] he's just like, not at all," (04:42) and commends Fetterman's ability to maintain his intellectual capabilities despite his health challenges.

Authenticity and Relatability in Politics

Thorne and Todd discuss how Fetterman's genuine demeanor sets him apart in the political landscape.

• Down-to-Earth Persona (05:41 - 09:08):
  • The hosts admire Fetterman's lack of pretense, comparing him to everyday people rather than polished politicians. "He doesn't wear suits. He's just wears what's comfortable. It's not polished," (06:07) remarks Adam.
  • They highlight Fetterman's vulnerability in discussing his depression post-stroke as a strength, with Todd stating, "His vulnerability was, dare I say, empower [...] he isn't faking with me," (09:08).

This authenticity fosters a deeper connection with voters, as Fetterman appears relatable and trustworthy.

Campaign Finance and Political Spending

A significant portion of the discussion centers on the inefficiencies and excesses of current political campaign financing.

• Critique of Campaign Spending (25:35 - 35:37):
  • The hosts lament the exorbitant amounts spent on campaigns, citing, "It costs somewhere around $100 million to get into a Senate seat," (30:42) and criticize how funds are often wasted on ineffective advertising.
  • They propose a shift in campaign finance, suggesting, "How much you raised, but how little you spent of what you raised. Because to me, that speaks to how you run the economy," (26:01).

The conversation suggests that candidates should prioritize meaningful policy implementation over lavish spending, advocating for transparency and accountability in how campaign funds are utilized.

Mental Health Advocacy for Politicians

Fetterman's openness about his mental health journey sparks a broader discussion on the importance of mental health support within high-stress political roles.

• Mental Health Stigma (10:37 - 14:28):
  • The hosts emphasize the need for accessible mental health resources, noting, "In a position of Senate or Congress ... it's a bit of a stigma," (12:07).
  • They advocate for legislative support to ensure politicians receive necessary mental health care, stating, "I think it's so critical to operate on that high caliber level," (14:28).

This segment underscores the epidemic of mental health challenges in politics and the necessity for systemic support mechanisms.

Immigration Policies and Political Manipulation

The episode delves into the complexities of immigration policies and their inadvertent impact on election dynamics.

• Immigration and Voter Influence (16:02 - 21:04):
  • Discussing Elon Musk's perspective, Adam mentions, "If the unexpected consequence is that now you're getting all these votes, enough to sway an election," (20:37), highlighting concerns about deliberate immigration manipulation.
  • The hosts debate the motivations behind expedited citizenship processes, questioning, "Why not flip this [...] have good therapists present and available often," (13:28).

This conversation reflects worries about immigration policies being leveraged to influence voter bases artificially, drawing parallels to gerrymandering practices.

Attire and Public Perception of Politicians

Fetterman's casual attire is contrasted with traditional political norms, sparking a dialogue on the importance of appearance in political credibility.

• Dress Code and Voter Perception (05:04 - 08:09):
  • Adam observes, "Whether he acted like it or not, it's like impressions like that mean something," referring to leaders like Boris Johnson (08:09).
  • They discuss how Fetterman's choice to eschew formal wear may influence voter trust, with Todd noting, "I lost a lot of respect for people in that sense," (38:20).

The discussion suggests that while casual attire can enhance relatability, it must be balanced with maintaining a professional image to uphold voter confidence.

Legislative Initiatives and Future Outlook

The hosts speculate on Fetterman's potential legislative actions, particularly concerning campaign finance reform and mental health advocacy.

• Proposed Legislation (35:37 - 36:14):
  • They express interest in Fetterman introducing bills aimed at reducing campaign expenditures and increasing transparency, questioning, "How do we start that? Who else is with me," (35:37).
  • Adam believes that such initiatives would demonstrate Fetterman's commitment to genuine political reform, enhancing his credibility.

Conclusion

Episode 415 of the Joe Rogan Experience Review Podcast offers a comprehensive examination of Senator John Fetterman's appearance on Joe Rogan's show. Through thoughtful analysis, Adam Thorne and Todd highlight Fetterman's resilience, authenticity, and potential as a reformative political figure. The hosts advocate for systemic changes in campaign finance and mental health support within politics, using Fetterman's candidness as a benchmark for future political discourse. This episode serves as an encouraging narrative for voters seeking genuine representation and underscores the impact of authentic leadership in contemporary politics.

