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Politicians and Coaches Make Strange Bedfellows

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Raise your hand, as the candidates did repeatedly, if you watched the tenth of fourteen Democratic Presidential Debates last evening.   While the candidates have their philosophical differences, they unanimously tell us that this country needs new leadership.  Each of them also believes that they are just the one to bring it to the White House.

Leadership.  What is leadership?  There are many iterations of definitions.  One definition is the ability to clearly communicate a vision, show a path for that vision, and get people to join the journey to help see to its fulfillment.

It’s what coaches have to do to get a group of players, regardless of the sport, to believe in what they are doing and come together as one to achieve their goals.

Good candidates should project as good coaches.  So, this made us wonder.  Who in the sports coaching world past or present reminds us most of the individuals on stage last evening.  In the scouting world it’s called comps.  Our best guesses at the comps follow.

Bernie Sanders sports an unkempt gray hairdo that he “hand combs” frequently.  Strong-willed and unrelenting, Bernie has a vision.  If challenged, he reddens in the face and raises his voice to accentuate a point.  It’s his way or the highway.  We get the feeling that when he dies he wants to be buried face down so that everyone can kiss his buttocks.  He hasn’t thrown a chair yet, but our comp is Bobby Knight.

Michael Bloomberg reminds us most of Hank Stram.  Bloom stands barely above the podium at about five feet and seven inches.  Stram needed 1970’s platform shoes to get to that rarefied air.  Both are/were smug and speak with squeaky voices.  Full disclosure- Stram was known to wear a trench coat on the sidelines, weather permitting, back in the day.  Flashy for fashionable reasons.   Nondisclosure- Bloomberg was known to wear a trench coat in the office, regardless of weather, back in the day.  Flashy for all of the wrong reasons.

Elizabeth Sanders has no direct identifiable comp, though George O’Leary and his falsified resume’ come to mind.  Undeterred, it’s obvious that she still wants skin in the game regardless of the sport.  As a kindred spirit, it’s well known that she covets coaching positions with the Washington Redskins, Cleveland Indians, and Florida State Seminoles.  But. she’s no George Allen nor Bobby Bowden.  Of course, their contracts were never taken from them due to pregnancy either.

Tom Steyer, we hardly know you.  Stoic, simple, and possibly a bit boring, Steyer is a marginal match with former Minnesota Viking Head Coach Bud Grant.  Grant was four times a bridesmaid and never a bride in Super Bowls.  Steyer could run three more times himself and we doubt highly that America would propose to him as well.  Grant won 283 NFL games, good for third all-time but we hardly knew him.

Joe Biden is a dead ringer for Les Miles.  Both have been in the game for a long time.  Yesterday Biden asked for your vote during a presentation.  It’s must-see Gaffe TV, again.  One is bad at debate clock management.  The other is bad at game clock management.  Biden prefers plugs to dye.  Miles prefers dye to plugs.  Both were relevant decades ago.  Both are still in the game, but we wonder why.

Amy Klobuchar projects more as an on-field leader than a sideline coach.  She’s a throwback 10-year plug and play three-down middle linebacker if there ever was a guy named Dick Butkus.  She even referred to her Uncle Dick (no relation to Butkus) in the deer stand last evening when discussing gun control.   Back in the day slick, tight-fitting helmets were made of leather.  Amy’s helmet hair hairdo looks and likely feels much the same, while Butkus sported a crew do.

Pete Buttigieg has an uncanny ability to inflect his voice like, parse his words, and use the same words as Barrak Obama.  It’s so uncanny that many openly wonder if it’s admiration or plagiarism.  Mayor Pete talks a big game but hasn’t coached in one yet.  Houston Texan Head Coach Bill O’Brien learned from Bill Belichick in a similar fashion and borrows attitude, mood, and words from Belichick similar to Pete’s wordsmith feats.  Both aspire to get to the big stage.  Not yet.

Ronald Reagan wanted to win one for the Gipper.  The seven left standing on stage want to win one as well.

 

 

 

 

 

Do You Believe in Miracles?

