Small Plane, Big (Independent) Political Idea: Michael’s West Virginia Weekend

**Michael Smerconish** (0:00)
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**TC Cannon** (0:34)
Latte for Keenan?

**Kenan Thompson** (0:36)
That's me. Hey, you're...

**Michael Smerconish** (0:38)
Yeah.

**TC Cannon** (0:38)
Buying a car online on Auto Trader?

**Kenan Thompson** (0:40)
Really? But unlike other sites, you can start online, test drive with a local dealer, then finish online or at the dealership. Really? Wait, are you... Yep, it's key.

**TC Cannon** (0:49)
able to finish in person without starting the process over?

**Kenan Thompson** (0:52)
Really. Your info stays with you every step of the way.

**SPEAKER_2** (0:55)
Cool. Enjoy.

**Kenan Thompson** (0:57)
It's Kenan Thompson. Buy your car online on AutoTrader.
Really?

**SPEAKER_6** (1:04)
Ditch the clowns on the left...

**SPEAKER_7** (1:05)
and the jokers on the right...

**SPEAKER_2** (1:07)
and join Michael Smerconish right here...

**SPEAKER_7** (1:10)
This is The Smerconish Podcast for Independent Minds.

**Michael Smerconish** (1:14)
So where was I? Oh, yeah. When we were last together, it was Thursday.
And in the remaining ten minutes of the Thursday program, I said, Hey, I'm going to play a tape. I'm going to play a tape, A, because I need to catch a plane, and B, because it's really great. And the tape was of an interview that I did with Senator Joe Manchin when his memoir, Dead Center, came out two years ago. And I said I was leaving to go be with Joe Manchin in West Virginia. And I tell you about it when I got back. So I'm back and I'm eager to share with you information about my trip from a couple of different standpoints because I think it's really of significance and just perfectly suited for the POTUS audience. But before the substance, let me describe the journey. Because I posted in Slack, which is our means of communicating those who are involved in our operation, right? Our internal, our team, right?
Photograph, actually a photograph and a video of the plane that brought me home. And TC expressed some surprise when seeing the aircraft. I'm not exactly sure why. And I said, please just save that thought and tell me on air TC whose father has flown forever as a pilot forever. And TC who once soloed, yeah, I've been flying in little planes my whole life.

**TC Cannon** (2:44)
So I am very comfortable. I am very comfortable flying in little planes. I have no problem flying in little planes. I just know that some people aren't as comfortable flying in little planes. And this is a little plane. So this is a Cirrus. That's what I would not have known. That's what it was called. But of course, I sent the picture to my father and he immediately wrote back Cirrus. And it is a single engine low wing plane. And is it two seats? Is it four seats?

**SPEAKER_7** (3:12)
It is small.

**Michael Smerconish** (3:12)
It was four seats and I chose to sit up front.

**SPEAKER_7** (3:15)
Yeah, you chose to sit up front.

**Michael Smerconish** (3:16)
And I shot video on takeoff from White Sulphur Springs.

**TC Cannon** (3:21)
It's very sleek. It's very modern looking.

**SPEAKER_7** (3:23)
Unbelievable.

**TC Cannon** (3:24)
And I need to also tell people that maybe this will jog people's memories. This is the kind of airplane. This is the Cirrus is the one that has...

**Michael Smerconish** (3:31)
Oh, you're not going to tell me some tragedy, are you?

**SPEAKER_7** (3:33)
Nope.

**TC Cannon** (3:33)
It's very safe, according to my father, who I totally trust, very safe. But one of the reasons it's very safe is that it has a full plane parachute system.

**Michael Smerconish** (3:41)
Yes. Yes.

**TC Cannon** (3:43)
So there's that.

**Michael Smerconish** (3:43)
OK. So there's not only...

**TC Cannon** (3:46)
Some people would not get into that plane.

**Michael Smerconish** (3:48)
You know that, right? So I needed to get home.

**TC Cannon** (3:50)
Like, I'm impressed.

**Michael Smerconish** (3:51)
I needed to get home and it was beautiful.
I said to the pilot, what does one of these go for? He said a million bucks. No, no, it's a million dollars. But a couple of things, if I may just speak to it, we're going to put it. We're going to put this on Facebook. We're definitely going to put this on Facebook so people can see for themselves. But a few things. One, when he was giving me the very quick briefing before takeoff, he pointed to a button and said, a red button, of course it's red, and it was located in the ceiling. And he said, you know, if something...