Notable Quotes:

• John Fetterman (02:36): "The stroke never touched my intellect."
• Adam Thorne (04:42): "He wasn't making excuses [...] he's just like, not at all."
• Todd (09:08): "His vulnerability was, dare I say, empower [...] he isn't faking with me."
• Adam Thorne (26:01): "How much you raised, but how little you spent of what you raised. Because to me, that speaks to how you run the economy."
• Todd (14:28): "I think it's so critical to operate on that high caliber level."
• Adam Thorne (20:37): "If the unexpected consequence is that now you're getting all these votes, enough to sway an election."
• Todd (38:20): "I lost a lot of respect for people in that sense."

Timestamp Highlights:

• 01:39 - 05:05: John Fetterman discusses his stroke and recovery.
• 05:41 - 09:08: Authenticity and relatability in Fetterman's persona.
• 10:37 - 14:28: Mental health advocacy and stigma in politics.
• 16:02 - 21:04: Immigration policies and their impact on elections.
• 25:35 - 35:37: Critique of campaign finance and political spending.
• 35:37 - 36:14: Potential legislative initiatives by Fetterman.

This detailed analysis captures the essence of Episode 415, providing valuable insights for listeners and those interested in the intersection of politics, personal resilience, and authentic leadership.

Transcript

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[Podcast Host]

You are listening to the Joe Rogan Experience Review Podcast. We find little nuggets, treasures, valuable pieces of gold in the Joe Rogan Experience Podcast and pass them on to you. Perhaps expand a little bit. We are not associated with Joe Rogan in any way. Think of us as the talking dead to Joe's Walking Dead.

[Narrator]

You're listening to the Joe Rogan Experience Review.

[Podcast Host]

What a bizarre thing we've created now.

[Narrator]

With your host Adam Thorne. Might either be the worst podcast or.

[Podcast Host]

The best one of all time. One Go. Enjoy the show. Let's tell everybody what's going on with your iPad.

[John Fetterman]

So because you had a stroke, you have difficulty.

[Podcast Host]

Do you have difficulty hearing or.

[John Fetterman]

Well, no, I can hear just. I can hear just perfectly right now. And but there's just the one kind of a lingering issue. There's a lingering issue and sometimes I lose just a couple steps on time and then now after that that's the only thing. And thankfully the stroke never touched my intellect things but the stroke nearly killed me. And again, I don't but I use captioning in situations just like this in interviews. So that's why I can really make sure exactly what's being said and then I can able just participate. If somebody wears the glasses, it doesn't mean that they're illiterate, it just means they just that's a tool that allows them to participate or drive or those things. And it's that same thing. And a lot of people across America use captioning to watch movies and tv, and that's really no different than that.

[Podcast Host]

So it doesn't affect your intellect, but it does affect your hearing. Is that what's going on?

[John Fetterman]

No, I can hear and I can listen to music. The difference with music, for example, is that as long as there's muscle memory, I can remember all those kinds of music things. But it seems unlikely at this point that they're not going to be any kind of new favorites emerging like that.

[Podcast Host]

Because essentially can listen to the same old music forever.

[John Fetterman]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. So that's John Federman, Congress person. Senator. Right, Senator. Discussing an issue that he has and a tool that he uses to overcome the issue that he got from a stroke. And basically, he uses some sort of listening system on an iPad that creates closed captioning when he's talking to somebody. I think that would help a lot of people trying to stay focused. I mean, I can't tell you how many people I know that aren't deaf and use closed captioning when they're watching Netflix or whatever. They just have it on.

[Narrator]

Yeah, that's me. I'm one of those people. I. I've noticed I can hardly watch TV anymore without them. I don't know if it's because there's like a disconnect in my brain or because I'm using, probably multitasking, thinking about other things on my phone, but I just have a hard time understanding or like, kind of just like keeping track of what's going on unless I'm reading and listening at the same time. I also think some of these tools are so helpful in other situations, even temporary environments, like, say you have a baby in the house and you can't turn the volume up. Right. You. You want to know what's. You want to hear all the detailed conversations and all the nuances, but you need to keep the volume low. Like, tools like that are super helpful, and I think it's great that technology exists in the. You know, for. For people in all different situations in their lives.

[Podcast Host]

Look, and I think he explained it really well, too. I mean, he wasn't. He wasn't making excuses or stumbling over himself and saying, oh, yeah, I had the strokes and now I've got, like, I've got problems. He's just like, not at all. I mean, when he said about people that wears glasses.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

You know, to. To read doesn't mean that they're not good readers. They just can't see their letters.

[Narrator]

Right. I Mean, it's like the processing needs an extra boost. Right. And he. And he did say that the stroke did not touch his intellect, which, you know, thank goodness. That's. That would be really hard to go from being someone in a, you know, high level government office to someone whose intellect was affected by this medical, you know, condition. But, yeah, just needs a tool. And I think, well, he had that.

