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EP #424:33Public

When Politics Invades the Game

EP4: When Politics Invades the Game

Happy post-4th of July! Host Jim Perron opens The Public Perspective with a warm Independence Day greeting before launching into a frank discussion of one of the most frustrating trends in American life: the complete politicization of sports, entertainment, and civic institutions.

Politics in Sports

Jim examines how political bias has infected NFL and MLB Hall of Fame voting. He details the cases of Bill Belichick (333 career wins, 2nd all-time, still not inducted) and Bert Blyleven (5th all-time in strikeouts, kept out for 11 of his 12 eligible years). He then addresses Curt Schilling (17th all-time strikeouts, fired from ESPN for being an outspoken conservative) and Roger Clemens (3rd all-time, sidelined despite steroids being widespread in his era). The discussion continues with the US Soccer World Cup exit, the Caitlin Clark WNBA controversy, and how conservative actors in Hollywood stay silently in the closet to protect their careers.

The Democratic Socialist Takeover

Jim takes a hard look at how figures like Bernie Sanders, AOC, Elizabeth Warren, Rashida Tlaib, and Ilhan Omar have seized the direction of the Democrat Party. The Maine Senate race — featuring candidate Graham Plattner and his controversial history — illustrates how party leadership bypasses voters to install preferred candidates. Jim traces this pattern from 2016 (Bernie sidelined for Hillary) through 2024 (Biden replaced by Harris without a primary) and argues it is the definition of socialism — not democracy.

The Save America Act

Jim defends Trump's push for voter ID requirements, arguing that showing identification to vote is no different than needing ID to board a plane, buy beer, or obtain a driver's license. He calls on Senate Majority Leader John Thune to eliminate the filibuster and push the bill to a simple 50-vote majority — and issues a strong rallying cry to conservatives, moderate liberals, and independents to show up at the midterms this November.

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Show notes

# EP4: When Politics Invades the Game
The Public Perspective with Jim Perron

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## Topics Covered

### 🏈 Politics in Sports

  • US Soccer knocked out of the World Cup; some on the left celebrate
  • NFL Hall of Fame: Bill Belichick (333 wins, 2nd all-time) left off ballot — Jim argues it's Trump-association punishment
  • MLB Hall of Fame: Bert Blyleven (5th all-time in strikeouts) kept out 11 of 12 eligible years
  • Curt Schilling (17th all-time strikeouts) still shut out — fired from ESPN for conservative views
  • Roger Clemens (3rd all-time) excluded; steroids used as cover, Jim argues politics is the real reason
  • Caitlin Clark — all-time NCAA scoring leader facing race-based backlash, including criticism from Oprah Winfrey
  • Hollywood conservatives: how actors stay silent to protect roles and invitations

### 🏛️ The Democratic Socialist Takeover

  • Bernie Sanders, AOC, Elizabeth Warren, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar seizing party direction
  • Maine Senate candidate Graham Plattner: Nazi tattoo, sexual assault allegations — polled at 72% until party pushed him out
  • Democrats overriding voters: 2016 (Bernie → Hillary), 2024 (Biden → Harris), 2025 (Plattner replacement)
  • Jim's core argument: Installing candidates without a vote is socialism, not democracy

### 🗳️ The Save America Act

  • Requires US citizenship and photo ID to vote
  • ID is required for planes, alcohol, driver's licenses — why not voting?
  • Current status: 53 Senate votes; needs 60 (or filibuster reform) to pass
  • John Thune (Senate Majority Leader) called out for not moving on filibuster reform
  • Midterm rallying cry: Conservatives, moderates, and independents must turn out in November

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The Public Perspective is an independent political commentary podcast hosted by Jim Perron.

Transcript

  1. SPEAKER A

    Good evening. Welcome to The Public Perspective. I'm Jim Perrin, your host, and I hope you had a really good Fourth of July. Hope you spent it with family and friends and drank a little beer, ate some good food, celebrated our 250th anniversary of the greatest nation on earth.

  2. SPEAKER B

    I hope you had a good time and saw fireworks later on at night and just really enjoyed the last weekend. Because I know I did.

  3. SPEAKER A

    There's a lot of things to talk about right now going on in the world, a lot of different topics tonight. Although I want to talk about politics, but particularly politics in sports.

  4. SPEAKER B

    Politics in sports has been there all the time, okay?

  5. SPEAKER A

    Now, just a few days ago, the U.S.

  6. SPEAKER B

    soccer team got knocked out of the World Cup championship round.

  7. SPEAKER A

    And the Democrats seem to take a lot of pride and joy in that. They weren't rooting for the United States, which is bizarre to me, but I think it's because their hatred for Donald Trump and the hatred for the company, the country. And now I don't feel bad for the soccer team. I actually feel bad for Democrats.

  8. SPEAKER B

    What a pathetic life you live if you wake up with every morning and with such hatred. It's incredible the hatred that they must endure and go through every day of their lives. It's unbelievable. But politics has always been in sports.

  9. SPEAKER A

    Take for example the NFL. It's sportswriters who decide who goes into the Hall of Fame and who doesn't.

  10. SPEAKER B

    They vote and they decide.

  11. SPEAKER A

    Now this year's inductees over in Canton, not too far from where I live, by the way, they should include a guy named Bill Belichick, okay?

  12. SPEAKER B

    But he's not on the list.

  13. SPEAKER A

    He didn't make it.

  14. SPEAKER B

    Why?

  15. SPEAKER A

    Because he's friends with Donald Trump, so he had to be punished. But he happens to be second on the all-time, all-time wins list for head coaches.

  16. SPEAKER B

    333 wins is as a head coach.

  17. SPEAKER A

    Okay, several Super Bowl championships, and it goes on and on.

  18. SPEAKER B

    Only Don Shula has more wins, 347, than Bill Belichick.

  19. SPEAKER A

    He's a no-brainer Hall of Famer, first ballot. Now they, like I said, they had to punish him, so he'll get in.

  20. SPEAKER B

    They can't keep him out with 333 wins.

  21. SPEAKER A

    He'll get in.

  22. SPEAKER B

    He'll get on the second ballot maybe next year or the year after, the third ballot, but They can't deny him that. Statistics say that he's in. So they just wanted to make him suffer a little bit because he was friends with Donald Trump. So anyway, and you can switch over now to baseball.

  23. SPEAKER A

    It's the same thing over there.

  24. SPEAKER B

    The writers, the— they decide who goes into the Hall of Fame and who doesn't. And it's all political over there too with the Maybe it's the same sportswriters, I don't even know. But I do know that politics plays a big part in it, okay? I grew up in Minnesota and there's a guy named Burt Blyleven.

  25. SPEAKER A

    He came in with the Minnesota Twins, he's a great pitcher, and ended up going over to Pittsburgh Pirates and won a World Series over there. Then he came back at the end of his career and he signed back up with the Minnesota Twins and he won another World Series with the Twins. So he won one in the National League, won one in the American League. Now when he quit, he was 5th on the all-time strikeout list. He still is to this day, 5th on the all-time. Only 4 pitchers in history have struck out more batters than Bert Blyleven.

  26. SPEAKER B

    But they made him pay again because— why? Because he didn't like the press.

  27. SPEAKER A

    He didn't talk to the press much. He didn't think much of them, so they didn't like him very much. No particular reason, they just didn't like him. So you're only eligible for 2 years.

  28. SPEAKER B

    Went 11 years without being inducted to the Hall of Fame.

  29. SPEAKER A

    On the 12th year, his last year of eligibility, they let him get in.

  30. SPEAKER B

    Mighty good of them, huh? Yeah, no politics involved there.

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