From Campaigning to Comedy: An Evening with Matt Vilardebo

Barrett Gruber: 00:01:49

The all about nothing podcast may have language and content that isn't appropriate for some.

Barrett Gruber: 00:01:54

Listener.

Barrett Gruber: 00:01:54

Discretion is advised.

Barrett Gruber: 00:01:58

Welcome, nothingers, to another episode of the all about nothing podcast.

Barrett Gruber: 00:02:01

This is episode number 228.

Barrett Gruber: 00:02:03

I am Barrett Gruber.

Matt Velardebo: 00:02:05

I am Matt Velardebo.

Barrett Gruber: 00:02:10

Zach, would you do that one more time just so people know you're here?

Zach: 00:02:13

Bye, Baaake.

Barrett Gruber: 00:02:17

Zach is Zach.

Barrett Gruber: 00:02:18

Zack's been away for almost a month, and he's acknowledging it, but I don't think he understands it is almost a month because I recorded two episodes of the hall of Horrors.

Barrett Gruber: 00:02:32

Because one episode, the audio was so crappy that you couldn't hear anybody.

Barrett Gruber: 00:02:37

And then the second episode we recorded to replace that one, the audio was also not great.

Barrett Gruber: 00:02:43

I went ahead and published that one anyway after I did as much work to it as I could.

Barrett Gruber: 00:02:48

But I'm beginning to think that the hall of Horrors is actually haunted because there was such an immense level of frustration to trying to record there and.

Zach: 00:02:58

Trying to say hall of Horrors.

Barrett Gruber: 00:03:00

But he's saying, am I saying hall of horrors?

Matt Velardebo: 00:03:04

No, I mean, I hear horrors.

Barrett Gruber: 00:03:06

Horrors.

Matt Velardebo: 00:03:07

I struggle with that word too.

Matt Velardebo: 00:03:09

My tongue gets, like, real lazy on that repetitive.

Zach: 00:03:15

Martin's brothel.

Barrett Gruber: 00:03:22

Hall of horror.

Barrett Gruber: 00:03:23

Horrors.

Barrett Gruber: 00:03:24

Oh, is it?

Barrett Gruber: 00:03:25

Yeah, there's no a in it.

Barrett Gruber: 00:03:26

Horrors.

Barrett Gruber: 00:03:27

Horrors.

Matt Velardebo: 00:03:29

Horrors.

Barrett Gruber: 00:03:30

I hear what I hear.

Barrett Gruber: 00:03:32

What now?

Barrett Gruber: 00:03:34

I hear what I'm doing.

Barrett Gruber: 00:03:35

It was the hall of h o r r s.

Barrett Gruber: 00:03:38

Horrors.

Barrett Gruber: 00:03:39

Horrors.

Zach: 00:03:39

Alexa.

Barrett Gruber: 00:03:40

Horrors.

Barrett Gruber: 00:03:41

Okay, I'll do better.

Barrett Gruber: 00:03:42

It's the hall of horrors.

Barrett Gruber: 00:03:45

And then, and then we have.

Barrett Gruber: 00:03:46

We recorded an episode last week with Donald Brock and Leora Green.

Barrett Gruber: 00:03:50

Thanks for them being on the show.

Barrett Gruber: 00:03:52

That actually went like two and a half hours of recording.

Barrett Gruber: 00:03:55

So I turned it into two episodes.

Barrett Gruber: 00:03:59

Works out really well for me.

Barrett Gruber: 00:04:01

So.

Barrett Gruber: 00:04:01

But thanks to Donald Brock Junior and Leroy Green.

Barrett Gruber: 00:04:04

Donald Brock, of course, soda City comic con.

Barrett Gruber: 00:04:06

We did a whole recap of what went on with the soda City Comic Con as well.

Barrett Gruber: 00:04:12

We have the coastal Comic Con in Wilmington coming up in March, which we have been expressly told that we have to be there for.

Barrett Gruber: 00:04:20

, which will be in October of: 2025

Zach: 00:04:29

I genuinely hope you told Brock we want unfettered access.

Barrett Gruber: 00:04:34

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Zach: 00:04:35

We have to be there then.

Zach: 00:04:37

The bar is unuttered.

Barrett Gruber: 00:04:39

Yes.

Barrett Gruber: 00:04:40

I'm also working on trying to get us rooming.

Barrett Gruber: 00:04:43

So.

Barrett Gruber: 00:04:44

So, yeah, because I don't want to pay for that.

Barrett Gruber: 00:04:47

I mean, you know, if we're there as talent, then I feel like, you know, they should take care of that.

Barrett Gruber: 00:04:52

Right?

Barrett Gruber: 00:04:52

You know, work it into the deal.

Zach: 00:04:54

Well, it's a march.

Zach: 00:04:55

It's a march con, right.

Barrett Gruber: 00:04:56

March 1 and second.

Barrett Gruber: 00:04:58

March 1 and second.

Barrett Gruber: 00:04:59

Wilmington Convention center.

Zach: 00:05:00

My wife is due in April, at the end of April, so.

Barrett Gruber: 00:05:03

Okay.

Barrett Gruber: 00:05:04

Oh yeah.

Zach: 00:05:05

Stay close to my phone.

Barrett Gruber: 00:05:07

Good.

Barrett Gruber: 00:05:08

Okay.

Barrett Gruber: 00:05:09

Good.

Barrett Gruber: 00:05:10

Please subscribe.

Barrett Gruber: 00:05:10

Also here, Matt Velardobo, candidate for South Carolina house District 26.

Barrett Gruber: 00:05:16

We're going to talk to Matt about some of the campaign and such.

Matt Velardebo: 00:05:18

Oh yeah.

Barrett Gruber: 00:05:19

Please subscribe and share the show.

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That's how we get new listeners.

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Also, if you could, please consider supporting the show financially by visiting our website and clicking on the support link.

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Also want to mention, ever play sports and social?

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Late fall signup is going on now.

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Seven week bowling at bell, Bolero and Casey ends October 23.

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Sign up now@everplaysocial.com.

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for details and registration.

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You can do that.

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You want to sign up now because it's definitely going to, definitely going to fill up.

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It's a seven week this season, uh, coming up for late fall, and we are now taking up all but two lanes of the, of, of the whole Bolero in Casey.

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So definitely show up.

Barrett Gruber: 00:06:07

Cool.

Barrett Gruber: 00:06:08

Definitely sign up.

Barrett Gruber: 00:06:09

So, uh, let me see.

Zach: 00:06:12

Can we talk about what we all had to witness last night?

Zach: 00:06:15

Did you, Barrett?

Barrett Gruber: 00:06:17

I did.

Barrett Gruber: 00:06:18

I watched it today.

Matt Velardebo: 00:06:19

So, so real quick, before I want to hijack the podcast real quick, very special moment.

Zach: 00:06:25

Oh God.

Matt Velardebo: 00:06:26

I've got a little present here for my buddy Barrett and my campaign manager.

Matt Velardebo: 00:06:32

It's a Matt Velardobo challenge coin.

Matt Velardebo: 00:06:38

It's kind of hard to see, but it's got the Matt Villardobo campaign logo and it says experience proven ready and thank you for your support.

Matt Velardebo: 00:06:46

And on the back it says thank you, hash SC 26.

Matt Velardebo: 00:06:51

Barrett has been working, doing this gratis, and if the least I can do is give him some sentimental little knickknacky thing to show my love, appreciation and respect for him, I would like to do that.

Matt Velardebo: 00:07:04

So here you go, sir.

Barrett Gruber: 00:07:05

I appreciate that.

Matt Velardebo: 00:07:06

That'll be a keepsake for you to remember this campaign season, brother.

Barrett Gruber: 00:07:10

That is really cool.

Zach: 00:07:12

Nice.

Matt Velardebo: 00:07:13

It's in plastic.

Matt Velardebo: 00:07:16

You can take it out.

Matt Velardebo: 00:07:17

It's a big heavy coin made out of brass.

Barrett Gruber: 00:07:20

That is really, really cool.

Zach: 00:07:22

The PG ten.

Matt Velardebo: 00:07:24

I wish I hadn't used red lettering.

Matt Velardebo: 00:07:26

It's kind of hard to read, but, you know.

Barrett Gruber: 00:07:27

No, yeah, but this is, this is really cool.

Barrett Gruber: 00:07:30

And, and.

Barrett Gruber: 00:07:30

And in the wake.

Barrett Gruber: 00:07:31

Now, you did this before Donald Trump came out with his new silver coin.

Matt Velardebo: 00:07:35

Oh, yeah.

Matt Velardebo: 00:07:35

I mean, okay.

Matt Velardebo: 00:07:36

I mean, mine aren't bigly.

Barrett Gruber: 00:07:38

That's really cool.

Barrett Gruber: 00:07:40

Thank you.

Barrett Gruber: 00:07:40

I appreciate that.

Matt Velardebo: 00:07:44

Maybe the best challenge coins ever made.

Barrett Gruber: 00:07:49

Of.

Barrett Gruber: 00:07:50

I think that's really.

Barrett Gruber: 00:07:51

That's a really neat token, and I appreciate it.

Barrett Gruber: 00:07:53

You're welcome, brother.

Barrett Gruber: 00:07:54

It is.

Barrett Gruber: 00:07:55

I will.

Barrett Gruber: 00:07:56

I will admit that, you know, sometimes I'll get a text message from early in the morning from Matt, as I've already been on at work for like 2 hours with my offshore.

Barrett Gruber: 00:08:08

And by the time I get a text message from Matt, I usually read it and go, okay, let me see when I can figure out when I can do this for him, because it's, you know, I'll say, you know, you have to.

Barrett Gruber: 00:08:20

You have to keep the website up to date.

Barrett Gruber: 00:08:22

You have to make sure.

Zach: 00:08:23

I've also seen Barrett scream and bite the steering wheel in its bar.

Barrett Gruber: 00:08:29

Yep.

Barrett Gruber: 00:08:29

That's.

Barrett Gruber: 00:08:30

Yeah, but that's.

Barrett Gruber: 00:08:31

We're not driving anywhere.

Barrett Gruber: 00:08:32

And Zach insists on being behind me.

Barrett Gruber: 00:08:36

It's.

Barrett Gruber: 00:08:36

It's weird, but.

Barrett Gruber: 00:08:38

Yeah, no, it's.

Barrett Gruber: 00:08:39

Campaigning in South Carolina, especially if you're a Democrat, is not an easy thing to do.

Barrett Gruber: 00:08:44

There's the.

Barrett Gruber: 00:08:45

The republican party gets a pretty easy ride.

Matt Velardebo: 00:08:48

Oh, yeah.

Barrett Gruber: 00:08:49

And you have to stay relevant.

Matt Velardebo: 00:08:52

Yes, you do.

Matt Velardebo: 00:08:53

And you sometimes have to generate relevance to stay relevant.

Barrett Gruber: 00:08:57

So, yeah, there's relevancy.

Zach: 00:09:01

Does not mean you make up stories about people in Ohio.

Matt Velardebo: 00:09:05

Correct.

Matt Velardebo: 00:09:06

I have made up zero stories to remain relevant.

Matt Velardebo: 00:09:08

That is for sure.

Barrett Gruber: 00:09:10

No, we've even had to fight off stories.

Matt Velardebo: 00:09:12

Yeah.

Matt Velardebo: 00:09:12

I mean, good lord.

Matt Velardebo: 00:09:14

Yeah, I know.

Matt Velardebo: 00:09:15

That debate last night, just to round back to that.

Matt Velardebo: 00:09:18

Holy shit.

Barrett Gruber: 00:09:19

Yeah.

Zach: 00:09:19

We supposed to fact check.

Matt Velardebo: 00:09:21

That was like way more chill than I thought it would be, though.

Matt Velardebo: 00:09:25

I mean, overall, I was.

Matt Velardebo: 00:09:26

I was underwhelmed.

Barrett Gruber: 00:09:28

So I'll say this, and I think that, and I still have doubts of JD Vance's republicanism.

Barrett Gruber: 00:09:36

He is.

Barrett Gruber: 00:09:37

He is a good actor.

Barrett Gruber: 00:09:39

That fills the role of whatever it is.

Barrett Gruber: 00:09:42

Whatever role it is he's trying to fill.

Matt Velardebo: 00:09:44

Yeah.

Barrett Gruber: 00:09:45

And for the last two and a half years, he's been filling the role as a Republican from Ohio.

Zach: 00:09:51

Well, he had to rub all the crusty shit from Donald's ass off his nose before he went out.

Barrett Gruber: 00:09:55

Yeah.

Barrett Gruber: 00:09:55

Yeah.

Zach: 00:09:57

It started to build up as he spoke.

Zach: 00:10:00

There was times where he's just playing the part that he's supposed to play well.

Matt Velardebo: 00:10:04

And, you know, he got picked because Trump knew he would show up at that vice president debate.

Matt Velardebo: 00:10:09

And you know, skirt answering directly if Trump lost the election.

Matt Velardebo: 00:10:14

So, you know, this guy wasn't picked for his integrity or like, him being like, you know, some maverick.

Matt Velardebo: 00:10:20

He was picked because he had fallen line and toe the line.

Zach: 00:10:23

Well, and then Tim talked about, you know, gun violence and his son being witness to gun violence.

Zach: 00:10:29

And, you know, you know, Vance was like, I'm sorry your son had to see that.

Zach: 00:10:33

Trump probably goes, what is he doing?

Zach: 00:10:35

He's like, that's called, you know, humility.

Zach: 00:10:37

And.

Matt Velardebo: 00:10:37

Yeah, Trump.

Matt Velardebo: 00:10:38

And Trump can't recognize what he just saw.

Matt Velardebo: 00:10:41

Oh, my gosh.

Barrett Gruber: 00:10:41

What, what did he just say?

Barrett Gruber: 00:10:46

I think, I think every, I, I suspect that every time that Vance and Wall said, and Vance probably agrees and, you know, and, you know, and walls probably agrees, you know, every time they did that little exchange, I guarantee you that Trump was shitting his pants because he doesn't, he.