[Podcast Host]

Stroke while he was running to get the position.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

I mean, think of the stress. Oh, and then that happens, and then he still makes it in. I mean, honestly, very impressive.

[Narrator]

So much.

[Podcast Host]

And, you know, like. Like Rogan was saying. And I. And I think what makes him seem so down to earth? Like, not just that he talks like a regular person. He doesn't sound like he's bullshitting you.

[Narrator]

No.

[Podcast Host]

You know, he sounds like he's trying to find the right answer and the best thing for the country, but, you know, doesn't wear suits. He's just wears what's comfortable. It's not polished.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Anything about him is not polished. And to be able to win like that gives me hope that we might start picking candidates for the right reasons rather than, oh, this dude looks rich and yells at everyone.

[Narrator]

Yeah, I think I. I think I 100 agree. I would say there's a little, potentially a fine line in. Maybe it's because I'm indoctrinated into this, like, system where politicians are typically very well dressed and, you know, in suits and things like that. But I think a little bit of effort sometimes in that department can go a long way. Maybe it's the female in me where it's like, well, I know when I get dressed up, sometimes I'm just like, I feel like I'm operating at a higher caliber. Right. But I love jeans and a sweatshirt as much as the next person. You know, I love to be comfortable, I would say, you know, especially on something like Joe Rogan. Who cares? Right? Like, Joe literally wears, like, camo workout shorts all the time, like on his own podcast.

[Podcast Host]

But, you know, he mostly wears a suit even to when he commentates the ufc or a shirt. He's like, at least my shirt on. So. So even Joe has his, like, dressing up approach. But I don't think it takes anything away from John that he's like, I never do.

[Narrator]

No, not.

[Podcast Host]

I never feel good about it. And if I'm going to lose votes because of that, then maybe I have to just be extra good at my job to make up for it.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Which, you know, it's good motivation.

[Narrator]

I mean, if you're voting for a candidate because you like their outfit, there's something wrong with you, not with them.

[Podcast Host]

Right.

[Narrator]

Like. Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

I mean, there's something to it. I think when it comes to president, like someone that like, is the face of your country almost.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

They got a. Being sharp looking, strong looking, confident, being clean cut is a good move.

[Narrator]

Oh, yeah.

[Podcast Host]

I mean, Boris Johnson just always looked like a mess. And he was the British Prime Minister for a while. His hair was a mess. He just looked like he just woke up. I mean, it was like he'd look like a buffoon.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

You know, and whether he acted like it or not, it's like impressions like that mean something.

[Narrator]

Yeah. But I think his attire, like it, it just breaks the norm. I think it go. It kind of goes along with sort of how he is sort of a different politician. He, he thinks more like the common person, I would say. And he's really advocating for the people, not for the Paul. I mean, I don't say for the policies, but he's not answering to the money. He's really thinking about the people need. And at least in his opinion, of course that's always a subjective thing.

[Podcast Host]

I'm inclined to believe him too. I mean, here's the elements about him that kind of make me trust him more. Right. The, the how candid he was about everything, about why he dresses the way that he does. You know, he's like, I got toothpick legs and no ass. Like, he wasn't, wasn't trying to sugarcoat anything.

[Narrator]

Right.

[Podcast Host]

And he's like, yeah, had this stroke and then he goes. The stroke led to like pretty bad depression. And that's, that's like an incredibly vulnerable thing to talk about. I mean, I'm sure there's plenty of politicians out there that would deny ever having emotions and feelings like that. They want you to believe they are extremely polished. Everything's together. They're always at the top of their game. And it's like, it's just not that human have a trait.

[Narrator]

Right.

[Podcast Host]

To hear about.

[Narrator]

Yeah. His vulnerability was, dare I say, empower. I don't say empowering, but like it, it just made me feel like, gosh, I want to know more what this guy has to say because I feel like he's relatable. I feel like he isn't faking with me, you know, like I really genuinely care about what he has to say. And I think that's in a politician, you know, as a politician, that's what you want, is for people to care what you're saying not just be like, yeah, yeah, yeah, right. Like they, you really want them to be tuned in and dialed into that.

