Hi everyone.
Welcome to this week’s Daly Weekly, where I answer whatever questions you throw my way.
Let’s get right to your questions…
Greetings Sir John: Apparently many residents of a Chicago suburb are angry & upset because Walgreens is closing a store in the high crime area of Chatham due to the high cost of theft AND its employees being assaulted by criminal thugs. Well when LIBERAL DEMOCRATS refuse to adequately punish criminals while simultaneously punishing honest citizens who fight back to protect life & property, what else would the citizens who continue to vote Blue (including likely many of these Walgreens staff & management) EXPECT that corporation to do when it is constantly being robbed and its employees are constantly in danger of being assaulted !? WHY don’t the citizens & local politicians blame the ones committing the crimes instead of corporate management? What are your thoughts on this story? —“Take Two Red Pills & Call Me In The Morning” Regards from The Emperor
Hi Emperor. Chicago citizens obviously shouldn’t be upset at Walgreens for closing that location. They should be upset at the criminals who forced the location out of business and the local government for being ineffectual at dealing with the crime problem there.
As for why citizens continue to vote for a status-quo environment known for its high crime-rate, I suppose some of it has to do with voter priorities, like social programs and government-created jobs. I think a lot of it also has to do with the Democratic political machine in Chicago. It’s been around for many decades, has an airtight relationship with major community and interest groups, and has the capacity to politically overwhelm any outsider (or Republican) candidate offering a stark contrast.
I should add that I am by no means an expert on Chicago politics, so there are probably additional explanations.
Which progressive “intellectual” most annoys you? — Ben G.
Lol. Probably Robert Reich, and mainly for two reasons:
My progressive friends keep sharing his stupid videos on Facebook.
The points he makes in those videos are rarely intelligent, and often aren’t factual. He just articulates emotions-based progressive ideology (rich people suck, poor people shouldn’t have to pay for stuff, etc.), in a way that makes other progressives think he’s making intellectual, realistic arguments (which he isn’t).
Annoying is the right word, Ben.
Hi John, I was a bit surprised that you and Mr. G. both said you would vote for Mitt Romney for president (not that you believe he will run, but if he did). My reasoning is that, while he seems like a genuinely good, decent, and honorable human being, he was not exactly for small government. Romney-care is one example, but I always saw him as more of a Herbert Hoover type -- well-meaning, an excellent businessman, a person who considers himself a problem-solver, but not a huge believer in free-markets. Am I wrong? — Bob B.
Hi Bob. I was lukewarm on Romney in 2012 (I voted for Newt in the primary), in part because I did indeed question his conservative credentials. Romneycare (in blue-state Massachusetts) was one reason, though I think his later explanation actually made sense: the state’s Democratic legislature had written it, had a veto-proof majority, and was hell-bent on making it law with or without his support. So, as governor, he stepped in and tried to make it better, and in doing so basically took political ownership of it (an effort to take a lemon and make lemonade out of it). Regardless, I felt a lot better once Paul Ryan joined the ticket, and the campaign’s focus was on economic/fiscal issues.
I became much more impressed with Romney in 2016, when he opposed Trump on principle, and publicly said what many Republicans knew was right, but were too cowardly to say so. When he became a U.S. Senator two years later, he served as a principled conservative (much more conservative and pro-free-market than Trump), and again showed a lot of moral courage, this time in standing up to Trump’s abuses of power.
So yeah, at this point in history, I have a pretty high opinion of Romney. I hope he’s enjoying retirement. Thanks for listening!
I don’t think Mr. Romney distanced himself from Romneycare until his POTUS run. And what about in 1994 when he ran for Sen. Kennedy’s seat and tried to out-liberal Sen. Kennedy? Personally, Mr. Romney appears very decent. But when he’s politicking he can be chameleon. — Bob H.
Bob, I don’t recall for sure exactly when Mitt Romney began offering the kind of nuance on Romneycare that I described in my previous answer (to the other Bob), but it probably was when he ran for president in 2008. Regardless, I’ve looked into his explanation, and it does appear to be accurate. And you’re right about early is his political career, when he did try to appeal to Massachusetts voters’ liberal leanings in his race against Ted Kennedy. When Romney first entered the national political scene, I would have been comfortable calling him a chameleon too (and I may have even actually done that).
But as I’ve written before, I can’t think of a Republican politician who’s been more intellectually and ideologically consistent than Mitt Romney over the last 15 years. And like I told the other Bob, he’s far more conservative than today’s GOP and its leader.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Trump is considering pardoning 250 people on his birthday, in commemoration of our nation’s 250th birthday. Do you think he’ll go through with it? — Alex D.
Probably. I mean, why wouldn’t he? He’s already pardoned thousands of individuals, including hundreds of violent criminals (some were war criminals), major drug traffickers, and corrupt CEOs. By the time he leaves office, he’ll likely issue sweeping pardons to much of his administration, numerous associates, and of course himself. A mere 250 at this point, insultingly framed as an act of patriotism, feels entirely realistic. I guess we’ll see.
Thanks everyone! You can send me questions for next week by leaving a comment in the comment section.