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Mary Kathryn
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Mary Kathryn
Cleans like Clorox.
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Mary Kathryn
Hey guys, we are back on normally the show with normal which takes for when the news gets weird. I am Mary Kathryn and I'm Carla.
Thrivent Advertiser
Markowitz so nice to see you again, Mary Catherine. We had a wonderful day in our nation's capital yesterday. It was very busy, and I have to tell you, I just imagine you guys live like that all the time. I was just saying, you're like at the State Department seeing the first lady in a leopard coat dress every day.
Mary Kathryn
No, no, that's not how it goes. In fact, yesterday was a very DC day for us. And ironically, we did not record while we were together.
Thrivent Advertiser
No. Why would we do that?
Mary Kathryn
We went to the State Department for the International Women of Courage event, which was wonderful. And we got to meet many of the international activists who, at great risk to themselves and great pain, at some times are able to stand up for women in their communities, including one of the released hostages from Israel, Amit Susannah. We also saw Keith Siegel, who was recently released. And just as it's always a surprise to see someone you've been praying for, especially in dire circumstances like that, and then to see him, well, in a room at the State Department apartment having hors d'oeuvres made me so happy.
Thrivent Advertiser
Yeah, that really was so nice to see him. The whole event was really well done.
Mary Kathryn
Moving.
Thrivent Advertiser
Marco Rubio spoke. The first lady spoke again. She looked phenomenal. I posted some pictures of her fit. Pam Bondi was there. Yeah, just a generally incredible event. And then you and I went and did something that we're only going to tell our listeners about as a little preview, but we're. We went. You could tell, you could say. You could finish my thought.
Mary Kathryn
Yeah, we went over and recorded a little Ruthless with the fellas. So that's a programming note. Stay tuned for that. Check it out next week sometime.
Thrivent Advertiser
We'll let you guys know. Yeah.
Mary Kathryn
Had a great time with them. Wandered around the city, got stuck in the cherry blossom traffic, which Carol did not believe was only because of cherry blossoms.
Thrivent Advertiser
And indeed, still not sure. Really everybody just came to see trees.
Mary Kathryn
Yes, it's real. The city is a nightmare during peak bloom, as they call it, and this is peak bloom, it always comes on my birthday week. I always end up sort of half sick on my birthday week as a result, because the pollen is everywhere. Actually, at Ruthless, Josh Holmes, who was on Special Report with me last night, which is how I ended my very DC day.
Thrivent Advertiser
So funny. Wait, you skipped the part where we have a drink with Seth Dillon that we just randomly ran into him. Another thing that I just imagine just happens in D.C. all the time. Oh, hey, there's Seth Dillon from Babylon Bee. Let's go grab, have a drink.
Mary Kathryn
Had A drink with him. Like, very, very posh. And then I went over to Special Report, and Josh Holmes and I were talking about the cherry blossoms and how you didn't believe that the cherry blossoms created all these problems, but they did.
Thrivent Advertiser
That sounds made up. Okay.
Mary Kathryn
And Holmes said, I. I make. I. I chart it as the first act of international terrorism that the Japanese gave us those Terry blossoms.
Thrivent Advertiser
I see that. Yeah, it is.
Mary Kathryn
No, every. Every spring break group, every family vacation, every. Like, everyone is here.
Thrivent Advertiser
Yeah.
Mary Kathryn
And all the school groups, they did. They all come in on these couple of weeks. They want to see that. And truly, if you ever want to see the cherry blossoms in D.C. they're everywhere. So you don't have to go to the Tidal Basin, which is where everyone goes right around the Jefferson. But if you do go to the Tidal Basin, I am somewhat jaded, and I have just explained how the cherry blossoms are causing all these problems. But it is very beautiful when you go. It is stunning. Go at sunrise. It's the only way to do it. And I'm sorry, that means you have to get up, which is even worse.
Thrivent Advertiser
Sunrise. All right.
Mary Kathryn
Because there's no there.
