Today's What Gets Iran to Yield: Talks, Blockade, Boots, or Bombs?

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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.

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Hello, hello.

**Michael Smerconish** (0:14)
Hi, gang. Today is Thursday, it's the 9th of July. And here are your poll results from yesterday at smerconish.com.
Which is more politically potent, democratic socialism or charges of communism? 66.95% of 28,170, two-thirds said communism, more politically potent. I was in that category, 33.05% saying democratic socialism. What I was addressing in that poll question is the schism within the democratic party. All this enthusiasm among the democratic socialists, right? Good for turnout, at least in primaries and in some areas. But giving republicans to use the socialism or, in the case of President Trump, the communism charge on that score in terms of where is the democratic party headed, Graham Plattner has now gotten out a Wall Street Journal analysis very much in line with things that I've been saying on radio this week. Democrats scrambling to stave off disaster in the pivotal main senate race as the fallout from new allegations against Graham Plattner threatens to intensify simmering rifts within the party.
The progressive and establishment factions of the party already jockeying to select Plattner's replacement in Maine after prominent politicians on both sides called for his ouster, etc., etc. The jockeying comes amid an increasingly fraught nationwide battle for the party's identity. Ahead of the November midterm elections, progressives building up momentum in primary elections touting victories of several left-wing congressional candidates, including three Democratic socialists in New York and in Colorado, centrists saying such candidates can't win in competitive general elections and could damage the party's chances to retake Congress. That's the issue. That's the plotline. That's something that I've got my eye on.

**SPEAKER_1** (2:17)
The Smerconish Podcast from SiriusXM.

**Michael Smerconish** (2:20)
I'll tell you something else I have my eye on. 4 p.m. today, France and Morocco.
3 p.m. tomorrow, Spain and Belgium. Saturday at 5 Here's the biggie for me. 5 p.m. Norway and England. 9 p.m. Argentina and Switzerland.
Day off yesterday. Yesterday was dark. You know, they needed to restock all the kegs.
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The Daily Poll Question at smerconish.com.

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A non-scientific social political question designed to spark broader discussions about current issues.

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Get ready to cast your ballot. And leave a rating and review of this podcast on your favorite podcast app.

**Michael Smerconish** (4:28)
Iran, blank show, four weeks in. Memorandum of understanding just seemingly worthless at this point. So what to do? Admiral Stavridis on today's program cannot wait to ask him my poll question, which is what gets Iran to yield? Talks, blockade, bombs, or boots? And I didn't go deliberately so with none of the above. But the ceasefire is over. The president said so himself. He was on that NATO stage in Ankara yesterday. As far as I'm concerned, it's over, he said. He called the Iran leader scum, said dealing with them is a waste of time. And then hours later, CENTCOM launched a second night of strikes. More than 80 targets hit the night before, including 60 Revolutionary Guard small boats. So what happened to bring this about most recently? Tuesday, Iran attacked three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, obviously. That was the trigger. US responds with CENTCOM called to impose heavy costs with their strikes. Iran then hits US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait. And what happened as a result? The Brent jumped 8 percent. There's a word we never knew until this came, right? Past $80 a barrel for the first time since June 19 So, biggest single-day spike in oil prices since April.