Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles Weighs in on Trump’s Big Reception at Last Weeks CPAC

Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles Weighs in on Trump’s Big Reception at Last Weeks CPAC

 

Live from Music Row Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. –  host Leahy welcomed Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles in the studio to review Trump’s reception at last week’s CPAC.

Leahy: In studio with us, our very good friend, mayor of Maury County, that bastion of freedom and turbocharged engine of economic growth, Andy Ogles.

Andy, over the weekend, while you were relaxing on Dauphin Island with your family – Did you get back during the weekend?

Ogles: Oh, yeah, we did.

Leahy: You got back during the weekend. So you were able to probably watch the goings-on at the 2021 CPAC conference. The Conservative Political Action Conference. That got started, I guess, way back in 1973, right?

Ogles: Oh, wow.

Leahy: A long time ago. And it was really where Ronald Reagan first rose to prominence a long time ago. So that’s a long time ago.

It’s almost 50 years now. I just have to bring this to you. We’re going to get to what former President Donald Trump said there and what his reception was.

Governor Lee was invited to go down there and he was on a panel. And I got to tell you the name of this panel. Wait for it … He was on a panel with another governor, Governor Stitt of Oklahoma.

And the moderator was Matt Schlapp, who is the president of the group that sponsors the Conservative Political Action Conference.

It was “A conversation on leadership, justice, and jobs in the age of wokeism.” (Ogles chuckles) Now, Governor Lee was there, and our headline tells it all.

It was like a 22-minute advertisement if you will. Schlapp was basically shilling for Governor Bill Lee and Governor Stitt of Oklahoma. Our headline:

No Questions for Governor Lee at CPAC About His Woke Cabinet Members Penny Schwinn and Juan Williams. We’ve reported on this extensively, but it was really of the 22-minute interview mostly about Governor Lee’s criminal justice reform program.

Which, I think criminal justice reform is fine. But they didn’t ask him any questions about his own woke administration. I felt, generally speaking, that CPAC is gone. Well, it’s not quite the pure conservative experience that it was back in the era of Ronald Reagan and leading up to Donald Trump. That’s just my view.

Ogles: Yes. I think when you look at an event like that, it’s not really a journalistic event. There’s no investigative reporting, per se.

And I think for someone like Matt Schlapp, he reads the press releases, and probably from their perspective, the governor is – or appears to be – conservative.

But my guess is, they didn’t scratch the surface to see that Penny Schwinn and the others and its plural in his administration have gone full awoke and really nothing’s been done about it.

Leahy: So I’m going to try to get on Matt Schlapp in here because I’m going to ask him these hard questions. And I think he knows. (Laughter)

I think he knows that Governor Bill Lee is no conservative. He’s more of an establishment Republican guy. He was a deputy policy advisor in the George W. Bush administration.

My view, not yours, but my view. I think history is showing that George W. Bush was not a very good president, frankly. And he’s not a very good post-president.

But that’s just my view. But the world in 2021 is about where this country is today, and if we can make America great again.

We did a great job I think for the four years that Donald Trump was the president of the United States. Now, with the legal but not legitimate occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, who is flouting and violating our immigration laws, looks pretty troublesome.

Former President Trump went down to CPAC, and it was a barn burner. He was very well received.

Ogles: He was kind of the crescendo, the highlight, the grand finale of CPAC. He spoke on Sunday. And, of course, they had a straw poll. Now, keep in mind, CPAC attendees are going to lean conservative.

Leahy: Oh, yeah.

Ogles: Trump just dominated that poll. And with Ron DeSantis coming in a distant –

Leahy: Very distant –

Ogles: Very distant second.

Leahy: I think it was Trump at 70 percent. They do the presidential strap polls and they’re more kind of fun than anything else, I think.

They’re not typical scientific polls or the electorate. But among enthused conservatives who attended CPAC, it was a runaway. We want Donald Trump for 2024 – 70 percent, and DeSantis got 20 percent, and nobody else even got one percent.

Ogles: It was crazy. I was surprised that Kristi Noem – I’m a fan of Governor Noem’s – she didn’t even register on the radar. And it’s not a scientific poll.

But that being said, when you look historically, Reagan got traction there and Rand Paul when he launched his presidential bid, Ted Cruz.

They really kind of spoke to the base to get some of that traction and some of that initial momentum. So it has validity, at least in the beginnings of a campaign. But that being said, it was Trump’s moment for sure.

Leahy: Trump’s had a lot of moments of late. Except, Andy, you can’t find any of these recent moments on YouTube. Did you see this?

Ogles: Oh yeah. They took down his speech, which was Orwellian.

Leahy: It is Orwellian. This claim that they are fair arbiters of public discourse, what a joke that is. They can’t take a punch, shall we say.

And they won’t allow anybody to take a punch at them, even though it’s well deserved because there are a bunch of Big Tech bullies.