Thrivent Advertiser
Go look at flowering trees at sunrise. I feel like you don't even know me.
Mary Kathryn
It wasn't a you. Yeah. It wasn't tailored to you. That's correct. That pitch was not for you. Yeah. It's annoying, but it's the only time to see them without a gajillion people around, so. And get your little Instagram shots with no one in them. Like you own the Tidal Basin.
Thrivent Advertiser
That's a really good point for the Instagrammers out there. Listen to Mary. Kathryn, go take the pictures.
Mary Kathryn
That was our big DC day, and now I'm tired.
Thrivent Advertiser
Yeah, it was exhausting.
Mary Kathryn
Wow.
Thrivent Advertiser
We did a lot. I loved seeing you. It was a real good time. Next time, maybe we will record something together. Maybe we'll take our producer John with us. Maybe all three of us will go look at flowering trees.
Mary Kathryn
Well, and then it's also, by the way, now that I've already complained about all these petty, little, tiny things in my life, I should say that going to the International Women of Courage event and meeting activists from Sri Lanka and Burkina Faso and all of these places does wonders for your perspective on how much you care about the traffic in your town when you're going from one event to another, because. True.
Thrivent Advertiser
Too true. Yes. Well, we have some news that we're going to be discussing. Yesterday there was a few special elections around the country. There were two in Florida for Congress, and there was one for the Wisconsin Supreme Court. One of those, the Democrats won and the two Florida ones were won by Republicans. So obviously the news today is Republicans crushed and defeated. And, you know, that's the end of that. You know, when one party gets a big win, like Republicans had in November, there's always this sense like, we will never lose again. We can't possibly lose. Look how good we're doing. And I never enjoy that. I always think we can lose, they can lose, we can lose, everybody can lose. Like one of the most telling things to me in 2016, and I'll be honest, I did not think Donald Trump would win. It was a complete shock to me. But did I never even entertain that idea? That's crazy. That's a crazy thing to do. One of the two major parties, 13 choices, you didn't think it was possible for them to win.
Mary Kathryn
So what's going to happen is that after Trump is elected, there will be these elections that people read way too much into.
Thrivent Advertiser
Right.
Mary Kathryn
And in Florida, of course, the results were great for Republicans. A sizable win in these special elections in places that should have been safe for Republicans. But Democrats had been really touting they were going to spend a lot of money and they were going to, they were going to really close the gap if not beat these guys. And that's not what happened there.
Thrivent Advertiser
Well, I don't know if that's not what happened. The Washington Post thinks that is what happened. The Washington Post thinks this was a success for Democrats. Their headline on this was Democrats won a Wisconsin Supreme Court race and lost two Florida special elections Tuesday. But the trends are clearly pointing in their direction.
Mary Kathryn
Those Florida races were called 10 minutes after the polls closed.
Thrivent Advertiser
Barely 10 minutes, they write. We've seen before that Trump voters just aren't as likely to show up for races that don't feature Trump after all. Again, not true. Ron DeSantis won by 19 points. I think that that is just something that they make up. And this is the really the quote that gets to quote. In the end, Democrats overperformed their 2024 margins by about 16 points in the 6th District, which Trump won by 30 points, and about 22 points in the 1st, which Trump had won by 37. There have been about three dozen special elections for Congress since Trump was first elected president in 2016. Democrats 22 point over performance in Florida's 1st district was their best of any of those races, according to data compiled by Down Ballot Daily cost elections. Their 16 point over performance in the 6th district was tied for their 6th best.
Mary Kathryn
Now that sounds like a lot of ways to say we lost.
Thrivent Advertiser
That is some mathy math. So I'm clear, the Democrats best performance in a special election under Trump was in Florida's first district, which they lost by 14 points. Like May all their wins be this good.