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

The Blessed Virgin Mary of Solitude weighed in yesterday.  She tweeted her thoughts on how tawdry the members of the Miracle on Ice 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team accessorized their wardrobe for the 40-year anniversary celebration of their defeat of the Russians.  Say what?

María de la Soledad Teresa O’Brien translated from Spanish means “The Blessed Virgin Mary of Solitude.”   Shortened, she goes by Soledad O’Brien.    Soledad was an NBC, MSNBC, and CNN anchor from 1991 till 2013 winning a Peabody and an Emmy Award along the way.

Since 2016, O’Brien has been the host for Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien, a nationally syndicated weekly talk show.   She is also a member of the Peabody Awards board of directors, which is presented by the University of Georgia’s Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Solitude means “the state or situation of being alone.”  Except Soledad is anything but alone.

Sunday she tweeted “Ugh….so disappointed by the @1980MiracleTeam.  I loved watching that game as a kid with my dad.  To see them on a stage, in MAGA hats-kinda crushing I have to say.”

And so America was “lit” as the young uns like to say, or used to like to say.   Tweets on both sides of the aisle set the virtual world on fire.

One side @SJUA08 provided “The USA Hockey team UNITED a nation in 1980.  The same team DIVIDED this nation more by participating in a MAGA rally.  The Miracle Team now is part of our national nightmare.”

The other side @BroodingManatee countered, “If I took other people’s political opinions this seriously, I’d have to disavow all my favorite bands and stop watching movies entirely.”

All of the above freedom of speech is guaranteed by the First Amendment.  The faithful First also guarantees freedom of the press.  And, we submit, that is where the worst of all blurred lines have been crossed.    We’re pretty sure Walter Cronkite would look down his nose and over his reader glasses at old solitude Soledad.

The press used to stay out of shaming people for expressing their thoughts through freedom of speech.  In fact, they used to vigorously defend it.  Burn the flag.  Wear a MAGA hat.  It’s all the same.   But, today it isn’t.  Today, you are entitled to your opinion and right to express it only if it aligns with others’ thoughts.

If not, let the condemnation and name-calling begin and never end.   A few that come to mind are bigot, misogynist, racist, homophobe, elitist, and one-percenter.  There’s white privilege.  The war on women has now lasted longer than the 100-years war.  It’s must be all bad.  Don’t believe me?  Ask any member of the press that disagrees with you.

Reporters used to cover protesters yelling in the streets.  Now they are the protesters yelling into the microphone.

It’s their right even though it used to be wrong.  It will take a miracle to reverse this course.

What’s Old is Old

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Do you remember the Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker Show back in the eighties?  His relentless pursuit of money through the guise of religion was so tiresome.  Claims made by him and his minions of miracles answered for contributors to his church were endless and far fetched at best.  But, it was a narrative that kept his lovely wife Tammy Faye in mascara.  Jim eventually served hard time in jail for his sins.

Undeterred, he’s been at it again.  Contacts have replaced thick glasses.  Thin white coiffed hair has replaced thick brown coiffed hair.  Tammy Faye passed away.  He has a new female Fatale beside him as he continues to spread the good word.  Recently he brought on an “expert” who stated that for a small contribution she could send you some medicine that would destroy the coronavirus in just 12 hours.  It’s a miracle!

Find a narrative, swear to God by it, and collect money.

Which brings us to MSNBC.  Lawrence O’Donnell reminds us of the Rev. Jim Bakker.  Find a narrative, swear to God by it, and collect ad money.

Ole Larry made the Putin and Trump connection again.  O’Donnell said, “The president is a Russian operative. That sounds like the description of a bad Hollywood screenplay, but it is real. It is Vladimir Putin’s greatest achievement, decades after America’s victory in the Cold War and collapse of the Soviet Union, the president of the United States is now helping the president of Russia help the president of the United States to get re-elected. So that the president of Russia will have four more years of the president of the United States who he wants in the Oval Office, this is one of those shocking news days if you retain the capacity to be shocked in the Trump era by the Trump regime, which might be better labeled the Trump-Putin regime.”