[Podcast Host]

It does make you think, right? The depression thing, it's like obviously if you're a congressperson or a senator, you have insurance, medical insurance from the government. You know, it's like many government jobs. But again, it's not like cutting your hand open. That's clearly an injury that you have to get fixed. Mental health isn't like that. It's still a voluntary. You gotta get over. This episode is brought to you by DraftKings Casino. It's the most wonderful time of the year. Holidays on the house at DraftKings Casino. With this season's offerings, you'll unwrap everything on your list. Exclusive games, huge jackpots and exciting rewards. DraftKings is offering a warm welcome to new players with $100 instantly in casino cred with just a $10 wager. Plus everyone can get in on the action with a holiday reward every week. So sign up with code jrer because the holiday cheer is here only on DraftKings casino gambling problem. Call 1-800- GAMBLER in Connecticut. Help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-789-7777 or visit CCPG. Please play responsibly. 21 plus physically present in Connecticut, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia only void in Ontario eligibility restrictions apply. New customers only opt in. Required casino credits are non withdrawable and expire in 168 hours [e-mail] promos to the therapist or psychiatrist or whatever and talk to them. Yeah, and possibly when you're in the position of Senate or Congress, you know, it's a bit of a stigma if you're like going off to get mental health help all the time instead. Why not flip this, you know, flip the script on that and have good therapists present and available often. Yeah, because it's not unreasonable that people with a very stressful, high power position job, you know, will have these moments and to think that, you know, he, he's not going to be the only senator that is suffer from depression, Right? No chance.

[Narrator]

No chance.

[Podcast Host]

I mean, do we want somebody that is like very depressed and not doesn't have the outlet to talk to somebody like in that position. You know, I'm not saying we should take John out. I don't mean that. I mean, let's make sure these people have support so that they. Yeah, they kind of have, have help there.

[Narrator]

I think that's it. I think the support that these People are advocating for the masses. Right. They aren't just like a CEO of a company being like, I'm just, you know, just my shareholders. That's what I'm advocating for. They're advocating for these large groups of people with all, from all different walks of life. They're working tirelessly for many, many, many years. Is a long game, politics and political careers. And typically the deterioration of your mental health happens over a long period of time. But there's a long game in healing your mental health as well. And so you can't just say, oh, just go see a therapist three times and figure it out or it'll be fixed. So I think it begs the question of like, is there, is there access the appropriate levels of mental health? Access your mental health therapy and healthcare across the board in our country. I mean, we know the answer, which is no, like, absolutely not.

[Podcast Host]

Right.

[Narrator]

And let's, let's just, you know, bet on people like John who are open and honest about their mental health and perhaps they're going to be the types of politicians that advocate and start putting in legislation that requires it in certain areas of, you know, our, our, you know, the certain types of careers, you know, especially those that are of high stress. I think it's so critical to operate on that, like, high caliber level.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, no, it's very true. It's very true. You know, one thing that he, that he touched on that I actually found quite refreshing, and it was, I think, similar to what J.D. vance was saying. It's like when they were talking about the complexities of the immigration issue. I mean, there is this narrative out there, and Elon Musk believes in it, that the left has been shipping these immigrants to these swing states and then fast tracking them through immigration to get to a voting position. Well, you know, I didn't ever re, like, second guess that until J.D. vance was like, well, I, I don't know about that. It might be more to do with. He, he was like, there's some truth in that. But it also might just be labor shortages and getting cheap labor into these specific areas. And John Fedimum is, it was kind of on board with that. I'm not saying I'm deciding one or the other is true.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

But it's interesting to hear these different viewpoints and there seems like a genuine logic to either. It's almost like, yeah, you could just pick a side or we could wait for more information to come in, you know.

[Narrator]

Yeah, yeah, there's that concept of there's three sides to every story. And I Feel like we're still waiting on the truth. So there's the right side, the left side, and then what's actually happening. And I feel like we're still waiting on that truth.

[Podcast Host]

Right.

[Narrator]

And further, what the solution is to not appease, but alleviate the stress around this topic. Right. Like, why is.

[Podcast Host]

Well, I think. I think that there is an immigration process in place that's been established over a long period of time, which is usually a good way of establishing policy, not rushing anything, you know, not being like arbitrarily six feet. Social distance distancing. That's how we do it.

[Narrator]

Right.

[Podcast Host]

Base it on a process, takes five years if you want citizenship, and then you blah, blah, blah. And here's the. Right. So there's this process.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

And you also can't do it illegally.

[Narrator]

Right.

[Podcast Host]

To get visas, you have to kind of work it that way. There's also asylum way of doing it. And then there's, I think, something built in for, like, if people have been illegal in the country for like a long period of time.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

And, you know, may. I think it's something like they can show that they. They work and they don't have a criminal record.

[Narrator]

Right.

[Podcast Host]

You know, they can kind of work their way in that way using that system, which we already have. I think both left and right agree that that's like a decent process. Maybe there's some tinkering to be done. Maybe you make it slightly less complicated, you know, for people that don't speak English as well and have to fill those damn forms out, like something like that. But letting them in illegally is definitely a bad plan. And then shipping them around the country, also a bad plan.

