Heads We Lose, Tails We Still Lose (Guest: Mike Madrid)

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On our radar this week…

Yes, the Donald Trump one-dollar coin is now in circulation. It’s just a matter of time until the faux gold coin is available in a special gold case exclusively on the website More Trump Crap for Sale Dot Com.

The fall campaign is underway in Michigan, with ballots going in the mail beginning in just 3 weeks … unless the Supreme Court backs Donald Trump’s clearly unconstitutional plan to have the Post Office decide who votes. Both Abdul El Sayed and Jocelyn Benson have small leads according to the latest polling from EPIC-MRA and MSU’s Institute for Public Policy and Social Research.

The poll by our longtime podcast supporter Bernie Porn shows both Benson and El-Sayed with four-point leads … at the edge of the poll’s margin of error. Fully two-thirds of voters surveyed give Donald Trump a negative job approval rating, with 63% saying the economy has gotten worse under Trump. MSU’s polling shows Benson with a 9-point lead, and El-Sayed leading by 5.

Those numbers come even before the impact of Trump’s temper-tantrum tariffs on Canadian goods kick in, and Canada is united politically behind Prime Minister Mark Carney’s hardball response to a President he calls a bully.

VIDEO – “Blame Canada” (Lincoln Project)

The EPIC-MRA poll also shows overwhelming opposition in Michigan to data centers.

73% of Michigan voters oppose “current federal tax breaks and other federal policies that were put in place to encourage and speed up the development of data centers” – including 67% of respondents who had a favorable view of Trump
62% of Michigan voters oppose “the development of data center facilities in Michigan”

State Democrats formalized their statewide ticket over the weekend in a convention where the name Donald Trump dominated … and not in a good way. One major concern voiced by Democrats: Trump’s ongoing campaign to create chaos over the voting process. Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist, who is running to be Michigan’s chief elections officer as Secretary of State, made it clear that Michigan will be ready for whatever Trump throws at us.

One of the potential voter suppression tactics on the list of potential Trump illegal abuses: sending the military the polls on election day in violation of federal law to intimidate voters or seize ballots. Senator Elissa Slotkin says the Army Chief of Staff has assured her in writing that it won’t happen.

Mike Rogers may have added to his woes by backing the Trump war on Canada. In an interview on Fox News, he tap danced around the issue … claiming Trump’s economic battle with our neighbors is actually good for the state, something denied by Democrats and the leaders of the auto industry.

John James says he’ll eliminate the state’s flat-rate income tax in phases. There would be two major impacts: gutting every state agency including road and bridge maintenance, State Police, education, prisons and public health… and giving a huge tax cut to Betsy DeVos and the state’s other wealthiest people.

Republicans will hold a Trump Tribute convention in Dallas this week, with most elected Republicans skipping the event. The highlights: speeches by Trump and J.D. Vance … both speeches being delivered at the same time as week one NFL games.

In news of the Trump property management agenda: an announcement that work will begin in two weeks on the Arc D’Trump, still another monument to the real Trump Derangement Syndrome.

A victory for Michigan voters, an unsuccessful petition drive to require every Michigan voter to re-register and prove their citizenship – was back in court. Mark represented opponents of that ballot proposal and once again and won! He fills us in on the details.

Another election related case went into court this week over the issue of fusion voting. Jeff is the lead plaintiff in the case, Mark is his attorney which means our listeners get the full inside story.

Joining the podcast this week is political strategist and consultant Mike Madrid. Mike is known for his expertise in Latino voting trends. He co-founded the Lincoln Project and has worked with both Republican and Democratic candidates, while also serving as a lecturer at various universities and authoring the book “The Latino Century: How America’s Largest Minority Is Transforming Democracy.” He is the host of the weekly podcast “MikeDrop”.

Next Monday marks the 144th annual observance of Labor Day. Labor Day began in the late 19th century as a response to the harsh working conditions faced by American laborers. The first unofficial Labor Day celebration took place on September 5, 1882, in New York City, organized by the Central Labor Union. This event featured a parade where thousands of workers marched to advocate for better working conditions and fair wages.

Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894, recognizing the contributions of workers to the nation’s strength and prosperity. It’s being celebrated in Detroit with a the traditional parade which begins at 9 a.m. and the final day of the Detroit Jazz Festival in Hart Plaza.

Some news about the podcast. We’ll be recording our first-ever podcast with an audience next week. Jeff and I will bring the podcast to the Lakeshore Progressives in Grand Haven on Tuesday,. If you would like to be a part of the audience, send us an email and we’ll get you the details. Our email: ARepublicPodcast@gmail.com.

Perhaps the most iconic of all of Detroit’s Labor Day events was 66 years ago, when then-Senator John Kennedy spoke to a massive crowd in Cadillac Square, immortalized by iconic photos by legendary Detroit Free Press photographer Tony Spina. Link to the text of JFK’s speech.