As great as it was to join Kristi Noem on stage after Donald Trump's recent speech last week, our grassroots communications with activists remain our most crucial work in this pivotal year. This included driving 1,404 miles in the last couple of weeks to deliver speeches around Wisconsin, appearing on the podcasts of two incredible conservative leaders, and finally appearing on Fox News Radio all Tuesday morning to talk about yesterday’s huge Supreme Court decision.
On Fox News Radio all Tuesday morning to talk about yesterday’s huge Supreme Court decision
On Tuesday, we were interviewed in great Fox News Radio stations across the Midwest such as WILS Lansing, MI, KFTK St. Louis, MO and WSJK Champlain, IL. We then swung through Southern Fox News stations such as WERC Birmingham, AL, KURV McAllen, TX, WKIM Memphis, TN and WFRK Florence, SC. But we saved our interview with the No. 1 talk radio show in the No. 1 rated station in the nation for Wednesday, so click back later in the week to hear that huge interview.
Déjà vu as Supreme Court Deals Jack Smith 2nd Blow in 8 Years
Tuesday morning, I was featured as the national Fox News Radio guest across the country. This occurred the day after the Supreme Court dealt a huge blow to Jack Smith, who hopes to win a prison sentence for Donald Trump, just as he won a 2-year prison sentence for Bob McDonnell after he finished serving as Virginia Governor in an upset election as surprising as Trump’s 2016 win.
The only real similarity between the mild-mannered McDonnell and Trump is that they both won shocking elections. McDonnell not only won Virginia but also won massive Fairfax County outside of DC with a campaign that won over many minority groups not used to voting Republican, taking 51% of the vote. The Republican candidate before and after him took 38% and 36% of Fairfax County respectively, while in 2020, Donald Trump took 28% in losing 419,000 to 168,000.
Even liberal icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg joined a 9-0 Supreme Court decision throwing out Smith’s conviction for basically doing what almost every governor does — complimenting a business leader. As the court stated in throwing out the case, “Setting up a meeting, calling another public official, or hosting an event does not, standing alone, qualify as an ‘official act.’” As the Washington Examiner notes, Smith also told Lois Lerner at the IRS it was OK to target conservatives with tax audits.
As an encore on Wednesday, we are scheduled to be on the highest-rated talk radio show on the highest-rated talk radio station in the country... more to come.
1,404 Miles Driven in Wisconsin to Deliver Speeches
Following these interviews, I'll be hitting the road again for another speech to a conservative committee in Wisconsin. By late Tuesday night, I will have covered 1,404 miles in the past couple of weeks across Wisconsin, attending local meetings in every corner of the state. Let me know if you'd like me to visit your county. Here's a recording of one of my shorter (5-minute) speeches as a sample of the topics we cover.
After getting out and speaking to conservative leaders all over the state these last few weeks, some of those leaders will then come to us as the Faith and Freedom Coalition hosts the Prayer Breakfast at the Republican Convention in Milwaukee on the morning of July 18. Seating is very limited for that event, so please email jpudner@wisconsinffc.com if you have an interest in coming and put “Prayer Breakfast” in the subject line.
Also, one of my favorite podcasts just concluded — I was interviewed by two prominent conservative leaders on the Trend on Politics podcast. Tamara Leigh, formerly of one of YouTube's top 1000 channels until her ban, likely due to her J6 Pardon project, and Brent Hamachek, with his extensive work with Turning Point, were excellent hosts. A decade ago Gretchen Carlson on Fox News gave me the nicest interview ever in introducing me as "Mr. Moneyball" after National Review announced I was running Dave Brat's campaign, where I crafted a commercial credited by Laura Ingraham and Matt Levin with winning the race — although that title has now been replaced.
Tamara recounts in the podcast how we initially connected as the only two conservatives at a gathering, appreciating each other's contributions. In 2024, I define conservatives as anyone who believes that liberals attempting to use the courts to target the opposing nominee (Trump) pose the greatest threat to our Democratic Republic, while liberals see a Trump presidency as the primary threat. A recent CBS poll shows that 48% believe Democracy is safe if Biden is running the country, while 47% believe Democracy is safe if Trump is leading the country — a shocking result since liberals have based most of their campaign on arguing Democracy is not safe if Trump wins.
Notably, Tamara and Brent began the podcast with footage from one of my favorite movies, Monty Python, as shown above. In a tongue-in-cheek manner, Brent introduced me as the "Jenga peg" that, if absent, would supposedly cause our democratic republic to collapse — a humorous touch!
Transcript of My Discussion of the Math Behind Final 5
Tamara: I want to give you a chance to understand this (Final) 5 system...
John: I have been surprised at the visceral reaction from some friends (to Final 5). I’m just such a numbers guy. I started following numbers. This would really help conservatives in most states … not everywhere. A different kind of ranked-choice voting system would help the liberals. That's why the liberals are smart - they put it in places where it helps them, and then we kill it places where it would really help us, which is most states.
I'm just such a numbers guy. I mean, I'm one of those guys who was riding baseball stat columns for the New York Post when I was 22 and we all discovered that it actually didn't make sense to (try to) steal bases anymore in baseball.
Some people get really mad at us for that. (And people had the same reaction to suggesting you don’t try to steal so many bases as people now have to Final 5), “What do you mean? It's a great part of the game? “
Yeah, I'm just saying, mathematically, (trying to steal a lot of bases) made you less likely to win. That's kind of the same approach. Mathematically not having a final five system has probably cost (conservatives) half a dozen states, whether for Senate or President, like in 2020 right here in Wisconsin.
Brent: In trying to get people to understand and persuade them to look at (Final 5) favorably, especially people that matter, people that can help effectuate, you're running into the same problem we run into in everything else in America, and that is that quick heuristic thought process of, “Oh yeah, heard of this kind of stuff. It's bad for us. Next item.” Instead, people should sit and look at it seriously and in-depth, without bias, instead of making a heuristic judgment based on bad assumptions, right? I mean, is it sort of on some level that simple?
John: Yeah, it's really the problem right now with small-dollar fundraising — it's clickbait. Saying ‘I'm out to ban RCV’ gets you contributions. People click on that. You test these things and that will get people to give you 20 bucks more. But it's just conservatives attacking other conservatives.
I mean, nothing's going to happen with Final 5 this year. Yeah, next legislative session I'll go argue for it, but between now and November, it's all about how many conservatives are going to vote, how many are going to actually get their ballots in. We just don't have time for these side fights.
Transcript of My Final Minutes on the Podcast
We are now the First Amendment party. We are the freedom of speech party, but conservatives are kind of making money attacking each other, and some of it's just silly inside stuff. Like some people out in the field are arguing over who has the best ‘Chase the Vote system?” Is it RNC? Is it Turning Point? Is it some other group? My response is, ‘Guys, it doesn't matter.’ We want everyone we can chasing ballots and getting them in, and it really doesn't matter whose system is best. I'm glad all these groups have people sitting around thinking about how to get ballots in. We don't have time to attack each other, particularly in the months leading up to the election, and that's my main concern there.
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