Edwards dips amid scandal; Sayed hangs on barely | Hour 1

What's going on? Thank you so much for listening to this podcast. It is heard live every day from noon to three on WBT Radio in Charlotte. And if you want exclusive content like invitations to events, the weekly live stream, my daily show prep with all the links, become a patron, go to thepeakclendershow dot com. Make sure you hit the subscribe button, get every episode for free, write to your smartphone or tablet, and again, thank you so much for your support. All Right, so. Something happened early this morning. Congressman Chuck Edwards from Western North Carolina sent out a tweet. It was not poetry, but it was I think pretty well received by a great many people. He tweeted out quote, after much prayer and reflection, I've decided to withdraw from my re election campaign. I will complete my current term serving Western North Carolina has been the honor of my life. Thank you for your trust, prayers and support. God bless WNC and America. Three point thirty two a m. He sent that tweet, which, now normally I would say, never a good idea to be tweeting at three point thirty in the morning. However, this might be the exception that proves the rule right, like good tweets, sir, better action, Well, I mean as okay, it's not actually a very good tweet because if you read the actual words as I just did, like, this is quite the shift from mere moments ago when he was saying in his campaign was saying that the Ethics Committee report and recommendation that he faced censure in the House. He said that report totally exonerated him and that this was all just a political hit job against him and he didn't harm anybody and all of this. So obviously the pressure was mounting. And I'm not sure if he says prayer and reflection, so maybe he maybe he heard from enough people that were like, dude, you got you have to drop out, and so he heeded their advice. I'm glad he is doing this. I would have preferred that he resigned the seat and just leave right now. So he still is going to face the censure vote apparently, but he's not going to run for reelection. So where does that Where does that leave the Republican Party? Where does that leave the election? Well, the North Carolina this is the eleventh district, and for folks who don't know, the districts have their own executive committees. They have their own party apparatus in each of the congressional districts, and you know, those party officials are made up of like your county party chair positions and that sort of thing. And so that executive committee, and I don't know how many people are on it. There are a lot though, Like I remember, the first time that I learned about this was years and years ago, the Mecklenburg County Executive Committee, the GOP Party Executive committee. They were like it was like one hundred and fifty people or something. So there could be a lot of people on the quote unquote executive Committee. I think, I want to say there was even I think that like precinct chairs are on the committee. Maybe I don't know. I don't go deep into the you know, the organizational structures of the political parties. It's just I don't I don't care to. I don't care to learn much about them. All I know is. That that committee will be selecting a new nominee because we already had the primary, right Chuck Edwards won the primary, And I was talking to some guys up in Asheville, my former co workers up there, Mark and Tank at WWNC, and they were saying that the guy that that Chuck Edwards beat in the primary, I believe his name is Adam Smith, wrote Wealth of Nations. I think I'm kidding that guy. That guy died a long time ago, but no, I believe his name is Adam Smith, and he has expressed interest and so like you can make a case that he ran in the primary. So if Edwards has now dropped out not running, you would think like Smith should get it. Maybe, But as we talked with Andrew Dunn yesterday from Long Leave Politics, there are other people that could be nominated. So the state Republican Party put out a press release saying, following the withdrawal of the Republican nominee, then I do only I don't know if they even name him in this entire press release. I don't see his name anywhere in the press release. Yeah, So, following the withdrawal of the Republican nominee for North Carolina is eleventh Congressional District, the North Carolina Republican Party will move forward with the process established under North Carolina law and the North Carolina Republican Party Plan of Organization to fill the vacancy in nomination. The committee will convene next week to select a Republican nominee for placement on the November ballot. Additional details regarding the meeting, including the date, time, and location, will be shared in the coming days. The North Carolina Republican Party remains committed to a smooth and orderly nomination process and will announce the selection following the meeting. Okay, so we don't have any details yet, but a meeting has been called by the Executive Committee and they're going to take nominations and decide right then and there who's going to replace Chuck Edwards on the ballot for voters in November. So like, this is the like, this is how the parties used to actually