[Narrator]

Right.

[Podcast Host]

I can't. I just cannot understand how anybody would think that that is. Okay.

[Narrator]

Yeah. I think the argument that I've heard from, you know, the. The left argument is you ship them to where potentially there's the need for this labor. These labor shortages, or there's, you know, space or there's, you know, welcoming in communities or whatever. And then on the topic of sort of expediting their citizenship, you know, if it is due to workforce shortage and we want to have them be working legally and taxed as Americans are, they do need to be a citizen. So the whole expediting the citizenship, I.

[Podcast Host]

To be taxed, you just need a worker's permit. A worker's permit.

[Narrator]

Got it.

[Podcast Host]

So you can get workers permits for lots of different visa types.

[Narrator]

Right. So then. Yeah. Like, why. What is the explanation other than for expediting citizenship, other than to Allow them to vote. Right. Like, is that the intention? Is it to give them more rights? Is it to tax them differently? Is it so that they can, you know, apply for other government services like health care, you know, like Medicare or Medicaid. Excuse me. Or, you know, government housing? Like, what is the purpose? What is the explanation from the left? Obviously, being on the defensive side of any topic, it's hard because you can kind of speculate out. Like, you can sort of be like, oh, maybe it's this, maybe it's this. Or, you know, it's like, they're against me. And. And it's. And it's totally like, you know, to mess up my agenda. But that's not always the truth. Like, usually there is somewhere in the middle something that's truly happening. And that's what I'm so desperate to know in this situation.

[Podcast Host]

I think with this one, what's interesting and what Elon is drawn on is even if the original motivation wasn't for Vodes, he is the type of thinker that will extrapolate out into the future of what it will, what will happen. And even if you're just trying to fill the need for labor shortages, you know, And. Or trying to help, you know, immigrants quickly that are maybe in a bad way in Mexico, wherever they came from. Right. Which is a very liberal thing to do.

[Narrator]

Right.

[Podcast Host]

In terms of just wanting to help. Right.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

However, if the unexpected consequence is that now you're getting all these votes, enough to sway an election or continued future elections because of those actions, it almost builds its own conspiracy.

[Narrator]

Right.

[Podcast Host]

It's like an accidental conspiracy theory. And I don't think Elon cares either way, what's behind.

[Narrator]

Right.

[Podcast Host]

He's like, this is going to happen because of this.

[Narrator]

Right?

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[Podcast Host]

Like, for example, he's one of the few people that constantly talks about the population crisis in the world and how if we don't have enough kids, eventually we run out of people. This isn't this idea that we're saving resources and it's better for the environment. It's like you won't be able to look after the elderly in your community, in your society if you don't have enough kids. It's like he's not thinking an hour ahead and he's not thinking to the next election. He's trying to get us on fucking Mars.

[Narrator]

Yeah, I was going to say that too. I think there are certain people on our planet, like Elon, that maybe have the capacity, have like the mental attuity to, to think that far out, right? To think about how our actions today, every small action today really does affect the long term, you know, quality of life here on our planet or in our country. And I don't know that every politician is doing that. A lot of them, you know, just like humans, you know, we're like, we're fulfilling needs that we have right now, right? Maslow's hierarchy of needs. We have, you know, food, clothes, warmth, things like that. The humanitarian in me absolutely wants immigrants to come here and like, have the opportunity to have the American dream and to have housing and health care and food and, you know, school for their children. But I also wonder, just like, you know, you, you just mentioned, like, how does that affect our elections? Two to three elections from now, when those children are now voters and they're, you know, very democratic and, you know, or they vote very left and they're like, you know, well, this is why, you know, and for good reason for them, right, it makes sense for them to vote that way. But for those communities, it's like they, that was not an organic buildup of voters. That was an inorganic way of like, like swaying the election in those counties or those communities, right? So it doesn't truly reflect the people and the ideals there because it was basically thrust upon them.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. And listen, stuff like that will happen naturally anyway.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

And there's nothing wrong with that. And what I mean by that is, you know, maybe a huge exodus of people from California because of COVID Yeah. Moving into other areas of the country, like Texas or Austin in particular, and really kind of pressing the left leaning vote in those areas. It's like that's what migration does.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

But when it's potentially being orchestrated, you know, it's almost like the same thing as doing that gerrymandering, you know, where they move the lines because, like there's two blocks that are all Republicans and they're like, well, we want to take those votes out or vice versa. Sneaky things. And listen, to be clear, I don't want that happening on either side.

[Narrator]

Right.

