Will Trump Turn Presidential Race into Reality Show?

Donald Trump is joining the list of wealthy celebrities who desire occupancy in the Oval Office. The thought of having the star of the reality show “The Apprentice” running the nation is frightening to some, but let’s face it, this group of aspiring presidential candidates resembles a reality show.

Photo courtesy of Gage Skidmore

Let’s scrap the ridiculous current method we use to choose a president, put all the candidates together on a reality show and let them get voted off one by one. The survivor becomes president. We could call it “America’s Got No Presidential Talent.”

This might actually get the American public involved, since they’ve demonstrated much more interest in casting votes for reality shows than in participating in the presidential election process. 

Trump brings instant credibility to this novel approach. His show, “The Apprentice,” has been on the air for eleven seasons. That’s as long as “Happy Days” survived, its demise accelerated by Fonsie’s ill-fated jumping of the shark. 

Donald Trump is the shark in this group of presidential candidates. He has a history of devouring his enemies. When you hear him speak, you get the feeling he would go on a feeding frenzy around his opponents.

Trump has already figured out the political strategy of counting on people's short term memories. In 2008, Bush was his choice for worst president ever. Now he says Obama has replaced Jimmy Carter for that dishonor.

Maybe if we put all the presidential contenders on an island or in a house, surrounded by television cameras, people might realize they don’t have to wait for a president to provide change. They have the power as voters to create change if they can just find a candidate in whom they believe.

Trump and Sarah Palin would likely be the most entertaining of “America’s Got No Presidential Talent,” but they’d have a strong supporting cast including Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, Haley Barbour, Michelle Bachmann, Herman Cain, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty.

Okay, the group does have its weak spots. Romney is a bore, but he does make up for it with his good looks, which is important in television. Plus, the name Mitt conjures up a great reality television name from the past- Puck from “The Real World.” Maybe there is a mystique about being named after sporting equipment.

Tim Pawlenty may not be Mr. Excitement, but he does have the cool nickname, T-Paw. Cool nicknames can take you a long way when you have nothing else going for you, just ask Robert Matthew Van Winkle, known to fans of “The Surreal Life” as Vanilla Ice.

Courtesy of DonkeyHotey/Greg Skidmore

Newt (yet another great reality TV name!) would be the Russell Hantz of the show. Hantz was the “Survivor: Samoa” star who earned a reputation for being evil. Even Hantz may never have stooped as low as Gingrich is claimed to have done by discussing divorce with his wife in a hospital room where she was recovering from cancer

Maybe we could catch lightning in a bottle and have a Flavor Flave- Brigitte Nielson type fling between Michelle Bachman and Haley Barbour. Nothing is unbelievable in reality television.

Courtesy of DonkeyHotey/Bruce Tuten

Sarah Palin might be the Schatar “Hottie” Sapphira, of our show. “Flavor of Love” viewers remember Hottie for trying to cook a raw chicken in the microwave. Of course, if Palin did that, she would likely “refudiate” it.

Talk show host Herman Cain can be the Tanisha Thomas (“Bad Girls Club 2” and “Celebrity Fit Club”) of our show- loud and intimidating. Mike Huckabee would be the Tammy Faye Bakker (“The Surreal Life”) of the group, providing his religious inspiration to the others.

Ron Paul would be the guy who is mocked and picked on. His opponents would all claim he had crazy ideas, only to realize after the end of the show that he was the best informed of the bunch, much like in the 2008 Republican Presidential Candidate debates.

 Donald Trump fits right in with this group. Why shouldn’t he run for president? Comedian Pat Paulsen did. Six times! He had great campaign slogans like, “I’ve upped my standards. Now up yours,” and, “If elected, I will win!”

The difference is that people didn’t take Paulsen’s presidential aspirations seriously. Trump is being taken seriously. With a persona eerily similar to that of WWE bully Vince McMahon, Trump has managed the unthinkable. He has stolen the media spotlight from Charlie Sheen!

People are obviously more interested in being entertained than in questioning why their president is ignoring the Constitution. They have already turned their attention away from our attack on Libya and are focused on “Dancing With the Stars.” It is all just a big joke. Don’t laugh, America, because the joke is on you.

Tedd Webb Questions America's Support of Patriot Act

Tedd Webb unleashes a red, white and blue assault on America's political leaders in the second part of my two-part interview with the veteran broadcaster.