Barrett Gruber: 00:11:04

There's no way that he wants his Republican VP candidate to ever acknowledge that there's any close ties or there's any.

Matt Velardebo: 00:11:14

Agreeance, cordiality, you know.

Matt Velardebo: 00:11:16

Yeah, he's blue.

Zach: 00:11:18

They've done me like, why are we doing this?

Zach: 00:11:21

Like, just, oh, imagine a world where people could agree on things even though they don't align the same.

Barrett Gruber: 00:11:27

It used to happen, you know, it.

Zach: 00:11:30

Used to happen all the time.

Zach: 00:11:31

Tim waltz talked about, you know, the border security, how there was a bipartisan effort to get this bill.

Barrett Gruber: 00:11:37

Yeah.

Zach: 00:11:38

And then it was never really truly attacking.

Zach: 00:11:41

Jody Vance came back on things he said, but even it was more like the dude you're running with, the guy holding your lead right now is the problem.

Zach: 00:11:52

Yeah, that's what he kept pointing to.

Zach: 00:11:54

And when James tried to do the same thing, it kind of came off.

Barrett Gruber: 00:12:00

I want to ask a little bit about the Kamala Harris's.

Barrett Gruber: 00:12:04

I guess the misconception from the right is that she's inexperienced, that she has no idea what she's doing, that why hasn't she done more during the four years that she had as vice president?

Barrett Gruber: 00:12:20

I don't have it pulled up in front of me, but I thought that maybe it would have been appropriate to potentially pull up the constitution and actually look to see what it is that the constitution says that the vice president's job is.

Barrett Gruber: 00:12:31

And basically the vice president is at the beck and call of the president.

Barrett Gruber: 00:12:36

And that's it.

Barrett Gruber: 00:12:37

The vice president doesn't.

Barrett Gruber: 00:12:39

Yeah, the vice president doesn't get to set agenda, doesn't get to make any sort of, you know, any, any sort of policy now they get to, they assist, I'm sure because they're part of the cabinet that they're in on, unless you're John Adams.

Barrett Gruber: 00:12:55

And then, and then Washington basically, basically screwed John Adams.

Zach: 00:13:00

Well, that's the part of the emptiness that Vance had was, well, she could have done something now.

Zach: 00:13:07

There could have been exec like, the vice president doesn't make these executive orders.

Zach: 00:13:11

They are literally, like you said, Barrett, the call directed by the president to do what they need to do, their power is not all reaching executive orders.

Zach: 00:13:22

That the VP could do that.

Zach: 00:13:24

What the president can do.

Barrett Gruber: 00:13:26

Right.

Zach: 00:13:26

It was, it was just kind of just nonsense every time.

Zach: 00:13:30

Like, well, she could have been fixing it now.

Zach: 00:13:32

Well, what does he think?

Barrett Gruber: 00:13:36

Yeah.

Matt Velardebo: 00:13:36

Yeah.

Matt Velardebo: 00:13:37

And up until Dick Cheney, really, in the modern era, vice presidents are pretty inconsequential.

Matt Velardebo: 00:13:42

I mean, if something, heaven forbid, happens at a president and the VP needs to step up and be president, that's different.

Matt Velardebo: 00:13:49

But even then, we don't.

Matt Velardebo: 00:13:51

They don't really do much a consequence until that tap on the shoulder comes.

Barrett Gruber: 00:13:55

The VP is really chosen by the presidential candidate.

Matt Velardebo: 00:13:59

It helps them win the election.

Barrett Gruber: 00:14:01

Yeah.

Barrett Gruber: 00:14:01

It's the whole idea who's the same.

Zach: 00:14:04

That Trump gets elected.

Zach: 00:14:05

He doesn't dump JD Vance in a hole.

Barrett Gruber: 00:14:07

Oh, yeah, whatever.

Barrett Gruber: 00:14:10

Well, and that's the other thing.

Barrett Gruber: 00:14:12

The president can't just fire the vice president.

Barrett Gruber: 00:14:16

That doesn't.

Barrett Gruber: 00:14:16

It doesn't work.

Barrett Gruber: 00:14:17

The vice president is elected into that office, and in order to be removed from that office, the vice president has to be impeached or they invoke the 25th amendment on the vice president.

Barrett Gruber: 00:14:29

It's not you just, the president can't fire the vice president.

Barrett Gruber: 00:14:33

That's why Trump couldn't get rid of Pence before the.

Matt Velardebo: 00:14:37

He tried to have him killed by an angry mob.

Barrett Gruber: 00:14:40

Killing was the quickest round, let me tell you.

Barrett Gruber: 00:14:43

I thought that was pretty outstanding, what walls did to pen or to Vance on.

Barrett Gruber: 00:14:48

He said, he said, but that's why he was like, that's why.

Barrett Gruber: 00:14:51

That's why he's here.

Barrett Gruber: 00:14:52

That's why.

Barrett Gruber: 00:14:53

That's why, you know, JD Vance is here, is because Donald Trump didn't, or Pence did go ahead and certify the election.

Zach: 00:15:02

And then the whole non answer, we all saw that.

Zach: 00:15:05

Like, of course he's not going to answer.

Zach: 00:15:07

No, there's not a single person in Trump's camp that is still there that would answer that question.

Zach: 00:15:13

As it should be answered.

Barrett Gruber: 00:15:14

Yeah.

Matt Velardebo: 00:15:14

Yeah.

Zach: 00:15:15

January 6 was an abomination.

Zach: 00:15:17

The vote should have been certified.

Zach: 00:15:19

Was the election stolen?

Zach: 00:15:20

No.

Matt Velardebo: 00:15:20

Donald Trump lost that election fair and square.

Zach: 00:15:23

Was he a loser?

Zach: 00:15:24

He was absolutely a loser by millions.

Zach: 00:15:28

I'm still in time loser.

Barrett Gruber: 00:15:29

I am.

Barrett Gruber: 00:15:30

I am dumbfounded.

Barrett Gruber: 00:15:31

So one of the, one of the.

Barrett Gruber: 00:15:34

We can.

Barrett Gruber: 00:15:34

We can talk about the vice presidential debate a little bit more, I think.

Barrett Gruber: 00:15:37

But I think one of the things I wanted to ask you both about is how many times do you come in, I guess, in contact or in someone else's realm that gives you misinformation about things as far as the election or Trump versus Harris, that sort of thing, where when you start to give them correct information that debunks what they've said, that they then say, well, I don't know anything about that.

Zach: 00:16:09

Well, you meet that massive wall of cognitive dissonance, right?

Barrett Gruber: 00:16:12

Yeah.

Zach: 00:16:13

That's the first thing.

Zach: 00:16:15

No, you can rationalize it and believe in your head for a minute that it's true, but accepting it's true reality is too harsh to go ahead and lie on that path.

Zach: 00:16:27

So they just keep at what they've already been doing.

Zach: 00:16:30

That's what I always run into.

Matt Velardebo: 00:16:32

Yeah.

Matt Velardebo: 00:16:32

And, you know, I can tell you that I'm at that point in my life where I don't really get into it with folks.

Matt Velardebo: 00:16:39

Once they start dropping, like, the talking points and just parrot back what they're hearing, you know, from Trump directly or from whatever media outlet is, you know, amplifying his voice, I'm there to have, like, real discussions and things like that.

Matt Velardebo: 00:16:55

So I do.

Matt Velardebo: 00:16:56

I mean, I don't have any qualms with basically saying, hey, listen, I don't know if you're a really up for this conversation with me.

Matt Velardebo: 00:17:02

I think, you know, you're gonna find yourself getting frustrated with me quickly because I just.

Matt Velardebo: 00:17:08

I just got no time for it anymore.

Matt Velardebo: 00:17:10

I used to be that guy where it's like somebody would say something wrong or just completely, and I'd be like, what are you talking about?

Matt Velardebo: 00:17:17

That is not even remotely true.

Matt Velardebo: 00:17:19

And then they would just move on to the next, you know, talking point, and it just.

Matt Velardebo: 00:17:24

It's running into a wall.

Barrett Gruber: 00:17:25

I think that's one of the things that I run into the most, whether it's, you know, in laws, that sort of thing.

Barrett Gruber: 00:17:31

Those conversations where I get.

Barrett Gruber: 00:17:34

I'll get a text message that has a link to a video that says that, you know, that when Harris is elected, that she's gonna get us into war, that we're, well, you know, or just other facts that they have come up with, and then they've substantiated their facts because there's someone on YouTube that's got a fair number of viewers.

Barrett Gruber: 00:17:58

And now they've, now they've solidified their opinion because there's somebody else out there with their opinion.

Barrett Gruber: 00:18:06

But when I have those types of conversations.

Barrett Gruber: 00:18:08

Oh, sorry.

Barrett Gruber: 00:18:08

I keep giving thumbs up when I have those types of conversations.

Barrett Gruber: 00:18:14

The thing that, let's see.

Barrett Gruber: 00:18:16

Will it give me a hard.

Zach: 00:18:17

I literally only did it because I'm on the iPhone.

Matt Velardebo: 00:18:19

I can't believe my campaign managers made hard hands.

Barrett Gruber: 00:18:22

There you go.

Barrett Gruber: 00:18:22

See the hearts.

Barrett Gruber: 00:18:24

But I almost always try to.

Matt Velardebo: 00:18:26

Parkinson's hands.

Barrett Gruber: 00:18:30

I try to recognize, but I try to.

Barrett Gruber: 00:18:36

But whenever I hear something like, I don't know anything about that, whenever I hear that, it's such a, it's an attempt to still hold on to their opinions without having any information.

Barrett Gruber: 00:18:50

And it's really disappointing because my.

Barrett Gruber: 00:18:55

So, but what I have started to combat back with is, well, then you should research that you have an opinion about this thing or this subject and you're portraying as though you know something about it because you're telling me or you're sending me a text message of a video or whatever.

Barrett Gruber: 00:19:12

And, and I'm simply expressing to you, you might be being misled.

Barrett Gruber: 00:19:17

You should research that.

Zach: 00:19:18

Yeah, I whole, like, causation doesn't equal correlation or whatever.

Zach: 00:19:24

The, remember the zeitgeist films that used to come out like, they had like two of them and then you had.

Matt Velardebo: 00:19:31

One of them for sure.

Matt Velardebo: 00:19:32

Yeah.

Zach: 00:19:33

They gave birth to 911 truth errs.

Zach: 00:19:35

And you're just like, yes, the, the utter just insincerity of making an argument after those films is ridiculous.

Zach: 00:19:44

And.

Zach: 00:19:45

But that's all they have, right?

Zach: 00:19:46

Like, it.

Zach: 00:19:48

The whole Donald Trump, you and on birth Cube, Zeitgeist AI.

Zach: 00:19:55

But it's like, this is the most ridiculous shit that here in fucking the Philippines is talking about.

Barrett Gruber: 00:20:05

Yeah.

Zach: 00:20:07

That's the kind of thing that they're susceptible to.

Zach: 00:20:10

And it connects dots and you don't have to think about it.

Zach: 00:20:13

So the whole entire Trump campaign is based on banks value, don't connect dots.

Zach: 00:20:20

Kind of the whole, don't think.

Matt Velardebo: 00:20:22

Here's, here's the truth as we're providing it to you.

Matt Velardebo: 00:20:25

Eat up.

Zach: 00:20:26

Right, exactly.

Zach: 00:20:27

It's, it's.

Zach: 00:20:28

That is, at the end of the day, what do you call propaganda?

Zach: 00:20:32

That's just.

Matt Velardebo: 00:20:32

Yes.

Barrett Gruber: 00:20:33

Yeah.

Zach: 00:20:33

That they're buying purely into.

Barrett Gruber: 00:20:35

I like that you call it the zeitgeist when it's their, their finger is just off the pulse.

Zach: 00:20:42

Right here by the pulse.

Zach: 00:20:43

Would you like a chocolate covered pretzel?

Matt Velardebo: 00:20:46

So I do want to share one thing.

Matt Velardebo: 00:20:48

So yesterday was my dad's 84th birthday.

Barrett Gruber: 00:20:52

Yeah.

Matt Velardebo: 00:20:52

And he, I talked to him and he went out of his way to tell me how much he respects and believes in my campaign because of the sort he's like, all your social media posts are so incredible, Matthew.

Matt Velardebo: 00:21:07

I just, he just can't get over how, like, prolific I am as a campaigner.

Matt Velardebo: 00:21:15

And he just loves to hear what I have to say.

Matt Velardebo: 00:21:18

He's like, you're so common sense and you rationalize things like you're trying to explain why you replace motors.

Matt Velardebo: 00:21:26

Or like, my dad does what I do work wise.

Matt Velardebo: 00:21:30

So he used some technical terms, but it was really touching.

Matt Velardebo: 00:21:33

I mean, because he's never said anything remotely close to that since I started running for office.

Barrett Gruber: 00:21:40

That's, that's awesome.

Matt Velardebo: 00:21:42

My dad is like 24/7 Fox News, all in with Trump.

Matt Velardebo: 00:21:48

So is he, is he, is he.

Barrett Gruber: 00:21:51

Still all in with Trump?

Matt Velardebo: 00:21:53

I don't care to have that conversation with him.

Barrett Gruber: 00:21:55

That's fair.

Barrett Gruber: 00:21:57

I do, I do want to say this.

Barrett Gruber: 00:21:59

We are only a few weeks away from the election.

Barrett Gruber: 00:22:01

November 5 here in South Carolina.

Barrett Gruber: 00:22:04

Early voting is going to be going live on October 21.

Barrett Gruber: 00:22:07

It'll go through November 2, which means, I think November 2 is the Saturday before the election.

Barrett Gruber: 00:22:13

So polls are going to be open on both Saturdays before the election.

Barrett Gruber: 00:22:18

The other thing I definitely want to make sure everybody knows is they need to check their voter registration, because if you don't know, then you're liable to make things confusing for yourself when it comes to the election.