[Podcast Host]

You know, I don't want anything, I don't want Republicans doing anything that could sway the election that much.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

In one way. And I don't want the left doing it either. Right. It's like, hey, you've got enough other resources. Get a good candidate. You've already got a shitload of money that you can spend.

[Narrator]

Yep.

[Podcast Host]

On the, you know, commercials and podcasts and there's. You got a lot of ways to win. Just also do a good job and then you'll probably win. Yeah. Talking about that, though. And we get into money and politics, but I think something moving forward should be not how much you raised, but how little you spent of what you raised. Because to me, that speaks to how you run the economy.

[Narrator]

Totally.

[Podcast Host]

Of course. Doesn't it make sense?

[Narrator]

Well, yeah.

[Podcast Host]

I mean, like there's Trump spent like half his money.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

And Kamala had over $1 billion and bankrupted her more than that.

[Narrator]

Yeah. I mean, there was that argument I'd seen that kind of bounced around many from many angles of, you know, what would you do if regard if you didn't spend the money you raised on campaigning on advertising for yourself, but rather on, you know, like benefiting building homes in Maui. Yeah. They burned down the topics that you're. That you're the pillars of your campaign, actually putting your money where your mouth is. Right. And saying, we raised a billion dollars. I'm not advertising for to be a president, but I'm going to put half a million dollars into this. 100. If $50,000 into, you know, $150 million into this, like, and actually trying to move the needle on some of these things.

[Podcast Host]

That's genius.

[Narrator]

And saying it, I don't care if I win. All I care about Is these policies. And that makes me want to vote for someone.

[Podcast Host]

That's what she should have done 100% if we were a campaign manager. Well, you especially because you came up with the idea. But if it was like, hey, you need to go on all these podcasts, these big comedian podcasts for free, that honestly have been leaning more. Right.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Because of a lot of the dumb policies of your party. But go on those so everyone can hear your message. Talk like a normal person. Don't act like a crazy person.

[Narrator]

Don't laugh the whole time.

[Podcast Host]

Right.

[Narrator]

Don't giggle your way through.

[Podcast Host]

But. But talk like a normal person and say, hey, we've raised this billion and we want to do exactly what you just said.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

We're not wasting it on all these commercials. You won't see a bunch of, you know, commercials at the super bowl or fucking wherever else. They waste their money.

[Narrator]

So stupid.

[Podcast Host]

They're not going to give $50 million to a bunch of dumb celebrities to come out and sing terrible songs while they're like, we love Kamala.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

And if they were like, yeah, we're helping inner city kids. We just put money with these schools. We just put another 200 million towards this program that we believe. And the message there could be, hey, even if we don't win, we've actually done a lot of good.

[Narrator]

Right.

[Podcast Host]

Which is the whole point of getting in. What does Kamala do? Blow it all.

[Narrator]

That's for me, like, with our politics. I mean, I know in a democratic society, it's always about, like, the party, right? The loyalism to the party, the party being in, not really the candidate, but for me, like, and I've. I've talked to you about this before. If I. In a magical world where I get to design the tax system, it would be, you know, 25% of my taxes go towards what the government deems necessary. Right. Roads, blah, blah, blah, like, you know, building things, you know, maintaining the country, paying the government employees, whatever that is, stuff that I may not even understand is a necessity. The other 75%, I get to dictate to some capacity. I get to say, I want to contribute more to schools. I want to contribute more to taking care of old people. I want to contribute to building housing for poor people or giving food to those in poverty, like, whatever that is. And actually, that way, the money spent is actually reflective of what the people want. Does that make sense? I think if a candidate came out and said, I've raised a billion dollars. Now, as a country, whether you want to vote for Me or not. I want you to go online, I want you to take this survey and I want you to tell me how to spend this money for the people of this country.

[Podcast Host]

Right?

[Narrator]

Where is this money going to go? How much should I give? And find a way to gauge that.

[Podcast Host]

And everyone just gets trips to Vegas.

[Narrator]

Like, I mean, obviously, you know, I mean, they're, you know, proposing certain things and giving 10 options and saying like, you know, which are the top three most important things to you? And these are what I'm going to, how I'm going to divvy up my money. And you know, is it homeless animals? Is it, you know, the people in Maui? Is it the people that just suffered from the hurricanes in, you know, the south, in Florida and Georgia and North Carolina? Like, what is it that's really important to you? And I feel like that we need more of that in our country. In all, you know, in the tax system, in every, in every, you know, facet of how we spend our money. Like, you know, philanthropy to some extent, like being part of what we do and giving our money to those topic, you know, to those like, things that we care about rather than the things that someone tells us we have to. Right. Like paying for all these government employees that when we go and need their services, they're assholes. Like the dmv. Right. Like, that just doesn't feel good. It doesn't feel right. It doesn't feel empowering. And it definitely doesn't make me vote for anyone one way or another.

