Did something that a lot of people would call brave when you wrote your op ed. Well, I don't know if it was brave. It was, it was a civic duty. We have to find somebody rather soon, you know, because we need to. [00:00:15] We need to redo. Look, the other side. The side that I'm. You know, that I don't support one. And they are, you know, running through government and doing their thing. So it's our job now to put together a proper team to stand up because we're [00:00:31] right now polling very poorly. Actor George Clooney is opening up about the scathing op ed that he published for The New York Times last year, urging former President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential race. [00:00:47] And he's giving some advice to the Democratic Party on what their next move should be. So for some context, real quick, back in July last July, Clooney penned this op ed for The New York Times titled I Love Joe Biden, but we need a new nominee. [00:01:03] In it, he wrote, we are not going to win in November with this president on top of that. We won't win the House and we're going to lose the Senate. This isn't only my opinion. This is the opinion of every Senator and Congress member and governor that I've spoken with in private. [00:01:19] Every single one, irrespective of what he or she is saying publicly. And that really did get the ball rolling on Biden dropping out of the presidential race. At that point, Kamala Harris became the nominee. You guys all know what happened after that. Now fast forward to today. [00:01:35] Clooney still has some resentment for how he was treated by some in the Democratic Party after he wrote that op ed, how how people handled the situation. Let's take a look. You called for a robust primary. Mini primary. I know there were a lot of people that wanted that. [00:01:53] Obama and Nancy Pelosi were saying so publicly that that's what they wanted after after Biden dropped out. But the way Biden dropped out, immediately, endorsing Kamala Harris. There. That didn't happen. That didn't get to happen. Here's the problem that, that we were facing with that. [00:02:11] It's very hard to say whether or not you agree that, that administration was successful or not. That's a different thing. But the perception was and what was being how they were running was that it was a failed administration. I could argue that it's not, but that's a different argument. [00:02:27] You can't run against yourself, right? And that's why that was a difficult campaign. It's hard to run against yourself and say, well, yeah, I disagree with all this. I think we should have seen from some people that I think we have some really good governors, and I would have liked to have seen an expedited quick, primary. [00:02:45] I think we would have sustained it. And she may have come out on top, I don't know. Okay. I totally agree with him that there should have been some sort of primary. I think that would have been better. So that's the substantive point I want to make. The not so substantive point is I really hate that your ears [00:03:02] continue growing as you age. Like we've got to find a solution to that. It's unacceptable. John. Now to you. Clooney. You are unacceptable. I think you're still a handsome man. He's obviously he's up there in years. Handsome. The dye is too dark. But yeah. The ears continue to grow for all of us. It's not just a Clooney thing, obviously. [00:03:18] Yeah, yeah, I was going to give him a pass on the betrayal of Joe Biden. But the hair. I don't like it. No. I'm kidding. Yeah, I, I don't understand people who were mad at him, but. Okay, that's in the moment. You don't know what's going to end up happening now [00:03:34] with all the hindsight we have. I do not understand putting three seconds into critiquing him for what he did. I just don't understand. I agree, I know that because Harris lost, there will be some people utterly deluded that are like Biden would have won it. [00:03:50] That, I think, is the craziest belief ever. I mean, that's right up there with Trump actually won in 2020. I mean, look, Harris, I think could have done some things very differently. If I was in charge, she would have done a lot of things differently, but I think she also did some things way better than Biden would would have, would [00:04:07] have should we have had the mini primary? Maybe. I think that would have been interesting. It's obviously very difficult. I don't know that it would have made any difference whatsoever with the small amount of time that we had, maybe it would have. And the race ended up being in the three swing states that mattered. It was very close, so maybe Wes Moore would have won it, [00:04:23] or maybe Gavin Newsom would have won it. I don't know, I just throw that in to turn you off the idea. But I don't know, like he he did what needed to be done. We all saw the debate. I covered it here at this exact desk. Anybody who thought that, no, no matter what, we stick with Biden. [00:04:40] Like, again, why am I wasting time? I'm not gonna. If you still believe that, I'm not gonna be able to get through to you. Yeah. In fact, I think the biggest problem was that all these people surrounding him knew what Biden's condition was and how he [00:04:56] was not suited to run for a second term, and if he had won, to serve in a second term. But they were. In my opinion, what happens with the Democratic Party is people are