Barrett Gruber: 00:22:33

So just, you can check your voter registration, you can go to, in south carolina, you can go to scvotes, dot gov dot, or if you want, you can go to our website, theallaboutnothing.com voter, and you can check your national registration, you can check nationally, your registration there.

Barrett Gruber: 00:22:49

But the most important thing is make sure that you have a plan for voting.

Barrett Gruber: 00:22:54

My suggestion is going to be, and is going to continue to be vote early because it's going to be so much easier on election day.

Barrett Gruber: 00:23:01

I can guarantee you that the voting precincts are going to be slammed.

Matt Velardebo: 00:23:07

Yep.

Barrett Gruber: 00:23:08

We are going to see a very large turnout.

Barrett Gruber: 00:23:10

I don't know if it's going to be because it's going to be a bunch of Democrats finally showing up to vote or if it's going to be that Republicans are also going to be showing up to vote.

Barrett Gruber: 00:23:18

I still believe that Kamala Harris is going to run away with this.

Barrett Gruber: 00:23:22

Yeah, I'm not endorsing her as a podcaster because, uh, we know what happens when I endorse candidates uh, 100% of the time.

Barrett Gruber: 00:23:32

Uh, mister.

Zach: 00:23:33

Oh, we're good there.

Barrett Gruber: 00:23:36

Who you, Mister Ottawa Russell.

Matt Velardebo: 00:23:39

Yeah, he.

Barrett Gruber: 00:23:39

Well, yeah, he, he did, he did.

Barrett Gruber: 00:23:41

What is, uh, he did win his primary.

Matt Velardebo: 00:23:43

Uh, I was a squeaker, too, man.

Zach: 00:23:45

I.

Zach: 00:23:46

Yeah, but he was on this podcast.

Matt Velardebo: 00:23:49

That's right, man.

Barrett Gruber: 00:23:50

He got, he got, he got the nothing, rub.

Barrett Gruber: 00:23:53

He got the nothing.

Barrett Gruber: 00:23:55

Uh, let me see.

Barrett Gruber: 00:23:56

Also, um, go online as well, whatever state you're in, or just search on google.

Barrett Gruber: 00:24:00

Go ahead and look at your sample ballots.

Barrett Gruber: 00:24:02

All of the ballots across the country are now ready for people to look at their sample ballots specific to your precinct so that you know exactly what it is that's going to be on the, uh, on the ballot.

Barrett Gruber: 00:24:12

So when you walk in there, you know, you know what you're doing.

Barrett Gruber: 00:24:14

You can go in there, you can vote for the candidates you need to.

Barrett Gruber: 00:24:17

Uh, I think the only thing that's going to hose things up for people is school board, because in South Carolina, that's a non partisan position.

Barrett Gruber: 00:24:23

Even though the legislature, the Republicans definitely want to make it a partisan position, but they.

Barrett Gruber: 00:24:33

I guess so.

Barrett Gruber: 00:24:34

The attempt is the attempt.

Barrett Gruber: 00:24:36

What you need to do is research your candidates.

Barrett Gruber: 00:24:40

One of the really nice things, though, is the league of women voters in a bunch of the counties, at least here in South Carolina, have actually gone through and researched who the school board candidates are and what it is that they're.

Barrett Gruber: 00:24:53

They're.

Barrett Gruber: 00:24:53

They stand for or what it is that they're running.

Zach: 00:24:56

We were the hell out of that place.

Matt Velardebo: 00:24:58

Yeah.

Matt Velardebo: 00:24:59

And I can tell you, like, in York county, there's tons of opportunities to, like, vet the candidates for the various school board positions.

Matt Velardebo: 00:25:07

There's forums tomorrow night, there's a forum for the school board candidates.

Matt Velardebo: 00:25:13

I've had school board candidates in Fort Mill reaching out to me.

Matt Velardebo: 00:25:18

There's ways to know.

Matt Velardebo: 00:25:19

I mean, and mobs for liberty loves telling you who their people are.

Barrett Gruber: 00:25:22

Yeah.

Matt Velardebo: 00:25:23

So, I mean, if that's the sort of future you see for public education, you know, there's ways to know who your moms for Liberty candidates are because they love telling you about them.

Barrett Gruber: 00:25:33

Well, at least in South Carolina, we took a big step in that direction.

Barrett Gruber: 00:25:36

By Ellen Weaver enacting the partnership with Prageru.

Matt Velardebo: 00:25:39

Oh, yeah, Prager U.

Barrett Gruber: 00:25:41

Of course.

Zach: 00:25:43

Oh, what's his name?

Zach: 00:25:45

Don Prager.

Barrett Gruber: 00:25:47

Is that.

Barrett Gruber: 00:25:47

Is that what.

Barrett Gruber: 00:25:48

I don't know.

Matt Velardebo: 00:25:49

I didn't do a deep dive into Prager, just.

Matt Velardebo: 00:25:53

But, you know, I love that Representative Jermaine Johnson has asked for, you know, all this freedom information stuff from her office about this relationship with Prager.

Matt Velardebo: 00:26:07

And you know, it, it's hard sometimes having to read, you know, people supporting this.

Matt Velardebo: 00:26:13

I know where we live.

Matt Velardebo: 00:26:15

We have a recently elected state representative who's already sided with the Freedom Caucus.

Matt Velardebo: 00:26:20

And I reading her content as she like takes a victory lap on this Prageru deal is just disgusting.

Zach: 00:26:27

What is, I look at his name, y'all are taking away because I'm on christian apologist and he has been destroyed.

Zach: 00:26:39

So like, he's the easiest apologist that anyone gets.

Zach: 00:26:42

If he was like, you want to debate a non Christian, that non Christian, atheist, whatever you want, will just flatline him every time because he makes no sense.

Zach: 00:26:53

old world Christianity or the: 6000

Zach: 00:27:02

This can, we cannot go to Louisiana standards of public education.

Zach: 00:27:08

Like, it has to stop.

Barrett Gruber: 00:27:11

Are we fair?

Barrett Gruber: 00:27:12

Are we worried we're going to bottom out on the list of worst schools in the nation?

Zach: 00:27:17

You know, this is the tailpipe dragging and throwing sparks and making a noise through your neighborhood.

Matt Velardebo: 00:27:24

Yeah, I remember like saying something on a freedom caucus post or something from maybe Josiah Magnuson on Twitter, you know, telling them they have no business, you know, speak, doing these victory laps on education.

Matt Velardebo: 00:27:38

They've.

Matt Velardebo: 00:27:39

And his reply was, well, we've gone up two spots in the last ten years.

Barrett Gruber: 00:27:45

What can we do to mess that up?

Matt Velardebo: 00:27:47

I was like, oh, my goodness.

Barrett Gruber: 00:27:48

Well, what, just out of curiosity, because what is something that I guess that our school system here in South Carolina looks at a partnership with Prageru as far as providing the curriculum now for the school systems, public school systems.

Barrett Gruber: 00:28:06

What is the benefit to the state of South Carolina for something like this?

Barrett Gruber: 00:28:10

And try to be objectionable, not objectionable, but try and be, you know, is there, is there a potential benefit?

Matt Velardebo: 00:28:17

I know what is told is that, you know, it's like, it has, they have like financial tools and like money management things they're gonna offer in the schools.

Matt Velardebo: 00:28:30

So, yeah, that, when I was, I.

Barrett Gruber: 00:28:36

Was just gonna say when, okay, I was just going to say, when I was in high school, I took home Ec.

Barrett Gruber: 00:28:43

I took a year of home Ec.

Barrett Gruber: 00:28:44

And it wasn't just, you know, learning how to bake and learning how to sew.

Barrett Gruber: 00:28:48

We did do some of that.

Barrett Gruber: 00:28:50

But a lot of what it was focused on was the ability for you as a high school student graduating, going to college potentially.

Barrett Gruber: 00:28:59

But basically the idea of going out on your own, you would have the soft skills that you would need in order to balance a checkbook budget for groceries and rent and things like that.

Barrett Gruber: 00:29:11

That was really the whole idea of the home ed program.

Barrett Gruber: 00:29:16

But I don't think they do home economics in school now.

Matt Velardebo: 00:29:21

Now they have like, life skills that they're teaching.

Matt Velardebo: 00:29:25

And I believe that passed just like two years ago here.

Matt Velardebo: 00:29:31

For me, it was scouts.

Matt Velardebo: 00:29:32

I went to catholic school, so there was no way they were going to have home Ec at a school in an environment that still was holding on to those, like, traditional gender roles.

Matt Velardebo: 00:29:41

Yeah, but scouts.

Zach: 00:29:45

Checkbooks in daycare.

Barrett Gruber: 00:29:47

Yeah, I.

Barrett Gruber: 00:29:51

Zach had some very irresponsible parents and somebody had to step in.

Barrett Gruber: 00:29:54

No, I'm kidding.

Matt Velardebo: 00:29:54

It was like baby Finster from Bugs Bunny took us to a bank and.

Zach: 00:30:00

We all got our own take checkbooks.

Zach: 00:30:02

d they would give you like a $: 1000

Zach: 00:30:10

And so we learned, like, if you wrote a check for something, we would all go buy things from each other.

Zach: 00:30:14

And when you wrote a check, you had to write how much it was for and then add it up into the back ledger.

Zach: 00:30:20

Everybody's seen the ledger checkbook.

Matt Velardebo: 00:30:22

Yes.

Matt Velardebo: 00:30:23

If you're older than 30, I'm impressed.

Matt Velardebo: 00:30:25

You have young Mandev.

Barrett Gruber: 00:30:27

36.

Zach: 00:30:28

Man, I'll check for granted.

Matt Velardebo: 00:30:31

You were young.

Barrett Gruber: 00:30:31

36.

Matt Velardebo: 00:30:33

I am 51.

Barrett Gruber: 00:30:35

36.

Barrett Gruber: 00:30:36

Yeah, I just.

Barrett Gruber: 00:30:40

This is Prageru is the same.

Barrett Gruber: 00:30:42

You know, it was a few years ago, but there was the video of Christopher Columbus basically saying that slaves benefited from being slaves because that means they weren't killed.

Matt Velardebo: 00:30:56

Yeah.

Barrett Gruber: 00:30:57

It's like being a slave is better than being killed.

Matt Velardebo: 00:30:59

Of course, there were some upset natives.

Zach: 00:31:03

Yeah.

Zach: 00:31:06

Was it almost that Toby did a good one for you, sir.

Zach: 00:31:09

Real good one.

Barrett Gruber: 00:31:12

Yeah, I gotta go back and watch roots.

Barrett Gruber: 00:31:16

Fantastic.

Zach: 00:31:17

Was it?

Zach: 00:31:18

Was that roots?

Barrett Gruber: 00:31:20

No, no, I think that was Amistad.

Barrett Gruber: 00:31:25

Real good.

Barrett Gruber: 00:31:26

I want to, I want to bring up some of the stuff that Donald Trump has said recently.

Barrett Gruber: 00:31:32

One of the things that he's still tweeting, is he.

Barrett Gruber: 00:31:35

Yeah.

Barrett Gruber: 00:31:36

Truthing.

Barrett Gruber: 00:31:36

He's truthing.

Barrett Gruber: 00:31:37

These are all truths.

Barrett Gruber: 00:31:41

One of the things that he said recently was.

Matt Velardebo: 00:31:45

Hell'S breaking loose at Zach.

Barrett Gruber: 00:31:48

Zach will be back in a minute.

Matt Velardebo: 00:31:51

Yeah.

Barrett Gruber: 00:31:51

So one of the things that Trump said recently was that he had a better beach bod than Joe Biden.

Barrett Gruber: 00:31:59

Did you hear this?

Matt Velardebo: 00:32:00

No, what?

Barrett Gruber: 00:32:01

I mean, this is something.

Barrett Gruber: 00:32:03

During one of his recent rallies, he.

Matt Velardebo: 00:32:07

Said he uttered this out loud in front of a crowd.

Barrett Gruber: 00:32:09

Yeah, this was on Mike on purpose.

Barrett Gruber: 00:32:13

But one of the recent ramblings of a 80 or 78 or whatever.

Barrett Gruber: 00:32:19

How old is 78?

Barrett Gruber: 00:32:20

Yeah, one of the recent ramblings of a Donald Trump was that he had a better beach bod than Joe Biden.

Barrett Gruber: 00:32:28

And I think this speaks a lot to how Donald Trump handles his rallies.

Barrett Gruber: 00:32:35

I think that the world would be a better place if, and I'm just putting this out there, if we were to potentially offer Donald Trump a spot on big media, to have his own podcast, is it possible that we could potentially pull him out of the race just to give him a weekly or bi weekly, maybe, maybe even three times a week?

Barrett Gruber: 00:32:56

Just give him a podcast space to put something out there where it's, you know, he can do it in front of a crowd if he wants.

Matt Velardebo: 00:33:03

Yeah.

Matt Velardebo: 00:33:03

Crowd that set him loose.

Barrett Gruber: 00:33:06

But it just feels like this would just make more sense.

Barrett Gruber: 00:33:11

It doesn't seem necessary.

Barrett Gruber: 00:33:12

Another.

Barrett Gruber: 00:33:13

Another thing that he says is that Kamala Harris has, uh, mental problems, that she's mentally, uh, deficient.

Barrett Gruber: 00:33:19

Um, she said he.

Barrett Gruber: 00:33:20

He recently said that Joe Biden became mentally ill.

Barrett Gruber: 00:33:25

Kamala Harris was born with mental illnesses.

Matt Velardebo: 00:33:29

At least he's acknowledging that mental illness is something that is biological and genetic.

Barrett Gruber: 00:33:34

Yeah, there's legitimacy to it.

Matt Velardebo: 00:33:36

There's a.

Matt Velardebo: 00:33:37

That's progress for him.

Matt Velardebo: 00:33:39

But, yeah, I mean, man, that guy, the things he says, to be able to just.

Matt Velardebo: 00:33:45

It's shocking to me as a local candidate.

Barrett Gruber: 00:33:48

Yeah.

