BRYCE ON POLITICS - Why most Americans are clueless about Covid-19 and our southern border. I find it fascinating most Americans do not seem to grasp the correlation between the recent rise of the Covid-19 virus and our problem with illegal immigration. They simply cannot fathom one directly affects the other. To illustrate, despite the Biden Administration's attempts to cajole people to wear masks and take the vaccine, new cases have risen 86% across the United States, mostly driven by the new Delta variant. Keep in mind, the president has not just been encouraging people to use the vaccine, they are pushing strongly to mandate its use.
BRYCE ON POLITICS - Bad news for the Democrats as we approach the 2022 mid-terms. The recent election on November 2nd was a small, off-year contest. Yet, it was a major victory for Republicans and gives us a sense of what to expect in 2022 and 2024. During the election, the key Virginia positions went to the Republicans, including the governor's mansion, and it appears the State House is reverting back to GOP control. This news is significant as Virginia was a highly contested state, one which the Democrats were determined to control. Other contests included several House seats which switched back to Republican control, and Minneapolis voters rejected the notion of replacing the police with a public safety department, something Democrats have been fighting for. However, Virginia alone has put the Democrats and their News Media into a panic mode.
BRYCE ON POLITICS Click for AUDIO VERSION. The Democrats desperately want the world to believe they have a monopoly on the female vote; that a vote for a Democrat candidate is the only logical choice. They further contend any woman voting for a Republican is either a fool or being controlled by their spouse. It is simply beyond their comprehension that women would support President Trump, a Republican running for election, or Brett Kavanaugh. They just don't get it.
BRYCE ON CITIZENSHIP - For Independence Day. Click for AUDIO VERSION. Have you ever watched a naturalization ceremony? This is where people from different countries around the world apply for citizenship, learn English and pass a test, renounce their homeland, and swear loyalty to their new country, the United States of America. You occasionally see it on television, but Youtube maintains a library of such services. All US citizens are descended from someone who took the same oath years earlier. With me, it was both sets of grandparents following World War I.
BRYCE ON POLITICS - Is the timing too much of a coincidence? Click for AUDIO VERSION. I have been hearing about an impending recession, which my Democrat friends insist will happen either later this year or in 2020. The media reports likewise, and I suspect these prognosticators will become louder as we get closer to the 2020 election. On the other hand, Republicans are at a loss as to what all the hubbub is all about, as our economy is still chugging along just fine. One cannot help but wonder if this is real or politically motivated.
BRYCE ON POLITICS Do you know the difference? Click for AUDIO VERSION. One of my pet peeves involving politics is when people misstate our form of government. Normally, I would claim this as the fault of uneducated young people, but many politicians and members of the press, as well as grown-ups, are also guilty of this faux pas. No, we most definitely do not live in a "democracy," but a "constitutional republic" instead, as does most of the governments in the world.
BRYCE ON POLITICS - President Trump or the Democrats? Click for AUDIO VERSION. Following the mass shootings in Dayton and El Paso last week, President Trump came under fire by both the Democrats and Media for encouraging the incidents which, of course, is baseless. There was no consideration for the wackos who actually shot the people. In the minds of the Left, the President pulled the trigger, or at least that is what they want us to believe.
BRYCE ON POLITICS - Fact or fiction? Click for AUDIO VERSION. The Democrats have a dilemma. They are rapidly approaching the 2018 midterm election and have nothing to offer the American voters other than a Socialist agenda featuring universal health care at an estimated price of $32.5 trillion. They know this will not play well in Poughkeepsie as Americans are not comfortable with Socialism. As such, they are desperately trying to divert attention away from their frailties and attack the president instead, declaring him mentally unstable thereby making him unfit to fulfill his duties.
BRYCE ON EDUCATION Click for AUDIO VERSION. I want to talk a little on education. Some things have been bothering me. Today, we hear a lot of young people demanding a right to free higher education, or at the very least paying off their college debt. As I've said before, higher education should be treated as a privilege in this country, certainly not a right. So much is the push for college education, I believe the institution of America's public education system is under-appreciated. As I would remind everyone, we should be proud of our public education system. Could it stand improvement? Certainly, but that is only natural. You have to remember this institution ultimately represents our national personality and is the key to our future. As such, it should be prized and definitely not taken for granted.