Mary Kathryn
Yeah, look, I think, I think the Wisconsin one is more worrisome, obviously. Yeah, that's one to hang their hats on. Wisconsin Supreme Court races have been nationalized for a while now. It's a very, it's a, it's like operationally politicized state since the like since 10 years ago to such a degree that these special elections end up costing a lot of money. They end up having pretty like for a special election for or for a Supreme Court election, fairly large turnout, tension nationally. The fact that this purple state that fell for Trump in 2024, that Republicans. Here's the thing that concerns me about that is that Republicans seemed more optimistic about it than the numbers say in Wisconsin. So Wisconsin, they ended up winning, losing by like 10 or 11 points. The Supreme Court seat, which will make a difference in the future, possibly for redistricting things and for the, you know, general well being of the state. The fact that they didn't seem to know that it would look that bad is a little concerning. There's the concern that Elon and Elon's spending might be polarizing to an extent that it actually hurts more than it helps. And I think that is something to be concerned about looking forward.
Thrivent Advertiser
Right. So I will say this. I have a pollster that follows me. His name is Rick Shaftan and he messaged me weeks ago saying we're not winning Wisconsin. And his thing was that his polls were showing that the Republican candidate was running on crime. And that just wasn't an issue in the Supreme Court race, that the Wisconsin voters did not, not see crime as aligned with the purpose of a Supreme Court justice there. So I'm just going to say there were Republican operatives who were aware that this wasn't going to be a win.
Mary Kathryn
And it was like.
Thrivent Advertiser
And Rick would tweet about it and post about it as well. He wasn't just sending me this information. This was something he had out there. So yeah, the fact that it was a surprise is maybe for the.
Mary Kathryn
Well, I'm probably.
Thrivent Advertiser
Mindset. Yeah.
Mary Kathryn
I'm probably being too strong about it. Yes. It concerns me that it was such a large margin. Right. And I didn't expect that. I did expect it to be a close slash blue leaning race.
Thrivent Advertiser
Yeah, for sure. Right. And look the thing is, it makes sense that Democrats are more motivated right now. That makes a world of sense. Donald Trump just won this major election. It wasn't close. It was called the night of. It's just, you know, he won every single swing state. Obviously they're going to be motivated to get out there, and that includes in Florida. But this spin today, and I like it because I think it does break into the Republican we're never going to lose again mindset, which I hate so much. So I didn't like the actual losing, but I enjoy the break of that fantasy that Republicans could never lose again. And Democrats are. Their numbers are in the toilet and everybody hates them. And who could ever vote for a party with a 21% approval rating? People still do. They still vote for that party because there's only two parties and you pick one of them.
Mary Kathryn
I mean, you gotta get out there and play the game. That's what game day is for. Yeah, I think you're right. There's a fine line about celebrating a win, which I think people should be able to do post November, and turning that into what Obama thought, which is demographics is destiny. And what Democrats thought, which is like, that's never gonna end for us. And that wasn't true. It wasn't true by a long shot. In fact, the minority voting numbers for Trump were better than any Republican candidate in recent memory. Huge gains in those areas, devastating to Democrats on a lot of fronts. But the risks for Republicans are that many of those, many of the voters that are new to the Republican Party are new voters, period, making them lower propensity voters, less likely to be in these special elections and off year elections. And they might not be very significantly tied to the Republican Party. And if you don't tie them to the Republican Party for a couple more cycles.
Thrivent Advertiser
That's right.
Mary Kathryn
They'll happily swing back over in a lot of cases. I remember a friend told me, a friend was crowing about Obama's victory in 2008 in North Carolina and declared on Facebook that, like, this is it, North Carolina's blue state.
Thrivent Advertiser
Yep.
Mary Kathryn
And I just lightly said, like, that doesn't really happen that way. And she was like, you're out of your mind. Well, you can look at the polling results from the last couple of presidential elections in North Carolina and see how that went. These things change.
Thrivent Advertiser
Yes. And fast. Much faster than people think. I'm also, I understand the blaming Elon, but I, I'm not sure that he deserves the blame. I think he was trying to save what was going to be a losing.
Mary Kathryn
What was going on.