Matt Velardebo: 00:33:49

I get called on every little thing I say and put out there, and this guy is just, like, flat out lying in the.

Matt Velardebo: 00:33:55

And just saying the most absurd.

Matt Velardebo: 00:33:57

Like, it is.

Matt Velardebo: 00:34:00

Like, I.

Matt Velardebo: 00:34:01

I guess maybe because I'm older and I was raised by a boomer dad.

Matt Velardebo: 00:34:04

I've always been taught that, like a gentleman, if you were comports themselves in a certain way and you're not, like, you shouldn't be, like, openly expressing envy and jealousy and, like, making weird comparisons to other men.

Matt Velardebo: 00:34:19

It's just, it's very strange for somebody of his age group and generation to see this behavior.

Barrett Gruber: 00:34:26

It is a.

Barrett Gruber: 00:34:28

And it's something that you don't see from many of the democrats, at least as far as I've seen.

Matt Velardebo: 00:34:33

Yeah.

Barrett Gruber: 00:34:33

No, you don't see this victimism.

Barrett Gruber: 00:34:37

Correct.

Barrett Gruber: 00:34:38

There is this constant act of being a victim.

Barrett Gruber: 00:34:41

I mean, even, and you don't have to comment on it, but even in your campaign, the gentleman that you're running against has expressed things that make him feel like he is a victim.

Barrett Gruber: 00:34:54

And people put themselves in these positions on their own.

Barrett Gruber: 00:34:59

You run.

Barrett Gruber: 00:35:00

You run for office, uh, because you feel like there's some good that you can do, uh, and that you, you feel like your voice carries better than some others and that.

Barrett Gruber: 00:35:10

That you can bring change to your location.

Barrett Gruber: 00:35:13

But then you have other people that run for office, and then it's, woe is me.

Barrett Gruber: 00:35:17

You know, why are they coming after me for this?

Barrett Gruber: 00:35:19

Why are they coming after me?

Barrett Gruber: 00:35:20

You know, it, there's, there's, on the republican side, there is this, this, I don't, I, and then even from some of their supporters, there is this, there's this act of I am a victim.

Barrett Gruber: 00:35:35

You're calling me out on things that I said last year or the year before or ten years ago.

Barrett Gruber: 00:35:40

You're telling people that I've done these things, and I don't understand that.

Barrett Gruber: 00:35:47

Because when they come after you or if they come after Vice President Harris, you know, I don't, there's not, there's not any of that return.

Barrett Gruber: 00:35:57

There's no, there's no retort that comes back that says, you know, you're hurting my feelings.

Barrett Gruber: 00:36:01

Why are you doing this?

Barrett Gruber: 00:36:03

What did I do to you?

Barrett Gruber: 00:36:04

You know, and so, you know, in your campaigning, done a lot of door knocking, there has been a, you've, you've canvassed and had some volunteers canvassing.

Barrett Gruber: 00:36:18

What has your experience been with the canvassing in Fort Mill?

Matt Velardebo: 00:36:21

It's been great.

Matt Velardebo: 00:36:22

I mean, I'm fortunate with this election cycle that I only need to go knock Democrat doors.

Matt Velardebo: 00:36:29

I just don't need to go, like, convince anybody.

Matt Velardebo: 00:36:32

The numbers are there for us.

Matt Velardebo: 00:36:34

So it's been positive.

Matt Velardebo: 00:36:36

I mean, when people are home, they're happy to see me.

Matt Velardebo: 00:36:39

Most remember me and most are gonna straight party ticket vote.

Matt Velardebo: 00:36:43

I'm not always the biggest fan of that mentality necessarily, but, but this election year, it works to my benefit tremendously.

Matt Velardebo: 00:36:50

So, I mean, the Kamala rub is real.

Matt Velardebo: 00:36:54

I mean, that definitely, you know, boosted every campaign.

Matt Velardebo: 00:36:59

I mean, even probably people that just aren't in this are seeing improvements and, you know, money's coming in, people are stepping up.

Matt Velardebo: 00:37:09

But more importantly, the door knocking, people love that interaction, that personal.

Matt Velardebo: 00:37:14

You know, you hear a lot of, I've never met anybody running for office until you came to my house to introduce yourself.

Barrett Gruber: 00:37:20

Yeah.

Barrett Gruber: 00:37:21

So when I came out there and canvassed, which I need to again, you sent me up to the edge of South Carolina.

Barrett Gruber: 00:37:29

I literally had to drive into North Carolina to get to the neighborhood that was in South Carolina.

Barrett Gruber: 00:37:36

I could see carowinds from a distance.

Barrett Gruber: 00:37:39

t was similar when I, back in: 2016

Barrett Gruber: 00:37:52

And it was, it was always, it was always a good interaction.

Barrett Gruber: 00:37:57

It would never, it was never a situation where I was going to somebody and trying to convince them to vote for the person that I was telling to vote for.

Barrett Gruber: 00:38:05

Canvassing has never been that for me.

Barrett Gruber: 00:38:07

Canvassing for me has always just been, hey, the elections coming up.

Barrett Gruber: 00:38:11

Got a plan to vote?

Barrett Gruber: 00:38:13

Do you, if you don't have a plan to vote, these are some resources that you can speak with or you can call or I can take your name and number and they can get in touch with you how to get you to your polls.

Barrett Gruber: 00:38:24

That is what canvassing really has been about.

Barrett Gruber: 00:38:27

Democrats and Republicans in: 2016

Barrett Gruber: 00:38:31

Actually, I didn't have access to the voter rolls when I was the precinct chair for my precinct here, so I literally went to every door and it was basically the same thing every single time.

Barrett Gruber: 00:38:45

Hey, the election's coming up.

Barrett Gruber: 00:38:47

Do you have any plans for voting?

Barrett Gruber: 00:38:48

Do you need any assistance with voting?

Barrett Gruber: 00:38:50

These are different organizations that can assist you with that.

Barrett Gruber: 00:38:53

And even then, it was a good experience.

Barrett Gruber: 00:38:57

I didn't particularly campaign specifically for anyone, Bernie Sanders or whatever.

Barrett Gruber: 00:39:03

Actually, oddly enough, there were a lot of Republicans that I knew were Republican based on the Trump sign in the yard or whatever, but there were a number of them were like, man, I wish Bernie Sanders was still the candidate.

Barrett Gruber: 00:39:17

And it's like, yeah, well, you know, you probably don't.

Matt Velardebo: 00:39:21

He's a surly old dude.

Barrett Gruber: 00:39:23

Yeah, he would have been.

Barrett Gruber: 00:39:26

He's certainly older than Biden.

Barrett Gruber: 00:39:30

I think.

Barrett Gruber: 00:39:30

I think he's older than Biden.

Barrett Gruber: 00:39:31

He's definitely older than Trump.

Barrett Gruber: 00:39:34

But, you know, Bernie Sanders just sort of had that get off my lawn sort of mentality that I think, I think really spoke to a lot of the, a lot of the Republicans mentioning.

Barrett Gruber: 00:39:51

I want to mention another thing that Trump apparently said recently, which was that he hates overtime.

Barrett Gruber: 00:39:57

In a rally, he told the attendees of one of his recent rallies that he hates overtime.

Barrett Gruber: 00:40:03

And when he was running his business, he would make sure to send the people home before they got to the point where he had to pay them overtime and bring in more people.

Barrett Gruber: 00:40:15

That doesn't seem to me like a message that would speak very well that doesn't seem to me like a message that would speak very well to a lot of his voters.

Barrett Gruber: 00:40:27

And I guess from you guys.

Barrett Gruber: 00:40:30

I don't know if you heard me, Zach, but what sort of reaction, if you were an hourly employee and the guy you were supporting for president said, I hate overtime, I hated paying overtime, I would make sure I would force people to leave and then force others to come in so that I wouldn't have to pay overtime.

Matt Velardebo: 00:40:49

Yeah, no, I mean, this is right in line with him.

Matt Velardebo: 00:40:52

He's anti union.

Matt Velardebo: 00:40:54

I mean, the Republican Party has become so, so anti labor.

Matt Velardebo: 00:40:58

I mean, we're in the middle of a massive port strike right now with the International Longshoremen's association.

Matt Velardebo: 00:41:05

They have known for over a year that those guys were working without agreed upon contract.

Matt Velardebo: 00:41:12

And, you know, it's going to take intervention from Biden, hopefully in the coming weeks to get this thing straightened out.

Matt Velardebo: 00:41:19

But, you know, the Republican Party is not the party of labor.

Matt Velardebo: 00:41:23

They are not the party of working class America.

Matt Velardebo: 00:41:25

And somehow they have managed to, like, really, like, get their claws into that voter base and, you know, people voting against their own best interests, like Zach had mentioned, the cognitive dissonance is so real.

Matt Velardebo: 00:41:39

You know, I just, you know, I, and I know that a lot of this comes from how I am.

Matt Velardebo: 00:41:45

I run hard as a working class guy and a blue collar kind of candidate.

Matt Velardebo: 00:41:50

You know, I'm in program management and have a nice engineering job, but I had to work my way there.

Matt Velardebo: 00:41:55

I didn't, you know, I didn't just get that.

Matt Velardebo: 00:41:57

I spent 30 years doing in some of the most undesirable jobs a person can do to get to where I'm at.

Barrett Gruber: 00:42:03

Yeah, you spoke about that on the podcast that you were on that aired yesterday.

Matt Velardebo: 00:42:08

Yeah.

Barrett Gruber: 00:42:10

Tell us the name of that podcast again.

Matt Velardebo: 00:42:11

It's no shortcuts.

Matt Velardebo: 00:42:15

It's out of Rock Hill.

Matt Velardebo: 00:42:16

Great podcast with Midas and fame.

Barrett Gruber: 00:42:19

Yeah, we're definitely going to interact with them.

Barrett Gruber: 00:42:22

We're going to do that.

Barrett Gruber: 00:42:23

But I enjoyed it.

Barrett Gruber: 00:42:24

But you talked a lot about that.

Barrett Gruber: 00:42:26

How, how, you know, it took, it took a lot.

Barrett Gruber: 00:42:31

It wasn't, it wasn't instant.

Barrett Gruber: 00:42:33

It wasn't just because you had a degree or a master's or anything like that back from college, but that you had to, you had to start your way from basically the bottom in order to work your way up to the point where, you know, yeah, 100K salary is attainable if, if you're willing to put in the work.

Barrett Gruber: 00:42:53

It doesn't just get handed to you.

Barrett Gruber: 00:42:54

And I think for a lot of the people that have, I guess their priorities aren't necessarily setting them on that path.

Barrett Gruber: 00:43:07

They look at you or they look at me or they look at Zach and they say, well, how is it that you got to that point and it's through work.

Barrett Gruber: 00:43:19

It's getting up every morning.

Barrett Gruber: 00:43:20

It's putting on your socks and shoes and brushing your teeth and going out the door and doing it on days.

Barrett Gruber: 00:43:26

Yeah.

Matt Velardebo: 00:43:27

And for me, it was sacrifice.

Matt Velardebo: 00:43:29

Like, I had to.

Matt Velardebo: 00:43:30

I've had to give up stuff that most parents will never know to have to give up, especially when it concerns time with my family.

Matt Velardebo: 00:43:36

And, you know, you don't get unless you.

Matt Velardebo: 00:43:41

You gotta, like, sacrifice something if you want to, like, receive.

Barrett Gruber: 00:43:44

Yeah.

Matt Velardebo: 00:43:44

And, you know, some people are blessed to be born with the right last name or to be born into some sort of legacy like Donald Trump.

Matt Velardebo: 00:43:52

But a lot of us have to go, like, make our legacy and, like, make our way and, you know, fill that silver platter up with our own efforts.

Matt Velardebo: 00:44:00

So this election, I totally agree.

Zach: 00:44:05

Just to echo it, saying, like, I know at least the struggle that I've gone through when it comes to, all right, you got to prove yourself, or you're at a place where you can't even prove yourself.

Zach: 00:44:17

You're never given the chance.

Zach: 00:44:18

You have the Donald Trump sympathizer type people who are like, overtime.

Zach: 00:44:22

You better tell me if you're even getting close to.

Zach: 00:44:26

I did warehouse work for over: 1015

Zach: 00:44:38

And that's when I met and then started finding another.

Zach: 00:44:41

Just got a new job.

Zach: 00:44:42

I've been gone.

Zach: 00:44:43

Podcast.

Zach: 00:44:44

New job comes along.

Matt Velardebo: 00:44:46

Yeah, no, congratulations.

Matt Velardebo: 00:44:48

Listen, I up and lost my job, you know, five months ago, four months ago or whatever, on a Friday afternoon.

Matt Velardebo: 00:44:55

Like, what?

Matt Velardebo: 00:44:57

So I got lucky.

Matt Velardebo: 00:45:00

I met that point now in my career where I have a reputation, and three days later, you know, my current employer had me in Chicago interviewing me for a job with them.

Barrett Gruber: 00:45:11

Yeah.

Barrett Gruber: 00:45:11

So, yeah, I think one of the things that you all discussed on that podcast, on the no Shortcuts podcast yesterday, and go check them out.

Barrett Gruber: 00:45:22

I'll put links in the show notes.

Barrett Gruber: 00:45:23

They're on YouTube.

Barrett Gruber: 00:45:24

They record every Tuesday at noon.

Barrett Gruber: 00:45:27

It's really good.

Barrett Gruber: 00:45:29

But one of the things that you guys talked about was how you chose Fort Mill.

Barrett Gruber: 00:45:38

Uh, there's.

Barrett Gruber: 00:45:39

In this campaign and in.

Barrett Gruber: 00:45:40

In previous campaigns that you've run, uh, one of the things that you get back is feedback.

Barrett Gruber: 00:45:46

And I've seen it in the social media is you're not from here.

Barrett Gruber: 00:45:50

You're not.

Barrett Gruber: 00:45:50

You're.

Barrett Gruber: 00:45:50

You know, I speak a little bit to that because I thought what you said yesterday in that episode was.