You know.  Russia bad.  Trump bad.  We’ll be back after these revenue-generating messages.

So what if Putin prefers Trump over, say, a socialist that Bloomberg called a communist?  What would O’Donnell screech if Putin, as crazy as it sounds, came out in support of Crazy Bernie?

What would Lawrence say then?  Would he blame Trump for contacting Putin to get him to do it?  After all, who would want Putin’s endorsement?  Remember Russia bad.  Trump bad.

The narrative is beyond tired.  The collusion and all of its Mueller investigating (and striking out) is as old and tired as Jim Baker and snake oil.

Trumps’s approval numbers have improved over his time in office to a new high this past month.

How much is due to Putin? Not much.   The real question is how much is due to America growing more tired of a tired narrative.  Much.

 

Finally Mattered?

Posted on by Jim Carlton

Independent Investment Management designed to protect and grow your wealth.

JIM CARLTON
Managing Director
Chief Investment Officer

Friends

It appears that at around midmorning the coronavirus, Bernie Sanders could be President, and global economic slowdown all at once mattered to market participants. Stocks dropped nearly 400 points at a franticly quick pace. But, as the trading session wore on, buyers did appear and stocks were able to erase a good portion of those losses. Now, you can attach any or all of those items to the list of reasons why stocks had such a quick deceleration, but as I say often – certain things don’t matter until they do. For example, I’ve been in the investment business for 35 years. All that time I’ve heard how our budget deficits and debt will sink this country. Well, budget deficits and debt haven’t really mattered for 35 years, and my guess is that they will continue not to matter- until they do.

Now, after those deep thoughts let’s see what the markets did today. By the close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 128 points to finish the day at 29,219. The S&P 500 was down 13 points to close at 3,373. Gold was up $10 to trade at $1,622 per ounce, while oil was up $.48 to trade at $53.77 per barrel WTI.

Again, the coronavirus news certainly isn’t good, but some say the trend is actually getting better. We’ll see. Whatever the case, the effects of the virus on global growth cannot be ignored. Stocks held in once again today, but perhaps we got a glimpse of what happens when certain things start to matter. On the other hand, all this is simply transitory for long term investors with a good game plan. Anyway, let’s see how the week finishes out tomorrow.

Have a nice evening everyone.

Jim

10200 Grogan’s Mill Road, Suite 340
The Woodlands, TX  77380 
(281) 298-2700 Phone
(877) 824-4299 Toll Free
(281) 298-2760 Fax

[email protected]        www.chjwealthmanagement.com

Investment Advisory offered through Carlton, Hofferkamp & Jenks Wealth Management, LLC (“CHJ”).

*Numbers and figures sourced from the following: Bloomberg.com, CNBC.com and Finance.Yahoo.com.
The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which investment(s) may be appropriate for you, consult your financial advisor prior to investing. All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results. All indices are unmanaged and cannot be invested into directly.

CHJ Wealth Management,
10200 Grogan’s Mill Road,
Suite 340
The Woodlands, TX 77380

Winners? Losers?

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Our society always yearns for clarity.  There are always good guys and bad guys in movies.  In debates, we want to know who won or lost.  One debate does not an election season make.  Regardless, we’ll play along.  To the Nevada Democratic Debate scoreboard we go.

Winner– Donald J. Trump.   There were no “wow” moments from any Democrat that would cause anyone to look at this race for 2020 any differently.  When capitalism v. socialism is being debated you’ve got a problem with the narrative in the bigger picture.

Loser- Michael Bloomberg.  He paid to get on the stage and halfway through he likely wanted to pay to get off of the stage no matter the cost.  Elizabeth Warren stood next to him.  Mini Mike, as Trump calls him, looked small in stature and when Warren traded punches with him on his confidentially settled lawsuits brought by former female employees he looked even smaller.  He was attacked by everyone on stage and had few counter punches of note.  He looked like he could use a standing eight count at one point.