nominate their candidates before they opened up primary voting and that sort of thing, right, like back in the old days. That's how Lincoln right got to be the nominee, I think. So, so that's good news, I feel like, and maybe this time the North Carolina eleventh District could have somebody in the office that does not have some kind of uh pecadillos, shall we say, you'll recall Chuck Edwards was the guy who beat Madison Cawthorn back in twenty twenty three in that primary, I want to say, or twenty two twenty two beat Madison Cawthorn. But I am begging the North Carolina Executive Committee, begging them please, please, please please do not nominate an idiot. Don't put somebody on the ballot. And this is going to be a problem, I know, because if you're going to put somebody on there that hasn't been fully vetted and you don't really know a lot about their background, you could end up in another buffoonish situation. Okay, So please, oh please, just don't pick somebody that's going to be a complete embarrassment. Meanwhile, the Republican Party, I would, as long as they're you know, policing their own, Max Miller should probably get kicked out. That guy. I'm not going to go over the details on that, but that guy is just toxic. Thank you, John. The Executive Committee. On the email, John says the Executive Committee will have about thirty five to forty people on it. Each district size is a little different. Every chairman and vice chairman for the county that's in the district is a member, and then there are at large members I believe it's one at large member for every eight thousand registered Republicans. The eleventh district is pretty large county wise, county county as far as counties go, they have like eleven or twelve counties. So there's twenty two to twenty four members right there, and then you add the at large members to it. All right, So there you go, So that's a thirty five to forty people. John would know Dan says. It sounds to me like if a party wanted to get an unelectable candidate on the ballot without having to take him through the primary process, this would be the best way to do it. Yeah. No, Chuck Edwards did this to himself. This has been going on for a while. These rumors have been flying around the guy. Yeah, he did this to himself. This is not some dastardly plot by his fellow Republicans in western North Carolina. All Right, For over a year now, you've heard me talking about Create a Video. Great local company in mint Hill that has helped more than two million families preserve their memories by turning old photos, VHS tapes, film reels, and slides into lasting keepsakes. Now creative videos helping families and groups create brand new memories while they're traveling. Introducing group travel videos perfect for family reunions, church mission trips, group vacations, destination weddings, student trips, senior adult groups, sports teams. I mean, really, any gathering of people that you care about that's traveling together. 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You can email Katie Katie at group travel Videos dot org. Group travel videos from old memories to new adventures, preserving life's moments for a lifetime. Meanwhile, up in Michigan, Abdul l Sayed has won barely Michigan's slugfest of a Democratic Senate primary. This according to NBC News. They projected him to be the winner, but NBC was like the only one to do so, like a lot of these other outlets are, they're very hesitant to call this race. They may have at this point, but like he's only it's like a one percentage point difference between him and Representative Hailey Stevens, sitting congresswoman running for the US Senate. And this pitted the far left candidate. Although he's not technically a DSA candidate. DSA did not endorse him. I don't know why or whatever, but he's not endorsed by DSA. But he just happens to hang out with all of the usual suspects from the DSA right. So he's seen as the far left candidate. And this was the quote slugfest, as NBC called it, against the Democrat Party establishment quote unquote represented by Hailey Stevens, establishing a Midwest beachhead for a progressive left. On the March this midterm cycle, l sayed, overcame a nearly sixty five million dollar onslaught of outside money and an establishment that had rallied around Stevens. Popular Governor Gretchen Whitmer endorsed Stevens late last month, a move seen as a last ditch effort to stop a rising el sayed. Now, it's interesting about this to me several things. Number One, the polling that that was published going into yesterday's primary. The polling showed l Saed up by double digits. So they got this one wrong. So keep that in mind. And this is why I never, you know, focus on the polling, especially individual polls. Try to look at trend lines and such. But whatever is broken in the polling industry is still broken, right Like whatever broke and I stopped making election predictions in twenty sixteen when Trump won. That was the clearest sign to me that there was something really really messed up with the polling industry, and so I can't trust it. And whatever got broken or was broken in twenty sixteen has obviously not been fixed because I don't know how. I don't know how. You you missed