The Next President of the United States is... - Episode 053

Hello. Welcome back. Another episode.

The cold opens, bro.

The cold opens. Yes. That's how we do it. Cool. Well, let's jump right in. C Suite unfiltered. I wanted to ask you, do you feel that to be the CEO of Augusta and or copilot that you should take a cognitive test.

To prove to us that you are fit to be our CEO? Mike, Andy's the question to you.

Okay. You obviously got this from the all in pod.

No.

So I would say that I don't think a cognitive test is, is actually needed because your, your results should kind of like speak for themselves. And if that's coming into question, we have a problem.

Yeah, fair enough.

So, like, I think that that would just be a, you know, a metric that is not really needed because you can tell from someone's behavior and how they do things of whether or not they have cognitive abilities.

Yeah. So if you don't know what I'm alluding to there, obviously, you know, we don't talk politics often. I know Mike isn't the most interested in politics. He's more interested in business. I feel like I have a tendency to lean towards. I just enjoy politics and, and the gamifying of it and learning about it. But basically, you know, Biden was potentially supposed to take a cognitive test or he was asked to and then they never forced him to or he declined it. I don't know all the semantics of it, and I'm not going to pretend I know the semantics of it. But then it's an interesting question because people are like, well, should the president have to take a cognitive test if the public can see signs of mental decline? So what are your, what are your actual thoughts on that? Maybe like a public office, not necessarily for private businesses, but a public office. Should there be certain.

Look, if you're going to look at this to jump, if you're going to look at this from like a, just a neutral standpoint, apolitical. Trump didn't submit and never gave his tax returns. Right, Right. So it's really just a matter of I just don't care about all those things. I just care about how does it impact me and the people I love.

Yeah.

And so, like, if the bottom line is the thing that's troubling about the cognitive test is like, technically this person is control of nuclear powers. However, the thing is because, because he's built his organization, that is the cabinet and everyone around him, the staff so much, they make the decisions. So that's why we've kind of had a ho Hum. Several years. Cause.

He'S not doing much and his staff is running it. So to the point all inmates, it's in their best interest to keep that going because they make the decisions. And so I'm not opposed to it. I just look at the track record and I just judge them based upon on that. And like I just, you know, I don't care about someone's personality, I don't care about their morality. I don't care about any of those things at president level. Other than I guess from a morality standpoint. It does reflect sometimes on the country. And that's a part like with Trump, I just think he miserably fails in.

Yeah.

Like, and that's what his, his biggest thing is. Like do you want this guy really being representative of America? Not really.

Yeah.

But like his, his, the things he has done like affects positive. Like he, we didn't have any wars. Like if you just stripped out like one thing. He kept us out of war. And he went and like went to North Korea and shook people's hand. Went to Russia and like kept. That's what the President's supposed to do.

Right.

And so that's what I judge them on. I hate his morality. I hate the. I'm sure he's corrupt to the core on so many different levels. From a moral standpoint. Trump. What?

Trump.

100%.

Yeah.

I just want to clarify. And they're all a bunch of.

Well, yes, I just want to clarify.

Those things but like I just care about their policies because. Cause that actually impacts me.

Right.

And then you know, with an asterisk, I would say next to it, like there are certain representations of our country and then like trickle downs from our leadership. But when there's, when there it's kind of like a shadow government and like other people running it and not the actual President. Like we don't get a lot of impact from Biden because we hardly hear from him.

Yeah, right.

For some people, that's what they love. They just.

Yeah.

Or the President to shut up and never hear about him again. And that's fine. Like that's what they are going to vote for. Right. I, I vote for more of a perspective of like how are their policies going to affect me and the people I love. And that is like my team and Augusta Nation.

Yeah, totally.

And so that's how I would vote personally.

Yeah, that's fair. Do you think America as a whole on the world stage, do you think we have an image problem? Do you think we need to do some rebranding? Get a new marketing campaign out.

Look, dude, every country has its problems because every single politician's so corrupt and every government's corrupt, corrupt. So, you know, yes, the US needs rebranding. They need rebranding back in the 50s, in the 40s, after they just dropped nuclear or atom bombs on what is now one of our closest allies. Like, yeah, it, like every single country has problems.