Winner– Mayor Pete.  It is obvious that the moderates (we use that term loosely with this crowd of Mayor Pete, Amy Klobuchar, and Bloomberg) will consolidate down to one at some point.  Mayor Pete has poise and stage presence.  He speaks eloquently but says little.  That actually works in this crowd.  His few but pointed attacks had a plan.  He had Klobuchar rattled more than once.  He has no national record so few attack him.  Others are falling around him.  Is his inexperience his biggest foe?

Loser- Joe Biden.  Joe stood in the middle of the ring and came out of the debate unscathed.  That sounds like a winner, but it’s not.  Why?  Its because no one even bothered to throw a punch at him.  This also makes him a loser as his competition has moved on to fight other fighters.  Long on experience and relationships around the globe, he constantly reminds us, is no longer the winning ticket to get on the nomination train.

Winner– NBC.  The moderators had control for the most part and the questions aimed at most candidates were pointed and debate worthy.  The bar for moderators is very low when CNN is your competition, however.  Bonus points to them for keeping the far-left MSNBC talking heads at home.

Loser– Elizabeth Warren.  Her demeanor was better than her norm.  Her aforementioned exchange with Bloomberg was strong.  Her fingernails on a chalkboard voice was an octave lower than usual.   Sounds like a winner doesn’t it?  The problem is Bernie Sanders is the front runner and he is in her lane taking up all of the oxygen.  It’s too late for her.

Winner– Bernie Sanders.  He admitted that he is a “Democratic Socialist.”  He was called out for a 25 trillion dollar gap in his health care plan costs.  Yet he lost no ground last evening and remains the front runner.  Now he should loudly focus on fixing the Democratic Super Delegate problem that is right in front of him.  Bloomberg has money to burn.  Bernie should burn down the crooked process.

Loser– The Democratic Party.  Having an avowed Socialist leading your process as the capitalistic driven economy rolls along in 2020 is no way to win an election.  For the party that prides itself on inclusiveness, last night was a divisive two hour attack on one another.

See you in South Carolina.

 

Right from Wrong

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

It started innocently enough last evening.  Not too long after the New Hampshire Democratic Primary polls closed Andrew Yang closed shop on his campaign.  He meant well.  But his $1000/month giveaway to every adult idea never gained traction.  He thought it was the right thing to do, but voters never lined up for the “free” handout.

Former Mayor Mike Bloomberg, not in this primary (are the rules convoluted much?), had audio tapes leak yesterday.  On them, defending his stop and frisk initiative he stated “95% of your murders, murderers and murder victims fit one M.O. You can just take the description, Xerox it, pass it out to all the cops, They are male, minorities, 16-25. That’s true in New York, that’s true in virtually every city.”

Avowed Democrat and African American Juan Williams, Fox News contributor, was asked how he felt about the words heard on the tape.  Juan said “on one hand the statistics prove that Bloomberg is right.  But, it would be wrong for my son to have to fear getting stopped by the police each and every time he left the house.”

Bernie Sanders took a victory lap with just over 25% of the New Hampshire vote last evening.  It’s his right to run for President even though he makes no bones about his Socialism platform.  The United States is fast approaching its 250th birthday.  It seems to be doing quite well as a capitalistic society.  It’s poor are far richer than the global average.  That’s not to say that we can’t do better.  He finished his victory speech with “this victory is the beginning of the end for Donald Trump.”  Bernie may be right.  Trump’s presidency and his reelection message are diametrically opposed to Sanders.  Someone (James Carville, Democratic strategist extraordinaire) once said, “it’s the economy stupid!”  There is a lot to like in today’s US economy.  Bernie may be wrong.

The purported front runner just weeks ago, Joe Biden skipped his “victory” party last night in NH and flew straight to South Carolina, the next primary battleground. He made the right move given his single-digit performance and subsequent fifth-place NH finish.  He called the Iowa finish (though it’s not finished) a “gut punch.”  The New Hampshire support lacked support as it was a punch below the belt.  Greeted by South Carolina supporters he attempted to rally the troops.  He told them “It’s important that Iowa and Nevada have spoken.”  Wrong.  Nevada, New Hampshire.  Pre Med.  Pre Law.  Tomato.  Tomatoe.  It’s all the same.  Right?