Thrivent Advertiser
Yeah, a losing election. Anyway. He obviously he took a risk to his reputation by doing that. He took the hit. But I'm not sure, all things considered, that he actually played any kind of role in it.
Mary Kathryn
I think the, I think there is a certain amount of polarization and activation that Elon creates as a character because he is so Elon forward.
Thrivent Advertiser
He is very Elon all the way Elon. Yeah.
Mary Kathryn
So all Elon all the time. But we should keep in mind that the Elon as scapegoat game both Democrats and Republicans, because Republicans can say, oh no, not all our operatives are our candidates. And Democrats can say, we love to blame this guy and he gets our voters out. So there's some incentives at play there.
Thrivent Advertiser
Totally good point. Yeah, both sides do benefit from blaming the Elon. We'll be right back on normally Bring.
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Today is also what Trump is calling Liberation Day. It is the day that tariffs, tariffs would be kicking in. But a lot of countries are saying we're going to drop all US Tariffs. Please don't do this to us now. I feel like I understood a lot about this. I've obviously been reading a lot more about tariffs in the last. I mean, I would say since Trump really, in theory I'm against tariffs, but in practice, I had no idea how many countries had so many tariffs against American goods. And that was really new information to me. Again, in theory, I would love a free market. In practice we don't have a free market. So kind of looking forward to seeing where this goes. John Carney, a friend of mine, is a good financial writer. He had some interesting thoughts on tariffs and I'm not going to read the whole thing. Go look up what he wrote. But he basically said this is not a provocation, this is not a trade war. And I love this part. He said this will not be the beginning of the trade war. It's the beginning of the end of the trade war the day America started fighting back. So we'll see, we'll see whether Americans enjoy the fighting back if prices go up. Obviously, we've talked about how that might be a concern, but I'm kind of open to it. I'm kind of open to seeing where this goes. And I like the fact that several countries have already said we're going to drop all the tariffs on American goods.
Mary Kathryn
Yeah, I was listening to Austan Goolsbee was on Special Report last night. Who's the chair. He's in Obama's economic team, but is now the chairman of the Fed up in Chicago. And he was saying in theory, yes, there is a way that this could be. If it worked out not like a trade war and it worked out like a disarmament of.
Thrivent Advertiser
Right, exactly.
Mary Kathryn
Then in Fact that wouldn't be as inflationary and you wouldn't have as many problems. I am concerned because, as I keep saying, look, if you have a nascent recovery or what I think we actually have, which is a very weak economy inherited from Biden, that is a little teetering.
Thrivent Advertiser
Right.
Mary Kathryn
And you add a lot of uncertainty and a few tariffs, I think you're going to end up. And the market is obviously responding nervously to all of this. I think you're walking a dangerous line for a while here. And look, he was very clear that this was part of the package.
Thrivent Advertiser
Right.
Mary Kathryn
And people knew that. Now, I prefer when it goes very quickly, either used as a, as a negotiating tactic or that the other, you know, the other country cries uncle quickly. But in cases like Canada, you know, buying Canadian instead of American has become a national pride move that they're happy to do and pay a little bit more money. And so when you're animating those domestic forces against you, they don't always cry uncle so fast because they're like, hey, wait a second. But I think it's a point worth making that this is kind of like Donald Trump in the culture war as well, where lefties were like, look at him waging the culture war. And it's like, dudes, y'all are just mad that you finally have an opponent in the culture war.
Thrivent Advertiser
That's it.
Mary Kathryn
Yeah, like he's, he's pushing back on you. You were aggressing and now you're getting some back and you don't like it. So I think that's a point worth making that some of these unfair trade practices are real, particularly from a place like China. I don't know about Canada so much.
Thrivent Advertiser
But like, yeah, well, that's a very good point about the culture war and him actually fighting back again. I'm, you know, I think we're in the same place, which is what we want to happen is not what has been happening. So now we gotta try this way and we'll see where this ends up. We're going to take a short break and come right back with Normale.
