Well, why don't we start there with our good friend political uh analyst Gary Dietrich, who has long been part of the Armstrong and Getty show. Gary. Welcome, How are you hey? Proud to be part of the long legacy of angie people. Yeah, so, Gary, let's start with the incredibly overheated rhetoric. Have you ever seen anything like it?
I'll tell you what, guys, I've been talking with people about this for months as this has been building, and and the numbers sort of proved the overheated rad quotem aim by that, Uh Joe, it's that the people who are saying I'm destinely going to vote you know, I'm really paying attention to selection. Those numbers are off the charts. They're like at se guy just evened up this week, Democrats kind of pulled even with Republicans in the so
called passion quotients. So yeah, i'd say, yes, you have seen And of course, guys, it goes without saying almost that in the aftermath of the last election cycle, that's heightened even further. Well, the reason I'm only want to have you honest because I heard you're talking about how California's got the two most expensive initiatives they've ever had. But before we get to that, UM, I hit everybody with this because I think it's the most amazing poll
number I've seen this entire cycle. It's an NBC poll from a couple of weeks ago. Eighty percent of Republicans eight percent of Democrats believe that if the other believe the other part party is out to destroy America, of each side believes the other side's out to destroy America,
how do you function with that number? Well, Jack, that that is probably you know, that's the million dollar question that gets buried a lot because of course, beneath that number, Jack, is the fact that both sides, I think the other side is prepared to quote unquote steal the election, right. I mean, that's that's the problem. You know, it's well, they're blocking poles, they got armed guys that they're not voting machines. We're gonna be having, you know, poll watchers.
I mean, it is absolutely crazy. And of course that narrative is already that narrative is already getting prepared for the Well, the problem with that, you know, it's a race to the bottom. It's Ah, I don't know what what would be the right in metaphor or whatever. But if if you believe the other side is going to
destroy the country, you probably should rig the election. Okay, I want to make sure that was not me saying you want if you're historian Michael bes bech Loss and you believe children are going to be executed if the other side wins, you probably should do whatever you can
to make sure you win. Well, yeah, there's that, But I think I think the important thing, guys, is what's going on, what's being put in jeopardy really from a governance standpoint is we've always had a date certain and president of politics in January, right, we have the inauguration, We're done, we move on. Everybody's still screams. Everybody screams and yells, we're all still upset. But you have a date.
When you don't have a date, and if you're going to be continually throwing this into the courts at various level from Scotus on down, that becomes exceptionally problematic, just in terms of not only doing our own governance business internally but externally when external countries, external forces. You want to know, okay on January or at least gonna who's geting you run in the place over there. You gotta have that. You have to have that. Well, do you
think the lengthening of the the voting process. I feel like that's hurting our belief in the vote. I people with I'll take people at their best intentions and not their worst intentions. That just wanted to more access for more people. More voting is always good that idea. So will lengthen the hours and the days and make mail in battle, But I feel like it's leading to less
belief in the outcome. Well, I think the only thing I like about the biggest I think plus to having you know, longer voting times and can vote in person or you can do it by mail at all, is that people at least get to choose what they believe to be the most authentic, most reliable means to cast their vote, so, you know, and lest people have options, and you know, apart from that, does it does it increase people's confidence in the process. At this junct, you're
probably not well. Yeah, And honestly, Gary, I uh, you know, I hate to quipal with you because you know, you're terrific and everything, but you said, people choose the you know, the best most trustworthy. No, people choose the most convenient way to vote, the easiest way to vote. And to my mind, the stretching out of the period of voting and the many means of voting now have made it has made it much much more difficult to watch the Henhouse to ensure the fidelity of the ballot, and I'm
I'm for some compromises. It need not just be paper ballots in person on election day. We can, we can expand it a bit beyond that. But every step you go making it long are and longer, and more and more means of voting, the less you can assure people the vote is one hundred percent valid. We're sure of it. Yeah, I hear what you're saying. Hey, here's what. Here's what. To me, the challenges is that there is absolutely, as you know, zero maybe sub zero standard for what is
their reliable means. In other words, in the past, there's a great deal of debate of all electronic voting water. We can't have those kind of machines. You gotta go with people, pencils, paper on election date. There's a lot of questions about that now. So the problem is we don't have any kind of an acceptable standard that any you know, two parties can agree on that this is the one we're gonna go with. Let's put the other