Tedd, who is heard on 970 WFLA in Tampa, Florida, tells me why he left the sports world for the political arena, claims the Democrats and Republicans are providing very little difference in results, explains why neither party will seriously tackle illegal immigration, and calls for a third and fourth party with credible leaders to step forward.

Tedd echoes many of the viewpoints expressed on this blog in past weeks, charging that President Obama plays for the same team as George W. Bush, warns of the dangers of allowing our leaders to ignore America's system of checks and balances, and questions how a true American can support the unpatriotic Patriot Act.


My thanks to Tedd for taking time to share his views on this edition of Blucher Uncaged!

Tedd Webb Explains Effect of Internet on Radio Industry

Internet is killing the radio star, but Tedd Webb marches on. The veteran broadcaster has survived nearly fifty years in the industry.

From his beginnings as a teenage disc jockey, through his many years as a sportscaster and into his present gig as a news/political talk show host, Webb has seen many changes in radio.

photo courtesy of Tedd Webb

One thing that hasn’t changed is Tedd, who remains an iconic figure in Tampa Bay. He has defied the odds in the nomadic world of radio by working for 970 WFLA since 1983! I had the pleasure of working with and learning quite a bit from Tedd during my three years with WFLA in the early '90s.

Tedd was kind enough to join me for the following podcast to discuss the changes he has seen in the radio industry and how the rise of the Internet has accelerated those changes.

Check back for part two of my interview with Tedd, in which we tackle many of the subjects that have been discussed on this blog. It’s a no punches pulled, no holds barred conversation, and Tedd Webb isn’t one to sit on the fence with his opinions.

Where's the Beef With This War?

I have been floored by the lack of American protests regarding President Obama ordering us into a third war. Other than a few extremely clever videos

and some amusing satirical cartoons that have appeared on the Internet,

most Americans have expressed little outrage. Am I not doing an effective job as a blogger?

Bloggers can, and have, made a difference, as Dan Rather, Trent Lott, George Allen, and Jeff Gannon have all discovered.

Audience size obviously plays a big part. A blogger can increase his or her audience by getting their URL into Facebook and other social network sites, promoting their posts on Twitter, and linking to other blogs. It takes much work.

Maybe I’m spoiled. As a broadcaster, I often had a ready-made audience. When I did play-by-play for the Brockton Rox, an independent baseball team in Massachusetts, I also had the added thrill of getting immediate reactions. From my perch in the broadcast booth at lovely Campanelli Stadium, I could look down upon the crowd and see many people listening to my broadcast on their radios. I would say something on the air and actually watch people respond. They were able to see the game unfolding right before them, but many still wanted to hear what I was saying about it. It was a huge compliment. I was blown away.

Joined in the broadcast booth at Campanelli Stadium by Hall of Famer Ernie Harwell

With this blog, I am still working to obtain an audience and to establish a voice. If it causes one person to question his or her own beliefs, whether or not it changes them, I’ll feel as if I have made a difference. Maybe blogging will open the door to a new or bigger audience. Since I feel the two-party system is failing us and I most closely identify my political beliefs with those of the Libertarian Party, maybe I will wind up focusing on getting their message heard. I am also anxious to experiment with podcasts given my success in radio. The Internet has opened so many possibilities.

For now, my podium is this blog, and if it resonates with someone and they respond by protesting a war, I will likely have the same feeling I did when I stated something to my radio listeners in Brockton and a dozen fans turned in their seats, looked up at the broadcast booth, and gave me a smile and a thumbs up!

George Dubya Obama?

Barack Obama promised us change. Since implementing his health care plan, I’ve struggled to see any change between this administration and the previous one. Obama has increased troops and the financial commitment to Afghanistan, still has troops in Iraq, has continued the expensive “war” on marijuana, extended the unpatriotic Patriot Act and has done nothing about Guantanamo Bay. Now, he has started a war with Libya without Congressional approval.

In medical school, they have the Hippocratic Oath. In a president’s oath of office, he swears to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” We might start referring to the presidential oath as the Hypocritical Oath. Check out this quote:

“The President does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation.”

That was then-Senator Obama back in 2007, responding in the Boston Globe to a question about under what circumstances a president would have the authority to bomb Iran without first seeking authorization from Congress. How is Libya an actual or imminent threat to us, unless it has something to do with (gasp) oil? Republican Congressman Ron Paul explained on CNN that while it may be a noble gesture, it is unconstitutional.