Barrett Gruber: 00:45:59

Was pointed at.

Barrett Gruber: 00:46:01

At being so passionate about the situation.

Matt Velardebo: 00:46:06

Yeah.

Matt Velardebo: 00:46:07

I mean, so this is kind of where I struggle sometimes, you know, because we were just talking about victimhood, and I sometimes struggle with talking about this because I don't want people to think I'm trying to make myself a victim.

Matt Velardebo: 00:46:19

But it can be frustrating running in a small town, because you do have a big concentration of, like, born here locals who really don't agree with, like, leadership by anybody but theme.

Matt Velardebo: 00:46:32

And, you know, I combat that.

Matt Velardebo: 00:46:36

I had to learn over time how to kind of manage that.

Matt Velardebo: 00:46:38

But it's, you know, my family, we chose Fort Mill.

Matt Velardebo: 00:46:42

We weren't fortunate enough to be born in that town.

Matt Velardebo: 00:46:45

No, but we picked it, and, like, my family is part of the fabric of that town.

Matt Velardebo: 00:46:50

My wife's a teacher there.

Matt Velardebo: 00:46:53

My.

Matt Velardebo: 00:46:53

Both my kids graduated from the schools there and went on to great life after that.

Matt Velardebo: 00:46:57

My daughter's serving in the United States Navy.

Matt Velardebo: 00:47:00

Son is in his senior year at Winthrop University as editor in chief of the school paper.

Matt Velardebo: 00:47:05

I've run for office now three times.

Matt Velardebo: 00:47:07

Did a toy drive for one of the poor communities in Fort Mill.

Matt Velardebo: 00:47:14

You know, I build in that town.

Matt Velardebo: 00:47:16

I volunteer countless hours at town events.

Matt Velardebo: 00:47:19

I do roadside trash pickup every year.

Matt Velardebo: 00:47:23

I often sometimes say that, like, Fort Mill doesn't understand that.

Matt Velardebo: 00:47:28

A lot of times they've won, like, the lottery when it comes to people moving there, not just with my family, but with, you know, thousands of other families.

Matt Velardebo: 00:47:37

We saw 132% population growth from census year to census year in that town.

Matt Velardebo: 00:47:43

That mean that far outweighs, you know, anybody born there as far as sheer numbers go.

Matt Velardebo: 00:47:49

And again, I just think it's kind of divisive, the talk that way, too.

Matt Velardebo: 00:47:52

I don't think that's, like, proactive or a way to, like, move forward.

Matt Velardebo: 00:47:57

So, you know, I do.

Matt Velardebo: 00:47:58

I reject it on every level, but I'm not, like, mad.

Matt Velardebo: 00:48:01

I mean, I get it.

Matt Velardebo: 00:48:02

You know, people, you know, they see themselves as invested in that town because they were born and raised there, and they've seen so much in their life of living there.

Matt Velardebo: 00:48:11

And I get all that.

Matt Velardebo: 00:48:12

It isn't.

Matt Velardebo: 00:48:12

I've never been tried to be dismissive of that.

Matt Velardebo: 00:48:15

I just.

Matt Velardebo: 00:48:16

On its face value, I don't feel like I've warranted, like, this dismissal and, you know, like, you don't matter to sort of treatment based on, you know, the fact I came here from Florida almost eight years ago against, like, the.

Zach: 00:48:32

Gatekeeping of, you know, Fort millions kinda.

Matt Velardebo: 00:48:37

Yeah, for sure.

Matt Velardebo: 00:48:39

It seeps in.

Matt Velardebo: 00:48:40

It's been pretty.

Matt Velardebo: 00:48:42

Pretty relaxed over the last about month here, but, I mean, we had a flare up of some drama about a month ago that got a little frustrating for me.

Matt Velardebo: 00:48:49

And, you know, you shouldn't, like, betray your weaknesses, but I will say that.

Matt Velardebo: 00:48:53

I mean, that is one of the more frustrating things for me to have to deal with is when I'm having to, like, navigate that, because it takes a certain set of soft skills to, like, massage that with people and not.

Barrett Gruber: 00:49:05

Are we talking about the sign?

Matt Velardebo: 00:49:08

Well, that's.

Zach: 00:49:09

That's totally ignoring any, like, I tell Barrett all the time, good ideas are good ideas.

Zach: 00:49:13

That's.

Zach: 00:49:14

That's ignoring good ideas.

Barrett Gruber: 00:49:15

Well, I'll just.

Zach: 00:49:16

Because of where somebody's from, I'll just.

Barrett Gruber: 00:49:18

Say the way you've handled every situation has been with absolute grace.

Barrett Gruber: 00:49:25

And I think just based on the interactions that you've had, I fully believe that.

Barrett Gruber: 00:49:32

Let's say somebody who is diehard Republican, that after those interactions with you, I don't know how they walk away from that interaction.

Barrett Gruber: 00:49:40

Not gonna.

Barrett Gruber: 00:49:41

You know what?

Barrett Gruber: 00:49:42

This is the guy that I think should represent me, regardless of party affiliation.

Barrett Gruber: 00:49:47

Like, the way you handle those is immaculate.

Matt Velardebo: 00:49:51

I appreciate that.

Matt Velardebo: 00:49:52

I mean, it's tough, and I'm glad I got, like, you helping me out.

Matt Velardebo: 00:49:56

And my wife is really great with this, but, I mean, even she.

Matt Velardebo: 00:49:59

I mean, you'll see her social media sometimes.

Matt Velardebo: 00:50:02

She'll just get really pissed off one day and be like, you know what?

Matt Velardebo: 00:50:05

I'm tired of y'all treating my husband like an asshole.

Matt Velardebo: 00:50:08

He's a great guy, and I don't think you understand, you know, the sacrifice he makes to do the things he does.

Barrett Gruber: 00:50:14

You're not sending her out there to do it, though.

Barrett Gruber: 00:50:16

No, no, that's not a.

Barrett Gruber: 00:50:17

That's not a thing.

Barrett Gruber: 00:50:17

So, you know, and.

Barrett Gruber: 00:50:19

And, yeah, I am.

Barrett Gruber: 00:50:22

I am inspired by your campaign.

Barrett Gruber: 00:50:26

The potential is, is that I'll eventually, I likely will revisit the possibility of running for this district, because, as it turns out, our district's represented by a pedophile, allegedly.

Barrett Gruber: 00:50:40

I'll throw the alleged in there just in case, but he was seen allegedly.

Zach: 00:50:44

At some ditty parties.

Barrett Gruber: 00:50:49

But, you know, that's.

Barrett Gruber: 00:50:52

I think that your campaign has been run very well, and your messaging is terrific.

Barrett Gruber: 00:50:59

Matt usually will send me something before he publishes it to look at or revamp it.

Barrett Gruber: 00:51:05

And I'll be honest, I am not an english major, but I think that I have a pretty good grasp on grammar and english language and how to use words to not manipulate, but to express something in a way that actually evokes an emotion from somebody.

Barrett Gruber: 00:51:23

This guy does it.

Barrett Gruber: 00:51:25

Thank you.

Zach: 00:51:26

And, guys, I hate to cut it short, but I'm going to have to go proverbially strangle a four year old.

Barrett Gruber: 00:51:34

Got balloons.

Matt Velardebo: 00:51:38

Well, hold on.

Matt Velardebo: 00:51:39

Let me give you one of these again.

Barrett Gruber: 00:51:41

We'll give you some hearts.

Barrett Gruber: 00:51:44

I can't.

Barrett Gruber: 00:51:45

Mine's not working.

Barrett Gruber: 00:51:46

Oh, it did it for Zach, too.

Barrett Gruber: 00:51:47

Oh, it came out.

Barrett Gruber: 00:51:50

All right.

Barrett Gruber: 00:51:50

Zach, thank you very much for being on the show.

Barrett Gruber: 00:51:53

We'll give Zach kudos for that later.

Zach: 00:51:55

Good to be back, guys.

Zach: 00:51:56

Yeah.

Matt Velardebo: 00:51:59

Yeah.

Barrett Gruber: 00:51:59

That's what we look.

Barrett Gruber: 00:52:00

That's what we look forward to, is you have an Internet.

Zach: 00:52:02

Yeah.

Zach: 00:52:04

All right, guys.

Zach: 00:52:04

Y'all be good.

Barrett Gruber: 00:52:05

Thank you, Zach.

Matt Velardebo: 00:52:05

See you, bro.

Barrett Gruber: 00:52:06

But, yeah, I think, you know, if anything, that's the one of the things that I take away from that is that your interactions with people, regardless of party affiliations, I think that they have the ability to make someone recognize that because you speak with them.

Barrett Gruber: 00:52:27

So you speak with them in such a human way that you have empathy for their situation, even if it's been in disagreements.

Barrett Gruber: 00:52:37

The way that you have responded has been empathetic to their situation, and I feel like there's such a good opportunity for them to go.

Barrett Gruber: 00:52:46

That's the guy I want to represent me.

Matt Velardebo: 00:52:48

Yeah.

Matt Velardebo: 00:52:48

I mean, the only.

Matt Velardebo: 00:52:49

I've heard some of that through my involvement with this solar plant they're trying to build.

Matt Velardebo: 00:52:56

I know there's a lot of republicans within that group that are very supportive of me and very excited to go vote for me on November 5.

Barrett Gruber: 00:53:05

I think that's outstanding.

Matt Velardebo: 00:53:06

So.

Matt Velardebo: 00:53:06

But.

Matt Velardebo: 00:53:07

And I appreciate you noticing that and saying that it gets frustrating sometimes because I do have these, like, long, prolonged conversations with people, and they're like, man, you've got this figured out.

Matt Velardebo: 00:53:17

And you clearly, you know, I know it's in your heart, but I'm a Republican, and it's like, son of a bitch, man, let it go.

Barrett Gruber: 00:53:25

Yeah.

Barrett Gruber: 00:53:26

It doesn't look, Republicans, Democrats, that you don't have to let it define you.

Barrett Gruber: 00:53:30

Just be a human being and vote based on what your heart tells you.

Barrett Gruber: 00:53:35

And I think that.

Barrett Gruber: 00:53:36

That we will elect people that have empathy and sympathy and that can go to the state house or can go to Congress with those emotions and produce laws and create legislature, that legislature that will actually make changes that benefit us as.

Barrett Gruber: 00:53:58

Regardless of your democratic socialistic views or, uh, your.

Barrett Gruber: 00:54:03

Your conservative Republican.

Barrett Gruber: 00:54:06

Not conservative Republican, but conservative fiscal views, it can all be manipulated to work correctly in a.

Barrett Gruber: 00:54:13

You know, and that's.

Barrett Gruber: 00:54:14

That's one of the things that we've suffered from in South Carolina for more than 20 years now is that the people that are in charge are not representing the people that they come from.

Barrett Gruber: 00:54:24

They are representing themselves.

Barrett Gruber: 00:54:26

They are.

Barrett Gruber: 00:54:26

They are.

Barrett Gruber: 00:54:27

They are elected and then they hold those positions, thanks to redistricting and have the ability to just continue to hold on to that power.

Barrett Gruber: 00:54:34

And then they make their little bits of money on the side.

Barrett Gruber: 00:54:36

And I'm not accusing anybody.

Barrett Gruber: 00:54:38

I'm just saying we know that it happens.

Barrett Gruber: 00:54:41

There are those that have been in power for so long that they don't relinquish that power.

Barrett Gruber: 00:54:46

They make sure that they're right there when the maps are being redrawn to make sure that they cover every neighborhood they have to, to hold on to it.

Barrett Gruber: 00:54:52

And absolutely, they benefit from it.

Barrett Gruber: 00:54:55

And being a House representative, that's also, you know, a doctor or a lawyer or something like that.

Barrett Gruber: 00:55:03

Your name carries weight because you get to say, I'm representative, so and so.

Matt Velardebo: 00:55:08

Yep.

Barrett Gruber: 00:55:09

It just, it isn't.

Barrett Gruber: 00:55:13

That's not what it's supposed to be about.

Barrett Gruber: 00:55:14

It's supposed to be about making sure that the people that you represent are being taken care of.

Barrett Gruber: 00:55:19

And you'll do that.

Barrett Gruber: 00:55:20

You know, I have the utmost belief that, I mean, the one of the things that, and you talked about on the podcast yesterday was that, you know, when you get elected and when you are in session, you will have to basically become a contractor for your job so that you can continue to work, but that it's.

Barrett Gruber: 00:55:41

You'll be, you'll be here in Columbia.

Matt Velardebo: 00:55:43

I need to honor my commitments to the people.

Matt Velardebo: 00:55:45

Right.

Matt Velardebo: 00:55:45

I mean, and that'll be my priority for that legislative session.

Barrett Gruber: 00:55:48

Yes.

Matt Velardebo: 00:55:49

Being a legislator, that.

Barrett Gruber: 00:55:51

But you'll, you'll be putting yourself in a position with your company where your priority is to the position that you've been elected to.

Barrett Gruber: 00:56:00

And it'll just be temporary.

Barrett Gruber: 00:56:01

You'll get to go back to being an employee when the session's over.

Barrett Gruber: 00:56:04

But, you know, that's a sacrifice.

Matt Velardebo: 00:56:05

Yes.

Barrett Gruber: 00:56:06

There's always that potential.

Barrett Gruber: 00:56:07

Your employer can go.

Matt Velardebo: 00:56:09

We're not.

Matt Velardebo: 00:56:09

Yeah, we're.

Matt Velardebo: 00:56:10

We're not going to keep your contract.

Barrett Gruber: 00:56:11

Yeah.

Matt Velardebo: 00:56:12

And I lose all the.

Matt Velardebo: 00:56:13

What little protections I have as a non union employee.

Matt Velardebo: 00:56:16

I lose those as a contract employee.

Matt Velardebo: 00:56:18

I lose benefits.

Matt Velardebo: 00:56:19

I lose.

Matt Velardebo: 00:56:19

I really everything.