Totally.

And so that's why I don't like to do politics because it's just like this ever ending, never ending, like laundry list issues and problems that like, are never going to be solved because we're human beings.

Yeah.

And they're going to have problems. Every leader has problems. And because they're so removed from like our day to day life, it's so easy just like to just shoot at them.

Yeah.

Because they're humans.

Yeah.

But like, ultimately, would I ever want that job? No. Like, I would have a lot of. I have a lot of problems and failures. Like, I try not to like shoot up at people. Like shoot at people because it's like, look, if I was in their shoes, people would have a lot of problems with me too.

So metaphorically shooting. Let's just be very clear. I want that on the record for YouTube, that on the record. Talking metaphorically.

Don't ban us from, from adsense.

Yeah. About shooting your shot. Not anything physical, no projectiles. Yeah, no, that makes sense. And, but I would, I'll push back on you in this, that you are a well educated, successful citizen of the United States. All right, let's just, let's reduce you to that. Okay. You should be the person though, that should be wanting to make change. Right. Like taking your civic duty and voting. I'm assuming you vote. Okay. But you should also be at the forefront of trying to ask for political change.

You could, you could flip that really easily that logic. You could say that the people that are not well educated aren't white and are not male should be the ones looking for change too.

Right, but. And I'm not saying that's like a prerequisite. I'm not saying.

You're saying I'm an. I am enabled to be able.

You are able to. Yes, yes, yes.

I vote with my, my dollars.

Right, but so does that mean, are you contributing to like, political campaigns? Are you saying you vote with your dollars via the free market?

The free market?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I would never give money to a politician.

Yeah, yeah, I. Well, yeah, I couldn't imagine that. That's why I had to ask.

Never.

Yeah, it's just frustrating though because like someone like yourself, you know, well educated, successful business person, and then obviously, you know, we're kind of piggybacking off the all in podcast. They talked about like, they all have like these great ideas for political reform and they're successful businessmen that felt like not saying I trust them, but I like listen to their advice. I think they're well thought and well read gentlemen. Like, why don't they try to force more political change? Like play the hand and vote with their dollars? That is. But it's just, is it all just a cabal of corruption at this point?

It's all just a matter of like, what you're saying is use your influence to be able to.

To change other people's minds.

Yeah.

And so the bottom line is their vote is the same amount as someone else has. No money, no education, citizen in the US So from a numbers perspective, quote unquote, doesn't really matter.

The question becomes, should those people use their power to change the mind of other individuals? Because in my opinion, it could be argued. It could be argued. I wouldn't say my opinion. It could be argued that like they should not say anything because the individual citizen should be making a judgment call based on direct data from like say a debate or like what the policies are of the candidates instead of so and so thinks. Like an actor thinks. Like that just boggles my mind.

Yeah.

When people are like, oh, because this actor thinks they're going to vote for this, I'm going to vote for them. Yeah. Are you out of your mind? Like if you just shut up and not vote, it'd be so much better because you have no idea what the policies are. No idea whatsoever.

Yeah.

And so I don't, I don't believe necessarily like even like that's why for myself, like, I don't really share politics because like, I don't change someone's mind. I don't have all the information I could in 10 years. I find this person's corrupt and completely messed up.

Yeah.

So it's just like, hey, look, these are the policies and like the agenda that I believe in. Right. I believe in free market capitalism. I believe like low inflation, let the market determine things and that anytime the government gets involved, bad things happen. Keep us out of war.

Yeah.

Because no one should be dying over the stupid things that are happening inside of a room of politicians. And that's all I care about.

Yeah.

Keep me out of war.

Yeah.

Make sure the economy's doing okay. Keep gas prices low enough. Don't do stupid things around green energy garbage. That's a bunch of waste of money. Like, that's my, my bigger thing.

Yeah. How do you feel about the exterior spending? That's a real hot button issue right now that a lot of people are bringing up is like, how much funding the Biden presidency has given to other countries. That is Ukraine.

