It's Debate Day!
JOIN ME AND MANDY AND BEN ALLBRIGHT FOR THE KOA-CAST OF TONIGHT'S DEBATE!
In particular, we'll be on the KOA airwaves from 6 PM to 7 PM previewing the debate and then we'll be live on KOA's Facebook page commenting on the debate as it happens and responding to your messages in a sort of "Mystery Science Theater 3000" short-attention-span vibe.
Also, Mandy will join me for the entire 11 AM hour to talk about "stuff and things" (Mandy's favorite subjects) and "life, the universe, and everything" (my favorite subjects) but also to preview tonight's "CNN Presidential Debate." (Somehow CNN is insisting that people include the network name in conversation about the debate; I'm not bound by their desire but I'm doing so occasionally just because I think it's so ridiculous.)
Hazard alert: Five debate traps Donald Trump must dodge - Washington Times
A bunch of wacky debate stuff you can bet on (well, you can't easily bet on it as an American...) Online Sportsbook & Live Betting Odds at BetOnline Sportsbook
A couple of election-related stories
Interesting: Voters prefer Trump over Biden in a crisis -- a reversal from 2016 and 2020 - The Washington Post
Election 2024 live updates: Biden and Trump to face off in first 2024 debate (msn.com)
Just One Thing: A little more about Tuesday’s primary elections.
As one political consultant said in an interview with the Denver Gazette, it was a good night for the adults in the room.
Yes, the Lauren Boebert race got all the national attention and she, the candidate endorsed by the state party and Donald Trump, won, but it was a 6-way race and she came in with lots of money and name ID. In every other race that I’m aware of except for one state House race, the far-right candidates, those endorsed by the out-of-control state party, those who ran explicitly tying themselves to Trump instead of to serving the state and nation, lost.
Dems will try to portray all GOP candidates as Lauren Boebert. I don’t think it will work.
It will be interesting to see whether the candidates in CD3, 5, and 8 want to be seen with Lauren. If I were running in 3 or 8, I'd stay away. I don't think she'd hurt Jeff Crank in CD5. But I also don't see much upside for him. Of course you don't want to completely freeze her out of "unity" events, but her reputation is so large and, among unaffiliated voters, so toxic, that if I were a strategist for almost any other GOP campaign I wouldn't want her too close.
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On a related subject, candidates endorsed by Trump and candidates who ran explicitly tying themselves to Trump had a bad night on Tuesday, and not just in Colorado. Also in Utah and in a surprising outcome in a GOP runoff in South Carolina: Sheri Biggs beats Trump-backed candidate in South Carolina runoff (thehill.com)
Today's Guests
Jennifer Martin, PhD is an Associate Prof of Agriculture at Colorado State University. She's co-author of CSU report “The Proposed Denver Ordinance Banning Animal Slaughter: Implications for the Animal Sector and Economy”
This is about what it sounds like. Some Denver radicals are trying to ban a particular kind of business within Denver. Frankly, Denver voters are so far left these days that I think they might go along with this despite the various harms, including job loss, it will cause. And by the way, did you even know there was a lamb processing facility in Denver? I'm sure you didn't. Which emphasizes how utterly unnecessary this is. It's more of the same kind of radical junk from the kinds of people who brought you wolf reintroduction.
Good brief analysis here too: Denver ballot measure that seeks to kill lamb facility qualified for November ballot | Food Safety News
Here's the ballot measure: slaughterhouseban_samplepetition.pdf (denvergov.org) Note that the person leading the charge is NOT from Colorado; she's from Las Vegas. They just use somebody's Denver office as an address for the filing.
My friend Vitaliy Katsenelson is a value fund investment manager at his firm, IMA, and proprietor of a Substack called The Intellectual Investor.
He moved to the US from northern Russia as a boy and is living his version of the American dream. He joins us to talk about this very personal story: 30 Years in America - Edition 2024 - by Vitaliy Katsenelson (substack.com)
Vitaliy has also written an excellent book that I recommend for folks interested in markets, philosophy, and life: Soul in the Game: The Art of a Meaningful Life:
Other Stuff
The issue is important but the news is just a bit annoying: Yet again, the Supreme Court’s controlled release of rulings is upended in a major abortion case | CNN Politics (I don't mean the underlying issue isn't important, but getting a hint as to the outcome a day or two early isn't important except that the Court doesn't need anything more that could make people feel less than highly confident about it.)
I don't know whether this is funny or sad or gross, so I'll say it's all of them: Seattle's shame: City once revered for its booming tech and quality of life descends into 'zombieland' where drug addicts and prostitutes reign supreme | Daily Mail Online
The protesters in Kenya are trying to stop government from taxing them into further poverty. The protesters in the US (with admittedly less overt fervor) are supporting terrorism and rape and the extermination of Jews. Hmmm... Deadly protests over Kenya finance bill prompt President William Ruto to drop support for tax hikes - CBS News
Did you even hear about this (before now)? Bolivia coup attempt: General arrested as Luis Arce faces new crisis | AP News
The armpit of California: America's dirtiest cities are revealed - and New York isn't the worst | Daily Mail Online
This doesn't seem right: Edward Kang: New Jersey man allegedly flew to Florida to attack fellow gamer with hammer: Sheriff - ABC7 Chicago
Cut his finger (or hand) off: Tourist caught carving his name on Italy's ancient city of Pompeii | World News | Metro News
Today's Videos
This is one of the funniest things I've seen in a long long time
This young man combines Pink Floyd and Dire Straits in "Comfortably Swing"...love it
If you're having trouble sleeping, Bidenica is here to help