Matt Velardebo: 00:56:22

So, yeah, I mean, but again, you know, this isn't about me.

Matt Velardebo: 00:56:26

It never really has been.

Matt Velardebo: 00:56:27

I'm just happen to be the person not.

Matt Velardebo: 00:56:31

Or a person.

Matt Velardebo: 00:56:32

I don't know.

Matt Velardebo: 00:56:32

It's hard to explain sometimes, but it's not about me.

Matt Velardebo: 00:56:35

It's about what I can do and the skills I have and my desire to want to, like, mentor and, like, bring in new talent and new leadership.

Barrett Gruber: 00:56:43

Yeah.

Matt Velardebo: 00:56:44

To the state and the county.

Barrett Gruber: 00:56:46

You're under the age of 50.

Barrett Gruber: 00:56:50

Now, Matt recently had a birthday that we attended up in Rock Hill, or, I'm sorry, Fort Mill.

Barrett Gruber: 00:56:56

And that.

Barrett Gruber: 00:56:59

That was not your 50th, though, was it?

Matt Velardebo: 00:57:00

It was my 51st, yeah.

Barrett Gruber: 00:57:01

I was going to say your 50th was last year, but that's not the geriatric age of a lot of the representatives in South Carolina.

Matt Velardebo: 00:57:12

Correct.

Matt Velardebo: 00:57:12

And I'm a young 51.

Matt Velardebo: 00:57:14

I mean, nobody ever thinks I look that old, and I certainly don't act that old.

Barrett Gruber: 00:57:18

No.

Matt Velardebo: 00:57:19

My wife likes to tease me about it all the time.

Matt Velardebo: 00:57:21

She's like, that's always your answer.

Matt Velardebo: 00:57:23

When you meet somebody your age, they look older.

Barrett Gruber: 00:57:26

Well, you know, do you tell people that I look older than you?

Matt Velardebo: 00:57:30

No, you're not that bad.

Matt Velardebo: 00:57:31

We met somebody when we were in Niagara Falls.

Matt Velardebo: 00:57:34

I remember.

Matt Velardebo: 00:57:34

And he was a year younger than me.

Matt Velardebo: 00:57:36

And my wife was like, oh, my gosh.

Matt Velardebo: 00:57:39

She's like, hey, guys, a year younger than you?

Matt Velardebo: 00:57:40

I said, yeah, man, I've held up pretty good.

Barrett Gruber: 00:57:44

I wanted to give you an opportunity because I wanted to take the opportunity this week.

Barrett Gruber: 00:57:51

Now, this episode, of course, comes out.

Barrett Gruber: 00:57:53

I'm going to release it early.

Barrett Gruber: 00:57:55

But we recently lost Chris Christofferson.

Matt Velardebo: 00:57:59

Yeah.

Matt Velardebo: 00:58:00

God, one of the highwaymen.

Barrett Gruber: 00:58:02

Yeah.

Matt Velardebo: 00:58:02

We only got one.

Matt Velardebo: 00:58:03

One left.

Matt Velardebo: 00:58:04

Willie Nelson.

Barrett Gruber: 00:58:04

Willie Nelson's it.

Barrett Gruber: 00:58:06

Um, and that's going to devastate me.

Barrett Gruber: 00:58:08

I don't.

Barrett Gruber: 00:58:09

I don't know how I, you know, I'm going to.

Barrett Gruber: 00:58:11

I may have take off a week from work.

Matt Velardebo: 00:58:13

Uh, that's going to devastate a lot of country boys and girls.

Barrett Gruber: 00:58:18

But, uh, we lost, uh, dikembe mutombo.

Matt Velardebo: 00:58:21

Yeah.

Barrett Gruber: 00:58:22

Did not know that he was sick.

Matt Velardebo: 00:58:24

It's been a weird week for deaths.

Matt Velardebo: 00:58:25

Johnny Amos, kende mutombo, Pete Rose.

Matt Velardebo: 00:58:29

So, like, for me, Pete Rose was like my first, like, the athletic sports hero.

Matt Velardebo: 00:58:34

Him and Bruce Jenner, of all people.

Matt Velardebo: 00:58:36

I thought those two were like, you know, that's like what a man wanted to.

Matt Velardebo: 00:58:40

A boy wanted to grow up to be a man like Pete Rose or Bruce Jenner.

Matt Velardebo: 00:58:44

And, like, to this day, I still frown on the baseball hall of Fame because they didn't let Pete in.

Matt Velardebo: 00:58:49

It's just that hall has luster.

Matt Velardebo: 00:58:51

It doesn't shine with Pete being left out.

Matt Velardebo: 00:58:54

And I hope if they try to put him in posthumously, his family fucking rejects it.

Matt Velardebo: 00:58:59

I'm sorry for.

Barrett Gruber: 00:59:00

No, I don't disagree, but I don't disagree.

Barrett Gruber: 00:59:04

I still want that honor for him, though.

Matt Velardebo: 00:59:06

I do.

Matt Velardebo: 00:59:07

So growing up in Tampa, when I did in the seventies and eighties, the Reds were still doing spring training in plant City.

Matt Velardebo: 00:59:13

Okay, so like, we didn't have baseball in Tampa until I was an adult, so I grew up liking the Reds and the Yankees.

Barrett Gruber: 00:59:20

Yeah.

Matt Velardebo: 00:59:20

And, man, Pete, Charlie Hussle was my guy.

Matt Velardebo: 00:59:24

And, man, but he's 83 years old.

Matt Velardebo: 00:59:27

I mean, Pete lived a good life.

Matt Velardebo: 00:59:29

I mean, he really, he would always be showing up for games, even though the Reds treated him like garbage.

Matt Velardebo: 00:59:37

Even when this kid played for the Reds, he'd come watch his kid play.

Barrett Gruber: 00:59:41

Dikembe Mutumbo was one that, when I was in high school, my mother worked for a retail, a gymnastic retail company that had a number of their call service.

Barrett Gruber: 00:59:54

Their customer service and salesforce were cheerleaders for the hawksh.

Barrett Gruber: 00:59:59

And when Dikembo Mutombo was playing for the Hawks, we would, my mother would get us tickets to the Hawks game.

Barrett Gruber: 01:00:05

We were sitting, like, second and third row.

Matt Velardebo: 01:00:06

Nice.

Barrett Gruber: 01:00:08

Like, just off the floor.

Matt Velardebo: 01:00:10

Him and Dominique Wilkins.

Barrett Gruber: 01:00:11

Dominique Wilkins, dikembe Mutombo, spud webb, web.

Barrett Gruber: 01:00:17

But, like, I still remember standing third row on the riser, and the riser is like, a good.

Barrett Gruber: 01:00:23

I don't know, we're probably two and a half feet up on the third row of the riser.

Barrett Gruber: 01:00:27

And you stand up, the kembe is still taller than you.

Matt Velardebo: 01:00:30

Oh, yeah.

Matt Velardebo: 01:00:31

We sat, like, second or third row from the floor at the Amway center in Orlando, watched the heat and magic play a few years ago.

Barrett Gruber: 01:00:38

Yeah.

Matt Velardebo: 01:00:39

And that was incredible.

Barrett Gruber: 01:00:40

I just, I went back and watched the Geico commercial that Dikembe did where he's in the.

Matt Velardebo: 01:00:47

He's, like, rejecting things.

Barrett Gruber: 01:00:50

It's such a good commercial.

Barrett Gruber: 01:00:51

I hope.

Barrett Gruber: 01:00:52

My hope is that they kind of, they bring it back and just, you know, rerun it sometimes.

Barrett Gruber: 01:00:56

I don't see a lot of commercials anymore.

Matt Velardebo: 01:00:57

Loving tribute.

Barrett Gruber: 01:00:58

It was.

Barrett Gruber: 01:00:59

Yeah, but it was.

Barrett Gruber: 01:01:00

But, like, watching him do that on the, on the court when, when he'd go up and block a shot or something like that, he'd always just do that finger wagon.

Barrett Gruber: 01:01:07

No, no, no.

Barrett Gruber: 01:01:08

How, man, he was so, so entertaining, and I hate, I hate that he's gone.

Barrett Gruber: 01:01:14

I guess the last thing that I do want to mention is that by the time this episode comes out, the Falcons and Tampa will have played tomorrow.

Matt Velardebo: 01:01:24

Yeah.

Barrett Gruber: 01:01:25

And I don't generally make bets on games.

Barrett Gruber: 01:01:29

I'll make bets on, like, double games.

Barrett Gruber: 01:01:31

Like, say, if Tampa, if the Falcons won both of the games that we play against Tampa in the year, then it's a situation where I'm like, you have to shave your beard, or I'll shave my beard now.

Barrett Gruber: 01:01:42

I do it too often.

Barrett Gruber: 01:01:43

I do it too often for that to be valid.

Matt Velardebo: 01:01:45

Yeah.

Matt Velardebo: 01:01:45

It would be a big deal if I shaved mine.

Barrett Gruber: 01:01:47

Yeah, no.

Barrett Gruber: 01:01:49

And Matt tells me every, almost every single time he sees me without a beer, he's like, why'd you shave your beard?

Matt Velardebo: 01:01:54

He's got a great beard, great facial hair.

Matt Velardebo: 01:01:57

Grow that shit.

Barrett Gruber: 01:01:58

Yeah.

Barrett Gruber: 01:01:59

And it covers up.

Barrett Gruber: 01:02:00

It covers up some of this that's going on on the bottom.

Matt Velardebo: 01:02:03

It keeps my turkey neck in check.

Barrett Gruber: 01:02:06

But, yeah, I guess I didn't have anything planned, but I guess bragging rights.

Barrett Gruber: 01:02:12

So.

Barrett Gruber: 01:02:13

Falcons.

Barrett Gruber: 01:02:14

If the Falcons beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, then I will be willing to find a Tampa Bay Buccaneers jersey, and I will take a picture of it, and I will put that as my profile picture for the remainder of the season after your election, if you're willing to do the same.

Matt Velardebo: 01:02:39

Yeah, I can do that.

Barrett Gruber: 01:02:40

I've got plenty of Falcons jersey, so you don't have to find one.

Matt Velardebo: 01:02:43

I can do that.

Matt Velardebo: 01:02:44

I don't know if I have a bucks jersey that'll fit you.

Matt Velardebo: 01:02:47

But you know what, and that ain't a slight.

Matt Velardebo: 01:02:49

No, no.

Matt Velardebo: 01:02:49

You're.

Barrett Gruber: 01:02:50

No, no, no.

Matt Velardebo: 01:02:50

But you know, an extra x and you're.

Barrett Gruber: 01:02:51

But you know what?

Barrett Gruber: 01:02:52

But you know what's funny about that is that I did lose.

Barrett Gruber: 01:02:55

I did lose a bet several years ago where Georgia Tech and Clemson were playing.

Barrett Gruber: 01:03:01

Clemson beat Georgia tech, which they normally do, but it was a, it was a close game.

Barrett Gruber: 01:03:06

Georgia Tech could have won it.

Barrett Gruber: 01:03:07

I did have to wear somebody else's Clemson jersey, and it was a size medium, and that was the picture that I took.

Barrett Gruber: 01:03:17

If I can find that picture, I'll send it to you.

Barrett Gruber: 01:03:19

But I was a little bit more svelte back then, but it was still a very tight fit.

Matt Velardebo: 01:03:27

I don't know if I could get my big ass head through a medium neck hole.

Barrett Gruber: 01:03:34

I know there's a picture of it somewhere.

Barrett Gruber: 01:03:36

I know there's a picture of it somewhere because it was, like I said, I was a little bit more svelte then.

Matt Velardebo: 01:03:40

Oh, yeah.

Barrett Gruber: 01:03:41

I'll get myself down to it.

Barrett Gruber: 01:03:42

But it was, it was entertaining.

Barrett Gruber: 01:03:45

So, so I.

Barrett Gruber: 01:03:46

If you're willing to.

Barrett Gruber: 01:03:47

We'll do that bet.

Matt Velardebo: 01:03:48

Yeah, let's do it.

Barrett Gruber: 01:03:49

All right.

Barrett Gruber: 01:03:49

So if, if they win, if they, if the Falcons win both, see both games in the season against Tampa and then vice versa, if Tampa wins both season, both games in the season, then, then we'll.

Barrett Gruber: 01:04:00

We'll switch jerseys or whatever.

Barrett Gruber: 01:04:02

We'll, we'll do that.

Barrett Gruber: 01:04:03

That'll.

Barrett Gruber: 01:04:04

All right.

Barrett Gruber: 01:04:04

We'll shake on it just because that seems most appropriate.

Barrett Gruber: 01:04:07

All right, Matt, I really appreciate you.

Barrett Gruber: 01:04:10

One.

Barrett Gruber: 01:04:11

Oh, please, go ahead.

Barrett Gruber: 01:04:12

You got something?

Matt Velardebo: 01:04:12

You got seven questions for me.

Barrett Gruber: 01:04:14

We haven't ever done your seven questions.

Barrett Gruber: 01:04:16

Holy cow.

Matt Velardebo: 01:04:17

Well, then I have been waiting for seven questions.

Barrett Gruber: 01:04:20

I can't believe we haven't done that before.

Barrett Gruber: 01:04:22

I am.

Matt Velardebo: 01:04:24

I am ready.

Barrett Gruber: 01:04:26

You're going to go to the phone just to make sure?

Matt Velardebo: 01:04:28

Well, I'll need to look up what I googled.

Barrett Gruber: 01:04:31

Okay.

Barrett Gruber: 01:04:31

All right.

Barrett Gruber: 01:04:31

All right.

Barrett Gruber: 01:04:32

Well, then I'll go.

Barrett Gruber: 01:04:32

I'll go ahead and get started.

Barrett Gruber: 01:04:34

What was the last thing that you googled there?

Barrett Gruber: 01:04:36

Young Matt Malardobo.

Matt Velardebo: 01:04:38

How to turn off that members also joined?

Matt Velardebo: 01:04:42

Like, group suggestion thing you get on Facebook now.