The DNC tried to put a new saddle on an old horse in Biden.  The RNC tried to do the same four years ago in Jeb Bush.  Wrong and wrong.  Biden’s campaign should be taken behind the barn and put out of its mystery.  It’s the right thing to do.  Biden should be on a beach with crew socks on his sandal feet and zinc oxide on his nose, with his Aviator glasses in place.

“Hello America! I’m Amy Klobuchar and I will beat Donald Trump,” she told a cheering crowd. “My heart is full tonight. We have beaten the odds every step of the way.”  She’s right.  No one thought the Minnesota Senator would still be standing at this point in the long road to the nomination.  She finished a “strong third.”

Since when is a third-place finish a victory?  When a party is searching desperately for a warm body to be the nominee, she isn’t wrong.

Everyone is famous for 15 minutes.  Klobuchar has no organization on the ground in any Super Tuesday primary state.  No candidate has ever gained the nomination without a first or second-place finish in the first two primaries.  Never say never, however.

Speaking of a first or second-place finish, Mayor Pete Buttigieg has one of each.  It’s Pete’s right to accept big donor money from Wall St.  Sanders says it’s wrong.

Based on the above history says it’s right to assume Sanders or Buttigieg will wind up being the nominee.  In today’s political madness basing anything on history might be the wrong thing to do.

And, waiting in the wings is Donald Trump.  Whether you think that he is right or wrong, all he wants to do is “Keep America Great!”

Queue the Billy Joel.

 

Run Forrest Run!

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

If the four years of the Donald Trump presidency can be compared to four laps of a steeplechase race, Trump entered the first turn of the final lap this week.

He wants to run four more laps and has filed the necessary paperwork to do so.  He wants to win the next one. He always wants to win, win, win.  Don’t believe me, just ask him.  Or, don’t even ask, just listen.

So listening was just what America did yesterday.  Trump had a great burst into lap four and was free and clear of the field and its many detractors.  All previous investigations behind him, the biggest hurdles were two impeachment articles.  He jumped them both quite well.  The Democrats fell into the water.  Adam Schiff looks winded.  Nadler’s gassed.  The Iowa Primary went underwater and hasn’t surfaced.  Joe Biden said he took a gut punch.  The State of the Union address was lauded near and far as his best speech to date in office.

Out of the court and free and clear, Trump sprinted into Thursday morning and held his own court.  In the rearview mirror he could see them all getting smaller.  So what did he do?  In what should have been a well-earned victory lap, Trump decided to slow down and put all of his detractors right back into the thick of the chase.

He apparently cannot help himself.  In 49 or so minutes he reminded us that he won in 2016 when people thought that he couldn’t.  That’s so 2016 of him.

He bashed Comey.  Comey might have deserved bashing in 2017 and 2018.  What does Comey have to do with the Ukranian phone call, impeachment, and subsequent acquittal?  That’s so 2018 of him.

And, while thanking a female senator or rep (BBR could not identify her from the tv and Trump mumbled her name) for her help in defeating the uprising, Trump called her “nasty” and “mean” and said, “you did a great job.”  Take that as a compliment we guess.

Maybe, no probably, he only knows one way.  He prefers and excels at mixing it up.  He came from nowhere, he slugged it out with Hillary, and he has been fighting everyone for three-plus laps.

With no one in front of him he ran headlong into the next hurdle.  He brings the field back to him. He lowers the hurdles for the competition. Clearly he prefers tight quarters with elbows thrown over running unabated.

Just when the Democrats tied all of their shoelaces together Trump decided to go Forrest Gump.  Run Forrest Run!

Ironing, Washing, and Exercise

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Super Bowl viewing isn’t for everyone.   In today’s world alternative suggestions to occupy your time while others soak up every minute are plentiful.  Likewise, the State of the Union (SOTU) addresses aren’t for everyone either.  Several alternatives were suggested before and during the speech last evening.  Rather than recap the SOTU, let’s look at the alternatives suggested, acted upon, and even some others that could have been.