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Thrivent Advertiser
You know we talk about still mad bro segment on here and it's often about COVID But the other one that we're still mad bro about is that Joe Biden was portrayed as competent and with it and completely sane and normal and, you know, running circles.
Mary Kathryn
Around his young staff.
Thrivent Advertiser
Right. They can't keep up with him, Mary Catherine. They cannot keep up with him. And anyone who questioned it was just really hitting below the belt. They were posting some cheap fakes. Love the cheap fakes. So now the books are coming out and it turns out, and I know you're going to be real surprised about this, but that they knew all along that he was actually up for the job. Yeah.
Mary Kathryn
Yes. Ron Klain, who was the former White House chief of staff, has a new book out. He served from 2021 to 2023, then returned to his Side last June to run debate prep. This is the Guardian reporting. According to Klain, it turned out that Biden, quote, didn't know what Trump had been saying and couldn't grasp what the back and forth was. Left preparation and fell asleep by the pool. This is in the context of that disastrous debate.
Thrivent Advertiser
I feel you. I feel you, Joe. I also like sleeping by the pool.
Mary Kathryn
Obsessed about foreign leaders saying, these guys say I'm doing a great job as president so I must be a great president. Quote, didn't really understand what his argument was on inflation and quote, had nothing to say about a second term other than finish the job. I guess. This was described by Clayne to the reporter Chris Whipple that at one point Biden had an idea if he looked perplexed when Trump talked, voters would understand that Trump was an idiot. Claim replied, sir, when you look perplexed, people just think you're perplexed. And this is our problem in this race. So great. So yeah, that's Ripple's book, Uncharted and claims is a different one. But all this stuff is like spilling out now. Now it can be told.
Thrivent Advertiser
That's right.
Mary Kathryn
And someone made the point. Michael Powell, who writes at the Atlantic. Ron Klain, former White House chief of staff on Biden last August. He's clearly up to the job. He's doing it every day. He's doing it successfully. In the new book, Biden didn't know what Trump had been saying and couldn't grasp what the back and forth was.
Thrivent Advertiser
Right. And I saw that tweet by Powell and the very first comment was somebody named Ari Hoffman saying your out lied about the same thing. And he posted a link to the Atlantic. The headline, how Republican operatives fabricate Biden gaffes. Republican operators were just, you know, fabricating Biden gaffes. Mary Catherine, There was nothing to it. Now obviously there is something to it. It's so scummy. It really is. It's unacceptable. And it's a giant scandal that this went on and that they covered it up and now they're going to make money saying what we were all saying all along.
Mary Kathryn
Yes. David French, by the way, the conscience of our people tweeted, I've said this many times before, but the dishonesty and deception around Biden's mental decline seriously undermined the Democrats character argument. Especially because unlike so many fact checks that require expertise, people could see the decline with their own eyes. Again, the entire media lied to us even though we were seeing it with our own eyes. And this didn't undermine The Democrats character argument. This is an indication of Biden's character and the people surrounding him that they were willing to perpetrate the worst presidential scandal in my lifetime and cover it up for the American people so that they could try to get another four years out of.
Thrivent Advertiser
Dude. Right.
Mary Kathryn
It's not a messaging problem. It's not an undermining problem. It is their character. It is the character of the Biden family and those people who surround him.
Thrivent Advertiser
Right.
Mary Kathryn
You just didn't see it.
Thrivent Advertiser
Yeah. And I think they're going to try the. It really got bad towards the end line because they are focusing on when he's already running against Trump. But I looked it up and I had a piece in the New York Post in 2022 called Biden's decline is Obvious to Everyone but the Press. And my opening line was, something is wrong with Joe Biden and Everybody knows it. 22. I mean, the lie that, oh, you know, it got bad towards the end in 2024. No, it was bad the whole time.
Mary Kathryn
Or that. Or that it was news to the people who were surrounding him. Nope.
Thrivent Advertiser
Right.
Ryan
No.