What is really interesting is that many Democrats have failed to rally behind Obama. Dennis Kucinich, on RT.com, even called it an impeachable offense.

Our poor track record in the Middle East should cause us to beware unintended consequences, but here we go opposing Gaddafi when we really aren’t certain whom we are supporting. Never mind the fact that we can’t afford a third war. What’s another billion or two when you are broke? Our elected officials have an easy time spending our money and don’t seem to have a problem sending our brave young soldiers to die even when we aren’t under attack.

It felt like an appropriate time to wear one of my favorite political t-shirts today, one that shows an elephant behind a donkey mask and a donkey behind an elephant mask and asks, "You Call This a Choice?"

I keep expecting Obama to pull off his mask revealing he is actually George W. Bush. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

Where is the change?

Marijuana Re-Legalization Requires Joint Effort

The Liberty Underground Show, which promotes Libertarian views, recently sent an e-mail to every elected official in the Florida State House and State Senate, asking:

 1. Do you support allowing the citizens of Florida to vote on Medical Marijuana?

 2. If not please explain why?

The supplemental information provided many excellent reasons not just for allowing Floridians to vote on medical marijuana, but for the overall re-legalization of pot.

I asked show host Alex Snitker, a 2010 candidate for Florida senator, if going directly after re-legalization of pot would make more sense than targeting only medical marijuana. He replied in an e-mail "completely understand where you are coming from but we have to push the bills that are up there. This one will work if we focus on it. One step at a time." 

There are, however, major problems with that approach. A worker who is legally using medical marijuana can still be fired from their job if they fail a drug test, even if they aren't "high" at work. The DEA can still raid medical marijuana growers as it just did in Montana.

Re-legalization proponents and medical marijuana supporters must work together. Although support is mounting for ending the costly war on pot, the opposition remains formidable. It includes those in the business of arresting, jailing, testing and treating. The tobacco and alcohol industries work hard to keep pot illegal because they perceive it as competition, as does the pharmaceutical industry. Chemical, plastics, timber and fuel companies all oppose the legalization of hemp. The federal government does not allow independent testing of marijuana, the testing it does allow studies possible harmful effects and completely ignores the potential medical benefits. Its anti-pot propaganda, which has often portrayed myths as facts, has been extremely effective. Or has it? 

FBI figures reveal more than 850,000 people were arrested for marijuana violations in 2009, nearly 90% of them were charged with possession only. 
Despite prohibition, studies have shown marijuana use is on the rise with more than 16 million Americans smoking it each month.


So, maybe another question should be posed to our elected officials- How can you "just say no" to re-legalizing marijuana?

Retailers- Greedy or Needy?

When you walk into many retail stores, it is next to impossible to find anyone to offer you assistance. Those employees you do see have that ‘deer in the headlights’ look because they are frantically attempting to do the jobs that once required two or three employees to complete. It is hard to understand why retailers appear understaffed, considering the Labor Department says the unemployment rate dropped again last month. That's refreshing news for our economy, especially after viewing the unemployment growth the past few years on the map below.



We should keep in mind their numbers reflect the amount of people requesting unemployment benefits. The actual percentage of unemployed Americans is much higher than the 8.9% cited by the Labor Department.

Increased hiring was seen in manufacturing, construction, transportation and government agencies. That was certainly related to an increase in spending, as retailers reported increased sales in the wake of the best holiday shopping season since 2006.

While the decreasing unemployment rate is positive, economists suggest retailers that cut their payrolls during the past few years need to begin hiring again in order for our country to continue climbing out of this economic mess. However, as MarketWatch recently reported, retailers appear to be lagging behind other industries in hiring. That is not unusual this time of year because typically when the holiday season ends, business slows. However, retailers reported revenue gains for February.

Why aren't they increasing payroll hours? Is it greed or caution? One valid argument often heard is the government is imposing too many taxes and regulations on businesses. However, retailers need a strong economy to flourish, and that isn’t going to reach maximum potential until they loosen the purse strings on their payrolls. What a great public relations opportunity for a bold major retailer to be the first to step up and proclaim, “we are leading the way in hiring, creating more jobs because it will help the American economy, although it may cut into our profits initially it is the patriotic thing to do.”

In the retail business world, can patriotism trump greed?