Hillary Clinton suggested that you spend the hour ensuring that your voter registration was up to date and ask two others to do the same.  Patriotic!  She also could have rifled through a ton of old emails and filed the keepers and tossed the rest.  Wait, BBR is being told that she’s up to date.  Well, maybe she could have caught up on some ironing.  You know, so many pantsuits, so little time.

Hillary’s Pinterest friend Monica Lewinsky skipped the address as well.  She decided to catch up on some wash, she said.   Hillary had a suggestion.  Shout®. has the stain-fighting ingredients to break up and remove tough stains—so you can live in the moment, and clean up later.

Alexandria Octavio Cortez had a great seat but boycotted the event.  She said, “None of this is normal and I will not legitimize it.”  Dramatic.  That’s the way to drop the hammer AOC.  AOC suggested that M.C. Hammer had it all wrong many moons ago when he sang “Too Legit. Too Legit to Quit.“

Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D) from Michigan walked out midway through the speech.  She tweeted, “…the shameless bragging about taking away food stamps that people depend on to live-it was all beneath the dignity of the office he occupies.”  She walked straight to her favorite restaurant in such disgust that she could barely sit through the entire meal.  One suggestion going forward is to call food stamps by their proper name.  SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is the program formerly known as food stamps.  Saying “food stamps” is beneath the dignity of the office she occupies.

Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) on Tuesday night brought a Ukrainian flag with him to the address to show that Democrats stood with an “ally he tried to extort.”  During the speech he walked out saying “I can’t stand a liar.”  Perhaps the 83-year-old Pascrell, who no one has ever heard of, should have stayed.  Everyone is famous for 15 minutes.  Why shortchange yourself?

A small group of Dems didn’t stand (Ilhan Omar among them) while all others did three separate times to honor 100-year-old Tuskegee Airman Charles McGee.  Even McGee at 100 stood all three times, and they were honoring him!  Maybe some need to hit the U.S. government provided gym for some much-needed exercise rather than sit in those comfy leather chairs all evening.  Up. Down.

Adam Schiff sat through the entire evening right next to Jerry Nadler.  Kudos to him.  Schiff, eyes bulging, looked like he could barely breathe though.  Understandable.  One suggestion to him might be- don’t sit next to Nadler next time.

Congressman Tim Ryan (D) from Ohio also walked out.  He tweeted, “I’ve had enough.  It’s like watching professional wrestling.  It’s all fake.”  We hope Ryan soldiered on and watched the balance of the address on CNN.

President Trump reaffirmed that America is going to participate in the Trillion Tree Initiative “an ambitious effort to bring together government and the private sector to plant new trees in America and all around the world.”  That’s a good thing for the environment and the paper industry.

Paper will be so plentiful it’ll be growing in trees.   Paper is what kept Nancy Pelosi in her seat shuffling hers until the very end.  She seemed torn though.

May we suggest a House led investigation into possible Russian interference in the Iowa Democratic Primary to get her mind off of all of that pesky paperwork?

 

 

 

 

 

Like Him or Not

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Nine quick days ago tragedy struck a globally iconic figure-Kobe Bryant.  He was full of life and had much more to live.  Yesterday, another iconic figure, although a far more polarizing one, announced on his now 32 years and running AM radio talk show that he had been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer-Rush Limbaugh.

What do the two have in common?  The answer is very little, save one thing.  Both rose to the very top of their very difficult and highly skilled professions and flourished for an abnormally long time.

In the mid-’80s Rush stopped trying to be what others wanted him to be on air and started being Rush.  By 1988 he was in New York and his conservative talk show entered syndication.  Soon radio stations coast to American coast picked him up and began revamping their station lineups around him.   The number of stations in his mid-’90s zenith was nearly 700.  Today it’s still 590 or so.  His listenership peaked at nearly 20 million per week.   It remains the #1 talk show today with over 16 million.  He single-handedly changed talk radio.

Along the way Rush made many new friends, made many new enemies, and found himself embroiled in more than a few controversies.

