Leadership Matters

WMXI w/ Gene Valentino & Michael Pol

Just another great interview with Michael Pol, WMXI Radio. Enjoyed a frank conversation on leadership. The focus on “leadership from our elected officials evidences itself in difficult times. The lack of leadership in California has exacerbated California’s unprecedented crisis. Leadership matters.

 

WMXI Episode 155: Gene Gives Update on His Race for U.S. Congress

Originally Aired on WMXI Radio on Friday, January 10, 2025

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Full Episode Transcript

Leadership Matters

Chris Ruddy: [00:00:00] This is Chris Ruddy, and I love Gene Valentino’s GrassRoots TruthCast. Make sure you’re tuning in just like I do every day, every week, every minute.

Gene Valentino: I’m Gene Valentino and I approve this message.

Epic Voice Guy: Trump won, but we know the real fight starts now. Congress needs a champion to move the MAGA agenda forward. I’m Gene Valentino like Donald Trump

Gene Valentino: and Elon Musk. I’m not a politician. I’m a businessman and innovator. When I’m elected, I’ll put you, the American people, first.

We’ll abolish federal income taxes. We’ll slash the budget and eliminate whole government departments. We’ll send every illegal immigrant packing. My message to D. C. is simple. Lead, follow, or get out of the [00:01:00] way.

Announcer: And do be on a rainy Friday morning, 7 16 16 after the hour. We look forward all week to joining Michael and Gene Valentino. So, Mr Valentino, Good morning.

Gene Valentino: Good morning, Mr Tibbet. How are you this morning? 55 degrees here in Pensacola. I got a feeling that cold temperature your way is coming my way.

Michael Pol: Yeah, it’s it’s not as bad actually this morning as it has been over the last, I don’t know, maybe 5 6 days.

It’s been really cold at night down in the twenties. And if you look at most of Mississippi right now, it’s either it’s either raining. Sleeting or snowing?

Gene Valentino: Well, 98 percent of the weather comes from the north and the West. Unless it’s a hurricane coming into us from the gulf from the south, but 85 percent of the time we’re [00:02:00] seeing.

Weather patterns from so when Mississippi and Michael Pole are talking to Valentino over here in the panhandle. I know what kind of weather I’ve got coming my way.

Michael Pol: That’s right. It’s only hours away. When it hits us, it’s just maybe. You know, six hours away.

Gene Valentino: Well, but I’m resilient because I’ve been named by your loyal followers.

Uh, uh, the velvet hammer. So, um, I’m prepared because you guys over there have put me through bootcamp and I feel prepared whether it’s, um, working here in the office or in Washington, DC. Oh, by the way, for those folks who cannot see behind Michael Pohl right now, he’s got a beautiful shot. Of the Capitol of the United States.

Uh, a beautiful view of Capitol Hill and Congress that is part of his backdrop. Someplace I hope to be working very soon. We’ll know Michael about this [00:03:00] primary over here in, uh, the panhandle of Florida. We’ll, we will, Oh, it’s January 28th. So January 28th is the primary day. Early voting starts in a day or two or three, um, mailed in ballots is already underway.

And I look forward to being your next congressman here in the Gulf Coast. I’ve had a great relationship, folks, with Michael Pohl and WMXI, WFOR. And I got to tell you, uh, the relationship has been a springboard in what I now consider a great opportunity. To serve you in the United States Congress. Yes, I’m here in district one over in the panhandle, but I’ve had a great conversation with Congressman Michael Guest.

I look forward to one in the near future with Mr. Mike Ezell and, um, Hey, Michael, what is it with you? Mike’s over there. You got Mike, Mike and Mike,

Michael Pol: our parents, uh, weren’t very creative with names [00:04:00]

Gene Valentino: or someone was talking to someone just to keep us all confused. I don’t know.

Michael Pol: That’s true. That’s true. But look, I’ll tell you these, these guys over here, they, they’re, they’re the real deal.