Barrett Gruber: 01:04:49

I think I must have turned that off already because I don't get that anymore.

Matt Velardebo: 01:04:53

God, I hate it.

Matt Velardebo: 01:04:53

But that was the last thing I googled like an old man.

Barrett Gruber: 01:04:57

You should see the things that I Google.

Barrett Gruber: 01:04:59

Like not, you know, not explicitly, but some of the things that I Google are like, how do I do something on Facebook?

Barrett Gruber: 01:05:07

Or how do I turn off a setting?

Barrett Gruber: 01:05:10

You know, I also Google specific formulas out, or I'll go to chat GPT for specific formulas in excel, too.

Barrett Gruber: 01:05:17

So, you know, it's what I do.

Barrett Gruber: 01:05:20

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

Matt Velardebo: 01:05:23

It would.

Matt Velardebo: 01:05:24

If I could, like, cast a large net, I would say Wolverines power set.

Barrett Gruber: 01:05:29

So you want the ability to heal quickly.

Matt Velardebo: 01:05:32

Yeah.

Barrett Gruber: 01:05:32

Do you like the metal adamantine?

Matt Velardebo: 01:05:34

No, that's not.

Matt Velardebo: 01:05:35

I mean, that's not really his power set.

Barrett Gruber: 01:05:37

No.

Barrett Gruber: 01:05:37

So his additionally, in his power set.

Matt Velardebo: 01:05:40

He has like the heightened senses and stuff, too.

Matt Velardebo: 01:05:42

Yeah, I think I would take, you know, the Wolverine package.

Barrett Gruber: 01:05:46

I think.

Barrett Gruber: 01:05:46

I think I got a lot of work to do.

Matt Velardebo: 01:05:48

So if I can, like, live some extra years with the healing factor, I can get a lot done.

Barrett Gruber: 01:05:52

The healing factor also makes him very, very fit.

Matt Velardebo: 01:05:56

Yes.

Barrett Gruber: 01:05:56

Because I would get those abs.

Barrett Gruber: 01:05:58

Yeah, it fights against the.

Barrett Gruber: 01:06:00

It fights against the fat.

Matt Velardebo: 01:06:01

Eats the fat.

Barrett Gruber: 01:06:02

Number three.

Barrett Gruber: 01:06:02

If your life were a movie, what would it be titled?

Matt Velardebo: 01:06:05

Oh, boy.

Matt Velardebo: 01:06:06

So I'm going to go with Renegade.

Matt Velardebo: 01:06:08

And the reason why is because there's a band called Head Pe.

Matt Velardebo: 01:06:12

A nineties new metal band that's still around, and they have a song called Renegade.

Matt Velardebo: 01:06:16

And that song is like the song of me.

Matt Velardebo: 01:06:19

So I.

Matt Velardebo: 01:06:20

I've always been a big fan of that song and what it means.

Matt Velardebo: 01:06:23

So I would say renegade.

Barrett Gruber: 01:06:25

What that.

Barrett Gruber: 01:06:27

What?

Barrett Gruber: 01:06:27

That was the name of the band.

Matt Velardebo: 01:06:28

Head P E is the name of the band.

Barrett Gruber: 01:06:30

H E D p e.

Barrett Gruber: 01:06:32

Okay.

Barrett Gruber: 01:06:32

Head P E.

Barrett Gruber: 01:06:33

And it's renegade.

Barrett Gruber: 01:06:34

Okay.

Barrett Gruber: 01:06:35

I was looking for my.

Barrett Gruber: 01:06:36

There it is.

Barrett Gruber: 01:06:36

I was trying to get the plug, though.

Barrett Gruber: 01:06:39

All right, number four, if you could eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Matt Velardebo: 01:06:43

Can I say sushi?

Barrett Gruber: 01:06:45

Yeah.

Matt Velardebo: 01:06:45

Sushi.

Barrett Gruber: 01:06:46

What, uh.

Barrett Gruber: 01:06:47

Is there a specific type of sushi that you.

Matt Velardebo: 01:06:48

I mean, I'm.

Matt Velardebo: 01:06:49

Again, I'm trying to cast a wide net so I don't have to pigeonhole much.

Barrett Gruber: 01:06:52

That's fair.

Matt Velardebo: 01:06:52

I could say steak and that, like, covers, you know, filet mignon, ribeye, and sirloin.

Matt Velardebo: 01:06:57

Right.

Barrett Gruber: 01:06:57

But, like, is there.

Barrett Gruber: 01:06:58

Is there a specific sushi?

Matt Velardebo: 01:07:00

I love tuna.

Barrett Gruber: 01:07:01

Okay.

Barrett Gruber: 01:07:02

You like a spicy.

Barrett Gruber: 01:07:03

Spicy.

Matt Velardebo: 01:07:03

It can be spicy, not spicy.

Matt Velardebo: 01:07:05

I take a glob of wasabi and, like, put it on each roll as I eat it.

Matt Velardebo: 01:07:09

I don't do the.

Matt Velardebo: 01:07:10

The little slurry.

Barrett Gruber: 01:07:11

I do.

Barrett Gruber: 01:07:11

I do do the little slurry.

Matt Velardebo: 01:07:13

I don't do the slurry.

Barrett Gruber: 01:07:14

If I have a little bit too much wasabi, then you feel it in the back of your neck.

Matt Velardebo: 01:07:17

I like the wasabi hot because it's not, like, hot sauce that, like, paints your tongue in, that, like, oily capsaicin.

Barrett Gruber: 01:07:24

Yeah, I don't.

Barrett Gruber: 01:07:25

I don't disagree.

Barrett Gruber: 01:07:26

I think.

Barrett Gruber: 01:07:26

I think I just.

Barrett Gruber: 01:07:27

I just know that if I have too much wasabi that there's no recovering from it immediately.

Matt Velardebo: 01:07:32

It clears out the sinuses real good.

Barrett Gruber: 01:07:34

It does help with that.

Barrett Gruber: 01:07:36

All right, number five, what is your least favorite candy and why?

Matt Velardebo: 01:07:41

Probably black licorice.

Barrett Gruber: 01:07:43

Okay.

Matt Velardebo: 01:07:43

Just disgusting.

Barrett Gruber: 01:07:44

That's.

Matt Velardebo: 01:07:46

I'm not going to say nothing.

Matt Velardebo: 01:07:47

It's funny.

Matt Velardebo: 01:07:48

David Robinson.

Matt Velardebo: 01:07:50

Probably one of my favorite appearances you've had is David Robinson saying he didn't like chocolate because my dad doesn't like chocolate either.

Barrett Gruber: 01:07:59

So it's like, I wonder what that's about.

Barrett Gruber: 01:08:03

Like, like, what is it about chocolate?

Matt Velardebo: 01:08:05

For some people, maybe just a fear of deliciousness.

Barrett Gruber: 01:08:08

Oh, well.

Barrett Gruber: 01:08:09

Well, that's like, Emily Mayer doesn't like chocolate and peanut butter combined.

Matt Velardebo: 01:08:14

Oh, man.

Matt Velardebo: 01:08:14

My wife is like, goo goo for that.

Matt Velardebo: 01:08:17

That's like, her favorite combo is some of the best peanut butter.

Barrett Gruber: 01:08:21

And for the life of me, like, I think I asked her, I was like, if your husband comes home with Halloween candy and, like, it's just all, like, chocolate, like Reese's peanut butter cups, what do you do?

Barrett Gruber: 01:08:30

I don't eat it.

Barrett Gruber: 01:08:32

I can't.

Matt Velardebo: 01:08:33

I mean, I like that stuff, too.

Barrett Gruber: 01:08:35

That is so foreign to me.

Barrett Gruber: 01:08:36

It just doesn't.

Barrett Gruber: 01:08:37

It doesn't make sense.

Barrett Gruber: 01:08:38

All right, number six, what is one strange or unusual talent that you have?

Matt Velardebo: 01:08:43

I have a photographic memory.

Barrett Gruber: 01:08:45

Do you?

Matt Velardebo: 01:08:45

Yeah.

Matt Velardebo: 01:08:46

And people love that about me, as far as being a politician, that's very handy to have.

Matt Velardebo: 01:08:50

People are like, oh, good job.

Matt Velardebo: 01:08:52

You know, so one of the, one of the.

Barrett Gruber: 01:08:54

But how does, how does that.

Barrett Gruber: 01:08:57

How does that counteract with the Parkinson's?

Barrett Gruber: 01:09:00

Because I know that with, with.

Barrett Gruber: 01:09:01

It doesn't at all.

Barrett Gruber: 01:09:02

Because I know with some people that.

Matt Velardebo: 01:09:03

Have Parkinson's, cognitive can come later, but for me, I'm.

Matt Velardebo: 01:09:07

I don't have much cognitive at all.

Barrett Gruber: 01:09:09

So that's good.

Barrett Gruber: 01:09:11

That's good.

Barrett Gruber: 01:09:11

All right, number seven.

Barrett Gruber: 01:09:13

And also photographic memories.

Barrett Gruber: 01:09:16

So mine's.

Barrett Gruber: 01:09:17

I have.

Barrett Gruber: 01:09:18

Mine is almost photographic, but I also have.

Barrett Gruber: 01:09:22

I think it's endemic.

Barrett Gruber: 01:09:23

Endemic.

Barrett Gruber: 01:09:24

Indemnik.

Barrett Gruber: 01:09:26

I'm forgetting the word.

Barrett Gruber: 01:09:27

So clearly the dementia is offsetting the memory.

Barrett Gruber: 01:09:32

Last question, number seven.

Barrett Gruber: 01:09:34

If you could have dinner with any three people, dead or alive, who would they be?

Matt Velardebo: 01:09:38

So I'm going to go with what pretty much everybody else has said for number one, and that's Barack Obama.

Matt Velardebo: 01:09:44

Okay, I'm torn with number two, but I'm going to say Corey Taylor, he's the lead singer for Slipknot.

Barrett Gruber: 01:09:51

Okay.

Matt Velardebo: 01:09:52

I think he's probably the most talented singer out there today.

Matt Velardebo: 01:09:56

He's lived an incredible life.

Matt Velardebo: 01:09:59

One of the most prolific bands in the history of music and author, movie producer, actor.

Matt Velardebo: 01:10:08

So Corey would definitely be at that table.

Matt Velardebo: 01:10:10

And then I'm gonna say Dusty Rhodes would be number three.

Barrett Gruber: 01:10:14

Okay.

Matt Velardebo: 01:10:14

Son of a plumber, baby.

Barrett Gruber: 01:10:18

That's a pretty good list.

Barrett Gruber: 01:10:19

One of these days, I'm gonna have to get Zach to ask me these questions, because, I'll be honest, I've not ever thought about most of those answers, except when I'm going through them.

Barrett Gruber: 01:10:28

But that question about who would you eat a meal with, dead or alive, that's one of those ones that people get a lot of insight into, I guess, the type of person someone is or whatever.

Barrett Gruber: 01:10:42

I'd like to think that Jesus existed.

Barrett Gruber: 01:10:44

I don't necessarily know about all the magic and stuff like that, but, you know, I think that I would go to Jesus not necessarily because I just want to be in the presence, but I want to have a conversation with somebody who seems to represent all of these good natured, humanistic, empathetic emotions that ultimately, like, just wanted so much to be able to make the world a better place.

Barrett Gruber: 01:11:13

I want to have a conversation and be like, what happened?

Matt Velardebo: 01:11:17

Yeah, I get it.

Matt Velardebo: 01:11:19

I struggled with either Corey Taylor or killer Mike.

Barrett Gruber: 01:11:23

Oh, yeah.

Barrett Gruber: 01:11:24

I think killer Mike's attainable.

Matt Velardebo: 01:11:26

He is and Corey's attainable, but still, I mean, I would just.

Matt Velardebo: 01:11:32

I think that'd be a great table to sit at and hear from those guys.

Barrett Gruber: 01:11:35

I'd want to sit down with Bernie Sanders and Killer Mike.

Matt Velardebo: 01:11:38

Yeah, that would be great.

Barrett Gruber: 01:11:39

I've seen them.

Barrett Gruber: 01:11:40

I've seen them on.

Matt Velardebo: 01:11:41

I've seen them on Bill Maher together.

Barrett Gruber: 01:11:42

Yeah.

Barrett Gruber: 01:11:44

Always, always very entertaining.

Matt Velardebo: 01:11:46

Yeah.

Barrett Gruber: 01:11:46

So, well, I apologize.

Barrett Gruber: 01:11:48

I didn't, I didn't.

Barrett Gruber: 01:11:49

I guess the last time you were on, we didn't have the seven.

Matt Velardebo: 01:11:51

No, that happened later.

Matt Velardebo: 01:11:52

And I remember I was like, man, I want to do seven questions.

Barrett Gruber: 01:11:55

Bill Kimmler says that that is the, that is, that.

Barrett Gruber: 01:11:58

That shows my weakest journalistic skills.

Matt Velardebo: 01:12:01

I remember he was, like, really put off by those questions.

Barrett Gruber: 01:12:05

I thought Bill was hilarious.

Matt Velardebo: 01:12:06

Bill's always hilarious, man.

Matt Velardebo: 01:12:08

Bill, never.

Matt Velardebo: 01:12:10

Him and I are always, like, chatting back and forth and, like, he put out this visual piece where the republican leadership over the decades has an f, and he, like, listed out all these statistics.

Matt Velardebo: 01:12:22

And I was like, dude, that is bloody brilliant.

Barrett Gruber: 01:12:24

Yeah.

Matt Velardebo: 01:12:24

And he's like, well, have at it if you want to use it.

Matt Velardebo: 01:12:27

So I, like, redesigned it, and I was like, this is what I came up with.

Matt Velardebo: 01:12:30

He's like, dude, it was good.

Matt Velardebo: 01:12:31

You're bloody brilliant, too.

Barrett Gruber: 01:12:33

Yeah.

Barrett Gruber: 01:12:33

So, yeah, he was.

Barrett Gruber: 01:12:35

He, yeah.

