Political consultants have been proven very wrong time and again over the past few years. Perhaps that has always been the case, but I didn’t really start talking to them until 2015. I fondly remember being told I was insane in September, 2016, on a call with several Republican consultants when I said I was quite sure Donald Trump was going to beat Hillary Clinton.
They laughed at me. They literally laughed at me.
But I’ve had my share of massive failures as well. While I’m not a political consultant (I offer my advice for free, partially because no politician would pay me for my amateur services), I have been held to a certain standard of accuracy with my predictions because I publish them for posterity. The biggest predictive mistake I ever made was declaring after the 2020 Iowa caucus that Joe Biden was done.
That experience taught me a powerful lesson. Nothing is set in stone until the fat lady sings, or something like that. The backdoor wranglings, donor class shenanigans, and most importantly the Deep State manipulations can make the seemingly impossible become a certainty.
The powers-that-be coerced Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar to drop out of the 2020 primary race the week before Super Tuesday, which was absolutely required for the Democrats to nominate Biden and not Bernie Sanders. For those who don’t recall, both Buttigieg and Klobuchar were ahead of Biden in delegates at the time and Klobuchar had her home state coming up. It made no sense for them to drop out unless the plan was to help Joe beat Bernie.
The powers-that-be made 85% of voters either skeptical of the Hunter Biden laptop three weeks before the 2020 election, or completely unaware of its existence. I’m not sure there’s been a time in the digital age when something so shocking was as successfully covered up. In a poll conducted earlier this year (which I can’t seem to find but I’m not imagining it), even a large percentage of Democrats said they wouldn’t have voted for Biden if they knew about Hunter’s laptop.
And yes, the power-that-be can take an insurmountable lead by the current GOP frontrunner and decimate it through lawfare, lies, and outright fraud. Anyone who thinks Donald Trump is certain to be the nominee as of August, 2023, hasn’t been paying enough attention the last decade. The globalists learned their lesson following the 2016 election. They will never underestimate Trump or his base ever again. They will fire all weapons, pull every available string, and unleash every dirty trick in the book to destroy him.
Take all of that as you will. Trump’s supporters can use it as a rallying cry to not get complacent despite his massive lead in the polls. His detractors can take it as a grain of hope. As Lloyd from Dumb and Dumber might say, “So you’re telling me there’s a chance.”
It’s Time for Trump to Switch Gears
It’s important to understand that my advice to the Trump campaign to focus on Democrats is NOT because I think he’s locked in. It behooves him to start acting like he’s locked in for the nomination in order to make it so; the longer he lingers on attacking DeSantis, the more attention he gives him. When Trump puts all of his focus on beating the Democrats and stops paying attention to the Republican contenders, they’ll start falling off.
The best time to do this is during or just after Wednesday’s GOP debate. If I were advising him, I would make sure he at least hints to if not explicitly announces that he’s putting his efforts going forward to beating the Democrats during his interview with Tucker Carlson.
The message after Wednesday should be, “Beat the Democrats.” And that doesn’t just mean Joe Biden. That means Gavin Newsom, Michelle Obama, and anyone else who gets rumored to be a Biden replacement. It also means going after Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, and Democrats on Capitol Hill who are vulnerable in 2024. Trump needs to establish that he’s going to help down-ballot and the easiest way to do that is to start hitting Democrats in all relevant races.
The only Democrat he shouldn’t go after is Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Some of Trump’s potential general election voters are fans of RFK Jr. Moreover, RFK Jr is focusing his attacks on Biden, not Republicans, so there’s no need to draw him into a multifront battle. Let him go after Biden unabated.
If I were advising Team Trump, I would start laying out attacks through social media, emails, interviews, and in video messages to his base about multiple Democrats throughout the day, every day. And while I know there’s pride involved, it behooves Trump to return to Twitter (I’m not calling it “X” until I have to). From there, he’ll be able to use other Republicans as well as his base as massive force multipliers. Truth Social is an echo chamber. He’s not reaching anyone there who needs convincing.
He could advance his campaign messaging, remain in the news cycle incessantly, and start truly unifying the party before the Iowa caucus if he puts all of his efforts toward highlighting the idiocy of Democrat Party leadership. His fundraising would go through the roof. But if he continues to focus on his nomination opponents, he’s wasting valuable time. The nomination may not be locked up but it’s time for him to start acting like it is.
Again, this is advice for Team Trump. By no means am I telling anyone who supports his GOP opponents to give up. I wouldn’t want anyone telling me to give up on my preferred candidate if I still had hope and I would never tell anyone else to do it. This is about Trump’s strategy, not a call for anyone else to stand down. Lord willing, we’ll all come together as patriots sooner or later. I’m just hopeful that it’s sooner and the fastest path to get their in my humble opinion is if Trump starts working in that direction immediately.
Let me know how you feel about this on my Substack.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
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