In 2003 he was extra busy.   He joined the ESPN Sunday NFL Countdown.  He didn’t last long.  He questioned Donovan McNabb’s ability as a QB.  “Sorry to say this, I don’t think he’s been that good from the get-go,” Limbaugh said. “I think what we’ve had here is a little social concern in the NFL. The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback does well. There is a little hope invested in McNabb.”

He also was extra busy in 2003 consuming way too many prescribed pain killers.  A court case was settled and one count of obtaining them illegally was dismissed.

His campaign to marginalize Sandra Fluke in 2012 was strongly worded and unrelenting.  It cost him and his show dozens of sponsors.

There is a softer side too.  His work leading charitable causes and his private monetary donations are numerous and generous in the many millions.

But, make no mistake about it, Rush has been Rush and has been great at it for a long time.  His appeal in conservative circles is unmatched.  He’s been at odds with the Republican Party more than once as well.  There’s a difference in being a conservative and a Republican.

His shtick is uncanny and unrelenting.  “Sitting high atop the EIB (Excellence in Broadcasting) Network Broadcast Building with talent on loan from God, it’s Rush Limbaugh at the Golden Mic, the center for advanced conservative studies.  I have half my brain tied behind my back just to make it fair.”  And on he pushes.

A colleague called him the Babe Ruth of broadcasting just a few weeks back.  Babe did it his way.  Legend has it that Babe once pointed to where he then hit the next pitch for a home run.  Rush has had a clear vision of the future cultural and political changes that few others could foresee.  Babe hit 714 in all and retired in 1935.  It took until 1974, or 39 years for Hank Aaron to break the home run record.  There is and has been no one on the radio that has come close to Rush’s combination of passion, wit, knowledge, and ability to convey the complex in a simple way for 32 years and counting.  Rush does it his way.

You can argue his political takes, but be prepared for the long game.  His work ethic is unparalleled.  Try being the solo host of a three-hour show, five days a week, and fifty-two weeks a year.  Now do that for 32 years and counting.

His show is his life.  And, now he is in the fight of his life.

 

The Fed, The Virus and Corporate Earnings

Posted on by Jim Carlton

Independent Investment Management designed to protect and grow your wealth.

JIM CARLTON
Managing Director
Chief Investment Officer

Friends

Stocks staged several rallies today, but in the end it was much ado about nothing. As is often the case on Fed day, traders weren’t sure how to react to the FOMC statement and Chairman Powell’s Q&A. It seemed apparent that the Fed continues to take a dovish stance with regards to monetary policy- meaning there is very little chance of any rate hikes any time soon, and they continue to increase their balance sheet. On the earnings front, Apple had a blowout quarter, while others that reported had mixed results.

When all was said and done, stocks ended up virtually unchanged for the day. By the close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 11 points to finish the day at 28,734. The S&P 500 was down 2 points to close at 3,273. Gold was up $6 to trade at $1,576 per ounce, while oil was down $.38 to trade at $53.10 per barrel WTI.

The coronavirus news continues to grab the headlines and traders’ attention. Uncertainty is poison for stocks, and it’s a little surprising that the markets have held up as well as they have given the somewhat disturbing news that we continue to get on the spread of the virus. We’ll watch as Facebook and Microsoft report after the close today, among others.

Have a nice evening everyone.

Jim

10200 Grogan’s Mill Road, Suite 340
The Woodlands, TX  77380 
(281) 298-2700 Phone
(877) 824-4299 Toll Free
(281) 298-2760 Fax

[email protected]        www.chjwealthmanagement.com

Investment Advisory offered through Carlton, Hofferkamp & Jenks Wealth Management, LLC (“CHJ”).

*Numbers and figures sourced from the following: Bloomberg.com, CNBC.com and Finance.Yahoo.com.
The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which investment(s) may be appropriate for you, consult your financial advisor prior to investing. All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results. All indices are unmanaged and cannot be invested into directly.

CHJ Wealth Management,
10200 Grogan’s Mill Road,
Suite 340
The Woodlands, TX 77380