the mark this badly, you know, ten to fifteen points or whatever it was that he was projected to win by and he's barely up by one point, and it may go to a they may have to do a recount. I don't know what their their law is up in Michigan, but it looks like he's the winner. NBC they called it for l saied L Sayed has given speeches and stuff. He did a press conference or whatever, you know, So he's acting like he won, which you should as the candidate that comes out even in a very tight race, you come out ahead, act like you won, right. So he's now going to face Representative Mike Rodgers, who claimed the Republican nomination without any opposition. Whoever wins will succeed Senator Gary Peters. Gary Peters is a Democrat who decided against seeking a third term, and he endorsed Hailey Stevens. Republicans have fifty three seats in the chamber. Democrats are going after some red states to flip the four seats they would need to swing the majority. North Carolina being the one that they think they can swing or they can flip rather. Also regarding Poland keep in mind Roy Cooper. The Poles keep showing him with a like eight point lead. I think I saw it down at one point. Another poll came out where he was up by four points. So if you've got l Sayed being predicted to win by ten points and he barely ekes out a one percentage point win, just keep it in mind, right, do not be discouraged by polling. I mean unless it's like, you know, you're down forty points, and then you might have some problems. Right. I'm also seeing the same thing out in Texas, where you know, the this year's version of Beto O'Rourke, James Talerico. They're like, this is the time, this is the guy who's gonna do it. He went to seminary. Look at him, he's all religiousy and stuff. And then you hear him talk about Christianity. It's like, I don't know what religion that is you're talking about. That does not sound like any form of Christianity that most Americans practice. So they think he's gonna beat what Ken Paxton. Ken Paxton's already won, like three statewide races. I want to say, he's the sitting attorney general, right, so yeah, I mean no doubt about it. He's got scandal in his background as well, so he's got negatives. Sure, However, polls that show tall Rico up by two or three points once again, like hmm, maybe the polling might not be terribly accurate, but we'll see. And I'm not one of these, like you know, true the polls or whatever. That movement was Democrats also, so while they're looking to flip four seats, they still have to defend seats that they hold, and Michigan is one of them. Georgia is another. L say Ed has not. Been endorsed by the DSA, but Democratic Socialist lawmakers like Representative Alexandria A. Casual Portez of New York and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont have campaigned for him. L sa Ed told The Wall Street Journal that he is not quote, not technically or practically DSA, Like I don't know what that means to say, I'm not technically or practically DSA. Right, so you just agree with them, So you're not you're not a you're not a member of the DSA. You didn't join the group. You don't participate in their activities. I guess, Oh, but you kind of do because the DSA people do stuff and. Invite you and you go. So, like, I'm not really clear what this defining line is for l SA ed like, He's all he's on the left, right, this is the leftist insurgency against the Democrat quote unquote establishment. He is part of that movement. Sure, let's jump over and chat with Mike. Hello, Mike, how are you today? Sir? Hello Pete. I'm doing okay this afternoon. I trust that you are as well I am. Are you super excited about the Michigan primary results? Not really. I was really hoping that Stevens would really pull an upset. I'm really surprised it was as close as it was. Yeah, I'm what I'm. Not surprised by is how oh I don't know, not to name names, but certain people you know that lean more to the right or like, oh, there it is. It's a takeover. This is it. The Democrats are absolutely communists and this proves it. And I'm thinking, come on, they're ninety days left before the election. Can we please, please please please drop the silly arguments no about no, you can't no, no, but all right, why would. You why why wait, no, I understand, I understand. No, no, no, I understand why you would want Republicans not to say those things, right, right, particularly ninety days before an election, right right? You don't want people to be aware of what's happening. But it will would it be okay? Then if we talk about Donald Trump? You did this last time, Mike. How come every time when we're talking about the real problem that your own party leadership recognizes is occurring, right, Yeah, your own party leadership knows that this is happening, but every time we talk about it, you always want to talk about Trump. You've done this before. You called into to this very show and wanted to and tried various times to shift the discussion over to Donald Trump and the remaking of the Republican Party. And by the way, rest assured, I have covered that ad nauseum for the last ten years. So this is now, This is now how in the Democrat Party? So we're talking about it because this is a dangerous thing