Michael Guest, Mike Ezell, two of my good friends, Mike Ezell. Of course, I’ve known all my life. But, uh, you know, even before I was born, our parents were friends and my dad and his dad worked together. So it’s, you know, it’s a long term relationship and much like you, you know, you and I have had a very long relationship, even though We’ve only been doing this for four years.

We, we knew each other for much longer than that. That’s true. And, uh, I always knew you were congressional material, my friend. I’m, I’m glad to see you making the run and I’m wishing you the very best. So any, anything you want to on the, on the campaign.

Gene Valentino: Well, I’ll tell you, it is a surprise. You know, we’re enjoying the podcasts and the weekly show with you.

And it’s really a calling. I, I, I didn’t need this job. I want the job. And, um, I’m looking forward [00:05:00] to going into it for the right reasons. And I think we all should be mindful of that in our life and with our children, that we bring forward to them, a, a direction, a future. A vision of what America’s all about.

And frankly, it’s a calling. I want to get back into, uh, this line of work to make sure that we, frankly, on one level, we’re going to protect Donald Trump’s initiative, something you and I have, have really harped on through several episodes over the last four years is protecting the back of Donald Trump and the MAGA agenda.

During, um, the, not the great times, the sunny fair, fair weather day times. I’m talking about the difficult times, the times when the leadership is necessary and is required to step up to defend this nation. And by doing so, we’re defending the regions of the nation and our villages. Uh, as tip O’Neill, a Democrat said eloquently [00:06:00] with his friend to his friend, Ronald Reagan, uh, Ron.

All politics is local and, and it is. So, uh, while you push on some national fronts with national policies and platform like Mikey Zell, like Michael Guest, uh, like 400 others in Congress, uh, you’re also representing the character, the fabric of those that live around you, work around you. And it’s important that this constitutional republic be protected.

You know, Michael, we almost lost it. I reflect back on this last four years under the Biden administration, how close we were to the complete loss of our nation through this woke, uh, D. E. I. mentality of the Democrat liberal left that disregarded the neighborhood, the [00:07:00] neighborhoods and the common folk thinking.

For example, Nancy Pelosi never worried about what a Democrat congressman thought about espousing issues from her district, that person’s district. Instead, Nancy Pelosi would say to that congressman or woman, This is the way you’re going to be voting on the bill today with no rhyme or reason. There’s no time or attention given to any of the local issues in the district under a Nancy Pelosi or a Chuck Schumer.

You just tout the party line and that’s what your job is. And if you want to get reelected, you better do so because we’ve got the money to help you get reelected. The Republican side says, is a little bit more, is a little bit more deliberative. There’s room in the organization of Republicanism to allow for differences of opinion, as our Constitution had hoped for.

[00:08:00] Differences of ideas, innovation, thought, uh, creativity. Why? So that we, like making sausage, it’s not always pretty, but it certainly ensures for you and me that we’re getting the best answer or the best solution for the citizens we represent. And that’s why I’m going to Washington. For example, Michael, right now, the California fires going out through the boroughs and counties of greater Los Angeles, where’s the leadership?

They’re more worried about DEI transgender fire chiefs and, um, uh, and, and balance of equity issues as opposed to who’s most capable. They didn’t even protect the water supply system over there to ensure that the reservoirs were loaded to, to be able to fuel, I should say, supply the water systems to the fire hydrants in the different counties in greater Los [00:09:00] Angeles.

The, the, um, the mayor, uh, Bass was somewhere in Ghana on some cultural excursion in her last few days

Michael Pol: before he went to see the, uh, the, the, the new, uh, president be sworn in of Ghana. How important is that? Somebody you’ve never met.

Gene Valentino: Wonderful point. And here at home during a crisis. She’s absent. No, the, we, when we were, when you and I were in office, I folks, Mike, Michael Paul won’t say much about it, but he was a great leader when he was in political office in Mississippi.

I was at the same time working in as a county commissioner here in Escambia County, Florida, and we locked arms. And collaborated and swapped resources necessary to protect our citizens during the hurricanes and windstorms and floods that were occurring coming in off the Gulf of Mexico. Oh, excuse me, the Gulf of America, [00:10:00] the, um,

Michael Pol: very kind, you’re very kind though, to say those nice things.

