The Claville Report Ep.1 Transcript

[00:00:00] Eric Claville: Hi, I'm Dr. Eric Claville and you've tuned in to The Claville Report where we discuss policy, law and politics. If you're like me, these three areas tend to dominate our lives every single day. Every time you turn the news on every time you turn the radio on, it seems like there's something about politics.

[00:00:25] There was something about public policy. There's something about law. That we tend to need to know about, well, on this report, it was created to pull back the covers and to eliminate the white noise and to really understand the reasoning behind what's being said, as a professor, I teach from the premise of you should not only know ,and understand what is being said but also understand what's not being said.

[00:00:59] Understand [00:01:00] how it's being said. I understand where is being said and understand when it's being said the same is true when it comes for the written word as relates to public policy, public policy itself, I believe is the most powerful tool in dictating the course of any society and thereby dictating the course of our lives.

[00:01:25] Also,the Law which of course is a part of public policy itself because the law itself governance every aspect of our lives in understanding these principles and understanding the importance of policy, law ,and politics. We are going to start to take a look at issues affecting you today and understanding the history and the foundation of it.

[00:01:52] And then we'll pull back the covers. And ask ourselves, why is this happening in the way that it's happening [00:02:00] and where can we go from here? One thing that we're about, we're not about personal opinion. We're not about what should and should not be, but rather we're about what is and what can be. So today, as we talk about the GOP are known as The Grand Ole Party.

[00:02:23] The GOP or The Republican Party as it's called, is the second of two major parties in our country. Of course his main rival is The Democratic Party. Now, of course, we do have some minor parties that do make noise and, and do push the envelope as it relates to. Issues and policies affecting us such as the green party as, or as it relates to conservation.

[00:02:51] And in green energy and policy is, uh, affecting, uh, just the average person and issues as it relates [00:03:00] to ensuring that our country itself evolves. Revolves around the issues of real people on the ground. But the grand old party itself has been around since 1854. And it was founded on the principles of American conservatism, fiscal conservatism, and social conservatism.

[00:03:26] Now you may be surprised to know that the party was started by Abraham Lincoln in part with several other individuals. Yes, Abraham Lincoln ,the president who's known as one of the greatest, if not the greatest of all amongst African-Americans and all Americans. When you talk about the union, because he freed the slaves and he also helped to bring the union back together during a very perilous time known as The Civil War, 1861 to 1865, but the [00:04:00] party, the Republican party at that time is much different then Republican party of today, many say that the Republican party of today is not like the Reagan conservatives many say that they're probably a party of today is a party that has great ideology, but flawed leadership. Some may say the exact opposite, but today we see a Republican party that is dominated by his major leader of our former President Donald J. Trump. So we'll ask ourselves, how do we go from Abraham Lincoln to Donald J. Trump? And what is the foundation of the Republican party today? I'm just saying. Absolutely a party is known for

[00:04:54] VOA News: The Republican party favoring, a smaller federal government, as well as conservative social policies. However, [00:05:00] this was not always the case.

[00:05:01] The party was founded in 1854 by northerners who wanted a stronger federal government and who opposed the expansion of slavery in Western states? The party's second ever candidate for president Abraham Lincoln wins the presidency in 1860 and goes on to preserve the union and abolish slavery.

[00:05:20] Following the North's wind of the civil war, the Republican party dominates the nation's politics for the next 70 years. During this time, the party champions and expansion of federal power party leaders. Also back the 15th amendment they're in team to vote for. African-Americans. The party's dominance comes crashing down with the great depression Democrats blame the economic collapse on Republican pro-business policies.

[00:05:46] Over the next 50 years, Democrats mostly control national politics with only one Republican party. Gaining power Republicans develop a conservative response to the Democrats expansion of the federal government that started [00:06:00] during the great depression. The changing policies of the parties leads to a demographic switch with many African-Americans moving to the democratic party and many Southern whites switching to the Republican Party.

[00:06:12] In the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan wins over a large majority of the country with his policies. In recent decades, Democrats and Republicans trade control over the presidency,

[00:06:35] recent Republican presidents, George W. Bush and Donald Trump champion, and even smaller role for the federal government and the further right on social policies.

