Hi everyone.
Welcome to this week’s Daly Weekly, where I answer whatever questions you throw my way.
Before we get started this week, I’d like to invite you all to Reagan Caucus Action’s new Substack. I co-host their weekly podcast, on which we feature a different guest every week to discuss numerous issues from a Reaganite perspective.
It’s totally free, and you can sign up here (I hope you do):
Now, let’s get to your questions…
John: Democrats like Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton used to feel the need to deny being socialists, but now blatant socialism is having its day, at least in deep blue coastal areas like NYC, Seattle, LA, and Oregon. What is causing this? Is it indoctrination in early education, the extreme wealth of people like Elon Musk (the world's first trillionaire), a misunderstanding of how wealth is created and shared, or just old-fashioned envy that has been part of the human condition since Cain & Abel? It can't be because true socialism (government owning major resources, industry, and the means of production) actually works. —Steve R.
Though I think Obama and Clinton still personally resist the “socialist” label, you’re right, Steve, in that it’s no longer a dirty word in the Democratic Party. I think at least a couple of theories you listed are correct. I don’t believe it’s so much indoctrination as it is a cultural sentiment among young people. Many of them feel the cards are stacked against them — professionally, financially, and even socially. Thus, politicians promising to take stuff from well-off people, and give it to them (to supposedly even the playing field), strikes a chord. And yes, that sentiment fuels jealousy and resentment, and dilutes these people’s understanding of basic economics.
As you know, Steve, socialism fails whenever it is tried. And yet, both parties have adopted tenets of socialism, even if they don’t actually use the word.
I’ve been enjoying your vacation photos on X, so I’m not sure if you’re around and answering questions this week. If you are, did you catch JD Vance’s comments on downplaying Nixon’s corruption, saying that today it would “be like a 12 hours news story,” and not take down a presidency? If so what do you think? — Alex D.
Hi Alex. My wife and I are still enjoying Wyoming’s national parks (I’ll post a couple pictures at the bottom), but I decided to go ahead and make time for the Q&A this week anyway. I did catch Vance’s comments about Watergate being a 12-hour news story by today’s standards, and I think he’s right… but for the wrong reason. It’s not that Watergate wasn’t a serious act of political corruption. It was. The problem is that by today’s standards of presidential corruption, under Trump, what Nixon did seems almost trivial.
That’s not a good trajectory for the country.
Greetings Sir John — The liberal Jewish left wing Democrat Dan Goldman was refused service at the Poetica Coffee Shop in Brooklyn because of his stance on Israel. I would be interested to know how he felt about Christian bakers getting sued for refusing to bake gay wedding cakes, as well as Sarah Huckabee Sanders being asked to leave a restaurant because of her association with the Trump Administration, as well as Maxine Waters telling people to harass MAGA folks in public to let them know that “they are not welcome” there. I disagree with the Poetica Coffee Shop but I suppose they have the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason, although it sounds like that could conflict with Civil Rights laws. What are your thoughts on the Poetica Coffee shop incident as well as the apparent hypocrisy of some Democrats when the chickens come home to roost & have a latte’? — “When The Shoe On The Other LEFT Foot” regards from The Emperor
As best I can tell, Emperor, Goldman never said anything about the Christian baker, or Sarah Huckabee Sanders being refused service, so I’m not sure there’s any hypocrisy on his part. As for the coffee shop, I don’t think they did anything illegal. It would only be a civil rights violation if the discrimination was along the lines of Goldman’s race, color, religion, or national origin. That said, I think what the coffee shop did was sad and unfortunate. I think it’s quite petty to treat someone like that just based on political differences.
Have you been following Hegseth’s latest firings of generals? It seems like all he does is fire highly competent, well-admired people. What’s with this guy? — Ben G.
Being on the road this week, I haven’t put much focus on the latest round of firings, Ben. But it really does seem as though Hegseth is hell-bent on purging top U.S. military leaders (I believe over 20 now) for reasons that have nothing to do with their performance or capability, at a time when America is involved in lots military operations. Based on his track record, I have no reason to believe there’s any wisdom behind it.
So long from Wyoming!
Thanks everyone! You can send me questions for next week by leaving a comment in the comment section.