[Podcast Host]

Well, you know, what's interesting is this was kind of unprecedented. The money they raised this time around on both the left and the right, but especially the left. But even then it's like these days it costs somewhere around $100 million to get into a Senate seat. So think about it. There's how many? A hundred of them? One hundred senators. Every, what is it, four, eight years, they get reelected, so they got to run again.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

So that's how many hundreds of millions?

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Every how long?

[Narrator]

And what was, I think John was.

[Podcast Host]

Saying, mass waste of money. And what does he get paid? 175,000 a year.

[Narrator]

Yeah, I think he was saying that someone that like the other party spent like a hundred million trying to get, trying to not let him in office. Basically you spend 100 million on defense, you get nothing except to not let the other person in. So it's like, why not do good with that rather than trying to like, I don't know, it just feels so ass backwards to me.

[Podcast Host]

Because it really does. Highlight. It's about winning and power rather than helping. It's like it's far less common for somebody to do a very gracious charitable offering and not take any credit for it. Yeah, you know, those stories are always beautiful when it's like the guy that just delivers the food to the it's better over here.

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[Narrator]

The dry states of the Southwest, there's a group that's been denied a basic human right in the Navajo Nation.

Today, a third of our households don't.

Have running water, but that's not something they chose for themselves. Can the Navajo people reclaim their right to water and contend with the government's legacy of control and neglect?

Our water, our future. Our water, our future.

That's in the next season of Reclaimed, the lifeblood of Navajo Nation. Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts.

[Podcast Host]

Elderly neighbor lady and but only knocks on the door and walks off and never, never takes any credit for it. It's like truly selfless.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

You know these politicians are not those people.

[Narrator]

Right?

[Podcast Host]

Right. They're megalomaniacs that want to be president half the time. Like they want everyone to know who they are. This power of them getting in. They don't even care about collecting their paycheck because they're probably going to inside a trade the whole time they're in there while they pretend to care about, you know, freaking Joe Smo. Yeah, that works at the mechanic place. It's like whatever dude. And listen, you know I'm a bit kind of negative and skeptical when it comes to politicians. Right? I'm Just always suspicious of what they're up to. I'm sure there's some decent ones. I think John sounds like a genuine guy that wants to help and do good things. But I always say, keep an eye on them. All of them.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Like, they're sneaky.

[Narrator]

Well, I would love to see from John, you know, having him come on here, being so candid about how much money is spent and how much money is spent on the defense, on the offense, to, you know, win and lose an election, how much he makes. You know, I mean, 175,000 is very average. I mean, not average, but it's like, not like a. Incredible salary in today's economy.

Right.

Like, he's probably just making it like a lot of people are. I mean, it's good. Don't get me wrong. I'm not. But. Yeah, what I'd really love to see from him is some legislation, you know, initiated by him on spending in political campaigns. And I don't know if there's. There. Whether that's a tier system, whether.

[Podcast Host]

Well, I. I don't think that they get to just write any bills that they want. They usually on committees, so one will be on, like, the energy.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

One's on the. I don't know, the Education Committee. So. So they're only kind of writing bills that are connected to that. They. I think they can also.

[Narrator]

They can build committees, though, if there's something. So, you know, whether it's something where he's like, I want to put some new. I want to really turn the campaigning, you know, in the American political system on its head. How do we start that? Who else is with me, like, just want to hear a little bit more noise from. I mean, coming on here is a great start. Talking about it. Being open and candid is great. It's a perfect way to, like, get the conversation going, but not.

[Podcast Host]

Do you think the kind of conversation they had went well enough in terms of what, you know, about Rogan for Rogan to have him back on? I think so. I think Rogan liked talking to him.

[Narrator]

I think so. I mean, they're. You know, they. They started out sort of talking about, like, Fetterman being very relatable in the fact that his son was a fan of Joe Rogan. And I feel like that's kind of cool. Yeah, it's sort of like a theme. It's like a thing that we hear about a lot of the guests, you.

[Podcast Host]

Know, like, you know that Gavin Newsom once made like a. He made, like, I don't know, if it was a speech or just some statement saying that he wants to create legislation to basically sense of podcast because he found out his son was listening to Rogan and he was that, like, upset about it. Yet John can come on, be liberal and say, oh, yeah, my son thinks you're great.

[Narrator]

Yeah. I mean, I think that it's Gavin.

[Podcast Host]

Newsom sucks is my point.