[00:06:52] Eric Claville: One thing I really believe in, and I teach from understanding history. When you understand the history [00:07:00] of something, it's the foundation, the actual foundation of what, why something exists or why it was actually created and understanding the history of why something was created. Then you have a great base to now understand where it should.

[00:07:19] And when we take a look at how the Republican Party started under values of conservatism, both American social, and also fiscal, you now understand how it started to change. So let's take a look at the social aspect. There are two areas I want to take a look at right now, social and then fiscal, because this is where I believe that the party has lost. Its way .

[00:07:47] Social conservatism in the educational video you saw where at the turn of the great depression, the party started to turn. You had a lot more African-Americans in [00:08:00] the party during the time of his creation, primarily again, because of his history, you have the great emancipator. So whatever party he's a part of, you're going to be a part of that party.

[00:08:12] If you were a part of that emancipation. Granted we understand, but now the Great Depression hits and then you have this rise of social activism toward civil rights and social justice. So now you have this president who comes in the office by the name of John F. Kennedy who understands and wants to create.

[00:08:38] This push toward a more equal and equitable. And I don't think we got to equitable just yet, but a more equal and equitable society. So we started to embrace who we know as the civil rights leaders of today, those civil rights leaders. Of course, the one that comes to mind is of course, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, [00:09:00] Jr.

[00:09:00] But we know that so many others work behind the scenes and out. Of course, we mourn the passing of one of the great civil rights leaders in government who worked tirelessly for individuals having the right to vote and not just the right to vote, but the right to actual have their voices heard. And that's John Lewis and we know that this.

[00:09:28] This is something that African-Americans gravitated towards the democratic party for it, because of that. And after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, we now have LBJ LBJ that actually pushed over the finish line, the policies and the dream. Well, actually the dream that JFK had through policies, he was the man.

[00:09:53] Literally for that time, he was the one that could talk. And understand [00:10:00] the politics of that day. I think we have someone in office now whose time is now and as president Joe Biden, who I see as an LBJ. Right. But we'll get to that in another Claville Report, but will we see what has taken place during the time of the civil rights movement?

[00:10:19] LBJ believed by signing that Legislation, that civil rights legislation from '64 to '68 to '70, by signing those policies. He believed that we were, in his words, the democratic party was being pushed, meaning the whites in the Democratic Party to the Republican party. And he was correct. That's exactly what happened.

[00:10:45] So where the Republican party was created on creating equity and equality. As it relates to all people by their actions of abolishing or stopping slavery, abolishing slavery, and [00:11:00] creating citizenship

[00:11:01] and voting for newly freed slaves. We now see how those actions were pushed back or stop in part through Jim Crow and then an actual turning away from those actions at the signing of the civil rights legislation

[00:11:21] Eric Claville: so now we have a party that is focused on a different type of conservatism, fiscal conservatism and American conservatism. So what does American conservatism really mean? American conservatism means a country that is the opposite of the policies that the democratic party is pushing thru. Again, we talked about the social aspect of our country.

[00:11:51] And now we see in America that most individuals in the Republican party believe is changing in a way that they, [00:12:00] for the most part, probably don't like, it's a society that's becoming more inclusive or diversified, which it always has been. But again, let's make, make sure we understand as a party that's coming a country.

[00:12:16] That's getting a seat at the table. You now have, African-Americans a position of prominence. You have brown Americans in positions of prominence and nonwhites and system in positions of prominence across our country. And this is what America should have always been. Right. But now we see a changing of the guard, the changing of the guard at these places and these seats of power, which is proper what we have apart.

[00:12:45] That may not like that some in the party may not like it to change as fast. So now let's take a look at fiscal conservatism in [00:13:00] fiscal conservatism. Their idea was a smaller government, less taxes, more independence, states' rights, which goes back to, uh, age of civil rights. But let's deal with the money aspect

[00:13:15] it's a party that believe that we should have low debt, low taxation, and were states themselves should actually be able to spend most of the money. But unfortunately, over the years, what we've seen is a party that has increased spending decreased taxes yes. Across the board, but increased spending.

