According2Sam Podcast

When President Kennedy gave a speech to the American Newspaper Publishers Association in 1961, just a week after the Bay of Pigs fiasco, he asked them to take on the tremendous task of informing the American people. Despite the lack of an official declaration of war, he also asked them to employ wartime disciplines in protecting national security. He said with respect to every story ask, “Is it news?” He also suggested they ask, “Is it in the interest of the national security?” He implied all information should be available to the public in a free and open society unless it falls in the narrow scope of national security. Do Hillary Clinton’s illegally deleted emails fit into the scope of national security? Do the DNC emails that WikiLeaks published? Join the conversation and get answers to these questions and more on According2Sam episode #14.

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Hillary’s Clinton’s emails where a constant theme throughout the 2016 election, going back to the primary when ‘Bernie Bros’ tried to raise the issue to give Sanders an advantage. Bernie Sanders famously said in a debate with Clinton, “The American people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn emails!” It was ominous, because the American people were going to hear a lot more about Clinton’s emails, along with emails from the Democratic National Committee and her campaign chairman, John Podesta. Emails, particularly Hillary Clinton’s emails, would remain a prominent issue the election throughout the campaign. How are Hillary Clinton’s emails distinguished from the DNC and John Podesta emails, and why does it matter? Join the conversation and get answers to these questions and more on According2Sam episode #13.

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When President Trump proclaimed that he was a “nationalist” it sent shockwaves around the world. He had been championing nationalist views and policies from the moment he came down the escalator in Trump Tower to announce his candidacy. He had been using nationalist terminology, such as “America First” and the term: “Americanism”, but until now he had never used the word nationalist. Many in the media sought to use the new label as a means to accuse the president of racism, claiming he used the word to send a dog whistle to white nationalist. However, the president has made it clear on several occasions, his form of nationalism wasn’t distinguished by race, but by it’s opposition to globalism. What is globalism? What is Americanism, and how are they different? Join the conversation and get answers to these questions and more on According2Sam episode #12.

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You may have heard, “There’s no such thing as a stupid question”. Yet, people ask stupid questions all the time. Sadly, many of these stupid questions come from the mainstream media directed to the Trump administration. However, many times they are not questions at all. They are cleaver, and not so cleaver, accusations masking as questions to create a false narrative. This tactic has been used many times to accuse the president of crimes, misogyny, sexism, bigotry, and racism. How has this deceitful and unethical tactic created a contentious relationship between the Trump administration and the media? How does President Trump’s harsh rebuke of this tactic, particularly with black female reporters, reinforce the false narrative of him that they are attempting to portray? Join the conversation and get answers to these questions and more on According2Sam episode #11.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.according2sam.com

The October surprise is about the only thing you can count on in American politics today. Sometimes it is an organic surprise that benefits a Party or candidate, but other times it is a well-planned and well-organized surprise meant to benefit a certain Party or candidate. When two weeks before the 2018 Congressional election crudely made bombs were sent to prominent Democrats everyone knew it was an obvious October surprise. The question was if it was organic, or not, and which Party would benefit? Who is to blame for the discourse in this country, and how did the political discourse in this country contribute to the October surprise? How is president Trump responsible? How are prominent Democrats and the media responsible? Join the conversation and get answers to these questions and more on According2Sam episode #10.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.according2sam.com

The murder of Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi embassy in Turkey was a ripple that cause a wave in Washington DC. The President of the United States and others in Congress who have been ardent defenders of Saudi Arabia in the past are caught in a PR nightmare as they weigh the relationship between the Kingdom and the United States. Businesses and investors are pulling out of the Saudi Vision 2030 project to diversify their economy from oil, and many wonder if the young Crown Prince, Mohammad bin Salmon will survive the debacle. Why should Americans care about a journalist killed in an embassy in Turkey? What does this have to do with you? How will this be used to score points on President Trump? Join the conversation and get answers to these questions and more on According2Sam episode #9.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.according2sam.com

As a caravan of thousands of migrants move towards the United States from Honduras, immigration is once again front and center in the national debate just weeks from the 2018 Congressional elections. Recent polling, particularly among Latino voters, suggest immigration is not generating the support for Democrats that they expected. The same polling suggests that Republicans are doing better with Latino voters in 2018 than Trump did in 2016. What are the issues that are important to Latino voters, and how will this key voting block help decide the balance of power in Congress? What message will Republicans and Democrats be sending to voters in the final days of campaigning? Will there be a ‘blue wave’, or will Republicans hold serve? Join the conversation and get answers to these questions and more on According2Sam episode #8.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.according2sam.com

The conformation of Brett Kavanaugh has been one of the most controversial political events of the Trump presidency, even before the allegation by Dr. Ford was made public. Her claim that Kavanugh attempted to rape her 35 years ago when he was in high school has created an even greater fervor around his conformation by those on the Left and Right. Yet, no matter how you feel about the Judge or Dr. Ford we must all be worried about erosion of longstanding values that we hold dear; the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, due process, and evidence based conclusions. Are these principles being abandoned in the discussion about about Brett Kavanaugh and Dr. Ford? Join the conversation and get answers to this question and more on According2Sam episode #7.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.according2sam.com

Section 1 of Article Two of the Constitution states that no Person except a “natural born Citizen” shall be eligible to be President of the United States. For years, legal scholars have debated the meaning of “natural born Citizen”. Several candidates for president have been accused of being ineligible to hold the Office based on this clause, but the issue has yet to be settled by the courts. In each case these debates have been viewed as legal or political issues, until Obama was challenged on this clause and it was viewed as a racial issue. Was Obama’s legitimacy to be president challenged based on his race, or are there legitimate questions as to whether he is a natural born Citizen of the United States? Join the conversation and get answers to this question and more on According2Sam episode #6.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.according2sam.com

The Tea Party was a conservative, grassroots, movement that started in America towards the end of the George W. Bush administration. It was a reaction to failures of the Bush administration and the loss of power by the Republican Party. The Tea Party was focused on fiscal responsibility, the national debt, and the size and scope of the federal government. When Obama was elected the Tea Party turned their focus to his administration. They were termed a racist movement because of their opposition to Obama’s policies. Was the Tea Party a racist movement? How was racism used to combat the Tea Party politically? Join the conversation and get answers to these questions and more on According2Sam episode #5.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.according2sam.com