Episode 257- This Vote Should be Unanimous. It would save Democracy

What if the media's portrayal of presidential candidates is more fiction than fact? Rich Helpe tackles the disillusionment with the upcoming U.S. presidential election, challenging listeners to rethink the stories they consume. By illustrating a fictional scenario of media misreporting, Rich exposes how sensationalism breeds division and misinformation. He calls for a revolution in journalism, urging citizens to abandon biased sources in favor of platforms that uphold investigative integrity and factual discourse. Through this transformative approach, we can empower ourselves to hold politicians accountable and cultivate a healthier political landscape.

Continuing the discussion, Rich navigates the sensitive terrain of political and judicial issues, questioning the Supreme Court's stance on defining gender and exploring the broader implications for women's rights and free speech. Delving into cultural controversies, including the commercial impact of transvestism, he emphasizes the crucial role of consumer choice and voting in shaping society. With a commitment to nonpartisan dialogue, Rich encourages thoughtful engagement and reflection, inviting listeners to join The Common Bridge for insights that inspire a more informed and participatory democracy.

Transcript

Richard Helppie 0:01

Welcome to this episode of Season 6 of the Common Bridge, where policy and current events are discussed in a fiercely nonpartisan manner. The host, richard Helpe, is a philanthropist, entrepreneur and political analyst who has reached over 5 million listeners, viewers and readers around the world. With our surging growth in audience and subscriptions, the Common Bridge continues to expand its reach. The show is available on the Substack website and the Substack app Simply search for the Common Bridge continues to expand its reach. The show is available on the Substack website and the Substack app Simply search for the Common Bridge. You can also find us on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. The Common Bridge draws guests and audiences from around the political spectrum and we invite you to become a free or paid subscriber on your favorite medium.

Speaker 2 0:44

Hello and welcome to the Common Bridge. I'm your host, rich Helpe, here on the eve of the historic election of November 5th 2024. If you haven't voted yet, please do so. Register and vote. Vote your conscience, vote your intellect. I'd like to share with you today, for those of you that like to listen or view our material, a column that I wrote that will be posted later today. That is this. The column is entitled this Vote Should Be Unanimous and it Will Save Democracy.

Speaker 2 1:19

On the eve of a national election for President of the United States of America, there is tension, distrust and anger. At least, there is tension, distrust and anger according to much of what we read, view and listen to. Don't turn away from the threat. Stay tuned. Let's be candid. Both major parties have again delivered subpar. Presidential candidates. Both Republicans and Democrats have maneuvered the election to another lesser of evils contest. Voters can choose who they are voting against. Enough voters will be casting their ballots uninformed or misinformed to make a difference in the contest. Now I would have liked to write most voters will be casting their ballots uninformed or misinformed, because I believe that is true, but it's more difficult to defend. So once again, in our country of 330 million, we are choosing to be represented by one unqualified or one unfit person, or the other Half of America is going to be very disappointed in the outcome whenever the count is confirmed to be final. At least there is consensus on that. We should all be disappointed in the outcome, but there is another, more crucial vote available that would change this pattern of horrible candidates for president.

Speaker 2 2:50

Wait, did you hear the news? One candidate just condemned and damned 193 countries. Headlines have been relayed around the world by every major news organization 193 countries, damned. It's right there from trusted news sources. Let's go to our panel to discuss.

Speaker 2 3:17

The next day turns out the candidate actually said God bless America, but the established media told their audience that what the candidate really meant was to hell with every other country and the gullible who didn't like that candidate ate it up and repeated it. Then the supporters of the candidate in question castigated the established media and the partisans on the other side. Question castigated the established media and the partisans on the other side. And then it is time to wait for the next false reporting to come, hoping it is favorable. Also important. The tale about a candidate saying God bless America and having it reported as condemning other countries is one I made up. To the best of my knowledge, it is a complete fabrication for illustration of the established media business model. Perhaps you were mapping a candidate and a news source onto this narrative, which would prove the point. No one could blame you for doing so.

Speaker 2 4:17

Due to the 11th hour recirculation of long debunked false reporting, meanwhile, more days pass without a substantive conversation about health care, housing, national security, food supply, firearms, access to education, the federal deficit and other important matters. But we are so very entertained by the outrage while our country slowly circles the drain. We could fix this with a single vote. We would expect this vote to be unanimous. We have the ability to vote to banish the established media ecosystem once and for all. One vote from each of us system. Once and for all. One vote from each of us. We could vote the bums of partisan media out and vote in actual journalists and investigative reporters.

Speaker 2 5:08

With just a change in habits and choices, with the fourth estate actually doing their jobs, politicians in all parties would be forced to behave better and speak better. Who knows, maybe do their jobs on behalf of the country. Imagine a world where interviews with a presidential candidate were not heavily edited to create a false impression of a favored person. Imagine a world where one didn't have to ask themselves what was actually said or what actually happened when reading headlines of the day. All we, as news consumers and free citizens, need to do is turn off the partisan propagandists and spend our time and money with the rising new media model, while the partisan hacks, propagandists and false reporting also exist on new platforms. There are enough honorable journalists and investigative reporters finding voice and audience beyond the established media ecosystem.

Speaker 2 6:15

The charlatans are easy enough to spot and avoid. If you find yourself consistently affirmed emotionally in what you are reading, you may be in the grip of the old media model if they're trying to take you one direction or the other. Granted, there would be those among us who would miss the toxic fury of their political opponents being called Nazis. Others would miss the confrontational exaggeration about enemies, real and imagined. There are many from all points on the political spectrum who are just annoyed and exhausted that there are viewpoints other than their own. It may be comforting to hear exaggerations and falsehoods that support your bias exaggerations and falsehoods that support your bias. However, ultimately you'll pay the price in rage when the other viewpoints just don't die, as your commentators wish, or perhaps the holders of the opposing views die, as has been suggested.

Speaker 2 7:14

Whatever, find some place or some topic you can agree on. It isn't that difficult Conceding that populists, genuine or otherwise, got to be popular. It does not mean turning away from repeated examples of one's favorite candidate not understanding the job of president or questioning their pathological fixation on crowd size. A smile and a shrug. Do not hold those we put in power to account. A smile and a shrug do not hold those we put in power to account. It just creates a pathway for the next outrageous statement.

Defending Democracy and Truth

Speaker 2 7:47

It is infinitely more dangerous when people are afraid to speak a contrarian view. We are all in trouble when a political party brings a Supreme Court justice who refuses to define what a woman is, sees the First Amendment as a problem because it hamstrings government, and no one from that political slant will rise to protect women, defend the First Amendment or admit they once supported thinking that the one-year anniversary of transvestism should be celebrated by a president or memorialized on a beer can. And just as millions quit buying the beer in question, we can all quit reading, watching or listening to the sources that have lied to us repeatedly, break their business model by not being the chump at the table, and if you haven't voted already for national, state or local offices and referenda, please exercise that right in whichever way you choose. God bless America, and I sincerely mean that in a good and hopeful way. And this is your host, rich, helpe signing off on the Common Bridge.

Richard Helppie 8:59

Thanks for joining us on the Common Bridge. Subscribe to the Common Bridge on Substackcom or use their Substack app, where you can find more interviews, columns, videos and nonpartisan discussions of the day. Just search for the Common Bridge. You can also find the Common Bridge on Mission Control Radio on your RadioGarden app.