[00:13:39] Little by little by little privatized government under Reagan, little by little by little, and then blew up the country's fiscal health under president Trump. And I'm speaking pre pandemic [00:14:00] COVID-19 pandemic. That is prior to that, we had a tax cut that started under president Trump in his first. 15 months .Where after that tax cut was passed, we are barring pre pandemic $100 billion per month in order to feel the void of a tax cut that was given as $1.2 trillion a year to replace the money that the tax cut gave on the high-end and very heavily to the top three percent .

[00:14:40] And we kept spending to me. I believe the Republican party has lost its way. That's not fiscal conservatism. That's not really what we believe the GOP [00:15:00] was created for on the foundation.

[00:15:07] What is the GOP? The GOP itself became a party that started doing Barack Obama, creating awareness of the vision with dog whistles about race, dog whistles, about what was good for the country, as it relates to healthcare, meaning as socialism being attached to the affordable care act, also known by as Obamacare

[00:15:33] it's a party that creates the term of bipartisanship only when it's not in power of working across the, across the table to stop various policies from moving forward from a policy standpoint. That's what we're seen and from an standpoint of action [00:16:00] many people believe that those dog whistles, those various misinformation campaigns that were started, took a hole in a grip in the hearts of the people.

[00:16:15] And it created what we saw in the last four years of Donald J. Trump. And during that time period, he represented the voice. He represented the face and he represented the heartbeat of those who are in the Republican party. That's why so many members were afraid, tentative or not willing to go against him while he was in office.

[00:16:49] And even now, because he controls and influences the voters in. Their Districts [00:17:00] so much to where those individuals can actually you both them out of office. So who are these people? What is the face of this particular party today from Abraham Lincoln to Ronald Reagan, to Donald Trump.

[00:17:21] On January 6th, The Face of that party showed up at the white house for a rally

[00:17:34] On January 6th the face of their party showed up in Washington, DC. On, January 6th. The faces of that party showed up to actually stop a democratic process. Happened for over 200 years known as a peaceful transfer of [00:18:00] power, where the legislators that we voted into office go to cast their vote in order to certify the voice and the will of the people so that their choice for president can represent the country or the neck, Presidential term of four years.

[00:18:26] This is the face of the party that blasts the Democrats and everyone else for not being respectful to law enforcement. This is the face of the party that pushed against barriers that was set up to keep them out of areas that were closed. This is the face of the party that actually.

[00:18:52] Beat up and assaulted and unfortunately killed one police officer. This is the [00:19:00] face of the party that trespass on federal property. After being told not to come in, this is the face of the party, that planet pipe bombs at the RNC and DNC. This is the face of the party that still carries a flag that represents the Division of a Confederacy that was defeated in a civil war in 1865. This is the face of the party that storm, the Capitol broke windows went inside, threaten law enforcement that came inside the Capitol, a place, the house of the people, a place that is so sacred to the rest of the world. It's the symbol of freedom.

[00:19:50] It's a symbol of democracy. It's a symbol of a peaceful transfer of power. But on that [00:20:00] day it was desecrated. This is the face of the party. It says we don't care what takes place. If we don't like it, we're going to force to change it. This is the face of the party. That's had congresspersons hiding in the balconies, hiding in the crypt, underground in the U.S. Capitol, their lives being threatened and them afraid for their, their all lives and their fellow. Congresspersons. This is the face of the Party. So when you ask yourself who is a Republican party today, look no further than January 6th look no further than the President of the United States, former president [00:21:00] that praise these individuals, not just on January 6th, but also in Charlottesville that did not speak against the individuals that wanted to kidnap.

[00:21:13] The Governor of Michigan and the Governor of Virginia and execute them for those of you that love your party for those of you that love the foundation. And the reason why the GOP was founded of American social and fiscal conservatism. I want you to look in the mirror and understand who the face of your party is in America and across the world.

[00:21:43] We go through phases of change, and this is the same. You have the power to change. You have the power to create a new beginning. You have the power to forge a new and brave

[00:22:00] future. The question becomes, will you have the courage to do it? And will you do it in time?

[00:22:12] Thank you for joining us on this Claville Report, where we talk about policy, law, and politics. And until next time be well.