BRYCE ON POLITICS - I think we all know the answer. Click for AUDIO VERSION. The talking heads of the main stream media have been asking for the Democrats and Republicans to find a middle ground and work together towards common goals. I'm sure a lot of Americans feel likewise.
BRYCE ON POLITICS How the Republicans can take back the House. Click for AUDIO VERSION. The Republicans have a problem. They botched control and lost the House of Representatives to the Democrats. This was not surprising, as they did not inspire public confidence and their leadership was sorely lacking. I liked Paul Ryan as a member of the House, but thought he was in over his head as Speaker. Americans saw it as nothing more than, "same old, same old," and voted them out. Had the Republicans been more aggressive and demonstrated some unity, they would still be in control. They plain and simply did not, and this is an important lesson for the Senate to observe as well.
BRYCE ON POLITICS - Subverting the Democrats. I have been a loyal Republican for almost 50 years. I have worked on campaigns, written political copy, and voted regularly. However, when the Republicans in Congress recently turned their back on President Trump during the stolen election and ensuing impeachment, they revealed their true spineless character as "Republicans In Name Only" (RINO). Unfortunately, this goes beyond the federal level, and down to the state, county, and municipal levels. Even party officials at the county and club levels are deemed weaklings by grassroots constituents, simply for their blind obedience. Consequently, people by the thousands are fleeing the GOP.
BRYCE ON POLITICS - Is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez smart enough to serve in the Congress? Click for AUDIO VERSION. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is the new darling of the Democrats, having defeated incumbent Rep. Joe Crowley in the primary for New York's 14th congressional district. As a 28-year-old unknown, she came out of nowhere and ran an effective grassroots campaign which shocked the party by taking out the heir apparent to Rep. Nancy Pelosi. She did so with a commanding lead, 57.48 percent - 42.52 percent. Her main political experience was as a volunteer for the Bernie Sanders campaign in 2016 and, as such, identifies herself as a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, the far left wing of the party. With her victory, the mainstream media immediately fell in love with her, causing the New York Times to dub her, "A 28-Year-Old Democratic Giant Slayer."
BRYCE ON POLITICS - The glass is half-empty. As I talk to friends and contacts around the country, I sense a general malaise in the land, and, No, I do not believe the weather has anything to do with it. It's been building for some time now, rivaling the level of angst in last year's "Summer of Hate." According to recent polls, Americans have lost faith in their government and other institutions (click HERE), such as schools, organized religion, and the media. Rasmussen reports Americans believe the country is heading in the wrong direction (click HERE), and President Biden's approval ratings continue to plummet (click HERE). Americans feel beaten down and are becoming apathetic. When the people become despondent, and nobody is watching, this is when things start slipping in the back door, such as socialism.
BRYCE ON THE NEWS MEDIA - Time to break the cycle. Click for AUDIO VERSION. The 2018 mid-term elections was the largest campaign of its kind in history, both in terms of votes cast and campaign money spent, which was in the billions of dollars. Perhaps it is time to reflect on why this happened. We now live in a 24/7 news cycle. Whereas back in the 1960's we would read morning newspapers, watch evening news, and skim through weekly news magazines (e.g., Time, Newsweek, Life, etc.). News is now offered on a non-stop basis, not just on one television channel, but several, as well as the Internet. Forget reality TV and sports, news is now the #1 entertainment medium and there are millions of news junkies around to prove it.
BRYCE ON INDEPENDENCE DAY - The virtues of a home town parade. Click for AUDIO VERSION. I have always enjoyed the charm of a local Independence Day parade. In my old hometown of Wyoming, Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati, the streets would come alive in the morning with the sounds of fire truck sirens, the High School marching band, and numerous neighborhoods dressed in red, white and blue and marching in the parade. Local politicians would ride in the parade and wave to the crowd. A friend of mine used to live at the start of the parade route and would have coffee and donuts available for the fire and police departments as well as parade organizers. People lined the streets, waved flags, and had a great time. Some of the neighbors along the parade route would roast hot dogs. It wasn't about politics, it was simply a great way for the community to pull together in honor of the country. I am pleased to say they continue this tradition to this day.