for the country if the Democrat Party were to become co opted by a communist faction inside its ranks. Do you agree, Well, you are assuming that somebody like Elsa odd is in fact a quote unquote, I'm. Talking about the DSA, the DSAS. Yeah, yeah, right right. So the DSA has certain economic platforms that you could look at and say, yeah, they lean more to the socialist side. I've got no problem. Do you understand what's happened inside the DSSA. Do you know what's been occurring inside the dssay. I'm sure I'll get educated. Tell me so you. Don't know, okay, So when you are saying and denying that there's any kind of communism going on yet inside the DSA, they have been dealing with what the Democrat Party has been dealing with with the DSA, but they've been dealing in with it from communists. Are you aware of that from a communist point of view? Yeah? Meaning meaning a government takeover of main ownership or how are we looking at it? I'm talking about people who are people who identify themselves and organize themselves as communists have been taking over and have successfully done so the DSA. In fact, the founder of the DSA quit. So are they espousing views kind of like some of the views that Trump is espousing? And I hate to see once again, Mike, why are you unable? Why are you unable to address the problem inside the Democrat Party? What are you afraid of spilling the beans on or misspeaking about? No, all I'm doing is trying to ask you what are these viewpoints that are so bad? Are they kind of like what Trump is espousing in terms of government takeover of certain ownership interests in certain. Agasyah, I oppose those or terrorists, Yeah, I. Oppose them, I do too. Okay, So now so now we come back to do you think it is dangerous that you've got a commune block inside of the Democrat Party? Do you find that to be a dangerous thing for not just your party, but also for the country. I think it's a challenge, a something A so not dangerous. It's either dangerous or it's not dangerous for the country's Well, do you think communism is dangerous? How about there? Let's start with that question. See if I can get an answer from you on that. Do you think communism is dangerous if. It becomes the prevalent point of view in the American society? And yeah, okay, So the idea, the philosophy, the Marxist ideology you don't find to be in and of itself dangerous only if it achieves critical mass. In and of itself, it's an idea like any other idea until it becomes action. So no ideas are dangerous. When they become actions, they are. So no ideas are dangerous, only actions can be dangerous. I'm just trying to get our definitions aligned here, right. I mean, the ideas are worth discussing, putting on the table, and then they can be defined as well. Okay, that's so. Is that how you view what's occurring inside the Democrat Party right now? That you just got some people who espouse communist ideas and because they're not you know, opening goole eggs, that's not actionable, so therefore it's not dangerous. What I'm saying is and despite what you may be trying to put forward. I'm trying to understand how you are defining your terms. That's all I'm doing. I'm trying. I'm trying to understand how you're defining the danger is being You know, there's this big communist takeover that's taking place in a Democratic Party and there's. Not right, so you're denying, So you're but so you're denying that the thing that is happening that we see is happening, and that the people who are doing it say, we are doing this thing and we are being successful at doing it. You you you deny that. Is it possible for me to make a nuanced point to say that, yes, you're getting more and more progressive policies that call for greater action of government support of people that's more uh progressive, more democratically socialists, and that is, in fact what's happening without it becoming in the peak counter version, Oh that's communists. Oh my god, that's a communist takeover right there, When it's not. That's what's It's just it's just a socialist takeover. Well, socialism defined as how as they define it, well, like getting big COVID checks that all of us got. Is that sort of a socialist thing that we're talking about? Is that controlling the means of production? Well? Right? Is that is? Is that controlling the means of production? Is sending out STEMI checks controlling the means of production? No, it neither. Okay, So why would you write Okay, so when I tell you that the democrat so the democratic socialists of America intellectual organizer and organizer Michael Harrington. This was the guy who came to prominence with his nineteen sixty two book on poverty, was called the Other America Right. And he was what he was like, the founder leader guy for the DSA, okay, and he fought against communists infiltration into the DSA. They actually had in their bylaws that the DSA could expel anybody under the discipline of any self defined democratic centralist organization the DSA. Over the last like five years they have now repealed that measure, and all of the pro Harrington members that remained in the DSA they have formed a group called the North Star Caucus to try to preserve his vision. The hard left countered with the Red