Barrett Gruber: 01:12:37

I don't want to give too much detail, but Bill and I do have some plans for something coming up after the first of the year that is probably going to involve this podcast and maybe a couple days a week going live from in the morning before we start doing our work, but just sort of a way to get our chops in there, like a live morning show for 30 or 45 minutes a day.

Matt Velardebo: 01:13:03

Yeah.

Barrett Gruber: 01:13:04

So that's, that's something potentially to come.

Matt Velardebo: 01:13:07

You could, could.

Matt Velardebo: 01:13:08

Will you be like a morning zoo crazy nut hut?

Barrett Gruber: 01:13:10

No, it'll probably.

Matt Velardebo: 01:13:11

This is Barrett in the morning coming at you from Columbia.

Barrett Gruber: 01:13:15

It's, it's, it's very, it's very likely that it'll.

Barrett Gruber: 01:13:17

We will not report the weather, because the weather is one of those things that I just gripe at every time.

Barrett Gruber: 01:13:24

Every time I hear somebody doing the weather on the, on the radio, I hear that, and I'm just like, why, why are we wasting our time with that?

Barrett Gruber: 01:13:30

I.

Barrett Gruber: 01:13:30

You know, if.

Barrett Gruber: 01:13:31

If it's an event, I can go with an event, that's fine.

Barrett Gruber: 01:13:35

But if it's.

Barrett Gruber: 01:13:36

If you're just saying.

Barrett Gruber: 01:13:37

Sunny skies today, high of 75, looking for lows tonight, 32.

Barrett Gruber: 01:13:41

You know, I don't need that.

Barrett Gruber: 01:13:43

My phone.

Matt Velardebo: 01:13:43

That's about all you get from the radio nowadays for the weather.

Barrett Gruber: 01:13:46

Tell traffic if it's.

Barrett Gruber: 01:13:47

If it's a morning drive or an afternoon drive.

Barrett Gruber: 01:13:49

Traffic.

Barrett Gruber: 01:13:50

That's what we need.

Barrett Gruber: 01:13:50

Just report on.

Barrett Gruber: 01:13:51

Play music.

Barrett Gruber: 01:13:52

Play traffic.

Barrett Gruber: 01:13:53

Music.

Barrett Gruber: 01:13:53

Traffic.

Barrett Gruber: 01:13:54

Music.

Barrett Gruber: 01:13:54

Traffic.

Barrett Gruber: 01:13:54

That's all you need to get off.

Matt Velardebo: 01:13:55

At exit eight if you're approaching exit seven.

Barrett Gruber: 01:13:57

Yeah, exactly.

Barrett Gruber: 01:13:58

Exactly.

Barrett Gruber: 01:13:59

All right, the last thing I want to say is, happy birthday.

Barrett Gruber: 01:14:01

Birthday, Jimmy Carter.

Matt Velardebo: 01:14:02

Happy birthday, Jimmy Carter.

Matt Velardebo: 01:14:04

You made it to the century note brother.

Matt Velardebo: 01:14:05

He went into hospice, like, a year ago, and he's still with us.

Barrett Gruber: 01:14:09

And we lost.

Barrett Gruber: 01:14:10

We lost his wife, Rosalind, after it was.

Barrett Gruber: 01:14:14

She.

Barrett Gruber: 01:14:14

We lost her earlier this year.

Barrett Gruber: 01:14:16

And he has hung around, and I think he's hanging out to make sure.

Matt Velardebo: 01:14:22

We get this right.

Barrett Gruber: 01:14:23

Well, ultimately, he.

Barrett Gruber: 01:14:25

You know, somebody.

Barrett Gruber: 01:14:26

Somebody said that he was sticking around just long enough to make sure that he could cast his vote for the first woman president.

Barrett Gruber: 01:14:31

And I think that's admirable.

Barrett Gruber: 01:14:33

And the fact that he's able to do it.

Barrett Gruber: 01:14:35

You know, I.

Barrett Gruber: 01:14:36

And I know, I know I tell this all the time, but, you know, it was.

Barrett Gruber: 01:14:40

I'm 45 this year.

Barrett Gruber: 01:14:41

Uh, so it was.

Barrett Gruber: 01:14:42

It was 26 years ago that I was doing, uh, volunteer work for habitat for Humanity in Atlanta.

Matt Velardebo: 01:14:50

There you go.

Barrett Gruber: 01:14:51

And, uh.

Barrett Gruber: 01:14:52

And.

Barrett Gruber: 01:14:52

And got to shake Jimmy Carter's hand twice.

Matt Velardebo: 01:14:55

Wow.

Barrett Gruber: 01:14:56

And he'd be out there swinging a hammer or moving, you know, or carrying wood.

Barrett Gruber: 01:15:01

And granted, he was 80 or, you know, 75 at that point, but, you know, this is a man that has.

Barrett Gruber: 01:15:06

Has been in service to this country for better than 60, 70 years.

Matt Velardebo: 01:15:15

And, yeah, you talk about answering the call to serve.

Matt Velardebo: 01:15:18

Jimmy Carter has answered call to serve.

Barrett Gruber: 01:15:21

And he's.

Barrett Gruber: 01:15:22

He's one of those.

Barrett Gruber: 01:15:23

He's one of those Democrats that even aged.

Barrett Gruber: 01:15:27

Republicans that I know have expressed that he was a good representative, he was a good president, that you could tell he was honest, that he used his hands to get where he was at.

Barrett Gruber: 01:15:43

So.

Barrett Gruber: 01:15:43

Happy birthday to Jimmy Carter.

Matt Velardebo: 01:15:45

Happy birthday, President Carter.

Barrett Gruber: 01:15:49

I wish I could shake his hand again one more time.

Barrett Gruber: 01:15:52

I.

Barrett Gruber: 01:15:53

You know, with the step up in security, I'm a secret service.

Barrett Gruber: 01:15:56

I imagine they're probably going to let me get very close.

Barrett Gruber: 01:15:58

So that is going to do it for episode number 228.

Barrett Gruber: 01:16:02

By the way, the secret Service isn't necessary.

Barrett Gruber: 01:16:04

Y'all can stop visiting my door.

Barrett Gruber: 01:16:07

Thank you very much for Zach being able to show up.

Barrett Gruber: 01:16:10

I'll just say Zach has been suffering the last couple weeks.

Barrett Gruber: 01:16:14

I know we talked about it, that Zach was in Greenville for his new job for two weeks.

Barrett Gruber: 01:16:19

So we missed a couple episodes there.

Barrett Gruber: 01:16:20

But then Hurricane Helene came through, and it did.

Barrett Gruber: 01:16:25

He was without power for the better part, actually, since the storm up until yesterday.

Barrett Gruber: 01:16:31

So, you know, even here in Columbia, there are neighborhoods that are still afflicted.

Barrett Gruber: 01:16:36

Almost all points west of here are, still have.

Barrett Gruber: 01:16:39

Have thousands and thousands of people without power.

Barrett Gruber: 01:16:42

We have friends that have property up in chimney Rock that no longer have property.

Matt Velardebo: 01:16:46

Yeah, I got an aunt and uncle and Boone.

Matt Velardebo: 01:16:49

They.

Matt Velardebo: 01:16:49

They fortunately live up on a mountain.

Matt Velardebo: 01:16:51

They were able to escape most of the flooding damage, but, uh, they just got power back, uh, this morning, so.

Matt Velardebo: 01:16:58

But the rest of Boone, it's.

Matt Velardebo: 01:17:00

It's bad, y'all.

Barrett Gruber: 01:17:01

Yeah.

Matt Velardebo: 01:17:02

It's tough to see for somebody who spent so much time up there.

Barrett Gruber: 01:17:05

I also want to shout out to the Casey West, Columbia JC's, the.

Barrett Gruber: 01:17:10

They host the haunt.

Barrett Gruber: 01:17:11

Haunt, the hall of horrors.

Barrett Gruber: 01:17:13

Is that right?

Matt Velardebo: 01:17:14

Horrors.

Barrett Gruber: 01:17:16

They host a hall of horrors down here in Casey, off of Walter Bryce Road.

Barrett Gruber: 01:17:23

But I did talk to Shelby earlier this week.

Barrett Gruber: 01:17:26

They were on their second trip up to Chimney Rock with gasoline, with water and food supplies that they had been taking up there.

Barrett Gruber: 01:17:35

The state of South Carolina, the JC's organization in South Carolina has been collecting to take up to different locations in North Carolina for, to help some of the victims that have been created.

Barrett Gruber: 01:17:48

So, Shelby, Oshawn, Alex, the world thanks you for everything that you all are doing and the JC's organization.

Barrett Gruber: 01:17:56

So hall of Horrors is open up Saturdays and Sundays through the remainder of October.

Barrett Gruber: 01:18:02

So make sure to go check that out again.

Barrett Gruber: 01:18:04

Matt, thank you very much for being on here.

Barrett Gruber: 01:18:06

Matt Velardebo, Matt v four sc.com.

Barrett Gruber: 01:18:09

still taking donations.

Barrett Gruber: 01:18:10

Volunteers can come out and canvas as well.

Barrett Gruber: 01:18:13

If there's any donations that people still want to make.

Barrett Gruber: 01:18:16

The campaign definitely needs it because now.

Matt Velardebo: 01:18:19

It'S time when the big bills are due.

Barrett Gruber: 01:18:21

Yeah.

Barrett Gruber: 01:18:22

So check that out.

Barrett Gruber: 01:18:23

Matt v four sc.

Barrett Gruber: 01:18:24

You can follow him on social media as well.

Barrett Gruber: 01:18:25

All the links there on the website.

Barrett Gruber: 01:18:27

I know because I put them in there also.

Barrett Gruber: 01:18:30

I guess the last thing I want to say is go Falcone because shit birds.

Barrett Gruber: 01:18:34

Yeah, it's going to be this is this.

Barrett Gruber: 01:18:38

This Thursday, which will have already happened by the time this comes out, is.

Barrett Gruber: 01:18:41

Is going to Tampa.

Barrett Gruber: 01:18:43

Is.

Barrett Gruber: 01:18:43

Is obviously between Tampa, New Orleans, Tampa and New Orleans.

Barrett Gruber: 01:18:48

Those are the two teams to beat in the southeast.

Barrett Gruber: 01:18:50

And it's, it's, it's not going to be easy.

Barrett Gruber: 01:18:54

And I'm hoping that the Falcons are not so young with their staff that they can do it.

Barrett Gruber: 01:19:01

I mean, Kirk Cousins is obviously raising the age bar, but, you know, that's, you know, we'll see.

Barrett Gruber: 01:19:09

We'll see how it goes.

Barrett Gruber: 01:19:09

All right.

Barrett Gruber: 01:19:11

Again, thanks, Matt, for being here.

Barrett Gruber: 01:19:12

Thanks.

Barrett Gruber: 01:19:13

And driving all the way down from Fort Mill because I imagine you got some things done, though.

Matt Velardebo: 01:19:17

Yep, yep.

Matt Velardebo: 01:19:17

Went to SDC South Carolina Democratic Party headquarters, met up with a couple of them and talked about some things we're trying to work on.

Barrett Gruber: 01:19:25

Perfect.

Barrett Gruber: 01:19:25

All right, well, links to past episodes, podcast platforms, merchandise, and social media available at our website, theallaboutnothing.com dot.

Barrett Gruber: 01:19:31

And if you think our financial model a given way, free content and entertainment is silly and you're in the giving mood, why not become an official nothinger?

Barrett Gruber: 01:19:36

Support the show monthly members get early access to this episode as well as exclusive content, or you can make a one time donation through the same link.

Barrett Gruber: 01:19:43

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Barrett Gruber: 01:19:48

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Barrett Gruber: 01:19:56

or you can join our discord server.

Barrett Gruber: 01:19:58

Links available at the allaboutnothing.com dot.

Barrett Gruber: 01:20:00

I'll say it for zach.

Barrett Gruber: 01:20:01

Thank you very much everybody for being here.

Barrett Gruber: 01:20:03

Stay safe, be kind, and keep your hands to yourself.

Matt Velardebo: 01:20:07

Mind your own damn business too.

Barrett Gruber: 01:20:08

The all about nothing podcast is produced and engineered by me, barrett Gruber.

Barrett Gruber: 01:20:12

Thanks to cake for our intro music sick of you.

Barrett Gruber: 01:20:14

You can follow everything cake the band@cakemusic.com thanks to muff, the producer for our outro music.

Barrett Gruber: 01:20:19

You can follow muff on instagram ufftheproducer I am barrett gruber.

Barrett Gruber: 01:20:23

You can follow me on instagram and twitter.

Barrett Gruber: 01:20:25

Eric Gruber or visit my linktree barrettgruber.

Barrett Gruber: 01:20:28

Want to support the show?

Barrett Gruber: 01:20:28

Visit our webpage theallaboutnothing.com and become a member.

Barrett Gruber: 01:20:32

There are several tiers available, including memberships that give you early access to episodes as well as exclusive content.

Barrett Gruber: 01:20:37

Visit theallaboutnothing.com dot to find links to our social media merchandise and past episodes.

Barrett Gruber: 01:20:42

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Barrett Gruber: 01:20:44

If youd like to be heard on the show, you can call and leave us a message.

Barrett Gruber: 01:20:50

If the time between these episodes is more than you can handle, check out our partner podcast.

Barrett Gruber: 01:20:54

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Barrett Gruber: 01:20:56

Visit whatthepodwasthat.com for links and details.

Barrett Gruber: 01:20:59

Ami takes a deep dive down the rabbit hole in episodes of welcome to Wonderland, available on all the podcast platforms.

Barrett Gruber: 01:21:04

Visit wtwlpod.com for details as well.

Barrett Gruber: 01:21:08

You can listen to the political and social conversation between doctor Jamella Brooks and Bill Kimmler on Black, white and Blue in the south.

Barrett Gruber: 01:21:14

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Barrett Gruber: 01:21:16

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Barrett Gruber: 01:21:18

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Barrett Gruber: 01:21:20

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