I appreciate that gene, but it’s about, it’s about getting the job done for the folks. It’s not about me and you. That’s right. It’s about

Gene Valentino: for a reason. That’s right, Michael. It’s about getting the job done. And so when you’re looking for leadership, we’re looking for the right solution for how you get a job done.

You’re looking for good leadership and you don’t test what the leadership on a sunny day and how sweet and kind they are to you at the barbecue. When they’re shaking hands, you test the leadership when it hits the fan, it’s dark and gray. There’s a crisis with people screaming around you in need of care.

That’s how you test the leadership. And we have seen a complete meltdown, a complete failure of the Democrat party and their leadership components, because they were distracted with DEI and a woke agenda that did not address the needs of the citizens. And California is paying [00:11:00] for it. Now, now. One nation under God is the is the mantra we live by.

Regrettably, we’re going to be as concerned about this fire issue in California as we are about flooding and hurricanes in Mississippi and Florida and any other peril against us nationwide in the other states. Because we’re one nation. So we have to think globally, not so locally at times. Yes, all politics is local, but all operations can be streamlined sometimes on a national level.

And one of them is insurance. Uh, if we consolidate some of our methodologies in the way we handle insurance, uh, not state by state, but nationally, we will be able to uh, streamline the service. and streamline the cost. That’s what’s going on right now with the insurance crisis [00:12:00] we have. It’s in varying degrees throughout the nation, Michael.

And based on what state you’re in, because back in the 1950s and 60s, the federal act called the McCarran Ferguson Act pushed insurance regulation to the states. It was probably at the time a convenience to take the heavy, heavy lifting off of Congress. However, they carved out an exception, and that was The flood policy, the flood policy you and I pay for is a national policy.

It’s the premium is competitive. And if you have a claim, it doesn’t, the policy premium doesn’t triple or quadruple on you. It goes up maybe three to 5%, not likely to cancel on you. Your home and auto policy may cancel on you if it didn’t go up 700, 800%. And that’s what I’m trying to say. The insurance industry is mired.

with bureaucratic layers [00:13:00] of oversight that have created its own problems. And frankly, because of this crazy McCarran Ferguson Act, it evidences itself in different ways in the different states to different degrees. I propose as a solution, as a former instructor of the licensing course of insurance in my earlier days, I propose a solution to fix the McCarran Ferguson Act or repeal it to broaden the scope of the operation of insurance so that your your pain and suffering of what you’re paying for right now on insurance is not so dramatic.

It’s one of about 20 key issues I have on my campaign. My campaign platform got to get in office first. I’m singing to the, to the choir. I know you’re on board with me, Michael, but, uh, I’m going to be working as soon as this broadcast is over. I hit the street running with my campaign manager, [00:14:00] Jessica, and another 20 folks out of Washington, DC, who are working with me on this campaign to win a Republican primary election in about 18 days, uh, January 28th.

Michael Pol: Well, thank you for joining us. I know you’re busy, but leadership matters. And what you just said the entire time you were talking, you were pointing toward leadership and making things happen for the people, right? Making that’s what they didn’t do in California. You know what? State Farm said, Hey, we got to raise the rates because you’re a big risk.

And they said, Nope, We’re putting a cap on it. And guess what happened now? These poor people out in California have no insurance.

Gene Valentino: And why should the price price of your premium be based just on California? The price of the premium for flood insurance is based on the larger pool of the nation. Of course, you’re going to have a higher premium, California.

Of course, you’re going to have a higher premium in Florida. But we’re one nation. Those, those [00:15:00] calculations of, of, uh, a premium should be based on the pool of the nation. When you move from state to state, you know, this coming out of DOT and the highway system, you have, you have, uh, asphalt and concrete road system.

It doesn’t vary from state to state. It’s a uniform spec nationwide of a system. We need to think in the same logic you.

Toward how we handle the specification of insurance. Thank you for having me.

Michael Pol: Hey, thank you for joining us, Gene. Good luck. And we’ll talk to you again, hopefully next week. Bestie brother.

 

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