It's politics, dude. Nuts. It's so stupid.

But, like, how do you feel about it on a personal level? Like, should. What percentage of the US budget should go to foreign aid?

100%. Once we are debt free. We are debt free.

Once we're cash flowing. Yeah, once we're cash flowing, it'd be.

Like any business I'd go into, like, oh man, I've got to give so and so money and so and so. Like, wait a second, dude, you're $33 trillion in debt and you're losing trillions every year and it's growing. Let's focus on like, what's going on here.

Totally. But, but then what does that. Like, this is just all hypotheticals, but it's fun, at least for me. And if you, if you're not having fun, we can change topics. Like what happens to the world economy? Like, let's, let's just say like chaos happens. All right. RFK is our president or something.

You think that would be, that would be chaos?

Yeah, yeah.

Why?

Because I think the two party system would, like, not let it happen. We just have, we would just have a 6 to 12 month, like, circus court of like, there's no, like the Biden campaign saying it wasn't a real election, the Trump campaign saying he was robbed. And like, we would have 12 months of just nothing getting done, of just circus courts and allegations and blame games. And like, the Senate would hold out and then they'd shut down the government again. And then the average citizen is like, can I just like, pay less in taxes? Like, that's what I mean by chaos.

You don't think a third party would be a good thing?

I think it is a good thing. But, but let's just. I don't, I'm not saying. I was just using RFK as an example. Let's say RFK hops in the office and then like January 7th next year, he goes, all right, executive orders, executive order. No more spending is going outside of the U.S. like, what happens to the world economy?

Yeah.

Like, what are your thoughts on that?

Like, I don't think that things should be done that hastily. Right. Like, if someone was to get in there, the problem is in part like the pro and the, the good and the bad of democracy is like four year thing is tough because it doesn't take like you can't change, make a lot of changes in 300 million plus people in four years. Right. And like change budgets and change departments and restructure things.

So it sounds like the government's too big. Oh, it's way too big, dude. It's way too big. Interesting thought. If it can't be done quickly, I.

Would be a huge fan of a third party system. Yeah, third party, like the two partisan is completely broken. It's all messed up the way the funding works.

You should vote party lines at this point.

That's so dumb.

It's so stupid, dude. If that, if that isn't like a, if that doesn't make you feel like the system is broken, like then you should reevaluate how you assess it because like essentially like when, when November comes, like I already know where I'm voting and it's like it doesn't matter because like it's just a two party system and I'm going to vote party lines. But that's, that's wrong. And it's like the conversation people have is like these are our best two options or these are our three best options. Like this is bad. Right. And then the thought is like, well maybe RFK comes in, stirs the pot, but does he just take votes from the right or Trump in this case? He's the leading candidate at this point.

They lose to Biden and then they.

Lose to Biden, which in my opinion I feel like is probably the worst situation. I'm just going to speak candidly. I would rather have someone that actually is like in control of the presidency and not run by the staffers in the background. So yeah, the three party system I think is good. Well not even a three party system, just a more open ended system.

I just hate the idea of having Democrats and Republicans. Yeah. I just want what policies are being made. Like I'm not, I hate you label as conservative. It's like, look, I just have certain policies that I think are positive for the country and the people I love and myself.

Yeah.

And that's how I should be voting. Not based upon like the color of your tie.

Totally.

It just, it just boggles my brain. And so I think that the third party, like I think in 50 years we'll have more than two parties because people will go get so sick and tired of what's happening and like seeing what's happening. But this is the bottom line, every country has its problems when it comes to politics, and ours isn't as bad as a lot of others.

That's fair.

We are in it. And we are going to cast stones inside of our little, like, ivory tower. But like, there's countries where it's a complete kangaroo court. It's completely rigged, it's completely messed up. There's no democracy, there's no voting. So like, hey, it's comparatively not that bad. I don't think me having an opinion on it's going to change anything. So I'm just like, look, I'm going to look at anyone that's running and look at their policies and strictly vote based on that. If there was a blue candidate that came in and said the things that I believe in from a policy perspective, that would help me and the people I love, I would vote for them 100%.