Ogles: And I think there’s a growing appetite in Congress to do something about big tech and maybe to treat them more like a utility. And, of course, that’s not going to happen the next year or so.

But after the 2022 midterms and Republicans sweep both Houses of Congress, if I’m Big Tech, I would expect to be broken up in some way or capacity. Because I think that’s coming and it’s coming hard and fast.

Leahy: Well, that is interesting to see how this will all play out. I’m hearing increasingly that the general populace is very very tired of all the overreaches of the Biden maladministration.

That’s what I’m hearing. And I think on our side, I’m hearing and seeing resilience and enthusiasm for taking back the House of Representatives and maybe even the Senate. Even though now that is still 16 months away. It’s a long time.

Ogles: But, I mean, everybody’s getting geared up. I think more people are paying attention. Anecdotally you look at Moms for Liberty Group out of Williamson County.

Those types of liberty groups are popping up all over the country. And it’s individuals. You’re going to expect someone like myself or you to be engaged in politics and maybe be seen at some of these conservative events.

But when you have soccer moms who are busy and they’ve got agendas and kids and all the stuff that goes with that and suddenly they’re going to political rallies.

If you’re not a conservative, if you didn’t lead through COVID, you’ve got problems.

Leahy: From our story about former President Trump’s appearance: Sunday night at CPAC in Dallas, former President Trump took the stage to a standing ovation and a rowdy crowd while headlining the large gathering of CPAC Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas on Sunday.

In a speech that lasted 90 minutes, the former commander-in-chief highlighted a variety of key areas that Republicans across the country are focused on including the 2022 midterms, the Biden administration’s policies, and his lawsuit.

He has a lawsuit against Big Tech platforms. With the help of everyone here today, we will defeat the radical left, the socialist Marxists, and the critical race theorists.

We will secure our borders. We will stop left-wing canceled culture, we will restore free speech and free elections, and We Will Make…here’s the punchline…

America Great Again, Trump said of the prospects of 2022. What do you think? You look at this phrase, We Will Make America Great Again.

In 2020 he said Keep America Great, now it’s regressing back to the Orwellian Democrat dystopia. Will we make it great again, Andy?

Ogles: I think he’s handing out endorsements for the upcoming elections in 2022. And if you look here in Tennessee, it’s now July. Today’s date is the 13th and early voting in Tennessee starts in 12 months.

And so the election, whether it be governor or Congress or whatever, is a mere 12 months away. And I think that’s the case across the country.

And I think President Biden is the gift that keeps on giving. Every time he does something stupid, which is about every five minutes, it’s just a win for the Republicans.

It’s a win for Trump. This idea that they’re going to go door to door on vaccinations – I don’t think that works out well in rural Tennessee.

Listen to the full second hour here:

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Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510. Listen online at iHeart Radio.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All Star Panelist Roger Simon Talks Tennessee’s New Idea of Paying Out-of-State Tourists $250 to Visit the Volunteer State

All Star Panelist Roger Simon Talks Tennessee’s New Idea of Paying Out-of-State Tourists $250 to Visit the Volunteer State

 

Live from Music Row Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed senior editor-at-large at The Epoch Times Roger Simon in studio to weigh in on the un-needed “Tennessee on Me” initiative proposed by Governor Bill Lee offering out of state tourists a $250 airline voucher.

Leahy: Time flies when you’re having fun, Roger. All-star panelist, Roger Simon. Roger, I want you to react to this Tennessee story.

It’s about something Governor Lee has done. Headline. Tennessee to Use Taxpayers Funds to Pay out-of-State Tourists to Visit. What do you think about that?

Simon: Well, first of all, (Chuckles) you say taxpayers’ funds, which is true. Of course, that’s what’s being used. Except that the program is being called “Tennessee on Me.”

Leahy: And it’s Governor Lee’s program. Is it coming out of his pocket?

Simon: As far as I know no. But if it is I have a request if one of his people is listening. Ever since I’ve seen Crazy Rich Asians, I’ve really wanted to go to Singapore they can offer me a ticket or with my wife because I don’t want to go solo.

That would be really kind of great. And I know there’s a little bit much, but we do like to go business when we fly that far because it’s not like going to New York or something.

You’ll end up being a pretzel. But joking aside it seems to me this is kind of nuts because the idea is to increase tourism, but it’s already increasing.

If you were in the city on the Fourth of July, you couldn’t go anywhere because there were so many tourists already here. (Chuckles)

There are so many other ways to spend your money listeners not the governor’s money. Or he claims is his money. He’s a rich guy, but he’s not that rich. (Laughter)

Or don’t make me rich.  This is kind of a sidebar in a way to the all the terrible things he’s been doing like looking the other way when teenage illegal aliens are being dropped off around the corner.

Leahy: He wrote a stern letter I think.

Simon: Oh did he?

Leahy: (Laughs) That’s very effective. By the way, the program was initiated by Governor Bill Lee and dubbed Tennessee on Me will grant $250 airline vouchers to any individual who travels to Tennessee’s largest cities and stays at least two nights.