Thrivent Advertiser
Yeah, none of that. Yeah. And the thing is that all of these people are going to have soft landings where it's going to be completely okay because they're, you know, it's a team sport and they were on the team and they were doing what they could to drag this guy across the finish line. It's just bad for our country. I know we're not supposed to care about the country. We're only supposed to care about our political party, but this is bad for the country to do this kind of thing.
Mary Kathryn
No, I always say that. It's like we desperately need a reliable narrator in this country and the media steadfastly refuses to be one.
Thrivent Advertiser
Right. We want no part of this. Yeah.
Mary Kathryn
We don't want to help at all. While they're simultaneously yelling at us about how the world will end and the republic will be doomed if we don't listen to them. It's like, well, earn some trust. Try that. By the way, I did. I misspoke in that first book, Fight Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House, which has those scoops from Klain, is Jonathan Allen and Amy Parnes. And then the upcoming fight after fight is Chris Whipple's How Trump Beat Biden Harris and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History. There's also the Tapper and Derek Thompson book.
Thrivent Advertiser
Yes. Yes, that's right. Yeah.
Mary Kathryn
Which I can't remember the name of right this second Anyway, we're gonna have lots to read about all the things we knew.
Thrivent Advertiser
Right.
Mary Kathryn
Three years ago, which is a pattern.
Thrivent Advertiser
They're all gonna be bestsellers. They're all gonna be bestsellers. That's what's gonna be so frustrating. That is just going to be the, the worst part about it, is that there's going to be a giant segment of the population who hear about this for the very first time who did not know. And you know, I just. Jonathan Chait is going to chastise you, Mary Katherine, because, you know, obviously that was reported the whole time. You just didn't see it. Yeah. Because just for the inside joke here, Jonathan Chait in one of his recent columns chastised Mary Catherine when she said that a lot of the COVID updates that are coming out now are news to the New York Times readers.
Mary Kathryn
To the New York Times readers.
Thrivent Advertiser
They didn't cover it at all. Like the potential lab leak was considered racist, et cetera. I don't want to get into, you know, our other mad bro topic that we have. We have.
Mary Kathryn
Well, you know what I think we should do is that maybe we should pitch a collection of essays on things we knew 10 years before these bestsellers.
Thrivent Advertiser
Yeah. Yeah. Here's some background on what you're about to discover.
Mary Kathryn
Yes.
Thrivent Advertiser
Everybody knew this already. Yeah. All right, let's pitch it.
Mary Kathryn
You know, the Biden stuff is truly one of the most disgraceful actions I've ever seen around a president. I mean, that guy couldn't do the job. We still don't know who was doing the job. Maybe it's in one of these books. And worse, worse than him because politicians, particularly ones who have lost their brains entirely and whose families want to keep them in office, to keep protecting them from all the dastardly deeds they've done and the consequences thereof. Politicians, Republicans, do things that are bad for the country and self centered all the time. The press's job is to actually figure that out. And as long as it's a Democrat, not interested.
Thrivent Advertiser
Yep. And the reporting is just not going to happen until they're able to get a book deal after the fact. All right. I'm still mad. I'm still mad bro. Well, thanks for joining us on Normale Ly. Normale Ly airs Tuesdays and Thursdays and you can subscribe anywhere you get your podcasts. Get in touch with us@ normallythepodmail.com thanks for listening. And when things get weird, act normally.
Ryan
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Mary Kathryn
To save big for some of us.
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The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show: "Normally Podcast: Wisconsin Supreme Court Race: A Cause for Concern?"
Release Date: April 3, 2025
Mary Kathryn and Carla recount their eventful day in Washington D.C., attending the International Women of Courage event at the State Department. The hosts highlight the significance of meeting international activists who risked their safety to advocate for women's rights in their respective countries. Notably, they mention meeting Amit Susannah and Keith Siegel, recently released hostages from Israel.
Notable Quote:
Mary Kathryn (03:18): "We got to meet many of the international activists who, at great risk to themselves and great pain, at some times are able to stand up for women in their communities."