Yeah, totally.

I don't care if you call me a liberal or whatever. I'm just going to vote based on what they're totally. I get really concerned when it's like, oh, we're not going to have any debates because. And we're not going to actually see what they actually believe in because, you know, now they're, they're senile and they're past their 80s. Like, I don't think that's right. Yeah, we don't, we can't judge them based upon their policies. And so then it just becomes blue versus red.

Totally.

Like with a general red versus general blue policies. And then they have to, they must, in order to be able to be elected, they have to conform to those party lines, like the general, like, oh, like, we spend money. We don't spend money. We care about these people. We don't care about these people. Like, that's stupid. Yeah, I think it should be like, okay, candidate number one, here's what they believe in, here's their main agenda, here's what they do in office the first 30 days. Vote for them. Okay, candidate number two and like strip all everything else and then judge them. It'll never happen.

So, yeah, I think it's, I think too, like, as, as dumb as this sounds like most people in the presidential election just vote party lines. It is what it is. Like wherever you typically lean, wherever you typically land, that's how you're voting. You don't care about the policy, you don't care who the person is. You just rip the vote. But I will say where people need to focus also too is like, on their state and local elections. I can Say, because I do enjoy, like the political side of things is usually my ballot is pretty split when it comes to local elections because I actually like get those voters pamphlets and you think this is probably dumb, but I actually like read them and then I talk to my buddies about it. I'm like, what do you do you know about this person? Like what about this policy? And then it's like. And then I'm more split. I'm not party lines when it comes to local elections because I actually look at like who that person is, how much do they know my community and what do they want to do for my community. Great. I don't care if your social agenda doesn't line up with mine. This position is not a social position. So I'm going to vote for you.

And so I typically see the local spending being more efficient because it's more, it's a more targeted.

Yeah.

So like them. So for example, the one we've been talking about in the office is like a skate park coming in.

Oh, cool.

That's a big deal for Ferndale.

Yeah.

Right. And like it's going to impact the people in the office more than like some fringe loophole in the tax IRS code that, that is on a national level that they're spending billions of dollars trying to give rebates on or whatever.

Yeah.

So like I think local, you know, politics, everyone should be focused on.

Right.

Because it moves the needle for us as individuals the most.

Yeah.

And I think that's like a good thing to do. And that's. I agree. Like, I think spending in general is usually looked on as more liberal.

Yeah.

And like again, I hate even the ideology. It's like, is this money going to be good? Good. Going to be good, Put to good use.

Yeah.

If. Yes. Yes, let's do it. If it's wasteful.

No. Yeah, totally.

Really basic. And I think in general localized spending is more efficient.

Yeah.

And so I would agree with you.

Yeah, yeah, I agree with that. That's, that's really all I wanted to like touch on. I just want to get your thoughts. I just want to get your opinions, I guess.

Do you.

How do you feel about RFK though? Like what? Do you know much about him?

Or I'd be voting simply because I, I don't like the two party system. Yeah. And like to your point though, that could skew the results of who actually gets elected. And so that's where you have like play that white. You know what the best of. No. Both worlds. No, no. The worst of two evils. Which one's the worst one. Right. And so.

But I don't know whether or not I vote for him or not. It's like, I don't like the two party system.

Yeah.

I don't like that at all. I think the president. It'd be really cool if it was like, the president is independent, like, all the time.

Yeah.

Like, you can't have party lines. It'll never happen, though, because we have everything else based on red and blue. Like, everything from local to all the way to the top. And it's all, you know, backed by money and it's entrenched. So it's just not gonna change.

Yeah.

I was speaking of politics. Have you seen Tucker Carlson and Putin do their interview? Let's go.

We can talk about that.

I'm.

I'm down. Okay, so Putin. So this is a political heavy episode. Putin, Tucker Carlson. All right, what. What did you think? Give me the brief. Like what. What was your gut reaction to it?

I just think that everyone should talk to everyone. I think communication would solve a lot of problems.

Yeah.

And so whether you think that Tucker is being too nice.