Simon: It won’t get me to Singapore.

Leahy: Are you going to propose hey, Governor Lee, how about Singapore on me so Roger and his wife can go to Singapore?

Simon: Yeah, well, they’re supposed to have the best street food in the world. Lots of things to be said for Singapore. I mean, if you’re so crazy it’s quite a place. And it’s got the lowest COVID rates in the world. It’s safe!

Leahy: This is so rich in irony. This tweet from Governor Lee. I’m gonna follow it up with Brad Paisley’s tweet right now. Brad Paisley, who’s been hanging with Jill Biden.

Simon: Yes I noticed.

Leahy: I like Brad Paisley. Good artist, but come on, I’m not making this up, Roger. Here’s the tweet from Governor Bill Lee. Tennessee is known around the world for its music scene, scenic beauty, and iconic attractions.

And I’m excited to team up with Brad Paisley to promote Tennessee vacations. 10,000 airline vouchers are up for grabs when travelers book a trip to Tennessee, Lee said in a tweet. Attached to a video by country music artist Brad Paisley.

10,000 of these $250 airline vouchers. You know, a million bucks here a million bucks there. As the late Minority Leader Everett Dirkson once said of the Senate, a billion here a billion there.

Sooner or later, it’s real money. Yeah. But Here’s the tweet from Brad Paisley. The tweet from Brad Paisley came just days after he was there working with the first lady of the legitimate but not legal administration.

Simon: The actual president these days.

Leahy: Yeah, Jill Biden hanging with her now, helping Bill Lee give away $2.5 million to people outside of Tennessee, not on him but on Tennessee taxpayers.

Here’s what Brad Paisley said. Y’all can come to Tennessee on me or wait on Governor Bill Lee or something like that. Anyway, book a two-night stay in Tennessee at tennesseeonme.com and get a free flight voucher #Nowplaying #TNonme. Well, it’s T N on us. There might be another verb we could use there. (Chuckles) 

Simon: Is this going to be a boondoggle for the hotel keepers or what is it because it is booming again. There’s no question that.

And Tennessee and Nashville particularly have been very lucky in coming out of COVID because nobody can go out of the country very easily. It’s not a good deal. So people are looking for someplace to go in the US on vacation.

Leahy: And they don’t need $2.5 million to come here because it’s such a great place.

Simon: They’ve been coming anyway.

Leahy: People come here anyways.

Simon: As I was saying is they can’t go to Paris if they want to go to because going to Paris is a real hassle right now.

Leahy: But they can come to Nashville. And not a good idea Governor Bill Lee. Not a good idea. And it’s not on you.

Simon: Once you heard that you could call it Tennessee on me, he figured it’s really good. I think the on me is the big part of it.

Leahy: This is going to really backfire. And speaking of backfiring. CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference, which has been around since 1970 or so, and it’s been run by the American Conservative Union, currently chaired by Matt Schlapp.

More on him later. In 2020, there was not a CPAC but the 2020 CPAC was held in February in Florida.

Simon: I was there.

Leahy: You were there right? Now the 2021 CPAC is going to be held in Dallas. Former President Donald Trump will be addressing the group.

There will be on Saturday, stifle your laughter here for a moment. I’m going to tell you what this is going to be. Governor Bill Lee will be there sitting on a panel at 12:55 pm this Saturday in Dallas.

Is he paying for his plane trip there with his voucher? I don’t know. Or maybe he’ll be handing out vouchers to people there. What do you think?

Simon: Tennesse has its own special Air Force One?

Leahy: I don’t know, but I’m going to read you the topic on which he is a panelist along with one other governor. And just stifle your laughter until I finish the topic.

Are you ready? The topic it’s going to be moderated by Matt Schlapp of the American Conservative Union. The chairman there. The topic is leadership, justice, and jobs in the age of wokeism. A conversation with ‘conservative’ governors.

Simon: You know Hannity made the same mistake. He gave Lee a big boost here too.

Leahy: A generous interpretation of what Lee has done here in Tennessee.

Simon: What’s going on here is that they’re not really paying much attention to what really is going on.

Leahy: No, they’re not.

Simon: And they’re not paying much attention to the rank and file.

Leahy: No, not at all.

Simon: They never do. That I thought was the Trump revolution. Trump has got to pay more attention to that. I think, a little bit.

Leahy: Matt Schlapp at the American Conservative Union apparently hasn’t been paying attention to what Conservatives in Tennessee are saying or what Bill Lee has done here by bringing in Penny Schwinn as Commissioner of Education.

And then bringing in Juan Williams to be the Commissioner of the Department of Human Resources.

And Juan Williams, on his own, has put together these diversity inclusion councils, which are basically promoting Black Lives Matter, critical race theory stuff, and forcing state employees to do that. Governor Lee has been silent about that.

Listen to the third hour here:

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Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510. Listen online at iHeart Radio.