[Narrator]

You really do not like that?

[Podcast Host]

I do not like it.

[Narrator]

You know, the. I would say, to answer your question, yes, I think it was a really good, genuine conversation. I liked how the platform gives people the opportunity to come and get to know Joe and for Joe to get to know them, like, on a personal level, like, really dive into, like, what makes them tick and like what their personal life is like versus their professional life. I think it is refreshing, you know, with all of the, you know, the conservative candidates and people and people supporting Trump that, you know, that, that. Gosh, the word is. I said it so many times leading up to the. But like, people that said that they wanted to vote for Trump, they. To have someone sort of on the other side come on. Like, I think it goes to show that this platform has the ability to cover it all. Right. And it can you. If when it's. Once it gets censored, that's when that falls apart.

[Podcast Host]

I mean, listen, he's not having people have been recently given him a hard time about. Oh, he has a lot more right leaning people on than left. Right.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Although not necessarily true, because I'm sure most of the comedians that come on, which are most of his guests, are all left.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

However, you know, saying that he's not gonna have AOC on or Gavin Newsom or like the more wacky liberals, he's just not gonna do it. And when I say that, I don't mean also like really very left. I mean, he'd have Bernie on again any second, I think. I think he really enjoyed talking with Bernie. He supported Bernie after he came on and was like, that's my guy.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

You know, he values just. But you can't go on his show and be really wacky with what you're saying. He's just gonna call you out.

[Narrator]

I think. Yeah, those people that are just all about wacky and they're like, aoc, she's just so reactive. She's so, like, defensive. You know, I, as a female, I want to be like a champion for any woman politician that supports the things she really believes in. Both sides. I think everyone has a reason. Everyone has different levels of priorities. Everyone thinks things that what they're doing and saying and advocating for is the right thing. And I think any woman that has the guts to stand up and do that job when it is a male dominated industry, I'm all about it. But when you're like chaos when someone comes at you and you're like literally like, you know, just like spewing like out on social media or like being super defense, I just, I lose all. I lose a lot of respect for people in that sense. So I totally get what you mean.

[Podcast Host]

What, what happens is Joe would generally bring up something about, you know, the gender affirming care or the transgender, you know, or like giving medication to kids.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

And if you've picked that side, then you just have to blindly go with it because you can't have nuances in there. You have to be like, I support this all the way or no. But then when you start breaking down elements of it and you say, well, you don't let kids have tattoos. They can't drink.

[Narrator]

Right.

[Podcast Host]

They can't, you know, leave the house and just go live somewhere else when they're 12.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

So how can they make this decision that changes that? It's like those people that are on that side, they all break down then.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

And they're only going to go on places that. I'm sure this is a lot. Why Harris didn't go on Rogan.

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[Podcast Host]

In six months because there just will be. She basically has to stand for some ideas that are really just quite out there and not well formulated and will lead you into a trap if you're just asking general questions about it, which are reasonable.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

You know, but with John, that didn't happen. He was willing to face whatever Rogan came at him with. And I think he represented himself really well.

[Narrator]

I really enjoyed it.

[Podcast Host]

It's kind of like gives you a better perception of the type of meaningful conversation you can have with senators and especially ones that might not directly agree with your position on things.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

You know, I mean, Rogan came out for Trump but it doesn't mean that he didn't respect what Fetterman had to say.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

And who he is. So something pretty cool there. Anyway, let's call it for this week. I enjoyed it. I like that guy. I like to hear him back on and you know, it doesn't hurt to get the more of the story and perception from both sides, which I hope Joe keeps doing. I think he will. This is why he's able to kind of have that type of balance perspective that he does.

[Narrator]

I love it.

[Podcast Host]

All right, talk to you guys next week.

[Narrator]

Cheers.

[Podcast Host]

It's better over here.

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[Cascade Natural Gas Advertiser]

Cascade Natural Gas believes a warm home, hot water and natural gas energy should be available to everyone. That's why Cascade established the Oregon Low Income Bill Assistance and Energy Discount Programs. These programs provide income qualified applicants a discount on their monthly bill and if needed, help with past due balances. Qualifying for assistance is easy by calling Cascade or any of our partner community action agencies. Get complete bill assistance [e-mail] help.

[Narrator]

In the dry states of the Southwest, there's a group that's been denied a basic human right in the Navajo Nation.

Today, a third of our households don't have running water.

But that's not something they chose for themselves. Can the Navajo people reclaim their right to water and contend with the government's legacy of control and neglect?

Our water, our future. Our water, Our future.

That's in the next season of Reclaimed, the lifeblood of Navajo Nation. Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts.