Talk show host Randi Rhodes invited recently dropped radio talk show host Fernand Amandi onto her internet program today. When Randi Rhodes suggested that Fernand Armandi run for Congress in 2018, Armandi was hesitant at first. After a brief interchange, both hosts agreed that they could run as a team for two seats to represent Florida districts.
RANDI RHODES
Randi Rhodes is a long-time radio host, first working for local radio, then making a national name for herself on Air America Radio, which was shut down not long after a major corporate boycott of the network silenced its free speech. Randi Rhodes went back to radio until she retired. After a bout with breast cancer, Randi Rhodes returned to daily talk on the internet last summer. Her program appears on YouTube and on Progressive Voices Radio weekdays 4 to 6 pm ET. She was recently given a clean bill of health by her doctors.
FERNAND AMANDI
Fernand Amandi was dropped from his radio talk show by conglomerate iHeart in May. Formerly known as Clear Channel Communications, iHeart radio is the largest holder of radio stations. Despite passing one hundred million listeners, the network is in trouble.
Update: neither Randi Rhodes nor Fernand Amandi decided to run. They both continue their programs.
CONVERSATION AND CONTEMPLATION
Today, on The Randi Rhodes Show, this conversation took place:
RHODES: Oh, speaking of Congress, didn’t little Ileana Ros-Lehtinen retired down there where you are, Fernand?
AMANDI: Well, she certainly has suggested that she’s not gonna run for reelection.
RHODES: Then what are you doing?
AMANDI: What do you — what do you mean, what am I doing?
RHODES: You personally. Look. Let’s just face it. You’re stunning. You’re Cuban. You’re smart, and you know you have TVQ through the roof. Why don’t you run for Congress?
AMANDI: [laughs] Well, Randi, before I run for anything, I gotta figure out, you know, what we’re gonna do about this country and what the best way to fight for this country is because — I’ll be honest with you, Randi — as the son of Cuban exiles I feel like I’ve seen this movie before. And I am as concerned as anybody about what’s happening in our country …
AMANDI: I’m not considering right now or even thinking about running for Congress, but if — I will explore whatever opportunity is on the line to defend our country.
RHODES: I want you to run for Congress.
AMANDI: [laughs] Thank you for — thank you for support, Randi.
RHODES: No, here, check this out, you run down there and I’ll run up here, and we could do fund raising together. So, cause we’re gonna need like — well, I think you need like three million to be considered viable.
AMANDI: Are you saying that we’re gonna do it like a slate? In that case, former radio hosts of the world unite. I might be interested in that case, Randi …
RHODES: I’m serious. I’m really serious … I’ll run because my Congresswoman is Lois Frankel. Haven’t heard a peep out of her. Haven’t heard a peep. So, yeah, let’s do it…
REPUBLICAN COMPLICITY
Also during the conversation, Fernand Amandi voiced his concern that the Republican Party was complicit with Donald Trump:
AMANDI: I think one of the mistakes that folks on the progressive side of the aisle are making is in trying to continue to pit this as a partisan issue — and what I mean by that is not to suggest that the current Republican Party leadership in Congress doesn’t seem to be complicit with the president — they are.
Establishment Republicans and “Outsider” Donald Trump have been nearly in lock step with polices, despite grumbling for public relations purposes. As examples, Donald Trump and Republicans agreed to deregulate ISP privacy, end net neutrality, and now work together to renege on Donald Trump’s promise of a “terrific” health care system that would cover everybody. The latest health care proposals do the opposite — drastically cut coverage and hand huge amounts of tax cuts disproportionately to the one percent.
Update: Neither decided to run in 2018.
RUSSIAN COLLUSION
While much of the media harps upon the extent of Russian collusion with the Donald Trump; campaign, less time is been spent upon Republican dirty tricks to game elections. While Russia had a large role in promoting Donald Trump, and while evidence of collusion is mounting — Republicans have been regularly stealing elections since 2002, the next election after a 5-4 partisan Supreme Court stopped the count in Florida and handed the White House to George W. Bush.
Any investigation of elections should put the Republican Party first and foremost in gaming elections, as per the Web Line News in-depth report Gaming Elections in the New Millennium, 2016 Election Result was Quite Predictable.