The hosts discuss the infamous cherry blossom season in D.C., which, while beautiful, leads to significant traffic congestion and overcrowding. Mary Kathryn humorously blames the cherry blossoms for the city's transportation headaches, a sentiment shared by many locals.
Notable Quote:
Mary Kathryn (05:15): "Josh Holmes... chart it as the first act of international terrorism that the Japanese gave us those cherry blossoms."
The conversation shifts to recent special elections across the United States, focusing on two congressional races in Florida and a Wisconsin Supreme Court race. While Republicans secured victories in Florida, Democrats won the Wisconsin seat. The hosts delve into the implications of these results, challenging mainstream narratives about Democratic overperformance.
Notable Quotes:
Thrivent Advertiser (09:06): "The Washington Post thinks this was a success for Democrats... but the trends are clearly pointing in their direction."
Mary Kathryn (10:50): "Now that sounds like a lot of ways to say we lost."
Mary Kathryn and Carla express concern over the Republican Party's increasingly optimistic outlook, fueled by recent victories. They argue that this mindset could lead to complacency, as evidenced by unexpected losses like the Wisconsin Supreme Court race.
Notable Quote:
Thrivent Advertiser (13:21): "One of the most telling things to me in 2016, and I'll be honest, I did not think Donald Trump would win. It was a complete shock to me."
The hosts discuss allegations that Elon Musk's financial contributions and public persona may be contributing to political polarization. They highlight how both major parties utilize Musk as a scapegoat for various political dynamics.
Notable Quote:
Mary Kathryn (16:28): "There is a certain amount of polarization and activation that Elon creates as a character because he is so Elon forward."
A significant portion of the discussion revolves around current tariff policies, referencing John Carney's insights. The hosts debate whether recent tariff implementations mark the beginning or the end of a trade war, considering the economic implications and international responses.
Notable Quote:
Thrivent Advertiser (19:47): "He said this will not be the beginning of the trade war. It's the beginning of the end of the trade war the day America started fighting back."
Mary Kathryn and Carla delve into recent revelations from Ron Klain’s new book, accusing President Joe Biden of lacking understanding during critical moments, such as presidential debates. They critique the media's role in either masking or downplaying these perceived shortcomings, arguing that it reflects poorly on Democratic character.
Notable Quotes:
Mary Kathryn (27:04): "Ron Klain... claimed Biden didn't know what Trump had been saying and couldn't grasp what the back and forth was."
Mary Kathryn (29:21): "It's an indication of Biden's character and the people surrounding him that they were willing to perpetrate the worst presidential scandal in my lifetime and cover it up for the American people."
The hosts criticize the media for failing to act as a reliable narrator, suggesting that biased reporting has undermined public trust. They emphasize the need for honest journalism that holds leaders accountable rather than protecting party interests.
Notable Quote:
Mary Kathryn (31:30): "We desperately need a reliable narrator in this country and the media steadfastly refuses to be one."
Mary Kathryn and Carla hint at future topics, including additional revelations from recent publications that expose longstanding political issues. They express frustration over the delayed media coverage of critical issues, which are only now coming to light through books and external analyses.
Notable Quote:
Mary Kathryn (33:19): "What you're about to discover... you can pitch it."
In this episode of "Normally," Mary Kathryn and Carla provide a comprehensive analysis of recent political events, election outcomes, and the interplay between media portrayal and public perception. They offer a critical perspective on Republican strategies, Democratic vulnerabilities, and the overarching influence of figures like Elon Musk in shaping political discourse. The hosts emphasize the importance of accountability, honest journalism, and the need for political parties to remain vigilant and adaptable in the face of changing voter dynamics.
Whether you're deeply entrenched in political discussions or seeking to understand the nuances of recent elections and leadership effectiveness, this episode delivers insightful commentary and thought-provoking critiques that encourage listeners to question prevailing narratives and seek out the truth behind the headlines.
This summary is designed to encapsulate the key discussions and insights from the episode, providing a clear and comprehensive overview for those who have not listened to the podcast.