so afraid to offend each other that they just kind of continue heading toward that iceberg. [00:05:13] And I just want to say to everyone who's watching this right now, when someone within the Democratic Party is warning about something, they're not doing it because they're hoping the other side wins. They would just stay quiet if they're hoping the other side wins. [00:05:30] They're raising these concerns with the hope that something will be done about it. So you avoid the iceberg. You know what I'm saying? And so I just see this culture right now within the Democratic Party that's like so counterproductive, where anyone who speaks up about like, [00:05:46] maybe this isn't the right direction or maybe this isn't the right candidate, maybe we need to kind of tinker with our strategy a little bit. They get piled on and then the party just keeps going in the bad direction. It's just. Well, and also like, that's only really the expected case when you're critiquing, [00:06:05] like the centrist direction or whatever. Like those centrists are never chastised for questioning liberals like progressives like on that side. A good point. Like if there's a really progressive candidate in a primary like they they don't get in trouble from those in power if they critique them. [00:06:21] Yeah. I think look, you have to be willing and this is not just around Biden. Some of the the aides and staffers of these senators who have been hiding what they know about the cognitive capacity, they need to be clear about that. And I also I also think there's a lot of people that know what Donald Trump is [00:06:36] like, and they know his ability to control his emotions, his psychological, like all the increasing aggression and vindictiveness and the unwillingness to admit what he doesn't understand, this trade war stuff, it is not it's not the hallmark of a person with a functioning brain. [00:06:51] It just isn't. It's insane to do the things that he's doing, and he's surrounded by people that know that. Okay, but but whatever. He's in power, we're not going to change it. And the Democrats. The fact that they got Biden to step down was a mini miracle. I think it was one of the most unexpected things that's happened [00:07:07] while we've been covering the news. It's never going to happen with Donald Trump. He will die in office before he'll let that happen. Do you remember where you were when you got the news that Biden decided to drop out? I remember where I was when he endorsed her in a tweet. I literally remember exactly where I was walking my dogs. [00:07:24] And I think that might have been. Also, when it was announced he dropped out, I think I was walking my dogs. I was, laying on the sand at Fort Myers Beach. Oh, it was right after the RNC. And, you know, I did a quick pit stop in Fort Lauderdale to visit family. [00:07:40] And we went to Fort Myers Beach, and I remember reading it on my phone and going, oh my God, oh my God. And everyone was like, what happened? What happened? Yeah. And then I explained it and they were like, wow, you're right. No one expected him to actually drop out. He seemed, determined to stay in the race. But final thing that I'll just mention from George Clooney [00:07:57] that I think he's right about, he says in regard to, you know, figuring out who the best candidates are. If you're a Democrat, we have to find some people to represent us better, who have a sense of humor and who have a sense of purpose. [00:08:13] I think the sense of humor part is really important. Like have fun, like show that side of you. I'm going to sound super lame saying this, but it's so true. Like Democrats used to be. Cool, right? - Like they're not. - Obama was pretty cool. [00:08:31] Okay. The days of Obama are so long gone. No, I mean, I don't think there's literally anything. I don't think there's anything cool about almost any of these people. There's nothing cool about these Republicans or whatever. No, I agree. And like, you can't read that book. That's not cool. That's not cool at all. Like, I'm gonna ban sex toys. You're not cool. [00:08:47] - But now there's no one cool. - I think that there's 1 or 2 people. - Of course you do. - Do you disagree? I was in that crowd in LA. It's pretty cool, actually. I think George Clooney should join the Fight the Oligarchy tour. I think that he should be on stage with AOC. [00:09:03] I love the messaging in that tour. I think she's fun. I think she has a good sense of humor. I know you love her. I don't think I'm the only person who know that's not true. - That's not. - True. - Was like, you know what? - I think The Last Jedi was overrated. Garcia should be imprisoned in that Salvadorian facility. [00:09:20] What are her reasons? I'm kidding. Obviously, she would never say that because she's right on these issues. No. Oh. Come on. You don't. - You know, she has a good sense of humor. - They can't. They just give in to the temptations of the flesh too easily. The flesh. The temptations of the mind. [00:09:35] Okay. And the positions behind it. All right, all right. No, I hear you. You love her. We get it. - Anyway. - And Bernie. - I love Bernie. - That's mostly a flesh thing. Yeah. Okay. Sorry. [00:09:51] No, no, no, I love Bernie. Not in that way, obviously. All right. I'm uncomfortable now. Every time you ring the bell below, an angel gets his wings. Totally not true. But it does keep you updated on our live shows.