Star Caucus. Members of the Red Star Caucus wrote a dispatch a few years ago talking about how DSA was once upon a time an anti communist, labor Zionist social democratic organization, and then they put out the call for communists in America to join them in the democratic struggle within the DSA. That's what they did. So the DSA has been losing its fight internally to communists, and the Democrat Party appears to be losing its fight to the DSA. So I'm asking you, can you connect those dots? Do you see the connection there? Well, let me see here. You've got lots of dots that you've laid out. I just laid out to there just took well, it. Seems to me it's more of a big marketplace of ideas and discussions. I mean, and this is. Why you this is why your party is going to get eaten. This is why, this is why, Mike, because you can't you can't even identify the you can't even identify the problem. You won't even name it. And you're and and for the life of me, like you're not you're not protecting your party. But Mike, you're not protecting your party. Hey, look, I am recognizing that progressors more and more are getting activated and they're. You keep wanting to use the word progressive. You want to sugarcoat this. This is what you can You can't even you can't start solving a problem. If you refuse to even identify. Then then let's say democratic socialists. I don't mind using that term. That they are their influences. Growing right, And you don't have a problem with that. I don't see that as a communist takeover. That's the difference. I don't see that. In other words, you see that you try and make that argument that, oh, well, that's clearly is a communist takeover, and I don't see that. That's not. That does not that does not compute that lest it's something you want your audience to make. But it's not a lea oh. No, it's it's a it's a position that I that I believe because I listened to the speech of these people. I listened to them. Maybe you should, like, maybe. You should do a lot more research on the people who are leading this insurgent movement inside your party, or you can continue using these euphemisms and to try to sugarcoat it and say this's not really a big problem and just more ideas and everything is fine in the marketplace of ideas here, and that's fine. But they're going to eat you guys alive. Well, then that will wind up being my fault, but it will meantime. I don't mind talking about issues that have to do with making things easier for families. Maybe more government assistance in things like housing, in things like healthcare, for sure. Yeah, I know, yeah, And that is the line that the Democrat Party is going to continue to take as it gets eaten a life. I understand that's the discussion is Hey, look as always and I'm happy to keep going. No, I'm way laid for traffic. Yeah, I know, And I really appreciate the back and forth. This is what makes America great. Man. Well, go look into the DSA, go listen to their leadership and see what they have to say about communism because they're big fans. I appreciate the call, Mike. Okay from the text line, a lot of people laying in. John from Jersey says redirection. Mike should head up a new political party, call it the what Aboutists? Gary says, is Mike going to deny that DSA leaders went on TV and said they want to end the Senate, the Supreme Court and abolish the police. Oh yeah, No, these are just ideas. These are not dangerous ideas. It's only once they become actions that they become dangerous. Of course, they can't become action unless you promote the idea so much so that you get a critical mass of people to then take the action, and then it's a danger. So and that's and I know Mike thought, I was trying to like pin him down on something, and all I was trying to do was pin him down on what exactly He's trying to say. There are things, and I disagree with him. By the way, there are dangerous ideas ideas that have such a high body count historically that they should be shunned, mocked, avoided. Let me see here. Next is Dan asked Mike to watch Bill Maher's piece from last week. Maybe that'll get through to him. Yeah, Bill Maher, he went after the DSA and the and the commies. Look, and this is now what the Democrats are trying to do is to say, oh, you guys are just doing this red scare, this new McCarthy is and whatever. Like. Look, guys, I believe the communism is a danger is ideology. I think it's evil, and so when I see it rise through the Democrat Party, I'm going to call that out. I'm going to keep saying that. I'm not saying that for clicks or for stirring the pod or anything like that. It's because I see it and I want other people to see it too. And I understand there are a lot of people in the Democratic Party that don't want to see it or want to deny that they see it, but it doesn't make it not there. All right, that'll do it for this episode. Thank you so much for listening. I could not do the show without your support and the support of the businesses that advertise on the podcast, so if you'd like, please support them too and tell them you heard it here. You can also become a patron at my Patreon page or go to thepetekalanershow dot com. Again, thank you so much for listening, and don't break anything while I'm gone.