BRYCE ON THE NEWS MEDIA - It is largely responsible for creating discontent. We began hearing of problems with the media covering the presidential coronavirus briefings in late March when KUOW radio, the NPR affiliate in Seattle, said they would no longer carry the live briefings as they contended the president was either spreading misinformation or lying to the public. Instead, they would interpret and report the briefings as they see fit, not necessarily in line with the president.
BRYCE ON POLITICS - It is getting worse. Click for AUDIO VERSION. To use this segment in a Radio broadcast or Podcast, send TIM a request.
BRYCE ON POLITICS - Finally, it's election day. Put the signs, the flags, and the hate away, it is finally time to make a decision; it is election day. Many of you have already voted by absentee ballot and early-voting, which is to be commended, but understand this, the lion's share of votes will come today. Out of a population of 331 million citizens, less than half will vote in the 2020 election. Estimates show a record high 150 million citizens will vote. As I recently reported, the candidates will end up spending another record of $11 Billion in campaigning, thereby assuring the media continues to grow unabated. At this rate, the candidates are spending approximately $73 on each voter.
BRYCE ON POLITICAL CORRECTNESS - We need to study all of our history, not just selected chapters. Click for AUDIO VERSION.
BRYCE ON THE NEWS MEDIA - And comes out the loser. Click for AUDIO VERSION. After clashing with President Trump during a presidential press conference at the White House Wednesday (Nov 7), CNN's Jim Acosta had his press pass suspended "until further notice," thereby sparking a long standing feud between the President and the main stream media. The meeting was intended to give the President an opportunity to review Tuesday's election. He said he was satisfied with the results and hoped to forge a relationship with House Democrats to work on legislation. He then opened the floor for questions from the press.
BRYCE ON POLITICS - How their tactics backfired. Click for AUDIO VERSION. As expected, this has been an extraordinary midterm election thus far. The Democrats are desperate for a win in order to survive. To do so, they have raised considerable money for Congressional and State races, and tried to create controversy in the court of public opinion. Democrat Congressional candidates alone raised more than one billion dollars for their campaigns, a new record. According to the Campaign Finance Institute, sixty-two House races exceeded $1 million in expenditures (compared to 20 in 2016).
BRYCE ON POLITICS - But not for the reason you may think. Click for AUDIO VERSION. It's time to wrap-up the Mueller investigation, not because they haven't found anything of substance yet, but because it is simply out of control with no end in sight. Allow me to explain.
BRYCE ON POLITICS - Time to get off your derrières. Dear GOP candidates, I believe you should think twice going into this election. In particular, how you are perceived by the public. Aside from the news media and Democrats, nothing makes a Trump supporter angrier than a Republican politician playing politics and not getting the job done. If you insist on playing politics during these turbulent times, your days are numbered politically.
BRYCE ON POLITICS - Even with their visceral and intolerant behavior? Click for AUDIO VERSION. Democrats claim the "Blue Tide" is rising as we approach the 2018 midterm elections. As evidence, they point to a series of polls showing them ahead by 6%.
BRYCE ON POLITICS – The answer may surprise you. You might be interested to know, the winner of the 2020 presidential race will not be one of the declared candidates, but rather the news media. It doesn’t seem that long ago we had our first $1 Billion campaign, shocking everyone, but we are now well past this point. In fact, according to Opensecrets.org, which tracks campaign donations, 2020 will likely end up costing a whopping $11 Billion, thereby smashing all prior records, the last being 2016 where candidates spent up to $6.5 Billion. In the presidential campaigns alone, Opensecrets estimates approximately $5.2 Billion will have been spent, easily beating the 2008 election record of $2.8 Billion.
