Today's Poll Question: Who REALLY Runs The American Economy?

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Get ready to vote on today's daily poll question at smerconish.com.

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But first, Michael explains it for you right here.

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Welcome to The Smerconish Podcast from SiriusXM.

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For Independent Minds.

Michael Smerconish (0:14)

Hello, hello. Today is Monday, it's the 14th of September, 2026 A little something different to start today's poll podcast. I think this is the way that I'd like to get into it. I'm going to read you a page and a half from a brand new book. In November of 2023, Bob and Paula Brockway of Coral Gables, Florida, hosted a wedding for their daughter, Madeleine. The festivities cost upwards of $60 million and drew millions of viewers on social media, turning the event into a viral sensation dubbed the Wedding of the Century. Weeks before the nuptials, the 26-year-old bride flew with friends for a four-day bachelorette jaunt in Canyon Point, Utah. They stayed at the Amaguri, which at the time charged $3,150 per night for a basic room. The group partied to a different theme each night from Pretty in Pink to Aliens Among Us to Golden Hour to a final evening when Brockway and her girlfriends donned 18th century powdered wigs, petticoats and elaborate makeup for a French royalty-themed soiree. Then came the wedding celebration, for which the guests were flown by private to Paris. The five days of festivities included a private lunch in the Chanel Haute Couture Suite, a rehearsal dinner at the Paris Opera House, fireworks at the Eiffel Tower, a party under the Arc de Triomphe and a night at the Palace of Versailles. The Brockways rented out the entire grounds of Versailles, guests dined in the palace in the style of the lost monarchy, served by waiters dressed in period costume. More than 50 hair and makeup artists styled the guests for the dinner. Guests wandered through the palace, snapping selfies in the Hall of Mirrors, where the Allies in Germany signed the treaty that formally ended World War I. Bride and groom exchange vows at the historic Chateau de Villette in Condacourt, an estate 30 miles northwest of the city, designed by the same architect as Versailles. Known as Little Versailles, the estate has hosted luminaries over the years, including Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and Tom Cruise. Author Dan Brown drew inspiration when he visited while working on the Da Vinci Code. At the Maroon reception, Adam Levine of Maroon 5 performed She Will Be Loved for the couple's first dance, while the illuminated Eiffel Tower gleamed in the distance.

Who's got 60 million to drop on such an extravaganza for their daughter?

You might think that Bob and Paula Brockway made their money as investment bankers from Wall Street or tech executives from Silicon Valley.

Actually, they're car dealers.

And so begins a brand new book titled The Everywhere Millionaire by Owen Zidar and Eric Zwick. Eric Zwick is going to be on the radio program today to talk about this book and gives inspiration to today's poll question, who really runs the American economy? Is it big tech, big banks and big oil or the millionaires on Main Street?

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The Smerconish Podcast from SiriusXM.

Michael Smerconish (3:33)

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