ones aside. Well, that's why we have to appoint a bipartisan commission, give them two years and fifty million dollars, and then have everybody completely ignore the results. That's our only have we got. We gotta move on Gary, just because I don't want to round a time, because I
really want to ask about this. I don't know if everybody around the country knows California and some other states, I guess you probably know how many have these initiative systems, these ballot systems where you kind of in propositions propositions. In theory, it was supposed to, you know, take the big money out of it and just directly let the people decide the big issues. Well, it didn't take the money out of it. This time. In California. You've got
the two most expensive ballot propositions in state history. And what are they? Yeah, well there, what a surprise there? Over money have to sell a gambling, most notably sports gambling, sports betting. Some states, people, what are you talking about sports betting? We've been doing that for a long time and too and to the back stories really quick. Two thousand and eighteen, Scotus said, you could the states can legalized sports betting. Thirty five of those, including and and
the District of Columbia have done that. But the biggest prize of all California White because twelve percent of the population lives there, so there's a lot of money reside there does not currently have legalized sports betting. And yet you know, that's what this battle is about. Really, it's pitting two sides. In California. You have legal gaming on Indian tribe lands or in casinos owned and operated by Indian tribes. That's Prop twenty six. They want to now
legalize sports betting there. That would have to be in person. Prop twenty seven the big competing measure or a lot of the big boys, the MGMs, the draft Kings, the fan duels, blah blah blah to have you know, I would tronic sports betting on your Sino cell phone computer wherever. That's what the battleground is. Four million dollars, Why would
people spend that much? Get this in one The total handle for sports betting fifty seven billion with a B dollars that's why this is going on right now the polls. To see the most recent numbers, I pulled them up to share them with you guys today. Just got these this morning. They're both going down in flames. Yes, fifty three for only twenty two. Yes, sixties, I mean yes, that's right, sixty four note for Prop twenty seven. So you know the ads have been mainly negative, knocking the
other guy down. But here's the deal end with this. If both of these fail, will look like they're going to this is not going to be the end of it. They will come back that they're already our plans for another round next cycle, and the next cycle this thing knocked down, drag out to the end's gonna win this. A couple of questions about this one. I'm kind of surprised, so like California all of a sudden, is what fundamentalist about gambling? They don't think it's it's just surprising to
me where they anything goes state? Um and but uh, I don't understand it at all because I can gamble on anything anywhere, anytime with my phone. What's what's allowing it in the state? Even mean, well some I don't know how all the mechanism happened, Jack, But you're not supposed to be able to gamble on your phone within California. And by the way, everybody's laughing here in the studio.
By the way, everybody's throwing back their head and laughter at the idea that you can't gamble on your phone in California. Jack. By the way, Hey, Jack, by the way, here's the mechan is about what you kind of were wondering, pondering why we don't have it yet here the legislature and all exquisdom tried to arbitrate this fight in our legislature. And as you guys know, almost all these statewide propertitions or at least a big dollwins come about because you
can't get a resolution in the legislature. They tried a couple of years ago, couldn't for obvious reasons. Even though they banged heads together, couldn't get people to agree. And that's why they're on the ballot. The two most expensive props in California history are this interesting. Yeah, very strange and still a little mystifying to me. And I know the tribes right, big giant checks too. They do some
aggressive lobbying to keep gambling on their side. But again, I can bet on every single NFL game, next Major League Baseball season, the upcoming golf tournament, and probably two kids in a foot race and an elementary school on my smartphone right now if I want to. So you're not supposed to, Joe, Well, thank you, Gearty. I don't know if you've seen this breaking news. There are reports people inside Trump circles say he's going to announce tonight
j d Vance's event that he's running for president. Oh yeah, she's not even wait till the till the poles are closed down. Well, well, no surprise. I pretty much expected it. Guys. Right after the mid term he's jumping in and that will be a discussion for nodcase. That's going to raise all kinds of new uh shall we say question? Many yes or no? Audio? Biden on the ticket for an absolute decided I intend to, But of course it's just an intention. Okay does that name? Does that sound for me?
That's what Biden's official, Lindes, But guys, all the indicators are inside the White House. He's going for it. Oh my god, stop, it's gonna be Trump again. I will wager any figure anybody can come to California. If Elon Musk texts and said Joe I got a billion dollars, says Biden runs, I would take that action. Well if if Joe, if Joe makes that gamble in California, I will call the police. So so, if you want some good,
nonpartisan political analysis, to follow Gary on Twitter at Gary Dietrich. Gary, It's always great to talk. Thanks. Okay, yes, Art stro