BRYCE ON POLITICS - It's a tired old game. When it comes to voting reform, Democrats gleefully point at their pending H.R.1 "For the People" Act which they claim will make voting accessible to more people, most of whom are illegal aliens. When the Republicans push for voter reform, such as what was recently implemented in Georgia, the Democrats accuse them of implementing racially designed "Jim Crow" laws. Even President Biden called the Georgia law, "Jim Crow in the 21st Century," as well as many other Democrats and left-leaning media personnel.
BRYCE ON TECHNOLOGY - Their perspective affects us all greatly. Click for AUDIO VERSION. Recently, I was putting up some outdoor Christmas lights and, wanting to schedule when they would turn on and off at night, I tried to adjust a timer to suit my needs. I didn't have an instruction booklet, just the timer. I had worked with many timers over the years, but this one gave me fits in trying to set it. What I believed to be on/off switches, of course, didn't work. Then I noticed the lights went on and off mysteriously. I tried many variations of the settings, but nothing seemed to work. Feeling stumped, I thought back to something my father told me years ago, "You have to remember, this was designed by programmers, and they don't think like the rest of us do." I then applied reverse logic to the settings and "Voila!" it worked perfectly.
BRYCE ON POLITICS - You betcha. Click for AUDIO VERSION. In defiance of President Trump, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo recently declared, "America was never that great," an unfortunate comment which will cost him points politically. Even his father, former NY Governor Mario Cuomo, would have trouble swallowing it as he was well known for his stories of his family's humble beginnings as Italian immigrants, that America was indeed the "land of opportunity." The declaration made by today's governor is in keeping with the left's position that the country is desperately in need of a makeover, and certainly not in keeping with President Trump's policies.
BRYCE ON POLITICS - The violence of New York, Chicago, and Atlanta. To say Independence Day was unusual this year is an understatement. There were few home town parades celebrating it, fewer firework displays, and more protesting from the far-Left. Americans were particularly appalled by the gun violence in our major cities, most notably:
BRYCE ON EMPLOYMENT - As Covid-19 begins to fade away, companies return to normal. I recently went on my annual pilgrimage of fly-fishing in North Carolina. I drove this time in spite of the recent gas scare where the pipeline was allegedly sabotaged. Nonetheless, I traveled through Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and of course, Florida. Along the way, in all of these states I saw signs clearly stating, "Hiring!" I primarily saw them at gas stations, fast food restaurants, laundromats, supermarkets, drug stores, even bait shops. I was also told by the locals there were numerous big companies in the area hiring as well.
BRYCE ON POLITICS - Members are moving to new activist groups. Conservative political clubs are proliferating following the 2020 election. Now we hear about such groups as "Republican Liberty Caucus," "Community Patriots," not to mention "Trump Clubs," and even old Tea Party groups are going through a Renaissance. In the mean time, traditional Republican clubs are going through turbulent times as people are gravitating to the new clubs. One can only ask why.
BRYCE ON POLITICS - Donations suggest popularity. Click for AUDIO VERSION. The donations received by political candidates is a strong indicator of their popularity. The more the candidate receives, the stronger their position becomes as it will be used for promotional purposes. The numbers for the last reporting quarter (3rd) to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) was recently concluded with some interesting results.
BRYCE ON POLITICS - They are passionate about politics. Click for AUDIO VERSION. For a long time, the Democrats have been trying to intimidate women voters, just as they have done with minority groups. Their message is clear, "Only a fool would vote Republican; any woman with half a brain should vote Democrat." They simply cannot imagine anyone, particularly women, supporting President Trump or Republican candidates. This has been going on for a long time, and is indicative of their demeaning perspective of women. There is one problem, a lot of women are not buying it.
BRYCE ON POLITICS - Intrigue = Money Regardless of your party affiliation, everyone seems to be on edge regarding the upcoming November elections. When you add on top of this the concern over the COVID-19 virus, and the violence and looting in our cities, the country is getting worn out, depressed, and frankly, very angry. This is all by design as the news media knows how to pull the strings of the people.
BRYCE ON POLITICS - Keep an eye on the press. Over the last few months, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has been at the forefront of national news, even eclipsing President Biden and his old friend and confidant President Donald Trump. This came about through sweeping Florida legislation, some of which may seem rather insignificant on the surface, but of importance to his constituents.